Five Reasons why I am Grateful for Modern Medicine. 

Rather than enumerating them, suffice it to say, five people in our home would have died without the intervention of modern medicine, including me.  Instead of going into each one individually, I’ll just share the earliest and most soul wrenching one.  This week, I was reminded of our experience by hearing a woman in my ward recount her trial with a young son, reading Allisa’s current story, and reading Stephanie’s memories.  Here is our story…..

Twenty-one years ago, this month, our oldest was born.  He was a normal baby in every way.  He came on his due date, took FOREVER to deliver, and was amazing in the way every first baby is.  We traveled for the Christmas holidays.  He was about a month old.  He seemed pretty fussy the night we arrived home.  I just assumed it was the traveling. 

He was inconsolable throughout the night.  I held him, sang to him, slept with him….anything I could think of.  By the time the morning rolled around, I could tell something was terribly wrong and we needed to get him to the doctor.  He was pale and lethargic.

We were able to get the first appointment with the pediatrician.  He took one look at the baby, listened to his abdomen, asked me if he had spit up any green bile (which Kyle did right then), and proceeded to order and administer a spinal tap.  The doctor told us that he believed Kyle had a blocked bowel and that we needed to get him to the hospital right away.  Our pediatrician was also our stake president.  My husband asked him if he would help us give our baby a blessing.  Our stake president said, not to make light of the priesthood, but you don’t have time.  Get him to the hospital right now and give him a blessing there, which we did.

They started an IV right away and took x-rays.  Within an hour or so, they told us that Kyle had perforated one of his bowels, that stool and air were all throughout his abdomen and he would need emergency surgery right away.  They told us there was a 50% chance, he would die in surgery or not come out of the anesthetic.  We had not given him a name and blessing and asked if that was something we should go ahead and do.  Yes, we should.  We made the necessary phone calls and blessed Kyle right there in the pediatric ICU unit in his little hospital clothes….my husband and his best friend.  Then he was taken to surgery.

We waited for news from the O.R. for six hours.  Finally, a doctor came out, introduced himself, and said that our baby was now stabilized.  They had a few more hours of work, but he would be alright.  At the time, I did not take in that Kyle being ‘now stable’ meant that at one time, he was not.  We would later learn that they lost Kyle on the operating table and that if that particular doctor had not been in the hospital, Kyle would have died.  A nurse who had been in the room, moved into our ward several months later and told us the story. 

Because the doctor who saved his life was the director of newborn ICU, he wanted Kyle up where he could keep an eye on him instead of in the pediatric ward.  (If a baby leaves the hospital and then is readmitted, policy dictated that they went to the peds ward.)  Kyle remained in the NICU for a month.  He had a colostomy (where they pull out the intestine onto the stomach wall and provide a bag for the waste to accumulate in).  It was a week before I could nurse him.  We have a Polaroid of him with all of his tubes, ng, iv, respirator, etc…but I don’t have a digital copy.  I well up in tears every time I look at it.

Over the next 2 and 1/2 years, our little boy had three more major surgeries and seven minor ones.  Every night and morning for seven weeks, we had to manually stretch his rectum to get it ready to be reconnected.  As I am remembering a lot of the things we went through, it all seems like just some very horrible dream.  It was so very difficult, but I learned so much.  I had many, many spiritual experiences during that time…all of them gave me new information in how to live better.

Kyle had Hirschsprung’s disease.  They believe it is hereditary.  It is more prevalent in boys than girls.  If you have a child with Hirschsprung’s disease, you have a 1 in 7 chance of having another child with the disorder.  Being that we have so many boys, I wonder every single time if we are going to have to do it again.  When I read stories like Allisa’s, I am reminded of the feelings I had during that time.  They come right back. My throat gets tight.  My eyes start to water.  I have a small knowledge of some of what they might be feeling.  I completely lose it when I visit a NICU and see those tiny babies fighting for their lives.  I feel for their parents and those who love them.  I do not want to do it again.  But I am so very grateful for the things I learned during that time, as difficult as it was.

And today?  Today my little boy is 21 years old and serving a mission in Brazil.  He has no permanent problems except for the scars than cover his abdomen.  I thank Heavenly Father that I got to keep him for a little while and that I get to continue to watch him grow and develop……thanks for our not so little miracle….and my heart and prayers go out to those who have similar experiences and maybe a different outcome.  We could have easily been one of those families, five times, and one day, may be anyway.

Here are Heather’s Five Things for Friday

No, today’s blog is not about Santa….that is another post entirely!

