Awful Pain

This week has probably been one of the hardest and longest weeks in my life. It has been a week of ever increasing pain for Elliott and increasing internal agony for me. 

Ever since we got back from Maryland, Elliott has had difficulty standing, walking, laying on his back, and sitting, because of the tumors and nerve pain he feels in his left leg and back. The only relief he seems to have is when he is on his stomach. Unfortunately no pain meds that we had at our house seemed to touch the pain he has been feeling. It is heart breaking to watch someone you love be in pain and not be able to do anything about it. 

By the time the pain was at its greatest it was Saturday, standing and sitting were almost impossible. Of course no oncologist or team member of ours is ever in on the weekends, so we had to settle with people giving us safe options for pain with prescriptions that we already had. These prescriptions were definitely not working. Poor Elliott, he was moaning and basically crying in pain and it seemed like no one could help us. How were we supposed to go to Maryland the next day? How was Elliott going to sit on a plane for an hour and take an hour long shuttle ride to NIH? These are all questions we were contemplating. The only thing we decided was this life saving or time giving treatment would be worth the painful trip, so we were going to Maryland somehow.

Then came in the Orr's!!! The superheros! They devised a plan that we would drive to Maryland. Elliott could lay on his stomach on an air mattress in the back of the van so he would be at least comfortable. Right before we left for Maryland, El had a bad pain episode and he didn't know if he could make it. We pleaded with The Lord to make this pain tolerable, and with his mercy, grace, and faithfulness He did. Sure there was a little flat tire hiccup on the way, but Praise God, Elliott did not need to leave the car to have it fixed. Instead of 10 hours we made it to Maryland in 13, but we were here. 

We were admitted into the hospital as soon as we got here, but of course all the people that can actually perscribe good things are never here when you need them. Elliott was sore from being in the car for 13 hours, and didn't get any relief until we slept in the children's inn together that night. 

Yesterday we were informed that I could stay in the inpatient room that Elliott is in, and that we are still eligible for the study. The downside was we had scans, scans where El would have to lay on his back for an hour. Seemly an impossible achievement for the amount of pain Elliott was in. The Lord was with him then too because somehow his legs that shivered with pain lay still and flat for the scans. It wasn't without pain, but it happened not of Elliott's own doing. Praise God! 

Before the scans that morning we talked to the pain specialist, but they never came back to talk about a solution to this pain problem. Elliott has been begging, pleading, and needing something stronger for pain all day and has not gotten it til right now at 1:30 am on Tuesday. His pain seems to have temporarily stabilized, and he seems to be asleep. I pray that it stays this way until morning. 

It has been such a long day filled with constant prayer, pain, tears, anxiety, and helplessness. Through the pain and the unpleasantness of cancer, we are praising God for everything He has done to get us into this trial. Please continue to pray that we find a solution to this debilitating pain so that Elliott will have some relief tomorrow.  Please pray that because of this week and this pain we never forget the importance of prayer.