I have three almost grown children ~ Megan is 23, Chad is 20 and Madison is18. My oldest daughter, Megan, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 14 when she was a freshman in high school. At that time she had surgery to remove an abscess, along with a slew of other procedures, tests and transfusions. It was a rough time for her and our family (my younger children were in elementary school and I was away for three weeks staying at the hospital with Megan. Fortunately my mom was able to come and help out for a few months while I was away and during Megan's recovery.) During that time I did a lot of research on Crohn's, diet and holistic treatments thanks to a friend of ours who also has Crohn's and had done all the research before me. I completely changed our family's diet to no processed foods-all organic and implemented several holistic "medications" for Megan along with her doctor prescribed meds. For about eight years everything was pretty good health wise for Megan with just a few little issues and a short hospital stay but overall she managed her disease well and lived a normal life, graduating high school, attending and graduating college and getting engaged to her high school sweetheart.
Then this past December things began to change. She was finishing up an internship at ESP, planning her January wedding and looking for a job ~ all things that would cause a lot of stress and exhaustion ~ and on her college graduation day it hit her. The pain of Crohn's. She barely made it through her graduation. We made an appointment with her doctor for the following week. After the doctor visit and MRE she was diagnosed with strictures ~ a narrowing or blockage of the intestine caused by scar tissue from the previous surgery and the effects of Crohn's. Megan's doctor at the time was the pediatric gastroenterologist she'd been seeing since her initial diagnosis, a woman who had become a friend and someone we really depended on, but due to Megan's age and upcoming marriage it was time for her to move to an adult gastroenterologist. It was a really tough move to make. The new doctor wanted to try to treat Megan's structures with a series of different medications before opting for surgery. She did make it through her January wedding and honeymoon but soon after she needed to move back in with us so I could take care of her. It was a long five months as the doctor tried different treatments but Megan just continued to get more and more sick. The medications were clearly not working. She was in constant, agonizing pain, couldn't even keep liquids down let alone food, lost about 15 pounds and had several hospital stays. Finally in mid-May the doctor said we needed to contact a surgeon because the strictures were only getting worse and he'd done all he could do. After a series of events Megan was admitted to the hospital on May 27th with me by her side. (We're in this together, we always have been.) We really thought surgery would happen quickly but after a series of blood work we were told Megan's body was too sick and malnourished for surgery. They had to get her healthy enough to be able to do the surgery. When your body is malnourished it doesn't heal and things that are repaired will fall apart instead of mending. After two weeks in the hospital on IV nutrition her nutrition levels were high enough for her to have the surgery but it was still complicated and serious. The surgery itself went well but the recovery following it did not. Her heart rate stayed dangerously elevated and her hemoglobin was dangerously low prompting two and a half days in ICU and four blood transfusions. Once Megan was back on the regular surgical recovery floor we felt like recovery would come quickly but it didn't. A week after surgery Megan developed an infection and fluid in her abdomen prompting another procedure, IV antibiotics and delaying the regular recovery process.
As of today we have been in the hospital for four weeks. (I say "we" because I've only left on a few occasions but for the most part have been with her day and night.) This past Friday her surgeon (who is amazing, by the way) said she's "turned the corner" in her recovery. Since then she's improved every day and today she was able to eat her first food (mashed potatoes) in well over a month! We are hoping and praying that she will continue to steadily recover and be able to go home later this week. We're ready! Hospital living is not a vacation that's for sure!
I'm so thankful for all of the prayers, support and encouragement we've gotten from our friends and family over these past months and especially in the past four weeks! Everyone's love and the hand of God have gotten us through. Here's the verse of scripture that we've been clinging to these past few weeks ~ Isaiah 41:10.
So that's how I've been spent my summer so far! I hope y'all's summer has been much more savvy, stylish and fun! I hoping to be back with regular fashion/outfit posts in the next week or two. I do, however, post pictures on Instagram everyday and I'd love for you to follow along ~ @mzsavvystyle
Thanks for sticking with me!!
<3 Mz Savvy Style
Today I'm linking up with Monday Mingle and FundayMonday! I've missed those ladies!
1 comment:
Oh lady, prayers going up for your daughter. She and you are amazingly strong and you are an inspiration to me as a mama!
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