Hoping for Some Progress

I called the surgeon's office this morning to talk to them about our dilemma. If we continue to wait on our current surgeon, we are worried that Jason will run out of FMLA time to recover. This could mean him losing his job--and even worse for us--him losing his health insurance coverage :-(

We were told that the surgeon, himself, would be having another procedure done for his heart next Tuesday. After that it would be the week of the 11th or possibly even the 18th before he would reschedule surgeries. They will reschedule them in order of priority--with Jason being one of the highest because of his level of pain and not being able to work.

I let them know that I was afraid that we could not wait that long and asked about possibly changing to another surgeon who could do this sooner. Apparently, this change would have to go through our primary care doctor (the one who won't return our phone calls!!!!). Dr. Hemric's office is going to call the PCP and try to make arrangements for us. Hopefully, they will return his phone call :-0

We are expecting a call back on all of this this afternoon. Please pray that we can make some progress today as far as getting something scheduled for Jason. We really like Dr. Hemric and hope that the next surgeon will be just as agreeable. Pray for God to go before us and work out the details (I think of Ex 14:14--"The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace.") Also, pray for Dr. Hemric. He and his staff have been very good to us and we pray that the Lord will bless him as he recovers.

Waiting on God

Waiting. It's not something that I do well. I am a very impatient person, and this new roadblock has us, once again, in a waiting period. We are unsure what God is wanting to do for us. We believe that he has plans for us and that none of this has happened by accident--yet we wonder sometimes exactly what he is up to. After expending so much energy preparing for the surgery and hospital stay, today was a big letdown. Jason stayed in bed most of the day. I tried to take a nap, but it didn't work too well with interruptions ;-) Right now, I plan to make contact with the surgeon's office tomorrow or Friday to see what they can tell me. We are concerned about this wait--not just because of the pain, but because if Jason doesn't have the surgery soon, he will run out of FMLA leave during his recovery period. He could lose his job if this happens :-( I am trying not to borrow trouble worrying about the future, but at the same time, he cannot stay off of work indefinitely. As much as we do not want to, we may have to find another surgeon. Please pray for us to have wisdom in this and for God to make his direction clear for us.

Surgery Canceled :-0

Apparently, it isn't the Lord's will for Jason to have this surgery today:-( The surgeon's office called this morning and told us that they have to cancel the surgery. The surgeon, himself, has a medical condition related to his heart. He is feeling so bad today that he asked his nurse to cancel all surgeries. They were very apologetic, because they know that Jason has spent the last two days "prepping" for the surgery. We just appreciate their honesty. I would much rather it be canceled than for Dr. Hemric to pass out or have a heart attack during the surgery. He has been our favorite doctor, so far, so please send extra prayers his way. We have no idea when this is going to be rescheduled. They will let us know as soon as they know something. Poor Jason. I told him that at least he could eat now. Per his request, I made him a great big bowl of Crunch Berry cereal :-) We are trying to see the positive in all of this. Please keep praying for us as we wait and see what God wants to do for us.

An Answer

The pulmonologist would not sign off on the surgery and said that he could not even see Jason today!!!!! (Can you tell how I really feel about this by my exclamation points?) They did agree to fax the results of Jason's last breathing test (done 2 months ago in November)to the surgeon's office. After reviewing these records, the surgeon agreed to go ahead and do the procedure without the pulmonologist's approval :-) Thank you God for answering our prayers.

ETA: We really like our surgeon :-) Every contact with him has been more and more positive. Please pray God's special blessings on this man.

A Possible Setback

Please join us in prayer on this issue: We received a call from Jason's pulmonologist this morning. Apparently, the surgeon wants the pulmonologist to sign off on the surgery stating that Jason is stable enough to have the procedure. This is the first we have heard of this issue. Today, the pulmonologist's office called the surgeon and told them that they did not want to approve it because Jason has not had a recent breathing test in their office (even though they have had a fax on this issue since last Thursday!!!). He was scheduled to have one a few weeks ago, but we had to cancel it because he was in the hospital at that time. We were asked if he could come in this afternoon to do a breathing test, but Jason has already begun his prep for the surgery, so it would be difficult to impossible for him to leave the house. Our prayer is that this can be worked out and will not cause the surgery to be delayed. As of last Thursday, the surgeon's next available date was Feb 13th. It is probably even later than that now.

More Prayer Requests

We are getting more stressed today, knowing that surgery time is getting close. Some specific prayer requests regarding the procedure:

1. Wisdom for the surgeon, doctors and nurses
2. That the bowel will re-heal properly after it is resectioned and not leak. Jason is at risk for problems because of his steroids. If the Lord wants to heal him before the surgery, that would be wonderful too, but we will magnify His Name, regardless.
3. Strength and peace for Jason, myself, our children and their caregivers.
4. Jason has sleep apnea. We are not sure how it will work for him to use his machine when he is supposed to have a tube up his nose for several days afterwards. When he went under anesthesia for his colonoscopy a few weeks ago, he was not on his CPAP during recovery and his pulse oxygen level dropped several times because he would stop breathing. We have left a message for the surgeon regarding this concern, and we hope that an adequate solution to this problem can be found.
5. My mother is going to be the primary caregiver for our children during all of this. She is coming down with a bad cold. She is also a recovered heart attack/stroke patient. Please pray for strength and energy for her and for her to be given whatever relief she needs during this time.

