Toothless Wonder
It's been another busy week for Shea. On Monday Dr. Nunn removed the plastic plate and all the metal from her mouth. It has been uncomfortable for Shea, but she has been a great sport in spite of what she is enduring. The plastic plate had its main purpose but cosmetically it held her lips out as her teeth normally would. Now her top lip curls in quite a bit as there are three teeth missing, and her speech is definitely affected. Shea calls herself the "toothleth wonder"!
Dr. Nunn also shared with us that Shea will definitely need three more surgeries. The first surgery will be the restoration of the left eye orbit and cheek bone. He will graft bone from her skull to replace the missing bone in the cheek bone. At the same time Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay will graft bone from Shea's hip to replace the missing bone above the front teeth. Some time later she will undergo a second surgery where her lower jaw will need to be rebroken and extended. Fixing her nose will be the last operation and hopefully the least invasive.
On Tuesday we spent 3 1/2 hours with Dr. Mills. He is very thorough and, as we said in the previous post, he is moving her along very quickly as he is leaving the country soon. Today our appointment was at 10:00, and we left with the staff at 6:00 tonight! We are going back again tomorrow. There was a cancellation today so they were able to spend the whole day working with Shea. Dr. Mills took lots of pictures, molds and even began working on a temporary bridge. Her jaw is completely messed up -- how else can we say it? Only two teeth in the back meet, and one tooth needs to be extracted while the other needs a root canal. So for lunch Shea had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and stuffing from Boston Market! She's craving a good salad, but it will be quite awhile before she can chew. Shea needs to get braces again, so soon we'll need to find an orthodontist. She has had braces before but is pretty upbeat about getting braces along with Luke very soon!
Her temporary bridge doesn't really look like her real teeth but after having no teeth in front at all, Shea's thrilled with them. We don't know quite when she can wear the bridge yet as her gums are still healing, and the bridge cannot touch the gums as it will irritate and impede healing. Dr Mills reminded Shea that this will be a long journey, and she was able to share with him from the Psalms --"We make our plans, but God orders our steps." Though Shea has her down times, she recognizes God's faithfulness and continued provision for her during this process.
Is there a more creative way to say "thank you" to all of you for your faithfulness in encouraging and praying for Shea? We wish you could hear her expressions as she reads your comments. Oftentimes your words are just the boost she needs in the midst of a tough day, and it's amazing the difference it makes in her outlook on the coming months. Some are heartfelt and others are funny. She loves them all.
We love you too,
The Hickoks
Dr. Nunn also shared with us that Shea will definitely need three more surgeries. The first surgery will be the restoration of the left eye orbit and cheek bone. He will graft bone from her skull to replace the missing bone in the cheek bone. At the same time Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay will graft bone from Shea's hip to replace the missing bone above the front teeth. Some time later she will undergo a second surgery where her lower jaw will need to be rebroken and extended. Fixing her nose will be the last operation and hopefully the least invasive.
On Tuesday we spent 3 1/2 hours with Dr. Mills. He is very thorough and, as we said in the previous post, he is moving her along very quickly as he is leaving the country soon. Today our appointment was at 10:00, and we left with the staff at 6:00 tonight! We are going back again tomorrow. There was a cancellation today so they were able to spend the whole day working with Shea. Dr. Mills took lots of pictures, molds and even began working on a temporary bridge. Her jaw is completely messed up -- how else can we say it? Only two teeth in the back meet, and one tooth needs to be extracted while the other needs a root canal. So for lunch Shea had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and stuffing from Boston Market! She's craving a good salad, but it will be quite awhile before she can chew. Shea needs to get braces again, so soon we'll need to find an orthodontist. She has had braces before but is pretty upbeat about getting braces along with Luke very soon!
Her temporary bridge doesn't really look like her real teeth but after having no teeth in front at all, Shea's thrilled with them. We don't know quite when she can wear the bridge yet as her gums are still healing, and the bridge cannot touch the gums as it will irritate and impede healing. Dr Mills reminded Shea that this will be a long journey, and she was able to share with him from the Psalms --"We make our plans, but God orders our steps." Though Shea has her down times, she recognizes God's faithfulness and continued provision for her during this process.
Is there a more creative way to say "thank you" to all of you for your faithfulness in encouraging and praying for Shea? We wish you could hear her expressions as she reads your comments. Oftentimes your words are just the boost she needs in the midst of a tough day, and it's amazing the difference it makes in her outlook on the coming months. Some are heartfelt and others are funny. She loves them all.
We love you too,
The Hickoks
posted by admin | 10:44 PM
18 Comments:
Thanks for the update...Keep focused..one step at a time..leaning on HIM...it's all any of us can do.
Keep thmilin' that toothleth grin!!
:o)
Shea and Family,
I am so glad to hear that you are doing better. I am also glad to hear that you are praising God instead of being mad at Him. Keep up your great attitude.
I am still praying for you. I check the blog everyday to see if their is any exciting news.
Marlene
Hey Shea. I read the blog all the time, and want to write, but never know what to say. I'm thinking of you...praying for you, and your precious mom, dad, and brothers. Praise Him that all of you know and love Jesus!! Life just wouldn't be the same without Him would it?! I just keep thinking about how well your family knows Jesus, and God's character to be able to respond in a faith-filled way through all this. In all that's unstable and unknown, He is stable, He is the Rock.
Are you still knitting? J keeps asking me to teach her to knit a hat. I need to. She described the hat you want to make with the flaps over the ears and the ties...quite ambitious :) I'm sure you could do it. It can't be that hard right. I made a hat for my brother over Christmas. At first I made it way too small and he looked like a bank robber - oops. I took out a lot of it and tried to get it to be the right fit. I finally finished and he said he liked it - he may never wear it, oh well. I was laughing at you calling yourself "the toothleth wonder". My dad's name is Pete, he was missing teeth for awhile and he called himself Pirate Pete. I think it's so great that you're able to have a sense of humor about the things that must be so hard.
I'm praying for your heart today.
Love,
Lynn
Shea,
You are indeed a wonder! We are in awe of your continued recovery.
We are praying that you will be at peace when the doctors give you reports that must be difficult to hear and we pray that grace will be bestowed upon you as your heart continues to heal.
With faith,
The Jackson Family
Phoenix, AZ
I have tears of sadness mixed with tears of joy as I read today's update. Sad for what you are going through, but so joyful for the way you are handling this!!! I wanted to write yesterday, because as I was praying for you all, God was showing me that this is how His body is supposed to work. To help and encourage each other; to use what you have, where you are at, to help others. It's like God was saying,"what are you doing with what you have to help others?" Here you are again, in all you are going through, calming the Dr. with that awesome Psalm! It is just SUCH a blessing for all of us to hear!!! I needed to hear that verse too; thanks Shea!! I keep you in prayer that soon you will be able to have that salad. Mashed potatoes sound really good too. Luke, you have really been on my heart too. Hope your memories God will just take and fill with all the great things He has for you!! My friend put this Scripture in a beautiful frame for me ;Psalm 91;14-15; Praying this for all of you--
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
Praising Him for your family and calling upon Him for continued healing,
Denise N
Shea Shea Shea,
Such a brave girl, indeed! I am so amazed at your outlook on everything, its amazing! This whole situation has honestly helped me find my faith again. Thank you so much for that. It was something that was missing for awhile and I am so estactic that I have it back! I pray for you everyday, Shea! I can't wait to see you! Love you so much!
-Meagan
All you want for Easter is your three front teeth! That sounds like a great wish. Is'nt God amazing, how he has orchestrated all the doctors to give you the best and quickest care.
I don't how any of us could miss Gods wonderful hand. Today while setting in traffic I saw a beautiful male cardinal sitting in a leafless tree. What a contrast, I rolled down my tinted window to get a better look and he moved closer so I could see and hear him better. They have a very unique chirp peeping sound. It was lovely. It made feel so calm.
Just keep on smiling sweeheart even without those teeth. I miss you at church and would just love to give you hugs. Not so much for you but for me.
HANG IN THERE BABY!
Teresa Holman
i'm so sorry that you have to indure that torture of braces again(i understand, this my second time with them too!) but i just wanted you to know that you are a true inspiration to me! and all my friends and family are praying for you! God Bless you!
~Melinda-Danielle
Shea,
This is just a little thing, but I wanted to thank you. I went to the Dr. today to get stitches out. I am such a baby! I was praying and asking God for strength and I'm like; look at Shea. How brave she is and this is just a little thing!!! I go to the dentist on Tuesday to start my crown and I will be thinking of you. You are blessing me and so many; giving us strength because of your amazing strength!!!!!!
Just wanted to say thanks and praying for you so much,
Denise N
Ah, Shea ... Ouch! I cannot even imagine how tender your mouth is right now. I've always been amazed at how quickly the "flesh wounds" in the mouth heal, though, compared to other types of injuries ... good thing, too, because there is so much that we depend on our mouths to be able to do.
Your mouth, so full of sores, still manages to be as equally full of blessings and kindness. Your mouth is the avenue of your heart's expression. And what a beautiful mouth it is!
I wonder if V-8 tomato/vegetable drink would sting? If not, it might be a good alternative for your salad cravings. You could even chop up some other veggies really finely, like celery, carrots and even lettuce, and add it to the V-8 to make a sort of gazpacho.
