Reaching For His Sleeve.

On May 1st, 2008, I gave birth to my third daughter, Chloe Louise. She was beautiful. When the nurse handed her to me, I gave her the usual mom exam. Ten fingers, ten toes, I looked into her big eyes and smiled. Then I saw something. I immediately called the nurse over and asked her to look at Chloe's tongue. She had three flat white spots on her tongue. The nurse said she thought they were "sucking blisters" from possibly sucking her fingers while in my womb. The blisters did not go away.

When she was a month old she started going to an ENT and he had honestly never seen this on a patient before. After his exam and some research he said come back in a month to see if there were any changes. We went in once a month, no changes. As a mother, I was terrified. I was exhausted with bad thoughts. I would stand in my living room with my precious baby in my arms, and cry to God to not take her away from me. That I believed He could and would heal her. I didn't know how, but I knew He could do it. So any time my mind would go to the extremely bad outcomes that the Doctor warned us about, I would give her tongue over to God. I could not handle this on my own.

We asked for prayer at church, and one particular woman who prayed over Chloe, prayed for me too. She told me that any time I felt a 'nudge' to go to the alter for prayer, do it. So I did, several times. 

When Chloe was 6 months old she had a biopsy on her tongue.

We had to wait a week to get the biopsy results, and that wait was torture. Little tongue, with little stitches that had to heal. The week finally passed, and we went in to the office to get the results. I've never seen a bigger smile on the Doctor's face. It was just an overgrowth of taste buds! We were overwhelmed. So thankful, so grateful.

On the car ride home, my thoughts were so mixed, had this just been a medical mystery? Did God really hear my pleas? No, I refused to believe that this was just "chance, a fluke." I was not going to forget what had happened over the past six months, I wasn't going to let a day pass without giving praise where it was due. He was worthy to be praised. He healed my child. 

I am once again reaching for the sleeve of Jesus, asking Him to heal my baby. I am counting on Him to show His mighty healing power once again. I am asking for Him to show me His Glory.

To give a quick run down: my dad has Hemophilia A (factor 8 deficiency) and I am a carrier. I have always been told that if I ever had a son, I would need to have him tested. At three days old Liam was tested, and his levels were low, and we have been referred to a blood specialist. I refuse to forget what My God is capable of. He is Greater, Bigger, Mightier than even I can imagine. I know He has my son in His hands, and that's all that matters. I am asking for the prayers of my friends. Please be believing and praying for the complete healing of Liam.

He can have a normal childhood, but I want it gone. The worry, the concern of passing it on to his daughters, etc.

I believe God is still in the healing business!

Thank you, in advance friends for your prayers. I truly appreciate it!

I originally wrote this in October 2011 what a shame that I didn't have the guts to share it until now.

2/12/13: Here we are 15 1/2 months later and I am still constantly keeping grip on His sleeve. I know my faith is stronger.

Last week Liam received 2 shots, due to the hemophilia he can only get 1 shot per limb so his muscles aren't overwhelmed. I honestly wish I would have done this for my girls, but that's a different story. I have to put ice packs on Liam's thighs and apply pressure after his shots, so that's what we do. But this was the first time he's had shots since he learned to walk, so it brought on a new challenge. He wanted to get right up afterward. Gravity didn't help his little leg, he started to swell when we got home and he wouldn't walk on his heel. I called our Hematologist and she wanted to see him. So we went in and preceded to wait in the infusion room for his clotting factor.
If I can paint a picture for you of that day, we are in a huge waiting area and Hematology and Oncology are in the same clinic. So as I'm sitting there frantic on the inside about what's about to happen to my baby I see other moms and 1 grandma sitting with their babies getting chemotherapy or sickle cell treatments. I am praying for these moms and grandma while they're there waiting. It's a reality check. Finally, his factor is ready and we go into a room and I hunker down around Liam so the nurse can find a vein. She gets his vein in just one stick, thank you Jesus! He's crying, I'm trying but failing at holding back my tears. The nurse gives me tissues and we're free to go. We go home get some lunch and I put Liam down for a nap and by that evening the swelling is half the size it was before.
Every stage of his life we learn something new, he is growing and he is precious! I still have hope that God will show me His Glory. I cannot be silent any longer about this. We cannot do life on our own.