Mission POSSIBLE!

It was becoming very apparent that infection was a clear and present danger for Christopher that we couldn't control.  If something wasn't done soon, one of these infections was going to eventually kill him.  I decided that I needed to do something to prevent that from happening.  I was on a mission to find an answer, and I vowed to keep searching until I found one.

Have you ever seen that movie with Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible?  Tom was on a mission to save the United States from enemies bent on destroying America.  I was on a mission to save my son from bacteria bent on destroying him.  Like Tom, I was going to do whatever it took to complete my mission, and I wasn't going to quit until I found a way to save my son's life.  My mission was not mission impossible.  It was mission POSSIBLE!

In this scene from the movie Tom Cruise was precariously suspended from the ceiling, yet he was able to skillfully complete his mission.  I hadn't planned on having to pull off such a stunt in order to complete my mission.  However, if that's what it would have taken to save my son's life, then I was gonna need some wires, gloves, goggles, and one of those fancy little ear pieces like Tom was wearing. 

Although good tube hygeine was important, that alone was not enough to keep the bacteria from attacking his feeding tube.  It seemed to me that there must be another way, so I started asking A LOT of questions to anyone who looked like they might have an answer.  I talked with doctors, nurses, interns, and medical students.  I asked questions in the hospital elevator, hallways, and even in the cafeteria.  Are there any other options?  Are there other types of feeding tubes?  Are there better ways to prevent infection?  Is there any new research out about this?

I also decided to do some research on my own.  One of the nurses told me that there was a medical library on site that was open for parents to do research.  I spent time looking up articles in medical journals about digestive disorders and feeding tubes.  We also researched the topic on that brand new phenomenon that had just become available, the internet.  I know it's hard to imagine not having the internet.  Today we would just go to the computer, "google" feeding tubes, and print out an answer.  Back then nobody had even heard of google.  The internet was just ramping up, so we were able to get some helpful information.

I was also able to get a good lead about an organization that proved to be very valuable and ultimately saved Christopher's life.  The GI doctor told me about an organization that had been formed for people with rare digestive disorders.  Doctors, patients, and parents were welcome to join.  They had newsletters and symposiums that they offered several times a year.  I contacted the oraganization immediately and signed up as a member.  Before long, the first newsletter arrived in the mail.  I found out that a symposium was going to be held on the west coast, so my husband and I began to make plans to attend.  Maybe this was what we had been looking for.  There would be doctors there from all over the world.  Surely, there would be someone there who would be able to help us.  Surely, there would be someone there who would be able to point us in the right direction.

I was on mission POSSIBLE!

I didn't have any answers yet, but I knew the questions to ask.  I was going to be in a room full of specialists from all over the globe, and I set my mind to making sure that I found someone who could help my son.  This was it.  This was our big chance to find some answers, and I wasn't going to squander the opportunity.  I was on a mission to save my son's life!


If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can pray like this:

More tomorrow...