...We arrived at our designated time and Kathryn had taken her medication thirty minutes earlier. I didn't want her falling asleep in the car, or in the waiting room. I wouldn't have to worry because the medication would barely deaden the pain of what was to occur. The therapist led us into a curtain drawn room and had Kathryn slip into a hospital gown before slipping into the whirlpool. The whirlpool was barely warm, but the water stung Kathryn's legs as it aggitated around the wounds. Just as Kathryn was adjusting to the aggitating water, the therapist came in and began the debriedment process. Gently, Rona took a sterile bandage and began to remove the blistered skin and the burn ointment remnants. It was agonizing for Kathryn, and for me, as I held her and listened to her scream and cry. Once Rona had removed all of the loose skin she carefully dried Kathryn's legs and dressed the wounds. Exercise was important, but could not be too strenuous. Riding a bicycle for two minutes was the course of action recommended by the therapist. The days that followed were all filled with the same schedule: we woke; we waited to go to therapy; we drove to therapy; we had therapy; we picked up Kathryn's best friend, Jill, after therapy; we ate lunch at Burger King or McDonalds; we went home; we recouperated from the ordeal. Each day the therapist would undress the legs, check the burns carefully, debried during the whirlpool bath, redress, and send us home. The days became weeks and the schedule became a way of life. Our whole summer was centered around therapy and the avoidance of sunlight. Wal-Mart became our refuge. It was one of the few places that Kathryn could walk around and not get too tired.After many days of whirlpool therapy, the head therapist checked the legs and decided that special stockings would be required to keep down the building of scar tissue. We would have to come back the next week to be measured because a special measuring kit was required. I hit my knees one more time and talked with the God who had become my best friend during this stressful time. Whatever His will was to be concerning the stockings would be alright with me, but I needed to make sure exactly what His will was.
The next week we returned and the therapist assistant was amazed at the marked difference in Kathryn's legs. There was very little raised scaring at all, even where the discoloration was most evident. She ran her hands over the legs again and again with amazement at the miracle she was experiencing. Kathryn and I winked at each other because we knew where this miracle came from. Too many prayers had been going up on her behalf for them to go unheard. Rona, the assistant, called the head therapist back from lunch to see the legs. Dr. Harrow was paged within the hospital to come and see the legs. Everyone was checking the legs and marveling at the improvement. Dr. Harrow was so impressed that he released us from therapy and decided that he wanted only to see us once more before school started. With this joyous news we walked happily out of the Physical Therapy Dept. and headed straight to Wal-Mart to share our good news with the employees who had come to be our friends during this ordeal.
August 15th, Kathryn and I sat in Dr. Harrow's office for our last visit. He carefully examined her legs. His gentile hands brushed over the discolored areas in amazement. "I expected her to heal, " he said, "but never this rapidly." We told him that we expected no less because God answers prayers and Kathryn is a personal witness to this fact. Our God is an Awesome God!
