Our Red Thread: September 2015

Monday, September 28, 2015

Two Years HOME

*click on any picture to enlarge

September 13, 2015 marked two years h-o-m-e and two years as an American citizen for Lucy Kim. So very much has transpired since meeting our little girl for the very first time that hot September day in 2013. The trauma, emotions, grief

and number of life changing transitions Lucy has experienced in her five years supercedes more than most of us will experience in a lifetime.

We just completed Lucy's two year post placement report for China. When adopting from China, the Chinese government requires an annual post placement report of all children adopted from China.

With each report, eight color photographs need to be included. These reports and photos are required for five years following an adoption. Did you read that last sentence? It's not a typo, I will be sending a post placement report to China five years after Lucy's adoption. I have rolled my eyes, sighed and mumbled as I worked through an eight page document reporting updates on various aspects of Lucy's mental, physical and social well being. I question if anyone really reads these reports. However, at the end of the day, if those of us who brought our children home from China do not fulfill our commitment, what will that mean for the thousands of other Lucys that are behind orphanage walls longing to be in their families' living rooms?

If we paused and looked only at the medical journey she has been on in the past two years, it would evoke a large and breathy sigh. And the reality is the medical portion is one fraction of the changes she has experienced in her transition from orphanage to family.

Home three months and a fall down the staircase results in a fractured arm.(Dec. 2013)...

Finding out her spinal cord is tethered and a serious surgery is required.(April 2014).....

It's hard to convey in words the privilege it has been to walk the emotional, hard, life changing journey with Qu Yan/Lucy Kim as her Mommy and Daddy! Truly God does not call the equipped, He equips the called!

"This is adoption. It is a bold love that is not scared of seeing hurt, touching hurt, or being hurt. There is truly transformative power in the pursuit of loving another hurting soul." Kylee Cragggett

Castings and surgery to correct her vertical talus in her foot (Oct.2014 - Jan. 2015).....

Correction of leg contracture with external fixator (March -.June 2015)......

Two years ago, we brought an adorable, bright and very scared toddler home from China, we blinked and now she's a bold, sassy, loveable, confidant kindergartner! Many tears, much laughter, hundreds of appointments, lots of pain, tremendous growth, increasing trust, and ongoing transitions....Easy journey for her or us? Nope. Worth every step of the journey? YUP! (x 6 gazillion!)

September 2013

nothin' better than n.o.o.d.l.e.s!

September 2013

Tah-Dah - Here's the School Girl

"Spirit Day" (less the cheery spirit) - go
red and black!

Put your yes on the table to whatever God might have in store for you, step out in blind faith and believe He will walk every step ahead of you, beside you and behind you.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

August Antics

*click on pictures to enlarge

Lucy has had a summer of ever changing leg/foot wear. She's been wearing her kafo (full length leg brace) for seven weeks now. This change in leg wear (from cast to kafo) was harder than we anticipated. As I wrote in my last post, Lucy needs to wear her leg brace twenty three hours a day until at least October. It is taken off for a few short breaks throughout the day when we do her physical therapy exercises and stretches and during bath time. Skin needs to breathe and it doesn't like being against plastic for twenty three hours every day. That being said, poor Lucy's had several "issues" with her latest orthotic apparatus.

Skin that is rubbing against hard plastic causes skin breakdown, irritation, blisters and results in pain and discomfort. Thanks to Lucy's fabulous physical therapist's help along with some very kind and helpful professionals at an office in Hershey, Lucy's gotten the adjustments and tweeks needed to her kafo.

Ouch!

When we returned to Philadelphia in August for Lucy's next scheduled appointment with Dr. vB, we waited four hours (note that is four hours past our scheduled appointment time!) only to hear some hard to swallow news.

Lucy had apparently "lost ground"/backward progression from our previous visit. She was measuring as having a small contracture again. The details are too long and detailed to try and type out as to "how and 'why". The word "contracture" might as well be a four letter curse word in my vocabulary. While I had tears and was very sad to hear this news, I wasn't angry. That's unusual and not my typical response. Later, when I was in the elevator by myself, I spun my wedding band on my ring finger. There is a verse reference that is inscribed in our wedding rings. I recited the verse aloud. Romans 8:28 (a) - "and we know that ALL things work together for good..... I keep thinking about it and choosing to believe in it's truth. Lucy's physical therapy regiment had to change and her therapist is working hard to try and regain lost ground. The reality is we may or may not regain all of the lost ground.

There she is - our "show and tell" girl - ROSIE!
sporting her ex. fix.

Guess who's familiar face we spotted on a cart in the hallway? Rosie! She's still sporting her ex. fix. that Pop Pop put on! We were told she's already made several visits into exam rooms where children are getting the news that they too will need to wear an external fixator. It is our hope that seeing Rosie and being able to hold her takes some of the sting out of their news.

So while August was filled with many appointments, we also were able to sprinkle in a few family fun experiences. Here's a peek at some of Lucy's August amusements: