As I was driving to Birmingham to check into Children's Hospital there was so much silence in our van that it was making me insane. G was watching a movie and was falling asleep so I couldn't talk to her. I stopped to get gas off of the interstate and while I was pumping gas my sweet friend Anna Katherine had called me. She left a voicemail but I only halfway listened to it. Once I had pulled back onto the interstate I called her back. She told me that she didn't really know what to say to me that she was just at a loss for words! Bless her heart, I really cannot remember another time that my sweet AK was without words. I love her because of her ability to fill you up with sunshine and make you feel like everything in the world is going to be just fine! Her positivity is infectious and you cannot be around her and not be happy! But she listened to me talk and told me that Blake (our pastor) was getting ready to come up to Birmingham to be with us all. I told her that I loved her and she said she loved me. I told her to pray and she said she would and I knew that every chance she got that she would be praying for us.
When I got off the phone with Anna Katherine I had received a text from another dear friend. Abi lives in Kentucky now but friendship doesn't know state lines and distance. She had texted me that she was praying and like AK's voicemail I halfway read it and halfway comprehended it. I called her and she immediately answered. I gave her a rundown of what had happened up to this point and she said that she didn't know what to say. She was at a loss for words too! Abi always has words! =) She's like an audiobook that you just can't stop listening to. =) She always has a positive outlook on things and just makes people happy when they are around her. But this was a subject that none of us thought we would be talking about. How do you prepare yourself to talk to a mom whose daughter could possibly have cancer? You can't. But bless her heart, she talked to me and she listened....I cried on the phone and I think she did too. She was there for me in the silence and it was the biggest comfort.
I hung up with Abi and saw that I had a text from another precious friend who I think is actually my sister..... we just grew up with different families. I called Jill and told her what was going on and she, like Anna Katherine and Abi both didn't have any words. She said just cling to Jesus! Jill is my motivational speaker. She builds me up and peps me up better than any cheerleader ever could! She is the one that helped me build up courage to take the leap of faith and home school our children. She is my sister! We are so much alike its scary to think we aren't related. How do you explain that?! God.....He knew that 6 years ago I would need Jill in my life and He molded and fashioned our relationship and made us as close as sisters. It doesn't matter that we don't share the same blood, we share the same Father in Heaven. And praise God......because with Him blood doesn't matter, color doesn't matter, nationality doesn't matter. Oh, how I cannot wait to get to Heaven and see all the precious colors and faces of my brothers and sisters! =)
Jill told me that she and her husband were praying and I asked her to contact our church family and get an email out to them. I needed to know my church family was praying and I wanted them all to know what was happening. She assured me she would get on it as soon as we hung up. David then called me to ask a few questions about what else to pack and I was glad he did because I wanted to check on the boys. I asked him if he wanted me to call his dad to let him know what was going on, but he said that he was probably at work.I told him that I would call his step-mom and let her know so that she could let his dad know when he got off of work.
Then I didn't have anyone else to call. Jill was working on alerting the church family, my parents knew, David's parents knew, my close friends knew......so, there was the silence again. I came around a curve and right in front of me was the brightest rainbow I have seen in Alabama. When I lived in Alaska, I used to see super bright rainbows, sometimes double and triple ones. But this was by far the brightest I had seen in the south. Tears started streaming down my face!!! God was speaking to my heart, "My child....you are not alone in this silence. I am here, I am holding you and I'm holding Gabriella!" Those were the words I needed to hear. My friends didn't have the words, I couldn't explain what was going on....but the One who holds tomorrow knew exactly what was happening and what was going to happen. In that moment I said, "Lord, I give it all up to you!!! Gabriella is yours, she always has been. You are only letting David and I have her for a short while, ultimately she belongs to you! God, you know what the outcome of this is going to be and I have peace in knowing that You will sustain me. When I feel like I cannot go on, Lord, pick me up! When my flesh kicks in and my imaginations run wild, Lord fill me up with your peace and courage! Give me the strength to walk this path that you are laying in front of me! Without You, God, I am nothing! I will totally fail if I lean on myself! I put all of my trust and faith in you! God, she's yours!!"
From that moment on, a peace that I cannot explain engulfed me. I walked into the Emergency Department, handed them the paperwork, we were put into a room and then they said they needed to start an IV. I held Gabriella down while they stuck her two different times. She was so dehydrated from not drinking properly the past week that her little veins were impossible to see. I bowed my head and just prayed. Finally, they got it in and I said, "Praise Jesus!" The nurses laughed and said if you hadn't been praying I don't know if we could have got an IV into her arm as dehydrated as she is! An amazing Child Life Specialist then came into the room to bring toys and stuffed animals for Gabriella to play with. It was truly a blessing to be able to just sit and play with her to take her mind off of things. We had a tea party, played with a Giraffe that had it's own IV, read books, just had lots of fun. She was getting fluids in her and starting to get a little more color.
