
The pediatrician's office said not to worry, that it was no biggie since his breathing was fine. A little while later I saw more sweet and sad Christopher tears as he pointed to his chest and said, "Mama, I can feeeeeeel it. It is right here and it hurts."
Off to the pediatrician's. Then off to x-ray. Yup - there it was.


Christopher looked at me calmly and said, "Mom, are they gonna cut me open?"
"Oh, no, honey!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around his cute little four year old self trying to be brave.
"Well, that's good," he said, " 'cause if they cut through me, then they have to cut through God too."
He looked up at me with a twinkle in his eye.
"Why's that?" I asked.
"Cause He's in me, Mom..." in that cute, frustrated, "duhhhhh" voice.
Me: "You asked Him to be in you?"
"Uh, yes...." with silly raised eyebrows and in that same "adorable, pinch my round cheeks because I am four" tone.
Love it.

We waited and waited, caught up with a high school classmate halfway through his pediatric residency, then waited some more before finding out Christopher would be admitted and surgery would be first thing in the morning.


I bundled up Chase and kissed my two men staying behind. We prayed.
Yes, we look pretty scary at 1 am in the ER, but Sean looks scarier. I told him if I ran into him in the parking garage with his hunting scruff, I'd be scared. I love him and the hunting scruff has gotten two deer already so we're good.

I am sure that our red eyes, his scruff, the fact that we home school, have no insurance, and selectively vaccinate had nothing to do with the few raised eyebrows we got. "At least', I told Sean, "I'm devoid of the dreadful homeschooling denim jumper."
I sing when I'm nervous and hate dark parking garages so I sang my way to the van, mentally calculating how much everything would cost, glad we have savings, frustrated that the coin was stuck, frustrated that we'd have to cancel a long standing, difficult to reschedule appointment with Christopher's pediatric urologist in Albany the next day, trying to figure out childcare for kiddos during the upcoming surgery....
As I pulled out, I glanced at the vehicle next to me and screeched to a halt, grabbing my camera:

