Poor little LJ

June 24, 2013

Our little boy has had a tough couple months! It seems like one thing after the next yet he has handled it all in stride and has proved to be so extraordinarily resilient! He had been going through a stage where he was experiencing extreme (understatement) separation anxiety. And I mean extreme. He would fret about going to school from the night before and would wake up panicked. He would not get dressed in the morning because “that means I have to be away from you.” After a panic attack one Sunday morning before church we decided enough is enough (for all of us). I felt beside myself in sadness as it seemed so unfair that a 5 year old would be experiencing this. We started going to a cognitive therapist who assured Leif and I that most of what we were doing was right on track. But that was what was so confusing. I felt like Leif and I were handling it as well as we could possibly handle it, yet it wasn’t making things better. And yet, after only two visits, things started changing, Liam’s confidence visibly grew and now here we are, 6 weeks later and it is literally a non-issue. Liam even calls himself brave and understands that being brave is not the same as not being scared. It means being scared and doing it anyway. What life skills he is learning! When Skyler had to get a shot the other day, LJ encouraged her to be brave like him. And when we prayed the other night Skyler says “thank you God for taking the silly thoughts out of Liam’s head.” Good thing Liam finds Skyler hilarious! He is truly her best audience.

Once we got through that, LJ had an asthma attack at Herron Island! We were up at 4am thinking we would have to do an emergency ferry ride to the mainland. He was struggling to get his breath and Leif out him in a hot shower and the steam opened up his lungs. We followed up the Monday later and his Oxygen levels were still very low. He had two breathing treatments and was sent to get allergy tested. Turns out, he has a severe allergy to dust mites!

Only a hours after the asthma attack, he was stung by a bee!

And then, just this last week, I picked him up from school early where I found him laying on the floor. He had a 103.6 fever and started throwing up a few hours later I quarantined him in his room and he was running a fever off and on for 2 days. We are just getting through that now and I am grateful no one else got it.

Poor thing and yet he is running around this morning as if nothing ever happened! He is off to Lego camp today and there has not been any sign of nervousness. I am so grateful!