Micah's First Appointment

Micah's first doctor appointment was exhausting for both of us. Since Dr. R's testing is extensive, Micah got frustrated and a little defiant, constantly asking for snacks and saying, "Can we go now?" As my own frustration with the fact that he's sick in the first place grew, my patience thinned. But we made it through and four hours later, Dr. R was able to give Steve and me some useful information. He confirmed what we already knew, namely that Micah's liver is compromised and his immune system is confused. The doctor also pinpointed the cause of his abdominal discomfort, a parasite called giardia. He pointed out that if it hadn't been for the giardiasis, we might not have found out about the liver problem until much later, maybe too late. Catching this problem early is one of the blessings I can already see in this situation and another example of God's involvement in Micah's little life. The doctor gave us several homeopathic remedies to start Micah on, three times a day on an empty stomach, which feels overwhelming and empowering at the same time. We made another appointment for March 21.

Drained and depleted, I collapsed onto the couch after picking up the girls from school. Thankfully, some friends from church braved the snow and ice to bring our family a comfort food dinner: hot baked ziti smothered in cream sauce and loaded with cheese, veggies and crusty bread. They also brought a breakfast casserole, bagels and cream cheese, orange juice, lunch meat, cheese slices and two loaves of sandwich bread. Hallelujah! We are set not only for at least two dinners, but also breakfast and lunch for a few days. Thanks to them, our burdens feel a little lighter tonight. In my book, a casserole is worth a thousand bouquets and faithful friends are worth their weight in gold.

Micah is not excited about taking his medicines, but we've explained that sometimes we need to do things that we don't really want to do. Maybe tomorrow is soon enough to start fighting that battle.