| Saturday, January 21, 2011~This update is long overdue! I don't even know where to begin. After Christena's trip to St. Louis, we were waiting for the results of the bronch. During our wait Little George became very sick. We tried to wait out the weekend, but he only continued to get worse, even after calls to the doctor. We made the decision to take him and have him direct admitted to the hospital, and now we are very thankful that we did! Once admitted to the hospital he continued to get worse, and we went from one problem to many. It was finally determined after many tests, scans and biopsies that we were dealing with an episode of diabetes keto acidosis. And let me tell you, I do not want to deal with that ever again! From there he was found to have ulcers in his stomach, an infection in his esophagus, and then he developed pneumonia in both lower lobes of his lungs. During all of this he began to complain of major pain in his side which turned out to be a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in his lung). The doctor told us that he should not have lived through the blood clot, and his age had played a role in him being able to make it through it. We were in the hospital for almost two weeks and he was then discharged home on lots of medications, oxygen, treatments and a long road of healing. It was a very scary time for our entire family. He has done an amazing job working to get better! And, I am very pleased to say that he is now off of oxygen and improving more each day. We were released from the hospital just a few days before Christmas, so we spent the holiday a little differently this year. We stayed at home! We enjoyed our family time and were blessed with some of our family coming to our house to celebrate with us. George's Mom and brother Tim came out for a while on Christmas eve. We then spent Christmas eve night munching on finger foods, and spending time together with just us and the kids. It was a very special night for all of us. We were feeling very blessed to just be home and together! Christmas day was spent with all of my family coming here to enjoy the day. Christmas was a much more relaxed time this year and I think I would have to say it was one of the most special Christmases I can ever remember. Christena did get results back from her bronc and it did not show any new bacteria or fungus growing in her culture. She was placed on i.v. antibiotics for two weeks and then they wanted her to return to St. Louis this past week to follow up. During the month after her last trip to St. Louis, her lung functions had dropped even more, so our concerns had increased. She was very discouraged and we were all getting very concerned. Last week when she went to photo treatments, her lung functions had increased! So the trip that was ahead of them to St. Louis was a little less stressful. Once there, she and Kevin both went through all of their testing and met with the doctor. Not only had her lung functions improved, they were the highest they have been since September! Needless to say, we have been walking on a cloud! She and Kevin both got good reports! She does not have to return to St. Louis until April, so she is now looking forward to enjoying a little calm time. We are praying that she can continue to feel better, and who knows, even increase her lung functions more. She and Kevin will have to make a trip back to St. Louis in February as Kevin has to have a test done on his liver, so please keep him in your prayers that this all goes well and they can just have some happy times over the next few months...........they deserve them! Christena and Kevin will, for now. continue their trips to Louisville every other week for her to do photopherisis, but we always enjoy getting to spend time with them during those trips! Again, I am sorry for the delay in updating. I have not had much free time over the last couple of months! Working full time, adding more medical issues to our lives and of course worrying has consumed my life!! Thank you to each of you who came to the hospital, called and sent notes, brought meals or helped out once we came home with George and for the thoughtful gifts that you sent to our family during this time. We are blessed with some very amazing family and friends! While these past couple of months have been filled with some very rough times, I am so very thankful that God carried us through them. I cannot even begin to tell you how these past two months have affected me. My heart has been so very heavy as I have watched my two children go through so much pain, fear, and sickness. I know that God heard each and every prayer and all glory goes to Him! The day we left the hospital with George I wasn't sure what was ahead, but I have seen him improve more each and every day and am so very thankful for God's healing. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers, and I would also ask that you add a couple of dear people in our lives to your prayer list: Our very dear friend "Bro Tom" lost his precious wife recently and we ask that you pray for God to comfort him and his entire family. Also, please keep our friend Lisa and her husband Ray in your prayers as she was listed this week for transplant! Lisa used to work for George when he was the editor of a paper in Springfield, Kentucky. This was before we even had Christena, and before we knew that c.f. would be such a part of our every day life. Lisa is an amazing lady who has fought hard to live with c.f. Now, she is fighting hard to get a second chance at life! We are so excited for her and Ray as they await this amazing miracle! Lisa, we are so excited for you and your future!! We love you so much!! Believing in HIM! |
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