Roller Coaster

And we're off... Click, click, click. Up, up, up. Uh-oh. No one told me it was THIS high! OK. I'm okay. This is great! Everything will be just fine right here. No, no, no, we're going down. But I'm not ready!!! Ah-h-h-h!

And so it goes.

We should all be used to this by now. But, we're not.

You may have guessed by now that Joshua's labs aren't looking great. His enzymes are up yet again. Tomorrow we're have an MRCP done to find out more what is going on. If that is not conclusive, we'll be having an ERCP done and at that time they can actually open up the pancreas ducts and hopefully release some of those built up enzymes.

The GI says that it's normal for kids to have a hard time getting over pancreatitis and the rise and fall of his lipase enzyme is normal.

In the meantime, hold on tight!

And the culprit is...

Pancreatitis in children is normally caused by a virus. But, with children like Joshua there can be many other reasons. It's very likely that one of the newest medicines he was receiving was the cause of this extrememly painful condition. So much for that one. It wasn't the cure-all anyway. But you think you're doing something that's going to make a huge difference. That the next med is going to do the trick, the one you've been waiting for. The key to unlock this mixed up puzzle. Only to find out, it's not the one and in fact has only created more problems. Ugh!

So, back to the drawing board.

The one cure that never backfires is our prayer that the Lord will heal Joshua's body with no medical explination. I know it's possible and it's been my own prayer since day one. Please join me in this plea.

I long for the day when I can look back and all the tubes, lines, nightly TPN mixing and infusions, feeding pumps, backpacks, dressing changes, ER visits, hospital stays, supply deliveries, midnight trips to the bathroom, midnight bedding changes and the sinking feeling in the stomach with every thermometer reading over 99 are all a memory - a thing of the past. I read postings from moms who live this reality. Their children are functioning somewhat "normally" now. It's all a memory to them. That will be a great day.

But today our reality is different. And that's okay. One day at a time. One challenge at a time. As my dad always says, "Inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is hard." So, today's inch is a hospital stay and working through these tummy pains. Tomorrow's is yet to come.

"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1

Pancreatitis

I apologize for being such a poor blogger lately. Time and internet access has been liminted lately. As many of you now know, Joshua's recently suffered from a painful case of pancreatitis. His pancreas is hugely enlarged and inflamed. Enzyme levels which should normally be anywhere from 25-120 were 5,800. Today they're down to 1,800. The treatment is resting the pancreas by holding any food or drink and pain management. By now even Joshua who rarely feels it, is hungry. No one can eat in front of him, it would just be too cruel. We are still awaiting word from the GI as to what happens next, or how it began in the first place. I don't ever want to see him in so much pain again. It kills me.

We are asking for prayers for a speedy recovery and as with every set-back, that something productive come from all this.