I was inspired today by THESE remarks, partially shared by President Monson in his November BYU Devotional.  As I read, the truths he shared permeated my heart.  I agreed with all of them.  Then I pondered….why do I believe?

Growing up, my family was not generally a very happy place to be.  I kept myself very busy so I did not have to be at home.  It didn’t make my parents happy, but I was happier.

Participation at church was part of our lives.  I usually had good feelings at church activities and services.  Part of that participation for teenagers was early morning seminary.  We all met at the church about 6:20 a.m., Mon-Fri, to study our scriptures.  My junior year, we were studying the Book of Mormon and our teacher informed us that we would not pass the class if we did not read the book.  Having never failed a class, I wasn’t about to fail an optional religion class.  I read the book.

The last prophet to write in the book, Moroni, admonishes the reader to ask God (verse 4) if their writings are true and promises that if you do so with a sincere heart and real intent God will answer you.  One night, as I was going to bed, I knelt to say my prayers.  I told my Father in Heaven that I had read the book.  I believed it, but I wanted to know if it was true.  Did it really happen?

A great warmth entered my heart and filled my entire being.  I knew it was true….and I still know it today.  That was the beginning.

Many times since then, the truths of this gospel have been confirmed to me.  Everyday in my family and through my responsibilities at church, I have the opportunity to practice Christian principles that require me to become a better person.  It is not easy!  Change is hard—but it doesn’t have to be slow.  I don’t want to just talk about better….I WANT TO BE better.

There are amazing stories all around us and in the scriptures of forgiveness, repentance, perseverance, hope, courage, loyalty, fidelity, humility, charity, etc…  I want to become like them.  Those stories inspire me and encourage me to make changes.  That’s kind of what this blog is dedicated to…changing the negative parts of me, becoming more like who I want to be and helping my children become who they should be, drop by drop, act by act, here a little and there a little….(sometimes a lot!).

I believe because everyday as I practice I can see growth and improvement.  Some days I wonder, but if I look back far enough, it is there.  I am not as thin, beautiful, or fit as I once was.  But I am more kind, less judgmental, slower to anger, a little wiser, quicker to serve and slower to insist.  Today’s Carin is better than yesterday’s.  And so I continue to believe.

1 THIS POST on THIS BLOG  OH Wow!  Definitely helping me to appreciate my role and assignment more than I did before I read it.  Thank you so very much for the story.  Every day I need to remind myself of who I am serving.  Most days I really love my job and appreciate my people.  But it is time to be reminded again.

2 Elder Holland’s Talk is my very favorite talk of young motherhood.  Being that I have re-entered the frenzy….I loved being reminded of the promises and Heavenly Father’s perspective.

3 Grocery Shopping…..DONE!!  CHECK!!  Love having that finished and off of my list so the week can flow smoothly with menus and meal preparation.  Hooray!!

4 My little daughter staying home sick.  I relish when I get just a little one on one time with each child.  Today she had to share with two brothers…..but still time.

5  And of course, my favorite today……my little baby, who doesn’t let anyone help except his mother, sleeping with his brother.  D has been able to get him to sleep three times!!! Once was last night so I could attend the RS Christmas dinner.  Thanks D!!  Love you!

Link up to Heather’s Fab Five Here

WARNING: The layout of this blog will be changing 🙂

Sitting here in my little hamster wheel, I had an epiphany… I AM HAPPY!  A deep down, sincere, felt in my heart happy.  I have a lot of experience raising children.  I am good at applying the gospel to my life and helping my children apply it to theirs.  I am not responsible for others’ emotions or feelings.  I am good at what I do and I have a lot to offer.

Those feelings are contrary to the emotions I have been sifting through for the past 13 months.  I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t happy…. BUT I Wasn’t Happy!  I have been really struggling because my life wasn’t going where I expected it to and I was really having difficulty with the change in direction.

I had plans!  (I always have plans….usually with a capital P.)  My life had taken a turn that was not a part of THE PLAN.  (My life always has those turns in it—the ones where the Lord says, “I want you going in THIS direction, 180 degrees from the way you are facing.”)  I kick!  I scream!  I whine!…..No Good.  I was “lifted up in the pride of my heart” as Jacob would say.

Finally, I reluctantly cave.  I do what I know is right, but I refuse to give my heart to the process.  I will obey, but I will not be happy about it.  (Moroni 7:8 For behold, if a man being ^aevil giveth a gift, he doeth it ^bgrudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God.)   [Doesn’t sound like obedience without heart is very helpful….]

