Emergency Shot

I find it interesting how God seems to give me little hints of what lies ahead. I am ashamed to say that I probably miss most of these.  I am busy, selfish, and the world is loud and brash.  It is hard to hear that still, small voice of the Almighty Lord when you are only giving a little attention to Him.  I am glad I was paying attention yesterday.

Yesterday I read a blog post that really resonated in my soul.  My friend Kristen is an eloquent blogger.  I love the truth she speaks, yet it is in a gently, loving way.  Even the gritty realities of life she coveys beautifully.  She wrote about how the valleys in life are also a part of God's plan.  We need them to prepare us for what is ahead, just as much as the mountains and good times in life.  With Cullen's birthday in 2 weeks, I have been a mess of emotions.  Remembering those weeks in the NICU and the heartbreak of losing the dreams I had for my son.  This year has been full of valleys.  But God's plan is full of majesty and power and glory beyond what we could imagine and we have seen God's glory in Cullen's short life as well.  I am thankful for the valleys, because they prepare for the darker times ahead and make the mountains so much sweeter.

Then, last night, I was finishing up my daily Bible reading.  The last couple chapters I read, I feel like God was speaking to me in that still voice, preparing me for the night ahead.  I read Isaiah 40.  I was overwhelmed by God's power and might and tenderness.  

v. 9-11 
"Go on up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
¹⁰ Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
¹¹ He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young."

v. 25-26

"To whom then will you compare me,

    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high and see:
    who created these?

He who brings out their host by number,
    calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
    and because he is strong in power
    not one is missing."

v.28-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹ He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint."

I also felt comforted by those words I read.  I have read them before, memorized them, and yet they held my heart last night.  I thanked God for promising that He would renew my strength, that I would be able to run this race in life not grow weary.  Because I HAVE become weary.  I am exhausted.  Yet His mercies are new every morning and I need to take hold of that and walk without being faint in His strength each day.  I am finding that phrase, "God will not give me more than I can handle" to not be true.  This past year, if someone would have told me about it before, I would have said, "No way, I can't do that." It is the scripture, "I can do ALL things through CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS me." that has rung true this last year. Without Jesus I would be balled up in a corner, a blubbering, unfunctional, insane mess. God is so good, so strong in my weakness, so faithful and true when I am unfaithful and weary and worn in my walk with Him.

Last night we went to bed, everything seeming normal.  Cullen woke up around 1:30am after being restless up until then.  He was really crying this time, not just moaning or talking in his sleep.  I went into the boy's room to pick him up.  He was HOT.  Really hot.  I didn't notice then, because my mind was racing about what to do for his fever, how in the world did he HAVE a fever when just 6 hours ago he was happy and playing, but he was also limp.  I woke my husband up.  He went to get the thermomter and I sat on the bed with Cullen.  That is when, just at the back of my mind, I realized he was kind of limp.  He was alert, but very drooly, another sign that he was REALLY sick.  I gave Cullen to Jason, so I could take his temp, but before it even started scrolling through the digital numbers he threw up.  Not a lot, but multiple times.  Jason whisked him up and into the bathroom, I grabbed a towel and wrapped him in it and sat with him on the side of tub.  He was screaming, scared.

I knew in my heart, we were going to have to give him the emergency Solu-Cortef shot.  We had never had to give it to him before.  Every other time he has been sick, we have been able to fight with just triple dosing him with his normal steroid meds.  BUT he had never thrown up before either.  We debated.  Call the ER?  Call for an ambulance?  Call the Endo?  We settled on calling the endocrinologist.  The one on call was not Cullen's endo, but he told us to go ahead and give him the shot.  He should be good in 20 minutes are so.  I started to cry, a little.  I was so hopeful that after almost a year of avoiding crashes and the shot, we might be in the ranks of the lucky few who never have to give their child the life-saving medication.  

Jason got everything prepped, I held all of Cullen's little, limp limbs down.  I walked Jason through, one more time, how to give the shot.  He got it on the first try.  Cullen didn't even flinch.  We gave him a tempid bath and we sat with him in our room for about a half hour.  He kept falling asleep, so Jason called the endo again, to make sure it was ok to let him sleep.  He said it was fine, keep an eye on him.

