February 21 - “Coincidentally?”

Well, our expected day or two of fairly easy, around-the-house lollygagging didn’t work out. Just as I was mowing the back yard, we got word that Josh and Christi had AnnaGrace in the emergency room. The night before, she woke them up with, “My heart feels funny.”  They thought maybe she had had a nightmare, but when they tried to count it, her heart rate was hovering around 140. 

 

When they got her to the ER and started with the testing and stuff, the heart rate shot up over 170 (Mine does, too, AnnaGrace).  After all the preliminary testing and getting an iv started, the ultrasound showed that she had possible appendicitis. That hospital wasn’t equipped to handle a pediatric patient for an appendectomy, so Josh and Christi had to pack her up and get her to Temple, the nearest children’s hospital, about 45 minutes away. And they had to go through the ER there, because there weren’t any beds available. 

 

Fortunately (coincidentally??), a very good friend, Corbin, just happened to be a nurse in Temple. At that hospital. Working in that ER. And he just happened to be on duty. So they had a familiar face on hand to reassure them about the doctor and the unfamiliar territory.  Hmm. Imagine that. 

 

By the time they arrived in Temple, Chris and I had repacked and were back on the road to Waco. The perennial construction threatened to slow us down, but Chris would have none of that. By sheer will power (prayer power?) she managed to brush right through two different lane closures. Of course, we were attempting to maneuver through Houston rush hour traffic as well, so her Nani senses (those are the ones that put Spider-Man’s Spidey senses to shame) were really heightened. 

 

After a quick bathroom/supper break, we hit the road again.  I drove this time, since we knew it would be getting dark, and Chris still has trouble driving at night.  All went relatively well until just north of Navasota.  The dreaded construction again.  But this time the road narrowed to one lane, and of course there were lots of impatient drivers who just knew it would be OK for them to drive on up to the barricade and expect to be let in the line then. It definitely added to our time.

 

By the time we arrived in Waco, though, Josh and Christi and AnnaGrace had just arrived as well.  Seems the pediatric doctors had rerun the ultrasound, and they were convinced that the appendix looked fine.  The pediatric surgeon told them some things to watch for over the course of the next week, but didn’t see any reason for them to stay in the hospital.  He seemed to be leaning more toward some kind of virus that just had to run its course. Josh was convinced that the prayers of the saints during their drive from Waco to Temple had pretty much healed that tiny appendix, at least for the time being. 

 

We will hang around at least for a little while today to see how she did through the night. It’s still a little up in the air, but we may head home today or tomorrow.  Keep those prayers coming.

 

Matthew 10:16 says, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves”

 

Father, Thank you for the answers to our prayers so far.  Keep doing your work of healing on AnnaGrace, and help Josh and Christi get caught up on some of that missed sleep.  Amen.