Nicholas is home on home-healthcare! We have a team of nurses that come to our home to assess, remove stitches, change dressings for his central line and get blood work, but his Mama is his full-time nurse administering round the clock antibiotics. Good thing Rebecca trained me well for this job.

Have I ever mentioned I never had any desire to go into the medical field growing up. Never. Not even for one second. Like, medical would probably be last on my list of career choices??? Clearly God had other plans…..

Bless.

Overall, Nicholas is much better with no fevers, his kidney function is back to normal, he can fully move his neck, and his weakness has infinitely approved. Unfortunately, his headaches are still astronomically bad from residual fluid and blood on his brain. Although the extreme headaches are not constant, they can still last 10 plus hours at a time. We did an MRI scan before we left the hospital and the original fluid collections have still not dissipated (this was most likely the culprit of the meningitis). We are waiting and praying for the fluid to resolve naturally over the next few weeks in the hopes of preventing more invasive steps. 

Please pray with us this issue resolves and that Nicholas’ headaches are relieved. This was not the “easy” recovery the surgeon’s anticipated in this perfectly healthy boy so our spirits have taken a little hit in this adjustment period.  

I was going through Nicholas’ hospital records while transferring the MRI results to the Houston neurosurgeon and I saw Nicholas’ diagnosis from the day we entered the hospital:

-Meningitis

-AKI (Acute Kidney Injury)

-Lactic Acidosis

-Pseudomeningocele

Nicholas’ words he told me after discovering his brain tumor rang through my head, “Mom, God’s got this.” And He did. And then, once again, for about the 646th time, I praised the Lord for pulling another child of mine through a life-threatening situation. I don’t understand why these events keep happening to our family. Just as I don’t understand why the Lord chooses to pull my children through severe medical crises while other children around me pass away. But what I do know, is if the Lord allowed my children to live, then He has a plan for them on this earth right now.

If you are breathing, you have purpose.

Thank you Lord for that unexpected miracle.

Exactly one year ago, we had a party to celebrate Nicholas’ graduation. It was a crazy time with Rebecca unexpectedly in the hospital, her pulmonary embolism, and then releasing her a few hours beforehand to attend. We subsequently went back to the hospital after graduation for her surgery. In the chaos, I never shared Nicholas’ party pictures so I thought the one-year anniversary would be appropriate. Especially now. They remind me that no matter how broken, being together with family is such a gift.

Love to each of you,

C