Sweet Sister

For those of you who don't know, for the last three years or so Sierra has been suffering from joint pain. It started in her right shoulder and remained just there for the first three years. In the last 8 months or so she has also been having pain in her right wrist, sometimes her right elbow, and more and more often her right hip. Just yesterday she had pain in her left shoulder for the first time. We have had lots of blood work and lots of x-rays, done a few rounds of physical therapy, one MRI on her wrist which revealed a ganglion cyst and we are having an MRI on her shoulder tomorrow... insert BIG SIGH here... It has been a avery long three years with the pain coming and going often as of late it is more here than gone. Another big sigh.... anyway, I had to give you that backstory so I could tell you that Sierra is in a great deal of pain tonight and I was trying to comfort her any way I could (we do have the option to go to the ER and if she can't sleep that is exactly what we will be doing but I am trying to get her through the night so we can just see the regular doc in the morning-there isn't much the ER docs can do for her) So I was rubbing her back and just talking to her when Haylee came in and saw how much Sierra was hurting. First Haylee ran to get the medicine I asked for, then she got all of her most favorite stuffed animals and brought them to Sierra. When that didn't help as much as she was hoping she came in with a top hat and a cardboard tube (that she was wielding like a cane) and started to sing and dance. I was cracking up, Sierra not so much because it hurt to laugh but she told Haylee she was doing great. After the song and dance Haylee decided to perform a magic show, after that she gave Sierra a craft that she had made which Haylee said she was "saving for Sierra's birthday" but decided to give her now to cheer her up. At that point Sierra was in so much pain I was sure we were headed to the ER -Haylee was already in her pajamas and when she heard me talking to Joe she ran upstairs and was dressed in 2.5 seconds. I told her if I took Sierra to the ER she would need ot stay home her response "I AM NOT LEAVING MY SISTER!!!" We ended up deciding to try to make Sierra as comfortable as possible and try to get through until morning when I can take her in to see our regular doctor. When I took Sierra up to bed to get her settled I got some lavender lotion and was massaging Sierra's hands and arms to try to relax her. Haylee got the lotion and massaged her feet and legs. I was going to sleep on the floor in Sierra's room in case she needed me in the night, with pain in her shoulders it is hard for her to push herself up out of bed or reach for her pone, Haylee asked if she could please sleep in there because she knew if she didn't she would just be worried about her sister.

I am so grateful for the relationship my kids have with one another. Sure they fight sometimes but it is never mean spirited or physical. And so much when one of them is in need I see the other two so caring and compassionate. It is then that I know I am doing a good job as a mom. At one point tonight Sierra was propped up in her bed and Haylee was making her bed on the floor, I was sitting on the floor by her bed, and HD was sitting on the chair in Sierra's room and Sierra was so happy to have so much attention and care.

Love my kids. Love being a mom. Don't love being frustrated and sad with Sierra's pain. I am her advocate. We WILL get answers. I am praying they come sooner than later!