Happy Anniversary to Us!

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary!  Sometimes it seems amazing how quickly the time has gone by, but at the same time when you think about all the things we have done together I start to realized that it would take years to accomplish those things.

Tomorrow I will drive Jason to City Hospital for a medical procedure for his bladder.  I don't need to go into specifics, however, he will likely be in a fair bit of pain for the next 5-7 days as his bladder recovers.  Though this procedure will not provide permanent solution we are hoping that it will at least help with the undesirable symptoms for six months or so.  I really do hope that the outcome is worth the week of down time it will require.  I know that many people have had this procedure done, and I am sure it is safe.  Where my apprehension lays is that I hate seeing Jason in pain and discomfort when there is nothing I can do to make it better.  I will do what I can to help (ie giving him pain killers) but there is nothing worse than watching the person you love the most in the world hurt.  If you want to pray for him this week (and maybe me too) it would be very appreciated.

Ethan

Ethan passed away last night.  Lisa had posted an update in Facebook last evening that Ethan was in critical condition due to the infection that he was fighting.  She said they had the option to stop medical intervention and let him go, or the doctors could try to change his central line to see if it would help.  They weren't ready to let him go, so they opted for the line change.  From what I heard when they tried to put him out for that procedure his little body decided that it had had enough.  After a valiant fight, little Ethan is gone. 

I cannot begin to fathom how tough this must be for Lisa and Shaun.  They have been through so much in the last year with their little man.  I was just thinking about all of the stuff Lisa's family has been through.  Lisa's mom passed away very suddenly about 8 years ago from necrotizing fascitis.  She was an amazing woman, and I have had some visions of her holding Ethan in heaven for the first time today.  I also know that Lisa's parents lost a child of their own before Lisa and her sister were born.  I was feeling sad today for Lisa's dad.  He has lost a daughter, a wife and a grandson. 

I believe that God knows what He's doing, but sometimes I wonder why some people have to go through so much pain in their lives.  I know that Ethan brought a lot of joy into everyone's lives, but why do babies have to get sick and die?  I know we live in a sinful, fallen world, and these are the consequences....suffering, disease, pain and death.  It doesn't make it easier though. 

I was also thinking today that Ethan's life was a miracle.  God brought him so far beyond what any medical doctor could explain......I don't know why God took him when he did, but I do trust that God has reasons for things that we cannot begin to understand.

Please say a prayer for Lisa, Shaun and their family as they begin to process this loss.  My heart aches for them, so sad :( 

A tough week...

I have felt extremely overwhelmed this week.  It has been a week of ongoing health battles for some, and some really tough diagnoses for some close friends.  I have been driven to my knees in prayer more this past week than I can remember in recent times.  I am glad that God has held me up during these tough times, but when life gets so overwhelming it seems like the only thing I can do. 

Firstly, little Ethan.  I wrote a post about him going to California for surgery a few weeks ago.  He made it down to the hospital and had his surgery (after a few bumps in the road).  He came through surgery well, and the doctors were able to do everything that they needed to do to fix his little heart.  It has now been two weeks post-op and it has been a fight to get this far.  With the updates that we have receiving via Facebook it really has felt like a one step forward, two steps back recovery.  Lisa did say a few days ago that the doctors are still optimistic that he will eventually recover.  As for now he is fighting an infection, he is on dialysis because his kidneys are not functioning well, and they are having a hard time keeping his blood pressure stable.  They were able to close up his chest though (they kept it open for a few days after surgery to allow for swelling).  I cannot begin to imagine how exhausted that family must be.  I was so glad to know that Lisa's dad and step-mom were going to be able to be down there with them to help out and give Shaun and Lisa breaks when they need them. 

