Health Update

As we have driven all around the country, we have been so filled with gratefulness to hear how many people have been praying for us.  Specifically, how many people have prayed for Benaiah's asthma and Katelyn's back.  What a blessing!

::Benaiah

I took Benaiah to the pulmonologist for a recheck on his asthma and adenoid removal.  He is doing so so well!  His lung function has improved dramatically. So she said we could try to drop his asthma meds for a trial basis!!!  His sinuses are still a bit swollen and stuffy, so she gave him some antibiotics to help clear him out and hopefully he will stay clear.  All in all though, we have seen a huge improvement in his energy levels, his ability to learn, and his ability to run, jump, swim and play like a normal boy his age.  Praise be to God!  As you know this has been such a huge burden for so long, it's hard to believe that this trial is most likely coming to a close!  He will have a recheck on his lung function one more time before we head back to Uganda.  So please pray that this improvement continues!

::Katelyn

Katelyn's back is healing up very nicely.  Her two compression fractures are completely healed.  Her two pars fractures are still there but stable.  She was given the go-ahead to start Physical Therapy, which we did last week.  She has also been able to start running again and picking up more and more activities. While she still often uses a donut pillow to sit on (thanks to the pars fractures), she doesn't wear her back brace any longer.  She still has days where she gets tired and sore, but overall we thank the Lord for his healing.  We are praying for continued improvement and a good push in the right direction with re-strengthening her core before we head back to the not-so-friendly-to-a-sore-back roads of Uganda.

::Dianna

I haven't ever really written much about my health stuff here.  For years I've had Hashimotos Hypothyroidism and what we previously thought was Addison's Disease....both auto-immune disorders.  It seems, with more recent testing (MRI and blood work), that my troubles with my adrenal glands aren't actually auto immune.  While I have adrenal insufficiency, we aren't quite sure what is causing it.  On January 23, my case is going before a board of Doctors at Duke University.  We would really appreciate prayers for clarity, so that we know how to best treat it.  In the mean time, we've been educating ourselves and the kids on what it means to be steroid dependent and how to use my emergency injection if I were to ever need it.  I also got a medical alert bracelet.  At the beginning of the new year I had chosen the word "HOPE" as a word to focus on this year.  Psalm 42:5 "Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him!" and I Corinthians 13:7 "Love...hopes all things."  So, when I saw a bracelet with the word "hope" on it, I knew it was for me...a continual reminder for the next few months to hope in the Lord...our rock solid foundation that we can trust in.