Touching Blog

Please read this touching blog our pastor friend wrote after seeing us in the hospital. It ministered to me to hear another perspective as they observed our situation as well as to see the loving and touching words written in such a powerful way. Joey, you ministered to me tonight as I read this and I am eternally grateful! Blessings to you all!
http://www.morethancake.org/2008/01/when-love-conquers-compassion.html :

"She walks her son down the long hospital hallway. People scurry about and take no notice of the suffering mother and child. Mattie holds firmly to his mom; in part to keep his balance, but mostly he wants to feel her warm hands in his own. “I’m tired mom. Please, I want to sit down;” but she does not let her son stop. He has to keep walking. He must exercise his limbs or his body will not heal. Only two days earlier Mattie was burned when a pot of boiling water was knocked from the stove; severely injuring his arm and leg. Pain now fills Mattie’s three-year-old body, but his mother’s love must force her son to walk. It takes every ounce of strength to resist the urge to pick up her son, to hold him, to comfort him, and to let him sit in his little red wagon. If Mattie is to recover from his burns, love must conquer compassion. Holding back the tears, a mother’s love must force her son to experience suffering. Healing is on the other side of pain.Where are you along life's path? Do you hurt? Does no one stop to notice your pain? In the darkest moments, you cry out to your god, “Where are you now! If you are real… if you are really loving… Where are you now when I need you the most!” Anger is a constant companion. Sorrow seems like the only escape from depression.Only when your “god” becomes Father will you understand. Only when you experience a love that forces you to walk will you know rest. You must pass through the agony before the ultimate healing comes. Step after painful step; hold firm to the warm hand of the Father and know true love that conquers compassion."

News from 1/31/08

I spent about 30 minutes typing an email to everyone, while my parents put Mattie to bed, about an update on the day and as I was ready to send it off the stupid hospital computer shut down and it is all lost! ugh! I write these emails to keep everyone informed but also so that I can have a blog form for myself, so it was quite discouraging since I am not wanting to write it all again!
I will try to do my best and well see how it goes......

The Lord is teaching me to be ministered to, it can be hard sometimes to be on the receiving side of things and I know right now I need to say yes as much as I can. The body of Christ is the hands and feet and mouth of all of you that have offered to help our family and I am amazed! Just the emails alone are a source of love to me since I have the love language of encouraging words.
Mattie had an emotionally challenging day, today. It is so hard for him to have little control in his normally routine world, on top of the pain he is in. I was trying to be patient with him as he slowly lost his patience, with sometimes the smallest things. There was some challenges today with little friends sharing "his toys" in the playroom here on the ward. He has a room mate that is 3, Nathan who also has burns from boiling water, so it has been a good situation for us to be with them in more ways than one. Pray for them as it will be a long process to get "home". Having a buddy helps him to get out of bed and into their police cars to play in the hallways, which is great physical therapy for them both! I thank God for this change of rooms as well as this family.
We have had some good visits with friends throughout our hospital stay which boost all our spirits, being boxed into these hospital walls. It can make you get cabin fever but my social spirit gets fed through interaction with the hospital staff as well as our visits with friends and family, emails, voice mails and text messages...please know that I appreciate you all!
Mattie has a favorite nurse named Joe, that he got a picture with tonight. He laughed with Joe when he said Cheeseburger instead of Cheese! It was cute. He also has a favorite food, hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill man, Hector! He makes Mattie happy with his yummy food, that he is eating more of each day. Last night and at lunch today he ate an entire hot dog. His ability to drink juice, is about normal! He is a juice-a-holic normally and the hospital has a constant supply by just asking. He pushes his nurse call button and ask for juice himself now, as well as his pain meds....I usually end of translating most of what he says but it is cute to hear him trying to communicate. He has a favorite activity, riding in his flinstone style police car, mentioned above, that gets him around quite nicely. He took it down to the cafeteria to get his lunch and on the way back up to the elevator, he got exhausted and threw his yellow, ducky blanket on his head, in his little car and wanted to sleep right there in the hallway! I started laughing and wish I had a camera to capture this moment. He had a highlight tonight of having his friend, Nathan M. come out and play. Yesterday, Luke C. was here with him, so he has had his own buddies come for visits. Both boys responded well to Mattie and played very well with him, being gentle with touching his body and activities with him.
Mattie was able to walk a lot tonight without holding onto anything! Big Praise! He was also using his arm alot tonight as he played spider man memory game with our friends. He had a great sense of humor at dinner as he ate his "salad" piece of lettuce mimicking cookie monster! It was super cute!
Now we await the morning, Jason will be back to change the dressings with me at tub time, which is when we get evaluated on his healing from the doctors. We will hear from the docs an opinion of his release. I am eager to leave, but nervous of being in charge of his care and recovery at home. The recovery is going to be quite lengthy from what I have heard and seeing Mattie this entire week in the hospital. Continue to pray for us and first chance I get tomorrow to update you all I will, for sure.
Much love, Heidi

