Walk for Lupus...

Walk for Lupus 2011

It is that time of year again! In May our family will be participating in the Walk for Lupus Now Charlotte. This has become sort of a family tradition as we support our daughter in her journey with Lupus.

When our children are young, we have such huge expectations and desires for them. As they grow up we see the person they were created to be peeking through and we adjust our dreams. Lauryn's first year homeschooled was filled with all the usual adjustment challenges. She was starting sixth grade and I was starting the journey of being a teacher. About half-way through the school year, she began complaining of difficulty breathing and extreme fatigue. She ached all over. The pediatrician suggested we cut out caffeine (which wasn't a huge issue in our home because we hardly bought it) and we complied. He gave her a prescription for an inhaler to help with the attacks that left her gasping for air. We had EKG's and met with a heart specialist. The doctors briefly entertained the thought of lupus but decided that since they didn't see the butterfly rash there was no way possible. Their conclusion was panic attacks. I was not convinced. I remember some kind people at church even suggesting she was suffering from depression because we were homeschooling her. :-)

Then one Sunday afternoon, I saw a sun-kissed patch under her eyes and on the bridge of her nose. I remember asking others if they had noticed it too and they did. She was tired that day, exhausted from a sleepover and the evidence was staring me right in the eyes. Slowly we saw improvement in her energy levels but always found it odd that she would turn down sleepovers and other fun events saying she was just too tired to go.

Life went back to normal for a while but my dreams and prayers for her began to change. I started asking for a name. All of these things sounded like Lupus. After all, we knew of it from my own sister. But how could we be sure? It took four years for her to be diagnosed...four doctors to take a stab at putting all the pieces together with blood work, EKG's, CAT scans, and a couple of MRI's. I have seen how God used every step to continue shaping her and our family. I still have desires for my children but the greatest lesson I have learned is that those desires are not mine, they are HIS.

We are excited to walk this year with friends and family and would love your support!