Cat Scratch Fever

ISabel has been Fever Free all day!! Praise the Lord!

Cat Scratch Fever...
It all began 3 weeks and one day and one night ago.
Isabel was struck with a 104.5 fever on a Saturday night. It was pretty high around the clock for 2 1/2 weeks straight. I was popping in IB prophen and Tylenol. After the first few days into the virus we took her in to the doctors. We were told to wait it out and see if the fevers would go away.
By that Thursday they weren't gone. So we took her in again. So they did further testing-red and white blood cell count. Thankfully that was normal and clear!
Once again we were sent back home thinking this was viral-still keeping watch.
Fevers were still high and around the clock.
Thankfully too Isabel was responding well to the Meds. It was as if she was totally fine when she was on the them-just when the fever hit it took a lot out of her.
Though more waiting...
One evening as Stefan and I were sitting in the living room; Stefan was quietly praying for her and specifically asking the Lord to make things clear for us. Well, not even 5 minutes later, our kitty Oreo came around Isabel and began to play with her hair. All of the sudden Stefan said, "Cat Scratch Fever!!" I turned and, "What?" He said, " I bet you that what it is!"
"What's that?" I say.
He quickly got up and began researching the symptoms online. He said, "yup, symptoms match pretty well."
So he called a friend of ours who is a doctor-"thanks Heather!", and asked her. She also looked it up, and said that seemed to be a good guess.
So we went back to the doctors to be tested for it-which is a blood test. Our doctor was pretty certain that all this was viral.
We continued on giving Isabel Meds, while the fevers seemed to be lowering and becoming less frequent. We had her prayed for constantly!!!
This past Monday we actually and finally received the results of all the blood tests they did.
It wasn't Lyme Disease, Mono...etc...other blood testing they did.

It was
CAT SCRATCH FEVER
So Stefan was right...that was the Lord!!! The Lord made it clear and answered our prayers!

Isabel is now on Anti biotics now and doesn't really have anymore fevers. At the most 99.0.
So we are so grateful to our Lord for revealing the answer and walking us through this really difficult trial of the unknown.
God is so faithful...
One of the areas that I know for a fact for me is laying down my children before the Lord. Completely handing them over to God, knowing that He loves them more than I ever could.
IT was so hard for me not to worry...many phone calls and questions were made to ask for prayer, encouragement to trust in God and not freak out.
Again I was holding onto to Christ with all I had and yet, God in His mercy and kindness, was always there walking through this with us.

Praise God and to Him be the glory for her healing!!!

Hand-Foot-and Mouth is Making It's Rounds

Please be praying for our family...now Kayla has the illness and I am thinking Isabel may have a slight case. Not quite sure yet. I ask that prayerfully the Lord will kindly heal every child and that Stefan or I will not break out either!!
(Thank you to those who are praying!)

So on with more pampering...
Now all the kids are asking, "Can I have the sick tray?" This special tray that I use to serve their sick meals on, while they are lying on the sofa.

I think I may need to buy more special "sick trays"!!

How I am Enjoying Caring For My sick Patient...

As I posted below about Gavin being sick...I thought I'd note...
How I am really enjoying pampering him. He can't open his mouth to talk too well due to blisters being on his lips. So I have to feed him things that are more liquidy. Yet, I am really enjoying making this a special time to care for him. I have begun, according to the children, a tradition that whoever is sick will get served with, "the sick tray". Yesterday Carson said, "Mommy I wish I was sick so I can have the 'sick tray'. So I told him that he could have the tray next time he was sick...thankfully he was just fine with that!
I remember my Mom would serve crackers with butter and soup whenever I was sick or not even. This was such a yummy, yet sweet memory...
So I served Gavin the same today for lunch...he was sooo excited!! He said it looked sooo good and soothing to him.
I love it when that the Lord allows us as Moms sweet moments like that. The times when our children are so blessed by the love that we show how much we care for them... just through the "little" traditions or things we do for them.

Our Poor Gav...

Poor Gavin has been sick with hand-foot and mouth disease.
I remember Kayla having it when she was an infant. It is an illness that will have to run it's coarse. So far Gavin has had it for 4 days now-he is slowly getting better but it hurts.
We are doing all we can to help him stay comfortable. We are also giving him Benedryl as well as some Orajel for his mouth.
He also missed his first soccer game today!
So Carson has gone to play and to make his brother proud by playing well for their team!
(they are on the same team this year).

So on with pampering...

The Diagnosis

First off, once again thank you to those who have served our family, through the countless prayers, Moms/Dad, being willing to take me to the ER when I thought I may need it, Urgent Care, numerous Dr's. visits, friends who have cared for our children during this trial, Heather Doty for her prayers and medical counsel, and especially to Stefan and both my Mom and Mom Dahl(Dad too) for your love and support through this.

