July 21, 2017
Mom's liver numbers continue to look good. So thankful! Her doctors are tweaking her meds a bit to see if that will alleviate her constant nausea. A major concern is that she is severely under weight after these many months in and out of the hospital. She is certainly trying to eat, but it's hard to eat enough to gain weight when she feels nauseated all the time.
A huge answer to prayer: Mom's most costly med that is crucial to treating toxoplasmosis (brain infection), has gone from being cost prohibitive (nearly $7000 per month after insurance), to practically free ($10 per month)!!!! Her post-transplant coordinator and social worker were instrumental in making this happen. We are so immensely grateful! God is making a way!
My parents have also been given a very generous financial gift that will help to offset the cost of their hospital bill and deductible. Again, I just can't say enough how grateful we are!
If you're wondering what's left, there is still a financial burden that we need your help with. My parents' remaining pharmaceutical expenses are approximately $1500 per month. That's in addition to the cost of simply having insurance and living expenses in general.
Please continue praying for Mom's full healing,relief from nausea, increased strength and weight gain; for the financial burden to continue to be lifted; for God to use my Mom's story to draw others to Himself!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers and support! God is so good! He is our Refuge and Strength!
"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; His my God, and I trust Him!"
~Psalm 91:1-2~
July 13, 2017
A lot has happened since I last updated here. We nearly lost Mom back on June 1st, when a silent killer made its presence known. Prior to that day she was beginning to turn the corner. Little did we know that the long, hard road of recovery was about to get much, much harder.
She was sick through the night of May 31st, awoke the following day unable to speak clearly, say names, or follow commands. Multiple seizures later, and an ambulance transport to South Lake Hospital, she was sedated and intubated. An MRI revealed a significant amount of swelling and a mass in her brain. Soon after she was life-flighted to Shands. Mom was critical and not expected to pull through. But, she hung on another day. Then another. On the evening of June 3rd she was awake, though not yet able to communicate around her breathing tube. But, she knew us! In the next few days, after removing the breathing tube, she was communicating with us, but not fully in reality. Answers regarding her current condition were slow coming. All we could do was wait and pray.
The suspected culprit was a parasite named toxoplasma gondii. Statistically, for every three people that read this update, at least one of you carries this same parasite in your system. For you and me, it remains dormant. For someone who is immunosuppressed, like my mom, this parasite can be deadly, and develops into an infection called toxoplasmosis. After days of testing, further complications, concern over Mom's cognitive state, MRIs, etc., she was finally discharged for home three weeks later with a whole list of new medications to treat toxoplasmosis. Combined with her anti-rejection meds, she was then up to 30 pills a day. The days were difficult. The new meds caused endless nausea and loss of appetite. Then, about 10 days later, Mom's kidneys were in distress (another side effect of her new medications). Back to Shands for another ten days for more tests, more trials with various medications to see how she would respond to different treatments, more delusions and hallucinations, more nausea...that leads us to today. Today she is back home with a med that seems to be somewhat tolerable. She still feels nauseated, but today she is eating! Today she laughed and smiled with my children. She's weak, and she's tired. But, today is the best I have seen her in over a month. I am thankful for today.
In all of this time, my parents have persevered. God has given them an endurance that just doesn't make sense apart from Him. My mom, though understandably weary, is the strongest woman I know. And my dad's love and commitment as he stands by her and cares for her is remarkably beautiful.
Several months ago Dad resigned from his job because Mom needs constant care. As you can imagine, this means finances are a hardship. And, did you know that my dad had cancer last year and prostate removal surgery at the end of 2016? Then, exactly one month later, he took my mom to Shands ER for severe vomiting and this long, difficult spiral began. While their deductibles were high before, we were extremely thankful that their insurance covered 100% of their hospital and pharmacy expenses after their deductibles were met. Now they pay for "Cobra" insurance, which is at least double their former monthly insurance cost, and after paying their $6000 per person deductible, insurance will only cover 70% of their medical expenses. I don't know any other way to convey the need except to give you the numbers. One of her meds, the most expensive one, will cost almost $7000 per month (yes, thousand!), and she needs to take it for the next 11 months. And that is AFTER insurance! We are diligently seeking out other possible means and ways to bring the cost down. I know God will make a way, and right now I'm asking you to consider being part of that way. Can you and will you donate to my mom's medical fund? ANY amount, EVERY amount truly helps!
Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for praying. God is faithful. He is good. We never walk alone.