If you would like to offer help in any way during his hospitalization and recovery, please email me at Kgj9999@aol.com. I am making a list of those who wish to help. Specifically, I know that my mother could use relief from time to time with my children, since she is their primary caregiver.

Pre-Op Appointment

We went to the hospital for Jason's pre-op appointment today. This went pretty well and they actually got his blood taken with the first stick (usually they have to poke him over and over again). The nurse was able to give us some good, practical advice about his medications over the next couple of days--ways that might help his stomach to handle it better. So far, so good, today. He is nauseous, but we don't really know whether this is from the medicines themselves or just the lack of food in his stomach. At any rate, it isn't unbearable for him.

I have finished most of my harder tasks, and now have some general organizing, planning, list-making and packing to do. We still aren't sure whether or not he is going to be in a private room or whether he will have a roommate. Obviously, we are praying he can be alone so that I can stay with him. But, if not, I guess I'll just be going back and forth. Hopefully, tomorrow will be quiet and uneventful as we are both hoping to get plenty of rest before things get crazy.

Thank you for your prayers.

Prayer request for today

I would like to ask you to pray about something specific today. As of now, Jason is on a clear liquid diet. He is also taking a number of medications including some very strong antibiotics, his steroids and his pain pills. We are very concerned that these are going to upset his stomach and that he will have to be admitted to the hospital earlier than we had planned, just so that he can receive these medications by IV. Please pray for him to be comfortable at home. I know that neither one of us want to be at the hospital any sooner than we have to.

Heaping Blessing Upon Blessing

It is amazing how we can go through trials and in the midst of them experience such incredible blessing and joy. Today has been a wonderful example of this. I have been working hard to get everything done before Wednesday's surgery. Tomorrow, I planned to have a "Kitchen Day" with a couple of ladies (using our church's kitchen), so that meals would be easier while Jason was in the hospital. Since we have food allergies, it is very difficult for people to bring in meals for our family. Upon making a few calls, a dear friend volunteered to cook all the meat for me, so that all I have to do is drop it off and pick it up. This has eased my mind greatly, and has made it possible for me to be with Jason most of the day tomorrow. He really likes having me close by during all of this and seems to get more stressed when I have to be away.

Also, on their way home from church this morning, my parents called and asked if they could stop by our house. When they showed up, they began bringing in sacks which contained all sorts of paper products--paper plates, plastic ware, paper bowls, napkins, paper towels, toilet paper!! Meals and clean-up are going to be so much easier with meal plans, pre-cooked meat, and plenty of paper products to use. Also, another family from my parent's church blessed us with a $300 gift card to Walmart!!! God is heaping blessing upon blessing in our lives today, and I am just overjoyed and filled to the brim with His Love.

The elders from our church came and prayed over Jason after church today and anointed him with oil. They were very encouraging and were able to offer us some good advice on several practical matters. We were reassured that our church is ready and able to step in and help in whatever way(s) we need. One of the elders encouraged us with a testimony of God's healing in his own life. As they prayed, the elders asked God for Jason's healing. We trust that God can do this, if He wills it. But, we also know that God can be glorified in Jason's weakness, as well as in his healing. We wait upon Him and trust that His plan for us is perfect.

A Busy but Productive Day

I was blessed to spend the day accomplishing much of what I have planned to do before Wednesday. Today, my wonderful mother-in-law and a dear friend from church came over to help me put things in order around my house. We got all of the bedding washed, cleaned both bathrooms, did a detailed vacuuming of the back rooms in the house, and took down our Christmas tree (finally!) and put away the Christmas decorations in the garage. It is nice to have the space back. I also got meal plans made through Feb 12th and shopped for the groceries (again the Lord was gracious and provided financially for this). Lord willing, I would like to have most of the things done by Monday evening, so that we can spend Tuesday resting up and relaxing before things get bad.

Tomorrow evening will be Jason's last meal for awhile. Monday and Tuesday will be a clear liquid diet, and he will be fed through a tube for at least a few days after the surgery. Jason's pain has been pretty bad today. His pain pill wears out before it is time for another one. He is not sleeping well (neither am I actually). We are both concerned about the outcome and pray that the outcome is successful. Hopefully, after working so hard all day today, I won't have as much trouble sleeping this evening ;-)

Thank you for your prayers. We know that, without the Lord and our brothers and sisters in Christ, this would be a much greater trial.

Psalm 34:1-4 (The Message)

I bless God every chance I get;
my lungs expand with His praise.

I live and breathe God;
if things aren't going well,
hear this and be happy:

Join me in spreading the news;
together let's get the word out.

God met me more than halfway,
He freed me from my anxious fears.

Psalm 34:1-4 (The Message)

May you be blessed today and see God in the midst of whatever storm you are experiencing.