Finally, David arrived at the hospital. He told me that he had a peace about everything and knew that God was in control and would take care of our baby! Gabriella then went to have a CT done. They used contrast and it make a bad taste in her mouth so she didn't like that very much. But for the most part she was super brave and laid there like a champ. After about 5 hours in the ER we were moved to the 8th floor. At the time I had no idea what type of floor we were being put on. I just figured it was a regular unit of the hospital. Later I would learn that it was the Oncology Floor. We finally settled in for the night and "rested".
The next day we met with several doctors and surgeons. They said they hoped to have a plan by 9:00am. They wanted to see if it was possible to go in and take out the entire tumor, kidney, and ureter instead of just doing a biopsy. Around 9:30am they came back into the room and filled the entire room. I think there were about 15-20 people that were her "team". They said that they felt like they could successfully remove the mass and kidney and wouldn't have to just biopsy it. But that it would be Monday before they could do the surgery. =( On one hand I was glad that I would have a little more time to process this all but on the other I would have all weekend to sit and think and every possible thing that could happen or go wrong. But God had other plans! He totally controlled my imaginations and just surrounded us in peace! We made the most of a weekend stuck in a hospital! We played Bingo with other patients, and WON! We took lots of wagon rides and played in the fountain outside the hospital! =) And we met an amazing little warrior named Sam! His family has become like family to us! Sam's mom, Pam has become such a comfort to me! She answered questions and held me as I cried! I thank God everyday that He allowed our paths to cross!
We went to "bed" Sunday night knowing that God was in control and that He was holding our baby girl in His arms. Earlier in the weekend I was afraid of how I would feel Sunday night. I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to sleep, I knew my nerves would be going crazy. But no, God filled me with peace, gave me courage, and strength that I didn't know I had.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Part 2 of how it all started
So after the culture came back negative and we were told to stop taking the Bactrim I was absolutely stumped as to what was wrong with our girl. The next few days rocked on and we went to church Wednesday night. Gabriella went to the gym with her church buddies and was playing while David and I went to Prayer Meeting. We were almost finished with church when our friend, Jill walked in and brought G to us. She said that she had done well throughout the majority of the class but all of a sudden started crying and wanting her Mommy. Jill was amazing and helped calm G down and fed her a snack and promised to bring her to us as soon as she finished her snack. G just laid on us while we finished up church. She didn't sleep well that night, waking up several times crying and just wanting to be held.
On Thursday, July 9, 2015, I woke up and started my day as usual. The little kids were still asleep and Jake was outside feeding the chickens and ducks. Around 8:00am G woke up and was crying. She went straight to the bathroom and just screamed and cried while she urinated. I went in there and helped her off the toilet and into mine and David's bedroom. When I went to pick her up to put her on our bed I realized she was burning up with fever AGAIN. I took her temperature and it was 103.3!! I immediately called her Pedi's office and requested that she see HER pediatrician because she was NOT getting any better! Unfortunately, her Pedi was booked up and had a meeting that afternoon that made it impossible to schedule with her. But the nurse insured me that the doctor that I was scheduled with would consult with our Pedi once she looked Gabriella over. The appointment wasn't until 2:15 that afternoon so we had a little bit of a wait. Gabriella went back to bed at 9:00am and slept for over an hour and a half. I KNEW something was wrong with her and I could feel God speaking to my heart telling me that there was something wrong with her but that He was with me and would walk with me through it all.
That afternoon I dropped our boys off at my parents house and headed towards Tuscaloosa. All the way there I prayed that God would speak to the doctor's heart and guide their hands so that they could figure out what was going on with Gabriella. I begged and pleaded to Jesus to help me explain every little detail of her symptoms from the very beginning and that I wouldn't forget anything!! And I prayed that it wouldn't be anything serious! I asked our Lord to heal her little body and give our little girl back to us. It had been several weeks since she had been herself and I was so ready to see her smile and hear her little giggles. When we got to Tuscaloosa and the Ped's office we didn't have to wait long. Dr. Brown came in and I told her everything just as it had happened the past few weeks. She was stumped for a minute. She looked in G's ears, throat, and eyes. Listened to her chest, back, and stomach. Then she started an abdominal exam and got a puzzled look on her face. She asked me when was the last time G had had a bowel movement. I told her it had been close to two weeks! Of course her eyes got really big because that's a LONG time for a little one! She continued to feel around in G's abdomen and said she wanted to bring in Dr. Megan (our doctor, YAY!) Dr. Megan came in and felt G's belly and agreed with Dr. Brown that something was not right. They said it could be just a LOT of stool that was backed up and was causing a strange mass in her belly. They did a rectal exam and determined it was not stool. They also said it could be an enlarged kidney for some reason or another. Both doctor's agreed that we needed to go have an ultrasound of G's belly to determine exactly what it was.
