Please leave negative at the door.

We don't expect 100% support from everyone. We know that some people will never understand it. What we do ask is that no matter what, you pray that God's will be done, you love & support us no matter what or at the very least you don't say anything, especially please do not be negative about it. We welcome questions to better understand the cannabis oil or why we cannot get it legally in Georgia but please do not tear us down or be negative about us doing what we feel led to do. 

This is not a knee jerk response that took place after Abe died. We are not entering into this without a great deal of prayer. We held onto HOPE that Georgia would do the right thing in 2014. When it didn't pass we started the process to get Michala & Abe into the Epidiolex study. The one that Georgia state representative Sharon Cooper said we would be able to do at CHOA before the end of the year. Yes she told it to our faces while we were at the capital waiting to get all 3 of our children in wheelchairs on the elevator. It's too late for Abe & it doesn't look like Michala is going to be able to get into it. Waiting is not an option at this point. 

It would be a lot easier to stay at home. Going to a different state to get our children help is not new to us. University of Alabama, Boston Children's, and University of Iowa have been our "homes" at one time. 

Mike will continue to work to provide for our family as he always has. Especially now because we will have 2 homes along with 2 sets of utilities and travel expenses. Our family will be apart once again. We will be leaving family, friends, doctors, and our local support system. 

We would love your prayers please. Thank you!

Such incredible pain

I have never experienced pain this intense. Even when we received the children's diagnosis or when the doctor told us Michala had stage 4 angiosarcoma cancer the pain wasn't like this. I have never experienced loss at this depth. I was a daddy's girl and hurt deeply when my daddy died. Even when we lost our little boy we never held. When my brother died I wasn't sure how I would make it without him. I lost my best friend in November when my mom died but still the loss wasn't like this. 

I know the scripture, I know that Abe is in heaven but still the pain is terribly intense. 

There are times when it hurts to even breathe. Sometimes I literally have to remind myself to breathe. Simple things in life are no longer simple or easy to do. 

I truly feel as if I have lost my joy. I feel lost. It's hard to pray and read my bible. There have been times like this when we are in the hospital and were told they wouldn't make it through the night but they have passed. Too much, too soon?

No matter what happens is the title for our family blog. The rest of the Johnson Brothers' song says I will give God the praise. Everything happens for a reason. I even preface that with I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. This too shall pass is something else I often said. All these things I have said so often and truly believed them. Where is that belief now?

Why the struggle within me? Why the battle?

I love to craft but just packed up all my ribbon without one single care. I love to write and share my heart. Now it's hard for my heart feelings to even get out. When it does my thoughts are jumbled. I am not able to read a book because within a few lines I forgot what I was reading. My love for TV and even Hallmark movies has faded. 

When I close my eyes I see Abe sitting in his car seat. His coloring as we have seen before when he has a seizure. I touch him expecting him to gasp for a breath but nothing. If I am able to drift off to sleep I wake up at 2:00 in a panic because he always had a seizure at 2:00 AM. 

As we try to do things together as A family there is a wheelchair missing, a car seat missing, Abe is missing. 

Some say it takes time. Some say 

you have to find a new normal. I don't want to find a new normal. I do want to find peace. I want to find joy. 

The tears continue to flow on a regular basis. Often a memory comes and I can smile. Sometimes I even laugh. There are 5 of us grieving, all differently, at different times, in different ways. 

My thoughts are jumbled. Maybe even though they are humbled they need to come out. They need to be shared. 

I wish I could hold him one more time. While I am holding him I want my mom to hold me. 

3 weeks ago

Three weeks ago today we were driving home from Chicago. We had gone there for Michala's Aicardi conference. Since before that trip I haven't journaled at all. I had plans to journal about the trip once we got home. All the fun moments, all the hugs & love from our wonderful Aicardi family. The fun Marlee Anne, Grace & I had at Six Flags Great America. All that was clouded by our 6 year old son, Abe passing away. 

On the trip there and home he did wonderful. He will often get fussy with longs rides in his car seat but not this time. He had Marlee Anne on one side & Grace on the other. He would laugh out loud, smile & just really enjoyed the trip. He even got us with some real good poopy diapers. I remember so clearly when Grace started to watch Frozen. I had just finished feeding him & he looked over at her computer screen as if approving of her movie choice. 

When we got to Grace's house to let her out around 1:30 AM I reached back to pull her duffle bag out. When I did I noticed Abe's mouth was blue. My heart stopped. He often has seizures where that happens & had seizures all day just like every other day. I got back there to him & he wasn't breathing. I told Mike Abe wasn't breathing & I started getting him out of his car seat. Mike told Grace to call 911. Now as I type this for the first time it's like a horrible nightmare. Did all this really happen. 

Mike took him inside & we started CPR on him. Soon the fire, police & EMT were there working on him. It was like an out of body experience watching them & feeling deep in my heart he was already gone. My head was cloudy. My thoughts went to why, what happened, what could I or should I have done different, why him, why now, why God? Those questions still haven't been answered. 

Riding to the hospital in the ambulance with Abe in the back felt different this time. There was a disconnect. A longing for my son but knowing in my heart he wasn't back there. 

Once Mike got to the hospital the doctor came & told us Abe didn't make it. Keith brought Marlee Anne over to the hospital. I was thinking it could have happened in Chicago or on the way home but it was once we got to Covington, to Kim & Keith's. No rushing to call around to get someone to stay with Mary Elizabeth & Michala. Just everything was right except that this was my son that died. My son that I would no longer hold, touch, kiss, talk to & snuggle with. I don't understand. 

The next few days were a blur. I was there for his service, saw people, hugged people but still in this fog. Some say it's protection to help you get through those first few days. 

Friday after his service on Thursday everything went back to normal for others. The world went on while I was left to figure out where I fit in this world. I still had my rock and my 3 girls but a huge part of me was gone. Simple things like breathing were no longer simple. Every little thing takes such an incredible amount of effort.