Not Quite What We Were Expecting--Surgery Scheduled

We went to the surgeon's office this morning prepared to schedule exploratory surgery, and, instead, were caught somewhat off guard with his recommendation. The doctor sees no point in delaying things with exploratory surgery. We feel very strongly that the problem is that the colon is so diseased that it is not healing. Jason's steroids will mask so many of the signs that it would make it difficult to detect or diagnose using CT scans. His white count is always elevated due to steroids, so it is not a good indicator either. But, the pain and the bulging definitely point to the colon being inflamed. The steroids also make it difficult to heal, so it is not surprising that his colon hasn't healed with the antibiotics.

Jason is scheduled to have his bowel resectioned at 2:30pm next Wednesday. We have to be at the hospital at noon that day, and "prep" will begin Monday with a clear liquid diet and "cleaning out" solution starting on Tuesday. Basically the surgeon will cut out the diseased portion of his intestine and reattach the remaining colon.

A normal patient is expected to be in the hospital for about seven days after this surgery. Jason could be there longer, as he is at increased risk for complications because of his steroids. We discussed reducing or discontinuing the steroids for a time to reduce chances of complication, but the surgeon feels that this is not an option for Jason because of the seriousness of his disease. Complications could include infection, slow healing, no healing, leaking of the intestine (which could result in a colostomy).

The advantages of doing this as an elective procedure are: 1. Once he heals, he will hopefully have a reduction in pain that will allow him to resume normal activities. 2. If we wait and have to do the surgery at a later time on an emergency basis, there is a greater chance of complications that could result in a permanent colostomy.

We would appreciate your prayers as we prepare for the surgery. We scheduled it for next Wednesday, knowing that next date the surgeon was available was February 13th, and Jason is in too much pain to wait that long. If it is not God's will, we pray that he will make this clear and that he will either heal Jason, or block our path so that we know that it is not the right choice. Also, we are both overwhelmed with everything. This is a big decision with potentially life-long consequences. Please pray for me to be clear-headed as I make preparations over the next few days. I want to know that things are taken care of and running smoothly for my kids and their caregivers while we are gone.

Wednesday afternoon update

Nothing has really changed from yesterday for Jason. His pain is being managed tolerably as long as he stays down and doesn't do very much. We are seeing the surgeon at 8:30am tomorrow for a consult, and these are our prayer requests regarding the visit: 1. If there is anything that requires urgent attention that the doctor will have the wisdom and discernment to detect this and help us get the care we need. 2. The surgeon doesn't believe he will be able to get him worked into his schedule until the following Thursday (Jan 31st), so we are praying that he will prescribe more of the pain medication to last until then. The supply we have now will run out long before then.

I ran a few errands this morning and left the sick kids with Jason. He held off taking a pain pill so he would be a little more clear-headed. They are so sick, there was no way they could go with me. Since we are expecting some winter weather tomorrow, I wanted to be sure we were well-stocked for groceries ;-) I did pick up some movies (John Wayne and several others) and some books on tape for Jason from the library. If he doesn't have enough to keep him busy, I'm worried he will try to get up more than he should and end up hurting himself :-(

Please keep me in your prayer. My throat is starting to hurt and I am losing my voice. I am concerned that I am catching what the children have, and, since I am the only caretaker for all of the sick people, I really want to stay on my feet.

Thursday evening--Update with CT result

CT results showed everything fine as far as diverticulitis, but also showed a "spot" still present on Jason's kidney. After over 24 hours of trying to reach him, we never have received a return call from our PCP (I think we are going to find a new one, because this is ridiculous!!). We have a consult scheduled with a surgeon for 8:30am Thursday, although his office doesn't believe they can do the surgery until the following Thursday. Jason has enough pain meds to last until this consultation, and we are hoping the surgeon will be willing to prescribe more during the week waiting period. Jason's pain is still significant, but the medicine is giving him enough relief to make it tolerable, as long as he just lays around and doesn't try to do very much. His side is still bulging :-( We are praying that whatever it is will not be made worse by this wait.

Tuesday afternoon update

We went for the CT scan this morning, but don't have any results on it yet. Our PCP has still not returned our call after almost 24 hours, so please pray for him to return our call soon before we have to find another doctor. Jason's left side of his abdomen is now bulging and the pain is not any better. We need a doctor who will take this seriously and listen to him. The children are all still sick with fevers, coughs, aches/pains, etc. We are keeping them dosed with OTC meds to keep them comfortable. They are all very clingy and wanting mommy & daddy right now. This is very hard on them.

The level of incompetence that surrounds us. . .

never ceases to amaze us. I'm sure that the Lord must be allowing this for a reason, but after all of the mistakes made by the hospital this morning, I am absolutely amazed that we've never heard back from our Primary Care Provider. The ER doctor refused to contact the PCP when we requested it, so we decided to call him ourselves on our way home from the hospital, hoping to get someone competent to look at Jason today. We were told our PCP would not be returning calls until "after office hours". It is now 8:45pm and we have not received a call back :-0 Unless we end up at the ER again in the middle of the night, we will be at the hospital at 8:30am for Jason's CT scan and continuing trying to contact the doctor from there. Please pray for wisdom (and apparently competence, as well) for the doctors and medical staff we will be dealing with tomorrow.

Heal or Reveal. . .

