On Wednesday morning Jonathon and I made a back-to-school shopping trip in preparation for the big move, and while we were out he complained that the right side of his head felt sore or bruised, attributing it to wearing a baseball cap for prolonged periods. I honestly didn't think too much about it, nor did he, and when we returned from shopping, I went in to work for a while. David arrived home before I did and called me with an urgent request that I come home as quickly as possible, stating that Jonathon's head was noticeably swollen on the right side. I drove home as fast as I legally could and when I saw Jonathon, I was quite unnerved. His head was as swollen as it had been just a couple of days after his plastic surgery last summer! In fact, it was so puffy that his glasses were creating an obvious groove in his skin. As I drove home, I called David and asked him to pack an overnight bag for Jonathon, fearing that he would have to undergo some sort of procedure during the night. Our first fear was that the shunt that had been inserted in April of 2005 was malfunctioning causing cerebral fluid to back up in his head. This is something we have known could happen and have been on the lookout for ever since he had it inserted. Needless to say, we didn't want to unduly alarm Jonathon but we wasted no time in getting him to Emory. (Ever the loyal brother, Jeff was right there with us!)
After his initial triage where we gave the nurse his medical history, we found ourselves playing the waiting game--one that lasted HOURS. Jonathon was exibiting no signs of distress or any neurological decline, so I guess that's why they didn't seem to be overly concerned. After about an hour or so, he was finally taken to x-ray and for a CT scan. He then was returned to the waiting room where we waited at least another hour before they came to draw blood to check for any infection. After ANOTHER couple of hours, during which no one was called from the waiting room, I approached the charge nurse to inquire if his tests had even been read. He said he'd "check on it" and that they would get to Jonathon as quickly as possible--yeah, right! Anyway, I guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease (or the pushy mom gets action) because within the next thirty to forty minutes, we finally were taken to an examination room. The ER doctor came in for an initial exam, basically to tell us that the neurosurgical team was in surgery and would be in to check on Jon as soon as they were able. (Please know that I NEVER complain about a doctor being tied up in surgery. My son, after all, was one of those emergency cases!) At that point, we just got Jonathon comfortable and waited some more! Finally at almost 3 in the morning, the neurosurgeon came to tell us that they had reviewed his tests and could find NOTHING wrong! He said the shunt was functioning properly (Hallelujah for that!) and there was no evidence of any type of trauma to the brain itself that could cause such swelling, nor was there any reason to hospitalize Jon. He said that the problem was most likely related to the implant either "shifting" or leaking and that we should contact his plastic surgeon--not exactly what we wanted to hear, but definitely a relief that there was nothing neurologically wrong. We waited another hour or more for him to be discharged and finally arrived home at about 5:15 on Thursday morning.
Of course, I was awake by 8:00 to start calling his plastic surgeon to try to get him seen, and as luck would have it, his doctor was out of town for several days and there was no way for them to get him in that day. We were able, though, to get him an appointment for Friday morning. He remained swollen throughout the day on Thursday, and that evening I sent out an urgent prayer request to my Bible Study friends and faithful prayer warriors. (I learned later that many of those friends forwarded my email to others who, in turn, forwarded to still more!) In my request, I asked specifically for the following:
1. we find answers
2. the swelling to be significantly reduced
3. the option(s) to correct the problem not have a major impact on his return to school
4. whatever recuperative period that might be required would be well tolerated
5. God’s hand would guide and protect each of us during this frightening time
Well, let me tell you, God heard our prayers! When Jonathon awoke on Friday morning, the swelling had been greatly reduced--I'd estimate at least by 90%. It was so minimal by comparison to the previous day that I was almost embarrassed when we saw the plastic surgeon! She read the CT scan and checked the implant carefully for any signs that it had moved and assured us that it was exactly where it was supposed to be. In addition, she said that the implant is made of a type silicone that cannot leak. Bottom line, she said that she had no explanation for what had happened. She could only speculate that he had either had a blow to the head that he didn't remember or that he had experienced some sort of allergic reaction or that he had been bitten by something. Whatever had happened, she said, there was no reason for us to worry any more. I then told her that she should have seen the list of people who were praying for him, and she basically said, "That's your anwer!" She said she could tell from reading his chart that prayers on his behalf had been answered on more than one occasion. I told her that we had been particularly anxious about getting him in to see someone at their office because he was supposed to be returning to school on Saturday. She asked where he went to school and said, "Pack your bags, Jon!" Of course, upon hearing that, Jon said, "How 'bout them Dawgs!"
God IS so good; I know I say that often, but when I think of the many times and ways that He has shown His faithfulness to Jonathon and to our belief that His plans for Jonathon's future have yet to be revealed, I can't help but proclaim His goodness! To those who have continued on this journey with us, we are humbled at your support and encouragement. God is indeed good! How blessed we are!
In closing I want to share something that one of my dear friends sent me in response to my request for prayer: "Just remember how far God has brought Jon… and while the journey was long, the blessings were many. We won’t allow the enemy to creep in . Cling to this promise…
Ephesians 6:16: “take up the shield of faith, with which I can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one”
Yes, the journey has been long, but with God's help and the encouragement of such amazing friends and family, we will continue to travel it as long as God sets it before us. We are grateful to be able to live the life we lead, and as my friend said, the blessings, most definitely, have been many.
