Nov. 12, 2018

This week's emails were extremely difficult as it was right after Max's diagnosis.  I had emailed the mission home, just to give them a heads up and let them know that he would be a difficult thing for Elder Trezise to hear.  I am going to include my email to Elder Trezise first.  Here it is:

*very important* Don’t read my email until you read Max’s. Hopefully he sent it 🙄
This week has been the hardest of my life. And really I didn’t think anything could be harder then sending you off for 2 years. On Wednesday Max was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. He had been really thirsty for a few weeks. I jokingly told
him “maybe you have diabetes”. Tuesday we went out to dinner for Evan’s birthday and I noticed that Max drank about 5 glasses of water. That night he came to me and said, “I think I need to go to the doctor. I’ve lost 7 lbs”. So the next day I took him and Evan (Evan had been complaining his ears hurt). The doctor did a urine test and sent us to the ER. We didn’t even have to wait at the ER. They took us right back. They did all sorts of tests. On the way to the hospital both Max and I basically bawled our eyes out. His blood sugar at the hospital was 263. A normal persons is about 100. At the ER they at first told us that Max would most likely be in intensive care and then have to stay a few nights. Well all of his tests came back good (meaning he didn’t have something called Ketoacitosis) so maybe he’d just have to stay a couple of nights. Of course Max is still pissed. He’s mad about everything and doesn’t want to see anyone. He thinks that somehow God gave him this disease because he missed church a few weeks. He is embarrassed because he has heard us joke about Adam and dad makes comments all the time about eating bad and getting diabetes- even though nothing he did caused this. The ER doctor came back in and said he spoke to the Endrocronologist and we could leave after they gave Max a dosage of insulin and if we made an appt with the Endrocronologist for the next day. This was a miracle!  I have never heard of anyone not having to stay at least one night in the hospital. Max really didn’t want to stay so it was a huge blessing.
The next day Max, me and dad went to the Endrocronologist. They did more tests and gave us some education on what to do. We have to go back to the hospital on Tuesday for more education. I’ve had to email all of his teachers and talk to the school nurse. It has been overwhelming and deviating. Max’s life will never be the same. The fact that there is no cure is heartbreaking. I can’t sleep. I’ve lost 5 pounds. I am just so worried about what this means and how to deal with it. This is so huge for a 15 year old to deal with. On Friday he said, “I really miss Ben”. He misses his BFF but he knows you are in the right place and doing what you are supposed to be doing.
I didn’t get any sleep on Friday night so grandpa came over Saturday morning and gave me and Max a blessing. I have prayed so hard just to be able to handle this and to know how to help Max. My biggest fear is he gets low and no one is there to help him. But I’m going to have faith that we will be able to manage this disease.
On Friday Josh and Rowan came over and I took time plus Evan and Max to xtreme air. Then we got pizza and atl for Max and had a little birthday party. We had cake and ice cream. Saturday there was a little semi Lambson reunion with some of grandpas cousins. We went mostly because I thought Max needed to get out and because it was important to grandpa.
I saw Sis Petermen at Costco. She said Cash is really struggling so keep him in your prayers. Then she asked how I was doing and I just started crying. I’m a mess. As you can imagine. Max doesn’t want anyone to know but I think that people need to know so they can help him if he needs it. I haven’t put anything on social media because we wanted to tell you first and because Max still doesn’t want to tell anyone.
I had planned to send you your package but I might not get one sent out this month. I know you understand. I am almost finished reading the Book of Mormon. When I feel overwhelmed or can’t shut my mind off I read it or listen to a conference talk. I’m trying to stay positive.
I am so thankful for you and your example to me and to your brothers.  We love you so much. Ok - time for an Ollie story. So the other night I couldn’t sleep and was laying on the couch with a pillow on one side and a bowl (I was nauseous) on the other. Ollie was so perplexed. He couldn’t figure out how to get on my lap. He kept tilting his head and trying to jump on me. It was hilarious.
Also I am so grateful for Xander. He has been hanging out with Max and just making him feel normal which is so important. I’m lucky to have such amazing children.
I love you loads and loads!!! I will send pics in another email.
Love,
Mom

