Our Story, Part One

As I have mentioned, I had really just begun to pray in the months leading up to Kaylee’s diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.   Prior to this, I did not understand the importance of prayer at all.  Although I was not yet aware of how serious things were getting with Kaylee, I was praying over many areas in our lives and God had already begun to prepare the way for Kaylee.  Looking back, it is truly amazing!

We had just recently moved to Birmingham, and a close friend of mine was struggling in many areas with her health.  She and I had begun praying together regularly over these things, as well as other areas in our lives.  Her health issues involved serious food allergies, which were drastically limiting her diet.  In fact, there were very few foods left that she could eat without having serious reactions.  I was also having health issues of my own, which included on-going nausea and dizzy spells (that never left after my 5th pregnancy).  At this time, Kaylee was just beginning to have bouts of severe pain in her abdomen. 

It was very strange that we were all facing these various, yet similar, health issues at the exact same time.  My friend had gone from doctor to doctor trying to get answers and seemed to be getting nowhere.  There was really not much left for us to do except to pray for God to send us the answers we needed.  This was exactly what we started to do! 

My friend was at a very desperate place when she finally got some answers.  Someone recommended that she see a doctor in Oklahoma (Dr. Joel Robbins) who was treating his patients with a nutritional approach.  As I understood it at the time, he wasn’t opposed to traditional medicine or the use of medication; he was simply offering an alternative for those who were not satisfied with treating every condition or ailment with a prescription drug.  His focus was also to treat the root cause of disease and other health issues by restoring and rebuilding the immune system, through nutrition.  This was the first doctor who had taken her condition seriously and offered her some real answers. 

She began to try this approach to treating her health issues which included: juicing fruits and vegetables; taking digestive enzymes and other supplements; and eliminating and rotating certain foods in her diet.  She immediately began to improve, and was very enthusiastic about the things she was learning.  I could not argue with the results she was seeing.  I believed that God had brought her these answers, but I never saw myself going to those extremes.

In the months that followed, Kaylee continued to get worse.  Her weight dropped drastically, she was weak, and her stomach pains were becoming more frequent.  In the beginning, her symptoms had come mostly when she was upset or stressed.  Because of this, I had convinced myself that the underlying cause of her problems were related to stress.  One doctor had suggested stomach ulcers could even be a possibility.   I began to focus on trying to keep stress out of her life. I became an overprotective parent about everything! It is not easy to try and keep your child from ever getting upset!   

I wasn’t completely off the mark, as I would later find out that stress is indeed a strong contributing factor to the onset of Crohn’s disease and its symptoms.  Even so, I never would have believed that we were looking at something so serious.  Your mind just won’t let you go there easily.

My friend was continuing to do well, and told me that Dr. Robbins was coming to Birmingham for a seminar in August.  She wanted me to go with her to at least hear what he had to say and see if he might have some answers for Kaylee (and me).  I did not want to hurt her feelings, so I told her that I would think about it.  The cost was around $25, and she told me that if I wanted to go I needed to get the money to her by a certain date.   I decided that I had time to come up with a good excuse to get out of it.  Not only did I think this diet was too extreme for me, I did not want to spend the money or spend an entire day at a seminar.

All throughout this time, I was continuing to pray for answers.  I never would have believed that Dr. Robbins was going to be the answer for Kaylee also, but God had to get my attention fast!  A few days before I needed to get the money to my friend, Kaylee’s body completely shut down: her fever spiked; she began to have bloody diarrhea; and her stomach pain became so intense following meals that she stopped eating altogether.  At this point, I began to become very afraid for her.  I felt completely helpless!

Finally, a pediatrician asked me if there was a history of Crohn’s disease in the family.  I told him that I had a cousin with the disease, but he felt that was too far removed from her to be a connection.  I was relieved to hear this, and quickly removed this idea from my thoughts.  Even so, he made us an appointment to see a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children’s Hospital. 

We had to wait a couple of days for the appointment, and I honestly did not think we were going to make it to that point.  I spent much of the night before on the phone with an ER nurse, as Kaylee screamed out in pain like I had never heard her before!  It was one of the longest nights of my life.  

Upon seeing the gastroenterologist, Kaylee was immediately admitted into Children’s Hospital.  Thus began a long week of test to eliminate (lymphoma and other serious diseases) and to get a definite diagnosis.  It was a whirlwind of emotions for me, as the doctors were explaining all that we were going to be doing.  Although I was so relieved to be in a hospital and to hopefully get some answers, I was very worried about what the doctors were suggesting could be wrong.  I convinced myself that they were wrong, and that they would soon find out that it was something much less serious.

As I was filling out the paperwork to have Kaylee admitted to the hospital, I had to ask someone what the date was.  My days had been so intense and hard that I had completely lost track of time.  As soon as I was told the date, it hit me that this date was familiar to me.  As I sat there trying to remember why I seemed to have this date sketched in my memory, it came to me.  This was the deadline that my friend had asked me to get her the money and to sign up for the seminar for Dr. Robbins.  I knew it might just be a coincidence that Kaylee was being admitted on that very day, but I also knew it might not be.  I had seen God at work in the recent months, and I couldn’t ignore the possibility that He might be trying to get my attention.  I did not want to miss anything that God might be trying to show me!  That night, when my friend came to visit Kaylee, I wrote her a check and told her to sign me up.  For the remainder of that week, as I would find out the devastating news, God continued to amaze me with His presence and His leading.  He clearly already had a plan in motion…..