I Believe In Miracles

On Friday night we turned on our new gas fireplace for the first time. Thirty minutes later my dear daughter put her little hand on on the fireplace and was burned badly.

We weren't sure how to get to the hospital in this new town, but we did know the general area so we took off. On the way we called my brother to ask if he could assist in giving DD a blessing. We agreed that we would head to his house after the hospital.

At the hospital, after a very long wait, we finally saw the doctor. DD was burned on her pointer, middle and ring fingers with the deepest part of the burn on her upper hand between the fingers and the middle crease of her hand. The ER doctor immediately started talking about 3rd degree burns and skin grafts and made calls to the hand surgeon and also to the University burn clinic to see if they wanted DD that night. We then called my dear brother to tell him we might not make it to his house, thinking that we would be transferred immediately to the university hospital. Dear Brother said he would meet us at the emergency room instead.

The ER doctor then told us that the doctor at the university burn clinic said to dress the hand and come first thing in the morning to the clinic. DD was given Tylenol with Codeine and a rootbeer chaser. Dear Brother showed up and assisted Dear Husband in giving our daughter a priesthood blessing. In that blessing she was promised that the pain would be minimal, healing time would be quick, and that she would regain full function of her hand.

DH and I spent a sleepless night. I fully expected to get up in the middle of the night to give DD another dose of Tylenol and codeine. The medication was supposed to last 4-6 hours. DD slept 9 hours pain free. When she woke up she told us that her hand hurt but was fairly calm until the medication was in her system and working again.

That morning we dropped off the boys at my parents and headed to the Univerisity Burn Clinic. When DD's bandages were taken off even our untrained eyes could tell that the burn looked different. Two doctors came in and started talking about 2nd degree burns and no skin grafts. DH and I looked at each other with hope. Then the head doctor of the burn clinic came in. He told us of the call he received from the ER doctor last night. But when he looked at DD's hand he said "Hmmm, that is not what I was told. That is not a 3rd degree burn." He then talked to us about how 2nd degree burns hurt the worst but that is a good thing as we do not want her to lose sensation in her hand. He discussed healing time (it would be about 2 weeks) and that she should be fine. The physical therapist taught us how to do therapy at home (no outside therapy required), and the nurse showed us how to bandage the hand and sent us home with a sack full of supplies to do it. DD princessed waved with her good hand to the entire staff as we left (and they waved back). We have an appointment for the end of this week.

DD has not complained of pain. We have kept her medicated for the weekend. She has not made bandaging her hand difficult.

I belive in miracles. I believe in the power of prayer and priesthood blessings. I believe that our loving Heavenly Father knows each of us. This weekend I have witnessed His love for my daughter.