The emergency shot gives Cullen 10x what a normal dose is.  More then enough to help his body fight off whatever stressor is attacking him.  BUT this also means he body has to "work out" all the extra meds.  We were up until 4 am.  He was so tired, but every minute or so, his arms would jerk or his body would shudder.  He could not relax.  I turned on Sesame Street on my Kindle Fire for him and rocked and rubbed him.  Eventually his minute of sleep between shudders turned to five minutes and then ten and finally he was able to stay asleep.  I stayed awake, watching him.  Thanking God for sparing him and giving us the clarity of mind to go through the process of saving his life.

He woke up this morning happy and without the fever.  He ate a smaller breakfast then normal, nursed twice, and is now taking a nap.  Just a normal morning for him.

I on the other hand have savored each cuddle, kiss, and smile he has given me this morning. I am thanking God, again, for His still small voice, that prepares me for the valleys and trials that lie ahead.

Removing the Cast and Pin

"For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!"

Psalm 117:2

Today Cullen got his cast and pin removed.  Our appointment was early, 10 am.  But he also had to get x-rays, which meant we needed to be there around 9:45.  My mom went with me and we needed to leave the house around 8:45.  We got out late, not leaving until almost 9.

We did not get far down the expressway when the traffic slowed and almost came to a stop.  The cars were bumper to bumper as far as I could see and we had JUST passed an exit.  So, there was no hoping to get off and get up to Michigan another way.  I was trying very hard to not be angry.  My mom reminded me that there is a reason for everything and perhaps in those 10 minutes of us leaving the house late, we were spared from the accident we were sure was up ahead.  We crawled along for about 10 minutes.  When we finally got up to the accident site, the cars were pulled along the other side of the road and the traffic moving South was also backed up as far as we could see.  It looked bad, but once past, we all got moving along at 70 mph.

We got to Mott's at 10 am.  I checked us in and Cullen got his x-rays.  He did great, not much squirming and he did not have to have any of the x-rays retaken.

We checked into the Ortho office and waited.  They were busy!  We got taken back into one of the rooms and they told us they would have to cut off the cast this time.  This was a first for us and I was totally unprepared.  Every other cast he had had just unraveled off.  They let me hold Cullen and he did a good job sitting, really just interested in the loud noise and cutter.  About the last 2 inches he decided to really wiggle and start crying - he was done being held still!

They pulled off the cast and the cotton.  Dr. Li took a pair of pliers and just slide the pin out of his foot.  It was as smooth as a hot knife through butter.  And Cullen didn't cry or bleed!  I was amazed.  But it only lasted about 30 seconds.  Then you could see the pain creep into his face and that baby just wailed.  He cried and squirmed and tried to move, like he was trying to get away from the pain.  I just held him and rocked him, and tried to soothe him as Dr. Li explained the exercises for his foot, and some things to expect in the upcoming weeks.

We left to go down to orthotics to get Cullen's Ponsetti bar.  A Ponsetti bar as two little boots, with straps, to strap the child's foot into and then a bar that hooks the two boots together.  Cullen will have to wear this every night until this entire process is over, about a year from now.

We got down to their office (AAAALLLL the way on the other side of the hospital) and we were waiting behind a couple.  They had a beautiful little girl in a stroller and Cullen was mesmerized by her!  My mom started talking with them and we learned that this little girl had had quite the battle from birth.  Her mother had been on prescriptions during her pregnancy, so when the girl was born she had to detox from the meds, but in addition to that, she was lactose intolerant,  but the hospital couldn't figure that out and so she had spent many days in the NICU struggling to eat and keep her weight up.  She was also born with hip dysplasia.  When her mother said that it was like being electrocuted   I don't know how else to explain it.  My inside quivered.  My mother and I looked at each other and she said, "Should we tell them the story?"  So, we proceeded to tell them about Janice and her daughter Aubree and the salvation Janice experienced and the healing Aubree experienced on the day of Cullen's surgery.  The couple was amazed.  We asked to pray with them and they were very happy to let us.  I prayed for them and for their daughter's healing.  We talked with them for a long time.  Yes, they were saved.  Yes, they believed that God could heal.  They had seen God heal the mom's uncle (?) from brain cancer.  He went in for surgery, after being prayed for, and they scanned him one last time and found that the tumor was not there, but instead a large cavity of fluid.  They drained the fluid and he is fine.  We exchanged information and they left.  I was amazed and in awe of again how God's timing had prevailed.  Being late (like on surgery day) had allowed us to meet up with this family.  Again I thanked Him for things outside of what I am normally thankful for.

