Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Beginning a new journey....

Well...I'm here! I'm doing it finally. I am beginning a new journey in this voyage we call life. I am going to move from updating Caringbridge to having a blog for our new family.

I will do a short introduction for those of you who do not know "our story." My husband Wae and I had a baby boy who we expected to be healthy. However, he was born with many health problems and given a life expectancy of 9 months. The expectations given from the doctors were very low. They told our family Ian would never smile, cough, giggle, sneeze, take a bottle, sit, stand, crawl, or walk. They told us Ian was deaf and blind and that he was going to be in incredible pain his entire life. They told us to put our little boy in a home because he would be too much for us to take care of. WOW! What a way to welcome our new little bundle of joy. We were crushed and perplexed. Ian stayed in the NICU for 3 weeks and then we brought our precious angel home to love. We loved Ian all day every day we had him and we did many things to make his life the best we could. We took him to doctor after doctor and he had therapy session after therapy session. And yes....he didn't learn to sit up, crawl, or walk but our little miracle did so much more!!! He could smile and melt your heart and his giggle instantly made you putty in his hands. His eyes sparkled with love and I have to be honest with you...those eyes of his made me believe he was here on a mission from God. There was more to Ian than just being a disabled child. There was just something about him....

In June 2009 Ian had a very bad doctor's appointment with his cardiologist. He told us we had six months left with Ian and he encouraged us to start hospice again. He was a doctor I admired and I trusted his every thought about Ian. So....here we go! We started hospice AGAIN and we started living life like we did when Ian was first born. Scared all day every day that it was going to be his last day here on Earth with us. The first week of October Ian got really sick and we knew it was his time to go play with Jesus. He was very sick for one week. We watched our little boy suffer in front of our very eyes and we experienced emotions that week no family should have to experience. We watched our only child leave us for Jesus and it was hard....very hard! On October 9, 2009 as Ian and I laid on the couch he left. He finally had the strength to run to Jesus' open arms and go to his new home in Glory. Praise God he is now healed and he will know no more pain!

So...with all this being said this is where "Ian's Reason" came from. I do not want my little boy's suffering to be in vain. I want to share with the world how you can survive your worst nightmare and come out on top. Our faith in Jesus Christ has carried us through our journey from day one and I am certain He will carry us the rest of the way. We still have days that are unbearable but we make it through each and every day. Please become a follower of Ian's Reason and join the journey our family is now on. Our journey in life is traveling a new path now and we are focusing on surviving each day the best we know how.

All you have to do is look on the right side of this webpage and scroll to the bottom. Look for the section that says "followers" and you can sign up there to get emails and updates when I update this site. I will no longer update caringbridge and this will be our blog. Our blog where hopefully we can share happy news about starting a new family or getting a new job and moving forward in this "new" life we have. So...go ahead and sign up and I'll update again as soon as I can.

I am new to this too so please be patient with me. I think you can enter comments on here just like you did on caringbridge. Give it a try anyways..... : ) Oh me....the messes I get myself into it!

Here goes...starting the journey I feel I am being led into and I am going in blind with no clue as to what I am doing. Trusting in God here....


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12 comments:

  1. Mary the blog looks wonderful. I just use the free templates but this looks great! KUDOS to your helper. Enjoy this will be a new adventure and I still want you to come speak to our Ladies sometime maybe in the spring. I will get with you to see when it might be possible.

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  2. Hi Mary. I found out about Ian through our mutual NICU nurse friend, Holly Hopkins. I've followed your journey on CB and I look forward to supporting you here. I guess this is a new beginning for you, a new normal of sorts. While I didn't have my baby for long, I can relate as a grieving Mom. I'd love for you to visit my blog and keep in touch. The blog world is a great place for moms like us! You are always in my thoughts.

    ~Lurenda w
    ww.averytales.blogspot.com

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  3. Mary, Jenifer does a great job doesn't she!!! You need to tell her to do you a feedburner account, this will allow you to have a people register and subscribe via email. I just found this out myself.
    Looks great and you are amazing!
    May God continue to Bless you more and more.
    T.Smith

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  4. Mary:

    My name is Andy Thrower and my wife Jan (Hicks) Thrower has been following your family for several months. She shared with me your story and I began to follow Ian's journey in the early Fall. In fact I think we may have seen your family at clinic a couple times from a distance. Our son Anderson was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia in January of 2009. We also live each day wondering what the day holds. Even though the outlook for total remission is good as parents you always worry about your babies. Thanks for your words and the desire to make a difference through writing. We encourage you to continue to find ways to make a difference. There is a great verse in 2 Cor. 1:3-4 that talks of being an encourager to others who are experiencing the same trials you have experienced. Hang in there and we are praying for you and your husband as you continue to move forward with your new journey.

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  5. I am so proud of you and will be praying for you everyday. You can do this for you are so strong in the Lord.
    With Much Love
    Aunt Jan

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  6. Mary,
    This is great!

    Love yall!
    Stacey

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  7. Love the blog! Praying for you daily!
    Jana Brewer

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  8. Love "Ian's Reason"! Look forward to see where God sends you and Wae on this journey. Praying for you all.

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  9. Mary, I am so excited about your blog. You are my daily inspiration! Thanks for making a difference in so many people's lives. We are always praying for you and your family. Love you guys.

    Mandy

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  10. Hi Mary,

    So proud of you for following God's call on your life no matter how hard. I'll be following you and praying for God to continue to bless you for your willingness to be used by him.

    In Christ,

    Janna

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  11. I've followed on CB and prayed for you and your family for a while now. I'm a third year medical student in Jackson, MS, and I've paid close attention to your posts about your interaction with physicians and other healthcare providers (that sounds impersonal, but I don't know how else to describe them?). Your writing has been both inspirational and educational...it's rare to get such raw, personal glimpse into the lives at the other end of the stethoscope. Thanks for sharing.
    May God bless you.
    -Laura

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