Again?!

Well, Lucy has strep.  Again.  You may remember that she was diagnosed with it two weeks ago.  It ended up progressing and causing some GI issues, which in turn caused us to go to the ER, which then caused a four-day hospital stay.  Sigh.

Lucy Belle has been hitting her head, pulling her hair out, scratching her face, and screaming uncontrollably, so I knew that something was hurting her.  Even the strong pain meds and anti-anxiety meds aren't keeping her comfortable!  It makes my mommy-heart hurt for my Baby Girl.

I thought it was her ears, but the ENT looked at them today (he thankfully worked us in), an they were all clear.  We tested for RSV, FLU and other viruses in the Pediatrician's office, and all were negative (YAY!).  Then they decided to swab Lucy's throat and check for strep. Really, after a hospital stay with the "atomic bomb" of IV antibiotics over a four-day stretch, her strep should be gone.  Surely.  There's no way it would still be there.  We were shocked at the positive test!

So now, we go back on strong antibiotics and we go back next week to see if it's clearing up.  If not . . . well, I don't know.  Do we just take her tonsils out?  Do we admit and do strong antibiotics again?  And how did Little Miss contract strep?  We don't take her in crowds; heck, I don't take her anywhere really!  And everyone who comes into our home takes their shoes off and disinfects their hands at the front door.  How do we keep her healthy during sick season?  I have no idea.  We can't live in a bubble, that's for sure.
Ending on a sweet note, I was able to clean out Ellie Kate's closet this week.  This was a HUGE thing for me, ya'll.  I had left Ellie's closet the same, untouched for over a year.  It was time to put those precious clothes away.  I had a good motive for doing it - a dear friend is putting together a quilt of Ellie's shirts for me!  She offered back when Ellie Kate was on hospice, but I haven't been ready until now.  God's prepared my heart, and I was ready to give those little clothes over to be worked on this week.  I cannot wait to see the end product.  What a priceless gift!!

Ways to Pray:

• Pray for ease of pain for Lucy
• Pray for wisdom for the doctors and for me and Mike.  
• Pray for the boys as they have been acting out due to the uncertainty of Lucy's sickness and the recent hospital stay.  
• Pray for my parents as they've been helping out SO much, and I know that they are so tired.  
• Pray for God's provision (we need Him to show up in BIG ways)

Thank you for keeping up with us and for loving us well!

Ryan