May 29, 2017
Mom's liver numbers continue to look good! We are so thankful for that! Her journey to full recovery has had many bumps along the way, fighting off illness and finding a working pain management regimen. At times I know my parents are weary, but they press on! Yesterday's visit with Mom was encouraging as she was feeling a little better and even went on a short outing to look at plants at Lowe's this past Saturday.
Thank you for continuing to pray for her healing! One day at a time!
April 19, 2017
Today makes 7 days that Mom has been home sweet home! While she still has a long road of recovery ahead of her, we are so grateful for how far she's come! She has weekly labs to keep careful watch on her liver numbers and will make regular visits back to Shands to meet with her doctors. As time goes on her risk of rejection decreases. So far, so good! She is so very happy to be home! Thank you for your continued support and prayers!
April 9, 2017
Day 80: Got to visit my sweet momma yesterday! She is showing so much progress! Her appetite has increased. I watched her put down a quarter pound of beef brisket yesterday, and I wanted to jump up and down with excitement! Today she's baking cupcakes in one of her occupational therapy classes.
She's had all of her staples removed -- finally a real, actual shower after well over a month!! She continues to have pain at the incision sites and right side of her abdomen. Hopefully that will improve over time. She is still primarily using the walker or wheelchair to get around, but is gradually gaining strength and walking some on her own during her PT sessions. You can visibly see the light and life returning to her eyes! We are so thankful!
This coming Thursday she will return to Shands Hospital for an endoscopy to remove a remaining stent in her liver, as well as a liver biopsy. Please pray all goes perfectly and for good results from the biopsy. Hoping she goes home by the end of this week!
Each day, each conversation with her is a gift! Watching her hold my son's hand, seeing my daughter stare up into her eyes, seeing her smile...I am deeply grateful. This road has been so difficult, and I know it's not over. Oh, but how far she has come! God is so faithful. He is so, so good! He is our eternal Hope! Thank you for your continued support and prayers!
April 5, 2017
Mom practiced getting in and out of their vehicle at rehab today! She did great! We are so excited and thankful for every bit of progress! She gets her staples out on Friday. We are hopeful that she will soon be headed home. Thank you for your continued support and prayers!
April 1, 2017
Today was Mom's first full day at rehab. They started with occupational therapy to assess her current ability level. She feels pretty tired, but is motivated to keep at it! I took my 3 of her 13 grandchildren and my hubby along with me for a visit today, and you could clearly see the light in her eyes watching her grandsons play. The moment she saw my baby girl she beamed and said, "There's my baby!" Her grandchildren bring her such joy! I'm so hopeful that we'll soon be visiting her at home!
Please pray she gains strength quickly, her appetite increases, her pain levels decrease, and she continues to do well with her new liver. Thank you!
March 31, 2017
Tomorrow Mom will be discharged from Shands Hospital and moving to the rehab hospital. She continues to be a miracle to me! This road has been long, and while she's not quite home yet, she is one step closer! We are so thankful!
Please continue praying for her recovery, for renewed strength, and an increased appetite. May she improve by leaps and bounds while in rehab and soon be on her way home! Thank you!
March 21, 2017
Mom feels better today than she has in several days. She was able to sit up in a chair, her pain is significantly better, her liver, kidneys, and the fluid building up around her lungs are all showing signs of improvement. That's the good news.
During surgery on Friday they took a biopsy of her new liver. We found out this afternoon the results from the biopsy indicate that her body is showing signs of "acute cellular rejection." That's the bad news. "Rejection" is a scary word when you're a transplant patient. And it does feel scary, although treatable. Treatment involves temporary high doses of steroids in addition to her regular immunosuppressant medications (aka anti-rejection meds). We have good reason to believe that the treatment will be effective and she can continue down the path to healing and recovery. So, that leaves us with hopeful news!
You know all I can think about Friday's surgery is that perhaps it was truly a blessing. I didn't want her to have to have it. It has weakened her already frail body. However, if they hadn't needed to open her up again, they wouldn't have taken a biopsy yet, which means they wouldn't have caught the rejection yet. But, they did, and they are treating her for it now, instead of days from now.
Please pray for healing. For wisdom. Strength. Encouragement. Joy!
