The Miracles We Don’t Ask For

Maggie didn’t have an immediate healing to her eyes, but she did experience the miracle of modern medicine and those who put their God given knowledge and skill to assist those in need. Maggie underwent a quick strabismus surgery to help the alignment of her eyes. Some things were new to us this time around. While it was still the 3rd floor surgery wing, and the same type of room, this time she had a big kid bed. Also, this was the first time that one of us was able to walk her back. Carlos suited up and helped her drift off into a medically induced sleep.

We prayed our rosary and waited, and then heard the great news that she did awesome and was headed to recovery. We arrived there to hear that she was none too pleased with the nurses. She had woken up immediately. Unlike other children who take long naps after receiving opiates in their IV, Maggie decided it was time to get sassy. We caressed her and kept her from rubbing her little eyes, but she remained angry. They gave her another dose of pain reliever and she drifted off to sleep again for 30 minutes while we just waited and watched her oxygen levels go up and down.

In the meantime, our lovely nurse asked us what beverage Maggie would like to drink; assuring us that her IVs could be taken out once she was able to take in fluids. We requested Maggie’s favorite apple juice and the next thing I know the nurse brought in a kiddie cup with the largest amount of straight up juice I have ever seen. I point this out because we are the kind of parents that cut our kid’s apple juice with water. Having this sweet goodness was going to be like Christmas morning for Maggie, we just had to convince her to drink.

Maggie started to stir, and I began to talk to her, “Maggie wake up Baby. I have some apple juice for you.” Nothing. “Maggie, Sweetie Pie, let’s have a drink.” Still nothing. I put the cup up to her lips and tilted it slightly, but when she didn’t respond I pulled it away. “Maggie, don’t you want some apple juice?” Eyes still shut; her arms shot out like little twin rockets to where the cup had been a second ago. I panicked and frantically tried to get her the cup as quickly as possible as I saw her face start to screw up in anger. Once her little hands were around it, she took that cup and downed it. There were no breaks, there was nothing other than drinking that liquid gold.

Now before I move on, I need to explain something else that happened during surgery. Maggie had a small piece of skin removed from between her fingers. When it had first started growing Maggie noticed it and as it got bigger, she began to pull on it. When she found the baby nail scissors and tried her own “operation” I knew we should ask plastic surgery about this issue. In the meantime, we named it “Baby Bumpy” and asked her not to hurt Baby Bumpy. It worked like a charm, no more aggressive actions toward her little skin growth. As time passed, Baby Bumpy went from being a nuisance to a friend. Maggie would show people Baby Bumpy and say, “Aww”. She would say “Baby Bumpy so cute!”. We just went along with it.

Perhaps you see where this is going but the realization didn’t hit me until about two weeks before surgery. Specifically, the realization that Maggie was attached to Baby Bumpy, and its removal would potentially be traumatic. Before surgery I talked to her and told her that Baby Bumpy was going to leave soon to be with the Bumpy family. Maggie looked at me like I was insane and just replied, “No”.

Well, here we were in the recovery room sitting with her as her apple juice gets to the end and she glances down at the IV in her right hand and a bandage around her left hand and she screams out, “BABY BUMPY GONE!!!!!”

Note: If anyone would like to donate to Maggie’s fund for therapy, let me know.

So being the holy Mom that I am, I lied until I could come up with a better solution. It wasn’t my most shining moment, I admit it. God forgive me, I said, “Oh no, Baby Bumpy is just hiding under there.” I looked to Carlos for moral support, and he just looked at me, brows furrowed, and I could see his thoughts all over his face, “You lie like a dog on a rug.” Okay, Carlos would never use that phrase, but his facial expressions made me know that I was digging a hole for me and me alone.

We were finally discharged after bribing an irritable Maggie with teddy grahams and apple juice in a to go cup. Maggie ended up sleeping for the rest of the day and all that night. When she woke up in the morning she whispered to me, “Mama, I’m hungry now.” Later that morning we had her post-operation appointment, and we heard the great news that Maggie’s eyes looked terrific and that her healing was progressing quicker than they expected (Thank you Jesus!).

Now that we are back home and settled, Maggie is enjoying her own bed and amazingly enough she seems to be okay with the little spot where Baby Bumpy once was. She is walking around like nothing happened and comments at times, “Mama, my eyes red.” Healing is coming along, and time will tell us how successful this surgery is for our Maggie. I hope and pray that this will indeed be the miracle we didn’t ask for but received because God has His own plan.

Thank you for your prayers and your belief in miracles and the God who gives them.