First...
Thank you all so much for your kind words and posts. You guys that have my phone number have even called - and I really, really appreciate it.
Today is a new day. The sun still rose. And it was beautiful this morning.
One of those where the entire sky - all around - was orange, yellow, pink and purple. It was beautiful.
I have not talked to Lisa today, but I can tell you that last night things seemed to have sorta settled at their house. Lauren is really sick. She has now missed 3 days of school. Lauren normally pushes through school, even if she is sick. She has been known to call her Mom to go get an antibiotic for her and bring it to school so she does not have to miss class. But she just does not have the energy or the will this year - she is still running fever - so she is sick and resting today. This gave us the very rare opportunity to just sit in front of the TV and watch videos last night instead of doing homework (they don't have cable). It was nice to sorta "get away" after a pretty crappy week.
Lisa has given me permission to tell "the DIS people" about William. We are hoping to solicit some prayers from you guys. If you happen to live in MS and know us - please consider this confidential information. I really don't think any of you do...but just in case.
William has been in the hospital. They have come to the conclusion that most of his stomach issues (and some new things - like transient blindness) are all being caused by stress. With the illness in his family, it is understandable for him to have some stress. But the doctors talked to him alone and said that they believe the stress is from school.
Turns out William got threatened on the bus. A serious threat - and we are not even sure everything that was said to him. Earlier in the week, Willam had told his Dad that the bus driver was playing the radio loudly on the bus and playing music with curse words. William's Dad called the bus company. The bus company told the bus driver no more radio (nevermind that it is not even safe!) The bus driver
told the students on the bus.
And the students on the bus
found out it was William.
So the kids all ganged up on William on the bus. No one was hurt and I don't think they actually laid a hand on William. But they were MAD. William's family lives out in the country where there is a large mix of kids. Kids that are well off and kids that are poor. Some kids are really bad (rich and poor, but you get the picture) (some were in alternative school last year - that type of thing). So all of this happened Friday after school - a week and a half ago. Between a sinus infection, a hospital stay and his doctors just saying that William can't go back until this blindness thing stops - William has not been back in school yet. So Lisa...is pulling out her hair!
Too much for a Momma!
William was at the doctor's appt yesterday, since he was not at school. So he was present for the doctor saying all of this to Lauren and her Mom. (Lauren's Dad had a trial.) William even asked the doctor if Lauren was going to die.
He freaked. Which was NOT what he needed.
We are not sure what to make of what the doctor said about Lauren. He didn't have a new diagnosis to offer. I am not surprised to know she is progressing. It is something I have known for a while. I can tell by looking at her - especially if you look at pictures from when I first met them. It is the reason she was granted a wish (most kids with CP don't qualify).
I guess it hit everyone really hard that Lauren may need to have rods put in her neck. This will really affect her whole life. Will she be able to bend over and write? Put on her makeup? What happens when they fix her neck - will the top of her head just do the same thing? Her hands are so crinkled now that we have a hard time stretching them. She can't write as much as she did last year. She gets worn out so easily. She obviously is getting sick more easily. So the questions that enter my mind are...what does her future look like? We have always envisioned her going to college or seminary - getting a job, maybe as a counselor or something she can do by herself with minimal assistance from others. Will she even live that long?
In the short term, we are looking into stretching out her last 2 years of school. Dropping some of her classes this year and adding on a year of high school. She just can't keep this pace. And she is not doing anything "extra"... And now that we don't know what the long term future is...it just seems cruel to have her whole life centered around school. Wake up. Get ready. Go to school. Get home. Do homework. Go to sleep. That is IT. No Facebook. No TV. She is not even getting a regular LIFE!
So...that is on the schedule for today. Check on Lauren's options for school.
Please keep praying for us. I am really doing fine, honestly. Except I am tired (chronically tired) and am hoping to get that fixed soon.
But we really covet your prayers for Lauren and her family.
Thank you all!
HA!! Really though, it's a great poem- I'll put it on in the AM.
They are in our t&p.
Of course, they live right around the corner in the Nile River.