And try putting some shredded smoked gouda cheese, sour cream and chopped chives in your mashed potatoes at home ... makes them taste like stuffed potato skins!
Thinking about your surgeries, I am compelled to pray for your doctors. What a responsibility! I can't imagine the delicacy of the eye orbit surgery, especially. I want your sight back for you so badly! I know these surgeons have amazing skill, training and experience, but it will be the Great Physician who will guide their hands and bring you through. I want them to have the peace and confidence that you have ... at least, the peace and confidence you have when you take your eyes off the waves crashing around you and focus on Jesus.
Don't you love that story about Peter? What a gung-ho lunatic! Everything he did was just over-the-top gonzo! In the midst of this monster storm on the lake, sitting in a little boat that was getting swamped with every wave, he sees Jesus walking on the water. "Bid me come to you!" he hollars ... it's a challenge, a dare. And Jesus, knowing Peter so very well, bids him come. And Peter, in true all-or-nothing fashion, stands up in the boat (a foolish move on its own, you know) and literally leaps out of the boat and runs across the water! ON the water! The exhilaration suddenly turns to abject terror as, all of a sudden, he realizes what he's done. He is IN THE WATER! NO BOAT! THERE ARE WAVES AND WINDS AND .... WHAT WAS HE THINKING!!??? And he takes his eyes off Jesus and looks at his circumstances ... and that was his big mistake. He begins to sink ... not slowly, but as if he's walked off the end of a pier! He cries out in terror, "SAVE ME!" ... and instantly, Jesus is there. And with a simple touch of their fingertips, Peter is out of the water, back on the surface, and staring Jesus right in the face. The storm rages around them still, but Peter is safe. He is in the Master's grip.
Child, you are in the Master's grip. He has you SO tightly. If you sink, it will be a momentary dip. He hears your cries and lifts you up. If He can (and did) do it for that spaz, Peter, He will certainly do it for you.
The storm won't last forever. Keep your eyes on Jesus ... and try to get some veggies in your diet.
Love you!
Carolyn
Portlan
hey beautiful Shea!
I was so excited to see a new update..I miss you so much and can't wait to hear from you. Keep smilin'that toothleth grin of yours and don't worry about the bones and teeth that are missing.. someone once told me that i shouldn't be ashamed of my scars, i should be happy to have them & that I'm still here and to have proof that angels carried me in their arms..and you should feel the very same way!!I love you! Embrace what has happened to you!Your story has changed sooo many lives, you could possibly change more lives by telling you story for years to come!!!Love ya girl!!
Goodnight! zzz.. sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite, if they do take off your shoe and beat them till they're black and blue! haha :)
love, Dani
hey shea!!♥
how are you today beautiful? i hope your doing well! im so glad to hear these wounderful things that god has done for you! im in total awe! =] oh my gosh guess what? well i wrote this poem about you like another one its longer than before and my teacher loved it so much that she entered me into this contest in my school!! it was pretty amazing. haha. i just thought i would share. man, i have all these stories to tell you. oviously i do some pretty funny things you would probablly look at me and start laughing really hard. haha. but soon enough i can tell you! =] but sheaim going to make this comment a short one and not like my other long ones. just wanted to say that i love you shea! me and dory miss you like CRAZY!we are always thinking about you. everything we do your always on our mind. dory and i are sending flowers for you soon!just to tell you that we love you dearly and we can't wait until we see you!
love and prayers to you and your amazing family
♥ you
jenn
Shea, you have a rough road ahead of you, but I know you can do it. You are such a strong girl, and your faith is so great in God. I love you girl and miss you tons!
Tonight we have an all nighter/service project for HS Ignition, which you probably know, if Luke is coming. It's gonna awesome.
I love you, Shea! Keep smiling that toothless wonder smile! I bet its beautiful!
Megan Kucala
Hey shea. sothe toothless wonder, huh? that catchy, you could title your book that when you're done with this whole ordeal.
Well, its ten am here and although i ust ate a doughnut im thinking that mac n cheese, some mashed potatoes and stuffing sound like just the ticket.i LOVE boston market!!! so you are craving salads?!?!? Thats odd, most people would be thrilled to stay away from them. I can understand how you feel though. My mom was in the hospital with blood clots, it was pretty dangerous, but they told her no green things, lke, AT ALL! I guess the pigment in chlorophyll promotes clots, ( listen to me,i sound like mr.macelheiny..) but she eats it anyways, despite me yelling at her that she is a "bad girl" you really got to watch out for those mothers, they like to break the rules as much as we do!!!