This is what I would call the most difficult trial I have ever walked through-and still am. One reason I have not been quick to post what the diagnoses is, 1-I have been exhausted, 2-I am required not to do anything that would cause any extra stress right now, and 3-I understand some people would have different views about anxiety and I am not in a place both physically and mentally to talk through that. So I will do my best here to describe what I know based on what I have personally experienced.
Yet, all this has been extremely real! I had many symptoms such as dizziness, feeling faint extremely painful migraines that at times would not subside, nausea, shakiness, numbness, waking up in the middle of the night feeling like blood was rushing into my head. (Again all very Real symptoms-actually some visually happening). Very scary too. My first episode happened when I was teaching a Sunday School class, with no prior warning. I immediately went home. These episodes of feeling faint and dizzy I thought was due to having a virus. Through numerous visits to the Dr. I received 2 possible diagnoses, 1-hypoglycemia, 2-hypertension (high blood pressure).
I was put on meds for high blood pressure which has helped some, and a diet for hypoglycemia. Though the same symptoms kept returning. During this time I was struggling in many areas-especially fear. I knew something was not right with my body and symptoms seemed to be getting worse. Through the counsel of a friend Heather (who is a Dr.), I began to piece together what was really going on. I was finally able to see my internal medicine Dr. who is fantastic too!!! As a matter of fact on the way to my appointment to see my Dr. I had another episode of dizziness, feeling faint, and couldn't breathe, this one was the most difficult ones yet to walk through.
My Dr. stated that she would do some blood work, but she also stated that I had anxiety. All blood work came back normal. What turned things around was the fact that I had shared this with Heather who had also said it sounds like anxiety. So I was able to get into see my doctor more quickly.
I walked in and told her, "I don't think I have hypoglycemia." My Dr. states., "I know you don't." I replied, "it's anxiety isn't it?" My Dr., "Yes it is, I knew the moment you walked in here that's what you had, but I didn't think you were ready to hear it." WOW!!!

So what I have is yes, Anxiety-but a neurological dysfunction in my brain which is causing these symptoms. This is not the same as some who are diagnosed with Anxiety where they are unable to cope with things in life. This is more of a hormonal imbalance type of anxiety. It's also as if the sensors in my brain are not connecting the way they should. Picture my brain being on a mad bear chase non stop-even when I am at "rest"-that may be a funny way to look at it, but even during sleep symptoms can still be there. Something I am unable to control through trying to discipline myself-again this is physical.

I began to notice symptoms of this right after Ava's birth. I began to have migraines. Then when I got pregnant with Isabel, I could see where it began peaking its head.
Anxiety is a real thing...yes there is sin at the root-fear, which I am learning to battle, but we live in a fallen world. Yes, our bodies are wonderfully made, yet we are but dust. If one part of our body fails it can trigger other parts and then it can so easily go in a downward spiral. That is what is happening to me. Thankfully I am on medicines that are by God's grace provided for this. I am getting stronger day by day, getting much rest, eating nutritiously, taking lots of vitamins, staying away from anything stressful (even talking about this at times), and focusing on being peaceful and on joyful things. What am I learning from this? 1-that God is God, 2-He cares for us even in the moments that are brains/bodies aren't even able to function properly, even when I couldn't even quote scripture because I truly couldn't, or even think upon Him-He is still and always there, He knows every cell in body that is both working or failing. 3-All things are working out for my good through this because I am His daughter and He is my God.

There is my diagnosis...please continue to pray for healing (which will take time), my body returning to good health for the sake of my family-they have done so well through all this, but they are ready to have both Mommy and wife back to good health.

Thank you Again!!!

Update and Pictures...

I am feeling better today and relieved!!! We got a diagnoses today (a very manageable and simple diagnoses)-praise the Lord!!!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for the prayers on my behalf. Your support and prayers have meant so much to our family and have truly been a major part in helping us to stay focused on our Lord as we have walked through this trial. God is so kind and good!!!
It's somewhat of a long story, so I will share when my thoughts are clearer and I am more rested.

For now...I want to focus on posting some joyful pictures of our family!!!

So for Starters...

A little sweet girl, in her little pink dress, with her little piggy's

Though my body is tired and weak, this is how my heart feels today...

Dancing and Praising the Lord!!!

HELLO AGAIN!!