These are our prayers for Jason right now--that God would either heal him or reveal to us and the doctors what is going on with him. We went to the ER this morning and did not have a good experience. We basically feel that we were written off, and there were a number of mistakes and discrepancies in his care this morning that have us seriously concerned about the doctor who was making decisions in his case. We felt that Jason should have been admitted today and instead, we were sent home with CT scan scheduled for 9am tomorrow morning. The ER doctor consulted only with the GI doctor and when we asked him to consult with the primary care doctor before releasing him, we were told that "He would agree with us and defer to us on this decision anyway." After leaving, we put in a call to the primary care doctor and are still waiting for a call back.

Jason is in too much pain and under the influence of too much medicine to make decisions or fight for himself, right now. They did send him home with some medicine, so they were not completely heartless, but we do not feel that the medicine he has will be able to control the pain. I have to keep reminding myself that God already knows what is wrong with Jason. It will be revealed (or not) at His choosing and in His timing. Please pray for me to have a quiet and peaceful heart about this, because, right now, I must confess that my heart is far from quiet and peaceful. It is hard to see him hurting like this and not be able to help him.

I am holding on to Isaiah 30:15 today for myself: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. . ."

And for Jason: Ps 139:13-16 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

and Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born I set you apart. . ."

God knows exactly what Jason needs and what will help him and those who love him. He has a plan for Jason and for us. Praise His Name.

He can't take it anymore

Jason came home from work this morning after working an hour. GI doctor recommends surgery, but the surgeon is out of the office today having a procedure himself. We may be heading to the ER because the pain is so bad he can't take it anymore. Please pray for all of us. Also, all three kids are sick so please pray for child care arrangements and their comfort and peace in mommy and daddy's absence.

Sunday update

All three kids are sick now :-0 Poor "Meanie" just asked me for a bath and fell asleep on the toilet before we could put him in it. We checked his temp and he had a fever :-( Jason felt too bad to work on his van this weekend, so he is just going to drive it and hope for the best (it died 4 times on the way home last Friday). We stayed home from church today, and Grammy and Grandpa stopped by after church, bringing us a McDonald lunch. Very nice of them with everyone under the weather. I don't think I am sick, exactly; I'm just exhausted.

Isaiah 30:18-21 "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.""

Tonight, I am asking the Lord to make clear his path for us. I am asking us to use teachers and others to guide us to make wise choices about our health care, our finances, and our family. And I am praying, that in the midst of this storm, we will see his graciousness and tender love and mercies towards us.

Please pray for "Miney"

"Miney" is still not doing any better, and actually seems to be worse. She is coughing so bad that she cannot sleep, and it has also caused her to vomit :-( After being on meds (Z-pack and steroids) for two days, we expected to see at least some improvement. Doctor on call says that, if we cannot get the coughing under control, we need to take her in somewhere (which will mean either an urgent care clinic or the ER). Jason really needed a restful weekend, and now it doesn't look like we are going to get one. Please pray for her and that, somehow, Jason will get the rest he needs to reduce his pain level. Right now, his pain is a 4 (1 to 10 scale), and the day has just started :-( Also, Jason's van is having problems, and he needs to do some work on it. I don't know how much longer he can keep going. . .

Friday morning. . . Jan 18

During our morning check in, Jason rated his pain at a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Not terrible, but I know when he was in the hospital, they wanted to see it at a 3 or less. It is also early in the day, so it will probably increase. He had a good heart to heart with his boss this morning which really encouraged him. His boss realizes that he is still hurting and knows that Jason is trying his best to work through the pain. He was reassured that, even though he is a highly-valued employee, that they want him to take care of himself (even if he needs to take more time off and pursue a resolution to his health issues). God always knows exactly what we need and I am continuing to pray for Jason to have wisdom regarding when to work through the pain and when to stop and pursue further medical treatment.

Meanie woke up this morning complaining that his neck hurts. I'm still unable to determine if it is actually his throat or his neck that hurts, so I am keeping an eye on the situation. I checked his temperature and it was running low 94.7 F to 95.3 F. This tends to make me believe he has a virus of some sort. He asked for a Popsicle for breakfast, which would normally be a no-no around here, but I relented and gave him one to see if it would make a difference. I'm also wondering if he slept wrong on his neck. He screams when he tries to turn to the side or lean back. I wanted to hold him and comfort him, but it hurt him too bad to lean back on my arm :-( I'll be watching him, and, if things don't improve, I may take him to the doctor for a strep culture just to be sure. He has done nothing today but sit around on the couch, and that is very unusual for him.

Miney is still coughing quite a bit, but she has perked up some. She gets up and plays for a little bit and then lays down for awhile. She slept in quite late for her this morning (9am), so I think her coughing is bothering her and keeping her from resting very well.

I'm thinking that until everything is resolved with dh, I'm not going to take the children anywhere else!! We do not need to have sick kids if Daddy has to have surgery or go back to the hospital. I also don't want them to be sick with anything contagious if we have to have people over here watching them, while we deal with Jason's medical issues.

Please pray for strong immune systems for our entire family, and grace and peace on all of us. I must confess that I've been a very grumpy mommy this morning. I don't do well when everyone is sick at once and there are more who need help than there are helpers.

