Exceeding Abundantly Above

Today Blake, Eliza and I were Team Tate as we headed to Madison for an appointment for Tate to see the orthopedic surgeon.

It was such a beautiful day for the drive!

Having the two littles together for the day was a blast!

We last saw the orthopedic surgeon on our fifteen hour medical day in late September of last year.

The surgeon showed us Tate’s first scans and x-rays that day. It wasn’t until he pulled up another boys pictures next to Tate’s that we realized how severe Tate’s scoliosis is and how much his organs are in jeopardy.

The surgeon told us that day that he would put grow rods in Tate’s spine to straighten it. He showed us pictures of a five year old boy who had recently had this surgery done.

It is a very invasive procedure to say the least.

When I started asking details about the surgery that day, the surgeon looked at my overwhelmed teary self and simply said “We are not going there right now.” Smart man. I knew I respected him so much already, and I had known him for 15 minutes.

Then he told us we would wait and watch Tate’s growth and organs carefully.

Fast forward to today.

We had new scans and x-rays taken here at our local hospital, and the surgeon had them on his computer screen today.

He was measuring Tate’s curve on those films, and he said he expected Tate’s curve to be much worse. The doctor knows about “catch-up” growth, which is a phrase we use with adoption to describe how quickly these kiddos grow once they are home and have proper nutrition and love.

He measured it, re-measured it, and re-measured it, saying “Wow, Tate” while he did.

Then the surgeon spun his chair around to smile and tell us that Tate’s curvature has DECREASED ten degrees!

I know!

It has went from a little over 60 degrees to a little over 50 degrees!!

I exhaled. I think I was holding my breath. I think the room filled with the air that left my body.

And then all I could think was “I didn’t pray for this. I didn’t pray for this. I didn’t pray for this!”

Because it had never crossed my mind (or Blake’s – I asked him!) to pray for Tate’s curve to GET BETTER.

The Lord is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think!!!

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20

The surgeon believes nutrition and improved balance are a part of this amazing change.

Probably so.

But we are still praising and praising and praising our Lord!

The surgeon wants to see Tate again with new scans in six months, but he did say today that there is a possibility that Tate could go his whole life just the way he is.

I think I will start praying for that!!

After we finished at the hospital we headed to the Co-op for some lunch.

I had a smile bigger than my face and tears in my eyes constantly!

Eliza kept saying to me “MOMMY!! Get that crying out of your eyes!!”

I kept telling her they were happy, happy tears!

Then we had the long drive home.

The littles did this –

And I sat lost in thought, chatting with Jesus, looking out the window, with that same huge smile on my face and those tears in my eyes, while sipping this –