Two years...

A lot has happened since I posted on my previous blog.  Almost two years.  Two years worth of life, struggle, joy, sadness.

Our second baby was born healthy and on her due date! I was on bed rest for several months with her.  She is perfectly formed and sweet as can be.  I cannot believe she's almost two!

I have had numerous health issues since then.  Relationship ups and downs.  Job changes.  Heart aches.  Abundant, overwhelming joy.  Depression and anxiety.  Longing and loneliness.  Moved to the country.  Had a total transformation.  Overcoming evil with good.  And of course miracles! So many miracles.

I almost have a hard time picking one testimony or story over another to start with.  This is just a small preview of what we have been up to.  My desire is to share to bring hope.  God has done some amazing things, even in our darkest times.

I will start with our baby girl, Amelia and the events around her birth.  Grab some popcorn, it's a long one.

We induced on June 5, 2014.  I had been and out of active labor for 3 weeks straight.  Sometimes the active labor lasting from a few hours to a day or so.  Well come to find out, she was blessed with an extra large head.  She got stuck in my hip and we had to do a c-section.  One of my biggest fears.  But once she was out and she started crying, I thought to myself "God, if I had to do it all over again, I would! She is 100% worth it!"

Recovery from the c-section was much quicker than my previous birth and was not intimidating or painful.  I had heard horror stories, so I was especially pleased it wasn't the same for me.

A week after she was born, I had the worst tooth pain of my life.  Literally hunched over, holding my face, crying.  I had a broken tooth that couldn't be repaired while I was pregnant.  So off to the dentist I went.

A root canal was the order and I've never been overly skittish of the dentist so I was ok.  I just wanted the pain in my face to stop.

They had to numb me several times and it took forever! They also prescribed me some penicillin for the infection.  Little did I know the events that would unfold from there.

My face never woke up from anesthesia.  The anesthetic and needle placement caused Bell's Palsy on the left side of my face.  I've had Bell's before, but never this severe.  You could have hit me and I would not have felt a thing.  Complete paralysis.

I could deal with it! I was happy my baby was born healthy, I can deal with this!

After a few days of taking the antibiotic, I started to get red hives.  I thought I was getting shingles again only to find out the red hives were all over my body.  I was having an allergic reaction to the penicillin.  I stopped taking them.  I can deal with this!

The penicillin was still circulating in my body. My feet and hands began to swell.  My husband said that it looked like I was in a fat suit because my hands and feet were so stretched out.  It's like they didn't look real.  I began running a high fever.

I went to a new doctor because my original GP was booked.  He told me I was experiencing serum sickness.  When your body has been fighting off an allergen for a period of time that it's now in crisis mode.  I was prescribed steroids.  Ok, I have the right medication to help.  I can deal with this!

The swelling got worse and fever didn't go down so we went to the ER for another injection of steroids.  They went ahead and prescribed me another antibiotic because of infection.  They prescribed Levaquin.  I should feel better in the morning.  I can deal with this!

I start the new meds and I start to have this horrible tightness in my chest and my swelling is still really bad.  My head is throbbing! I'm not so sure I can deal with this!

Finally it gets so bad that my throat is swelling shut and my brain is screaming for oxygen.  I can barely talk as my chest and lungs are swelling shut.  I have to force out yelps of words.  It is unbearably painful and extremely surreal.  Like I was fully inhabiting my body but not inside of it at the same time.  I felt everything, but I felt like my mind and spirit were hanging on by a tether.  I definitely cannot handle this.

My husband starts to panic and asks if he should call an ambulance, I somewhat say no because I think of cost! But just a few seconds later, I yelp out "call the ambulance!".  He calls and within seconds an ambulance and firetruck are in the street.  They get IV's and drugs going.  They load me up while I look at my (by this time) 3 week old baby and my 3 year old daughter who is panicked and scared.  I give them all a thumbs up and a sign language "I love you" and I pray "God please don't let this be the last time I see them!"

I am slowly breathing better in the ambulance and they get me into the scariest looking ER room I have ever seen.  I can only assume that it's for emergency surgery.  Very big, bed in the middle of the room, bright lights and all sorts of crazy machinery.  I'm terrified and shaking. Somewhat from all of the steroids and benedryl they are pumping into my system every 15 minutes, but also out of fear.

Then a sweet face walks in the room.  A friend from our church who works in imaging got a text and she headed straight over.  She held my hand, prayed for me, and reassured me that everything was going to be alright.  She waited until I calmed down some and was breathing better before she had to go back to work.

Then a second sweet face walked into the room.  Another friend who left work early to pray with me.  She has had these reactions from food allergies and she knows how scary it is and how fast things can spiral.

Finally and thankfully my sweet husband walked in.  I was so relieved! My best friend had gotten to the house to watch the girls.  I can't stop crying.  I'm scared, I'm mad, and I'm worried for my exclusively breastfed newborn and my now traumatized toddler.

I wanted to know why? Why now? After we had endured the long months of bed rest.  After we had gone through so much already.  After everything.

Things began to turn around quickly after this, but the ramifications would last for the next 2 years.  One doctor revealed that the ER doctor should have never prescribed Levaquin after an allergy to penicillin.  It's too closely related.  She said that if I hadn't been taking oral steroids already, I would have died.  The steroids had slowed down the reaction.

I stayed for 2 days in the hospital.  I just wanted to be home with my children.  I missed my big girl and my new baby.  I missed my husband.  My husband stayed the first night with me.  I had to stay until all the antibiotic was out of my system.  The second night I was solo, but a good friend came to the hospital early the last morning.

That last day was so sweet.  My pastor and his wife came to visit, my best friend and her family came, and my parents who had been out of town came.  And of course the best, my hubby and kids came! Then they said I could go home.  Praise the Lord!

I went straight to the bedroom and slept! I also cried.  A lot.

I was still mad.  Mad at God (just being honest) for allowing this.  I already felt down and then kicked while I was down.  The only thing I could relate it to is getting in a terrible car crash.  Then when the car stops spinning, you realize you are ok! Yay! Unscathed!  Then an 18-wheeler plows into your car, maiming you.

I had a long journey of healing both physical and spiritual ahead of me.  Those will be stories for another day.  I will say that I'm so thankful He didn't leave me there in that place of despair.  This whole story is a journey that keeps unfolding.  This post may seem very negative, but it's the beginning of a new thing God has begun in me.  It's always darkest before the dawn.

  

Welcome!

Welcome to my new space!  I'm so excited you have joined. I wanted to streamline a little bit and give new life to my writing.  I will occasionally link to my former blog in reference to something, but this is where the majority of posts will be.

I have felt renewed passion to write what is on God's heart for our lives and for others.  I had a word from the Lord 4 years ago about writing.  So many things have come my way since then and I let the dream dwindle.  You can read about that awesome word HERE.

So why the title, The Everyday Miraculous?  Because everyday is miraculous, everyday is full of tiny miracles, everyday is filled with big miracles that we may not be able to see.  I hope to share these as I update you on some really amazing miracles both big and small that have happened in our lives.

Until then, be blessed!