Braces

Breathe...just breathe. Eventually if I say it enough times, will it allow me to gasp a big enough breath to get to the next one? Starting to feel like we can't catch a break. Well, have felt that way for a while, but then my daughter started walking. What a joy, a blessing, a miracle and answer to prayer...but of course it is followed by band news.

Three weeks ago McKenna started walking. A week after she started, Jean, our PT with Myer Center mentioned McKenna may needed braces to help her legs/feet straighten out. She thought we should just do exercises (tip toes and turning her foot on its side) for six months to see if we could avoid them. Today our PT with First Steps, Tara, confirmed that McKenna needs the braces and she doesn't think we should wait.

My heart breaks for McKenna. While these aren't long thick metal braces, or ones that go clear up to her knees, they are still braces - one more thing that she has to go through, one more thing she has to endure and has to have "fixed".

Grateful that McKenna's feet will be fixed through these braces. Grateful there is an answer and we won't be left wondering what to do or what's wrong. Grateful that she will only have to wear them for a few years. But if I am being honest my heart is aching and the thought of her having these put on everyday and the thought of one more thing she has to work on and one more delay she will have to conquer. Life isn't easy, I get that. But come on...can't ANYTHING be easy for her?

Discouraged, sad, frustrated, angry, feeling helpless and hurting for my little one. Ready God!!! We are ready...please, cut her a break! Let our trip to IL in a few weeks give answers to the retching. Make it so she can start eating orally or drinking her Pediasure orally at least. Let the braces be ordered and let them work quickly so she won't even require a size larger in six months. Help her to start speaking. And teach us what it is that you are trying to show us through all this, because I truly can't understand why else she is going through this other than to teach us something.