Blessings

Every now and then I hear a song that totally describes my feelings. I came across such a song by Laura Story called " Blessings"  My favourite verse is this:

Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

I would not choose to go through these trials again, and I pray that we won't have to, but if we do, I know that even in my darkest night, Jesus is there! 

Health

This morning Ethan came down the stairs and said he wasn't feeling well. My heart skipped a beat as I looked into his puffy eyes. Memories came flooding back of relapses and prednisone, and thoughts of " Oh No, it's finally over" filled my head. Ethan went voluntarily to test himself and despite a foamy looking sample, he was negative. Phew!!! Exhale, I can breathe again!  

Happy Birthday Ethan

I cannot believe that today my baby turns 10 years old! It truly does feel like just yesterday he was a babe in my arms. Ethan is very much looking forward to tonight, my parents are making him a special birthday dinner of shrimp and fish. It amazes me that both my boys like seafood, when I don't! Jeff never used to like seafood, but it is growing on him... I think I will forever be a seafood holdout!

 We are so grateful for Ethan's continued health, 2 more months and it will be 2 years since his last dose of prednisone.  I can hardly wait, I am trying to think of something we can do together as a family to mark this special milestone. If you have any ideas, let me know!

It's a New Year

Well you can tell from my lack of posts that not much has been happening. I am finding it hard to blog because Ethan is doing so well, there really isn't much to tell! This is a good thing indeed!  I can't even remember the last time we saw a doctor. I have also been gradually easing up on Ethan's daily urine testing (GASP).  These past two weeks I have only tested him once a week, and he was still negative!  Two years ago when Ethan's Nephrologist told me his goal was to get us (me) to a point where I could test him every few months. I have to say, I didn't believe him, I was feeling very skeptical that we would ever get to this point. I am beyond happy and excited to be where we are at this moment. Such Joy fills my heart seeing my son normal and healthy. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

Christmas Wish

This article brought tears to my eyes, as I remember the tough times with Ethan and for those children who are still suffering. Just this week Ethan told me that his P.E. teacher told him he was the best in his class for physical fitness. The fact that he wants to, and is able to get out and play and be active again is such a miracle. I can relate to this story in so many ways, including the comments from complete strangers about how "fat" my son is. I wish there was a cure or another treatment that did not affect these children so much physically and emotionally. The side effects are horrendous and even though the doctors call prednisone a " Miracle Drug", those that have been on it, tend to disagree!

Seeking a miracle: 5 year old shares her Christmas wish with Saint Nick - Shawnee, OK - The Shawnee News-Star

18 Months

Saturday November 20th, marked 18 months since Ethan's last dose of prednisone. When I think of where we were and to how our life has changed, I am filled with gratitude and joy. I can hardly believe that we have made it this long. It is truly a miracle to see Ethan happy and healthy. He continues to amaze us with his new found happiness, humour and zest for life. He is trying new things that he would never have attempted when he was sick. For example, he is running 5-7 laps every tuesday and thursday in hopes of getting a gold medal at the end of the year for Kilometer Club. Adam received a gold medal last year and Ethan has made that his goal for this year. 

Recovering

Sorry I haven't posted for awhile. I am recovering from surgery and I haven't really had much to update. Ethan is doing better at School, praise the Lord. He continues to fluctuate from trace to negative, more traces than I would like. But very happy he has now made it 17 months. Here is a link to a video I found that I just had to share. I hope you enjoy it. I am so thankful for my family, friends and husband who have all pitched in to help take care of this past while. Love you all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTa81LyuQM