Elise's Ordeal

It was late October 2009 and were celebrating Josiah and Silas’ birthdays when during the opening of their gifts Girlie swallowed half of a small oval shaped piece of plastic that’s used to keep box flaps closed.

For the next 12 or so weeks we went back and forth to doctors and specialists to find out why Girlie began wheezing and gurgling especially after breast feeding and at night. No one came to any strong conclusions and her condition grew worse until the last doctor we went to diagnosed her with “Failure to thrive” so we admitted her into the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

To make a long story short Girlie spent the next 11 days in the hospital 8 of those days in the PICU with Judith by her side.  For me it was a very scary and surreal time, she became weak and so frail; reality was not something that seemed real.

After many tests it appeared she had a hole in her trachea and esophagus which was considered a birth defect. Her operation was schedule and Dr. Long, http://www.jdch.com/html/medical-specialities/general-surgery-trauma/bio/dr-long.html performed the operation.

It was a Tuesday morning and after much prayer and heartache four hours had past and Dr. Long came out to tell Judith and I that Girlie was fine and in her hand was a container with the dreaded oval shaped piece of plastic that almost took our little girl away from us.

Final test after the operation

Passed with flying colors

Going home

My bags are packed

10 minutes before discharge

Let's move out

Home once again

It’s been three years almost to the day that Elise, my little Girlie was released from the hospital and as I type Girlie came over to me to tell me she loves me … God has blessed us in so many ways with Elise but mostly that she is still with us.

Boy, glad that's over with!