Thursday evening. . .

Well. . . I spoke too soon about how "Miney" was feeling. While I was typing my last post, she sneaked off to bed and WENT TO SLEEP (which she never does voluntarily). This should have been my first clue. When she woke up, she was a running a high fever and now she is just laying around. I just gave her the first dose of medicine, so I really hope we see improvement soon. This just reinforces my belief that we did the right thing by taking her in to the doctor earlier today. It's just too bad that she didn't act this sick for him! Please pray that she gets well before the next crisis with Daddy hits. Also that no one else in the family gets what she has. I just can't imagine the pain Jason would experience if he started coughing!!

Jason came home hurting badly again tonight. We are not sure if this is significant or not, but the left side of his abdomen feels very hot to the touch. I am wondering if it is inflammation or an infection. We just don't know what to think. . .

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:2-5

Tonight we are confident that the Lord is using this trial in our lives to develop perseverance and maturity. We are trusting that he will give us (and our doctors) the wisdom to know what steps to take in helping Jason feel better.

Update on "Miney"

At the doctor's this afternoon, we found out that "Miney" has bronchitis, asthma and an ear infection. We were sent home with an antibiotic and some asthma medicine. Normally, I'm hesitant to jump to antibiotics, but with everything going on with Jason, we've decided just to go for it. We need her to be well--especially if her Daddy ends up back at the hospital. She seems happy enough, so hopefully, things will improve shortly and she will be feeling all better.

Thursday afternoon update

Jason woke up hurting very badly this morning but still went in to work. When he sleeps and rolls over on his left side, it aggravates the pain. Apparently, he rolled to his left side last night and he woke up with a sharp pain. On a scale of 1 to 10, his pain today has ranged anywhere from a 2 to a 6. When I spoke with him a few moments ago, he said he felt better this afternoon than he did earlier today. Please keep praying.

Last night, our youngest daughter, "Miney", started coughing and could not stop. We were quite concerned about her and got her to calm down, do some breathing exercises and drink some water. After listening to her with our stethoscope, we were convinced that she was having asthma and possibly some fluid in her lungs. Giving her a puff on her big sister's inhaler (sshhh! don't tell anyone ;-) seemed to help a little, or we would probably have been at the emergency room.

I spent this morning calling all over trying to find a Medicaid doctor who would take her. The pediatrician we've been seeing doesn't take Medicaid, and with dh off work for a month, we didn't want to have to pay to take her anywhere. Every doctor I spoke with this morning was either booked or wasn't taking any new Medicaid patients.

I cried out to the Lord for help, because I just didn't know what to do, and He provided help in two forms: First, a nurse friend of ours came over and listened to her with the stethoscope. She confirmed the wheezing but didn't hear fluid in her lungs, which eased my mind considerably. Second, a check came in the mail today, which will allow us to go to any doctor we want, rather than waiting to get an appointment with a Medicaid doctor. Yeah!! We took this as a sign from the Lord and an answer to prayer and scheduled an appointment with our regular GP this afternoon at 2pm. We have a nebulizer and feel that if we can get her her own meds, she can be treated at home, thus avoiding a trip to the hospital.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever." Ps 118:1

Wednesday Evening--Jan 16--Update

Praise God we got the tires replaced on the van, and we were home before the weather worsened. Jason was glad to get his PJ's on and climb into bed. We are both leaning heavily on the Lord, right now, because neither one of us see how he can go on much longer like this. The normal muscle aches and pains and general weakness/fatigue is understandable. But, he is still in pain which worsens throughout the day (his job is very physically demanding). It is especially bad when he bends over to work on something--then it becomes a sharp, shooting pain. He told me this evening that, if he wasn't feeling better in about two weeks, he would be willing to go in for the exploratory surgery that they had recommended before. I know that the Lord can do a lot in two weeks, but, right now, the situation doesn't seem very promising :-( Jason wanted me to be sure and express to each of you how thankful he is for your prayers. We just don't know what we would do without our friends and family supporting us. Thanking God for your service to our family.

A small praise. . .

Lord willing, Jason's van should be getting some new tires this evening. This has been heavy on my heart, and now, the Lord is providing for this need. Praising God!

Update 9:00am

Jason just called on his morning break. He is still in pain, but seems to be doing better. We believe that the prayers are helping. Although, yesterday, he started off good in the morning and things worsened throughout the day, so, we would not be surprised if this was the case today, as well.

We are also praying for the Lawrenson family (http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com). They are fighting a courageous battle for life and could use all of the prayers they can get. Their testimony and commitment to the sanctity of life is incredible. Definitely makes our problems seem small in comparison. . .

Blessings,

Kerri

Jason is at work, but. . . .

he is still hurting :-( The pain is less than last night, but he still isn't feeling very well. As you think of him today, please pray for him. If he doesn't start feeling better soon, I don't know how much longer he will be able to work :-( We know that our next step is probably exploratory surgery, and Jason really does not want to have surgery.

Please pray!

