Friends, we covet your immediate prayers for our Sweet Henry. Henry is in a PANDAS flare and has had a terrible "episode today", which lasted from around 10am-5pm. Henry finally fell asleep and has stayed in deep sleep since that time, and we couldn't be more grateful.
"Thank you" to everyone who has been praying specifically for Henry this afternoon - you have know idea how much it encourages MY heart as Henry's momma. When I was holding Henry as he was biting and kicking me, I got a glance of the responses to my FB post about it, and my heart was instantly lifted. God has surrounded us with such an amazingly loyal group of friends, family and even strangers who so faithfully stand by our side. The Lord knows we couldn't do this without such a great support team, and that includes all of you.
Please continue to pray for Henry. Things got pretty serious today, VERY serious in fact. My Dad was over helping and Mike had to come home from work. It was intense, scary, maddening, frightening, discouraging, and caused us all to run straight to The Throne to surrender it all, including our Precious Boy (the Lord keeps putting the image of Abraham and Isaac in my head). We don't know what's going on inside of Henry's body or mind, but God sure does. It isn't just something people say, folks - it's absolutely true. God knows every single cell in Henry's body. He knows what is functioning and what isn't. He knows the quirks and mis-fires, and we are asking Him to show us where they are as well.
Ways to pray:
1. For ease of Pain for Henry - his brain swells in a PANDAS flare and he has severe headaches. His body is on sensory overload as well, meaning that every little touch is multiplied by a thousand. What feels like a brush of the arm to you or me can feel like someone trying to BREAK his arm. I know it may sound out-there, but I assure you, this is the state in which Henry has been today.
2. Pray for PEACE - specifically, peace over Henry's little brain. He is so intelligent, so smart, excelling in every subject at school - but in a flare, he cannot think straight and his thoughts are mis-firing all over the place. His mind has no peace and neither does his body. He cannot stop moving and that isn't an exaggeration. Henry will become enraged and start throwing things, breaking things, etc all bc his mind is crying out for PEACE.
Please pray for PEACE over our home as well. Peace is my favorite word and theme for this time of year, Ellie's Month. I long for peace to take over during this difficult month, and I'm longing for it even more now! I want the peace to be so heavy that we FEEL it when we walk in the door.
3. Pray for protection - Henry has been involved in some dangerous things today. He could have been very hurt in a multitude of ways, but thankfully he wasn't. We want that protection to continue over Henry. That angels would surround his every coming and going from our home and that he would be protected from every car, from every person, from every object that could cause harm.
4. Pray for wisdom and guidance - we are DESPERATE for guidance, ya'll. I mean, truly desperate. We don't have one doctor to spear-head Henry's PANDAS at this time, but that isn't because of lack of effort on our part. We need to know what to do and we need to trust the person telling us what to do. Of course the Holy Spirit will lead us, but we need medical professionals who are as concerned about H as we are! We have been incredibly dissapointed and even let-down by his current psychologist, which of course hasn't help this situation in the slightest. Should we try IVIG treatment? We need a doctor to approve that and we would need Henry to be admitted asap. Should we "wait it out"? Do we immediately take him to a specialist out of state, and if so, how will God provide for that??
Please pray for Henry's other caretakers, including his teachers at school. Would you pray that God would put the right words in their mouths, for just the right times, just for H? Would you pray that He would lead their actions to be those that would ONLY benefit Henry? Would you pray for endurance and hope for each of them as well?
5. Pray for Conner and Lucy - Conner already has expressed that we must give a lot of attention to his brother and little sister, and for the very first time, he's starting to feel left out and left behind. Please pray against these feelings in Conner. Pray for confidence in himself and confidence in us as his parents. Pray that Conner will feel well-adjusted and extremely loved; safe and sound, wanted. We do our very best to show him this, but lately H and L truly HAVE demanded all of our attention. Lord, please lift burdens off of Conner's heart and mind!!
Thank you for praying. As always, you will never know how much it means to us - at least this side of heaven. Thank you for standing beside us and with us, especially through the roller coaster loop of PANDAS and all it entails.
Choosing Hope because of Christ -
Ryan
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For more information on "In Honor of Ellie Kate - A Month of Reckless Love", please visit the following blog post: http://www.thewonderfullymadelife.blogspot.com/2015/12/a-month-of-reckless-love-its-only-just.html
FOR WAYS TO GIVE while receiving a tax write-off (simply click on the links in blue):
*Give to the Ellie Kate Project through Helping Hands Ministries - This is the family medical fund, and ALL donations go directly to Lucy Belle and Henry's medical costs.
*Give to OKC Hope Link- - a ministry we help lead; Hope Link reaches families of children with rare, serious and undiagnosed disorders.
*Give to NKH Crusaders and help us find a cure for this terrible disease which causes GI issues, epilepsy, extreme developmental delays, mental retardation, and more.
I often ask, "Lord, how much can one family endure?" when praying for each of you...yet I know He is sovereign and truly, truly, being glorified. Every time you experience the trauma associated with these illnesses, you run into His arms. You share your victories and your defeats. You are proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth as loudly as your father, who does physically proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. And the rest of us are strengthened to fight in our prayer war rooms. Praying for each item listed and for strength for your physical bodies and your mental perseverance. I always pray that the Father would give you an extra measure of joy and grace along with the shelter of His overwhelming love.
ReplyDeleteI often ask, "Lord, how much can one family endure?" when praying for each of you...yet I know He is sovereign and truly, truly, being glorified. Every time you experience the trauma associated with these illnesses, you run into His arms. You share your victories and your defeats. You are proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth as loudly as your father, who does physically proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. And the rest of us are strengthened to fight in our prayer war rooms. Praying for each item listed and for strength for your physical bodies and your mental perseverance. I always pray that the Father would give you an extra measure of joy and grace along with the shelter of His overwhelming love.
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