Saturday, April 14, 2012

Roller Coaster


The Gungor concert went through a series of four acts throughout the night. Creation. Fall. The Bride. Re-Creation.

It is the bigger story we are all invited into. The story God is telling.

And I want to share a little bit of that story from this week.

Chaia got sick this week. It's the first time since we've been out of the hospital. She ran a fever. Was lethargic. Was highly irritable. Was throwing up her feeds.

And we went to the Cleveland Clinic for her echo and check up/bloodwork on Wednesday.

She screamed the majority of the 2 hours we were there. Screamed during the echo. Screamed during the bloodwork. Screamed during the check up.

And later in the day, we got the call that virtually all of her numbers were not good. She's very anemic. She's got an INR of 5.2 (way too high). She's dehydrated. Her BNP which is a measure of how much heart failure could be taking place in her body had jumped from 13,000 to over 22,000. And all her symptoms could point to virus or worsening heart failure.

So we survived Wednesday night. And Chaia woke up Thursday with a smile.

And she was a totally different baby. She is still on the mend, but we are getting her iron levels increased, working on tweaking her INR, keeping her hydrated, etc.

But Thursday afternoon we got a call from the Clinic letting us know that the results of the echo show that for the first time in any of her echos since she started this journey in the hospital, her left ventricle is doing some squeezing!

I don't know if you read that. The left ventricle...the one that has been coined as severely dysfuntional...the one that doesn't squeeze...is doing some squeezing.

Her ejection fraction, which is a subjective measure of how much blood the heart pumps out per pump is up from just under 17% to 24% (the average human heart is 60%).

Now these are small improvements. But Ezekiel 36:26 is happening. A heart of flesh is replacing a heart of stone.

So when we get to Gungor and we get to Re-Creation and they sing this song:



we just stand there knowing that Jesus, the one who streams of living water flow through, the one who resurrected from death to life...is at work doing the same thing in us. In our broken, wretched hearts. In our marriage. In this little girl who is named LIFE.

For whatever reason, God has elected to stoop low and hear our prayers for Chaia and He is at work...It may be an inch by inch resurrection in one tiny chamber of a very small and damaged heart...but rest assured, LIFE is breaking forth.

And that is good news.

And its the same work He desires to do in each of us. inch by inch. resurrecting the dead to life.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

AMAZING! POWERFUL! BREATHLESS! SPEECHLESS! I LOVE THIS! All we can say is - "God, we praise You! You are totally THE One! Thank YOU"

Amy Starkey said...

God is good! So happy to hear that good things are happening. We continue to pray for Chaia and your family.

Anonymous said...

crying lots of happy tears & still praying - thank you so much for sharing this, ben!

Grandma Cindy said...

AWESOME GOD! building AWESOME FAITH! giving AWESOME HOPE! displaying AWESOME LOVE! working AWESOME MIRACLES!

I'm in AWE of Him.

Anonymous said...

Chills and tears all at the same time when I read this! God is good all the time!!!! Prayers!!!! ----amber sayre

Mama Karen said...

YES YES YES YES.....LIFE LIFE LIFE LIFE....THANK YOU JESUS FOR LIFE!!!!! AND YES I AM SHOUTING!!!!!! GOD YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!! We continue to speak life to that stoney heart. It will become flesh!!!! This made my morning. Hugs all around.

Kaillie said...

Awesome!! It is so weird how God keeps placing Chaia and I on similar paths. I was in the ER on Sat. Night and met with my Cleveland Clinic Heart Failure Cardiologist on Thursday. As I walked those halls again, Chaia was place heavily on my heart... Little did I know you were in the same hospital the day before!
So excited God is healing that little left ventricle!! Thank you Lord for working in this precious little girl's heart!!!!
The Lord healed mine.. Went from 15% to 58%. Will continue to pray!!
Love, Kaillie D.

Anonymous said...

So I am thinking if you guys ever need to go in another direction..caring for the ill...you already have a great base!! Your knowledge of healthcare is massive...move than I would think you wish you had to know! You have so much empathy and compassion!!! How great that Chaia is healing...by the Grace of
GOD!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanking God right now for what he is doing in Chaia's little body! What a miracle she is.... There are no words. We can't praise him enough. Still kneeling for you guys in Springfield!

Cathy said...

Our God is an ALMIGHTY GOD!!!! Thanks be to God for his healing in little Chaia. Still praying for Chaia and your family

Anonymous said...

Yeah God!!!!

Anonymous said...

AWESOME NEWS!!! I wish I would have read this over the weekend, I SO could have used the great news and a pick me up :) I usually check blog couple times a day, but had a hectic/sick weekend and did not get a chance. Still in bed sick, but crying, rejoicing, and praying with and for you all. Hope Chaia has a good week :) Praying in KY.

Unknown said...

Speechless. In Awe of God's work and grace