Hudson::Seizure::Update

We're emotionally spent, but we wanted to give everyone a quick update.  We posted about Hudson having a seizure this morning on facebook and twitter as we were heading out the door, unsure of what to expect as we looked for medical care for him.  We're incredibly grateful for your prayers.  Today has been terrifying, and something we will never forget.  Isn't it these moments...these kind of mornings...that shape our lives? We want to spend the rest of the day watching Hudson and focusing on getting him the meds he needs.  We'll try to update again before bed, and will for sure post information on facebook and twitter if another emergency arises.

At around 6:00 a.m. Hudson woke up vomiting.  He was burning hot with a fever.  We got him cleaned up and held him.  Gave him motrin.  Then about thirty minutes later, while resting in my arms he had a seizure.

I started screaming for Aaron.  The moments after that kind of blur together.  We had spent the night with the Livesays.  Tara came down the stairs.  She called Jenn, who serves at HL with us while she is in Haiti.  She is a pediatrician in the States who travels back and forth to Haiti often.  Hudson has been sick, off and on since last Thursday night, and Jenn has been helping us monitor him from the States.  So far, there had been nothing to be too alarmed about.

We left the house.  Went to the maternity center.  Joanna did a malaria test on him.  Negative.  Jenn told us to take Hudson to Medishare.  Thankfully we are connected with someone who works for Medishare.  Thankfully Joanna had Karen's number in her phone.  Karen was so kind and told us to come right over.  Watching your child seize in the early morning, and then having no real idea how to help him will forever be one of our worst memories.  Yet we arrived at Medishare and were immediately taken inside where two US doctors were waiting to see Hudson.  One doctor was a pediatrician from San Diego.  The other was an ER doctor for Johns Hopkins in New York.  We waited maybe two minutes before Hudson was in their care.  The two doctors worked together to treat Hudson.

None of his symptoms make a whole lot of sense.  They decided on a plan for treatment.  We were sent home.

He is still running incredibly high fever.  He's been running fever off and on since last Thursday.  That's way longer than we're comfortable with, but there's really nothing else to do right now. 

We are very thankful for your prayers.  I can't explain the panic we felt this morning.  And yet on the way home from the hospital I was sobbing to Aaron about how kind God was to us.  At one point Aaron said, "Anyone who wants to act like living here isn't terrifying is an idiot, but God was incredibly merciful to us today."

He was.  We were with just the right people in just the right place.  Just the right people had the phone numbers for just the right people we needed to call.  The Livesays watched our kids.  Joanna came with us.  Two incredibly gifted doctors were waiting for us when we walked in the door.  Our friends here in Haiti were calling, offering to help us.  Our friends in the States were praying and asking others to pray as well.  Although very afraid, we never felt alone. 

I sobbed realizing that there is no safer place to be than right where God wants us.  So far God has provided...I'd go so far as to say He has provided miraculously every thing we've needed for Hudson today.  He even provided...in a miraculous way for the things these two frightened parents needed.  Good friends who were "all in it" with us.  I have been overcome today by the nearness of God in every detail.

That does not mean I am sitting here feeling "all better."  Maybe it's because I'm dense.  Maybe it's because I'm human.  Either way, I'm still very afraid.  Hudson is not better.  He is very, very sick.  I have no idea what the next 24 hours will hold.  As much as I saw God's faithfulness today, I also saw with my own eyes that God would have to be that faithful every single time one of our kids required emergency attention.  Apart from each miraculous phone call, connection, and person being there for us today, I can't explain to you how impossible figuring out how to help Hudson would have been in this country.  God would have to be in complete control of connections, doctors, and even traffic.  It took us a short time to get to the hospital today, but three times as long to get home. 

Part of me rejoices in God's favor and grace towards us this morning. The other part of me is no longer naive to how utterly dependent we are on God's hand for keeping us or or kids alive in this country.  To be honest, I think I preferred being naive.

Anyone with kids who has lived in a place like Haiti will tell you that when your kid gets sick...I mean the scary kind of sick...so many thoughts stir around in your soul.  Sickness is not simply sickness here.  It's an all out attack on every single thing we're doing.  A scary sickness brings about a whole bunch of scary thoughts. I found myself holding a limp, hot baby in my lap this morning on the way to the hospital begging God to help Hudson, and saying wild, unholy things to the Lord in those secret places where only He can go.  How can so much fear, terror, pleading, and ugly dysfunction be present in one car ride?  God has a lot of pieces to put back together in my heart over the next few weeks.  The doubt.  The fear.  It's here.  God knows it's here.  He and I have been down this road together.  We know this path well.

Thank you for praying for our little mister.