Cullen got called in.  I was shown how to put the little boots on his feet and then how attach and remove the bar.  He did not like it.  He again cried.  The orthotics person told me to leave him in them for a couple hours to be sure his skin did not break out and to "condition" him before putting him in them over night.

We walked out of the room and stopped as a boy and his grandmother were waiting to check in.  The boy had a scar similar to Cullen's and he asked what had happened to Cullen.  I told them a brief story about castings and surgery.  He smiled and his grandmother said that her grandson had something different wrong with his feet, but had just endured a very similar process.  I don't remember how we got to talking about Jesus, funny how the Holy Spirit sometimes just speaks through you and gets you into a conversation, but we ended up finding out this young man (probably 15 or 16) felt called to be a lawyer who represented children who were religiously persecuted in public school.  This young man was on fire for Jesus.  Loved Him.  We talked with them for a long time.  Heard some of their story and again exchanged information, promising to pray for each other.

I am sitting here in awe, rereading what happened to us.  God is so so good to remind me that even in this very hard and painful situation, it has beauty and glory woven into it.  This precious child He has given me to care for is bringing awareness to God's goodness, His healing power, His mercy, His grace, and His salvation.  How much he loves me and cares for me to show me over and over and over again that this is His plan and not an accident or just some chromosomes not doing the right thing.

Praise the Lord!

Checking his foot. . . .

We had a follow-up appointment today for Cullen's foot.  Dr. Li removed his cast, pulled off the cotton and looked at his incision and pin.  Ugh, the pin made my inside squeemy.

She said everything looked good.  Wiggled the pin around a little bit.  Cullen started crying, sobbing when she did that.  It broke my heart.

We chose a nice red cast for his final cast.  Dr. Li said it was a great color for the holidays.  My husband promptly told her it was for OSU!

I am not looking forward tot he pin removal in two weeks.  Dr. Li is hopeful and expectant that it will literally just fall out on it's own.  But after seeing how Cullen cried from her just touching it, I am not as hopeful.  I can't wait to give him a bath, though!  So, the cast must come off, the pin must come out.  It is one more step towards his foot healing.

Surgery

John 11:40

Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"

We got up at 4:30 am to get ready to leave for Ann Arbor.  Jason had helped me the day before to clean and pack so all we had to do was brush teeth and load the car.  My in-laws showed up at 5:30 and we left.  Originally, they were going to meet us part-way there because they were going to pick up Jason's grandma and bring her along, but she had a nasty cold and decided last minute to not come.

We left the house, took 24 to the 23/475 entrance and as we drove around the on ramp, there was a very strange thumping noise.

"A tire's flat, Erin."
"What?!? You're kidding right?"

Jason pulled over before we actually were on the highway.  The in-laws pulled up behind us and sure enough, the driver side tire was flat.  We unpacked the trunk and Jason and his dad got out the spare and the jack and started trying to change the tire.  Semis and cars zoomed by, my husband and father-in-law laying on the pavement trying to desperately get us back on the road.

"God, keep them safe." I thought. Then, the car rocked and slide off the jack.

The jack was bent.  There was no safe way to change the tire.  I got Jerek out of the car and into the in-law's vehicle.  I sat there with him and my mother-in-law as the men got the jack out of the trunk of the other car.

This one worked and they got the donut on.  We all piled into the smaller, other vehicle.  Jason, his mom, the boys, and I were going up to Ann Arbor in that car.  Jason's dad took our car back to their house and got a different vehicle to get up to the hospital in.

6:20am finally back on the road, a half hour late.  As we started back on the road, I said, "Ok, let's pray NOW before we even get any further!"  Jason prayed for travels as we started back up to Michigan.

The rest of the ride was uneventful.  I got a call from the pre-op floor wanting to know why we weren't there yet.  I told them the 1 minute story and the nurse asked that I be dropped off at the front door to get there quicker.  I got a call from my parents.  They had made it there and were in the waiting room.