Finally, we were getting somewhere! =) I called David on our way to the Radiology Clinic and he didn't answer. So, once we got there I texted him to catch him up on what had been "found" and what we were doing to determine the diagnosis. I did my very best to explain to Gabriella what was about to take place. But it's hard to break it down to a 3 year old level exactly how an ultrasound works. When we were called into the room it was a little scary for her. The room was dark and there was a big machine and a bed that she had to lie on. But our ultrasound tech was great and really helped to soothe her and she calmed down after just a little while. The ultrasound took about 15 minutes and then the tech left to go call the doctor and see if there was anywhere else they wanted her to look. She was gone a LONG time. I thought for a minute that she might have forgotten about us! After what seemed like an eternity she came back to tell us that we were all finished and that Dr. Brown wanted us to come back to the office.
I called David on the way back to the Ped's Office and he asked what they saw. I told him I didn't really pay attention because I was trying to distract G with my phone and by singing. When I walked into the Ped's office it was getting very close to time for them to close so it was almost empty. A secretary greeted me as I walked through the door which I thought was weird. She told me I could go on back to the room that I was in before. I walked in and sat down and in comes Dr. Brown and Dr. Megan. Dr. Megan sat down beside me and Dr. Brown sat in front of me. Dr. Brown said, "we are both coming in here to talk to you because it's not good news." I thought to myself.....what could be so bad that both doctors are in here with me? Why is Dr. Megan looking like she is going to cry at any moment and Dr. Brown is as solemn as a funeral director? Dr Brown said, " Gabriella has a mass/tumor on her left kidney. Its really big, probably the size of a softball. There's a lot of fluid around it...it could be blood or just some fluid filled pockets, like cysts. We think it is possibly a Wilm's Tumor....and that is a malignant tumor." At this point tears were silently going down my cheeks and Dr. Brown had her hand on mine knee and Dr. Megan was holding my hand. G was sitting on the exam table coloring away.....how could she be so sick when she's just sitting up there coloring like a normal 3 year old?! Dr. Brown looked me straight in the face and said, "You have done nothing wrong!!! You are a wonderful Mommy and this is NOT your fault. We live in a fallen world and unfortunately things like this happen. We cannot explain them!" How profound!! At one of the lowest moments of my life, a doctor is quoting scripture to me and comforting me with God's Word!!
She said that at this point we would be transferred to Children's Hospital of Alabama. Dr. Brown went out to call and make all the arrangements for us to arrive at Children's. While she was gone Dr. Megan asked me if I wanted her to call and let David know what they had found. I said that I would call him and she said that she would sit beside me to answer any questions that he might have. That was the hardest call I have ever had to make! I told him to go home and start packing bags for us. I told him that at this point I didn't know how long we would be at Children's so pack a lot. I told him that I loved him and he said that he loved me. We hung up and by then Dr. Brown had spoken with the on-call doctor in the ER at Children's. They gave me a print out of her files from their office and a map of how to get to where I was going. Then we sat down and Dr. Brown prayed! She prayed and prayed and prayed. Dr. Megan was crying at this point, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Bless her! She has been G's doctor from day 1 and always so attentive to every little thing. Sat and listened to every concern that I had with her and always reassured me.
I called David once we were loaded up in the van and asked him if he was ok. He said that he was and I knew he was just telling me that so that I wouldn't worry about him.
To be Continued....
On Thursday, July 9, 2015, I woke up and started my day as usual. The little kids were still asleep and Jake was outside feeding the chickens and ducks. Around 8:00am G woke up and was crying. She went straight to the bathroom and just screamed and cried while she urinated. I went in there and helped her off the toilet and into mine and David's bedroom. When I went to pick her up to put her on our bed I realized she was burning up with fever AGAIN. I took her temperature and it was 103.3!! I immediately called her Pedi's office and requested that she see HER pediatrician because she was NOT getting any better! Unfortunately, her Pedi was booked up and had a meeting that afternoon that made it impossible to schedule with her. But the nurse insured me that the doctor that I was scheduled with would consult with our Pedi once she looked Gabriella over. The appointment wasn't until 2:15 that afternoon so we had a little bit of a wait. Gabriella went back to bed at 9:00am and slept for over an hour and a half. I KNEW something was wrong with her and I could feel God speaking to my heart telling me that there was something wrong with her but that He was with me and would walk with me through it all.
That afternoon I dropped our boys off at my parents house and headed towards Tuscaloosa. All the way there I prayed that God would speak to the doctor's heart and guide their hands so that they could figure out what was going on with Gabriella. I begged and pleaded to Jesus to help me explain every little detail of her symptoms from the very beginning and that I wouldn't forget anything!! And I prayed that it wouldn't be anything serious! I asked our Lord to heal her little body and give our little girl back to us. It had been several weeks since she had been herself and I was so ready to see her smile and hear her little giggles. When we got to Tuscaloosa and the Ped's office we didn't have to wait long. Dr. Brown came in and I told her everything just as it had happened the past few weeks. She was stumped for a minute. She looked in G's ears, throat, and eyes. Listened to her chest, back, and stomach. Then she started an abdominal exam and got a puzzled look on her face. She asked me when was the last time G had had a bowel movement. I told her it had been close to two weeks! Of course her eyes got really big because that's a LONG time for a little one! She continued to feel around in G's abdomen and said she wanted to bring in Dr. Megan (our doctor, YAY!) Dr. Megan came in and felt G's belly and agreed with Dr. Brown that something was not right. They said it could be just a LOT of stool that was backed up and was causing a strange mass in her belly. They did a rectal exam and determined it was not stool. They also said it could be an enlarged kidney for some reason or another. Both doctor's agreed that we needed to go have an ultrasound of G's belly to determine exactly what it was.
Finally, we were getting somewhere! =) I called David on our way to the Radiology Clinic and he didn't answer. So, once we got there I texted him to catch him up on what had been "found" and what we were doing to determine the diagnosis. I did my very best to explain to Gabriella what was about to take place. But it's hard to break it down to a 3 year old level exactly how an ultrasound works. When we were called into the room it was a little scary for her. The room was dark and there was a big machine and a bed that she had to lie on. But our ultrasound tech was great and really helped to soothe her and she calmed down after just a little while. The ultrasound took about 15 minutes and then the tech left to go call the doctor and see if there was anywhere else they wanted her to look. She was gone a LONG time. I thought for a minute that she might have forgotten about us! After what seemed like an eternity she came back to tell us that we were all finished and that Dr. Brown wanted us to come back to the office.
I called David on the way back to the Ped's Office and he asked what they saw. I told him I didn't really pay attention because I was trying to distract G with my phone and by singing. When I walked into the Ped's office it was getting very close to time for them to close so it was almost empty. A secretary greeted me as I walked through the door which I thought was weird. She told me I could go on back to the room that I was in before. I walked in and sat down and in comes Dr. Brown and Dr. Megan. Dr. Megan sat down beside me and Dr. Brown sat in front of me. Dr. Brown said, "we are both coming in here to talk to you because it's not good news." I thought to myself.....what could be so bad that both doctors are in here with me? Why is Dr. Megan looking like she is going to cry at any moment and Dr. Brown is as solemn as a funeral director? Dr Brown said, " Gabriella has a mass/tumor on her left kidney. Its really big, probably the size of a softball. There's a lot of fluid around it...it could be blood or just some fluid filled pockets, like cysts. We think it is possibly a Wilm's Tumor....and that is a malignant tumor." At this point tears were silently going down my cheeks and Dr. Brown had her hand on mine knee and Dr. Megan was holding my hand. G was sitting on the exam table coloring away.....how could she be so sick when she's just sitting up there coloring like a normal 3 year old?! Dr. Brown looked me straight in the face and said, "You have done nothing wrong!!! You are a wonderful Mommy and this is NOT your fault. We live in a fallen world and unfortunately things like this happen. We cannot explain them!" How profound!! At one of the lowest moments of my life, a doctor is quoting scripture to me and comforting me with God's Word!!
