I realized I have never fully explained how the phrase, "It's Doable", became our family mantra and the name of our team for the CF walk. As most people know, Wednesday, April 3rd of this year Hannah was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and, as a result of her diagnosis, Caleb and I have been diagnosed as well. It has been almost 5 months and some days it seems like we're in a really good routine and CF hasn't changed that much and then other days it is overwhelming and I wish I could turn back the clock to those much more simple, pre-CF days! That, however, would mean going back to those days when Hannah was sick, struggling to breathe, coughing non-stop and rapidly losing weight so, of course, I'm deep down thankful for a diagnosis and a way to treat it.
The night I got the call after 2 days of testing at the Mayo Clinic, Hannah and I were at our hotel getting ready for bed. We had plans to travel the next day to visit some dear friends in Iowa. We were originally supposed to travel home the next day, but the pulmonologist had requested we stay nearby so he could see us on Monday and a road trip with the promise of sweet fellowship at the end of it seemed like a fun way to pass the weekend. Just as we were ready to crawl into bed, my cell phone rang and I recognized it as a Mayo Clinic #. I answered it and slipped out the doorway to the hall so I could speak to the Dr without Hannah in ear shot. I already knew what he was going to say, but hearing his confirmation was going to take a few minutes to fully process and I felt deep emotion bubbling just below the surface. He explained that Hannah's sweat test had come back positive and that she was a very sick girl. He wanted us to pack up that night and head to the hospital for at least a 2 week stay.
To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I definitely did not see the 2 week hospital stay coming and I was trying to wrap my brain around what we needed to do in order for that to happen. When I finished with the Dr, I called Tim and told him what the Dr had said and then I called our dear friend and primary care, Sandy. The whole time I was talking I was pacing the halls and I'd occasionally see Hannah pop her head out in the hall to see where I was. I'd motion for her to go back while I finished my conversations and she told me later that the amount of time I spent talking and walking in the hall didn't seem like a very promising sign to her and she had concluded she did, in fact, have CF.
After I had prayed, regrouped and worked up my courage to tell her, I went back to the room and let Hannah know what was going on. She, too, was taken aback by the 2 week hospital stay and called her Daddy and Kara, our youth pastor's wife who is her mentor. Kara prayed with her and by the time Hannah was done with her 2 conversations, she seemed much more settled and accepting of the situation. I watched her sit down on the end of the bed, pause and then say with a contemplative look...
"CF! It's doable!"
Really? 10 minutes after finding out she had a very serious lung disease, she had already come to the conclusion that CF, whatever it entailed, was "doable". I was amazed by her resolve that God was in control and that it was all going to be okay. This was her attitude then and during her hospital stay and it has remained her attitude over these last 5 months. These words have impacted our family, our friends and everyone who has heard Hannah's story. These words are a permanent fixture in our home as a constant reminder that what we are going through IS doable, and they became the name of our team in the CF walk. We have a logo, bracelets and now a beautiful new bag from the Georgia CF Foundation with the words, "It's Doable".
Whatever you may be going through now or may encounter in the future, I pray that you will look to the Lord to meet your needs and allow your heart to echo Hannah's profound words...
It's doable!!!
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