Bob? Larry?
No, That is Caden and Riley. Pretty cute, huh? Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for the awesome shirts. And the white portion glows in the dark.
I thought I would share a little fun before getting to the heavy stuff. All in all, Caden and the rest of the gang here are doing good. However, this week has brought us back to the doctor’s office once again. Caden was scheduled for his monthly Synagis shot today that helps prevent RSV. The timing of the visit to the pediatrician was good. Caden has had a few rough days. He has not tolerated the tube feedings very well this week and his goobers have been turning thick and green. He has also been running a fever off and on all week. We have an antibiotic prescription on file at the pharmacy in the event things have not improved by the end of the weekend. The hope is that if needed, the antibiotic will cover him right up until the ENT procedure on the 14th. This will be the dilation of the UES that we have been trying to get or months.
Please pray fervently!
Our little friend Callie from the Atlanta area has been at Standford for several months now. Much of this time was spent in the ICU after at least a couple of surgeries. I will not go into great detail, but will say this. Callie is in serious condition and the doctors are not speaking words of life over this child right now. Please pray for Callie.
Our other little friend Alex is down the road in Savannah. He is going in for surgery tomorrow morning to have work done on a shunt that has not been functioning correctly. This is a shunt that drains fluid from his head down into his stomach. Please pray for healing and protection over little Alex.
I received and email from a friend this morning telling me of a couple that Sherry and I met last summer. They have just had a child who is facing a laundry list of medical problems. Their situation is very familiar. I reflected on this for a while and thought about where we have been and where we are now. Then I remembered sitting in the floor with Caden a couple of nights ago at about 4 AM when I got up to suction him. I held my big boy Caden and just cried. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I literally cried out to God on behalf of my little boy. As I look back on all of these situations, I sometimes feel guilty that Caden is doing so well. I don’t even know where these feelings come from or what to call them. I will say that I do truly cherish the laughter and fun that we have with Caden on a daily basis and count ever single minute of it as a gift from God.
No two situations are the same, but I can say this with certainty. These families are in pain right now and I know that from experience. These moms and dads hurt emotionally and even physically. I have lost a parent to suicide and three of my grand parents to cancer. I held the hands of two of them as they took their last breath. I can tell you that none of that pain comes close to how it feels to have a critically ill child that you can do nothing to help. Where you have been told that they have done all they can do and you will just have to wait. Where you are only allowed to brush their hair because of all the wires, IVs and breathing tubes. These helpless feelings a parent feels can not be described. I can not even imaging the pain that the child feels and their siblings.
Please pray for all of these families and ours to continue to stand strong and trust in the Lord for strength.