Learning the First Time
Today we took son number 2, aka Missouri, to the orthopedist knowing we would walk out with the number for Rocky, the surgery scheduler. Missouri has complained about shoulder pain since working on the Butterfly Stroke in winter swim last April. He has had MRIs, PT and steroid injections and nothing has brought relief. We knew the next step was arthroscopic subacromial decompression to relieve shoulder impingement syndrome. (No, we haven’t memorized the phrase yet.) Our son is going to have shoulder surgery in 5 weeks and we aren’t freaking out! How can that be?
Well that is what happens when you've already ventured down a similar path, in our case with son number 1, M&M. Three months ago we reached the same point with M&M with slipping rib syndrome which lead to a bilateral rib resection. I questioned the decision even as I sat in the lobby while he was in the O.R. It was terrifying and that was before we knew how long and hard the recovery would be and that it would lead to withdrawing him from his school and enrolling him in an on-line academy. After 3 months of experiencing surgery and recovery for a rib resection, a phrase I can remember, scheduling arthroscopic subacromial decompression to relieve shoulder impingement syndrome seems like a walk on the beach, even if I don’t have it memorized.
Sometimes we are blessed to walk similar roads and bring our experience and knowledge into the situation. Sometimes we walk roads so we can come along side of others and encourage them as they experience their first time. It seems like my DH, aka Goofy, and I clear lots of paths to share experiences with others. Today we simply were able to go down a path again with the confidence that God was with us 3 months ago and will continue to be with us as Missouri earns his own scars from surgery. They won’t be as big as his big brother’s badges, but I am learning that scars are scars to boys.
