Poor Baby

It is 11:30am.

Drew has not left this spot since he woke up this morning...he just drifted back to sleep.

As you might guess, he is sick, again.

I am only sharing this so you might also pray for us.

Drew has been consistently sick every 3 weeks since May. With only a high fever.

The blood work came back negative for lymes & coxsacky virus.

I am at a loss.

But this time it is much more.

He is also lethargic, complains of his head hurting and sensitivity to smell and cold, and is having difficulty performing simple requests without having a meltdown.

He's thrown up 3 times since last night. So on top of everything he is now probably dehydrated.

Thankfully, I have a wonderful pediatrician who is taking time to really explore the different culprits. And I have another appt. this afternoon.

For whatever reason this may be happening, I do know that it is doing something HUGE in my heart. I would never say I struggeled with loving my children, but there are times the pressures choke away my perspective & patience with the 2 wonderful gifts He has given to us. This is certainly stripping away any and all distractions and cares that take away from my love and care for my children. Especially Drew right now. From the beginning, I have had to fight for him. He never latched on his own until he was 6 weeks old!! I cannot begin to tell (and will spare you) all that I had to go through to get him to independently nurse! (I think I only grasped the full of it when Jack was a pro-nurser from the get go). And in the hospital with Drew, the dr. noticed some muscle tightness in his legs. They ran test after test to rule things out that could be cognitively related. Wow...did that throw me for a loop as a first time mother.

"You're taking my baby...WHERE??

And doing a brain scan...WHY???"

Which resulted with in-home physical therapy for Drew's first year due to hypertension in his hands & neck.

Now, I know there are families out there who have gone through much deeper trials and health difficulties, and I in no way compare myself to them. And upon meeting Drew, you would never guess any of these things about him. We have had a managable amount of "bumps" in the road with all the medical help & support I could have ever asked for.

But nonetheless, it is scary.

Last night, Drew was sleeping on the couch in the living room and I was parked on a mattress on the floor beside him. Once he fell asleep, I must have checked his breathing a dozen times. I just pleaded with the Lord to reveal the reason of his sickness if it is life threatening, and if He doesn't that I will rest in Him, knowing He is completely in control.

He also is a carrier of a blood disorder from his Mediterranean lineage (i.e. paternal...who also has it) called Beta Thalacemia Trait. The doctor explained it like this:

If you were a baker, and had an order of 200 donuts to make, but were short on flour, you decide to still make the donuts and deal with the consequences. So, in the end, you still have 200 donuts, they are just not as cakey and fluffy and are much smaller in size.

This is how Drew's and John's red blood cells appear. They cannot carry the same amount of oxygen as normal and therefore it easily comprimises their immune system. It looks like anemia, but there is NO iron defficiency, a common mistake of a diagnosis. So...if Drew misses a nap or gets to bed quite late for some reason...he inevitably wakes up sick. Sleep deprivation is their biggest enemy!! Not only does he seem to catch EVERYTHING but it also takes him much longer to recover. Even though it is quite frustrating, the Lord allowed Drew to be a carrier and we rest in His sovereignty. The pediatrician drew out a whole genetic chart of % for me and there is a 50/50 chance for our children to be carriers (even though all 3 of the neiner kids have it). THUS, the wonderful news that Jack IS NOT A CARRIER!!! I was really thrilled about this and even though I know God makes no mistakes in these matters it certainly spells out to less sickness for Jack!!! AND, the neat thing the dr. told me about the trait is that carriers build an immunity to MALARIA. He even said, "So, Andrew would be a good candidate to be a missionary to Africa someday!!" Isn't that amazing!!??

THE LORD IS GOOD IN ALL THINGS.

Thanks for taking the time to "listen" and for praying.

I have to go...Drew is awake now.