A few weeks ago my pastor's wife preached an incredible message. The major take away I received was a point she titled "Interruptions are Life's Invitations." My life is full of interruptions. Everything from the minors like the coffee machine not working to a major work project can make me pull my focus from what really matters. Sometimes I am graceful and forgiving. Other times.... well we will just call it hormonal (because I am only 11.5 months postpartum... right?!) Brian and I have recently encountered one huge interruption that has served as a wake up call to us both.
My pregnancy was amazing and labor was such an incredible experience for us. Brady has slept thru the night since week 2 and hasn't had an antibiotic yet. (For all you working mamas using daycare you know how big of a deal that is!) But as wonderful as this all sounds we have had seemingly bigger issues. At three months Brady hadn't gained a significant amount of weight. The doctor didn't seem concerned and gave us a few easy fixes that we tried. She did want us to come in for monthly weight checks, which was fine with us. But by six months he had only gained a few ounces, had no head growth and wasn't hitting milestones like rolling and sitting up. And so the waiting began.
We waited for physical therapy to begin. As PT started we waited for Brady to do anything that showed progress. In the meantime we tried some new diet options and began intense play at home to keep him active and progressing. By nine months we still hadn't seen much progress so we were referred to a neurologist where it was determined that he had a thin myelin sheath that caused low muscle tone. We began more lab work that found he had thyroid myopathy. The doctor said he wanted to run a more specific panel to double check the results. He said if it was still elevated we would wait for the endocrinologist to call. At this point I felt like I needed a separate address book for Brady's medical posse.
We waited for the results and finally received a call later that week stating that his thyroid was still elevated and that his creatinine was extremely high. He needed to come in the following work day. His levels were near those of kidney failure. So we sat in complete shock. How could this little boy who eats like a sumo wrestler and plays and smiles all day long be so sick. We waited for some sort of sign that he wasn't well. We waited for Monday to come so we could see the doctor.
Talk about serious suspense. Long story short, we began discussing the results with the doctor only to find some discrepancies. It was quickly discovered that the results we were given over the phone were not ours. Unfortunately someone else's labs were connected with our contact info. So many emotions flooded my heart in that moment. The doctor review our labs and stated that Brady's thyroid had regulated with our diet changes and his results were completely normal. But this isn't a post about a human mistake and whether it is forgivable or not. This is a post about an amazing answer to our prayer and the lesson we learned through that experience.
It has taken me a few weeks to process everything that has transcended the last few months. And on today, Brady's original due date, I have come to realize two things. 1.) Being a mom is a lot of waiting. I have waited to have Brady. I have waited to get in the doctor's office. I have waited for lab results. I have waited on Brady to finish PT. I am Brady's waitress every. single. day. I will wait for school to end. I will wait eagerly for a date night. I will wait for extracurricular activities to start and then end again. But all of this present and future waiting has taught me a second lesson. 2.) Waiting is my invitation.
I have learned that I need to take those moments I am waiting in and focus my attention on molding Brady into the amazing man I pray he will one day become. I have realized that though I may not be with Brady every minute of every day, I am one of the two main people he will look to for guidance. Even at his young age I am using my waiting as God's invitation to invest in my son. This has become not only my prayer, but my purpose. What are you waiting for?
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