Surgery and skin grafts

Pray today - Mercy is having surgery in less than an hour to excise her hemangioma. The surgery will require a skin graft from her groin to replace the skin on her shoulder once they remove the hemangioma.

The fact that surgery is happening today, though scary, is a huge blessing. Her hemangioma ulcerated in December and has been causing her severe pain and bleeding since. Daily dressing changes have been excruciating for her and for us. Seeing her scream to exhaustion is so difficult as a parent, helpless to help our little girl. She’s been on some pretty heavy pain-reducing drugs over the past few weeks – fentanyl, Toradol – and it will be good to get her off those drugs. She still screams, even on the drugs.

That Mercy is even eligible for surgery with her hemangioma is also a huge blessing. Most hemangiomas are not able to be removed surgically based on size, depth, and overall vascular complexity. We had initially thought that was the case for Mercy, but thankfully she falls in the rare operable category.

Praise God we got a surgery spot today as well. Next opening for the surgery team is late February, followed by October. The plastic surgery team is in high demand.

Lots coming together to make this surgery possible. I’m praying and hoping it works and she heals quickly!

Love to you all, Erica is with her now. I’ll post a short follow-up when I get a chance.