Then I spend the next (insert a long period of time here) going through the motions but not with a happy heart.  Somewhere after wandering my 40 days in the wilderness, I come to accept the new direction and a little while after that, my heart again learns to sing that sweet song—-I am Happy.  (I am reminded of Dori the Fish here ….just keep swimming!)

I have a concrete example:
I LOVE serving the youth—-my favorite assignments are with the teenagers.  Somewhere about 2004, I had been serving with them for about 2 years.  Without warning, I was released and asked to teach in the Primary (18 month to 11).  I was not happy.  Fine.  I will teach.  No heart accompanied my assignment.  Every time I taught, I was just going through the motions.  I longed to be with the youth.  I always wanted to know what they were doing and how everyone was managing.

Time Passed.

About a year into my Primary calling, I dropped my youth aged children off at a fireside.  As I drove away, I realized for the first time in a year, I wasn’t longing to be inside with the youth.  I consciously recognized that I had not been invested in my current assignment.  I vowed to myself and committed to my Father in Heaven that I would change.  (Alma 5:14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye ^aspiritually been ^bborn of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty ^cchange in your hearts?)

The following Sunday, I was released from Primary and called back into serve with the youth.  It would seem the Lord was just waiting for me to hand over my heart.  (Mosiah 2:9 And these are the words which he ^aspake and caused to be written, saying: My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day; for I have not commanded you to come up hither to ^btrifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should ^chearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your ^dhearts that ye may understand, and your ^eminds that the ^fmysteries of God may be unfolded to your view.)

So here I am again….doing my duty without a heart.  No more.  I have had that mighty change of heart in this circumstance.  I am back!  I feel it deep inside….true happiness.

How do you initiate that mighty change of heart the Lord requires?  How do you emotionally mange difficult situations that you cannot change?  How can you help yourself and others to accept unchangeable circumstances and choose to be genuinely happy?

5. A Good Outlook on Life.  No matter what the situation is, Drew changes what needs to be changed and accepts what cannot be changed.  He works long and hard at helping us to be where we need to be as a family to live the gospel as fully as possible.
4. Thoughtful and Kind.  Drew often thinks of what I would want and asks me how I want to do something.  He seeks out my opinion, even though I have trouble giving him one, many times.  He is always respectful in how he discusses things with me, especially if the topic is sensitive.
3.  Patient. Living life with me and nine children, you would have to develop patience if you did not already possess it.  Luckily for all of us, Drew is so very patient with our weaknesses and shortcomings.  Thanks Dear….we all need it!
2. A Testimony of the Gospel and a Firm Faith in Christ. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for the leadership Drew continuously showers upon our family.  Our children understand the gospel.  They have a testimony of Jesus Christ and are learning how to apply His principles in their lives.  They are becoming wonderful and amazing people who are not afraid of sharing their talents and their testimony.  They are learning how to lead.  Most of that knowledge comes from their father.  Thank you for being their father and so very concerned with who they are and where they are going!!

And the #1 reason my husband is AMAZING:
He is my bestest friend in the whole, wide world!!  I could not do what I do without you.  You are my rock, my friend, my confidant, my sweetheart.  Thank you for always being there!  Love you always!!  ME!  

Five Things for Friday…Women in the Scriptures 

Jacob has amazing music choices.  I love, love, love all of the music Jacob brings home….listen to his most recent music choices:

See??? Amazing!  I love having a teenager who loves, really loves and appreciates AWESOME music!  Way to go Jacob!  (He first introduced me to Michael Buble!!)

Check this out:

I am grateful to have two full-time worthy sons who are serving faithfully!!

Yes…the one with the funny face is mine.  They are amazing and I love them very much!!  Way to go guys!

What can I say???  My baby goes to bed every night by about 6 p.m.  Before the time change it was 7.  Now it is 6.  He nurses, falls asleep, and I put him down.  Usually he wakes up about 10-20 minutes later.  Nurses again and is out for the night…..well, until midnight.  But from 6 p.m. on, he sleeps and nurses and sleeps and nurses.  Of course, that does mean that he is usually up by 5:30 a.m. and never later than 6.  But after 12 difficult hours without being able to put him down, for the most part, I get a few hours in the evening and decent sleep all night.  Will that continue when the teeth come in??  That remains to be seen.

And I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Mohawk!  Love it!

Smiley’s teacher gave him a pair of scissors for his very own.  He was so excited!!  This was his first project:

Luckily, a razor can do wonders….but we still have to wait a little for things to grow in: