Life is pretty great, even when everything isn't perfect...

Summer is winding down and I'm reflecting on what has been a hectic year so far. My son fell ill in January with a rare autoimmune disorder called HSP. By May, he cleared the hurdle with help from gluten-free eating. He doesn't have a wheat allergy, but it really helped get his system back on track. The photo below was taken in January.

Since recovery, he's been able to cross two important things off the list. One, he learned how to ride his bike. Secondly, he learned how to swim. Life was at a standstill for awhile, so it was easier to embrace even the things that scared him before getting ill. It reminds me that we all have to accept life's shortcomings in order to benefit from its miracles. The below photo is from last weekend's trip to Galveston. Hard to believe it's the same child.

Nightmare over

Since the beginning of January, we have been dealing with a major health crisis.  My 11 year old son became very ill.  He was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called HSP that caused intestinal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, and a rash.  He was treated with steroids and gradually weaned off.  Unfortunately, he became sick again after going off the steroids.  Multiple hospital and clinic visits later, I became overly emotional and started crying in front of a doctor who proceeded to tell me that I needed to seek psychological counseling.  I guess when even the best doctors in the world can't tell you why your kid isn't getting better, where do you go?  What do you do?  For me, it was a turning point.  I resisted the urge to call that doctor some colorful four letter words.  Instead, I made the decision to switch my son to a gluten-free diet and see what happened.  At that point, I felt like I had nothing to lose.  The results have been phenomenal.  He hasn't been sick since last Thursday and he's healthier and happier than he was before he got sick.