It's been a while...I have not been feeling good at all for the past month now. It's been a long, scary at times, and challenging road to walk through for all of us, regarding the health of my body. Yet, we know the Lord is there!!!! I will have to share what the Lord has been doing through this situation at some point.
Still, there is no diagnoses of my symptoms (which have included various ones like dizziness, feeling faint, heart palpations, unable to think at all, migraines, extreme fatigue, you name it. There have been speculations of hypoglycemia, hypertension (dr's don't think this is it-I was put on high blood pressure meds. though for a time.) Testing is still in progress.

Right now I can laugh at this because I am feeling better today (Praise God!)...
Though I feel as if my body is falling apart and at a young age!!! I was encouraged today by a friend who has also suffered health issues. It's comforting to know of friends who have gone through or who are going through similar things and at such a young age. I am not the only one. I am also learning that one symptom can trigger so many other symptoms in your body because everything is connected.
Though, I am on the right track to getting better! So please continue the prayers for perseverance, faith, strength for each day, and a diagnoses!!! Most of all for our family-it has been challenging for all of them!!! Oh Thank You, Thank You!!!

More pictures are next-finally!!!! I actually felt up to taking some pictures today...

Updates and FNF (Family Night Friday)

OK-update on illness...the remnants of illness still reside BUT...God is faithful and building faith through this circumstance. Please continue to pray, especially for everyone's colds to heal. Isabel especially because she is still so small-she has a raspy cold now but no fever's! Praise God!!

Well, I have wanted to post on a family night Friday event for a while. We have missed Family Night soooo much! We have been encouraged to continue these family times. We had so many ideas too! So...be on the look out, next Friday, is our 1st official 2008 FAMILY NIGHT FRIDAY!!!

Are Those Happy Days Here Again?

For the most part-it is. I don't mean this in a complaining way. Our family has been sick for the past week and 1/2. We are learning to be cheerful amidst the sick days-I know there are families who are much more ill than we are, or ever have been, and yet they have remained cheerful. (We are learning and applying)...but those sun shiny days that we love, when everyone is well and cheery, we have missed, and will hopefully return to us soon!

I do think it was the flu though that we had. It was making it's rounds like wildfire through each child. Yet, God's mercies have been there!
I am the kind of Mom that does everything she can to stay home when the kids get ill and pamper-pamper-pamper. The Lord has been so kind to allow our family to have good health. We rarely ever get the flu. I think maybe the hardest part was helping Isabel through it. She is teething as well, so it was a double whammy for her! Yes, there were moments of complete exhaustion-I stayed up almost all night with Isabel due to a fever. OK-yes, there was a moment where I completely got teary-eyed and just began to cry. Though, I usually don't cry in stressful or tired moments, but this time, I did. Having 4/5 kids with fevers, coughs, runny noses, teething aches, and stomach flu was a bit difficult and all at the same time! Stefan so kindly helped out!! Thank you Babe for running all those errands, (late night and last minute errands so cheerfully), holding sick and crying babies so I could actual have a moment of peacefulnesses and rest, staying up late to give them their meds., or just comforting them, and letting me just crash when I was exhausted!!! Thank You so much Honey!!

I also had ladies praying for me to have faith that God is sovereign over my kids illnesses and lives!! Being concerned for one of my kids had turned into a fearful state of mind. I needed that reminder and encouragement!! I am still seeking to take every thought captive, pray, and apply God's truths moment by moment! Thank you to Mom and Kim for praying for me! I truly felt God's presence because of it!!

All this to say-"Moms...your not alone in stressful or challenging moments". All of us moms have had those moments at one point or another. Here is just one of my many "Mom experiences" where God has reminded me of who He truly is and has allowed me to feel His presence and see His grace carry me through. God's grace and love is surely there and His promises are true!!!

He is continuing to heal us and care for us. Hopefully by the end of this week-all sickness will be gone!! Please pray that for us too!!

(Thank you Lord for helping me to trust you through this!!)

Update on Carson

I decided not to take Carson to the doctors today but chose to keep an eye out for any other symptoms, such as a fever. I asked the nurse if his symptoms yesterday indicated Strep throat. She said yes. He has not had a fever though since yesterday and his tummy is feeling better-it is just his throat that hurts now. I have an appointment tomorrow morning in case I decide to take him due to symptoms developing again. He said ice-cream was soothing-so I got him a Mcflurry. That is all he has eaten today. Hopefully he is getting better altogether.

Kayla and Gavin are visiting with friends today. Carson is watching Lord of The Rings while I deter Ava from watching it-it's not good for her little spirit to be watching such things...

Mommies Little Patients...

Yes, Nurse Mommy is in town this week. Kayla and her foot (much better now), and now poor Carson has had a stomach thing, sore throat and fever. He will be taken to the doctor today to make sure it is not Strep Throat. Everyone else has been fine!!
We will be praying for quick healing!!!