News from 1/30

Thank you all for your continual support, thoughts, prayers and visits. Everything right now is ministering to us! We have had some ups and downs today:
Morning started out well, with a complete night of sleep for Matthew! Praise God! He quickly started interacting with new little friends that are on our ward, played with them for majority of his physical theraphy today. He is so social and really was theraputic for him to do so.
We went if for our morning tub wound dressing process at 11 am and after many doctors viewed him, was deemed un-ready to return home. The extent of his wounds and possible infection are of concern for all. We now are going to be reconsidered on Friday for a possible release.
We had some visitors, who were great to see suprise us all and spent time sharing and praying together. We have so enjoyed seeing those we love and care for visit, recieve calls, and get messages from.
Matthew is now sleeping at 3:30 this afternoon, in his red flyer wagon. We have been able to meet other families on this ward and are getting tenative care from most of the hospital staff.
Update on the car: we sent it in for repairs, which will take a few days and have a high deductable to cover ourselves. It still blows me away that someone would be so heartless!
Thanks for listening and when I get a chance I will update with more info....
Heidi

Praise from 1/28/08

Praise God for email in Hospitals! I came with very little...a camera in my purse, a jacket from home and a heart full of prayers...and I came across this email from MOPS international:

Life is full of challenges – keeping up with all the activities I have going on, taking care of my child in a troubling situation, coping when my husband is deployed. Each of us have challenges in life. Thankfully, we have the hope that God will help us through the things that without his help would defeat us. He is with me throughout my challenges always willing to help, promising never to leave.

Prayer From a Mother's Heart
Dear God, teach my child that no matter how difficult the circumstances I may face, you are always there with me and have promised never to leave my side.

I am not only learning to trust God through this experience but teaching Mattie as he watches me through this experience to Trust God to care for his body. It will be amazing to see the power and wonder of our GOD who is the best physician, restore my little Mattie to his normal, healthy self!
Heidi
P.S. Pray our room mate does not keep us up tonight with her loud snoring! Oh Lord, keep my sanity! We would not mind a room change, and suggested it to the nurse!

News from 1-28

As I sit here, composing this email on the ward of the burn unit at Harbor view, I am trying to collect my thoughts and emotions. I have just spent a few minutes catching up on emails sent from dear friends, and crying from the encouraging words and love spoken through your messages.
My eyes glance from this screen to my little boys serene face as he lays on the couch across from the fish tank, a few feet away. He has been at peace because of the he in on right now. He has only been awake for less than an hour since his wound bath at 10 am this morning. He of course is a trooper and am amazed at his strengh through out this ordeal.
To catch everyone up to speed on what has occured, I will give a brief run through. We were preparing a quick lunch on Sunday and decided at the last minute to switch from tuna salad to egg salad. The boys wanted to make fruit salad with yogurt and were on the same counter as the stove is located. Jayden's eye caught a wish bone on the ledge of the window and he and Mattie decided to pull it apart to make a wish. Through the process of pulling, Mattie fell backwards and somehow hit the pot of boiling water down on top of himself as he landed on the floor. I tried to grab him and quickly pulled him out of the scalding water (leaving a small burn on my left hand). As fast as my hands would move, I pulled off his shirts and overalls, to see skin peeling off his little , , body. He was screaming the entire time. I dashed down the hall and turned on cool water as I lowered him carefully into the tub. All the while asking Jayden to bring me the cell phone, to call my mother in law who I knew was coming home. She helped get some ice packs made, as Jayden got me a towel and blanket. We got in the car about 15 minutes later and headed up to Good Sam. Good Sam quickly decided we needed to be transfered to Harborview, but the process to get there was not quick, waiting for an ambulance. About 3 hours later we were taken into the ER at HB and treated well and knew then we were in good hands. Jason, along with our close family members have been with us until late last night. It helped to have their support, through this time.
Mattie has 2nd degree burns on his right arm (where the top layer of skin is missing around his elbow area which is very dangerous for the nerves since that is a major joint and the skin is already tight there). The majority of the burn is from his right buttuck down below his knee on his right leg but it does not wrap around there, it is on the outer thigh. He has a few other minor burns elsewhere but is doing well. We will be here at least until Wednesday maybe longer. He will be in physical theraphy and I will be recieving burn treatment training for him as well, before we can leave.
Please pray for our stay here but mostly for his healing process to go qickly and heal with no physical damage to his body. Pray for the strength of our family to face this time of ordeal and stress. Lord knows how much we can handle but comforts us with his presence and love. We thanks God daily for all of you and the encouragement felt already. Mattie as all of you know is so full of life and zeal, God will restore his body and spirits daily and I trust this to get me through. I know God is giving me strength already as I can tend to faint in these kind of situations, but I have remained calm and levelheaded even at the time of the injury...Praise God!
The best way to contact me is to text me and I will try to respond as I can. Voicemail is also ok, and I think I should be able to get more computer access.
You all are such a great support and I appreciate all of you,
Heidi