More good news

I'm on vacation from work this week - my first non-medically related week off in years - so I'm pledging to blog every day this week in between our excursions to the park and my afternoon naps and book reading.

Let's start off with some good news. Some really, really good news.

Alivia's heart is working even BETTER! I can barely comprehend what is happening with her, especially after being told by doctors that only a small percentage of children regain heart function after being diagnosed with this particular type of heart disease. People keep calling her a miracle baby...and that's honestly the only way I can explain it. Perhaps there's some sort of unknown science behind this, but then again, maybe not. What I'm certain of, is that God's hand is in this. I can feel it in every ounce of my own soul, and to be honest, as surprised as I am at how fortunate we seem to be, I don't feel surprised as I could be. I've placed a lot of trust in God this past year, and I've somehow managed to feel more at peace with our situation than I'd expect, and I wonder if that was him saying, "Chill out, Kelsea. I've got this."

Here's what I do know: Alivia's heart is still enlarged but shrinking to a more normal state. And her function is now at normal levels! For those keeping track, her shortening fraction, which indicates how strong of a pump the heart has and is measured by percentages, with 28% being the minimum for "normal," has increased from around 10% when she was diagnosed to 22% in March ... to 34% last week!!!!! This is all happening with her being on only one medication. The doctor even said her heart was pumping "quite vigorously."

Waiting for Alivia's latest echo. It's hard to keep a busy 18-month-old entertained! Thank God for smart phones, YouTube and Elmo!

I don't know what ultimately her heart will decide to do, but I am so grateful to see this progress and have hope that she'll have a life with fewer limitations than what we originally feared she'd have. She doesn't know she's been sick, or has this complication, and I hope it takes a backseat to what I'm certain could be a truly spectacular life.

There are certain words at church that I simply can't squeak out when we sing them, because I want them, and need them, and know them, to be true so badly.

"Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…" 

God is good.