She said that at this point we would be transferred to Children's Hospital of Alabama. Dr. Brown went out to call and make all the arrangements for us to arrive at Children's. While she was gone Dr. Megan asked me if I wanted her to call and let David know what they had found. I said that I would call him and she said that she would sit beside me to answer any questions that he might have. That was the hardest call I have ever had to make! I told him to go home and start packing bags for us. I told him that at this point I didn't know how long we would be at Children's so pack a lot. I told him that I loved him and he said that he loved me. We hung up and by then Dr. Brown had spoken with the on-call doctor in the ER at Children's. They gave me a print out of her files from their office and a map of how to get to where I was going. Then we sat down and Dr. Brown prayed! She prayed and prayed and prayed. Dr. Megan was crying at this point, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Bless her! She has been G's doctor from day 1 and always so attentive to every little thing. Sat and listened to every concern that I had with her and always reassured me.
I called David once we were loaded up in the van and asked him if he was ok. He said that he was and I knew he was just telling me that so that I wouldn't worry about him.
To be Continued....
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
How it all started.....part 1
Many of our friends and family members have asked how in the world did all of this start? What were the warning signs? What told you that something was wrong? How was it discovered? So, I thought I would start at the beginning and lead you to now.
Rewind about a month and a half to the beginning of June 2015. Summer was kicking off like crazy! It was still nice outside, the weather was not too awful to be out in and we were just coasting along. Jake had "graduated" the 3rd grade and the very same day began work officially as a 4th grader! John Samuel was learning to run fast and loving being able to go outside and play with the chickens and ducks and just be a toddler. Gabriella was doing well too, we had started doing some Pre-School work with her. We had a letter, color, and shape of the week that we studied and did lots of fun things that involved each one. She was thriving and loving doing her "school work".
A few weeks later, she started not eating well and being VERY whiny all the time. She would just melt down at the drop of a hat and with no explanation! We had no idea what was causing her to do this so we just attributed it to a phase that she was going though. We figured it was a "threenanger" fit and thought no more of it. Then it got to where she was barely eating and was tired all the time. All she wanted to do was lie around on the couch and rest. She didn't want to play with her brothers nor did she want to play independently.
Then she started waking up in the middle of the night screaming and crying! We thought that she might be having "night terrors" or bad dreams. I googled night terrors and realized that was not what she was having because she would calm down after we comforted her. She would wake up some nights and come to get in the bed with David and I. She never did this except on a rare occasion. Most nights David would make her go back to her bed for fear of starting a bad habit that would be hard to break in the future.
Fever started next, and it came with a vengeance. She woke up one morning burning slap up! Her whole body felt like it was on fire! Of course I jumped up and raced to find the Motrin to hopefully get the fever under control. After several days of a fever and complaining that it hurt when she went "tee-tee" on the potty I called her Pediatrician's office to make an appointment. We got in the next day with a doctor that was not her regular pediatrician. I told her the symptoms that G was having and she wanted Gabriella to urinate in a cup so she could run a urinalysis. Well that was like trying to get water from a rock. At her 3 year old check-up in March she did just fine with "tee-tee"ing in a cup but with her feeling bad and not drinking very much it was torture. We went to the bathroom several times to try and she didn't have anything to let out. So, the doctor told us if we wanted to go walk around somewhere until she was ready to go to the bathroom we could. So, I loaded her up and we went to Target. She had never remember going here before and wasn't sure what to expect. I walked her down the $1 aisle and she was in Heaven!! =) So many things that caught her eye! Well, by the time we finished up the 4 aisles of dollar items it was time to check-out. And SHE HAD TO POTTY!!!! I hurried and hurried to the bathroom and thought what do I do with all this stuff that I just bought??! Well, I pushed that cart right into the bathroom and grabbed the cup and we went to the biggest stall. My germ-phobia kicked into high gear having to lean over this public bathroom toilet! YUCK! But she made some come out and I caught it in the cup!! WOOHOO!!! Now, I had to get the cup, our purchases, and her out of Target and into the van.
Once we got to the Pedi's office I gave them the specimen and they started running tests. Everything came back normal with just a little blood showing up in her urine. It was not enough to alarm the doctor so she started Gabriella on some Bactrim and said they would send her urine off to be cultured to find out if there was anything else going on. If it came back negative we could stop taking the antibotic. She also checked her ears, throat, eyes, lungs, chest, stomach, etc. She looked like a healthy little girl.
We went to the Pedi on a Thursday and by Monday morning they were calling us to tell us that the culture came back negative and we could stop taking the Bactrim. Her fever was only a low grade one at this point but she wasn't eating hardly anything and was sleeping at odd times throughout the whole day!
To be continued........
