Gage ended up going to the hospital last night for “inside chest pains” that he’d never experienced. We thought it might be indigestion and were hoping to let it pass at home, but Gage was nearly hysterical, begging to go to the hospital.
Gage (almost) never asks to go to the hospital and so, in my part of the relationship between advocate and child/patient, I have to hear him and react when his health is involved. And especially when he is in pain, crying regarding an unknown source.
Even though he was crying, holding his chest in pain, I probably would have waited a bit to take him. But he asked. And that was the deal breaker.
Turns out he has a pulled sternum muscle and he was very wired it being midnight and so Julian has to get on to him about his behavior. Typical Gage, he walked in the house saying he was faking it because that was his way of getting back at Julian. There was only one flaw in that statement: he would have never asked to go to the hospital. His way of not wanting to deal with being human enough to feel pain – which is the greater issue/problem.
Someone emailed me during the ordeal (thanks to twitter and FB) to see if I was okay and I said yes. The answer was yes because this is just part of it. And by “it” I mean raising these kids, and their issues, oh crap, their issues. If we freaked out every single time there was a “crisis” we would not be able make it through each day intact.

I have such respect for you, Julia, and all the on-going “issues.” I know you did exactly the right thing in responding to Gage’s cry for help, no matter what he was really crying about. He probably didn’t know what was happening or what to do with the pain and fear. It had to be frightening to feel a strange internal pain after all he’s been through.
What are you supposed to do about the pulled muscle?
As you know, no blog here, but immichal AT yahoo.
So concerned…and thankful for your great mothering. May your heart hear God, be comforted and heal, as I pray for Gage and your entire family. The words below are so similar to the words of little Samuel when the Lord spoke to him in the night. Check out the story in I Samuel 3. Verse 10:
The boy jumped up to say “Yes, Lord, I’m listening.”
David obviously had a strong relationship with the Lord from boyhood, (Goliath). Psalm 27: 7,8
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
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