June 5, 2019

It's SO great to see Ryan turning such a huge corner in his recovery! We have had good intentions of updating this page before now, but things have been busy with doctor's appointments and treatments! Ryan was released from his 2nd stay in the hospital May 13th after finally figuring out what had been causing his nausea. Sharon was determined that something was going on with the formula for his tube feed and that it was the culprit. She kept asking constantly for the formula to be changed to one that was organic and plant-based, and sure enough, her persistence paid off! He is finally starting to feel more normal again and is finally strong enough to go on daily walks -- which are also helping him heal faster! We are so thankful for this turn of events and to see so much progress! He will always -- or for the foreseeable future -- have to wear a mask when he goes out in public spaces. This is so that he protects his new lungs from germs since his immune system is weakened by the anti-rejection meds. But, he was just recently able to purchase a more comfortable, vented, black mask - that looks much more stylish than the paper yellow ones from the hospital!

May 1, 2019

Prayers appreciated! Ryan is back in the hospital. His lungs look amazing, but he just cannot stop vomiting. He's having a hard time getting stronger -- each time he throws up, it essentially brings him back to square one of the process. We are hoping and praying that the doctors and nurses can quickly discover the cause of his nausea. The main issue is that there are just so many variables! He is on a feeding tube for the first time - which can take some adjustment, and half of his 20 different medications name nausea as a possible side effect. In other words, all we can do is pray for wisdom for the medical staff! And one more thing to pray for - Joe is also getting a doppler of his leg today - it has been extremely swollen for over a week now, and they are looking for a possible blood clot. They definitely don't need something else to deal with right now! Thanks so much for praying with us.

April 19, 2019

Ryan was just released from the hospital! And while this is wonderful news, and we are truly grateful for this next step, now comes another hard part. He is dealing with such severe nausea and vomiting that he is feeling extremely weak. The problem is, that since Joe and Sharon are "more mature models," :) they are having a difficult time doing things like helping lift him out of bed and up into their car. In the hospital, there were stronger nurses and aides to help with these kinds of things. Another challenge has been that he has to be given around 20 meds in different configurations via a g-tube 5 times each day. Once they are finished with one round of meds, it is basically time to gear up for the next round. They are essentially taking a course in pharmacology!

They have run into two issues with insurance so far (and we are sure this is not all they will face) - so far, Home Health Care has been denied by their insurance because they are "out of state." They are trying to appeal this, but it's apparently common and not hopeful that this will change. The second issue is an uncovered medicine. All lung transplant patients must take an anti-fungal med, but for no obvious reason, insurance is being stubborn and not wanting to cover it. If we can't win that battle, this med typically costs $5000/month. The doctors here are fantastic and are looking for an Assistance Program to try and reduce that price for them, but we will see!

Things to pray for: Pray that Ryan's nausea and other stomach issues will completely resolve. It is so hard to pinpoint what might be causing this when he is on a feeding tube, which is new to his body, and on so many medications that list "nausea" as a possible side effect. It seems pretty overwhelming. Pray also that he can regain his strength physically - atrophy is very common, and expected, after all he has been through, but also very difficult with no in-home help. Pray for insurance to be generous! Pray for Sharon and Joe - total exhaustion has set in - they feel like, if they could, they would sleep for a week - nights being interrupted by bouts of nausea has not helped this.

Thank you all for lifting them up in prayer. Hearing that people have been praying all over the world has been very meaningful to them!