Reality is setting in.

Our life has been a roller coaster for a little while now. 

I am not even sure how to express what I am feeling half of the time.

Austin was official diagnosed with Crohn's disease this Monday. 

I have learned a lot about the disease already, and yet still feel very uneducated on the subject. I have learned that it affects every person differently. Depending on where the disease is found in the GI track can also affect treatment options and symptoms. Austin had multiple biopsies taken and crohns was found in every part...from  his esophagus down to his rectum. The above picture was taken at the Dr. appointment where we decided he needed a colonoscopy and endoscopy to find out for sure if he had crohns. His symptoms were already leading us in that direction.

 It is amazing how quickly a persons life can change in just a few short weeks. He lost 12 lbs, he missed 3 weeks of school in a row. When he was doing the cleanse for the testing he even told me he thought he was going to die. As a mother it was heartbreaking to watch him suffer. He spent so much time in the bathroom  that we started to do homework in there with him. My sweet angel of a mother came down for a couple of days to help me. She would read him stories while he sat on the toilet. At his lowest point he was throwing up blood and curled up in a ball crying for most of the day. I lost it!!! I was not proud of my behavior, but a medical assistant up at PCMC got an ear full and I may have thrown the phone across the room. And yes when I saw that medical assistant again I apologized :) He laughed and said you would be surprised how many phone calls he gets like that...good to know I am not the only crazy parent out there.

This is my brave boy and Shawn getting ready for the procedure. He looks so skinny here. He was all skin and bones, he reminded me of a Holocaust survivor. It brought me to tears to hug his little, frail body. I could see all of his bones, count his ribs, and carry him up the stairs in one arm. His joints hurt so bad that he couldn't even crawl up the stairs. By the time we got to the date of the procedure we were more then ready for some answers, good or bad...and medication.

Hanging out in recovery. He loved the slushy they gave him.

The conference with the Dr. after the procedure was eye opening. We had to wait for 5 days for pathology to get done testing the biopsies, but the signs of crohns disease were everywhere. I cried, Shawn cried, the Dr. even shed a tear or two. We put Austin on a steroid medication to help with the inflammation in his bowels, and began waiting for the definite diagnosis. Within 24 hours he started to show signs of improvement. The first thing he said when he was totally awake  was "Man, I just want a Baconator from Wendy's." My boy was coming back to me! He hadn't eaten much of anything in 2 months. Within 3 days he was walking up the stairs on his own, he was eating like crazy and even teasing his sisters again.

So what is reality for us now...lots of Dr. visits. We have home health coming to show me how to give my son weekly injections of medication. Journeling his food intake...and the bathroom output of that same food, haha. He has even gained back 4 lbs. He is a strong, brave, good spirited little boy. We as a family still have tons to learn, and we get to make some adjustments. The older girls have been huge helpers and seem to understand how all of our lives will be changed forever. Kambree on the other hand...she is the baby of the family. She is having a harder time understanding why Austin gets special treatment and why he misses so much school. It will just take some time to get use to.

I just wanted to thank you all again for all the prayers, fun gifts you brought over, amazing food and treats, phone calls, messages and notes, and especially your friendship. I will try to update how we ALL are doing a little more often. I never intended my blog to be about "just Austin", it will always be about the whole family. But for a little while it might be more about him, and that is OK :)