Secondly was a tough diagnosis for a friend.  I didn't realize until I chatted with her a couple of weeks ago that she was even having health problems.  But last week it was confirmed, Teri was diagnosed with MS.  She is married with two young sons (and a step daughter).  MS does seem to present differently, and progress differently in different people, so I have been praying that Teri's symptoms will ease off and will not progress too quickly.  She is in her early 30s....I can't imagine how tough it must have been for her to learn that diagnosis.  Not that something like this was/is preventable, but hearing about terrible diseases really makes me never want to take my health for granted.  I want to look after myself and be healthy, because I only have this one body and I don't want to abuse it.

And lastly, about a week ago my friend Karen got a call with a diagnosis for her son Oliver.  They had traveled to the Alberta Children's Hospital the previous week to meet with a doctor who specializes in metabolic disorders.  They did some blood and urine tests, and after what they expected would be a long wait for a diagnosis, they got one.  Oliver has Tay-Sach's Disease.  When she told me that, I had definitely heard the name, but could not remember anything about it.  It is a rare genetic degenerative neurological condition that will eventually take his life.  There is no cure or treatment and even with the best care he will likely only survive until he is 5 years old.  If you want to read more about the specifics you can click here.

My heart broke when Karen told me about this.  It is hard to imagine that such a horrible disease even exists.  Oliver is still doing well and he is an adorable and content little guy.  He will be 18 months old in about a week.  Karen and Levi are doing surprisingly well.  I think that they have had a lot of time to think about what possibly might be wrong, and Karen has tended to lean toward the idea that Oliver would get worse and not better.  I don't think anyone could be prepared for a diagnosis like this, but Karen is such a strong woman and an amazing mom.  I will do my best to be there for them in the next few years whether it is an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, or physical help with kids, house stuff, cooking, etc. 

Another Prayer Request

My best girlfriend, Karen, is heading to Calgary with her son today for an appointment at the Alberta Children's Hospital tomorrow morning.  Please pray for them that they would have a safe trip, that the weather would cooperate (there is a snowfall warning of up to 15cm of snow tonight and tomorrow for Calgary), and that the appointment would give them some more details about what is happening in Oliver's little body, so they can figure out the best way to help him.

Thanks :)

Prayers Please!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember a couple of posts that I have written about baby Ethan.  To sum things up, he was born last May and was not expected to survive when he was taken off of life support after he was two weeks old.  He was born with a very rare and serious heart defect that left him with no pulmonary arteries (the arteries that go from the heart to the lungs).  He did survive, and almost a year later, he is doing okay, but desperately needs surgery to fix his heart.

His mom, dad and grandparents will be heading down to California to the hospital at Stanford University on Monday.  The flight itself has it's share of risks because Ethan's blood oxygen levels are low and with flying there is always changes in air pressure.  Lisa is flying with Ethan via air ambulance and the rest of his family will be heading down on commercial airlines Monday as well.  If I am not mistaken, the actual surgery is set to take place in April 13 or 14 and will take upwards of 12 hours to complete.

Please say a prayer for Lisa, Shaun and Ethan.  They have been through so much in the last 11 months, and now there is an opportunity for him to be treated, but of course there are always risks associated with any surgery, let alone one as intricate and delicate as this.  

Baby Ethan

I have been following updates on Facebook from Lisa about her little boy Ethan. They are the ones I wrote about a week or so ago. It looked like he was doing well for a few days, then he had a lung infection, then was recovering from that. The next hurdle was an assessment from surgeons in Edmonton to see if he was a candidate for heart surgery. I found out tonight that he is not. Now there is nothing more that can be done for him medically. Lisa and Shaun took him off of life support today and are going to take him home so they can spend some family time together before he passes away. I don't know all the details of his heart defects, but obviously he will have a bit of time before his heart is overwhelmed and can't function any more.

Man this sucks. So much. Makes me sad for them. How do you recover from something like this....as a parent? I can't even begin to imagine. My heart just aches thinking about them and what they are going through right now. I guess all I can do is pray, and pray then pray some more. :(

I was reminded again this week about the miracle of pregnancy and child birth. It seems like the more people I know that get pregnant or have babies, the more people I hear about who have had some major complications or lost babies, or had sick babies. I know a lot of people who have had amazingly healthy beautiful babies too, but just seems like lately there have been more sick ones.