I'll take a sign however God sends it.
After three hours of sleep, my Mom came over to kid sit and my cell phone rang. "It's gone, mommy!!"
One last x-ray showed that finally the coin had gotten through!
We praise God because all through the whole ordeal Christopher was a gem. Normally terrified of blood and pain and anything outside his normal, he sat still and watched as the nurse gave him an IV, laid still for all the x-rays, kept his hospital bracelet on, and let me leave without panicking. This morning as the IV was taken out, he sat calmly, telling the nurse how to do it right.
I picked up my men at the hospital and we headed to Albany for Christopher's ultrasound and urology appointment.
Christopher's last ultrasound in April wasn't so good. My stomach started fluttering again during the long drive, wondering what more the day's ultrasound would show of his kidney damage and what his urologist would recommend and all these hopes for no more painful procedures that we have for Christopher. Seriously, there isn't too much worse than a scared child in pain, especially when the child is yours and there is nothing you can do about it.
I brought my camera, thinking I would ask to take a photo of Christopher and his urologist for the scrapbook, seeing as how we've known him and he's been steadily involved and such a blessing to Christopher's care for the last four years.
But that photo will have to wait until Christopher is six or seven years old! I forgot the camera in the van and Christopher doesn't have to go back for two or three years!!!!
His urologist said, "I don't know what you have been doing, but keep it up! His kidneys actually look better this time around!"
He kept commenting on how our son has been such a rough case and worrisome and how amazed he is at the look of things. Christopher still has one cruddy right kidney and one fairly good left one but they are chugging along doing their stuff. I love it when doctors are happy/amazed.
Absolutely exhausted physically and mentally and blissfully happy, we drove to buy Christopher his promised playmobil and head home.
I thought about the last two days and my lack of faith and how so many times we let our peace be conditional on the circumstances around us instead of the faithfulness of the One in us. This is a subject God has been working me through these last six months, remembering that my peace comes from the within and not from the out.
Sometimes in life we also just need the faith and support of others to help get us through a rough patch. Friends and family all over were praying and we love your prayers. Love em, love em... We love all the calls for support and help that we got. You all are really too nice. I even came home to clean laundry.
Sorry this is rambly and long, I'm still working on those meager three hours of sleep. Off to bed now and the happy spot for my head on my pillow.
Blessings,
Hannah
28 comments:
OH don't apologize for the rant!! :) You are a Mom and have so much to be thankful for! What a blessing! So glad your son is doing well. And that license plate was too cool!!
Ah, Praise the Lord he is okay! Hugs to you Mama!
GLORY TO GOD! What a testimony of His faithfulness! You brought tears to my eyes!
Praise the Lord!
I thought that picture was a bit scary too. However, you guys still had smiles on! Thats commendable. When my oldest daughter was 3 she had to go in and get a CT, and then back in for a minor surgery. I was a mess, crying in the halls and stuff. It isn't easy, thats for sure.
So thankful for all your good news!
Hannah, what a day you had! Wow is right! I am so happy for your good outcome all around. Now you all must get some rest. ~:-D
Hugs,
Lynn
What a testimony of God's grace! Thank you for sharing how He has challenged and blessed your family in the past few days.
And how convicting to think of how many times my peace depends on my circumstances -- thank you for a much-needed reminder!
Yours in Christ,
Shannon
Praise God for miracles and answered prayer!!! I'm so glad your little boy was able to skip that surgery and that his kidneys are looking better!
Thanks so much for updating us:-)
Lots of love,
Sommer
Thanking God for His answers to your prayers and the peace you've recieved!
God is great !
What an adventure! I'm so glad your little guy is doing good now. I had to laugh--been there done that at the emergency room--and minus the denim jumper!!!
Wow! I'm glad your son is doing better. Apparently, little boys like to swallow coins. I knew several who did that last summer.
I am happy for your family!!!!! Isn't it great when you get signs in the most unlikely places!!!! I think you are a great mom and not all home schoolers where jumpsuits!!! I am speaking for myself !!!! I am in the beauty business and homeschool,but I know how people view us!!! LoL
Hannah,
What good news! God is so Faithful!!
I'm so glad for Christopher that the coin moved on. What a bad thing to have happen.
We've had several situations like that too. One time Joshua was in the hospital with a fractured skull at only 1. He fell from the bunkbed. They came in a told us he had fluid on the brain and that he needed surgery. We called as many prayer chains as we could and the next scan showed no fluid at all! The doctor didn't know what to say.
God is so good.
Kim
Wow, what a couple of days! I am so glad that the coin passed on it's own. I have a 3 year old and I would have been terrified.
That's great news about his kidneys as well!
What a great story to remember for the next time life gets scary! This event will remind you of the grace of God and will give you what you need for the new event. I'm so glad it all "came out" OK> Lynn Marie
I'm so glad Christopher is alright!
Thank you for reminding me that peace comes from the Lord and not my circumstances.
Tiffany
So glad for the testimony of God's faithfulness on both counts! Get some sleep, Mama!
What wonderful news! Praise God! Christopher has been much in my prayers today - as have you - and I am so glad of this outcome, and also that his urology appointment was so good.
Liz (UK)
God is amazing. And He has great timing!! Happy to hear of your double blessing.
I showed my five year old boy the picture of Christopher's x-ray. Hope he doesn't get any ideas. I better keep an eye on the piggy banks for a while....
WOW !
How great is our God !
Christophers comment about how God was in him was really cool !
Get some rest.
Blessings
Hannah,
Your post had me crying tears of joy for you and your family. Thank God it moved on its own. I am so happy that it all worked out so well. I loved the sign in the parking lot. Amazing! God is truly always at work giving us signs. I love reading about your the life you have. I too grew up in upstate NY and this time of year always makes me so homesick. Thank you for sharing the ups and downs of raising your family and spreading your faith for all to share. Your post is a blessing in my life. May joy and peace be with your family and God Bless you always. -Bree
So glad we serve such a big God. Very happy for you and Christopher. Love the part about cutting through God that made my day!
And yes Sean did look very scary.
What a great outcome for both situations! What an amazing God we have!
God is so good!! I'm so glad Christopher is doing well.
Amazing! Thank you for "rambling on" I cried all the way through the post. What a blessing to how how faithful is to us even if we have moments of doubt.
Oh I started to cry reading this story.. Oh how our Lord is always right on time isn't He! Praise God for His blessings and His hand on our every moment in life.
Hannah, what a beautiful testimony. I love the license plate... what grace. As soon as we take our eyes off Him and begin to fret... God has a way of giving us that nudge exactly at the moment when we need it most, doesn't He?
Thanks for sharing!
Hannah,
I just found your blog tonight. What an account you just related! I am so thankful that all is well with your little one. The Lord does give us blessings--so many of them.
Zebu
yearningforpurity@blogspot.com
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