Faith Through Illness and Storms: A Mom’s Honest Story

Gosh, what a week — and honestly, what a month. For anyone still without power or dealing with severe damage, we’re not only praying for you, but we’re here if you need anything, from shelter to essentials. Please reach out.

When Life Piles On All at Once

In the middle of storms, power outages, and trees coming down around us, I offered our home as a place to land for friends who needed somewhere safe to go. And then, as life tends to do, illness followed. One of our kids wasn’t feeling well again after weeks of sickness had already taken its toll on our family. Between stress, exhaustion, and trying to hold everything together, it quickly became clear just how much our bodies had been carrying.

Illness, Stress, and the Wake-Up Call Our Bodies Needed

I believe the strep was caused not just by stress, but also by whatever was in the fridge and by mold buildup. Our bodies were only meant to sustain so much! According to my husband, that was the sickest I’ve ever been. I honestly don’t even remember being conscious of it for the first two days. I asked him to order me a mobile IV because I couldn’t really drink and certainly couldn’t eat. People kept asking if it was because my throat hurt, but my only real memory was how incredibly nauseous I felt. It’s hard to take care of yourself when you’re that down and out, but I knew some hydration would bring me up. Since we couldn’t get a mobile IV to the house, I had to take an urgent care visit. My kids have never experienced me going to the doctor because I was so sick. This was a very scary experience for them because I’m the one who takes care of everyone else. After a brief throat swab and rapid test, they were back in the room in less than two minutes, letting me know I did in fact have strep throat. I lay there begging for an IV, and they had them, but no nurses were to be found, only PAs and medical assistants, so after two failed attempts, they gave me Zofran so I could hydrate myself! Honestly, that was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I was able to hydrate and eventually eat again the next day. I was able to take really good care of myself again after that. Never underestimate the power of hydration or the risk of dehydration for that matter!

Navigating Family Illness and Medical Decisions as a Mom

So, in the meantime, the PA asked whether anyone else was experiencing symptoms; if so, let’s test them. We tested the two that were not recovering well, and sure enough. Strep. Y'all, this was a first for our family. We have never had strep. Even I, 41 years old, never officially diagnosed with strep. I got treated for it in college based on symptoms, but that was IT! The other three in the household did feel kind of doomed, but we carried on following protocols. The girls started antibiotics, but because I started feeling a little better, I tried a natural protocol. After a few days, another kiddo came downstairs saying her throat hurt and she felt dizzy. I did what I’ve never done before and immediately went to urgent care. She was strep positive as well. I shared this whole story in my IG Insiders channel in case you missed it there. But a sight I’ve never seen before is 4 pharmaceuticals in our home being used all at once. I started my antibiotics because I knew I was the spreader and gosh… can you imagine the horrible mom guilt I felt? I still feel it. 

Anyway, our 12-year-old was the first to finish her antibiotics and had a decent week and a half before feeling awful again. She started complaining of severe pains throughout the abdomen and the back region. She was so lethargic and pale. I ran a comprehensive lab on her, and she almost didn’t weigh enough to get the full draw at once. Praise the Lord, the labs came back super quickly, and I was able to understand just how immunodeficient she had become and she even had bacteria in her urine. We were still dealing with the terrible ice in our neighborhood, but the storm was over. My colleague and friend agreed that she needed to be seen urgently. We took her to the children's ER and stayed there for almost the whole day while she was evaluated. She was a trooper because that IV hurts so bad when you’re dehydrated, and especially when you’ve also lost so much weight. But again, hydration to the rescue (and Zofran). She finally started sounding like herself again and was even being silly. They determined that a UTI was likely, but she was also flu-positive AGAIN, and they believe the major symptoms were coming from the viral issues, not the bacteria. I absolutely did not want to jump into another antibiotic, but we have it on hand if needed (again). 

The road to recovery has a silver lining. We are out of school all week, and possibly longer, to clear the damage and ensure the schools are safe enough for a return. The ability to rest without worry of what she will have to catch up on is such a blessing. As I get her eating normally again, I have a game plan to restore her body and rebuild her immune system. And I am so thankful to have had the kidney ultrasound for clarity and rule out anything more serious.

If you can imagine, there were several things the doctor said to me that I didn’t agree with. As a root cause practitioner, I know low WBC (white blood cell count) is chronic; he said it’s due to acute viral issues. It’s really because the body has been trying too hard for too long. But there was no point in arguing. In fact, when I need the medical world, I act as just the mom and refer to my colleagues/friends as the functional practitioners for our family. I know better than to put them on the defensive and act like I know it all. Without our insurance and without these doctors, I wouldn't have been able to get her a kidney ultrasound. There are times when we need them, and I am truly so grateful. 

Finding God’s Protection and Strength in the Middle of It All

When we see miracles and sometimes protection showing up as inconvenience, you can’t unsee the Glory of God. We recently had two pretty large trees fall from our woods into our yard. I started cleaning it up myself, then realized it was actually the HOA's responsibility. I made the call, and they came and cleared our yard and cut down the rest of the dead trees. I thought it was strange that all of a sudden these trees were falling into our yard. But the guy who ran the tree service for our HOA actually warned us about the immediate danger posed by the 100-year-old tree in our yard that looked infected. It’s a massive oak, and I never want to take a tree down that we don’t have to. But it was one week before the ice storm prediction, and they were able to get us in as an emergency. We made the swift (and very expensive) decision to take down the tree. In the storm's damage and destruction, I see God in that decision. 

It’s so hard to manage a home, the health of everyone in it, and a business. I’m tired and weary, and I also know that my strength comes from God, who called me to serve the kingdom in the way that I do. I get strength and encouragement from Him. I rest in knowing that I’m doing my assignment. While we’ve had a series of unfortunate events in our home, our lives, and our family, the reality is we are still so blessed beyond measure, and I don’t take that for granted. We have chosen to focus on what we can control and count our blessings. 

This season has reminded me that strength doesn’t always look like pushing through or holding everything together. Sometimes it looks like resting, asking for help, and trusting that God is still working even when things feel messy and unfinished. We’ve had more than our share of hard moments lately, but we’ve also seen protection, provision, and grace show up in quiet ways we might have missed otherwise. I’m choosing to believe that even in illness, exhaustion, and uncertainty, God is near — steady, faithful, and carrying what I no longer can.