"For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13

This verse became my prayer during Karla's ultrasound appointment today. For an hour and half, the ultrasound technician took images of every angle of the right and left kidneys. All I could think, over and over again, was Lord, You knit her together once before, please do it again. And He did. 

Although the tests did not show definitively that her left kidney is full functional, it didn't show that it wasn't. In fact, all circumstantial evidence proves that it is: organ size, evidence of blood flow, consistent lab results, uniformity of both kidneys. A nonfunctional kidney would show deterioration and hers shows no sign of this. Dr. Clark was thrilled and we are, too! We are so grateful that she trusted the nudging of the Spirit to try (which apparently was not a popular decision among some of her attendings) and she saved both the spleen and the kidney. Now I understand why people in movies hug their doctors. Dr. Clark got two hugs today. 

We were reminded multiple times today, by multiple physicians, that her injuries are serious. While Karla is cleared for physical activity (running, jumping, weight lifting), she is not cleared for contact sports - which includes any potential for contact such as volleyball - until she reaches the three month mark. Her current dual anti-platelet therapy makes her extremely vulnerable to internal bleeding. A full return to the volleyball court will need to wait until mid-April. And there will be long-term impacts: a life-long regime of blood thinners and annual ultrasounds. But these things are manageable. 

Today we experienced the hand of God in His merciful healing. You, our prayer army, have carried us through. 

There may have been some skipping and jumping in the parking lot. There may have been a celebratory lap through Trader Joe's, filling a grocery basket with more than 10 lbs of food, just so she could carry it. There may have been a few tears. There was definitely rejoicing. 

Ongoing prayer requests:

• Gratitude and praise for the restoration of her kidneys and spleen.
• Protection from internal bleeding for the next six weeks (I may be considering a uniform of bubble wrap for this child of mine.)
• Wisdom for Karla, as she begins strength training and conditioning, to know appropriate limits for her body as it continues to heal.