Today we went to Little Rock to Children's Hospital for a checkup on Molly's hand. Molly loves to go to Little Rock and she loves to go to any doctor. She has been looking forward to the trip. We had a little photo shoot on accident because she wouldn't just stand there and let me take a normal picture of her. It turned into all of this....

I have said it before, but it is worth repeating. I love ACH!!! We have been more times than I ever wanted but I always leave there with something. Today a sweet little girl named Ashlyn walked up to us in the waiting room. She looked to be about 6 years old. I could tell by her shiney bald head and her IV pole that she was pulling around that she was a very sick little girl. But when Larry asked her her name and she told him and then immediately followed it with, "I have cancer." My heart froze up. I knew that before she said it. But to hear her say it just broke my heart into. I wanted to hold her and hug her momma. It hurt me. Bad. 

Molly wasn't really sure about this bald person who wanted to play with her at first. But they talked some and sat together at radiology and warmed up to each other pretty fast.  Ashlyn noticed Molly's hand and asked to see both of her hands.  Molly held her hands out.  Ashlyn counted Molly's fingers and then counted her own.  She looked at me confused and said, "Why does she only have 4 fingers on this hand?"  I told her that she was born that way.  She asked, "Is it going to grow back?" 

 

Molly hasn't noticed her hand is different from the other one yet.  She has never said anything about it.  She didn't even acknowledge Ashlyn when she asked about it.  That is Molly's normal.  Just as Ashlyn dragging and/or riding her IV pole around the hospital is her normal right now. 

 

Ashlyn has not left my mind since we left the hospital.  She is in my heart and in my prayers.  I don't understand or have any answers for why things happen the way they do.  But I know God does.     

 

We got in to see the doctors.  Molly's doctor is a sweet lady who has a little girl about the same age as Molly.  She really talks to Molly.  She watched how Molly uses her hand, how she grasps things, how she can move it and make a fist.  She asked her to right some letters to see how she held a pencil.  She felt it and of course had already viewed the x-ray.  She was pleased.  She said that everything looks to be growing at the same rate.  She decided that unless we have any problems or pain or questions, that we would come back in two years this time. 

 

We got up to leave and Molly, very confused, looked at the doctor and said, "Aren't you going to doctor me?"  The whole room erupted in laughter.  In her little mind, we drove all the way up there to go to the doctor and the doctor didn't even do anything!!

 

We left and grabbed something to eat and then ran by the golf store.  Molly had to have a glove.  She had been using one of mine.  We got her a junior glove that just almost fits.  She didn't take it off until we got home.  She was so proud of that glove!!