Appointments and More Appointments

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One of the unfortunate things about cerebral palsy (CP) are the many co-occurring health issues that go along with it. Because of this, those with CP have more doctors, specialists, and other kinds of providers they see on a regular basis. While the CP itself mainly affects the muscles, other areas of the body are affected as well, which results in more medical challenges.  For instance, besides CP, some of other Faith’s health issues include: ·          Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other digestive issues ·          Scoliosis ·          Bowel and bladder incontinence ·          General anxiety Because of these co-occurring conditions, we have more appointments than the average person. At times, it can all be a bit overwhelming. Faith enjoying a nice fall day On September 23 rd , we ended up in the E...
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God's Little Reminders

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I remember very well the day in April of 2004 when we got the news that Faith had health issues that could lead to cerebral palsy. It was one of the most heartbreaking days of my life. I wondered how this smiley, happy little girl who would lie on her back and move her arms and legs around could possibly end up with CP?

Faith as a baby. 

When we returned home to Watford City after seeing Faith's pediatrician in Bismarck, there was one day where I opened up my Bible to Hebrews 11. For some reason, though, I skipped over to Chapter 12 and started reading it aloud to Faith. I couldn't believe my eyes when I came across verses 12 and 13.


Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Hebrews 12:12-13

I was so excited, I said, "Faith did you hear that?" and I read it again. I really truly believed that the Lord had given me that verse at that particular time for a reason.

As time went on and we learned more about Faith's disability, I became disheartened. I wanted to believe the Lord could heal her, but I think I wanted Him to heal her more for my sake than for hers. I didn't want to go through life with a special needs child. I also thought it was so unfair for God to give me a special needs child when I myself had a congenital defect.

Through time, patience, prayer, emotional healing, perseverance and the Grace of God, I was able to accept my daughter's disability. My belief for her healing has waned at times but remains strong at others.

Sometimes when I'm going through a period of doubt, I start thinking about what it's going to be like years down the road. Faith is growing and while that is a good thing, I worry about the inevitable day when I'm not able to lift her. How am I going to get her in and out of bed or in and out of the bathtub especially when I have a 50-pound lifting restriction? What's it going to be like when she reaches puberty? Am I going to have to shave her legs and armpits for her?

Faith today. 

I believe we have seen God's healing work in her already and I know God can heal her completely. But I also know it is in His timing, not mine. So, when these thoughts start crossing my mind, the Lord reminds me of Jesus' words in Matthew.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Not only do I have to remind myself of this, but also the fact that God has given me everything I have needed to get through the past six years, and I know He will give me everything I need to make it through the next six and all of the years following.

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Appointments and More Appointments

-
Image
One of the unfortunate things about cerebral palsy (CP) are the many co-occurring health issues that go along with it. Because of this, those with CP have more doctors, specialists, and other kinds of providers they see on a regular basis. While the CP itself mainly affects the muscles, other areas of the body are affected as well, which results in more medical challenges.  For instance, besides CP, some of other Faith’s health issues include: ·          Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other digestive issues ·          Scoliosis ·          Bowel and bladder incontinence ·          General anxiety Because of these co-occurring conditions, we have more appointments than the average person. At times, it can all be a bit overwhelming. Faith enjoying a nice fall day On September 23 rd , we ended up in the E...
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My Tetanus Shot Ordeal: A Real Pain in the Arm

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Last Wednesday I had my yearly doctor exam and when she said I should get my tetanus shot updated, I didn't think twice about it. The nurse said my arm would be sore for a couple of days, gave me a handout and stuck the needle in my arm.  The next day my arm was sore and although I found it a little harder to pick up and carry Faith, I was glad the pain wasn't going to last long. Boy was I wrong! But not only was my arm sore, my whole body was. I felt achy and extremely tired. According to a medical site on the Internet, these were mild side effects of the Tetanus shot. If these were only mild side effects, I would really hate to have them at a moderate or severe level. My arm is still red and sore on day 2 after my tetanus shot. On Friday, two days after getting the shot I felt so tired that I took a four-hour nap after getting Faith off to school. Then on Saturday I took a three-hour nap up until 7 o'clock, but still felt tired and was able to go back to sleep around 10. ...
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Faith's 73-Day NICU Stay

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September is  NICU Awareness Month . For those who don't know, NICU is an acronym for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. According to  World Metrics  50,000 premature babies in the United States receive care each year in the NICU.  The average NICU stay for a preemie is 25 days. Honestly, that number surprises me, as I thought it would be much higher than that. Along with preemies, full-term babies born with certain health issues, such as respiratory distress, jaundice, and other kinds of infections receive care in the NICU.  Tiny Faith in her isolette at Mayo  But for Faith, whose untimely birth consisted of an emergency C-section 11 weeks early, it took 73 days before she was discharged. Those 73 days were a major emotional rollercoaster! And for many reasons, one of which was being nearly 600 miles from home as Faith was born at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. (You can read what led up to that on my post,  October 4, 2003: A Day I'll Ne...
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Faith's 4th

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Every year, the one thing Faith wants to do for the 4th of July is go to the parade in Mandan. It surprises me how much she loves parades, considering the noise and crowds of people. About 20,000 people attend the annual 4th of July parade, and it's filled with very loud firetrucks, big machinery, trucks, and other kinds of loud noises. This year, there was also the concern that it would be more crowded than usual. This was due to the fact that part of the normal parade route was under construction.  Besides all that, the Parade starts at 10:00, which means Faith needs to wake up pretty early so that we can arrive in time. Neither of us had slept well the night before, so I was already concerned that she didn't get enough sleep to get through the long, busy day. I let her sleep as late as possible and prayed for us both to have enough energy to make it through the day. It helped that we could do her morning feeding enroute and also during the parade. She normally doesn'...
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