Update on my Scarlett

Prayers answered…

Two nights ago, before Scarlett’s bedtime, she started crying in her room and when I went to get her she was on the floor and kept saying that her head had ouchies.  Scarlett usually complains of something hurting, whether it’s her hand, leg, foot, tummy, or head at random times in the day without explanation and usually when she thinks she might be in trouble!  That night was different though, and she wouldn’t stop crying.  Through the night she would wake up about every half hour or so crying and eventually I brought her in bed with us. It was still a rough night with lots of tears in between little moments of sleep.  In the morning, she was still in pain and if she moved her head at all she would burst into tears.  I started thinking about meningitis signs, got a little freaked out and called the after -hours line at our Doctor’s office (it was Saturday).  I was on the line waiting for almost a half hour while making pancakes, and I passed the phone to my Hubby when he came home from a men’s breakfast at church.  The phone was disconnected, and I was so sleep deprived, worried about my baby, and pregnant that I started crying while trying to get the breakfast ready for the girls! Poor Hubby came home to some fun! ;0)  I was able to call back and get right through.  They set an appointment at an Urgent Care so we packed up the girls and took off.

We arrived at the Urgent Care Center and the receptionist said, “Oh, you’re the one with the 2 year old? The Doctor was just talking to me about her.”  That made me a little nervous. She left for a few minutes to get the paperwork and then when she returned she said, “ We are an hour behind right now and the Doctor is concerned she might have meningitis and will most likely send  you to the ER anyways so, instead of waiting here for an hour just to be sent to the Hospital, she thinks it might be better for you guys to go straight there.”  I walked out in tears, trying not to fall apart in front of the girls, but was also feeling so overwhelmed at the possibility of my baby having meningitis.  I was already thinking it could be that but to hear a real medical person tell me the same thing was too much for my pregnant self to hear…

During all this, Scarlett was in intense pain, crying and telling me over and over, “Mommy, ouchies on my head!”  We arrived at the ER and we were seen after sitting in several waiting rooms.  The Doctor asked questions and then decided to have her get a CT Scan to check for head trauma. She said, “Two year olds don’t normally complain of headaches.”  We took her in, and because I’m pregnant, I had to wait outside the room with Moriyah, while hearing her little cries.  To keep me from crying, I started texting family to pray for my baby.

CT Scan came back clear so the next option was to have her get a spinal tap.  Right before the Doctor came in, Scarlett started showing signs of feeling better.  She was talking again, being playful and had a few smiles.  When the Doctor came in, she told us the next option was to do a spinal tap and I again, started crying.  Tony started asking questions and because Scarlett was now able to move her head in one direction now, and she was more cheerful, the Doctor was beginning to lean towards it being a swelling of her lymph nodes (Lymphangitis) causing the neck and head pain.  She gave a prescription of antibiotics and pain reliever and told us to watch her closely.  If anything was to change or worsen, we would have to go back to the ER and have her get a spinal tap.

We left the Hospital, partly relieved and partly worried that she might get worse.  She was hungry which was a good sign and she wanted Chick-fil-A!  She ate really well and we were so thankful to see her sudden strength and turn-around! We came home and she wanted to watch Diego so we turned that on for a bit.  She was singing and answering all the questions on the show but she still wasn’t moving much on her own.  I picked her up and then asked her to walk into the kitchen for a snack, just to see how she walks.  She stood still for awhile and then slowly walked in to the kitchen.  I started cheering and clapping and then her big sister did the same!  She was so proud!  Throughout the rest of the night she started playing more, running around the room, eating well, laughing, singing, and eating pretzels out of her toes!!  She took lots of breaks to snuggle with me and then she was up and playing again! 

I still can’t believe how quickly things turned around for her.  It is such a beautiful testament of God hearing the prayers of many and faithfully answering then!  Prayer truly is us crying out to Jesus and waiting to see Him move.  Through all of this, I kept thinking that He is in control and whether He answers my prayers the way I hope or not, can I keep my hands fully open to Him, knowing that this is His baby too?  When my Hubby was praying, he said something about Scarlett being from God and asking for help with this little one that “He has entrusted us with”… That was a needed reminder that God knew I needed to hear in that moment!  Scarlett is the Lord’s and He has graciously entrusted her into our care… But first she belongs to Jesus!

Before she went to bed last night, Scarlett said, “We ask God and God help me, Mommy!!”  Best thing I heard all day!  I was so blessed to hear my little 2 year old recognize that it was the Lord that was healing her!  Even through her high moments of pain and crying, if she knew we were praying she would start praying herself and say, “God, just thank You for my Mama, my Dad! AMEN!!”

Children are a crazy, life changing gift from Jesus!  Never have I felt for anyone the way I feel for my children.  God imprints this ridiculous love into our hearts when we become a parent, and we are never the same… when they go through pain, sorrow, joy, blessing, or anything else, we feel it!  The good, the bad, and the ugly!  I was crying and telling Tony, “I don’t think I’m a Mom that was cut out to have anything bad happen to my babies!”  He graciously said, “No one feels like they are!”  True true!!

She slept well through the night and when she woke up, I went in to her room and she sweetly said, “Try get me, Mama!” with lots of giggles!  Someone is feeling better!  She still complians of her head hurting but nothing like the other day...  We are so thankful for the many prayers lifted up by so many, and to Jesus for His healing touch on my little Scarlett Hope… He answers prayers!