No Teeth . . . No Problem!

It has been a few days since we last posted as things have been beautifully quiet around here. Shea had a few appointments last week. Dr. Nunn removed the staples from Shea's head which she said was painless. Dr. Mills had his theater full of dentists again, and Shea was the subject. She stood before the doctors and answered questions all while missing three front teeth. Shea sat in the front row and was surprised as Dr. Mills proceeded to show the graphic photographs of her surgery, and for this she was completely unprepared. She did fine though and was actually quite fascinated with it all!

Shea was determined to get some temporary teeth last week, but Dr. Mills said she would probably need to wait a month. That was not a good day. Shea pretty much had a meltdown as she has recovered so quickly and wants to get out yet the lack of teeth is holding her back . . . or so we thought! It's Sunday morning, and I can hear Shea getting ready for church! We never dreamed that she would allow those she loves and strangers as well to see her for who she is physically right now. So proud of our girl today!

I must close or Shea and I will be late for church!

Love,

The Hickoks

One Miracle at a Time

Yesterday Shea had an appointment with Dr. Nunn who was very pleased with his work! He removed the stitches from Shea's left eye so that she could open it. The staples in her head can't be removed for a few more days, so Shea still can't use a blow dryer -- she wouldn't want to heat up the staples! Her left eye was raised one centimeter, and even though it's still hard to really tell what she's going to look like, it's almost level with her right eye.

Our next stop was Dr. Mills' office. He wanted to take pictures of her and document everything as he will use Shea's case in his teaching classes. When she walked in, Dr. Mills, the nurses and the assistants gathered around Shea and could not believe how good she looks after only one week. Dr. Mills had patients in the dental chairs waiting to be worked on, and so he asked Shea if she minded being introduced to his patients. He shared the story with everyone and they were all amazed at how well she is doing after only seven days. Then Shea begged Dr Mills for her three front teeth -- "I'll even bake you cookies!" He high fived her and said, "One miracle at a time, Shea."

Last of all we went to see Dr. Salama, the orthodontist. Since Shea's hard palate was also broken and expanded a centimeter during surgery, they had to broaden it even more. We will turn the "key" a couple turns each day for the next month and then the braces can be put on her teeth. How long this will all last, we don't know. Shea tries to be lighthearted about getting braces again --"Oh, it's going to be so much more fun the second time around!"

The recovery time is supposed to be six weeks, but after one week we are amazed at Shea's quick improvement. Thank you again for your interest and prayers on Shea's behalf.

Love,

S & S

Soggy Crackers

Most of Friday Shea stayed in bed and slept off and on. We brought her meals to her --nothing too interesting -- different pureed soups, yogurt, applesauce, etc. We talked some, and then Shea took her meds and drifted back to sleep. Her face has become more swollen, but yesterday we noticed a crease in her eyelid, so the swelling is already going down! Her left eye is sewn shut for now, and she has a number of stitches in her mouth too. On Monday we have an appointment with the plastic surgeons.

It's interesting how one person's mood affects others. They say " a mother is as happy as her unhappiest child," and I know that goes for dads as well. Steve and I are trying to keep the morale up in our home. We have two boys who need their parents and they respond differently. The hospital, the surgery, the recovery brings back all the memories of the accident for Luke, and he talks about it some, but I know he also wants this event to finally be behind him even though it has shaped him and will always be a part of him. Jess, at ten years old, has been through the trauma with us and although we wish he never had to go through what he did and see what he did, God knew, and it will be used for good in his life somehow.

Last night Steve and I slowly walked up the stairs after a long day. As we got to the top, Shea opened her door and said, "Hey, do you guys want to go downstairs for a snack and talk?" YES!! She was her old self. It's interesting that her Nepridine ran out and Dr. MacKay said he would not refill it. Alleve, Tylenol and others will have to work for now. Being off the narcotics so quickly was a surprise to us, but we're happy to help her manage the pain in different ways and have Shea back. Shea dipped graham crackers in milk until they practically fell apart, and you would think we served her a gourmet meal!

"O, taste and see that the Lord is good!"

Steve and Susan

Shea's Home

We didn't post last night as we had no internet connection. All of the posts have been very encouraging as we have had a tough time making Shea comfortable. As soon as we think we have the perfect med mix, she surprises us with intense pain.

Today Shea has pretty much slept all day and is now in bed for the night. It has been three days since the surgery, and her spirits are way down. She sat at the table and drank her broth and yogurt and didn't speak. When we asked her things she didn't answer. Then after awhile in Shea's sweet style she apologized for not being "up" for us, and we assured her that this is her time to heal and be quiet if she needs to be. Of course, being on a narcotic alters your mind, and she has had a few hallucinations which bother her since it takes her back to the drug withdrawal horror in Macon. We're praying that the Meperidine can be reduced soon.

