A new normal

Today I had a glimpse of my new normal. My first medical appt. with Lauran. It was just with the pediatrician.....still waiting to see a hematologist. I wasn't sure what to expect. If you read my last post, I wrote about Lauran going through the steps with her baby doll of getting a needle inserted. (I guess I didn't need the orphanage director to tell me that she was getting blood transfusions on a regular basis.) I knew she would be getting blood drawn today and probably some vaccinations. I wasn't sure if she would handle this with complete complacency...done this so many times it's no big deal attitude, or completely freak out once she got wind of a needle. Well, she did the second! Actually, after the examination portion of the visit when I was waiting for the nurse to come a give the shots to her, she quickly found her shoes, put them on, and booked for the door. When I went to grab her to bring her into the room she started to cry and then proceeded to do the whole dead weight thing that toddlers do so well. When she finally got the shots she screamed and cried...actually screeched. This was nothing compared to what she did when we went to the lab to then have blood drawn. A nurse and I had to hold her down while another nurse drew the blood. Her screeching reached a new level in that room! I lost it too and started to cry. I felt so bad for her! She was probably hoping all those pokes were left behind in China!



The doctor confirmed what I already was thinking...that she is starting to look anemic. Her skin color is more gray and pale then when we first met Lauran. She has also been a little more fussy and low energy. They called me later today to confirm that the blood test showed that she was slightly amemic. They passed on the tests to the Hematologist to see when they thought she should be seen. They called and decided they wanted her in on Thursday to do a full work up of her condition and a transfusion. I just talked to the nurse, but she said it may be the case that she needs the transfusions sooner than every 45 days. I am anxious to get more info on her condition and relieved the appt. is sooner rather than later. I am sad for Lauran though, that she will have to go through this every month!


Our families life will have a new normal .....learning how to help a little girl through her chronic illness and to incorporate that into our family. I don't know what that means exactly yet. This month I know will include a lot of doctor visits and re-prioritizing my time. I feel secure in knowing that God has placed Lauran in our family and will guide us in figuring this all out!

Thanks you for continued prayer and support! Oh ..and I promise some pictures are coming soon!