Things get clearer...

"I am so happy everything is ok and he is fine" I say to my sister on the telephone. Her eight week old son (my nephew) is asleep in the recovery room. The little guy just endured a three hour surgery to locate and fix a blockage in one of his kidneys. The doctors found the problem and were successful in clearing the blockage. He will spend a couple of nights in ICU and should be released on Saturday. No doubt my sister struggled through the surgery, but knew in her heart he needed help and this is the best thing she can do to protect him.

My son had his adenoids taken out when he was five. He had chronic sinus issues and the surgery to remove the adenoids helped him a great deal. We worried for most of his infant and toddler years about his development and when the doctor recommended surgery, the answer was evident. We knew it would be hard on us and on him, but it would be a tremendous relief, and five years later, it has been. 

My friend's son has some learning disabilities. Things just did not feel right in the growth process and became more pronounced in his schoolwork. Teacher meetings, tutors and long nights struggling with homework nothing seemed to make things click easier. The diagnosis was hard to pinpoint, but when the puzzle finally came together, and a plan mapped out, it was like opening his eyes to a new world.

Doctors visits, batteries of tests, and evaluations can drive parents and kids to the brink of frustration. Parents worry about the chances of things being out of the ordinary and children fear pain and the unknown. In the end, after the diagnosis and a course of action is set in motion, frustration subsides and you move past the fears, then things get clearer...