It has been a busy year, full of praises!

First I want to say sorry, I have not been posting do to lack of time. I am going to now update this blog and continue on a weekly basis, Lord willing. In April Oksana had her first operation to put a g-tube in do to the fact that she was not gaining weight. The operation was not straight forward as it should have been and her and I spent 8 days in the hospital. She is such a trooper though and has accepted and bounced back well. As of today the next operation which was scheduled for Sept. may have to be put on hold. She has only gained 1 lb. There are also concerns for the risks involved in the next two operations. During this time it is truly a test of faith. I am grateful for the many friends that have stepped up and have stood by my side through the many doctor appointments as well as hospital stays. God is so awesome. Oksana has even begun to pray and ask Him to not let her get scared and to let everything be okay. She is so smart, there is nothing she doesn't understand. She is not aware of the risks involved but knows all that is planned for her.On Tuesday she had to be intubated for two hours just for an MRI. Even tests are a major undertaking with her. The doctors as usual were fantastic and in 5 minutes of meeting her everyone was in love. What is it about my sweet Oksana? She is such a gift. We will be going back for another surgical consult next week to see if they will be continuing as planned or holding off. Please pray for Gods will and for a miracle in her life.

On Thurday we went to Childrens hospital for a consult to have a G-tube (feeding tube) put in so Oksana can gain the weight she needs for the upcoming operations. We were informed that she is not a candidate for the less invasive one and will have to undergo a full surgery to have it done, this poor child, seems like nothing is easy. She now prays all the time, asking God to make things okay, for the doctors to go good, for her to be better. It is amazing that she understands the whole prayer idea, but sad for me because it is now almost constantly on her mind. This Tuesday we meet with the surgeon for the g-tube as well as with anesthesia, and cardio for clearance for the four upcoming operations. Please keep her in your prayers during this time . I will try to faithfully keep the poste current.

Her Journey Continues

On Feb. 24th we went back to Shriners and were told that the time has come to begin the operations. The first of four will be putting a feeding tube in. Oksana has only gained about 11 oz.
Second will be having a halo attached to her skull for about 4 weeks while she is kept in the hospital, in bed. That will be difficult to say the least. The doctors feel that they willl then be able to do the third and forth surgeries. This very BIG two part operation is the one that has never been done before. Oksana's condition is not only rare but she is a miracle, her spine, totally dislocated and she is walking. Just amazing. However they need to fuse the two pieces together without causing her to become paralized. As the Neuro surgeon said, they have no book with this one, never done before. The first part of this operation will last twelve hours, then 3 to 5 days later depending on how the first one went they will finish it which can take another 9 to 11 hours.
Now is the time I want to get everyone praying, tell everyone you know about her ,about this blog, write to oksana, pray for her. As soon as I have the actual dates I will post them as well as her progress as we move foward trusting in God. Oksana has been asking questions only about the feeding tube, she is curious but starts crying and gets scared about what is going to happen . she does not know about the other operations, I can only pray for direction on what and when to tell her. She is so smart. She knows that when her foot goes numb that there is something wrong and she is aware that the doctors are trying to figure out how to fix it, but she tells me all the time, if it is going to hurt she doesn't want to do it. I wish there was an option, I know in my heart God allowed her to come here so she can get the medical treatment she needs, I have to find the strength to trust fully in this matter, knowing God loves her so much more than I ever can.

Finally I figured out how to post photos. I wanted to get some of the ones from summer because it was truely the best summer for Oksana so far. She experienced all the fun things related to fun in the sun, it was so memorable. Please continue to keep her in your prayers as we move closer to her operations.

Fun In Virginia

Happy 6th Birthday Oksana

As we watched the ball fall, we sang Happy Birthday to our darling Oksana. I know I was suposed to get photos on to update everyone so tonight I hope to do just that. It has been a year of blessings and surprises, some not good, but through it all life goes on. So we focus on the positives and try not to dwell on those things we cannot change.
We started the New Year by going to the doctors who are getting the information together for the surgeries. They preformed a test to see how much nerve damage has occurred to her hand. She has lost 80% function and muscle to her right hand and are now considering an operation before anymore is lost. The test was very painful for Oksana. It required putting 1 inch needles into the muscle in her back and along side her spine, with no anesthesia. She was so brave. She was up most of last night in pain from the test that was done earlier in the day. We will return to see what the team says on the 24th of Feb. so please pray for some positive news.

It has been awhile, Wow! How time flies

It has been two weeks since our visit with the Neuro surgeon who is following Oksanas condition. Every three months we go have some xrays taken and meet with several Doctors. Each time we hear" we will continue to monitor her and see you back in three months". This time it was different. The head of the team decided that we need to start the operations. We knew even before she came home this day would come, however the reality of hearing it is time was overwhelming. I have decided that I will keep regular posts so whoever wants to follow and pray can. The operations are complicated and very risky. There is a very real possibility that she may have paralysis. They told me the first surgery will be done in two parts, the first lasting 10 to 12 hours and the second being done within a week following the first one. It will take 6 months to get all the doctors and tests completed to have her ready as well as having a feeding tube put in next month to allow her to gain the weight she will need. She has been here for a year and two months and has only gained 11 ounces. She is so smart and is very aware of all that is going on around her, nothing gets past her. Her foot and leg has been going numb almost every day for about 6 months now. The doctor said this is one reason we need to get going before something more severe happens. We are trusting in God as we have throughout this entire venture. As her mom I would lay my life down to ensure her to get through this safely however I know that it is God who has a plan for her and whatever it is He has instore for her, I cannot change, He loves her more than I ever could. It was God that protected her at birth and God who kept her safe when her birth parents left her to die and it was God who gave her to me. His will for her life will be done, please pray for her, our family and for wisdom and gifted hands as they do these operations, she has to be okay, she wants to be a balerina, she has to be able to dance.