By Jennifer Davis

In November 2023, my daughter Lizzy underwent major surgery on both of her legs. Her recovery has been slow and painful. Four months later, I’m doing my best to stay positive and remind myself: the situation simply is what it is.

Two weeks ago, on February 19, we had a follow-up visit with Lizzy’s orthopedic surgeon. By then, her progress had plateaued—both in strength and flexibility. The doctor acknowledged this and gently shared that, at this stage post-surgery, this may be the best we can expect. Unfortunately, “the best” wasn’t what we had hoped for.

Right now, I’m working very intentionally to manage my emotions and keep my mindset grounded. I want to be someone who responds calmly when things are hard—not someone who reacts emotionally and misses the opportunity to make things better. That’s why I’ve been especially aware of the laws of polarity and rhythm in my life these past two weeks.

Polarity: Everything has an opposite. In a bad situation, there’s an equal amount of good—you just have to find it.
Rhythm: When you’re feeling down, be grateful, knowing that “by law,” an upswing is coming.

These principles have given me hope and helped guide my prayers as I ask God to meet Lizzy’s specific needs.

The good news: Lizzy’s left leg is now almost completely straight, and her femur bone has healed.
The harder news: her right leg is a different story—not good or bad, just what it is. Despite undergoing the same surgery, her right leg didn’t respond the same way. It has turned outward again—almost as severely as it was before—and she’s still in pain. Even now, four months later, her femur hasn’t healed.

The doctors said that if healing doesn’t improve, they can remove the bottom screw from the rod in her leg, which would force the bone to compress and, in theory, promote healing. I understand the concept, but I still have a lot of questions.

Lizzy’s orthopedic surgeon is just as frustrated as we are that things didn’t go as expected. She referred us to another specialist for a second opinion, hoping this new doctor might bring fresh insight. I was told we’d see him “soon,” but “soon” turned out to be mid-June—four months away.

That didn’t sit right with me.

I emailed Lizzy’s surgeon and left voicemails, hoping to flag the delay. At the same time, I focused, prayed, and did everything in my power to help shift the situation.

She never got back to me—but then, something interesting happened today.

The doctor Lizzy was supposed to see decided to leave PCH (Phoenix Children’s Hospital), and their office called to reschedule. While the receptionist was checking new availability, I braced myself for another long wait. She mentioned a different doctor available on the same day, which wasn’t ideal, then paused and said, “Let me check if this doctor has anything sooner.” A moment later, she came back and said, “He can see her on May 9.”

I thought, One month sooner—I'll take it. I agreed.

Then she said, “To confirm, that’s with Dr. Belthur on May 9 at 10:00.”

Wait—Dr. Belthur?

I immediately explained that Lizzy had been under Dr. Belthur’s care for seven years at CRS, and unfortunately, he hadn’t done much for her. He never even ordered x-rays—just told us to “come back in six months.”

The receptionist completely understood. She checked another doctor’s schedule, then, almost miraculously, said, “Oh! It looks like the other doctor has an opening next Friday at 11:00. Will that work?”

Hello, upswing!
“Yes,” I said. “That will definitely work.”

I’m so grateful I stayed calm and kept holding out hope for the best possible outcome. It’s still hard to find the good in Lizzy’s current situation, but maybe the good isn’t always something that happens to her. Maybe it’s something others receive through their prayers for her.

As for me, I’m learning patience—and working to be grateful in all things, no matter the circumstances.

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