Thank you for praying for healing, strength . . . and maybe joy in the morning too.

Love,

Steve and Susan

Quick Update

Thank you for uttering "Shea" throughout the night and today. We loved all the comments you shared with us. As I sat by Shea's bedside this morning she asked me to read the blog. As we read one after another we both cried. There were many long pauses as I just couldn't get through them. Shea is utterly amazed that all of you are steadfast prayer warriors who are not giving up. To those of you whom Shea has not even met before, she wanted me to give you a special, "Thank you" for allowing God to "enlarge your hearts" to pray fervently for her.

I guess you could say it was a "newborn baby" night. Up and down quite a bit. They started Shea on four mg of Morphine, and it didn't quite last the two hours that it is supposed to. The last twenty minutes or so before she could receive her medicine I tried to keep her mind occupied -- sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. By morning though, Shea was up to six mg and she was doing very well. She stayed in ICU until late this afternoon and was then wheeled to a regular pediatric floor. What a difference. As soon as we got there it was time for her medicine. They gave her a lower dose of a different medicine! It wasn't working, and Shea was beside herself. The doctor was called and he said she could have the morphine but a lower dosage. It seems that the change was too abrupt and we tried our best to get the doctor called again and keep Shea comfortable at the same time, but it was a tough few hours. Steve is spending the night with her, and he just called to say that everything is fine and she's finally resting well.

Shea is more swollen today but not as much as we thought she would be. Dr. McKay came in today and said, "Shea, I thought you would be a pumpkin head this morning." She is wearing an elastic bandage that looks like a stocking cap around her neck and head as a compression for the cranial incision. When we ask her where the pain is, she says, my head, my face and my mouth. We're trusting that each day will get easier and the pain will be manageable as they gradually lower the dosage over the next few weeks.

Love and thanks to all of you --

The Hickoks

Surgery Successful!

This morning we awakened Shea and when she looked at us we thought she would groan and roll over, but she smiled and said, "Good morning." As she prepared to go to the hospital we heard her singing in her room. It was surprising to us as she has been very nervous the last few days. On our eleven-hour flight home from Italy her leg nervously shook. We had kept busy for two weeks and now the reality was setting in as she realized the surgery was in a couple days. So it was encouraging to all of us that she was in such high spirits.

Our whole family went together to the hospital this morning, and Shea chatted with the nurses as they prepped her for surgery. She said that she was excited about the party. When we asked her, "What party?" She said, "You know, the party in my room tonight"! We all prayed together again, and then the doctors came in. We asked her if she was nervous and she said, "Not at all -- I don't know why I'm so calm." Then we all smiled as she realized a host of friends and family were already busy uttering her name to our Lord. Thank you so much for your prayers. As the nurse wheeled her away I heard her ask Shea is she was nervous and Shea said, "No, I'm really excited." So when emotions would normally be really high, the four of us had a restful time this afternoon. Some of our great friends stopped by to pray with us and help time fly, and it did.

After 4 1/2 hours, Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay came out to say that the surgery was very successful! Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, and his assistant observed the surgery and took many pictures of the different procedures. They grafted bone from her skull and utilized it in the eye orbit area. They broke her cheek bone and eye orbit area in three different places. Dr. Nunn also broke her hard palate and expanded it a centimeter. Unfortunately Shea's three front temporary teeth could not be saved, and we're not sure yet how long she'll have to go without them. This is tough for a nineteen-year-old.

They wheeled Shea out of recovery, and we were able to see her for a short while. We were surprised that she looks somewhat swollen but so good. The nurse said that she'll be more swollen tomorrow, but it was nice to hear her voice. She whispered to us, "Jesus got me through it." She was in a lot of pain and still is. They are trying to regulate her medication with morphine, but since her body has built up such a tolerance to medication, they're having a hard time keeping Shea comfortable. She is in ICU so we know she will be watched very carefully. One parent is allowed to spend the night in the room, so it's Mom's night tonight! Please pray for a pain-free restful night.

Before Shea's surgery she talked to us about "the peace that passes all understanding." She related that she would never begin to understand that verse if she had never known suffering. So even though it's hard to watch your child suffer, we continue to thank God for the trials as He "breaks" and molds our little girl and prepares her for a deeper walk with Him.

We cannot thank you enough for your kind words and prayers. We read the latest comments to Shea this morning, and we could tell she was hanging onto every word. Thank you!

Much love,

The Hickoks

Waiting

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no one has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." Isaiah 64:4

Dear Friends and Family,

It has been a long time since we last posted. We have enjoyed reading different family members share their experiences with Shea as they have recently spent time with her.