7:10 I checked Cullen in.  40 minutes late.  I asked where the bathroom was and the receptionist, said, "Oh hun, you don't have time, they want you back there now!"  Got into pre-op and Jason showed up shortly after.  We answered the same 20-some questions with a hand full of people.  We got to finally meet our anesthesiologist.  The woman we requested because of how well versed she is with panhypopituitarism.  She went over our endocrinologist suggestions for Cullen's special medication drip and told us that she was not happy.  She was not sure that his suggestions were appropriate for the kind of surgery Cullen was having.  My heart leaped into my throat.  After all we had gone through to get the recommendations in the first place and now they were not "right".  She told us that she was going to call the pharmacy and the endocrinology department in house and get their opinion.  More people with more of the same questions.  She came back and told us she wanted to give Cullen his meds in the way the endocrinologist wanted, but not the amount.  She explained her reasoning and we agreed.

Jason went and got the crew to come back and tell Cullen good-bye.  By this point, all the pre-op bays had emptied - everyone was already getting their surgeries started.  This is the only reason I can figure they let ALL of us back, all 7 of us, when the rule is 2 :-)

I got to suit up and walk Cullen back to the OR.  They laid him down on the table and started taking his robe off.  He started screaming; he hates un/dressing.  They put the little mask on his face.  One of the nurses said, "Don't worry mom, the fact that he is crying is good.  Two deep breaths and he will start to fall asleep."  And sure enough, that is what he did.  I was ushered out, I didn't cry.  I had such peace about him being in there. 

I got back out and told everyone what had happened in the back.  Jerek was being obnoxiously loud with a toy car my mother had brought for him.  But has he was laughing and playing, I noticed a woman sitting a few chairs down, thoroughly enjoying his silliness.  She was even laughing out loud at him occasionally.  I smiled, reminded that even though I might have thought he was nuts, in that waiting room, people had left their kids to be operated on.  I let go of the "mommy needs to control her kid so people don't think I am irresponsible  undisciplining mother" complex and enjoyed his laughter and crazies.

At some point the front desk called us and asked us why we were still up on the floor.  Confused, Jason said we had been told that we would be released from the waiting area when we were called.  There had been some miscommunication and we were actually suppose to be on another floor waiting.  The receptionist told us not to worry, that we could stay and keep all of our stuff on the floor.  Cullen's surgery would be done soon and there was no reason to go lugging all of our stuff to another floor to just come back in less then an hour to consult with the doctor.  She gave us a buzzer and Jason and I went to the Cafe with his parents to get something to eat.

We came back up and I attempted to "play" with my crazy 5 year old.  He was more interested in making as much noise as possible.  I rummaged through his bag and got out his clothes; we had loaded him up into the car his dragon p.j.'s, and we marched off to the bathroom to change and clean the toothpaste off of the corners of this mouth, his nose, and his cheek.

When we came back, my mom and Jason's mom were talking to the woman who had been enjoying Jerek's sillies early in the morning.  She introduced herself as Janice and showed us a picture of her daughter, Aubrey.  Aubrey had hip dysplasia and was in for her second surgery.  The first surgery had actually left her worse off then before.  She had been in a cast from the waist down most of her life.  They had traveled over 3 hours to be there and Janice was there by herself for her daughter's 4-5 hour surgery.  Her eyes welled with tears.  I showed her a picture of Cullen and told her I was so sorry and I understood.  Her eyes locked with mine and for the first time that morning my heart broke.  Not for Cullen or even myself like I assumed would happen, but for this very alone, very scared, and very hopeless mother.

My mom suggested we pray for Janice and my mother-in-law and I came over to sit next to her.  Right there, in the middle of that waiting room, I prayed for this woman.  I prayed that God would give her peace, that He would give the surgeon's wisdom to know what to do with Aubrey, that He would miraculously heal her and make her whole, better then even how she was before the first surgery.  I prayed that God would show Janice how real He is and that again, she would find peace.

