Pulmonology Appointment

What a joy this week has been! Caroline is so full of joy and she has started squeeling so loud you could probably hear it a block away.  Her little personality is shining through a little more each day and it is strong, silly, sweet, and pretty much heart melting.  Jett has also had a great week enjoying time with mommy and baby sister. He takes great care of Caroline, always wanting her to wake up to see what he is doing. 
Today we visited Dr. Rivera, Caroline's pulmonologist at Children's. It only took Jay making many phone calls to physicians, nurses, and hospital administration to get us in on priority. :-). Dr. Rivera recommended we move forward with a lung biopsy to hopefully determine a diagnosis or at least continue ruling out diseases.  She will personally call us Monday afternoon with the date and time she schedules with the surgeon.  She will be in the operating room with Caroline and will perform a bronchoscopy before the biopsy is performed and if she sees something that could possibly be causing Caroline's issues, she will immediately call off the biopsy.

Upon exam today, Caroline appeared to be getting better.  Her respiratory rate was only 58 and when Dr.Rivera first saw Caroline on July 26 it was 108.  I explained to Dr. Rivera how Caroline has periods of time when she does so well and then a few hours later she almost appears manic. Her chest caves in almost an inch deep on the sides revealing her tiny little ribs and she breathes 90-95 times per minute.  When Dr. Rivera listened to Caroline's lungs, her comment was, "she is very loud.". Not only is Caroline's breathing audibly loud, it is also loud inside her chest.  She is our little "song of happiness" (like her name's meaning) inside and out.

I don't know exactly what Dr. Rivera is looking for on the biopsy and I prefer it that way.  I trust her greatly and if I knew more details, I would be tempted to google all the  outcomes.  If I did that, well....that just wouldn't help my anxiety level.

The biopsy is not a benign procedure.  In fact, I have been fearing this for over a month now.  Caroline is not in any pain right now.  Discomfort, yes, but she really doesn't know any different.  After she wakes from anesthesia from the biopsy, she will be in pain.  They will give her pain medication and will keep a chest tube in to drain the biopsied area of fluid.  I am avoiding the thoughts about seeing Caroline experience pain. I am trying to just trust the Lord to carry me as he carries her because this will be the hardest thing we've experienced so far.

Still we are grateful knowing Caroline is good hands.  Not ours, not the doctors', But Jesus', the Great Physician. We pray for the many families who experience childhood conditions, sicknesses, and diseases with their children.  We are thankful that from what we know we are looking at treatable diseases.  We know many families do not have that assurance and somehow they too have to learn and trust God's goodness.  Would you join us in prayer for the moms, dads, grandparents, friends, and families of the children around the world who are also asking God for their child's healing? Would you join us in gratitude for the eternity our Lord Jesus Christ is planning for us where all is made new and whole and every tear is wiped away? If you don't know our Lord, would you invite Him to show Himself to You? He is faithful and His greatest desire is for you to experience Him.