Well, im so glad to hear that this doctor is watching out for you. and how cool that of all our doctors he seems to be the most, umm, dedicated? just how quick he moves with everything. i just think its god because that is one of your most insecure areas and god gave you the perfect doctor to get things rolling. and im sure it gives you a lot of security to have a man who cares and is doing everything he can to get things fixed, just as much as you want to get it "fixed". i just think its amazing.
well today we are having a family reunion. and you know what that means, lots of food, lots of peole, LOTS of noise! its like that movie my big fat greek wedding, over here. lol. and when we start playing cards, there is no limt to how obnoxious we might become! so, i better get started on the cleaning. it was good talking to you. love you!!
rach
Shea,
I do not know you, but I go to Kennesaw State. I was looking at facebook, and I ran across some information about Mike that lead me to this page. I started reading, and I read every single post that was made from now to the day they started posting, and it took me three and a half hours. Your story is truly amazing, and it is awesome to see what god has done in your life over the past couple months. I just wanted to let know there are people out there who have never met you that are reading your story and realizing the power of good. You seem like a very strong girl, and your voice is beautiful. Your songs gave me chills. I would love to get a copy of your cd when you are reading to start selling it. Keep being strong, and know that my church will put you on their prayer list. Thank you for your story.
Dear Shea,
Was just reading this and thinking of you. Phil 4: 6-8
Don't worry about anything; instead , pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters,let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
This is so easy to say, yet a test to really put into practice. Telling God what we need and keep focused on His goodness, instead of worrying. I keep praying for you, Shea. You have a heart after God, and may His peace surround you so much!!!!! Think about you so much and pray that you just keep holding on to God's loving hands and that His voice would keep speaking to others through you.
Hope your family and pup are having a great week-end,
Denise N
Shea, you are such an inspiration to us to keep going even when things seem "unfair" or too hard. Thank you for sharing your life in a real way with us. Thot we'd share some of our life with you- it's always a little out of the ordinary and this week has been no exception! We had 4 baby goats born this week. Abbie had a buck and a doe-aka Cricket and Danny early wed. morning. Their mom is jet black and the two of them are white!! Their dad is white with a brown head- genetics are an amazing wonder! Belle had two bucks on friday aka Ding and Dong! They were preemies by about 5 days but are doing well. Ding is brown and white and Dong is all brown- their mom is black also! Ding, for now, lives in the laundry basket in the house- he just began walking today. Right now he's walking circles with Megan while she crawls in front of him- he's so tiny about the size of a rabbit when his legs are folded under him! i'm afraid he will end up being a bottle baby. His determination and will to beat the odds has been amazing- reminds me of someone else!! We have 4 more does due in the next week- we'll keep you posted and maybe one day you'll get out here to meet them all. Have a terrific week- Cyndi Ball and crew
Hi Shae. We've been praying for you this week, and the Lord has been poking at me to write to you about beauty, and a Father's love.
Having three girls of my own, it's something I've had the pleasure to experience in my family. So here goes...
When I express love or pride in one of my kids, it isn't because of what they've done, or any other qualitative observation. I am expressing my joy at being with them, and the emphasis is that I enjoy watching them enjoy who they are, not what they do or accomplish.
For example, this morning Luke played electric guitar, and he really put out a great sound. But it doesn't matter whether he sounded great or not, what I enjoyed was watching how much he enjoyed playing. I enjoyed hearing/watching him mostly because of how much he enjoyed it.
So it goes for you. As you head through these next few weeks (and next few surgeries) you will be tempted to compare yourself to what you looked like before, how you sang before, etc. It's hard to explain this, but we don't think about that at all. That's because it isn't the big smile or amazing voice that defines you to us. Those are just outward expressions of joy the Lord gives you. Ask your Dad if he agrees. When you flash a grin at him (even a toothleth one) he's enjoying it as much as you are, because it's all about the joy you are both sharing at that moment.
I am looking forward to seeing the sparkle in your eyes, and hearing you enjoying yourself making music. The key is that you love music, and it's fun to watch you enjoy making music.
I don't know if this makes any sense to you. I just feel burdened to share with you that your humor, enthusiasm, and spirited personality are what inspires me when I read this blog and pray for your family. Your strength, courage, and enthusiasm are special qualities that God gave you so he can enjoy watching His little girl just being herself, just like your earthly Daddy does.
I hope this makes sense. Think about it this week. Beyond a brilliant smile or a dazzling voice (both temporary), you have an eternal spirit that inspires us and points us to the Lord from whom all blessings flow! And that, dear Shae, is what beauty is all about, and what makes you truly beautiful to us.
I hope you have a great week, and can remember that the inner beauty you have doesn't show up in the mirror, but it does leak out all over those of us that know you.
Blessing to you and your family! You are all such a blessing to us.
Tim
Post a Comment
<< Home