Hello friends,
We’ve made it through another week! The first full week of work and school in the McClendon house was a great success. We’re tired, but that is ok.
Tonight I have a post that I have been waiting since before Christmas to write. It’s one that I need to write but I’m not really looking forward to. But, the time is finally right, and we need our prayer warriors.
One of the reasons this normal week was so wonderful is because I know next week will be anything but normal. If you have been following our story since the early days you will recall that we found a mass on Cole’s neck not long after Kayleigh’s diagnosis. It’s quite large, about the size of half a softball and sits at his shirt collar. We had him checked out during the summer and were told that it is a lipoma. They did an ultrasound of the mass to confirm that it is indeed just fatty tissue. Cole’s Doctor informed us that it needs to be removed but that it wasn’t urgent. At the time, we delayed surgery because we thought we might be going to England for Kayleigh’s treatment. Of course that trip did not come to fruition, but we were still glad we waited. We wanted to make sure we could give Cole our full attention.
As usual with my stories, that isn’t where this one stops. Grace has been battling allergies and sinus crud since the spring. She went to the doctor in early November and had sinus X-rays done. It showed a full sinus cavity so we began antibiotics to clear the infection. However, Dr. P noticed that her scan looked identical to her previous scan. We were told if the antibiotics didn’t velar it up we would need to see an ENT.
Grace did better on the antibiotics until the last day when everything flared up again. Dr. P started her on different antibiotics and made her an appointment for the ENT. On December 23 Grace for checked out. The X-rays raised enough concern to warrant a head CT scan. Thankfully, those could be done in office. She had the scan and her doctor was checking them out in less than 20 minutes.
And then those words you don’t want the hear… we found something. Somehow the Lord had prepared me to be ready for that. Grace was understandably concerned. Her doctor tells us that he is nearly positive that it is just a benign cyst. Unfortunately, it is quite large. It fills the front, left sinus cavity and seems to be what is causing so much pressure and pain. Grace was very much against surgery, but by New Years she was hurting enough for me to call and schedule the surgery to have it removed.
So – next week we will be having both of those things taken care of. Grace has surgery Monday morning and Cole has surgery Thursday morning. We would very much appreciate your prayers that everything the doctors have told us would be correct. That these are indeed benign masses that just need to be removed, that surgery will be fast and easy, and that recovery will be quick.
I can’t help but think back to a post I made near the beginning of Kayleigh’s journey. God will most certainly give you more than YOU can handle. But it will never be too much to handle if you are trusting Him to carry you through.
I could see where this kind of news could stress a person. Yet I sit here in complete peace. I know that God has a plan for my children. I know that He loves them more than I ever could. And I know that He will never leave me.
Next week is going to be a long week. Please be covering is in prayer.
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Until tomorrow,
‘Carrow💜
Please be praying for these two birds, and us parents too!
