Spring Wrinkle

Thanks for all the great comments this past week. It has been a good week for Shea. When you have something to look forward to, it's always easier to cope. Amy Thomas, Shea's friend from Scottsdale, AZ, got here on Thursday to spend her spring break with Shea. We wondered what it would be like when Shea and Amy saw each other for the first time, and it was a sweet reunion. They hugged and laughed and hugged somemore. I could see Amy looking at Shea as she talked. Shea sounds the same (except for a lisp) but she doesn't quite look like herself. The girls have been going nonstop since Thursday. It's music to our ears to hear the girls talking and laughing in Shea's room -- just like old times. Yesterday, Shea and Amy went to Salon 124 for the first time since the accident to see all Shea's friends she works with. She was a little apprehensive to see them, but of course, she was warmly welcomed.

This week Shea saw Dr. McDonald, the orthopedic surgeon from Shepherd Center. He can see that her knee has greatly improved and told Shea that she only needs to wear the leg brace when involved in rigorous exercise. She is walking normally without it, but too much walking puts a strain on it. So how do you tell a nineteen-year-old girl that maybe the high heels aren't the best idea for her right now? Too late!

We tried to set a date in April for Shea's surgery with Dr. Nunns and Dr. McKay, but were unsuccessful. Dr. McKay is not available until the beginning of the summer -- sometime in June. That is a big disappointment to Shea as she has to wait for three months to have the first of three surgeries. If it were a short procedure, they could work her in at the end of the day after another surgery, but they need a 3-4 hour block of time. We are on a waiting list, but unfortunately, there are others in front of Shea. Please pray for God's best timing in this.

As we drove through Atlanta with Amy and Shea, we pointed out the Bradford Pear trees. What a transformation! In the winter season, they are stark -- straight brown sticks pointing in every direction. As the spring months approach we see a bulging of what seems to be buds soon to appear. Now the white blooms are everywhere -- where many are planted together it looks almost like a field of baby's breath. As the sun hits the tops of these trees, one can see the lime green appearing. Spring is coming. Birds are singing. New life appears. Even in the winter months when everything appears dead, there is an inner working -- a preparation for the big show in spring! Just this week, Shea announced to all of us, "Hey everybody! Look at this wrinkle above my eye!" Sure enough. There it is! A wrinkle above the left eye has finally appeared. During the "winter" season in Shea's body, the nerves were sleeping -- and always in the backs of our minds we were thinking, "Will they ever wake up?" A good reminder to us that even when God seems silent, in the winters of our lives, He's always working.

Fresh spring love from the Hickoks