Day 5 Update

We didn't get to visit the boys today. :-(

Matt and I were both sick, sick, sick. We're both on Z-packs, and by the end of Friday night here, we are finally improving. Praise Jehovah Rapha for healing.

Mattie was up with Selah most of the night last night. Selah was inconsolable and had 101 fever. She saw our pediatrician Thursday, and he couldn't find anything wrong with Selah besides a red throat. He did a throat culture and it was negative, so he suspected she just has a virus.

After Selah's sleepless and inconsolable night (the inconsolable is out of the ordinary), plus several middle of the night phone calls from Mattie, we decided to call Selah's neurosurgeon at 8am to see if they wanted to do a CT scan to check her shunt for any type of malfunction, including overdrainage.

With a shunt baby, you don't get to sit around and wait when it comes to fever and inconsolability. The neurosurgeon's nurse advised us to take Selah to the ER and she called in orders for a CT scan and shunt x-ray series.

My amazing friend Carrie (Rowan's mom) rearranged her day so she could take Selah to the ER. Out of all my friends, she's the one with the most wide array of hospital experience. Rowan has a shunt, too, and he's spent more days in the hospital than not, so it was a great comfort to me that Carrie was taking Selah to the ER. Mattie went as well, so Selah was in great hands with that team!

After about 5 hours at the ER, it was determined that Selah's shunt is fine. Praise God! The neurosurgeon's nurse said shunted kids will have higher pressures in their heads when they have fever, making them more uncomfortable. We're not exactly sure what the cause of Selah's sleepless and inconsolable night was, but we're praying for a better night tonight!!!

It's hard to be on the other side of the world, period, but with a sick kiddo at home, it's even harder. Plus, being sick ourselves adds another challenge.

There's nothing too hard for our Father. The suffering Jesus endured for us means even more when we think we might have it bad. Our "suffering" is incomparable.

Praying all of us will be well soon, and that we'll be able to visit our boys SOON! I pray their caregivers give them extra lovin' when we're not able to visit. I thank God for the team of caregivers God has organized in Texas who are surrounding our family with His love by being His hands and feet. Thank you to all who have generously and abundantly provided meals, thank you, Carrie, for taking Selah to the ER, thank you, Stephanie, for holding down the fort, and thank you to our kids for doing an amazing job in the absence of Mom and Dad.