This past week has been a challenging one, but it has also taught me a very valuable lesson – to always follow my gut. This past week, I diagnosed my son with Lyme Disease.

One week ago, my 15-year-old developed a high fever, headache, fatigue, neck pain, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes after returning from a camping trip. A bull's-eye rash developed on his back a few days later. I was convinced that he had Lyme disease. How did I know this? I just knew. Did my training as a Physician Assistant aid me in this diagnosis? Maybe. But to be honest, I believe that God has given mothers a very real and specific sense regarding our children. Your gut instinct. That nagging feeling or urging when you just know something about one of your kids. Does this happen all the time? No. But it does happen, and when it does, I plead for you to listen and obey it.

After I noticed the rash, I brought him to Urgent Care. The PA left the room to go “look up” Lyme disease. When she came back in, she said it was a virus and that his rash didn’t look like the pictures she had seen. We were sent home. That evening, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling any longer and brought him into the ER. The resident also diagnosed him with a virus, stating that teenagers can have fevers of 102 degrees for two weeks and that she, too, didn’t think it was Lyme.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We were about to be sent home again when everything in me was screaming, “This is serious! This is Lyme!” Finally, the attending physician came in, listened to my condensed version of the last several days, looked at his rash and without batting an eye said, “This is Lyme disease and we’re treating him.”

I broke down crying. Thank you, Lord! This experienced ER doctor knew my son had Lyme and was going to give him the treatment he needed!

But what if I wouldn’t have listened to that still, small voice? What if I dismissed that urging and went home and waited for this “virus” to pass? How many other moms have doubted their maternal instincts and dismissed the nagging and urging of their spirit to listen to the voice of the “expert”?

Let me just say - you are the expert when it comes to your child! You know your child better than anyone! I want to encourage all parents to strongly advocate for their child – whether this means advocating for them in a medical situation, educational situation, social situation, etc. If something isn’t sitting right with you regarding your child and you feel an urging or nagging, please listen to it! You were given that prompting for a reason.

Listen to your gut.

I am so thankful I did.