Chapter 26: The Year of the Hospital Stays 😬

So much on my heart to share today. So many people are hurting and in need prayer, and I would love the privilege of praying for YOU today.  Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. 

And now a “quick” update on Matt....

In September many of you remember me sharing that Matt passed out from severe back pain while driving us home from church. 

He went through so many tests (CT’s, X-Rays, upper and lower GI scope, etc) and was in the hospital for days as they struggled to identify his pain. We learned it can be tough to get insurance to cover an MRI, but we finally got one and it showed Matt has several bulging discs and spinal degeneration along his spine. We have waited and waited to get him into a spine specialist, and today is the day. 

Please pray

1. For complete healing for Matt.

2. Wisdom for his doctors.

3.Discernment as we make a treatment plan.

Update #2:

Our Halloween went from this....look at our cute Marshall with his best buddy! 

We love this boy! 

To this in about an hour😂😂😂

My doctor PERSONALLY called me around 6:00 when we were on our way to go trick-or-treating and decided that given my UC symptoms, he really felt I needed to be admitted to the hospital and we begin steroids and fluids via IV. From his house that night he created orders to directly admit me, and he just went over and above. So appreciate him. Let’s just say from Sunday night to Tuesday night I went to the bathroom around 25-30 times and losing blood. I was spiraling out of control pretty quickly, so we grabbed a bag and dropped Will off at Papa and Nana’s and went to the hospital. Thank you so much, Papa and Nana. 

They took stool samples and began steroids and fluids immediately followed by a lovely enema. When the nurses had shift change just a few minutes later, I told my nurse she totally drew the short straw for everything she did for me in the last 15 minutes of her shift. Bless alllllllllll the nurses. Bless them. 

I was still up A LOT in the night going to the bathroom the first night but by the very next day (yesterday) things were slowly down considerably in my gut. They took abdominal x-rays in the morning, and I rested and just let the meds do their thing. 

I’ve got the best community of family and friends so many encouraging texts and phone calls and several visitors to brighten my day of sitting at the hospital. Shoutout to my dad, Kayla, Jessi, my mom for bringing Will to see me after Bible Study, my boss and dear friend Sue, and fellow UC warrior for sitting with me last night (we literally became friends from this disease and she’s a precious blessing from this crappy disease). And of course my sweet hubby being Mr Mom and spending time with me, while still working too. I’m blessed. Not to mention the countless texts, phone calls, and messages of people checking on me. So grateful. 

I think the biggest thing the Lord is whispering to me is that He has entrusted me with this disease for a purpose. It can be a really weighty thing to walk day in and day out with a chronic illness, but he’s showing me that it’s actually the biggest blessing because he just gently (ok and not so gently sometimes) shows me my dependence and reliance is completely on Him alone. And it always is, but this disease just heightens my need and awareness of my need for Him.....and you know what He brings? Peace. Comfort. Joy. I saw an analogy that encouraged me just a few days ago and didn’t know just how encouraging it would be as I didn’t yet know what my week held. Isn’t that just like God to provide us with things before know we need them? Anyways, think of a seed in a seed packet. If seeds could think or talk, they would say they love being seeds and just love how cozy the packet they are in has always been. Then one day the wise farmer knows its time to plant those seeds, and the seeds are placed deep into dark ground. And the seeds if they could think or talk would express their dislike for this foreign and dark place. 

And as the wise farmer waters and tends to the seed, the seed literally disintegrates and it begins to become something else entirely. But it has to totally let go of what it thought it would be forever—“just a seed.” I imagine maybe that process is painful and a little scary for the tiny seed. 

But soon, growth takes place, roots grow, it is watered and tended to with care and it grows but the farmer still cannot see the transformation under ground. 

The seed continues to grow and bloom and flourish. It is a beautiful creation and something that far exceeds what the young seed could have imagined. 

Maybe you like us—find yourself being “planted” somewhere. You don’t like this foreign, distant, possibly dark place full of unknowns. I believe we have a good and wise and faithful Farmer who is tending and caring and growing us. It’s Him. Just Him that we need. I’m grateful for His tender care and loving embrace even in the dirt and muck. 

11.02.17 

Update (with some medical “details,” so discontinue reading now if that’s not your thing😬):

1) Matt had a great appointment with the orthopedic specialist. He will begin physical therapy soon, will begin receiving epidural steroid injections in his back, and was given a medicine for his tingling in his hands and feet (for nerve damage). He felt really good about the appointment and said his doctor was very thorough and helpful. Please pray for complete healing for Matt. We are thankful for a treatment plan as he has been waiting in limbo since September. I’m so proud of Matt for hanging in there with chronic pain with such patience and grace even though I know he has been pretty miserable. 

2) At literally the exact same time Matt was meeting with his specialist (on the irony right?!), I fiiiiiiiiinally got in for a flex sig (a short scope) of the last 30 inches of my colon. I was so cleaned out from my flare and had not eaten anything solid for nearly 48 hours in the hospital that my doctor didn’t even make me do ANY prep. That was definitely a GIFT as the prep is the worst part, as well as the best nap ever from the sedation. #silverlining 😜

My scope was evaluating/checking for three things: 

1. The degree of inflammation in my colon: my scope showed my disease has progressed to moderate/severe UC, the worst it can be.

2. Biopsies to check for deeper tissue inflammation and/or cancerous cells. Those will come back in a few days.

3. They also collected biopsies to check for CCMV, which is a virus/infection of the colon that totally mimicks a UC flare. Again, oh the irony. We just want to rule this out pracautionarily....if I do have that particular virus, we will need to discontinue steroids for my disease because they lower your body’s ability to fight infection. 

I would then need an antibiotic for the infection which would (more then likely) then cause my body to go into a flare from the antibiotics. Those results will come back soon, but our prayer is that I do NOT have that virus and that I am “just in a flare” because antibiotics are just sooooooooo awful on my gut. 

If the test for CCMV comes back negative (and we are praying it will!) we will continue with prednisone (steroids), and I will begin Entyvio which is a biologic  infusion treatment that was created specifically for people with IBD (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis). Please pray that insurance will authorize it with no squabbles (believe it or not this happens sometimes🙄😜) and for me to be able to get my first infusion as soon as possible. 

I was discharged shortly after and got home around dinner time last night and was ravenous. A turkey club never tasted so good!

I’m resting and getting my strength back slowly, praying for protection mentally and emotionally from the steroids that can wreak havoc on my mind and emotions. 

Thanks for all the prayers, love, and encouragement for our family. 💜