Rewind about a month and a half to the beginning of June 2015. Summer was kicking off like crazy! It was still nice outside, the weather was not too awful to be out in and we were just coasting along. Jake had "graduated" the 3rd grade and the very same day began work officially as a 4th grader! John Samuel was learning to run fast and loving being able to go outside and play with the chickens and ducks and just be a toddler. Gabriella was doing well too, we had started doing some Pre-School work with her. We had a letter, color, and shape of the week that we studied and did lots of fun things that involved each one. She was thriving and loving doing her "school work".
A few weeks later, she started not eating well and being VERY whiny all the time. She would just melt down at the drop of a hat and with no explanation! We had no idea what was causing her to do this so we just attributed it to a phase that she was going though. We figured it was a "threenanger" fit and thought no more of it. Then it got to where she was barely eating and was tired all the time. All she wanted to do was lie around on the couch and rest. She didn't want to play with her brothers nor did she want to play independently.
Then she started waking up in the middle of the night screaming and crying! We thought that she might be having "night terrors" or bad dreams. I googled night terrors and realized that was not what she was having because she would calm down after we comforted her. She would wake up some nights and come to get in the bed with David and I. She never did this except on a rare occasion. Most nights David would make her go back to her bed for fear of starting a bad habit that would be hard to break in the future.
Fever started next, and it came with a vengeance. She woke up one morning burning slap up! Her whole body felt like it was on fire! Of course I jumped up and raced to find the Motrin to hopefully get the fever under control. After several days of a fever and complaining that it hurt when she went "tee-tee" on the potty I called her Pediatrician's office to make an appointment. We got in the next day with a doctor that was not her regular pediatrician. I told her the symptoms that G was having and she wanted Gabriella to urinate in a cup so she could run a urinalysis. Well that was like trying to get water from a rock. At her 3 year old check-up in March she did just fine with "tee-tee"ing in a cup but with her feeling bad and not drinking very much it was torture. We went to the bathroom several times to try and she didn't have anything to let out. So, the doctor told us if we wanted to go walk around somewhere until she was ready to go to the bathroom we could. So, I loaded her up and we went to Target. She had never remember going here before and wasn't sure what to expect. I walked her down the $1 aisle and she was in Heaven!! =) So many things that caught her eye! Well, by the time we finished up the 4 aisles of dollar items it was time to check-out. And SHE HAD TO POTTY!!!! I hurried and hurried to the bathroom and thought what do I do with all this stuff that I just bought??! Well, I pushed that cart right into the bathroom and grabbed the cup and we went to the biggest stall. My germ-phobia kicked into high gear having to lean over this public bathroom toilet! YUCK! But she made some come out and I caught it in the cup!! WOOHOO!!! Now, I had to get the cup, our purchases, and her out of Target and into the van.
Once we got to the Pedi's office I gave them the specimen and they started running tests. Everything came back normal with just a little blood showing up in her urine. It was not enough to alarm the doctor so she started Gabriella on some Bactrim and said they would send her urine off to be cultured to find out if there was anything else going on. If it came back negative we could stop taking the antibotic. She also checked her ears, throat, eyes, lungs, chest, stomach, etc. She looked like a healthy little girl.
We went to the Pedi on a Thursday and by Monday morning they were calling us to tell us that the culture came back negative and we could stop taking the Bactrim. Her fever was only a low grade one at this point but she wasn't eating hardly anything and was sleeping at odd times throughout the whole day!
To be continued........
Surgery Day: July 13, 2015
Today is the day that the Lord has made! I will be glad and rejoice in
it! It's surgery day for our Princess Gabriella. Her surgery team just
rounded and said that her blood counts were back up some and that was a
positive factor! She is on the schedule for surgery around noon. We are
praying that they are able to take out the entire mass and kidney. We
are praying that she has courage and a peace surrounding her that only
our Lord can give! We are praying that it is not cancer!! We are praying
that God is glorified in all of this and that people see Him through us
and through this trial!!! Please remember our baby today!
~Originally posted on Facebook~
There are no words to describe the fear you have when your 3 year old little girl has to under go major surgery!! It is a fear that surrounds you and you feel as if you might suffocate! David and I were scared and we were concerned about her but an amazing feeling of peace surrounded us on this Monday morning. We were originally scheduled to have surgery around 1:00pm. We had our favorite nurse, Jessica, on the floor with us that day and we knew that she would help us through it all. We tried to make the day as normal as you could in the hospital! Family started arriving and we decided to venture out to the large family waiting room and enjoy some time with her.
