porta potties, moist toilettes and miracles…we got them all…

I know. I have used this photo before but cut me some slack. I am dealing with sewage here.

Sit for a spell my friends and let me tell you about a little miracle or two…


I am overwhelmed, humbled, dumbfounded, shocked and utterly speechless and what has transpired today. It just blows my mind. 


Yesterday, after the tub and toilets backed up with nasty sewage, we called a plumber we trusted and had used before to come out and see what could be done. After trying unsuccessfully to snake the drain three times with some pretty intense equipment, we were told that the main sewage pipe extending from the front of the house to the street had collapsed and we would be looking at an $8-10K repair. 


Holy Crap! Like…literally…who knew crap and crud cost so much to repair?? 


I wanted to vomit right there on the spot and my husband almost had a stroke standing in place. An impending layoff date for my husband on October 24 as well (unless we have a miracle and he is redeployed with the company or finds outside employment), hemorrhaging medical debt and increased living expenses due to Courtney’s care, and now no toilets or showers?? 


Are you there God? It’s me Mary…hellooo…helllooooo…


(silence)


We were both stunned that this would be happening right now with ALL we are facing. 


Job thy name is Lenaburg. 


Unreal. 


What came to my mind in that moment was Of course this would happen. We have a saint in the house who will soon be ascending to her Father’s house. The devil will do anything to distract us with anger and dissatisfaction with the Lord’s provision as well as try and discourage us, pushing us to despair.
  
I told Jerry what I thought and he shook his head. “Not today, but I will admit he is really beginning to pi## me off.” 


So, love this man!!


Listen up little evil dude…Today and EVERYDAY we trust in God’s provision!


We both took a deep breath and with hands shaking made arrangements for the video plumber dude to come back this morning to see exactly where the collapse was so we could begin to collect estimates on getting the repair done. Neither of us had any idea how we were going to pay for this since the credit card is maxed out with Courtney’s stuff and the bank balance in savings is exactly $5.02. 


Not even close to covering a sewer pipe repair. 


It was suggested that we call our home owners insurance. Jerry looked up our policy and in black and white it stated that “regular wear and tear” (the plumbers term) was not covered. So Jerry called to verify and spoke to a lovely individual in the policy department who was very kind but repeated what was written on the policy. 


That was the end of that. We were going to have to find a way to pay for this. 


I did what I do every time we are facing an impending disaster, no matter what part of life it pertains to. I went on Facebook and instagram and asked for prayers. Not only did I get them, but we got lots of offers to help with laundry and homes where we could go shower, even a portapotty. We also got several names of plumbers and other professionals who could help.  


This is the reason I love social media so much. People want to help.There is so much good in the world. So.much.good. We wrote down the names and began calling. I also wrote a quick post describing what we were likely facing. Then I walked away for the internet to take care of my Courtney. 


After a lovely cucumber-mint moist towelette bath, I got dressed this morning to face the day. I had no idea what God had in store. 


No.idea.


When I got online, I was speechless. So many awesome Catholic bloggers had picked up my post and were spreading the word to help us with prayers, fundraisers and practical help. The video plumber dude arrived in the midst of my astonishment and things began to get very interesting. 


When I say interesting, I truly mean it. I could not make this up if I tried. This is going to blow your mind…


Our insurance company called while the plumber dude was here. They called us. I asked why they were calling since we were told not 24 hours ago that this issue would not be covered. The lovely agent told me that after further review, since the sewage had backed up into the house, our insurance carrier had agreed to cover the cost of diagnosis of the sewage problem, which includes the cost of excavation which is 90%of the bill!!!  

I had to sit down. 

I have not even begun to fully comprehend what took place over the course of the next several hours. The word had already gone out for help from you fine people and as of now, we have raised more than enough to cover ALL the costs associated with the sewer repair. 


Let me say it again…ALL THE COSTS of the sewage repair ARE TAKEN CARE OF!!


Oh, how the Mighty One works. How Glorious is HIS Name!!


The plumbers arrive tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. and will be done by early afternoon. Then I will be taking the hottest shower I can stand and flush every toilet while running the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time!! 


I am totally serious. I will. 


That’s not all my friends. Let’s proceed onto miracle number two shall we. 


A week ago Miss Courtney began to have trouble with her tummy and being able to digest the homemade formula we have made for her over the last five years. She is down to 79 pounds and suffers through hours of horrid hiccups and reflux due to her hernia and shrinking tummy. 


I tried everything I could think of. More time between feeding. Smaller feeding amounts. Changing the formulation to less acid foods. I talked with her Docs and they were as stumped as to why she was having trouble. She couldn’t take the recommended canned formula because she had such a difficult time with it the first time she went on it years ago. That’s why we started making our own. 


I began to have dreams that I was starving my child to death. I was having panic attacks that I was not doing enough for her and possibly causing her more suffering. 


I prayed. 


I read about the end of life process with special kids and I did as much research as I could to try and figure out a better way to make sure we are doing everything we could to support her. In the middle of all the trauma of the Great Sewage Debacle of 2014, I got a call from her GI nurse practitioner checking in to see how things were going. 


We brainstormed over what was happening and after doing a bit more research on her end, we came up with yet another new plan. Tomorrow morning I will be picking up a new formula for Miss Courtney and she will begin continuous  pump feeds. It will take a day or two to get everything ordered but we will be starting her in a hypoallergenic, predigested formula, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Our prayer is that this will alleviate her gastro discomfort. 


We will hook her up the the feeding pump and see what happens. I was talking with a sweet friend this evening and she reminded me that Miss Courtney was known for her miracle making ability and wouldn’t it be awesome if somehow, someway God in His infinite wisdom, mercy and grace allowed our current situation to change for the better, giving us more time with our girl. 


I laughed knowing that miracles do happen all the time around this kid (see above sewage update for latest example) and it would not surprise me if she got up and walked. OK, maybe I would faint dead away if she did, but then the celebrating would commence. 


As I continued the conversation with my friend I also thought of another miracle that could happen. The one where our daughter goes home to Jesus and her mother does not feel like it’s her fault because she had done EVERYTHING humanly possible to save her life, placing all the responsibility back into God’s hands. 


To be honest, I think that the latter scenario is more likely and we are OK with that. Her seizures still come multiple times a day and she is still struggling to breathe through them. Weight or no weight, seizures rule our daily life and there is no cure for those. 


All this in less than 24 hours. Yep…my Courtney moves mountains. 


That’s where we find ourselves this evening my friends. The extra funds raised above what was needed to handle the Great Sewage Debacle of 2014, will first go to funeral expenses. Once all of those are met, if there is anything remaining, we will use it to pay down the medical debt. 


God’s generosity can NEVER be outdone!! NEVER!!


You hear that you little red dude with the horns…YOU WILL NOT WIN!! NOT TODAY!! NOT EVER!!


To God go the Glory now and forever…amen!