Sunday, January 27, 2019
Back home again
Sandy was dismissed from Wesley Sunday evening and is ready to teach Monday morning. Thank you for your prayers.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Oh Wesley, how we've (not) missed you....
About a week ago Sandy had very low hemoglobin caused by varices, which are enlarged blood vessels. They are not uncommon when the blood flow to the liver is restricted, as has been the case for quite some time due to the tumor(s). Several of the varices were banded (procedure to stop and/or prevent rupture), and we thought/hoped we were done with that. However, yesterday morning Sandy's levels were very low again, there was evidence of some internal bleeding, and she was admitted to Wesley. Several of the new varices were banded, stopping the bleeding, and she is being monitored for a few days to make sure everything is ok.
While she is glad she was able to teach on the first day of classes, which was Wednesday, she is very disappointed to not be in the classroom today. Everything feels like a last - it's the last time she'll teach this particular lesson, and she isn't able to be there. In addition to that disappointment, she is very tired. Her doctor has changed the medicine to help her quality of sleep, and it's taking awhile to get it all straightened out.
Please pray for healing, encouragement, proper blood pressure and flow in her blood vessels, and for wisdom for the doctors.
While she is glad she was able to teach on the first day of classes, which was Wednesday, she is very disappointed to not be in the classroom today. Everything feels like a last - it's the last time she'll teach this particular lesson, and she isn't able to be there. In addition to that disappointment, she is very tired. Her doctor has changed the medicine to help her quality of sleep, and it's taking awhile to get it all straightened out.
Please pray for healing, encouragement, proper blood pressure and flow in her blood vessels, and for wisdom for the doctors.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Happy New Year!
Sandy wanted to write a Christmas letter or a New Year letter, but it just hasn't happened yet. So I'm posting a quick update until she has time to formulate her message. Maybe a Valentine's Day message? Easter message? :)
Christmas went well. The kids enjoyed our family traditions, including soups for dinner, the left-right game, acting out the Christmas story, and singing carols as Grandma Sandy played the piano. Papa Rod received a brick for one of his presents...poor guy.
Sandy continues to have fluid drained from her abdomen every few weeks, the most recent time being last Friday, when they removed 1.8 gallons (about 15 pounds). When that was finished, she went to the infusion center and received a blood transfusion because her lab results from earlier in the week indicated very low hemoglobin. She felt much better by Saturday. Tomorrow (Tuesday) she has an EGD (upper GI endoscopy) to see how things are doing.
Her final semester of teaching is about to begin! It is bittersweet for sure. She has started the process of sorting and organizing in her office...you can pray that it goes much better than she is anticipating! It is very hard to throw away materials, lesson plans, and notes that have been so important for all these years; even though those items have served their purpose, it can feel wasteful. She will enjoy continuing to bless other teachers with whatever they can use.
One prayer request is that her hands will stop being plagued by cramping. It's possibly caused by electrolyte imbalances, which makes sense considering the fluid that builds up and then is removed time and time again.
While many people are making New Year's resolutions, let's remember that God promises that His mercies are new every morning. Not just once a year or even quarterly, but every single morning we are given new mercies. What a gift!
Christmas went well. The kids enjoyed our family traditions, including soups for dinner, the left-right game, acting out the Christmas story, and singing carols as Grandma Sandy played the piano. Papa Rod received a brick for one of his presents...poor guy.
Sandy continues to have fluid drained from her abdomen every few weeks, the most recent time being last Friday, when they removed 1.8 gallons (about 15 pounds). When that was finished, she went to the infusion center and received a blood transfusion because her lab results from earlier in the week indicated very low hemoglobin. She felt much better by Saturday. Tomorrow (Tuesday) she has an EGD (upper GI endoscopy) to see how things are doing.
Her final semester of teaching is about to begin! It is bittersweet for sure. She has started the process of sorting and organizing in her office...you can pray that it goes much better than she is anticipating! It is very hard to throw away materials, lesson plans, and notes that have been so important for all these years; even though those items have served their purpose, it can feel wasteful. She will enjoy continuing to bless other teachers with whatever they can use.
One prayer request is that her hands will stop being plagued by cramping. It's possibly caused by electrolyte imbalances, which makes sense considering the fluid that builds up and then is removed time and time again.
While many people are making New Year's resolutions, let's remember that God promises that His mercies are new every morning. Not just once a year or even quarterly, but every single morning we are given new mercies. What a gift!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)