The past month has consisted of doctors' appointments almost daily. A couple weeks ago we went to an endodontist that Dr. Mills, Shea's dental surgeon, recommended to us. He was to give Shea a root canal, but after about twenty minutes Dr. Rousseau came out to tell me that he would not be able to save the tooth. He had already called Dr. Mills who said to send her over immediately to have the tooth pulled. We drove to Dr. Mills' office, and after awhile he came out to the waiting room to talk to me. He said that he might not be able to pull the tooth after all, and we may need to send her to another doctor who can completely sedate her and pull the tooth. Dr. MIlls said, "We cannot underestimate the seriousness of this as the roots of the tooth are right by the plate and screws holding her jaw together." I told him that I trusted his judgment and knew he would make the right decision. A little later Dr. MIlls came out with his head down -- I asked him if he pulled it. "I did." I was thrilled and told him that I had prayed for him. He looked away and I thought it was a little strange even though he had told us many visits before that he is not a religious man. I asked him what he was thinking and he looked at me, blinking his eyes and said, "Thanks for praying."

We went to see Dr. Nunn, one of the plastic surgeons who will be performing Shea's surgery. This was our last pre-op visit, and Shea had a lot of questions for him. They have changed some of the plans for the surgeries. Instead of three surgeries ahead of her, Shea has four. The first surgery this month they will do the headband incision from the top of her head down to her ear. They will then graft bone from her skull to place in the eye orbit area. Her left eye needs to be raised one centimeter. He could see that Shea does not have complete use of the nerves in her forehead even though we, with the untrained eye, cannot tell. He said that it could still come with time but that may be as good as it will get. They will also break her hard palette and an expander has already been placed in the roof of her mouth. At this point, her bottom jaw is wider than her top jaw, and of course, the top jaw should be wider than the bottom.

Last Saturday we had an appointment with Dr. Mills for a bone graft. Shea was lightly complaining about it and asked if we could just cancel our appointment this one time. I thought it was strange that our appointment was for 4:00 on Saturday, but he has been so good to work us into his busy schedule, so off we went. I decided that I would just drop Shea off and do some shopping down the street and wait for her to call me when she was finished. About fifteen minutes later Shea called and said, "Mom, you might want to come back here. There are 68 doctors here who are going to observe my bone graft, and Dr. Mills wants me to share my story with all of them." I chucked my shopping basket, drove back to the office and opened the door to the office to hear the first song on Shea's CD blaring! On the second floor Dr. Mills has a 90-seat theater and a glassed-in area with a dental chair. After Shea and Dr. Mills spoke they suited up for the surgery. Shea saw me standing in the back and we both shook our heads and rolled our eyes. Always drama!! The attention was a little overwhelming, and she begged Dr. Mills to turn off the CD but he just carried on! And here we thought it was just another routine dental appointment! A screen came down from the ceiling and Dr. Mills wore a camera on his head and a microphone. He taught as he worked, mixing together synthetic bone, Shea's own blood and a saline solution. It was fascinating to see his skillful work. The two teeth that had to be pulled now have synthetic bone waiting to heal for eventual implants. Many of the dentists gathered around me in the back and asked a lot of questions about the accident. Once again, I was asked how we got Dr. Mills as our dental surgeon. Shea and I laughed as we wondered if we really looked that down and out! One dentist told me that Dr. Mills is the best in his field and probably the top 1% in the world in dental surgery. We are blessed with who we believe are the best doctors possible for the work that needs to be done in Shea's body.

Shea's great friend, Kelly Limmer from Scottsdale, AZ, has been here the last ten days with Shea. Kelly and her mom flew to Macon the day after the accident to be by Shea's side and to be a support to our family. It has been great to hear the girls laughing in Shea's room just like old times. They have filled every minute with fun times, and we know this has helped Shea's nerves as the date of her surgery gets closer and closer. Kelly, we have loved having you here!

Tonight we got back from the annual Anderson family reunion in TN. It was great to be with family and once again share our appreciation for our family's loving help during our most difficult time. Tomorrow morning all five of us are leaving on a trip of a lifetime -- we're going to Italy! All of us are excited about this amazing opportunity. We get back July 14th and Shea's surgery is scheduled for Monday, July 17th at 12:45 pm at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. We have waited for many months for this next surgery, and now we are seeing the date quickly approaching. We appreciate your prayers for Shea's good health and for the doctors as they perform the surgery. We are told that the surgery will last from 4-5 hours. Dr. Salama, Shea's orthodontic specialist and Dr. Mills will be observing as Dr. Nunn and Dr. McKay perform the surgery.

Kelly Limmer will write the next update from AZ after she gets home, and we will update all of you as to the outcome of the surgery. Thank you for your continued interest and prayers for Shea. The waiting gets long for her, but she has seen God's faithfulness each day.

Love to all of you --

The Hickoks