IT'S BEEN A YEAR...

It’s been a year since Dakota’s 3 week hospitalization that then led to major surgery. I’ll never forget this day. (photo in reel below). Dakota had just had a blood and a platelet transfusion and she was weak, tired, and fighting a for her life. Her body was so frail. As she slept on me, I cradled her, and heard the Lord say: “Declare that Dakota shall live and not die.” And soI prayed over her a fervent prayer. One of declaration and of promise. I asked Him to spare her, for her to live and not die.

Y’all watching your child suffer and not being able to do anything about it, does something to you as a parent. I’m learning I can’t control the outcome. All I can do is love her deep and well. I can listen, love and support her.

Where is she now??? We are still in so much unknown. She has some procedures that will hopefully provide some clarify as to why she’s still having complications, and help us be able to make the next best informed decision that will help her quality of life.

How can you pray?!?

Pray for the best next steps.

Pray that we can find a solution for her complications.

Pray for a restored mind. This condition deeply impacts one mental health too.

IT'S BEEN AWHILE...

I haven’t blogged in forever….it’s wild. My last post was back in Jan 2020. The Jasmine then had no idea what was to come. Not only did we experience a global pandemic that impacted literally everyone’s lives, but we also walked through a hard health season with my oldest daugther, Dakota. Her health journey started in July of 2020, to which we finally received her diagnosis in Sept of 2020 after doing some procedures. We had no idea what the last year and some months would bring us though.

Along the way, I’ve been wanting to write about all that I’ve been processing through but I wasn’t ready. Her diagnosis would quickly bring on the challenges of failed meds, insurance fighting the GI’s recommendations, transfusions, learning to advocate, 5 hospitalizations, major surgery, and even being confronted with death, and more.

It’s been 7 months since her surgery, and I’m finally at the place where I can breathe…..I think the last 7 months I’ve been holding my breath and didn’t even realize it.

I have no intentions or hopes for what this space will look like other than for this to be a safe space for me to share….to share where I’m at mentally, the day to day, and of course what I’m learning in the midst of a season where I have no control over all of the unknowns that it comes along with UC.

So friend, I hope you will follow along. That my rawness will be met with love, empathy and grace.

So I end with this small reminder…..healing doesn’t look one way. Healing may never be something we attain on this side of Earth. I’m learning to release and accept what I can’t change. And instead choosing to be present in the moment, in the midst of all of the procedures, dr. appts, blood draws, and even more surgeries. UGH…..

Until next time…

Be well friend!

Jasmine Lopez