"Tender Mercies"

Elder David A. Bednar stated:  The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men” (D&C 46:15).

Two weeks ago, Kent was running down the gym floor playing basketball with some other guys at the church, when he turned slightly and thought someone had kicked him.  When he looked to see who it was, he crumbled to the floor.  No one had kicked him--he had snapped his Achilles tendon! 

The next morning, he was told that he would need surgery and need to be down for two weeks, minimum.  When George and I heard about it, I immediately volunteered to go to Sunnyside to help out.  I thought it would be a "nice" thing to do since Baby Cannon requires so much extra help that ordinarily Natalie can count on from Kent.  Now, he needed extra help, too!  A couple of days later, Kent called and said they would like to take me up on the offer.  He arranged the ticket, I got a substitute for school, and was off to Sunnyside and would get there a day after the surgery. 

Here's where the "tender mercies" would come in.  Sunday, I was playing with little Cannon who seemed better than I had seen him in a long time.  He was smiling and could breathe easier.  My heart was over-joyed, to say the least.  However, on Monday, Natalie and I started noticing a slight reddening around his feeding tube in the afternoon.  In a few short hours, it started getting bigger and brighter red.  We showed Kent who called the doctor who said just to put some antibiotic cream on it. 

Little Cannon then started vomiting and having a raging fever.  We woke Kent up about midnight and had him look at it again.  He called the doctor who said to take him to the emergency room at the hospital. 

This is what he looked like when we laid him on the emergency room bed. 

The ER doctor was a no-nonsense doctor who took one look and said, "I don't like this at all."  She then got actual tears and said, "This is one sick little boy."  After circling the inflamed place, they noticed it was starting towards the lymph nodes--very bad indeed! 

After Natalie informed them about Menkes patients whose veins are not only small, but very twisted, they tried once in his arm to see if they could do it, realized she was right, and went for the head--again--just like they always end up having to do.  The doctor gave him three powerful antibiotics for the worst possible infections there could be. 

Cannon's mommy comforting him.  There's nothing like the calming effect of a mommy.

He was soon sleeping more comfortably--with the help of some morphine. 

After about three hours, he was transferred to the ICU, and I went home at 4:00 a.m. while Natalie stayed.  When I got home, the house was locked, and I couldn't find a key or garage door opener anywhere.  No problem, I would just go under the two-foot high opening that is left for the dog to go out.  I got down on my hands and knees, and decided I would need to get on my belly and maneuver under.  About a third of the way in, I suddenly became panicked.  What if I got stuck?  Kent would never hear me on the back of the house, and no on would hear me in the neighborhood.  (Not only that, there might be dog-doo that I would be wiggling into!!!!  WOOOOO, Yuck!)  

I finally wiggled back out and rang the front doorbell.  Wow, what a mistake.  I heard a hop, hop, hop, and Kent opened the door with an expression that told me he was in terrible pain.  He was in a deep sleep with the medications, and upon hearing the doorbell, he had forgotten about his foot and stepped right out of bed on it.  I felt terrible!   

Little Cannon spent nearly three days in ICU.  No smiles, no happiness--aided by the morphine and the antibiotics to help him get better. 

The Menkes families are all very close and know each other by their child's names.  These balloons and little stuffed animal were sent by a family in Canada who Natalie is especially good friends with.  Their son is about three months younger than Cannon and has been extremely sick lately--seizures and high fevers.  What a beautiful gesture to think of another family at this time!

Ella couldn't visit in ICU, so I took her to McDonald's.  She had a great time there and, of course, made a new friend.  She does that pretty easily--make new friends.

The hospital stay wasn't easy for little Cannon--nor Natalie who stayed there almost 22 hours a day.  The bed she slept in was terrible, but at least this hospital  served the mothers three meals a day.  Actually, the food wasn't that bad!

