We had a wonderful Christmas trip. We didn’t deal with any bad weather while driving. Ethan caught a little virus on the way back but was better in no time. The kids traveled so fabulously. Joy is in her car seat when we travel and there’s really no way to adjust her position. So, she stayed in the same position for about 24 hours over two days. I can’t imagine myself doing that so we are thankful for God’s grace to allow her to do so and a very comfy car seat. Ethan got to listen to special books we borrowed from the library called Playaways. He enjoyed that a lot! The time spent there was very good. We just had about a day with all the family in NY but it was a good time. We loved playing the game Codenames. The rest of the time was spent in various activities. My mother-in-law and a friend of hers took me to Skaneateles, NY for the Dickens Christmas festival they have every year. It is a cute little downtown with shops to pop into and a café to grab some coffee (or if you’re me, hot chocolate). There are people who dress to look the part of Dickens’ Christmas Carol and they are walking on the sidewalks around town. I got to try a roasted chestnut for the first time--a bit like popcorn flavor but a different texture. We were able to take Ethan to a cool indoor playplace in Destiny (mall in Syracuse) to meet his cousins and play for a while. We went to Buckley Road Baptist Church on Sunday and for a special Christmas Eve service. We played other games with Ben’s mom—a great relaxing time. We were in Bowling Green for just a couple of days but that, too, was a special time. We were able to go to my home church, Grace Baptist, on the last Sunday of 2019. In fact, Ben preached that Sunday night. We came back into OKC on January 30.
As you’ve heard, Joy had an infusion on January 2 and returned to school on January 6. Then missed the next 3 days for the bone infusion. She went again to school on Friday. The next week was a pretty standard week as we prepared for the National Church Planting Conference and the beginning of the spring semester at HBBC. We attended an activity at the Science Museum on Saturday, January 11. We always enjoy any time at that fun place. That evening we had some returning students over to our house. Then, on Sunday, we welcomed new students for the spring semester which makes it a busy day—lunch at SWBC and supper at HBBC. The next morning, January 13, I reported for jury duty. This is, in fact, the third time I have been summoned for jury duty. (The first time I was at college so couldn’t report in KY, the second time was in OKC but I was released without being called to a jury.) We were planning to welcome family members attending the Church Planting Conference that day as well. While I sat in the room waiting and waiting, I began to realize I wasn’t feeling well. I was called to a jury, told to leave for the day but report back on Tuesday at 9 am. As the day finished out, I thought I was coming down with a bad cold. I was taking Tylenol and thought I’d push through it. Of course, in a city as big as OKC, you can’t call the court clerk’s office and say, “I’m sick.” Won’t work. So, I got Joy off to school, dropped Ethan at Children’s Conference at HBBC and reported, not feeling well at all. We sat for an hour and they let us go, telling us we were done. My biggest concern about being called for a jury was that I couldn’t take Joy to her infusion on Wednesday. I knew Ben had a busy week at the college and hoped not to make it crazier by having to work logistics for an infusion. So, I was relieved when my jury was dismissed. Because both kids were taken care of, I decided to go home and sleep, hoping it would make a difference. In hindsight, I should have driven straight to an urgent care and avoided a lot of problems to come. By Tuesday night, I realized I was fully into a bout of strep. I don’t believe I had ever had strep before so I wasn’t familiar with the beginning. Now, with Joy’s infusion the next day, there was nothing I could do but push ahead. I turned on a diffuser next to my bed with Peppermint essential oil. I was taking Tylenol and ibuprofen every two hours, alternating. I was gargling with salt water and colloidal silver, and taking olive leaf extract and elderberry—trying everything I had to manage something that needed antibiotics that I couldn’t get yet. At the infusion, l got Joy settled and let our nurse know I looked so terrible because I had strep. I offered to wear a mask but we were not in a common area with other patients and miraculously, the adjoining rooms were not scheduled to be used that whole day! Joy went to sleep and I went to sleep in the recliner next to her. The nurse would peek in on both of us throughout the day and see we were sleeping and so the day went. It was probably the rest I needed honestly and someone was looking after Joy. But, that evening, Joy started running a fever. There was no doubt in my mind, the strep had spread to her. I felt so bad but sometimes there’s only so much you can do. In fact, had she gotten strep any other time, I wouldn’t have known for several days why the fever. In this scenario, she was on antibiotics before 24 hours had passed. The next morning, Thursday, I went to an urgent care, was tested a “bright, red positive” for strep, had a prescription filled and began taking antibiotics. By that evening, I could tell a difference. Joyanna seemed the same after I took her in to her doctor that afternoon and started her antibiotics. We were both still tired so we took it easy on Friday and Saturday. By Sunday, I felt back to normal. I praise the Lord for antibiotics. Hundreds of years ago, people died from strep throat without such a simple fix as an antibiotic.
So that was our exciting beginning to the year! Now, everything has calmed down. Today is another infusion day. Joy was restless to begin with but has calmed down now. She was so antsy, the needle came out of the port in her head and we had to start from the beginning of the process (but not the infusing) to put in another one. She went to sleep soon after that and slept for a few hours. Now, she is awake and watching Little Bear.
The sore on her heel has completely healed! Hurray! This has happened with less time in her brace each day. So, the brace itself was not causing the sore but the angle of her foot for so long each day. At least that’s what a physical therapist and I determined over a phone conversation. Now, I take her braces off a little earlier in the evening than I was and it has healed. Hopefully, this won’t affect the range of motion of her ankle. So far, so good. Trying to find the right balance is the name of the game in almost everything!
Joy is working in her gait trainer at school (when she’s there) every week. She has better days and worse but seems to be enjoying the opportunity still.
We don’t know if we’re done with sickness for the winter but I’d be fine if we are. The only thing to do is keep taking each day as it comes, knowing it is planned especially for us by a loving Father. I’m thankful for His grace that allows us to weather each storm and enjoy the sunshine.
Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.
Praise to the Lord, oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him;
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.