We are already in midsummer! Summer isn't my favorite season, as I prefer spring or autumn, but this time around, it is particularly nice.
My older daughter, Rachel, became gravely ill for the second time in her life the beginning of April. She wasn't released from the hospital/nursing facility until June 3. She still has a blood clot near her heart, a side effect of the treatment for her rare blood condition. She takes daily injections for that, as there are only two designer medications to treat it. They're very expensive, as rare illnesses usually are to treat, but God is good and blessed us with assistance from the pharmaceutical company.
The days that Rachel spent close to death were the most difficult of my life. Even more so than when she was first ill at eleven years old, because this time around, I was more familiar with the potential dangers and the realization that it is going to be an issue for her to stay alive for the rest of her life. To add to that angst, TTP affects the cognitive thinking of its victim. She was refusing treatment and would thrash around, the slightest bump and she would bleed to death. She wanted to be home and watching her pain was equally as painful for me. But again, God is good and he spoke to me through a surprising (to me) source.
My younger daughter, Monique, was my rock. She kept holding me, reminding me that God isn't finished with Rachel yet. That He, in His infinite wisdom, uses physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to make sure that she is treated well & that He uses them as guardian angels. Then she reminded me that we are all part of His plan and we have to remain on his path, regardless of the hardships, to do His will and reap His reward. All this wisdom from an 18 year old diva!
Living as an Oblate Sister of Mary Magdalene, I didn't take a break from my prayer regimen, but I added to it. I never realized just how much prayer we humans can actually fit into a 24 hour day. I woke up nights, anxious with worry, and sat on the edge of my bed (because I can no longer kneel :-( ) and immersed myself in prayer. I discovered that on the local Catholic radio station, I can pray the Divine Chaplet at 3pm each afternoon! And, I never engaged so many prayer warriors in my life. As frustrated as Rachel was, she had many many visitors, from her job, from the neighborhood, from Church and other non Catholic Christian friends.
One humorous break we were afforded was particularly.... ironic? Due to a clerical error when Rachel was admitted to the Catholic hospital, she was listed as having no religion. We asked everyone on staff, including a couple of the non Catholic Christian chaplains available to us, that she (and I) wanted to receive The Eucharist. It wasn't until three days before her release to the nursing home, a lovely lady rabbi corrected the situation and made sure that she was visited by a Eucharistic Minister every day.... Yes, America, it took a JEWISH RABBI to help the Catholic practice her faith!
So, while I was blessed with a beautiful Easter Sunday, I wasn't given a nice spring and I missed most of spring altogether! But now, here it is the 4th of July and we are grilling jumbo beef hot dogs & steak, eating potato salad, baked beans, tossed salad and corn & bean salad.... Momo and Rachel are enjoying all of the firework displays in the area, Rachel participated in the Doo Da Parade (yick) and both of them are spending time at the pool, imitating dolphins. This is the best Thanksgiving I have ever had on the 4th of July!
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