It's been 6 weeks since I last posted. Karly's life has been a roller coaster, so I've not known what to post about her health. Sometimes the reality of this disease just escapes me..., we believe that God will heal her so we are waiting on HIM and HIS perfect timing. It is still just moment by moment. She was on the IV drug for a month. Her snot and cough were at last improved, but just before they took her off the drug, the cough came back. The last 3 weeks she's been off the 2 IV drugs and for the last 3 weeks she has been worsening. Her band-like headache has gotten worse. She got an additional headache in the occipital region on the right side back of her head that is quite painful. Between these two headaches, her days and sleeping have not gone very well. The face swelling and right blood shot eye is back. Her IgE and Eosinophils are extremely elevated. She fell down the stairs last Saturday, then again on Tuesday. The second fall really shook her up. She has never fallen down the stairs. The first fall we didn't think much of it. The second fall was alarming. She immediately thought the worst and was so worried. Really, everything pertaining to her health has been worse. After talking with NIH, they felt that we shouldn't wait until the 17th to come, so we made phone calls to fill in the gaps to our schedule(a big thanks to everyone who is helping out) and hopped on a plane to Maryland. She had her Ommaya tapped on Thursday morning, a brain MRI, and a neurological exam. Cultures of her eye and sputum were taken. So far, the results are negative. We are in a waiting mode for the flow cytometry and viral results. We are not yielding answers to making her feel better....but we are not done yet. We see pain management and have an endoscopy on Monday. Dermatology and ENT are Tuesday. Please continue asking the Holy Spirit for healing, peace, and wisdom.
On a neat note, Karly was asked in August to make a piece of art 20"x 20" as a donation to Booz Allen, a leading provider of management and technology consulting services to the US government in defense, intelligence, and civil markets as a thank you for their support of the Children's Inn. She made a small canvas 11" x 11"depicting Indiana. Her large piece was based on an original poem she wrote just for Booz Allen.
"Can I be like a tree? bringing shade to everyone.
Can I be like a bird? and bring song here upon.
Can I be a button? and keep things together.
Can I be a caterpillar? and change during the weather.
It doesn't matter what I am, Because I am made by God.
But I think I'll be myself, Because anything else would be quite odd."
It is really cool. The timing of it all was perfect. When she was inpatient in September, she was able to see the art therapist in her room. Through their brain-storming efforts, Karly was able to make her vision a reality. We would have loved to keep it ourselves, so I don't know how artists let their pieces go. She will just have to make another. The piece was photographed and a print is being made.
NIH had a special service where they memorialize the patients they lost this year. We sent 5 pictures of Kelsey. Going through all her photos is hard. I look at all those times in her life when she was happy and experiencing relationship and yearn that we had more. Then, in the end, I know that we all will face eternity, and she is laughing and dancing in Heaven. She fulfilled what God had planned for her. She made a difference and is still making a difference. I am thankful for the truth that we will see her again.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11
"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering." Hebrews 2:10
Love,
Mom