Here is Elder Trezise's email to us:

I'm so sorry. I spent a long time this morning sorrowful because of this. I feel so unable to help. I wish I could be there for you guys. I have had a tough week as well. The beginning of the week was really, really packed. Everyday, up to Saturday was completely full. Then, on Thursday night, I got really sick and started throwing up. My companion gave me a blessing, and my district leader, anointed me. My companion during the blessing said, "I bless you that you will be able to rise tomorrow morning and do the work assigned to you without struggle. I bless you to work all the day long and to labor for the Lord." I woke up the next morning feeling fine. It was a miracle! I worked all day, and felt fine. As we returned home that night I felt like I was dying. I threw up a lot, and had a horrible night. It was really really cool to see that Elder Nelson's blessing came true. I kind of wish it had been less literal, but I'll deal with it. I had a baptism the next day, so I had to get up and go fill the font and stay there for roughly 7 hours. It was really difficult to do. We went home early, around 5 P.M, and stayed in the rest of the night. The next day was Sunday, and although I was still feeling like garbage, I went to three different wards and a meeting with the stake President. We went home around 3:30 that day and stayed in for the rest of the day. I'm doing better today than I have been doing, but it has been a rough week.I really hope your blessing helped. I have given 4 blessings and been a part of over a dozen. It has really strengthened my faith.

I'm really sorry to hear that about Cash. It gets hard sometimes, and we all have to endure trials. I hope he can just stay faithful and press forward. There are some lyrics to a new church song that have actually, legitimately helped me stay positive. It goes, "I'll have faith like Brother Joseph, and the strength of the pioneers. I'll be brave like a stripling warrior, and like Nephi persevere. I will plead with my Father on my knees. I will be what I believe." We need to have the strength and faith of those who have endured much more than we have. We need to stay strong, and stay positive. I have been reading Saints, and it really sucks to see all the trials the founders of the Church had to go through. It must have been so easy to doubt God, and to doubt faith. But so many of them stayed strong and made it through. Especially Joseph Smith. I really love what Jeffrey R. Holland once said (surprise surprise, I like a Holland quote), but he says, "I was not with Alma when he saw an angel. I did not see the plates, watch Joseph preach. I was not with the Nephite people when they touched the hands and feet of the Resurrected Lord. But, my testimony is as strong as theirs. I want to stand before the judgement bar of God and be able to say that I stood up and declared to the whole World that my testimony is as strong as any of theirs was. I want to be able to say I stood up and preached to everyone that I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know this is the restored Church of Christ. I know that this is the true Gospel."

We need to get to a point where we can say with absolute certainty that we KNOW this is the true Gospel. You can't sit there and say, "Oh, my family believes." Or, "I go to church every Sunday." Or, "I was baptized." No. We are never done progressing. "Improvement and Progression have one Eternal round." Continue to read the Book of Mormon. When you finish, restart. Because I promise you that you will never once read it and not learn something new. If you read it with a sincere heart and true intent, you will ALWAYS learn something new.

It's okay if you don't get a package out this month, I'm in no hurry or anything. I am so grateful for all of your love. Elder Nelson says about 6 months in everybody but your parents stop emailing you. Because I have a ridiculous number of people to email, and he says it dies down. But, I told him my family and friends are the best and there's no way they'll stop emailing me. I am so happy to get emails from you all. I miss all of you so much. (Especially my little baby). Everytime I see a dog I miss my puppy. I've seen hundreds of dogs here, and Ollie is still the cutest. Although one of our Bishops has a dog, Benji who's pretty adorable. He does retard tongue too. I love you all so much, and hope things get better soon!

-Elder Trezise
His email truly uplifted me.  Also, note that he had sent Max a separate email.  How lucky we are to have Elder Trezise's example and love.