Medical Prayers Please!

Our family is really in need of prayers for our health right now!!

We spent Sunday evening in the ER for a suspected kidney infection for Michaela. She has had an ongoing urinary reflux issue which occasionally results in kidney infections. (Some of you may remember that we kicked off 2009 in the hospital with Michaela fighting a kidney infection...not a fun way to spend New Year's Day!!!)

Michaela had two out-patient surgeries in 2009 to correct the issue but both "failed." Now it looks like we be scheduling another surgery in June or July to correct this ongoing problem.

Before our trek to the ER with Michaela, Sarah Mei and I made a trip to our pediatrician on Friday morning. Over the last weeks I've noticed that Sarah Mei was bruising more than usual. We are an active family and Sarah Mei is constantly running, skipping, jumping, tripping, falling, somersaulting, etc. However, despite all this activity, it still seemed like Sarah Mei was bruising more than average. The pediatrician drew some bloodwork but didn't expect to find anything.

Let me digress for a minute...

Friday afternoon (after the trip to the pediatrician and the blood draw) all 5 girls and I made a trek to the local tack store (for those of you "unhorsey" readers...a tack store is to horse lovers what Barnes and Nobles is to a book lover...need I say more!) We went to purchase a few items for Torie and Michaela for a weekend show, but while there we decided to purchase Sarah Mei's 1st set of riding breeches and 1/2chaps. (Half-chaps are worn over your riding breeches and are used to both protect your legs and offer a little more grip for the rider.) Sarah Mei was absolutely over the moon and was counting the minutes until we got home, so she could go out and ride her pony, Popcorn.

Upon arriving home, the phone was ringing and the nurse on the other end said they already had the blood results back for Sarah Mei. It's NEVER a good thing when you get blood results back quickly. They told us her platelets counts were very low, and we needed to have them checked again on Saturday morning. Of course not only did that negate our plans of a family weekend away at the horse show (Phil, Torie, Michaela and AnnaGrace went to the show near Asheville, NC while Sarah Mei, Isabelle and I stayed home), but it also left me googling low-platelets on the internet...I know...dumb idea...and wondering what I'd find out on Saturday.

Saturday we did another blood draw with the news that the platelets were even lower and to come back Monday for another draw. Monday we were referred to a hematologist and received the diagnosis of ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura). We were relieved that Sarah Mei didn't have leukemia! But now we begin the learning curving of what it means to live with ITP.

Thursday Sarah Mei received her first WinRho treatment. This will help boost her platelets. Friday we had her platelets checked and they were up to the 60's (normal is 150-450), and she's been in the low 20's. Platelets are the clotting mechanism for our blood and with the #'s so low internal bleeding is the big concern...especially cerebral hemorrhaging. I had to laugh when I read one of the educational pamphlets. It said when trying to decide which activities are safe for your ITP child, follow this rule of thumb...they may do anything where their feet don't leave the ground. Are they serious??? Are they parents of an active four year old?? This rules out jumping, biking, horse back riding, swinging, etc. They obviously haven't been to our house lately. That rules out about 90% of what we do...hmmm.

On a positive note...The pediatric hematologists practice we go to is amazing. It is complete with their own art staff, DVD collection, stocked kitchen with children's snacks, juice boxes, etc. to keep the children occupied while receiving their treatments. They even had a guitarist come by the room yesterday and play for Sarah Mei while she was having her treatment. The entire staff is SO child friendly. We've been there 5 days straight and Sarah Mei loves it!! I'm really thankful since we'll be there on a weekly or semi-weekly basis for a while as we learn how Sarah Mei's platelets "trend."

On another positive note... The Dr.'s are very sensitive to Sarah Mei's love of horseback riding, so after her good platelet reading on Thursday, they said she could come home and ride (just the one day - as platelet counts can vary dramatically form day to day) but one day was like a Christmas present.

Sarah Mei decided not to waste her one ride on her pony. So dressed in her new riding breeches and purple half chaps, she rode Torie's Thoroughbred instead. (Don't worry...Torie or Michaela were within arms reach at all times.)






Pray that her ITP is the acute type. Acute ITP will be a one time occurrence which will burn out in 6-9 months and will resolve on its own. (The other type is chronic and will flare up for years.)

And our final health prayer request is for me...I'm scheduled to have an ovary removed next week. They found a mass on one of my ovaries last year. In the preparations for travel to China, open-heart surgery, etc., I asked to postpone surgery. My physician is not concerned that the cyst is malignant, so she obliged my request, but now it's time to have it removed. Pray that the surgery will go smoothly. If all goes well it can be done laprascopically and will be done as an out-patient surgery.

We're tired of Dr.'s visits, the majority of which are in downtown Charlotte - a 40 minute drive - each way, from our home. All of these visits are in addition to Sarah Mei's regular weekly speech therapy appointments and Isabelle's regular weekly physical therapy appointments. And don't forget I can't drive (due to my recent seizures), so either Torie or Phil have to chauffeur me everywhere.

It's a crazy time in our lives when the Lord is shaping us and molding us more into the image of Christ. Pray for strength for each of us and that we will glorify Him in the process.