Irritating Things I'm Thankful For

I don't like writing when I'm given a topic. I like to just write about whatever I have been thinking about for the past week. With Thanksgiving being this week, what kind of a person would I be if I didn't do a post about what I'm grateful for? I'm not even doing daily post on Facebook about what I'm grateful for. If I didn't write about thankfulness, it would just be a slap in the face to Thanksgiving.

I said a prayer asking God to show me what to write. This post was the response.


The NDSS reports, the life expectancy of a person with Down syndrome was just 25 years old in 1983. Today, the age has increased to age 60. Medical advancements have helped make this possible.

There are times when I get upset about the daily medical interventions we must do with Jaycee. But, God reminded me that the very things that sometimes feel irritating are the things I should be grateful for. They are helping to keep Jaycee healthy and alive.







Here's Jaycee's medications. Recently, medication number 10 was added. Instead of being upset that her medications keep increasing, I'm going to be grateful that there are treatments available for Jaycee.

Jaycee's vest airway clearance machine is next on my list. Twice a day for 20 minutes each, Jaycee uses this machine. I am thankful there is a machine that can help Jaycee's cough when her lungs are getting filled with mucus. I'm thankful this helps treat her lung cyst. I was thankful the day that our insurance approved this expensive machine, and I want to remain thankful.

 

This is Jaycee's nebulizer machine. When Jaycee started using a nebulizer as a toddler, I erroneously thought it would be temporary. It wasn't. Jaycees still uses this a minimum of twice a day. This little machine has become an important part of keeping Jaycee's lungs healthy. I'm thankful that Jaycee has this machine even though it eats up time every day.

Finally, this is Jaycee's bi-pap machine for treatment of her obstructive sleep apnea. Jaycee was just 3 years old when this machine came in our lives. For the last 6 years, this machine has dictated many things in her life in regards to when and where she can sleep. Yet, I should be thankful that Jaycee has a machine that gives her a way to breathe at night.

 

 

These medications and machines seem to limit our lives at time. Decisions about where we go and what we do cannot be made without factoring in these four items. Sometimes, this irritates me. But this Thanksgiving, I want to be grateful. I'm grateful these interventions are available to Jaycee to give her a better and longer life. 

 

Here's my challenge to you. Do you have something in your life that you need to have a different perspective about? Maybe something that irritates you is actually something you should be grateful for.