I start a blog and then i don't post anything for weeks at a time.
I have to admit. I think the reason why I haven't had any motivation to write is because I have been struggling. Some people know this and some people don't, but our oldest daughter Izzy was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis almost two years ago. This is an autoimmune disorder that includes swelling, pain and inflammation in the joints. She began limping in October of 2009 (the same year Aaron was diagnosed) and continued to limp until February when she was finally diagnosed. We were given several options for treatment, only one of which even appealed remotely to us. You see, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. So, that means when it comes to modern medicine...there is no cure. There are only treatments that may or may not work.
Our three options were
1. steroid injections into the affected joints
2. methotrexate (and oral chemotherapy agent)
3. biological medicines (humira, embril...all injectables)
So, in terms of which treatment to use, it was pretty much a no brainer for us. We have read up on each of the medicines and methotrexate is obviously giving your child (who happens to be six) chemo, which we all know has horrible side effects and in total truth is POISON to the body. So, that was out. Then the humira or embril, after reading up, were also big fat NOs. They can screw up your liver and can also cause cancer. So, our only real choice after researching the options was the injections into the joints, which have very few side effects comparatively. Izzy had joint injections early in 2010 and did SO well. She had to have some physical therapy, but did so well that she was having no symptoms shortly after the injections. We had been praying and claiming her healing throughout, asking God to use these injections for complete healing. We were thrilled when she went a year and a half with no sign of JRA.
Ok, jump forward to the summer of 2011. Izzy began having terrible diarrhea in early July. We visited the doctor several times and they thought it was just a virus. She continued to get sicker and sicker. Finally she was admitted to the hospital in Decatur where she was immediately transferred to the childrens hospital in Springfield. My baby was classified as "septic". Her potassium levels were all off and she was so dehydrated that they didn't feel they could take care of her in Decatur. They wanted to admit her to the PICU. Our second day in Springfield Izzy was diagnosed with C-diff. For those who don't know, this is a terrible super bug that is becoming more and more common in nursing homes, hospitals, and even in our community. We aren't sure where Izzy picked it up. It reaks havoc on your colon giving you diarrhea for days, weeks, or even months. It is becoming antibiotic resistant. Izzy was immediately put on an antibiotic, called flagyl, to kill it. We spent six more days in that hospital all while izzy continued to get worse. She became very swollen from all the liquids they were pumping into her. She started retaining fluid in her abdomen especially. Finally, i called it. I told them we were done there and wanted to be transferred to St. Louis Children's hospital. I literally thought i was going to LOST MY MIND. I have NEVER been so close to going crazy....watching my daughter suffer and knowing that it didn't need to happen this way. We were praying like crazy. Anyway, long story short(er) at least.....Izzy stayed 12 days in the hospital in St. Louis. She was immediately switched to a stronger antibiotic and ended up having her fluid drained from under her lung. It was a crazy time and Aaron and i spent much of it switching back and fourth - one of us at the hospital with her and the other one with the other two kids at the haven house. We took twenty-four hour shifts. We knew that she would come through it (our God is HEALER), but it was pretty horrible waiting for it and watching her go through it. She was an INCREDIBLE trooper. Our daughter is one of the strongest people i know. And in the end, she was HEALED. PRAISE BE TO JESUS WHO WAS BEATEN AND SLAIN FOR THAT HEALING!
Ok, so we are finally up to just about six weeks ago. Izzy began starting to limp again. We noticed it and hoped it was just growing pains. Unfortunately, she began swelling and it got worse. We knew that an infection or sickness of any type can bring on a flare with JRA, but we were hoping to be completely done with it. So, of we went just a few weeks ago to St. Louis to her rheumatologist, who gave us the options again. Injections, methotrexate, or Humira. Of course we went for the injections again. They worked so well last time. So we had them done again two weeks ago, at which time, we also started noticing something else strange with Izzy. She had begun losing hair. I began researching and found several options (not all of which i will share with you- don't want to even speak some over my child). So, here have been my struggles: Izzy has continued to have a limp even after her injections this time, she has continued to lose hair and we have been trying to figure out why (we found out it prob stems from the c-diff and an iron deficiency), finding a holistic clinic that will see her as conventional meds don't offer us much at this point, and last but not least, struggling to trust God with our finances as holistic services that she will recieve are not covered by insurance and are quite expensive.
So, i guess what i am telling you is that i haven't written because i feel like i have been failing to trust my FATHER somewhat as i have struggled. And i won't write and not be real. So i guess today, i am asking you to keep praying for all those in my previous post (and PLEASE pray for my Izzy as we search for answers with this holistic doctor), but im also asking you to pray for Aaron and I as her parents. We love her so much and want nothing less than the complete healing that we know is hers.
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed ALL WHO WERE SICK, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
"He himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses"
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