It started back in march.Hayden who was then 18 months old came down with a bad cold.I didn't think much of it the first few days,she was extra fussy had a runny nose but that was mostly it.finaly after about 3 days I thought "what if she has an ear infection..im going to take her to the peds just to be sure" so I made an app. and we went in.when the pediatrican saw her she checked her ears,nothing.She did say that Hayden has a pretty bad respitory virus,she then felt around her face and ears and said "oh she has a pretty swollen lymph node to" I had no idea what this meant but she made it seem like it wasn't a big deal but that we will put her on antibiotics and she wanted to see her again the next week.Over the weekend the lymph node got bigger.When we went to see her again the next week she seemed very concerned about her lymph node being bigger .Again we put her on more antibiotics and went home,that was on a Friday and the peds asked for my number and said she will be calling me over the weekend to see if it changes at all.She called Saturday and I said we weren't seeing any change she then again wanted us to come in the next week but she was going to be on vacation so she wanted us to see another peds. So we went in again ,and after us having talked to some people and showing some pictures of how it looked
(First picture I took of the lymph node)
we decided to ask to get some tests done to be sure it wasn't something other then an infected lymph node.The peds assured us it wasn't but set us up with the hospital in Asheville so we could be sure.That was a Friday as well so I went home,packed out bags,dropped Asher off at Matts sisters house and we headed to missions hospital.They were expecting us so they sent us to a room right away and the doctors started rolling in. Feeling her lymph node putting her IV in (which was a huge crying deal) and later that evening they started doing some tests.We had blood work done,cat scans and a needle biopsy done over the next two days. She had to be sedated for two of those things. 
(Her first time being sedated)
(Right before they sedated her the second time)
Sunday afternoon they sent us home with most of the results (all but the needle biopsy,which was what would tell us for sure whether or not this was a tumor)They also put her on more antibiotics.That Thursday the kids and I went to PA still with no results.I was so nervous and praying harder then I ever did that everything would come back negative.A few days after we were up there they called and said it was negative.Thank the Lord! I honestly thought,once we got the results back for this that now she would start getting better and this would go away.Never did I imagine 4 months later we would still be dealing with it in an even worse way then it was then.After we got back ,we met with the surgeon who did the needle biopsy who was a ear neck and throat dr in Asheville.When we met we him he said he was positive this was just an atypical infection that would run its course,worst case scenario we would have to go in and drain it.He took her off antibiotics just because they were not helping,we went to see him about 4 times over the next couple weeks.finally beginning of may he said were going to have to do surgery and soon before it bursts and starts to ooze,i told him I wanted to talk to my husband and then wel call in and get it scheduled.When I called in on Monday morning they said they could get us in for another three weeks.i was shocked by this but was like ok ,well wait till then.The week before surgery,the lymph node burst and it did not look pretty!
(one of the stages it went through right before it burst)
(the beginning of it bursting)
I called in and told the office I wanted him to see it before he did surgery,to know if this is normal,if he can still do surgery and what was really going on here.We met with him a few days later and he said he could not perform surgery with it looking like this and said he wanted to see us in a month. To say I as upset is kind of an understatement. But I didn't know what else to do really. That was on a Friday too. I sent some pictures of the node to my sisters and mom over the weekend
(note:we did not think much about the second lump on this picture,just thought it was all apart of the first one we were seeing)
My oldest sister called me Tuesday and told me I need to text the pictures to my cousin Gary who is a DR. I sent them to him right away and within a few minutes I heard back from him.He said he had no idea what our dr was thinking but that we needed to get a second opinion right away(which I had already set up and app with a head neck and ear dr in Spartanburg on Thursday of that week) I told him about my app. I had made for later that week and he said that everyone he talked to about it including there pediatrician and surgeon at the hospital there in Georgia all said that it did not look good and we needed to do something right away.Gary was amazing. He told us exactly what to do and say and even recommended us to go to Greenville health system (Greenville memorial hospital) sinec this was a teaching hospital and had more modern medicine. He told us we needed to take her to the ER that day and not to wait.The reason for taking her to the ER was so tht we could have access to all the doctors,not just one,that way they could together figure out what this was and how to treat it. So I called Matt at work and told him what Gary had said,we discussed it and were both so not wanting to go to a hospital again but fully trusted Garys judgment and advice in all this so that's what we did.I packed my bags cause neither of us knew how long we'd be in . We got in and within an hour we were meeting a surgeon. Dr Abrams came in (who everyone said is the best around.comforting and ll a part of Gods plan we believed)he took a look at it and said surgery would most likely be happening but that there wasn't much emergically they could do but they would admit us and we would meet with an infectious disease doctor and see what they could do.All the while I was texting my dear amazing cousin Gary asking him questions,telling him what the doctor said,and he would quickly text back and say things like "this is what I was hopeing would happen." which made us feel so at ease.They admitted us and the rest of the day we met with so many doctors and residents.All who would come in and want to look at it and feel around it.Finally we met with Dr lacroix(the infectious disease doctor) .Sweetest most helpful down to earth lady who helped us understand all this the best we could.She told us a few things (honestly I don't remember what all she said the first time she came in)but she did say she wanted to talk to Dr Abrams and would be back in later to discuss what they want to do .Dr Abrams came in soon again and explained to us that surgery was not what he wanted to do cause he was worried about facial nerve which he thought was very close the node.If he hit the facial nerve she would have no movement in the left side of her face.He explained that he was very uncomfortable with doing surgery but would do it if he had to and that was up to Dr Lacroix. She came in soon after and said they needed to do surgery. I asked her why Dr Abrams was so concerned and she said " He believes that the node is either directly on or possibly even entwined around the facial nerve.He said if he has to go directly in through the node he feels he has a 70-20 percent chance of sparing the nerve(20 percent chance he could spare it) but if he went in kind of behind it he felt he had a 50 50 chance of sparing it.So she said she felt that would be fine.She said they will be doing surgery on Thursday and we would stay in there till after the surgery. We talked more about the surgery and at one point I told her while talking about Dr Abrams sparing the nerve that I was a praying women and I had allot of people praying with me that the nerve would be spared.She then said "honey"(in her sweet southern accent)"im a huge praying women,A HUGE praying women.And that is the best medicine we can have..all this other stuff is things hes given us but prayer is still the #1 thing" that was such an awesome moment for me.
