I have always believed in the power of prayer but God has really shown me the ultimate example of this during this past week. It started last Tuesday with what I thought was just a simple call to the nurse about diaper cream for Branning. As I was talking to her, I figured I would ask her about hemroid cream since he has been bleeding a little when he went to the bathroom. I guess I should explain that Branning has had severe constipation since around 6 months but it has gotten worse the last couple of months. Bryson had it when he was smaller and we had talk to the doctor about it many times and Branning has been on Mira lax and had a special diet for a while. All this to say, I thought that my call to the doctor was a pretty routine so I was surprise when they wanted us to come in. I packed up the boys and went to the doctor thinking he was just going to check out the diaper rash and maybe get a prescription for the constipation. From the moment the doctor came in he already looked concerned. He asked me what felt like a million questions and examined his bottom. He explained that Branning had lost over 5 pounds in less than a year which was not normal and that he was concerned. Then the moment came when my heart stopped, He said "I think he needs to be tested for Cystic Fibrosis." WHAT??? I didn't know what to say. I just looked at the doctor with tears in my eyes as he explain what would happen next. Branning would have to visit a GI doctor and would get a sweat test done to test for Cystic Fibrosis. I didn't know much about Cystic Fibrosis so of course I looked it up on the Internet. That is when I found what scared me the most....Life expectancy is 20 to 30 years. My worst fear as a mother has always been that my children would die before me and now it could happen. I began to pray out loud through my sobs for God to make the test negative and for Branning to live a long and healthy life. Two days later we headed to the GI doctor hoping he would cancel the test and tell us that there was nothing wrong. He didn't and we would have to wait until Tuesday to go for the test. The next few days were the longest of my life. I could think about anything else and all I wanted to do is pray and hold Branning. Finally the day came and Branning had the test. Waiting for the test was the hardest thing I have ever done. I sat and read my bible and prayed as I waited for the phone call (of course I did call the nurse 3 times to make sure the results weren't in yet). Finally the call came that the test was negative!! I broke down and cried as relief filled my body. God is so good! Though we still have a long road ahead to find out what is wrong with Branning, we can breath a little easier knowing that we are over the biggest hurdle. Thank you to all that prayed for Branning and for our family even if you may have not known what all was going on. As I have learned from this experience, prayer is definitely powerful!
