Joshua has had a cold for about a week. It was just a nasty cold, with acough that wakes him (and me) at night - but nothing I was really worried about.
Until this afternoon.
This afternoon, Joshua went from a slightly lethargic, yet still happy-go-lucky little guy to writhing in pain in a matter of 15 minutes. Joshua is one tough cookie. He almost never cries from pain, so when he cries, I have learned to pay attention QUICKLY. When his cry was, "My mouth hurts! Ooooohh Mommy, help me! Owie, owie, owie my mouth!" flash backs of the summer tooth trauma sent me into a near panic.
I gave him a dose of the pain killers left from the tooth trauma and headed straight to the walk-in clinic. Let me tell you, the walk-in clinic was THE LAST place I wanted to be. There are so many seriously sick people, and I really did not want to sit surrounded by their germs! However, when JG cries something serious is going on, so to the walk-in clinic it was.
We waited for 2 hours to see a doctor. (simmering in sick germs) Poor Joshua, I think I made him use hand sanitizer 5 times before his name was called.
The nurse called his name, asked him to step on the scale, took his temp, tested his oxygen level - and he shyly, but willingly obeyed. The doctor came in and did an exam. He had never met her before. He allowed her to peak into his mouth, do a throat swab which made him gag, listen to his heart, and check his ears without "freaking out" whatsoever.
She did a great job listening to my "mommy-gut" based concerns. She was kind enough not to quickly dismiss my very quick reaction as crazy! When she looked into his ear she gasped. "We have a very nasty ear infection here," she said.
Prescriptions were written, and we were on our way.
Walking to the car, I was almost in tears as I thought about how far Joshua has come since the first time we saw a doctor.
I will NEVER forget that day. I blogged about it here. It was a moment forever etched in my mind because it was one of several moments when I realized just how "damaged" our son was. His reaction to simply having his temperature taken was totally alarming. He froze. He had sweat pouring from his forehead. He squeezed his eyes shut, tipped his head back, trying to block out the entire world, and cried the most lonely, sorrowful cry I have ever seen. I will never forget it. It still brings tears to my eyes. I will never know the root of that traumatic reaction, and I probably do not want to know it. I do know that at that moment, I realized just how much work we needed to do to help our small son heal.
Over the last 2 and a half years, Chad and I have worked hard to help Joshua heal in so many ways. We have done everything we could to learn about attachment, bonding, and all sorts of methods which will help to healing the hearts and minds of kids from hard places. We have parented in "strange and unusual ways." We have prayed, and prayed, and prayed. And God has been faithful.
It took two and a half years, but TODAY our little man made it through a doctor's appointment with NO extreme trauma reactions. He even commented to me, "last time I was here, I kind of freaked out about being on the scale (true that!) but I was littler then. Waaaaaay littler! I am big now. I can be brave!" (Last year when we were in for a well child check, the scale was NOT his friend.)
He is correct. He has become "strong and courageous. He is no longer terrified or discouraged, for the Lord his God has been with him wherever he has gone."
I am encouraged tonight. And I want to encourage you to pray scripture over your kids, yourselves, your husbands, your friends. I believe that the root of Joshua's healing was in prayer. There has been a rare day that I have not claimed Joshua 1:9 over my son. I have no doubt that the word of God has seeped into his heart, mind, and soul bringing more healing that all my "great and wise" parenting techniques ever could. Use good parenting techniques, people! But always remember that the true healer is God.
To Him be the glory, great things He has done.