When I looked up, Jason was sitting next to me.  He looked at Janice and asked her if she was a Christian.  She said she honestly couldn't say yes because even though she use to go to church, she didn't anymore because it was too hard being a single mom of two.  Jason simply told her of Jesus Christ's sinless life, his death on the cross for her, and how she was able to accept Christ's free gift of salvation.  Did she want to pray and ask?  She said yes.  Jason led her in a simple prayer and by the end we were all teary.  Afterward, Jason told her that just because she had now accepted Christ and was a part of God's family, that did not mean that everything would just be easy.  He used Cullen as an example and encouraged her that even though the things in her life may not change drastically, God was still at work and He would be working in her.

Just then, the receptionist called us back to consult with the doctor.  She said Cullen was doing very well.  The surgery had gone really well and that we would be called back when he started to wake up.

Janice was gone when we came out of the consult.

I don't remember how long we waited before we were called back to the post-op ward/recovery area.  As we walked back, we passed Janice!  She yelled at us hello and said that the girl she was holding was her daughter and she was beaming.  My brain took in the whole sight, but shut down and focused on Cullen because I couldn't make sense of what I saw.  Janice was holding her daughter, who was fully clothed, even with her winter coat on.  But she had just had surgery?  My brain couldn't compute and so it pushed that out of the way and focused back on Cullen.

He was crying when I took him.  I nursed him as he was so hungry and then he drifted back to sleep.  They let me hold him and put me in a wheelchair to take us to our room.  We were put on the 7th floor - the children's cancer floor.  What a heart-wrenching ride down that hall.  What a time to be thankful that all we were dealing with was a minor surgery, not a terminal illness.

Our parents came up to the room and told us the rest of Janice's story.  She came out of the operating area, holding her daughter.  She told them that the surgical team had never even touched Aubrey.  When they got back, they realized that her hip was even better then it had been before the first surgery.  There was nothing wrong with Aubrey.  She was healed.  Janice was crying.  Our parents were crying.  Janice was taking her daughter home.  No surgery.  No cast.

I couldn't say a word.  Literally, I opened my mouth and yet I couldn't grasp the right words to express my awe, my joy, my confusion.  I think for the first time in my life I realized what it was to experience the fear of the Lord, to see the power He has.  I had my mom repeat the story to me.  I was dumbfounded. 

Aubrey was healed.
Aubrey was healed.

Jason's mom said that she had given Janice one of our church cards and had written down my name and number for her.  I still have not heard from her.  I don't know if I ever will.  I do know that my God showed up on November 5th.  He revealed Himself to a hopeless woman in a way that she cannot deny.  My heart cries out to God that He would continue to show up in her life, that He would lead her to a solid church, a Christian man, and that He would use her and her daughter in bold and miraculous ways.  I pray that she will be a banner for God.

The rest of our time was pretty uneventful.  Cullen was squirmy and crying on and off at first as the anesthesia wore off and the pain meds still had yet to kick in.  Finally, at one point, I cried.  But it was only briefly.  Not because I was trying to be strong, I am not, but because I just felt helpless to help him and that is a horrible place to be as a mother.  I silently asked God to help him and spare him from the pain.  He eventually fell asleep.

He slept well through the night and was happy and playful during the day.  We avoided a lab draw thanks to the doctors being in the room at just the right time.  A resident had ordered it, we questioned it, and the doctors on call sided with us and let our babe continue to sleep soundly.

I left Ann Arbor thanking God for flat tires.  That for whatever reason, we needed to be late and God protected my husband and father-in-law as they changed our tire.

I left Ann Arbor thanking God that Jason's grandmother had gotten sick and canceled going so that his parents could follow us and help change the flat tire.

I left Ann Arbor thanking God that someone misinformed us and we stayed in the pre-op waiting area.  If we had not, we would have missed Janice.  We would have missed our opportunity to share the Gospel and watch a soul come to salvation and turn from hopeless to hopeful, sorrowful to joyful, sinful to saved.

Our road to surgery at Mott's was a long one.  We tried to find alternates to surgery, but none could be found.  We swung back and forth between peace and turmoil as we searched for those alternatives.  But God knew that we needed to be in that exact waiting room, at that exact time and day.

