After Eliza's surgery, we stayed in Minneapolis for an extra day to let her heal and rest before traveling. Here she is at breakfast in the hotel. We had a quiet day which was good for all of us.
Traveling home was challenging, but it felt good to be here once we made it. The airport was very crowded, security lines were slow and long, the TSA agent wasn't gentle enough and it hurt Eliza for her knees to be pat down, and transitioning in and out of the plane and car takes lots of energy when you are in pain and need crutches to walk. Basically, getting Eliza safely and comfortably through the whole traveling process was difficult. Each time we've traveled home with Eliza after her surgeries, it's been hard. We have appreciation for people with special needs when we see them in the airport. This time when we traveled it made me think about the fact that you don't always know what someone is dealing with when you see them. It is a good reminder to extend grace to everyone. Take a deep breath and exercise patience.
Since we've been home, Eliza has healed and gained back her strength quickly. She needs less pain medication each day and gets around pretty well now. It's been good for her to have some downtime with family and friends. Hopefully she'll be ready to head back to school on Monday.
Yesterday the hardware from Eliza's knees arrived in a package from Gillette. It is heavy and big. We knew that it was pretty substantial when we saw the X-rays, but seeing it and being able to hold it allows us to better understand her surgery.
Eliza is very happy to have this challenging chapter of life behind her. We are too. The timing is good as she gets ready to graduate from high school in a few months and move away for college. Not everyone comes through a disability with so few limitations afterward and we know that. It's humbling to recognize. Gillette will always be an important place to us. I anticipate that we will stay connected there through the parent steering committee, other opportunities for Eliza to share her story in order to help others, and staying in touch with Dr Novacheck and other staff. Now we look ahead and feel excited about Eliza's future and the benefit of mobility and the relief of chronic pain.
