Ella has survived her first week of, what I like to call, her 2 week medical quest. We are spending this week and next going to different doctors and enduring different tests to figure out why little Ella has so many aches, pains and belly blues.
This weeks she had an upper GI, an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. She had to go under general anesthesia today for her procedure. That was probably harder on me than her. She did great!
The doctor didn't find anything terribly alarming and is fairly confident that he knows what the problem is, and luckily, there is a solution. The problem is that her lower intestines "spasm and cramp" which causes her severe pain. She is going to start taking a medication that will block the pain from reaching her brain (or something like that, I was distracted because I hadn't seen her yet and was anxious to!). While I don't like the idea of my 5 year old on daily medication already, I am excited to watch her live pain free! Her doc said that we will try taking her off the meds in a year and see how she does.
The bright spot in this diagnosis: her GI doc has the same condition, since childhood, so he is very receptive to it and has some great experience to share with us. Considering he was not our first choice in docs, but the situation forced us his way, thank you God for that one!!!
Next week Ella will visit her cardiologist, a quick EKG is required before starting her new "tummy medicine" then we are off to Iowa City to meet with her Rheumatologist for the first time. This will be our opportunity to explore the aches, pains and rashes that have been bothering Ella for quite some time. This should be an interesting appointment, although I am keeping my expectations low at this point! : )
So, that is the good news. We are happy with our progress thus far and optimistic about the future.
Here's my deep thought for the day:
My heart broke twice today. The first was watching my beautiful daughter slowly fall into a terrible state of lethargy. She hadn't eatin anything today and very little yesterday. By 11:00 today, she was having a hard time staying awake, couldn't concentrate on anything and cried out in sadness and hunger pains every few minutes. As I watched her, and hugged her, I thought about all the children in Haiti and elsewhere that often go without food for a day or more. I thought about all the children who have so little to eat everyday. Are they tired like Ella? Do they have the energy to go to school, to learn, to play? I doubt it. My heart broke again. What we experienced today was nothing. We fasted for a day so we could go through a very expensive medical procedure to help our daughter feel her best. Afterward, we went to Bravo and got her favorite pasta to "slowly get back her energy". Tomorrow, we'll be munching away again, not a care in the world. Except, I hope, we'll remember how we felt as we watched our "starving" child for a day.
I know there is so much more I can do to help those in need, both near and far. If you are looking for a place to serve, call me. I have great friends who work solely for the purpose of mission and I will gladly connect you.
If nothing else, my prayers tonight will be filled with gratitude. Not just for our health, but for our food and our awareness. They will also be filled with hope. Hope for the many out there who need our help and our prayers.
Blessings,
j