NOTHING is a mistake or coincidence.  Cullen's conditions are a part of God's plan.  It seems like I have to come to terms with this anew every day.  We have prayed from the beginning that God would use Cullen to bring glory to His name.  That we would meet people that we would have never encountered without Cullen having panpit or the vertical talus.  I have prayed that God would help me evaluate situations and see the Holy Spirit working and know His voice and obey it.

Thank you God for answering our prayers and for NOT answering our prayers.  
Thank you that you did not heal Cullen's foot in a miraculous way, for although that would have brought you glory, instead you healed the body of a girl who could not be fixed.  Her story will reach unsaved people and places that we would have never been able to reach.  Soften the hearts of those her story touches and bring people into a saving and right relationship with You!

To God be all the glory forever and ever, Amen! 

1 Timothy 1:17

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Panic Attack

Psalm 56:3  

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in You."

Jason leaves for Colorado Monday morning, VERY early.  He will be gone for 4 days, coming home VERY  early Friday morning.  I must admit, when he first told me a few months ago, I was initially jealous.  Colorado was a place we have always wanted to visit together, but we can't afford to fly me out with him nor can we take the boys or leave Cullen with anyone yet.  So, I will be staying home, by myself, the week Jerek starts school.

I have been dreading this weekend for months, subconsciously.  I knew that this trip was going to scare me, so I buried those feelings and refused to let them surface for the last 2 months or so.  Now he is essentially leaving tomorrow and I have realized I am scared  terrified.

I raced out of the house this morning.  I had plans to go to church to meet up with some other women to make a Child's Training Bible.  First, I had to run to Meijer to get the little page flags for it and also get a super sweet deal on diapers.  By getting the diapers today, I would essentially get a box and a half free!  Unfortunately, something happened while checking out and the register did not want to give me my automatic $20 coupon on my order.  The cashier had to call her supervisor, get things cleared, and put in codes.  I ended up waiting for about 20 minutes to finalize my order.  I DID get my super sweet diaper deal, but I was now going to get the church about 30 minutes late.  Normally, being late doesn't bother me, but I got in the car and could tell, my body was all amped up.

It was very strange.  I had never felt like that before.  My insides felt shaky.  I thought I might cry.  And as I drove towards the church, I realized my jaw was beginning to get tight and ache.  Within the first half hour of being at church, I had to make a conscious effort to highlight the Bible passages with a steady hand, control my emotions to keep myself from crying, and not clench my jaw as my pain level was rising and my head was beginning to pound.

As I was walking out, our Pastor's Wife asked how she cold pray for me.  I said that I was nervous about Jason going to Colorado and being by myself with the boys.  I have a sense of pride about being able to take care of and handle situations on my own; being totally independent, but since Cullen's birth I no longer felt that way.  I also told her I had this dread that Cullen would crash while he was gone and that I would have to handle that entire episode on my own.  I left, those strange feelings only increasing.

"God, what is wrong with me?" I thought.

Panic Attack

is what I heard in my head.  I immediately called my mom.  She had suffered from panic attacks in the past and I knew she would be able to tell me if that was what I was dealing with.  I had a long chat with her.  She helped me identify the basis of my attack.  I was scared of being by myself and Cullen crashing and dying while Jason was gone.  But the bottom line of that is that I did not fully trust God with the situation.  I didn't trust that He would take care of me or Cullen or that whatever happened would be a part of His plan and for His glory.  Glorifying God is our ultimate job in this life.  Glorifying him with all we are, with all He gives us.

I also realized that I had sinfully made Jason a functional savior.  I was trusting in him to care for us, give me strength, and get us through any situation.  I had come to the end of myself and my ability to control the situation and that scared me.  Which is also sinful.  We are told over and over in the Bible to not fear, to not be anxious.  He commands us to give Him all of that an in return we are given peace.

So, that is what I have been doing, over and over and over and over again.  Every time I feel the tears well-up in my eyes or begin to think about what will happen if Cullen crashes, I repeat to myself, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You.  God I trust You.  I give this to You.  Please give me peace."

I will not make it through next week on my own.  God will give me the strength.  He will lead me, guide me, and comfort me as He gently walks me through the next five days.  He will steady my heart and give me the peace and confidence to make it.