As time got closer and closer to noon I started to feel a little more anxious. I asked our nurse if we needed to stay in our room so we would know when it was time to go and she said she would come and get us from the waiting room when she got the call. That relaxed me a little more but every time that doors opened I was looking to see if it was Jessica walking through them. Finally the time came, I picked Gabriella up and walked back to our room. We undressed her and wiped her down with the special wipes that you use before surgery. We then put her in a hospital gown and sat and held her. After about 10 minutes I realized they weren't coming as fast as they said they were so I asked Jessica if I could take G out to tell her family that she would see them later?! Of course, amazing Jessica said that was fine so we did. She was able to kiss and hug everyone that had made it there already and to tell them she loved them.
Another 30 minutes past and while I sat in the recliner holding G she fell asleep. It was a welcome blessing. She had not had anything to eat or drink since midnight and our poor dear was starving!! She was thinking of anything and everything that she would eat if just given the chance! =( After an hour of waiting, Jessica came in and said that the surgery escort was finally here! We walked out of our room and found her. G was still pretty much asleep and we just decided we would carry her downstairs. We went into Pre-Op and got acquainted with the nurse that would take care of her in her surgery room, met anesthesia, and talked to her surgeon. Then it was time for her to go back. The nurse took her from me and G cried for just a second and then over the nurse's shoulder raised up her little hand to wave at us! Bless my baby!!!
We were then sent out to the surgery waiting room and were greeted by lots of family and friends. My sweet cousin, Tabitha, was there and she was such a comfort. My parents, and brother, Tabitha's dad (my dad's brother), our Pastor, and David's dad and step-mom were all there.
We past the time by listening to our Pastor's crazy stories of when he and David were younger and some of their crazy adventures that they went on. It helped to laugh and pass the time! After a while I just sat and read my Bible and concentrated on God's word. David was praying silently and I was finding comfort in strength through scripture.
After close to 3 hours we got the call that she was finished with surgery and did great!! We met with her surgeon who said that they were able to take out the tumor, kidney, and the ureter. All was a success and now we just waited for the results of the pathology reports that we would hopefully get before the end of the week.
We got to see her after about an hour in recovery and she was wanting a cup of juice! =) Of course she couldn't have anything yet and that was hard to explain. We got back up to her room and got her settled in her bed. She slept the majority of the rest of the night and only woke a few times during the night and I had her nurses give her pain meds when we woke.
We praise God that He brought our princess through the surgery without any complications! We praise Him because they were able to remove the entire mass without having to just do a biopsy and cut her open again at a later date! We praise Him that she didn't have any nausea after the surgery and that her pain was well controlled! We praise Him because He never left us in the dark without hope of rescue and comfort!! He never leaves us nor forsakes us!!! David and I knew that we couldn't lean on ourselves to get us through this. We had to lean on God and his peace that only He gives!
~Originally posted on Facebook~
There are no words to describe the fear you have when your 3 year old little girl has to under go major surgery!! It is a fear that surrounds you and you feel as if you might suffocate! David and I were scared and we were concerned about her but an amazing feeling of peace surrounded us on this Monday morning. We were originally scheduled to have surgery around 1:00pm. We had our favorite nurse, Jessica, on the floor with us that day and we knew that she would help us through it all. We tried to make the day as normal as you could in the hospital! Family started arriving and we decided to venture out to the large family waiting room and enjoy some time with her.
As time got closer and closer to noon I started to feel a little more anxious. I asked our nurse if we needed to stay in our room so we would know when it was time to go and she said she would come and get us from the waiting room when she got the call. That relaxed me a little more but every time that doors opened I was looking to see if it was Jessica walking through them. Finally the time came, I picked Gabriella up and walked back to our room. We undressed her and wiped her down with the special wipes that you use before surgery. We then put her in a hospital gown and sat and held her. After about 10 minutes I realized they weren't coming as fast as they said they were so I asked Jessica if I could take G out to tell her family that she would see them later?! Of course, amazing Jessica said that was fine so we did. She was able to kiss and hug everyone that had made it there already and to tell them she loved them.
Another 30 minutes past and while I sat in the recliner holding G she fell asleep. It was a welcome blessing. She had not had anything to eat or drink since midnight and our poor dear was starving!! She was thinking of anything and everything that she would eat if just given the chance! =( After an hour of waiting, Jessica came in and said that the surgery escort was finally here! We walked out of our room and found her. G was still pretty much asleep and we just decided we would carry her downstairs. We went into Pre-Op and got acquainted with the nurse that would take care of her in her surgery room, met anesthesia, and talked to her surgeon. Then it was time for her to go back. The nurse took her from me and G cried for just a second and then over the nurse's shoulder raised up her little hand to wave at us! Bless my baby!!!