The hospital required a family member to be there at all times, so when Natalie needed to go home to have a little break, see the kids, shower, I spelled her off.  We had to watch how everything was given--for instance, this is what happened if they gave a certain antibiotic or the morphine too quickly.  His head became so inflamed, it was scary.  We soon learned what it took to alleviate most of this from happening. 

Big Foot!  Kent came to visit.  Kent was feeling a little better, could stay a little longer, and Cannon was now in a regular room where he would stay another day and a half.  (Four and a half days altogether.)

He was so hard to hold with all the cords and attachments, especially not to bump the line inserted into his head.  But he got so tired of laying in that bed.

None of us knows what trials we will have to face--but we know through it all, we will be blessed if we continue to trust in the Lord and do all we can on our part to be guided by Him. 

Ella wanted to take a picture of her dad and me when we got to bring Baby Cannon home.  We were all so happy!

Not too many smiles yet, but he certainly was so much happier and not so restless.  Who wouldn't be when you have so many people who love you around you?  Ethan told his mommy he wanted her to have another baby.  She asked him why?  He told her because Cannon couldn't watch him play ball or play with him.  He said he wanted a "perfect" baby.  Natalie used the opportunity as a teaching moment to tell Ethan that Cannon is definitely a "perfect" baby.  We know that all he had to do was come down to earth and have a body--even though his body isn't perfect, someday it will be, and he will be so blessed for all he has been through.  One look into his eyes, and you know he has a "perfect" spirit.  No one can be around him without feeling that about him.   

Ella again--me serving the food which so many wonderful friends and people in the church brought by.  We absolutely couldn't eat it all!

On Saturday, I got to go to Ethan's basketball game.  It was really intense and exciting. 

Ethan after a free-throw shot. 

Guess who's the coach?  We couldn't keep him down.  He just had to be there. 

He would hop, hop, hop out on the floor, and then hop, hop, hop back again.  He paid for it later.  His toes were purple and he definitely had to elevate it! 

Even with the great coach and Ethan playing--he was everywhere on that floor, offense, defense, stealing the ball--you name it.  So many of his shots just wouldn't fall, their team lost by three points.  He was so disappointed.  Even with his mom threatening to take his X-Box away for the night if he didn't smile, this was the best he could do.  Silly Grandma for wanting a picture at that time anyway!

Natalie had to be very careful how she bathed little Cannon.  I told her about the Cameron and Anne method--using the scoured out kitchen sink.  He loved it!

By Monday, a week later after the whole fiasco began, he was starting to respond like his old self.  He loves to have you play patty-cake and throw it in the oven.  How nice it must be to move your arms--even if you aren't doing it yourself.  Otherwise, they just lay by his side. 

Kent, also, took me to see his new dental office that is being built.  Two identical offices are being built in two different cities about twenty minutes from Sunnyside.  They will soon have three different sites from which they work out of.  They are in the process of hiring more dentists and assistants to help out. 

This is the hallway where there are eight different operatories for dental patients.  They are supposed to be ready by June. 

This is the entrance where Ella and Kent are standing.  To the rear is a huge room where there will be a big tree and all kinds of playing equipment for the kids while the parents sit quietly in this waiting room.  Wow!  Long gone are the dental offices where kids have to sit and stew about what's going to happen to them. 

Tuesday morning, I awoke at 4:45 a.m.  Kent drove me the 45 minutes to Pasco with his left foot on the dash board and the right foot on the gas.  I boarded the plane, and after all day, landed in Jacksonville at 6:30 p.m.  

Do you see the "tender mercies" of the Lord?  Yes, the timing for two extremely difficult events in one family was unbelievable, but the Lord had provided the sweetness to this special family of having someone there through a very rough time.  I'm so glad Kent listened to the promptings and had me all lined up to come even before any of us could imagine what would transpire in the next week.  Thanks, Kent, Natalie, Ethan, Ella, and Cannon for the week.  I certainly kept busy, but you were all so good to me, and I appreciate it so much.  We all continue to pray for their family and for the best possible health Cannon can have while he is here with us.