It's been a long week!

How can it only be Wednesday? I feel like I have lived a month in the last few days. I think distress, worrying and spending time in a hospital will do that to you.

And to think it all started just a few days ago.

Monday was a perfect morning (OK, it was colder then cold and I wasn't able to wear sandals, so it wasn't so perfect). When I hugged my daughter goodbye and gave her a kiss, I yelled out to my hubby that I thought she had a fever again, and she would need some more medicine and I went on my way. She had been fighting a fever/cough for a few days and we had been praying that she was on the tail end of it.  I hopped into my freezing car, and headed to work.

That was the last thing that was normal about my week.

At the ER

Ever have those days where one thing can set into motion a tilde-wave where you feel like you are on a ride you NEVER wanted to be on, and you have no idea where you will be forced to get off.

My work day started off like normal, and then it turned into not so normal. Sometimes no news is best, while other times news is hard to swallow and you have to put on a smile and tell yourself that no matter what happens God has already been here..He knows the outcome and He works for OUR GOOD. So that's what I did. I smiled, I laughed with my co workers,  and I told God that I knew he had this.

And I believed that. For the most part, that is. Every now and then I would let that moment of panic slip in. I would shed a few tears and let myself dwell on the what ifs. I am only human.

Then I got a text from my husband saying Olivia was feeling worse. 

When I got home Olivia was ready to go to prompt care. I took her "knowing" it was probably just a cold and nothing else. They would give her some meds and she would be good to go in a few days.

Not the case.

A nurse took her vitals then left the room, then came the doctor and a new nurse hustling in, asking questions about her heart and our family's history of heart issues. We were then told that my daughter heart rate at resting was 140 and that they thought she had a block in her heart valve (let me pause to say this...she does NOT have a block in her heart valve, and the cardiologist at the hospital confirmed that the prompt care doctor should never have even mentioned this to us), which freaked not only me out, but my 12 year old as well. I had to ask the doctor to reassure her that she was not going to die.

We were given instructions to call our PCP and follow up with them for her "heart condition" as soon as possible.

While checking our and getting her meds filled,  Olivia starts having shortness of breath and feeling like she was going to pass out, and on the advice of her PCP we take her to the emergency room.



 Where her heart rate continued to fluctuate from 120 - 160, even shooting up to 170 at one point.  She had a fever, was dehydrated and light headed and feel dizzy even when laying still.

Thankfully, the ER staff is wonderful and they try to make her feel as comfortable as possible. She was admitted to the hospital to make sure she did not have a heart problem, and to keep an eye on her elevated heart rate.

Tears, needles, an  I.V, itchy hospital blankets, more needles, even more tears from both mom and my girl, questions without answers...this was our night.

she named her I.V. pole Ivy :)

Through all the questions, tears, and all things related to hospitals (she did like the food), we were surrounded and lifted up in prayer. family and friends were calling and letting us know they were praying for our baby girl. Her friends, and youth group sent her text messages and marco polos to let her know that they were thinking of her. Our pastor and his wife came to pray for her, and in the ER with a nurse standing by to take vitals, we stopped everything and we prayed. We prayed for healing, for peace for Olivia, and for answers.

In the midst of the unknown, there was a peace.

Prayer changes things. there is no doubt in my mind that it does, and even though I had "mama moments" of panic, it didn't take long for me to remember that we were covered. That even if something was wrong, we were where we needed to be. God confirmed this over and over again, through text messages and phone calls from friends, and yes even a random facebook post.

When she would cry out  in the night in pain, we would pray. when she was shaking while walking we would pray. When they couldn't get the blood and had to stick her over and over again, we prayed.

  

We were worried it was her heart, since we have heart issues on both sides of the family, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as that. While her heart is beating faster then normal, it was the RSV virus (who know a 12 year old could get this) that was causing her heart to work so hard.

She is in for 2 weeks of quarantine (not going to lie, she HATES having to stay home for 2 weeks)  and meds to keep her comfortable. It will take a while for her to get back to normal, and we still have to figure out why her body is telling her heart to beat faster, but that is a question for her cardiologist, and another day.She is home, she is not 100 percent, but she will be soon. We are taking it one day at a time.

 

Waiting for daddy to come pick us up outside the Children's Hospital

The last few days felt like we were in a storm...and yet....sometimes in the storm there is clarity... my tidal wave started before we took Olivia to the ER,  and while in the midst of all that chaos and uncertainty, God made it clear what we were supposed to do. The moment we made the decision, there was peace again. Even though I have no clue what the future will hold, I do know the One who HOLDS my future, and therefor I know everything will be OK.