Praise to my God

I didn't share the extreme upsets of this past week because, guys, I just couldn't. I felt if I said it out loud too much, I would absolutely lose it. I stayed in a deep desperation keeping me in constant prayer and meditation.

I want to share what has happened so that y'all can share in the joy.

Most of you know the amazingly difficult time my youngest has been having for almost a year and a half now. She's traumatized and has been very ill.

It all started last summer when she began with horrid back pain...so much so that 3 shots of morphine didn't even touch it. She was just in a new relationship and all of the sudden completely taken down in pain, needing mommy and daddy and many ER visits.

We finally found out after a cat scan that she had two herniated discs in her lower spine. She began massive steroids and was on her way to relief. Only those helped. Pain meds did nothing. YAYAY.

She goes back to trying to begin her young life with her first love and the young man who stuck with her through all and asked her to marry him. She accepted. They found a little place together and were planning a spring wedding. She had been taking the birth control pill for years due to female issues. She visited the OB and made sure that she had protection from them and she did.

Almost a year ago, on Christmas Eve morning she came in with a confounded, very scared look on her face. I asked her what was wrong. She was in disbelief and cried as she told me she was pregnant. She didn't believe it and had taken 8 tests. She'd been on the pill and not very active at all at this point. Further she was dx'ed with polycystic ovarian disease. It's supposed to be more difficult to become pregnant.

Fast forward a month to her first OB visit. They ask MANY, MANY medical history questions. The OB asks her about something she'd checked...past thyroid issues. I explained to him that she'd had a few tests come back borderline hypothyroid. That was it so we'd thought. He goes on with the exam, tells her everything is fine, gives her the due date and we leave. He sends her for initial bloodwork.

Two days later his nurse calls and said that Jessica had to see an endocrinologist. What? Why? She said that the bloodwork showed that she's hyperthyroid and she needs to check with a specialist on that for her and the baby's health.

The appointment was a couple of weeks away and during that time she begins to get VERY ill. Severe pain in her stomach. The worst nausea imaginable mixed with a ravenous hunger that made her cry. She then began with the emotional symptoms...rage, anxiety, panic attacks. She was just very ill. We'd had many ER visits due to her being dehydrated and in panic.

We get in to see the endo and he looks at her and tells her that she's EXTREMELY hyperthyroid...dangerously so. He then does an exam to tell her that she has grave's disease complete with goiter and grave's opthalmopathy. He explains all the danger at that point, including the fact that the chances are that she would miscarry.

She was already very sick with a disease that affects one horribly in mental/emotional ways, and that was almost too much for her. I began a quest to find out more. I quickly realized that her life was in danger, but the pregnancy was critical.

The pregnancy was a roller coaster ride of illness, both physical and mental (due to hyperthyroidism), but somehow she makes it through and so does our miracle child. You see, I'd stood firmly on the fact that God sent us this miracle to save my daughter's life and a miracle is a miracle. None of the dr's were getting it. I mean, at 11 they even tested her for aging diseases due to massive gray hair. She'd always seen opthamologists, but no one was ever getting it with all the medical issues! So he sent a baby to a girl who's chances of conceiving were very low...to save her life, but to also give a woman who was born to be a mother, a child.

During this time my oldest also found out she was pregnant, then five days later miscarried. The next month, she was pregnant again and has had a PERFECT pregnancy and is due literally anytime.

One month before my daughter was due she told the OB that the baby wasn't moving enough. He wasn't passing his tests, but wasn't failing them either. She demanded more and finally they sent her for an other high-risk ultrasound. The neonatologist sent her straight to the hospital to deliver. They were going to induce labor and she had a complete fit saying that the fates had been pushed enough, that he'd survived through too many odds and she wasn't putting him through the stress of a vaginal delivery and they couldn't make her. They tried to talk her out of a C-section but her mind was set. After that, the OB said, "she was right. she knew." when he had two serious decelerations and they had to due an emergency c-section.