After working on our van at home this evening, Jason has come inside in horrible pain:-( He looks terrible, and is shaky and weak. Please pray for him to feel better by tomorrow morning, because he really wants to be at work. Also, please pray that we have no more car problems that require his attention. He is driving his van with the back tire partially splitting, so please pray for his safety until we can get this replaced.

Hopefully Back to "Normal"?

Jason made it through his first day back at work today. His co-workers and bosses were very glad to have him back, and gave him a fairly easy day without any major jobs. He did have some increased pain this afternoon, but remained at work. We are hoping and praying that this is just a temporary situation. He thought that he might have eaten something which upset his stomach (I never claimed to be a wonderful cook--lol).

We planned on him taking it easy this evening, but unfortunately, the brakes went out on Kerri's van today. With the snow/cold front moving in tomorrow, we didn't want to postpone dealing with this situation, so Jason is at Autozone right now getting new brakes :-( Fortunately, they are under warranty, so, other than the labor (provided by Jason, of course), they aren't costing anything.

Mommy and the kids enjoyed their afternoon at the zoo with Grammy. The weather was absolutely beautiful and there was hardly anyone else there!! We are so grateful to Grammy and Grandpa for our zoo pass, and we look forward to having many more zoo outings throughout the year. We also got to see many of the animals that usually stay hidden or indoors. It was sunny, yet cool, so perhaps that is the reason. Also, today, we got to use our digital camera which was a Christmas present from Kerri's brothers and sisters and their spouses this year. Once Kerri figures out how to get into the new millennium and use all of the features on her new camera, she will try to post some pictures.

"Eenie's" favorite part of the zoo was the snake house. Many of the snakes were quite active today, and, since the snake house wasn't crowded, we got to take our time and really study them in detail. "Meanie's" favorite part was looking at the "really, huge, long gigantic pythons and the anacondas". We teased him that he could bring the anaconda home for a pet and share his bed, if he wanted to. "Miney's" favorite part of the zoo was the elephants and the monkeys (although the only monkey she actually *saw* today was in the mirror ;-) We also enjoyed a spin on the merry-go-round and finished off our trip with a romp at the awesome park right inside the zoo entrance.

JASON IS AT WORK!! PRAISING GOD!!

WOOOOHOOOO!!!! Jason is back at work today. He just called to check in on his first break, and he is doing well. He knows it is going to take some time to rebuild the muscle mass that he lost over the last month, but he is working and feeling good about it. I'm sure he is going to come home and collapse this evening ;-) This kids and I are off to do some grocery shopping before the snow hits tomorrow and also have a zoo day. We got a zoo pass for Christmas and hadn't been able to use it yet, so we are all excited. Personally, I'm hoping this is the beginning of being back to normal around here. I'm ready to be back on schedule, and you know it is bad when the kids start begging to do school again :-0

Blessings to each of you have prayed for us and followed us on our journey.

Jason Update - Jan 14

After our small setback, it appears that everything is back on track for Jason to be at work tomorrow morning. He did some work on our van at home this afternoon, and is tired and tender, but feels pretty good overall. It will be four weeks this Wednesday since Jason was last at work, so I know it is going to be a long day for him tomorrow. Praising God for his healing :-)

Jason Update-Jan 13

Jason attended church this morning. It was nice for him to be back in the service and with his pain greatly decreased. He says he feels "okay", but he will still be going in to the doctor tomorrow. We are hoping that our setback is temporary and that the GI doctor will be able to check him out without a hospital admission. Lord willing, Jason would like to return to work this week.

We are blessed during this trial to be members of a very supportive church. They are opening an account for contributions to our family, since Jason has been almost a month without working, and we will definitely have several thousand dollars worth of medical bills when all is said and done. It is very humbling to know that we *cannot* make it without the grace of God and help from friends and family. God has been so faithful to us already, and we know he will continue to be faithful.

When Jason was in the hospital, he had a roomate who was obviously not a Christian. We had an opportunity to share with him a little bit about what God had done and was continuing to do in our lives. When it was time for this man to be released, he had to call a taxi to drive him home from the hospital! We simply cannot imagine, with all of the friends and family supporting us, what it would be like to have no one to drive you home from a stay in the hospital. But for the grace of God, we too could be like this man. Thank you for ministering to our family during this time.

A Quiet Heart--Thoughts for Today

James 1:2-8

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."

I Thessalonians 5:16

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:4-8

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."


He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
(Lina Sandall, Swedish)


Thou Art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,
Thou Art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,
What matter beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?

Hold us in quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent, and the wind is shrill;
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?
(Amy Carmichael, Toward Jerusalem)


Heaven is not here, it's There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for. "Running aground"[Acts 27:26}, then, is not the end of the world, but it helps to make the world a bit less appealing. (Elisabeth Elliot--Keep a Quiet Heart)

Jason Update - Jan 12

While I won't go into details, Jason has had a minor setback. He was prepared to go back to work on Monday, but will instead be returning to the doctor for more testing :-( If things get worse, he will go to the ER this weekend, so please pray that this does not happen. We would much rather handle things on an outpatient basis, if at all possible. Jason just made the comment that he wishes that God didn't have quite so much faith in him. He is discouraged so please pray for God to surround him with his love and peace.

