Thursday, March 15, 2012

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. - Romans 8 verse 37 (NIV)




I am just able to post since the start of the week, and what a week it has been. My husband and our daughter became ill on Sunday. My husband with the flu, and our daughter, what we thought was he flu, turned out to be gastroenteritis along with a bad cold.
She had a fever starting from Sunday afternoon and for all of Sunday night, I was up keeping vigil over the fever, which went high at times. We took her to the doctor on Monday using our son’s follow-up appointment for ear infection. By the time it was our turn, the baby had a high fever almost reaching 103 degrees. The nurse immediately sent me to the washroom to wash her down.
We were sent to the doctor soon and after she examined her, she, with a concerned look on her face, said to me, mommy, I do not like how she looks (she was having problems breathing and was giving off a grunting sound). She then said she would do a referral for her to go to the children’s hospital. I must have turned white like a ghost at that point because I was terrified thinking the worst.
When we got to the hospital, they examined her and began administering rehydration fluid right away, over a period of two hours. She cried so much because she is not used to drinking from a spoon plus this fluid taste really bad.
My husband began making calls as soon as we got to the hospital and by this time, some of our family members began showing up. I was so happy for the support because I was getting really fatigued from trying to feed the baby the rehydration fluids and have her crying so hard that now her throat is sore and hoarse.
About 8pm she was able to see the doctor and he confirmed that she was having gastroenteritis. I said to the doctor, I really think she has the flu too, but he insisted that it was gastro and did not give me any medication for any flu, he just told me to give her panadol for the fever. They also gave me some rehydration salts and told me to give her some after she has passed a stool. We were so happy to be on our way home.
We made it through the night with the fever in check, but later Tuesday morning, my husband was holding her and felt her struggling to breathe. He was frightened and I was too and so we instantly took her back to the hospital as we did not want to take any chances at her age, and also given the fact that her paediatrician said she did not like how she sounded.
She got to see a doctor almost immediately who told me that it was only a cold and they could not do anything about it, we just have to let it pass. I was not willing to just accept that and so I said to him, yes I understand that, but at her age, I am not comfortable with how she is breathing. He said he understood and sent me to the treatment room, to have them suction some of the mucus from her head. The doctor also told me to give her saline drops when she becomes stuffy. I was happy with that and left the hospital feeling much better.
Our son and niece loves the baby so much and would give her the world, with their germs and all and I have so fatigued trying to prevent them from touching her hands and face. I guess with even my best efforts, it’s just difficult. She is also a little children magnet and so there is the challenge even outside of the home. Some adults as well, who should know better, really do not.
She is doing better now, still stuffy at times and cranky but when we give her the saline drops, it really works. My husband is doing better too and yesterday I came down the flu as well. I guess my system is just worn from all that has happened over the last couple of days. It would be a good idea for us all to rent a section in the TB ward at the hospital, because our home has now become germs central.
The testing did not stop there, as at one point after all that, we really thought we would have ended up in the emergency room with our daughter again. I was terrified to say the least and at that point I felt losing our daughter so real, it pierced my heart. God gave me the resolve while at the hospital, to show some amount of calm and composure on the outside even though I was dying inside, but for the latter test, there was no composure at all, I was really worried. I could not lose my second little miracle just like that and thought would God do this to us. No, I somehow knew God would not have it that way at all, because she came directly from his heart. At my age I was not expecting to even become pregnant and have a perfectly healthy child and so I give all credit to my Almighty and all knowing God.
We remain grateful to God for his faithfulness and continue to give him thanks for the precious little miracles he has so graciously sent into our lives, when it seem we would not otherwise have been so blessed.







Wednesday, March 7, 2012

THE IMPACT OF ACKNOWLEDGING AND COMMENDING




"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."

            Helen Keller






A couple of days ago, a very good friend of mine called. After talking for a bit, she asked how our children were doing. I responded, they are doing great. She then proceeded to say how proud she was of us, and that we had done so well in having now, two children. I was at a lost for words to respond, to the point where I even had a hard time saying thanks.
I found it hard to respond because I knew if it was not for the fact that we had come to the point where we were able to take ourselves out of our struggle and allow God, in all his awesomeness to work through us, (It took us almost a decade to understand what it meant to do this), this conversation with my dear friend would not have happened, and I did not hesitate to make her aware of this.
She then went on further to say that we could have given up on God, abandon our faith and our marriage, because struggles of this nature do, at times, result in such things happening, but we remained resolute and are now reaping the fruits of our labour. 
I was led to do this post to challenge us all to acknowledge and commend each other when we have accomplished things that merits this, just as my friend saw it necessary to acknowledge and commend my husband’s and I  efforts in our fertility struggle that in the end became so public.. This life is so difficult that we do need a lift in our spirits ever so often. A child who is often encouraged and commended will no doubt go on to be a successful adult and have great impact on those around her
 Thanks my friend for that very timely call.
I would also like to encourage those of us who are having difficult times in our lives, be it infertility struggles or any other, just know that God can fix it, but in turn we have to do our part. I must admit that I knew all along that God could have fixed my struggles, but I just did not know how to simply let him. I kept getting in his way. Sadly, it is not my place to tell you how to get to this point in your struggle/s, as you have to come to this point in your own time, and by your own convictions. You have to cry and throw your tantrums and pity parties, because the timeline of your struggle, be it one month, two years or even a decade long, is absolutely necessary, as there is a lot to be learnt about yourself, about life and most of all about your relationship with God (if you have one such) and I am excited to tell you that God is patient and he will be on the other side waiting for you.
Have a Blessed Day All


Friday, March 2, 2012

LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS FEATURE 30 - This Buds for you!!!!!!!






A farm girl from Saskatchewan walks into a bar in Calgary and orders three mugs of Bud.

She sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When she finishes them, she comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the farm girl, "You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time."

The farm girl replies, "Well, you see, I have two sisters. One is in Australia, the other is in Cranbrook . When we all left our home in Saskatchewan, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my sisters and one for myself."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there. The farm girl becomes a regular in the bar and always drinks the same way. She orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, she comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When she comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss."

The farm girl looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in her eyes and she laughs. "Oh, no, everybody's just fine," she explains, "It's just that my husband and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking. Hasn't affected my sisters though."














Joke courtesy of Ava Facey