The consult

Okay first of all, how cute are they?!  I can't think of two kids I'd rather spend my morning with.  Even if it has to be on the third floor of Children's Hospital.

On Tuesday we met with the heart surgeon who will be performing their initial heart surgeries, via catheter. 

Provided it goes well, he will fix Tigist's defect once and for all during this procedure. 

For Mekdes, it will be purely diagnostic--seeing how much pressure has built up in her lungs, and to see if she is even a candidate for open heart surgery, which she so desperately needs. 


Provided there are no complications, this should be an overnight stay for both girls, at most.  No biggie.  The surgeon seemed all confident-ish and he has a niece from Ethiopia, so he was excited to meet my daughters.

I also completed the consent portion of the proceedings--where I sat and listened to a nurse explain the risks of the procedures. 

Sigh. 

Not fun having to hear a long list of scary things, ending with "possible fatal outcomes".  I go back and forth between hopeful optimism, and thoughts like I'm so glad we had family pictures done..., between knowing that the surgeon does this particular surgery all the time, and how can I subject my sweet daughters and their most vital of organs to these awful risks?  Ack.

As for my other kids, they are rockstars.  Got up extra early, on purpose, to help out and see their sisters off.  Anna had wanted to come along again, but she's getting over a cold.  So that morning when she asked to get Mekdes dressed and I said "no, go back to sleep and get some rest!", she said very seriously "Mom, I want to do SOMEthing to help."  I'm just so proud of my oldest daughter.  No words to describe her heart.  None.

And so at 8 am that morning, the five kids gathered around their sisters as Kevin and I looked on.  So they could cheer for and hug and kiss them--sending them off with much fanfare.  For a consult. 

Be still my ever-breaking, perpetually-melting heart.  Oh, how they have fallen head-over-heels-in-love with their dear sisters.  The support and grace and love they have shown is incredible.  And I would not even have believed it possible were I not witnessing it with my very own (teary!) eyes.

New miracles, in my house.

Every.single.day.

And Mekdes?  Still the bravest girl in the whole-wide-world.  A consult with a heart surgeon at the hospital?  No big deal.  I'm just gonna hang out with my mom and sister and smile really big.

And sing my ABCs.  (I like to cheer for myself when I'm done, because I'm awesome.)

As for Tigist?  Well, do you see that face?  Um, yeah.  So happy.  So sweet.  (And so cute that I'll forgive her for pooping while I was talking to the Very Important Heart Surgeon.  Come to think of it, I've never had a heart surgeon watch me change a poopy diaper before Tuesday.  Kind of exciting.)

She also spent time cleaning the wall.  Because she's kind of a big deal like that.

And looking at books with her sister.  About a creepy version of Santa Claus. 


A scheduler will call in a few days to set up the surgeries, which cannot be done until the girls have successfully conquered giardia.  (At which time there will be much rejoicing, and I may even throw a party to celebrate.  So.not.joking.)  Which means we're probably three to four weeks out or so.

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading along and for your prayers and encouragement!  I'll let you know once the surgeries are scheduled.  And in the meantime, let me just say that life is sweet, each and every moment is so precious, and my daughters are doing really, really well. 

Miracles, I tell you.