Jason Update - Jan 11

Jason is still doing well as far as his pain level. He isn't entirely pain-free, but is more likely to describe it as "tender" rather than "stabbing" like it was before. His muscles are sore, now that he is starting to get up and around again, but he realizes that this is just something he is going to have to work through. He still tires easily, but just tries to rest when he can. Today, he took charge of the children and let me take a nap, and I really appreciated this. I woke up feeling much more energized than I had over the last few weeks. Tomorrow, Lord willing, he is going to work on the van. If he can handle this, we are confident that he will be able to handle work on Monday. We talked to the doctor yesterday and his medical release is in the mail. As soon as we receive it, he will be back to work.

Jason Update--Jan 10

Jason is determined to go back to work next week. We have discussed it, and even though he is still experiencing pain, we have mapped out a trial activity plan to see if he can handle an entire day of work. Today, he walked to the end of our block and back and also vacumned the living room and hallway. After doing that, his pain isn't really worse, but he is tired and weak feeling. He wants to increase his activity over the next few days, so that by Monday or Tuesday, he'll be ready for a full day. Our van has been having problems, so he may try working on it this weekend. Since this is the type of work Jason does on a daily basis, this should be a good test--especially since bending over has been one of the most painful moves for him. We figure that if he can handle doing things around here this weekend without a relapse, he is probably ready for work. We talked to the doctor today, and as long as Jason feels ready to resume normal activities, the doctor is willing to release him.

Thank you for praying.

Jason Update - Jan 9

Jason is holding his own today. He is still in some pain, but it hasn't gotten any worse. He is still very tired and sleeps quite a bit. He does flip flop back and forth between being cold and hot, but doesn't seem to have a fever, so I'm not sure if that means anything or not.

The rest of us are trying to catch up on the house, laundry and errands from us being gone so much over the last three weeks. I am still physically exhausted from all of the running back and forth, and praise God, I got a full night's sleep last night--my first in three weeks. Lord willing, we will go to bed early tonight and get another full night's sleep.

This morning, I realized that I was overwhelmed trying to decide what needs my attention first. My priorities will be different if Jason needs to return to the hospital vs. if the hospital stays are over and Jason will be healing at home. The last two times Jason was hospitalized, I believe that God prompted me the day prior to accomplish certain tasks (grocery shopping, laundry, paying bills, etc.). This made the hospitalization easier to deal with because there was nothing overly pressing pulling me away from him. Today, I have felt that drive, once again, to accomplish certain tasks. It is difficult for me to know whether or not it is the Lord prompting me today, or whether I am just pushing myself. Pray for me to have discernment in this area.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer.

Jason Update--Jan 8th

Jason's pain is tolerable today. He felt good enough to shower and shave this morning, which is a great improvement over how he had been feeling even a few days ago. We will have a follow-up appointment with the nephrologist in two weeks and also another CT scan to follow up on the "spot" or lesion that was discovered on his left kidney. Jason is very optimistic regarding his recovery, while I am probably more cautious just because of all he has been through.

God's presence has been so evident in our lives over the last few weeks. Right before Jason got sick, I had started a Bible study entitled "Loving God With All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George. The timing of this study had to come from God because one of the first things I learned in this study came from Philippians 4:8. Elizabeth emphasized that many of the things we allow ourselves to become upset about aren't even true or real.

If Jason and I allow ourselves to get stressed and upset worrying about what could or might be wrong with him (things that might not be true or real), we will miss the JOY and PEACE that he has for us TODAY. We should only deal with what we know to be true. Following the Scriptural principle of thinking on what is true and real has protected us from undue stress and hardship during this recent trial.

When we saw Jason's specialist in La Jolla back in 2001, he gave us a very grim prognosis as far as Jason's future. He believed that, at the rate Jason's disease was progressing, he would not live to be forty. Jason has to take such a high level of steroids, that the doctor knew the results couldn't be good. While he couldn't predict what the exact cause of death would be, he knew that the steroids would attack Jason's major systems one-by-one. We have already seen evidence of this progression with Jason's 40% bone loss, type II diabetes, and pituitary and adrenal function decrease.

Every time Jason has a major health crisis, we both wonder if this is the illness that will kill him. It has been like waiting for an ax to fall. However, we have both grown in Christ since his original diagnosis and, instead of stressing about what we do not know, we are choosing to deal with only what the Lord has given us to deal with today--what we know to be fact. The result has been a peace that we have not experienced through any of Jason's prior illnesses.

We left the hospital yesterday still not having all the answers we were seeking. But, we know that God does have the answers and that, as His children, we are being sheltered by Him. He has met every need we have had during this crisis (many times before we even asked him), and we trust that He will continue to do so.

I want to thank each of you who have allowed God to use you as vessels of ministry to our family. We have had meals cooked, home and car maintenance/repair, child care, financial contributions and more. May God bless each and every one of you for your faithfulness and caring.

