Looking back to yesterday's blog I can see it was a little 'OTT' . I know though that there are many mums out there that have been there and understand. Without a doubt, I would have been as emotional if he was having his tonsils out. There is something sp precious about your children, no matter what their age, that the whole general anaesthetic thing...is just a bit scary. We are fortunate that in this country the option is available and the care and expertise second to none. We are very privileged. Praise God.
When I posted the blog and started getting encouraging comments and lots of prayers for me as well, I did think oh no this shouldn't be about me at all..I really don't like fuss and attention...it was meant to be about Tom. But then I started to feel more Peaceful and realised I did need prayer, lots of it - so thank you, all of you. If any of you are feeling low - or anxious, then do ask people to pray for you as sometimes you can be too sad or worried to have the energy to pray for yourself.
Tom is so humble he was cringing I think, when he realised I had written his life story...but I explained that the more prayers he receives the more peaceful he will feel. He is very calm and not really thinking about it...so I rest my case! He is not usually a worrier, and does trust in God, but I am certain these prayers being offered up by his family, friends, small group and many of you are keeping that Peace that passes all understanding going.
Jem his wife is finding it tougher, ready to support Tom but anxious at the same time. It will be her first experience like this since being a grown up. I'm praying that this 'cloud' will be full of silver linings and a couple of pure gold ones to. I know she will be there every step of the way, to love, cajole and care for Tom. I pray that they will be Blessed richly as they journey together.
The hospital will call Tom tomorrow to confirm whether or not the operation can go ahead. If the High Dependancy Unit needs the bed for an emergency, it will be delayed until a future date. We trust it will be done in The Lords Time.
Tom, Jemimah and I will travel up to Birmingham tomorrow night if they say 'yes'
....for Tom to 'check in'. We are extremely lucky that Jem and I are able to use the relatives accomodation, so we can be close by.
Amy my friend works at Great Ormond Street and reminded me today that very young children have this operation on a regular basis and recover very quickly. I remind myself of the complex operations Willie had on his brain tumour, and how quickly he would bounce back. I still don't envy Tom the
initial pain anticipated, but with your prayers and positive thinking I'm hoping it will be bearable with
The pain killers/morphine.
Thank you again for your support for all of our family, your love and prayers are so appreciated. God Bless...xxxx
Monday, July 21, 2014
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Sunday
24 November 1990...our second son was induced...two weeks overdue. I think he may well have been there a few more years if not cajoled out by the kind midwife. I remember having a secret thought that this may be a girl...my mum and I were so close I dreamt of having a special relationship with a daughter.
It was minutes after Tom was born I found myself looking into beautiful deep brown eyes...they were saying "you are MY mummy...loud and clear. The intensity of that look will remain with me forever...I was 'sold' to this incredible soul, daughter who needs a daughter I remember thinking.
Thomas Samuel James was the easiest of babies, forever hungry he grew fast and furious...a little 'chubster', a gorgeous cuddly son. Simon just 20 months older adored his baby brother.
Over the years they grew up teasing, wrestling, playing and loving each other together with the two extra brothers added in the next few years. Pete is one of four boys and we repeated the family when our fourth son Andrew was born.
My prayer was always that our boys would grow up to be as close as their dad and his brothers were. My prayers have been answered as the boys are incredibly close. Whenever they are together they giggle incessantly, bound in a love deeper than the Ocean. It is one of our greatest joys as parents witnessing their awesome relationship.
Tom has been dubbed over the years as 'the golden child', by his siblings. We love each of sons the same,the boys themselves recognise that Tom is most like his dad, and apart from a couple of his teenage years going slightly astray, he has always been a wonderful son and brother.
Independent and wise, he has studied hard, worked his way through university without any help from
us, got a 2:1 in Maths, met his soulmate and got married, paying for their own beautiful and romantic wedding at 23 years of age.
