30/10/2026
An Update from Alexis ๐
Well, Good Movin' friends...the right first rib has officially joined the left one in early retirement! ๐คญ
My thoracic outlet decompression surgery on October 22 went well, and I'm home recovering. For those keeping track, I'm now missing both first ribs, at least six neck muscles, and both pec minor muscles. Prayerfully, freedom of movement without pain is in my future!
Recovery has been more complicated than we'd hoped. I'm dealing with significant surgical pain, which is finally becoming more manageable, and a complication called phrenic nerve paresis. The phrenic nerve controls the diaphragm - the primary muscle for breathing - and right now, the right side of mine isn't working. This makes it difficult to take full breaths, talk for more than a sentence or two, walk very far, or recline/lay down comfortably. God willing, this will be temporary, but it has certainly added some unexpected challenges to recovery.
Six major surgeries in six years...goodness. ๐ฌThere have been plenty of dark moments when I've wondered if I could handle much more. But one thing I know for sure: ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐. He has met me in the worry, sustained me through excruciating pain, displayed His glory in the healing of previous complications, and reminded me again and again that my current season doesn't change His character. I don't know what this chapter will look like, but He does, and that brings me peace. I'm trusting Him because He has never once wasted the hard parts, and I can't wait to see what He does with this one.
Thank you for the prayers, meals, messages, and practical help from so many of you. My family and I have been so loved through this, and I look forward to paying your love forward as soon as I'm able. Your continued prayers as I navigate this unexpected recovery are coveted.
In the meantime, I'm living out the very thing we talk about in class: ๐ฟ๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ, ๐จ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐พ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐. Sometimes that looks like a full flow on the mat. Sometimes it's a dance party in the kitchen. Sometimes it looks like a very short walk at home with a yoga strap doubling as an arm sling (yoga straps really are useful for EVERYTHING! ๐คฃ). Or, simply allowing your body to rest.
Our worth was never measured by what our bodies could accomplish. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the strong seasons AND the struggling ones. Movement is a gift, rest is not failure, and a slower season isn't a wasted season when God is still at work in it.
Please continue praying for my breathing and diaphragm function, pain management, and healing. Most of all, pray that through all of this, ๐๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
Thank you for being such a special community. May we never forget that the bodies God gave us are gifts to steward, not standards we have to measure up to. Keep doing what you can, when you can, friends, and above all, keep your eyes on the One who is faithful in every season. ๐ฅฐ
โCommit everything you do to the LORD. Trust Him, and He will help you.โ โ Psalm 37:5