Jason Update--Jan 7th

After Jason's doctors consulted with one another today, they agreed that he should undergo exploratory surgery, which was scheduled for 4:30pm tomorrow. However, Jason has felt improvement in his pain level for two days now, and he has decided to decline the surgery at this time. He asked to be sent home, and he is resting comfortably at home this evening. He is hopeful that his pain will continue to improve on its own, and would like to return to work by next Monday. The doctors did not send him home with any pain medication, and they let him know that if he needs pain medication, or if he has to return to the hospital, then he will need to undergo surgery. Please pray that this will not be necessary and that he will continue to improve and be able to return to work

We do have to follow up with the nephrologist in two weeks. She would like to run another test at that time, but at this point, they believe his kidneys are fine. We will also do repeat CT scan in three months to check on the spot that was seen in the last CT scan from January 3rd.

Thank you for your prayers.

Jason Update--Jan 6th

Today was a fairly uneventful day. Jason's pain was much improved last night and today, so we are hoping this is a good sign and that he will be released from the hospital soon. He has not had any pain meds since yesterday and is only experiencing moderate pain.

Today, we had a consult with a surgeon who said that he does not believe there is a reason for surgery at this point. He wants to talk to the GI doctor and see if a few more days of IV meds might be needed just to ensure that the diverticulitis is entirely cleared up. Jason will be finishing up the labwork tomorrow afternoon, so after that we expect to know more about what is going on with his kidneys. We have had on-call doctors this weekend, and we are hoping that once all of the regular doctors are able to talk and look over the test results tomorrow, that we will have a better idea of what to expect.

Jason has a new roomate tonight. He wasn't able to say much, but I could tell that he wasn't happy about it, so please pray for him. I'm not sure exactly what the problem was, but I'm hoping it won't interfere too much with Jason's rest/recovery.

My two little children have some sort of crud, so please pray for their quick healing. I came home early tonight to assess the situation, but I really want to back up at the hospital tomorrow to visit with the doctors.

Psalm 91:4 "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge"

God has truly been our shield and refuge today, and for that we are very grateful.

Update on Jason

I'm going to start posting updates for Jason on my blog because of the number of people that are wanting to keep up with what is going on with him. It is getting overwhelming for me to remember who to call each day, and I want people to know how to pray for him.

An overview of the situation: Early in the morning of December 20th, we took Jason to the ER for abdominal pain and bleeding. They immediately admitted him and ran a whole battery of tests (bloodwork, bleeding study, X-rays, CT scan), diagnosing him with diverticulitis. He spent three days in the hospital being treated with pain meds and IV antibiotics. Saturday evening, we talked the doctor into releasing him to go home because our children were in a Christmas play at church on Sunday morning, and Jason wanted to be there. He was able to go to play, although he was on serious pain meds and doesn't remember much about it :-(

He continued taking antibiotics and resting at home, and although the doctors thought he would be feeling better, his pain was still pretty intense even after completing the antibiotics. A repeat CT scan was ordered for Wednesday Jan 2nd to find out why he was not better. On the way back into the CT room, Jason doubled over in pain. He decided to let them do the scan anyway, because he knew that the doctor would need it in order to find out what was wrong. At that point, we were concerned that he had perforated, but that was not the case.

After the scan, they wheeled him over to the ER and the ER doctor told us that the CT scan showed that the diverticulitis was improved, but that there was a "spot" on his left kidney. He felt that the spot was either an small area of infection or an infarction or "dead place" on the kidney. He also told us that he did not believe that this would account for the pain that Jason was experiencing. He had him admitted as an inpatient for further testing.

On Thursday, Jason was sent to nuclear medicine for a renal scan to find out what was going on with the kidney, although the doctors kept telling us that they did not believe that this was causing his pain. This was another day of long waits and plenty of bloodwork, but no answers. However, they were good about keeping his pain under control.

Friday, he had a colonoscopy which showed nothing significant other than that his colon was very tender (which we already knew--picture the rolling eyes here). We also learned in passing (because we didn't get to see the doctor and ask questions) that his renal scan was abnormal and that they were sending in a nephrologist to consult with us.

Saturday morning, the nephrologist informed us that the scan showed both of Jason's kidneys were functioning at only 50%. However, she cautioned us that this might not be correct because these results were not being confirmed in the bloodwork and urine. She has no explanation for this, but wants to confirm the results with bloodwork and urine before putting him through a bunch of extensive kidney tests.

So, at this point, we have had two different tests point to issues with his kidneys and absolutely no answers because nothing is being confirmed in the labwork. Today, he begins a 24 hour test for blood and urine, and I believe more bloodwork will be done tomorrow. Please pray that, if we need to find something, that it becomes evident in the labwork.

We do not understand how two different tests could be so wrong, but I know that God works in mysterious ways and perhaps he is healing Jason for his glory. We are continuing to trust in Him for answers and praying that he will guide the doctors to any problems that need to be uncovered.

He has been off work since December 20th and is now without pay. God has been faithful to provide for our needs, and we trust that He will continue to do so. Hobby Lobby has been wonderful, and his co-workers and supervisors have expressed nothing but love and concern towards him.

We are resting in Him and waiting on Him for answers, because the doctors seem unable to give us any at this point. God is good and his faithfulness to us during this time continues. Pray for strength for Jason and I and those who are caring for our children. Pray for our children, as well, because I know this is getting hard on them being with so many different people.

Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."