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....