I Truly Have So Much To Be Thankful For

Two years ago today, Parker was admitted to Children's Hospital in Omaha for the first time.  He was taking a turn for the worse and the hospital here in town wasn't equipped to handle the care he needed.  I remember the trip to Omaha in the ambulance very vividly.  My heart was pounding in my chest, I felt like I couldn't breathe, I was shaking, I was utterly exhausted, I didn't want to take my eyes off Parker for one moment and I had never experienced fear like that in my life.  I was so very scared that my sweet little boy wasn't going to make it and that's more than any parent wants to have to think about.

It was during that hospitalization that Parker got his trach and g-button put in among a pretty long list of other surgical procedures.  I remember how scary the trach seemed at the time, how much there was to learn, and how many things it seemed could go wrong.  During that hospital stay, we added a much longer list of Doctor's to Parker's file, found out an even longer list of new diagnoses and learned more about medical equipment than I ever thought possible.  I also discovered that a person really can survive on hardly any sleep.

Through all the hard stuff that we experienced in November of 2010, I also felt the awesome presence of God and knew that with Him we were going to make it through this. I found a strength I never knew I had, I grew up a lot, I appreciated our families more than ever and I was so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we received and prayers being said for us. Paul and I grew closer, I vowed to be a better Mommy to Alexa, I was amazed and in awe of how strong and wonderful Parker was and my perspectives and priorities changed for the better.

So this Thanksgiving I can say how truly grateful I am.  I am thankful for how my experiences have changed me for the better and made me the person I am today.  I am also very thankful for modern medicine, state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, medical technology, great physicians, caring nurses, other medical professionals and staff, medical supplies, and health insurance!  Without those things my little family may not be where it is today and Parker wouldn't have been able to come so far and be doing so well.

Happy Thanksgiving!!