Whilst at uni Tom Tom, as we nicknamed him long before the sat nav was on the market, discovered he had a 'hind brain hernia' ...a genetic condition you are born with. He explained to us on a visit back from uni, two years ago, that he had to have an operation to have the hernia lazered, to reduce the enlarged tonsils that were falling into the top of his spinal chord...blocking the spinal fluid so it doesn't flow as it should. The operation would involve opening the brain up to get access in order to reduce them down to unblock it.
Although it was a scary proposition, the consequences of a large sneeze could have resulted in anything from the loss of swallowing to paralysed limbs. As his mum I suggested he have the operation the following week, without delay. I went into panic mode.
Witnessing the wisdom and faith of my then 21 year old, I was thankful to God that Tom knew Jesus as His personal Saviour.
He replied with immense Peace ..."Mum I want to finish my degree, then have the operation. I trust in God, if anything happens I know that I've had 21 amazing years...more than some people experience in a lifetime....I know I will live as long as I am meant to, and I really trust in that."
I remember being relieved and overwhelmed at his steadfast trust in Our Lord, but selfishly fearful that we may lose our son, or that he may end up in a wheelchair."
Today I watch in awe as he faces the operation this Wednesday. He continues to trust unswervingly...Praise God.
Two years on he has not suffered anymore than headaches when sneezing,only the original numbness down one side evidence of the 'Arnold's Charia'. Hallelujah.
A few weeks ago a recovered addict and born again Christian was praying with Tom and I about people suffering from addictions. We had never met this man before. When this lovely guy finished
praying he said, "I know this sounds a bit strange, but as soon as I started praying, God gave me a picture of birds flying round and round someone's head making them feel dizzy...do you know anyone that has something wrong with their brain or mind?".
I had tears running down my cheeks, God was confirming He was on the case. He is in control. We hoped it may mean Tom would be healed miraculously without surgery. For a while he had no pain on sneezing. Recently the headaches have returned but we are content that The Lord has given us hope that He is walking with Tom on This journey. We knew that but it is always good to know that The Lord knows how important it is to us to have that concrete evidence.
The day is dawning, thankfully the procedure has a high success rate, especially as Tom is younger. Tom and Jemimah his beautiful wife are outwardly peaceful and serene. I know they have been praying together, trusting in Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am trusting, but today I feel emotional in a tearful way. Pete is reacting differently these past few days, a sign that he is anxious beneath his outward demure.
I know The Lord is going ahead of Tom, I know this is 'His timing'. I am trusting in 'His Will' for Tom. I have learnt over the years that God can be trusted fully in All things.
My prayer is for Peace for Tom and Jemimah as they pray together and walk in faith. I pray for Pete and my other sons to get closer to God as they pray for their brother. I pray that as Tom's mum and Jemimah's mother in law I can be what they need me to be, hoping to keep strong for them both, up to and during the operation...and beyond. The future is not ours to determine, but we can rest in His everlasting arms as we walk into the unknown.
Please God I pray that it will be 'Your Will' that Thomas will live to serve You and testify to your infinite Love for many years to come. I pray he will recover quicker than we could ever imagine, and that he will go onto experience many more years of joyous living and that one day him and Jem will be blessed with their own special family, as you have truly Blessed us with ours. Amen x
It was minutes after Tom was born I found myself looking into beautiful deep brown eyes...they were saying "you are MY mummy...loud and clear. The intensity of that look will remain with me forever...I was 'sold' to this incredible soul, daughter who needs a daughter I remember thinking.
Thomas Samuel James was the easiest of babies, forever hungry he grew fast and furious...a little 'chubster', a gorgeous cuddly son. Simon just 20 months older adored his baby brother.
Over the years they grew up teasing, wrestling, playing and loving each other together with the two extra brothers added in the next few years. Pete is one of four boys and we repeated the family when our fourth son Andrew was born.