A girl who I was good friends with when we were kids (though we sort of lost touch after high school) had a baby boy this week and he has some major heart defects. I don't know all the details, but from what I have gathered from updates on Facebook, it sounds like he took a turn for the worse today and basically they are trying a medication and if it doesn't work, there is nothing more that they can do for him medically. I just can't imagine the desperation those young parents must feel. Makes me so sad. These parents who planned, and got their nursery ready, and bought all the things they would need to look after this new little one, and now they don't know if he will make it. Wow, that is so tough. I've said a lot of prayers for them this week. I would ask if you are a praying person to say a prayer for baby Ethan, and his parents Lisa and Shaun.

Life is fragile

I found out the other day that a girl I used to be pretty good friends gave birth to her baby prematurely (she was due in June) and the baby passed away, and she almost died giving birth.

I had chatted with her a few weeks ago and I knew that her unborn baby had some serious health problems and he was not expected to live long beyond birth. But the only option for her and her husband was to keep on praying and hoping that God would give them the miracle they so desperately needed. When I heard about her baby I felt so sad. I am not a parent, but I know how many tears I shed over my dog when I thought she had cancer. And she is just a dog.... I just can't even begin to fathom the complete and utter sorrow that they must be experiencing. And what it must have been like them to find out that their desired baby (their 2nd child) was in grave trouble. When I found out about their situation I immediately started praying for them. Any time I thought of them I prayed that God would provide a miracle for them, and in the mean time just give them peace and comfort in this incredibly difficult time.

When I heard that the baby hadn't made it, and that the mom had come close to losing her life, I couldn't help but cry. I find myself getting watery eyed every time I think of them. Not very convenient when you are driving or giving a massage, haha. I was thinking about how many people have been praying for them, for a miracle, and I realized that maybe the miracle came in the mom pulling through.

If you think of it, say a prayer for them. I know I will keep remembering them in my prayers. This whole situation has also really made me stop and think about what a miracle the development of babies and child birth really is. Wow.

Prayer Request

I got a call yesterday morning from one of my coworkers to say that her mom had passed away suddenly. My coworker was needing to take some time away from work to go to Ontario to be with her family and just wanted to make sure things would be looked after at work for her. If you think of it, please say a prayer for Mieka and her family. Not that it is ever easy to lose a loved one, but it just seems harder at this time of year. Poor girl, I feel so bad for her. But it also gives me extra incentive to make sure that I tell my family that I love them and never take them for granted. Life is fragile.

Prayer Request

I just found out that my brother-in-law, Lorne, has pneumonia after being sick with the flu (most likely H1N1) for the last ten days. Please pray for him and my sister and their kids. The boys have had their vaccinations in the last couple of weeks but my sister has not had her shot yet. So far she is healthy.

Grandpa, again

Sounds like grandpa has taken a turn for the worse. My mom didn't get all the details because my aunt seemed quite frazzled with a lot of different things going on in her life right now. But it sounds like he has some sort of infection (or the one he had has gotten worse....). He had been moved into a private room and was getting a blood transfusion because his hemoglobin was low. That sounds like what they did for Jason last fall when he was in the hospital with his bad infection. It also sounds like they have inserted a permanent catheter because he just can't go on his own anymore. Not sure exactly how he is doing at this point. He could hold on for a while yet....but it just sounds like we are getting closer and closer to the end. I would appreciate your prayers, for him, for comfort and peace. As well as for my mom's sister. A good friend of hers just suddenly passed away, and his wife just had a heart attack and is in the hospital down the hall from grandpa. She is feeling pretty overwhelmed with trying to look after grandpa's bills and stuff, as well as her own and cope with this other loss.

Please pray for Jason. He has had the stomach flu since Thursday morning and it is really taking a toll on him. We are at our wits end to know what to do to make him feel better. I am sure it just needs to run its course but I have never seen a stomach flu last so long.