If you are able please consider contributing to my mom's medical fundraising campaign. Expenses are high, and the financial burden is great. I would love for my parents to not have to think so much about the financial aspect of all of this and simply focus on recovery! Only 3 months ago my dad had prostate removal surgery. He is currently on longterm leave without pay to help with my mom's care. Even with insurance, their out of pocket expenses for this fiscal year alone are topping $14,000. The fiscal year begins again in July, and they will have to start over with their out of pocket expenses. My mom's medications cost $2K per month. Any amount you can give truly helps!
We are extremely grateful for all of your support and the great many ways you have cared for my family these past two months! We appreciate you so much!
I'll end this post with a verse my sister (Gabe's sister), Carrie, shared with me today:
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am He, I am He who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
~Isaiah 46:4~
Isn't God good?! Isn't He beautiful and glorious and ever so faithful as He sustains us every step of the way?!! These days are hard. My heart hurts often. We are tired. I long for my parents to have relief from this difficult road. I want my mom to be better! And in the midst of all of this, I am ever so grateful to be held by the One who made us, carries us, sustains, and rescues! He is truly good!
#GodisGood #toGodbetheglory #happilyLIVERafter
March 19, 2017
While waiting for Mom's procedure on Wednesday, she made the most of her time by working with PT and OT. I teased her that she was training for a duathlon -- walking and wheelchair racing. Even while in a lot of pain and waiting for a serious procedure, she is one tough cookie!
That procedure showed good flow through the liver itself and did not show any leakage at the connection points either. Good news! Or so we thought...
Come Thursday morning her bilirubin was high, a red flag for liver function. The transplant team determined that due to inflammation and the new liver duct being smaller than her existing duct, the bile was simply not successfully making it's way out of the liver. Takeback surgery was then scheduled for Friday. We were hoping to avoid a takeback, but the surgeon was able to successfully place a stent within the duct, and gave us news that all appears to be functioning well now.
Today, Saturday, her labs are showing improvement, but she's in a great amount of pain. She'll be spending another night in ICU. We appreciate your prayers that she continues to improve, her pain is relieved, and that she can begin to gain strength once again. Of the last 60 days, only 3 of those were spent at home before she took a turn for the worse. Then two weeks ago she got a brand new liver! We are still amazed at this incredible gift, and so thankful! We are also tired and eager to get her home again! We are grateful for your prayers and support. To God be the glory!
March 13, 2017
I got to see Mom yesterday. She is looking better and better! The transplant doctors, who have been really great through all of this, say my mom's liver is in "textbook condition". In addition, it fits! One of the factors they consider when matching a liver to a recipient is the size -- will it fit in the body? Well, my mom is very petite, so only a small liver would fit. It is very rare to get small donor livers, but she got hers after less than a month of waiting (once officially listed). Yesterday I placed my hand against Mom's abdomen, right over her liver. What an amazing gift! Thank You, God, for a liver that is so healthy, and just right for my mom!
One (hopefully minor) setback is that Mom is experiencing a lot of back pain that wraps around to her abdomen. The doctors have not been able to identify the cause, but it is possibly due to bruising from major surgery. It is greatly limiting her mobility, and the pain medication causes nausea and loss of appetite. Please join us in praying that the pain is resolved quickly and easily, so that she can get back to eating and moving again, and then home!
Our heartfelt thanks to you for praying and to those of you who have already given to Judy's medical fund. We appreciate you so very much! The $15,000 goal sometimes feels daunting, but you encourage us to keep trusting God, and trusting in the generosity of people like you. Thank you!
March 9, 2017
Judy is doing so well!!! As soon as a regular room becomes available today she is moving out of ICU and into a regular room. That's just 6 days after transplant!!! We are so thankful! Thank you for your continued prayers!
March 7, 2017
As you may have heard, Judy has a new liver! After her health took a turn for the worse, Judy was re-admitted to the hospital last Monday, with the likelihood of remaining there until a liver became available. It all felt a bit surreal when we were told on Thursday that a donor liver was a possible match for her. While we immediately felt sadness for the donor's family, we also felt hope for my mom -- a tangle of emotions to be sure! A few hours later a match was declared, and transplant surgery was scheduled for Friday morning!
As you can imagine, Friday was a long day of waiting. After about ten hours had past, we finally spoke with her surgeon who told us the transplant was complete and Judy had done well through surgery!
My mom has a new liver! It really is a miracle! She will remain in ICU during this critical period following surgery, but she is making gradual progress each day. We are so thankful!
Please continue praying for the donor's family, and for Judy's progress. We are very grateful for your prayers and support!
