hard.over.finished, like a champ...

It's been a long day...a hard day...it's over, it's finished...and Camryn is a champ.

We started the day early at 5:30am in admitting to get all the paperwork in order to head down to pre-op to get ready for Camryn's 7:30 *procedure*. As we waited it felt oddly surreal to be sitting there with Camryn in her pajamas...I can honestly say that one of the hardest feelings as a parent is watching your little one be wheeled away, I hate it. As the clock ticked and we made it down to our pre-op curtain area Camryn was doing well, no real tears and whenever the nurses or doctors asked why she was there she quietly said "to get my line out." Everyone was very impressed with Camryn's attitude and "grown-upness"...sometimes I wish she didn't know so much, but there's no avoiding that.

At 7:30 the marching music played and off Camryn was wheeled to her procedure room, the doctors was kind enough to let Jason and I walk back with her as they had yet to put her under. As we walk Camryn got more and more nervous and by the time we got there she was a mess...with tears streaming down her face she said, "I'm so tired of all of this...I want this to be over."

Over.

I kept a stiff upper lip and console her little heart as best I could, finally the relaxation juice kicked in and she was off to dream land. We walked out and I cried...as I walked the same hallway in which I walked over a year ago as Wyatt was in surgery, my mind filled with memories and I was just heart broken.

I want this to be over.

Jason and I quietly headed upstairs to the waiting room, not too many words as we both knew that we were on the verge of losing it...we are tired. As we sat and waited we watched the clock...they said about an hour. About 8:35 Jason's phone rings and it's them, Camryn was done; as we got up to leave the resident surgeon walked up to walk us down to Camryn. As he talked us through the surgery and such he was so kind and gentle...he kept reassuring us that Camryn did great. The line came out fine and they had to give her one stitch, but she was doing well.

As we walked up to the recovery area and I saw our curly little one huddled in a ball I wanted to scream, "when is enough, enough?...when can she be finished?" Camryn told the nurse she heard her mommy and sure enough there we were...she was crying, coming out of anesthesia and just a mess. We gently held her hand and stroked her hair, she wanted to go home...

Thankfully the doctors and nurses were fully aware of Camryn's journey and were very gentle and caring with her. We did not have to stay too long in recovery and were able to go without much difficulty. As we walked out I hoped that we would not have to come back and that for maybe a moment we were finished.

Camryn's cardiologist wanted her to have an echo after her surgery to check on her blood clot, we had one scheduled for 11:00am as we were not sure how long surgery would take. After leaving the OR we headed to get Camryn some breakfast and kill some time. As she was eating I had the thought to call the echo lab to see if by chance we could get in earlier since she was finished earlier...and true to the form of our team lately they said "absolutely". Once Camryn finished her cereal we headed upstairs to the lab and were getting the echo done super fast.

The echo concluded that the clot is still there so the cardiologist prescribed baby aspirin and wants another echo in a month to check on things again.

Once all of that was finished we headed home...

Our little champ. Honestly, her little body and heart have dealt with more than most and yet she does it with such grace. She hates every bit of it, but you know today I saw the grace of Jesus with her...without a doubt the Lord has given Camryn over and over whatever is necessary for each day, each moment.

We are ever so thankful that our little champ is done with her line...that it's over, finished and that maybe some things will be easier from now on.

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Thank you for praying for our sweet girl...your thoughts and prayers throughout this journey are precious to us.