In This Moment

As you can tell, I've fallen behind with my blogging this summer. Since returning from Illinois, we've had lots of fun swimming, playing inside on extra hot days, boating, attending VBS, and going on ice cream date nights. Just to name a few. :)

Today I need to write about what we're going through right now, in this moment. Maybe I can recap our fun month of July next time.

I noticed a light rash on Aaron's chest and back last week. Of course I'm super-sensitive to him getting a rash, due to the seizure meds he's taking. The goose-bump-type rash faded within 2 days, so I never gave it much thought. Then it came back Saturday night. By Sunday he was itching all over, so I took him to our clinic. The doctor on call told me it was eczema, heat rash, or a viral rash. (Even though Aaron has shown no symptoms of having a virus.) He advised me to use Zyrtec, Aveeno lotion, and hydrocortisone cream. I tried doing that, but yesterday Aaron still itched and the rash was not improving. I just knew something wasn't right.

Miraculously, our dermatologist agreed to see him immediately. This doctor is not taking new patients, her appointments are booked for months and months ahead...but we got in right away. God was all over us yesterday. I need to remember that. One look at Aaron and this doctor said Aaron most definitely has a drug rash.

We stopped the drug causing this, the very drug (Lamictal) that was so effective at stopping the seizures. What a terrible bind to be in, don't you think? But we had no choice. We're treating the rash with a very strong steroid cream and Aaron is back to taking only one medicine (Depakote) for seizures, the very medicine that wasn't working for him back in March.

This morning I spoke with our neurologist's nurse. I've never met her in person, but she is such a wonderful person to speak with. Her voice is very calm and soothing, and she acts like she has all the time in the world for me. We're working with the doctors to figure out what Depakote dose Aaron should take until his next appointment on July 30th. That's another God thing--we made this appointment back in April, and we had no idea how perfect the timing would be for us to get Aaron back to the doctor. But God did.

And the best news today...when I lifted Aaron's shirt to apply his steroid cream, there was no more rash on his back or chest or thighs...just a palm-sized patch on his neck and below his ear. I have no way of knowing if it will flare back up again, but I'm thinking this is a VERY good sign!

We've been warned that the seizures will most likely return. This breaks our hearts. But we will not give up. We are praying for wisdom in the days ahead, in regards to the medication decisions before us. We are praying for a miracle for Aaron. We realize this could be so so so much worse. We are praising God for a Godly dermatologist who agreed to see us yesterday. I can't emphasize how great of a miracle that is. It looks like we stopped the Lamictal in time, before it could do the horrific damage it's capable of doing. I've seen what it can do to a child, back when I was a pediatric nurse, which is why I've been so fearful of this drug all along.

We're moving forward, with God going before us, like He always does. As I said in a text to my brother yesterday, I feel very sad that this is happening, but so very protected.

2 Corinthians 4:8: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:17-18: "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Reading with Daddy this past Sunday :)