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That’s where we have been the past month. 

Our sweet Chloe has been sick for a month. Literally she has done what was absolutely necessary to do and otherwise she has been in her bed. Most often asleep. She has had a headache that will not go away. We ended up in ER with her on her 16th bday. Brought her home, she felt better for week or so, we followed up with neurologist and was told if she had another headache to call.  On Aug. 31, I called and reported a headache.  We even saw the neurologist that morning and the neurologist then sent her to the ER.   Chloe was never 100% after this hospital visit.  On Sunday, Sept. 4 she began taking prescribed medicine for a headache.  She had already started some vitamins that are supposed to help with headaches.  All of this has helped but hasn’t alleviated the pain.  She took that prescribed medicine until Thursday when she had to come off of it.   At that point, the neurologist wanted us to try a different medication which we did but it did not help!  So on Friday, Sept. 9, (Conner’s 18th bday), the neurologist sent her back to ER!  

Can I just say I didn’t even want to tell anyone we were at the ER.  I told two people and that was it!  Really…one would think I would have no pride left anymore but it must run deep in my soul!  I didn’t even want to tell my friends we were there.  I was embarrassed. And then when we got a report that was disconcerting I didn’t want to share that either!  Really those Smiths have so much going on to add one more thing would be crazy!  People are going to think we are hypochondriacs or they are going to think we must really be living in sin for all these bad things to be happening.  I didn’t even go to church on Sunday!

Why do we convince ourselves of those things?  Probably not many, if any, would think that!  But I sure can convince myself of what I think people will think!!  And then Sunday night, Chloe cried and said mom what are people going to say about me?  My response…it doesn’t matter Chloe!!  Let people say what they want.   Ummmm….thinking I need to take my own advice and apply it!

Please pray that we can figure out how to handle these crazy, terrible, horrible headaches.

This has become a regular site at our home.  She just has felt so bad!!

Sunday, Monday and today she has seemed better.  Her pain has been down…not gone but down.  When she gets out and tries to do things her pain comes right back up.  Yesterday I took her for a dr. appt. and an allergy shot and I ran an errand and she was back in bed as soon as I got home with her.  Today she got up did her online Spanish class and went back to bed.  She then got up again,  went to work and stayed for art class (which she’s not done much the past month) but came home and felt bad again.  I went to check on her a bit ago and found her crying.  She was so pitiful.  She said mama I’m not well.  I think I’m better but then I try to do something and I feel rotten again.  She cried and said I’m ready to feel better!!  Broke this mama heart!

Her MRI at the hospital on Friday has revealed something new as well.  So please pray for a peace for all of us and that we would be able to understand clearly and have clear answers as to what’s going on in that brain of hers!  This is new territory, new words, new meds, new diagnosis!  We have much to learn I think!  I don’t even know the questions to ask most of the time.  And when I do ask questions, I feel like there is no answer.  So I’m not sure if we will ever understand exactly what is going on in that brain!  On a lighter note, she says she thinks too hard!  She just needs to quit school and her brain will be just fine!!

It is so hard to know what to say and how to deal with the stress this has brought in our lives.  I think we are on better ground emotionally and then something brings extra stress and it’s like we are on overload again.   My body has entered slow motion today.  Just don’t even feel like I have the energy to hold my head up.  Even if there is nothing wrong but migraines, learning to live with them is difficult!  Especially when you already have a disease that wreaks havoc in your body!!  So what normal people deal with as migraine, hers is compounded because it affects every part of her body and it definitely takes her longer to build back her strength when she’s been down.  So the headaches and the muscular dystrophy aren’t working well together.  Not to mention the medicines she takes and adding new ones and how they interact with each other, with her MD, and with her Central Nervous System is quite overwhelming not only for me but for the doctors we have encountered as well.   Please cover us in prayer right now as we muddle our way through this season!