Burn to Shine

Thanks for your patience as we have worked through our computer trouble. We're up and running so hopefully this won't happen again . . . at least not soon!

Where do we begin? Shea went to see Dr. Salama, the orthodontist who specializes in extreme and traumatic cases. He had reviewed Shea's case ahead of time as Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, had prepared a complete story of Shea's injuries including all her pictures from the first days in the hospital. When Dr. Salama came into the examining room to meet us, he introduced himself, commented on all that Shea had been through and then said, "How did you get all these doctors on your team?" He proceeded to tell us about Dr. Nunn, Shea's plastic surgeon -- he is not only known nationwide but even worldwide. Dr. Mills, her dental surgeon, travels here and overseas teaching other dentists cutting-edge treatments. We also heard great things about Dr. Salama and told him so, but he modestly brushed it off and actually encouraged us to check his credentials as well. All of you have joined us in prayer as we have considered the best doctors for our little girl, and for that we thank you.

Shea has also had a couple more visits to Dr. Mills' office for gum treatments. He is working strategically to get Shea's gums healthy again, and then he will begin restoring her teeth. Most of her teeth are broken, and when she chews only two teeth meet in the back on one side -- both of which are broken teeth. So Shea is uncomfortable eating in front of people she doesn't know very well because it's obviously painful to eat, and she has to remove her three front teeth as well.

Some of you have asked about Shea's left eye and her knee. Not much has changed in her eye. She sees a lighter colored spot that moves around and sometimes appears smaller, but then days later she says it's pretty much the same size. She doesn't mention it much and is even spending a lot of time reading which she couldn't do a few months ago, so that is good, but we do see her holding her hand over her eye to rest it now and then. As for Shea's knee -- it's doing quite well. She did mention today that it seems wobbly sometimes and feels like it may give out on her, so off we go for more therapy!

On Monday Shea went back to Shepherd Pathways to take a six hour neuropsych test. She dreaded it as she had already taken a six hour test when she was an inpatient at Shepherd Center. She was determined to tell her doctor that she never did have a brain injury so she shouldn't have to take that long test! The thing Shea really wants to do is drive again, and we were told that Shea would need to take a driving course before she could resume driving. They explained it to us this way: if Shea didn't take the test, the driving course and have her doctor sign a release from Shepherd Center it could be trouble for her years from now. If Shea would cause an accident ten years from now and it was determined that she had been in a brain injury rehab unit but was never released by her doctor, it could be a bad situation financially. So she rolled her eyes a bit (!) and took the test. Our next appointment will be to review her test results with the neuropsychologist, and then Shepherd Pathways will schedule her driving course. I'm sure she doesn't realize it, but we're just as excited for her to have a little freedom too!

Shea has purposefully reduced her medication and now only occassionally takes her pain pills. She is doing a detox program as she is determined to rid her body of all the medicine she received in the hospital yet still lingers in her body long afterwards. She was outside the other day sitting in the sun and smelled something metal -- she smelled her arm and figured that it was medicine still working its way out of her body. It's hard to see Shea in pain (the pain is specifically in her jaw and mouth), and sometimes we encourage her to take something, but she only does when absolutely necessary.

At this point, the first surgery is still scheduled for July 17th. Dr. Mills, the "quarterback" of Shea's team of doctors, is doing his best to see if the surgery date can be sooner, but we must wait until all the doctors can get their schedules together and possibly make the change. Please pray for God's best time.

A few nights ago we were getting ready to eat dinner, and we could tell Shea was down -- really down. It's always hard to know what she needs -- a listening ear, prayer, encouragement. I don't know how many times we have told her that we would take her pain, surgeries -- everything if we could, but we have to sit and watch her go through it. She shared her frustrations and maybe we were a little down as well as we couldn't seem to help much. The phone rang -- it was Dr. Mills driving home from work! "How is Shea?" He wanted to check up on her and let her know he's working on her case. He talked and talked and encouraged Shea that this is the beginning of a marathon, but that they will be there for her and give her the very best care. It's what she needed that night -- funny how God brings along the most unsuspecting people with the right words at the right time.

After dinner that night Luke read to us from STREAMS IN THE DESERT, a great old book given to us by one of our great blogger friends. We'd like to share with you the passage for April 26.

"I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:8

"Light is always costly and comes at the expense of that which produces it. An unlit candle does not shine, for burning must come before the light. And we can be of little use to others wihout a cost to ourselves. Burning suggests suffering, and we try to avoid pain.

We tend to feel we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong and fit for acive duty and when our hearts and hands are busy with kind acts of service. Therefore when we are set aside to suffer, when we are sick, when we are consumed with pain, and when all our activities have been stopped, we feel we are no longer of any use and are accomplishing nothing.

Yet if we will be patient and submissive, it is almost certain we will be a greater blessing to the world around us during our time of suffering and pain than we were when we thought we were doing our greatest work. Then we are burning, and shining brightly as a result of the fire.

The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the drudgery of today.

Many people want the glory without the cross, and the shining light without the burning fire, but crucifixion comes before coronation."

God's best to all of you --

The Hickoks