We were then sent out to the surgery waiting room and were greeted by lots of family and friends. My sweet cousin, Tabitha, was there and she was such a comfort. My parents, and brother, Tabitha's dad (my dad's brother), our Pastor, and David's dad and step-mom were all there.
We past the time by listening to our Pastor's crazy stories of when he and David were younger and some of their crazy adventures that they went on. It helped to laugh and pass the time! After a while I just sat and read my Bible and concentrated on God's word. David was praying silently and I was finding comfort in strength through scripture.
After close to 3 hours we got the call that she was finished with surgery and did great!! We met with her surgeon who said that they were able to take out the tumor, kidney, and the ureter. All was a success and now we just waited for the results of the pathology reports that we would hopefully get before the end of the week.
We got to see her after about an hour in recovery and she was wanting a cup of juice! =) Of course she couldn't have anything yet and that was hard to explain. We got back up to her room and got her settled in her bed. She slept the majority of the rest of the night and only woke a few times during the night and I had her nurses give her pain meds when we woke.
We praise God that He brought our princess through the surgery without any complications! We praise Him because they were able to remove the entire mass without having to just do a biopsy and cut her open again at a later date! We praise Him that she didn't have any nausea after the surgery and that her pain was well controlled! We praise Him because He never left us in the dark without hope of rescue and comfort!! He never leaves us nor forsakes us!!! David and I knew that we couldn't lean on ourselves to get us through this. We had to lean on God and his peace that only He gives!
Though you Slay Me, Lord!
Always will I Praise your Holy Name!!! I repeated the words of this song to the Oncology Floor Chaplain on the day of diagnosis and told him I would never stop blessing the name of Jesus. He cried and cried and said our faith was amazing! No, not our faith, not anything that has to do with US!!! It's all for HIS GLORY!!! Praise his HOLY name!! We are nothing but worthless sinners who deserve nothing better than to spend eternity in hell!!! But through his mercy and grace He came and provided a way out!!! We are constantly SEEKING His face!!!! Always PRAISING His name!!!! And PRAYING for God's mercy and grace to cover us!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyUPz6_TciY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyUPz6_TciY
Praise YOU in the Storm, Lord!
As I held my sleeping daughter in my arms I watched from my rocking
chair the skies turn gray and lightening begin to strike. I heard the
thunder roll and watched the rain beat down on the sidewalks and
streets. During all of this I had my baby in my arms, safe and secure.
And the first thing in my mind was, "God...I will praise you in this
storm!!" Through everything, through all the unknowns and crazy
unexpected things to come in the next few days and weeks I will praise
YOU, Lord!! I know God is on his throne
and He has a plan for our Gabriella!! His plan is perfect!!!! In Him my
hope is found!!! He is my light, my strength, and my rock!!!
~July 10, 2015~ 8:45pm
~July 10, 2015~ 8:45pm
Written originally on Karisa's Facebook page on July 10, 2015.
My sweet baby girl.....Oh, how I wish I could take it all away!! I would climb into that bed and take it all if I could!! But God has a plan an purpose for everything that we are facing!! Your daddy and I are meeting this head on with courage and strength that only our Lord and Savior can provide!! We are constantly seeking His face and knowing and trusting in His precious grace! We love you with all our hearts!!
My sweet baby girl.....Oh, how I wish I could take it all away!! I would climb into that bed and take it all if I could!! But God has a plan an purpose for everything that we are facing!! Your daddy and I are meeting this head on with courage and strength that only our Lord and Savior can provide!! We are constantly seeking His face and knowing and trusting in His precious grace! We love you with all our hearts!!
The Beginning of a new Journey
My husband David, wrote this on his facebook page on July 9, 2015. We were facing so many unknowns at this point and so many questions were up in the air. But we were trusting and praising the name of the MOST High!!!
As we sit in the ER at Children's Hospital waiting to see what this softball sized mass is on our baby girl's left kidney, I am comforted by the words or Isaiah.
In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-4 NASB)
Nothing catches God by surprise. He is and always will be on the throne! Soli Deo Gloria.
As we sit in the ER at Children's Hospital waiting to see what this softball sized mass is on our baby girl's left kidney, I am comforted by the words or Isaiah.
In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-4 NASB)
Nothing catches God by surprise. He is and always will be on the throne! Soli Deo Gloria.
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