Daddy

     All of my life, Daddy had been (to me) the strongest man in the world! He would play with us in the evenings and do his independent carpentry work during the day, then turn around and devote his weekend to work on his message for the Sunday service's. For our birthdays, he would make us things like; a doll house with little beds to go a long with it, a barn for the little animals, and every where we have lived he has built a homemade play ground, the first one was a fort with a sandbox that had 4 different kinds of swings, and a slide. Then a two story playhouse that had a homemade table and chairs. This time he made a wagon that looks real, with wagon wheels and a seat for us to sit on! 

    Our small world was turned upside down and shaken, October 2010, when my daddy; Reverend Brad Snowden had undergone a simple meniscus repair in his left knee. He  always hated to go to the doctors, except when mom begged him to go to the doctor after he began limping badly. After some persuading he had the pursedure done, which probably lasted not even ten minutes. All  seem to be good when we came home, naturally he slept the day off. Then the next few days were odd, he started complaining of pain in different place's in his bad leg. So we took him to the hospital and they found a huge blood clot, in is calf. He stayed in the hospital  for two weeks, for the first time in my life my sister and I were separated from our parents for more than two nights. Up until this time, I was shocked but at peace with the situation. Yet, now that I was two hours away from the three people that held my world together; I just broke completely down. The reality of the situation had hit me, and being away from them was way too much for me. Another issue was that I had a sister to help too, it got to the place where my sister and I cried ourselves to sleep every night. My sweet, wonderful grandparents brought us home after consoling with my mom. Finally, when he was to come home we were delighted, our daddy was finally on his way, but the day before he was to be out of the hospital, his leg swelled till it looked like a soccer ball.  

My Birthday party!

   By that time it was my birthday and we spent it in room 317 of the hospital, we ate doughnuts which dad was not aloud to have, but it was my 12th birthday! My daddy wanted to make me happy! 

When released he was finally healing from the surgery and the blood clot! 

   Nearly three months later, his health came to a place, where the knee was no longer the issue; breathlessness, heart pain, no taste buds, migraines and the list can go on and on. Within the first year, Doctors took what seemed like every kind of scan possible at least twice, saying he had a brain hematoma, lymphoma, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc, etc.... 

   A friend of our's daughter had nearly the same symptoms and they found out that she had Lyme Disease, so we decided  to look into it, seeing a Lyme's friendly M.D. we  found out that dad had Chronic Lyme and Babesiosis (babesia)! At that time (and still to the present) dad couldn't even try  working, for his body was at war within it's own self. During this time (and now), dad could not work to provide for the family and he still can't but my amazingly, God has supplied miraculously! God has been providing our needs with the Lord laying us on individuals hearts. It was still difficult for me not knowing what was to happen next; not knowing what dad was going to feel like the each day, not knowing if we would have to run out the door the next moment because dad might be in tremendous pain and need an ambulance to take him to the hospital, which seemed to happen quite often. 

   Last May, our cardiologist thought that daddy might have hardening of the paracardial  (layer that protect's the heart).

He recommended a great doctor in Chicago, IL.  Which mom was not looking forward to it because of the crazy traffic and stories that people have told of getting lost. The doctor immediately admitted him to this huge hospital! We stayed there for a week, spending the day with dad and spending the night in a dorm room a block over (another provision from the Lord). During his stay he had a heart cathiterization and a variety of different test. Their conclusion was that he was crazy and in need of psychiatric help, also that he was too lazy to do what he needed to, to keep up his strength! If there was one thing that I am thankful to the for, Lord is that at that moment-  I was not there when the doctor had the nerve to even think of that diagnosis! I do believe this was the angriest I had ever felt in my life. 

    Since then, I think our family has lost some trust in doctors, because they refuse to believe that he is really sick. As he is suffering so badly from this unmerciful disease that puts dadd through so much pain; it just amazes me of the blindness from the medical profession!

    Nearly three years now, we have  pushed him in a wheel chair, he still has to take naps because most any activity such as going to Walmart or any other place, he just wears out. Also he can't sleep at night because of the insomnia!

   This is what Lyme Disease does to a body! Just because you can see little difference on the outside, does not mean that he is healthy!

Please be aware of this tick born disease that so many people are oblivious too! It needs to be known, and seen not only by doctors but by people.


~Felecia Mary Snowden~
Here is the story from my parents Blog on their Lyme Battle:
The Beginning To the End
http://dealingwithlymesandotherdiseases.blogspot.com/2012/06/beginning-to-end.html