My prayer was always that our boys would grow up to be as close as their dad and his brothers were. My prayers have been answered as the boys are incredibly close. Whenever they are together they giggle incessantly, bound in a love deeper than the Ocean. It is one of our greatest joys as parents witnessing their awesome relationship.
Tom has been dubbed over the years as 'the golden child', by his siblings. We love each of sons the same,the boys themselves recognise that Tom is most like his dad, and apart from a couple of his teenage years going slightly astray, he has always been a wonderful son and brother.
Independent and wise, he has studied hard, worked his way through university without any help from
us, got a 2:1 in Maths, met his soulmate and got married, paying for their own beautiful and romantic wedding at 23 years of age.
Whilst at uni Tom Tom, as we nicknamed him long before the sat nav was on the market, discovered he had a 'hind brain hernia' ...a genetic condition you are born with. He explained to us on a visit back from uni, two years ago, that he had to have an operation to have the hernia lazered, to reduce the enlarged tonsils that were falling into the top of his spinal chord...blocking the spinal fluid so it doesn't flow as it should. The operation would involve opening the brain up to get access in order to reduce them down to unblock it.
Although it was a scary proposition, the consequences of a large sneeze could have resulted in anything from the loss of swallowing to paralysed limbs. As his mum I suggested he have the operation the following week, without delay. I went into panic mode.
Witnessing the wisdom and faith of my then 21 year old, I was thankful to God that Tom knew Jesus as His personal Saviour.
He replied with immense Peace ..."Mum I want to finish my degree, then have the operation. I trust in God, if anything happens I know that I've had 21 amazing years...more than some people experience in a lifetime....I know I will live as long as I am meant to, and I really trust in that."
I remember being relieved and overwhelmed at his steadfast trust in Our Lord, but selfishly fearful that we may lose our son, or that he may end up in a wheelchair."
Today I watch in awe as he faces the operation this Wednesday. He continues to trust unswervingly...Praise God.
Two years on he has not suffered anymore than headaches when sneezing,only the original numbness down one side evidence of the 'Arnold's Charia'. Hallelujah.
A few weeks ago a recovered addict and born again Christian was praying with Tom and I about people suffering from addictions. We had never met this man before. When this lovely guy finished
praying he said, "I know this sounds a bit strange, but as soon as I started praying, God gave me a picture of birds flying round and round someone's head making them feel dizzy...do you know anyone that has something wrong with their brain or mind?".
I had tears running down my cheeks, God was confirming He was on the case. He is in control. We hoped it may mean Tom would be healed miraculously without surgery. For a while he had no pain on sneezing. Recently the headaches have returned but we are content that The Lord has given us hope that He is walking with Tom on This journey. We knew that but it is always good to know that The Lord knows how important it is to us to have that concrete evidence.
The day is dawning, thankfully the procedure has a high success rate, especially as Tom is younger. Tom and Jemimah his beautiful wife are outwardly peaceful and serene. I know they have been praying together, trusting in Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am trusting, but today I feel emotional in a tearful way. Pete is reacting differently these past few days, a sign that he is anxious beneath his outward demure.
I know The Lord is going ahead of Tom, I know this is 'His timing'. I am trusting in 'His Will' for Tom. I have learnt over the years that God can be trusted fully in All things.
My prayer is for Peace for Tom and Jemimah as they pray together and walk in faith. I pray for Pete and my other sons to get closer to God as they pray for their brother. I pray that as Tom's mum and Jemimah's mother in law I can be what they need me to be, hoping to keep strong for them both, up to and during the operation...and beyond. The future is not ours to determine, but we can rest in His everlasting arms as we walk into the unknown.
Please God I pray that it will be 'Your Will' that Thomas will live to serve You and testify to your infinite Love for many years to come. I pray he will recover quicker than we could ever imagine, and that he will go onto experience many more years of joyous living and that one day him and Jem will be blessed with their own special family, as you have truly Blessed us with ours. Amen x
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