Out of the PICU

I just got home today and wanted to finally give an update to everyone. Avarie was moved out of the PICU on Tuesday. She has had some breathing difficulties since then because her abdomen was so swollen that it was making it hard for her lungs to expand all the way, but that started getting better on Thursday. She is still in a lot of pain, but is continuing to improve. The Dr's are amazed at her, one of the surgeons commented that it was one of the worst cases of colitis he had seen that didn't require surgery, he was surprised that we were able to avoid surgery. I know that it was because of all of the prayers that were offered on her behalf and the fact that she was given a priesthood blessing that said she would avoid surgery and she did. I am so grateful for all that continue to pray for her. She still has pretty big recovery ahead of her, but she is continuing to improve a little bit everyday. Somedays are small improvements with small steps back, and somedays are larger improvements, either way there are improvements.
I just want to say one more thing, recently someone asked me if I was prepared if Avarie didn't survive all of this. And the answer is no. I am not prepared for that, what mother ever could be. I just know that her time is not over yet. I don't know if that means that she will survive all that is ahead of her, but I know that she has survived everything that she has gone through so far and boy has she survived a lot. I don't know what Heavenly Fathers plan for her is, but I know that I trust in him and he has gotten me through all of this, I know he will get me through whatever lies ahead. I was hurt when this person asked me this question, now I'm just more annoyed that someone would ask a mother that question about her baby. I don't think about Avarie dieing. I think only about tackling each issue as it comes at us, and so far she has amazed all of us. Every parent that has a child battling a serious illness thinks about the very real possibility of their child not making it through, but we can't dwell on that. If we did then how would we have the strength to push through and to help our child fight. I guess I can only speak for myself on this one, but I only linger on the thoughts of her not making it for a small moment and then that moment is over and the fight takes control. Avarie is a very sick little girl, but she is stable and getting stronger every day. She will continue to fight and so will I until the Lord says her job is done, whether that is tomorrow or 100 years from now. She has too much fight to leave this earth yet, just ask any of her Dr's or Nurses, they all know Avarie has a lot of fight in her, sometimes I have to remind her to not fight so much, she's hit a couple of nurses before, and has a tendency to yell at them. We're working on manners with her, even when she doesn't feel good she still needs to be kind. She does a lot better now, but that fight is still very much there.