(Hayden and Matt at Greenville memorial hospital the first day we were in)
The next day (wedneday)not a whole lot went on other then more doctors coming in to see her and then them explaining to us about surgery .Wednesday could have been a worry filled day for me.Matt went to work since it seemed pointless for us to both be in there and knowing Thursday he would be taking off for the surgery.But my sweet sister in law came in and spent the day with us.And honestly I didn't think a whole lot about what was about to happen and the risks of it all.Valerie left around 2 and around 4 Asher and matts mom came in.Around 6 Matt and his and his dad came in and soon after that our dear neighbors came in .We all went down to the food court and ate supper together.When we were getting ready to go back up to the room ,I happen to notice a flyer on a table of a lady who had facial paralysis.(what would have happened to Hayden had the nerve been hit at all).I stood still,my eyes started filling with tears,but just like that,i shook my head,said a prayer and moved on.That was honestly the only time throughtout that whole day that I felt a bit of worry,i know the only reason for the peace I felt was because of the prayers that were being said on our behalf.
(Hayden eating breakfast Wednesday morning)
(Hayden would not leave me out of her sight.But when Valerie came in,she was fine with me not being right there.)
Matt and I both slept in the hospital Wednesday night since we had to get up early for surgery the next morning and we live about an hour from the hospital.I woke up early that morning,before Matt and Hayden,and I started readin my bible.I read out of Isaiih 49 and I started writing a letter for my baby girl
"Before you were born He called you"
"He held you in the shadow of His wings"
"You are honored in the eyes of the Lord and He will be your strength"
"He will make you a light"
"In the time of His favor He will answer us"
"He will keep you and make you"
"Shout for JOY,Rejoice,Burst into song.He will comfort you!"
It was such a beautiful moment.any comfort I needed was right there.You see,before Hayden and Asher were each born,i woke up in the middle of the night,and heard from God
Before Asher was born I heard "He will be a blessed child"and before Hayden was born I heard"I have a mission for her"
"before you were born He called you"!!!! I had chills that morning.And felt total peace. Pat Overholt,one of the pastors at our church came in early that morning and sat with us,prayed with us and helped us not to think about everything too much:) They came in and said they were ready for her.I sat in her bed with her as they rolled us back to the pre op room until we had to get our gowns on.
Matt carried her the rest of the way.We waited outside the operating room until Dr Abrams came to talk to us .He told us he was up for 3 hours the night before,trying to come up with a plan as to how he can do this surgery succesfuly.He said he thinks he came up with a pretty good one.Matt handed Hayden to the nurse and she took her in while another lady escorted us out to the waiting room,the entire walk out of there I could hear Hayden screaming.I cried as we walked out(yes im crying now as I type this)We got out to the waiting room and matts mom and my mom(who had drove all night so she could be here for surgery) had just gotten there.We wanted to go get something to eat but we were no longer down there when the lady at the desk called me and said they had called from the operating room saying they started surgery.I decdided to skip eating and go back up cause I didn't want to miss anymore calls(they do a wonderful job of keeping us informed as to whats going on in the operating room)so mom and I went back up and waited...
We got the call that surgery was over and Dr Abrams wanted to meet with us in a conference room,which honestly freaked me out a bit cause there was a room full of people waiting for surgerys to be over and a few doctors had came out and talked to people about surgery,but I did not see one person go back to a conference room!We got back there and waited for the dr to come,I seen him coming in the hall way and I was trying to read his face,but just couldn't tell until he got in the room, and then I seen his smile as he said "It went great,the nerve was actually in front of the node and we had it in sight the whole time.We got 3 cc's of puss out of it and the node was the size of a gulfball,I never seen anything like it"He also told us that the one behind it(the second lump) was infected as well but was attached to the first one.He mentioned doing another surgery but said it wouldn't be for a while an hopefuly we can wait to do it until he can do a 2 in 1 surgery and fix up the scaring of the first one at the sametime as removing the second one. I could not stop smiling ,I quickly posted on facebook since I knew there were so many people who were wondering and praying all morning "surgery was a success!!!"15 minutes later we went back to see her.Mom warned me before hand that she might be hooked up to tubes and to prepare myself for how she might look...but I thought she looked like an angel.
We had to stay in another 2 days after surgery just to make sure she would take her meds orally and to take care of the drain they had to put in to try to get more "stuff" out.
(Asher loved the hospital and was eager to come back Saturday morning)
(Hayden skyping my sister Karen)
(Doing Haydens nails)
(He smile is even brighter then before)
(she didn't sleep much Friday cause asher was in and she wouldn't take her eyes off him)
(tryin to show asher where he could sleep for naps in the hospital)
(one of my favorite parts,mom matt and our 2 kids all crammed in one room for naps,just being together)
finally Saturday they took Haydens drain out ,and in a matter of one day,she went from puking up her antibiotics to taking it without crying a bit(that was prayers too!!)so the they said we could go home.
(Hayden sleeping in her bed right after we got home)
(about a week after surgery.)
We got home with doctor appointments set up once a week for the next month, and here again I really thought this was the beginning of the end...little did I know:/
to be continued:)
Thank for your story- I will be praying for you and your precious little girl!
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