UPDATE ON EMILY

I finally have some quiet moments to provide a more detailed update to you all. First, let me say how overwhelmed by how many people have emailed, texted, called, tweeted and facebooked over the last 2 days! God has encouraged us through them…and when you are 2 hours from home, family and friends in a situation like this, you need a lot of encouragement! The body of Christ has been amazing!

So many people have asked what began all of this, so I want to take a minute to explain it. Emily was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when she was 21 months old. The only treatment for that is to be on a strict gluten-free diet. When a person who has CD ingests wheat gluten, their body actually turns against itself and begins attacking the intestines. The result is malnutrition, extreme gastro symptoms, etc. and if not cared for properly, it can be extremely threatening. The good news is that God placed Emily in a family with a Mom and Dad who are pretty rigid rule followers! We do everything in our power to make sure she eats safe foods. That being said….

Sunday began with Emily not even eating a grape because her stomach wasn’t feeling well. By the afternoon she had severe abdominal pain and bleeding. We went to the ER and were dismissed but within an hour and a half of returning home the pain had returned and increased. We were then admitted to Phoebe by our pediatrician’s office. Yesterday, after our physician, Dr. Holwerda, examined Em and consulted with her pediatric Gastro doc in Macon, they decided that the best thing for Emily was to be transported by ambulance to MCCG to undergo more specific testing.

Our first night was chaotic, to say the least. Emily began the “cleansing” process for a colonoscopy and endoscopy. We had our choice between an NG tube (through the nose to the stomach) or a tasteless solution in apple juice. DUH! Hands down we chose the solution in the juice! It did come with a price however. Emily had to drink the solution every hour during the day…and every other hour during the night. Needless to say she was exhausted by sunrise!

We have spent today in the activity room…well, between the activity room and the bathroom every 10-20 minutes to be more specific. She has been a trooper through the whole thing and has amazed everyone with her constant smile…even when prodded with needles and other things you don’t want near you!We found out this afternoon that the scopes will take place Thursday…not sure of a time yet. Emily is starving and will not be able to eat until after the test…so, pray for her endurance.

So, what will these tests reveal? Well, for a person with CD, a view and biopsy of the intestines is the only definitive way of knowing if their intestines are healthy or damaged from ingesting gluten. If she has ingested gluten, we will have to find the source and eliminate it. If this episode is NOT CD related…well, the possibilities are many. That is when we have to fight the battle of the mind…the “what-ifs”. You can pray for that as well.

As I type this, Emily is sound asleep in her hospital bed. I’m hoping that the bathroom trips are finally over. There will be no reason to wake her up tonight so I’m asking God to give her a deep, restful sleep. I will try my best to keep this updated. Photos and quick pics are easier to post to Twitter or Facebook so look there too!

Again, we love you all! Thank you for lifting us up and providing encouragement! And many of you have asked about HG…she is with Frosty and Cathy. I hear that she ran the title search business today, traveling over a few counties showing Frosty and Cathy how it’s done! LOL! She also is apparently baking according to the pics we keep receiving. We miss her so much and can’t wait to have Kav #3 with Kavs #1, #2 and #4 on Thursday!