*As I was typing this out this afternoon.  I was also purchasing the new Kari Jobe album, Steady My Heart. The cover song truly spoke to my heart.  I feel like the lyrics were exactly what I need to hear today.*
For the song and lyrics:
http://youtu.be/KmaBhMOXXHg

Getting a splint

"everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.”

Isaiah 43:7

Cullen has been in physical therapy all summer.  We have seen huge improvements in his wrists.  If you looked at his right hand, you would not notice anything wrong.  We have worked really hard at stretching and taping him so that the muscles would correct themselves.  Unfortunately, his left wrist, which is the worse of the two, is just taking longer then expected.  Both orthopedic surgeons we have seen have said that there is nothing structurally wrong and to just keep working the muscle into the right place.

So, today we went to the PT office.  Not for physical therapy, our wonderful PT is on vacation.  Instead, we went in to see the Occupational Therapist to get Cullen a splint.

It was an interesting process.  She traced his hand on a piece of paper and cut it out.  She then traced that on a piece of special plastic, cut it out, and heated it to 160 degrees.  She slipped a special piece of fabric over Cullen's hand, so he wouldn't get burnt, and then put the heated plastic up to his arm and molded it to him, getting the perfect fit.  She then attached an antimicrobial barrier, like squishy plastic, to it since he is a thumb sucker and would be undoubtedly sucking on the splint.  She then stuck some Velcro like pieces to the back and the soft brown straps to those.

The entire process took about 20 minutes and then we spent the next 10 practicing putting it on and finding the best places to strap him to it.

My instructions were to let him sleep in it over night and if I wanted, during nap.

The splint's job is to keep his entire arm and wrist straight, so that while his muscles are relaxed while he is sleeping, the tighter muscles are gently being pulled in the right direction.  It is like taping on steroids :-)

Throughout the entire process my mind kept recalling something a friend of mine said while we were discussing orthopedic surgeons.  She said that it is one thing for an ortho to know how to fix a bone that had been initially formed right but had then been broken.  It is entirely something different to take a bone that had been formed improperly and then try to fix it.

Not that Cullen's bone is the issue in his wrist.  But I wonder why God allows something to be "created improperly" only for our imperfect world to try and fix it?  As the verse above says, God created everything for His glory.  I just have to rest in this, that Cullen, even with all his "imperfections" was still formed and made by God for HIS glory.  Not for me to boast in and take pride in my "good mommy" accomplishments.  Not for me to laugh at the medical community when he exceeds what they have said he will do.  Not to accept the pity of others.  Cullen is the Lord's.  His bones, his muscles, his pituitary gland; they are all the Lord's and they are for HIS glory.

Jaded

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I'm just going to be honest.  Because I want others to know that it's ok to feel cheated, disappointed, jaded.  You are not a bad person, it's normal.


Yesterday our best friends finalized their family by bringing into this world a beautiful little boy.  I was fortunate enough that they asked me to be there.  To be able to celebrate with their family in those first moments of that tiny miracle's life.


I rushed out of the house with my boys when we got the call that it would be soon.  I was on edge in the waiting room, anticipating Daddy walking out to tell us if they had had a boy or girl and what the name was. I was fine through all of that.  I was excited, overjoyed, anxious.


We walked into the labor and delivery ward and I hung back with the other family members, letting their older children go into the room first.  And then two nurses carried their chubby, minutes old baby past the doorway to get his foot prints.  He was wiggling and squirming and fussing. And my heart broke.


I tried with all my strength to hold it together. I tried in those fleeting moments to suppress my tears, to convince myself that it was just plain selfish and ridiculous to feel cheated.  To feel loss and anger and disappointment. To be at that place again where I ask God why.  To tell Him again that it's not fair.


I was  SUPPOSE  to have an easy delivery.


I was SUPPOSE  to have a perfect little boy.


I was SUPPOSE to cry tears of joy.


I stood there rejoicing and mourning.  I was torn, battling my emotions, trying to get a grip so I could bask in that wave of love and awe that happens when you hold a newborn baby.  Something else I had been denied with my own baby.


God help me.


Help me to let go of dreams lost and anticipate the incredible future you have for us.  For Cullen.  Help me to look towards The Prize.  Help me to sacrifice what I want, my expectations, my plans.  Help me to trust you.  Please, help me to trust you again.


Facing this is just too hard on my own.