Prayers for Juliana

Update 3-24: Jules is better today, though still running a fever. She is much more like herself--playing and being a troublemaker--but not herself just yet. She had a good night, the breathing treatments make a huge difference in how her breathing sounds and in her ability to cough, not wheeze. Thanks!

I had to take her to Urgent Care tonight, and the diagnosis is an upper respiratory infection (explains the wheezy cough, which has only been helped by albuterol through a nebulizer), an ear infection, a fever (102), and a cold. Poor kid. She is on Amoxicillin, the albuterol breathing treatment, and tylenol. She threw up the first round, so we waited an hour, and she is sleeping now with meds in her.

Two things always happen when my kids get any sicker than just a regular cold. First, I pray non-stop for the many families I know with really sick kids, and I thank God that I am only dealing with a minorly sick child (or three, as often happens). Second, I thank God that I live in America, and have access to good medical care. I have been reading a ton about foreign orphanages, and following families who are adopting overseas--one family arrived in Africa to find the 2 kids they are adopting so sick that they would have died in a week if they couldn't get them back to America. In Haiti (our Valencia church supports an orphanage there), even if people can get to a hospital, which is very hard, they usually cannot afford care, there is never enough room, meds are limited, and an adult has to stay with a child 24-7. So, if your child is ill, you stay, permanently, without a break. Even if you have other kids at home.

In contrast, I drove 25 minutes--by choice, because we like a certain Kaiser--passing at least 3 hospitals on the way. I checked in, with no appointment (weekend urgent care is great), waited 15 minutes with 3 other families, and then we all were called in. Juliana was greeted kindly, her vitals were taken, the doctor came, accessed her file on his computer, checked her out, rechecked each ear 3 times, listened to her breathing for a long while, and electronically sent her perscription to the pharmacy, where I had it in 10 minutes. Then I came home and refilled her albuterol (I have enough for right now) online, and it will be shipped to me.

Seriously, it is good to be in America.

I have so much to say, but I am bone tired. Between the kids and the dog I have not had more than 4-5 hours per night of sleep all week. This weekend was so good, church wise. 550 people came to our Saturday Event, new families came to our outdoor church service in our new location--so much to say. But not right now.

This is Resurrection Sunday! I am feeling blessed beyond imagination to be free in Christ from chains of sin and bondage to this world, and to be free in this land to worship God, to live, to work, to play, to be. Good night.