Our miracle child arrived with NO difficulties or problems and against all odds. The dr said there are no odds to say why he was conceived considering the polycystic disease, the grave's disease AND the pill. He was just meant to be. We later found out that the pill won't work on her due to the grave's because her body just eats it up.

For three months she did BEAUTIFULLY. My girl was back...strong, well, independent, emotionally stable and a wonderful mama. At about three months post-partum, I saw the old signs and she felt them. See, there's a condition after birth (due to hormones) that's called postpartum thyroidtoxicosis. She was entering into that.

By the time (a couple of weeks ago) it was bad enough (because she wanted to avoid) to get back to the dr. she was entering into a thyroid storm and it was a dangerous situation. Her liver was much more highly involved than it was the two previous times.

He had to take her off the auto-immune drugs which were what could get her better due to her liver. I was scared to death because her heart was also highly involved and she was taking high doses of beta-blockers as well.

He has to put her on iodide drops...something used in emergency situations and prior to surgery...telling her that surgery was a must if they could get her levels stable enough. He was very concerned.

Due to her liver's involvement he told us that he's worried she might have yet another auto-immune disease...specifically lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. I was devastated...we all were. We all kinda believed that after the last year of course it would be. I still prayed hard...so hard for my daughter.

This last week she's been taking these drops and went for bloodwork three days ago as well as another ultrasound of her liver.

We went to see him today and after just days of using these drops and going off the other meds, ALL HER COUNTS WERE NORMAL...except on liver count that had been extremely high. However, it's close to high normal and he's sure it will be normal very soon.

Now the race is on for the surgery to remove the thyroid and goiter because we have a very small window of opportunity. She these new meds only work for a short time before they stop and she can't have the surgery unless her counts are stable or she could go into a thyroid storm. She's to see the surgeon Monday and it will be ASAP.

At the same time my oldest is due anytime and if she doesn't deliver by Weds. they will schedule an induction. I just pray they aren't in the hospital at the same time because I need to be there for both of them plus keep my 4-month-old grandson.

I'm just so very thankful for SO MANY ANSWERED PRAYERS AND MIRACLES. I'm ready for my new grandson to arrive and for daughter's surgery to be over quickly so that she can see a normal life again. I have no doubt her surgery will go well because God has shown His hand guiding this the entire time.

I'm so thankful to all my friends here who have kept us in thought and prayer.

I'm just so thankful period and in awe of a wonderful, all-powerful God who blesses us in the strangest of ways sometimes to bring miracles to our lives.

I feel it's too much to ask for my oldest to deliver this weekend so that I can be available for both my girls when they need me the most, but I'm still asking. I need to be there for both of them and they're scheduled to be in separate hospitals.

KD

Ohhh gosh KD you must be beside yourself! I know its been extremely stressful on you this past year and a half. I am so glad that you will get to meet your new grandbaby soon and that your daughter will be relieved of her symptoms and all the pain she has gone thru. I just hope for everyones sake that everything will go as smoothly as possible. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. Take care of you too ok?

Lots of hugs being sent your way!!

Hugz
Beth

GOD the Father is the GREAT PHYSICIAN (((Hugs)))

Believe in Him or not --- GOD LOVES YOU!

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kim my prayers are with you! has your older daughter started dilating yet?

Yep, Weds she was only 1 1/2 but 70% effaced and zero station, so...

thank you!

KD

YAYAYAY!!! Please see my post in General.

KD

OMG, Kimmy! it's similar to what i went through 2 years ago when i had a stroke at the young age of 33! i was such a medical mystery for many months. whoo! kimmy, don't be surprise if you're daughter has trauma from the whole thing that lasts longer. i know because it happened to me. but, it can be helped. oh, gosh, what a crazy journey you and your daughter have been going through. wow. it's amazing, and definitely a miracle that your grandchild made it into this world.