"Sickness has hit...., again"

Okay, so Jay is leading a bible study at our house every Tuesday night about the "heat" people experience in their lives - discussing how circumstances may not change, but our hearts can change in the midst of circumstances. Maybe we are supposed to be the example???  Guess he can't really teach effectively about something he hasn't experienced himself.

Well, this has just flat out been a hard year for a myriad of reasons. No other words needed.

This sweet boy has contracted bacterial pneumonia somehow. This makes the 8th major respiratory illness he has had in 2 years (RSV 2x's, Croup 2x's, Upper Respiratory Infection 3x's, and Pneumonia -also FLU, which led to serious respiratory distress).  I took him in to the doctor this week, refusing to leave until they did a chest x-ray on him rather than sending him home saying "he just has another respiratory virus". Very thankful for the promptings of the Holy Spirit and "mother's intuition".  He has been one sick little boy for the past 3 days. He is on an antibiotic and an inhaler in hopes of knocking this thing.  His pediatrician is saying now that he believes him to have "Reactive Airway Disease", making him much more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.  I have been sensing this year that there may be some underlying issue going on rather than just "1st year of preschool germs".  I think that is still a big part of his frequent illnesses this year, but something is making him more prone to these germs and what the doctor is saying makes sense. Something is triggering his respiratory responses and it could be allergies - which would not surprise me in the least bit. We are a very allergic family - sorry buddy!  You got it honestly.  He has chronic congestion and cough, and is prone to these major respiratory diseases. We have an appointment with an allergy specialist next week to do some further testing. I am praying we can get to the root of what is causing all of this. Hopefully we can stop with an allergist, get on the right combination of medicine and not have to go any further, but of course will do anything to help him. He is the best patient I have ever seen, never complaining once - just keeps saying, "I really am okay mommy" (when I know he's really not).

But for now, we are just loving on him and helping him be as comfortable as he can as we ride yet another "heat wave".

And as I write this, Ellison is coughing in her room. She has allergies too. Let's all just pray right now that she will be protected from pnuemonia. This is scary stuff.