Life Happens

I found myself trying to settle into a new routine at home with 24/7 tube feedings for Ruth and tubes and syringes and hospital bags everywhere. Before we even found a new normal however the events turned again. Ruth was home less than 48hrs when she started to vomit...first occasionally and then hourly. After 24hrs we were back at the family doctor and later that morning were re-admitted to Hershey for dehydration and monitoring.

Forget surrender, forget peace, forget praying! My frustration and discouragement were at an all time low...what was going on? What did I do wrong? Did I miss a lesson God wanted to teach me? Did I not have enough faith? Were we being punished? We sat in the hospital another two days and then were sent home again to resume tube feedings...nothing made sense anymore..my confidence in drs and medicine had faded and I wasn't even sure Ruth was ok to come home but I just went along with the flow...Sure enough 3hrs later Ruth had a major attack of pain and we were frantically rushing back to the ER that night.

By this point we were furious, sad and frustrated...at medicine, at life, at this horrible disease! By this point Ruth had been stuck so many times there were little areas available for an IV so we asked for the best nurse they had. My heart broke again as we had to hold our little girl down as they tried to find a site. The nurse was excellent and as she started the IV she said, "Praise God! I was praying." It was so encouraging to be surrounded with fellow believers even in that tough situation.

Through this whole process I have had plenty of time to think and pray and it dawned on me one day that LIFE HAPPENS. As Christians we aren't granted free parking through life....stuff happens, trials, bad things, surgery, pain: it's all part of living in this world. The difference is that as Christians we have God's support and love to carry us through. I finally realized we weren't being punished. God had a plan in all of this and He would carry us through even though it might not be a quick trip or exactly the way we wanted it.

We sat in the ER 15hrs and waited for a bed in the hospital. Her numbers had tripled, her white blood count was up and the inflammation was back. I was once again reminded that God has a plan. We felt prompted at this point to ask for a 2nd opinion for her treatment. We felt that God was holding us in the ER for a reason....to prompt us that we were supposed to leave Hershey and weren't meant to get a bed. We asked the head doctor to be transferred to Philadelphia and he fully supported our decision. Within 7hrs we were in an ambulance headed to CHOP and arrived here Wednesday, May 26th.