Have you seen the Allstate Mayhem commercials? They are very clever, and we're beginning to think maybe that guy is in Missy's liver somewhere.
Missy and I have GPS navigation apps on our phones. We love them. We would be lost without them...literally. Missy's dad had a GPS unit for his car. He used to go a different direction on purpose just to confuse the system. It was funny to hear him talk to the box and get a sincere pleasure of hearing the word "recalculating...". Sometimes, it seemed like his goal was to get the box to give up. He did succeed a few times. Then he would have to talk nicely to it so we could get to where we were supposed to be.
Guys won't stop and ask for directions. Women know this, and that is why I truly believe that a woman came up with the idea for GPS navigation. Guys will listen to a little box or phone app telling us where to go. Okay, sometimes we think we know a better way, a shortcut, but we promised never to talk about that trip ever again.
The "recalculating" theme has been running through my mind a lot today, especially with all that is going on with Missy's transplant situation. We follow the directions we've been given for a while, and then all of a sudden, we're in the middle of nowhere.
Recalculating...
Then we take off in the new direction until we're lost again.
Recalculating...
It's not like we are going off-road or taking detours. We are following the directions that are given to us. I don't think we are getting ahead of things either. We just start getting comfortable, having a vague idea of what is around the next corner and getting prepared for it. But once we get around the corner, the bridge is out.
Recalculating...
So off we go in another direction God knows where...
But there's the key...God knows where. God, the Creator of the universe, the Designer of the liver is in complete control. He hasn't fallen asleep. He isn't watching the ball game (Have you seen the Rangers play lately?). He knows what is going on, what's around the next corner, where the next corner even is. Where will he lead us? We have an idea where the final destination is, but the route? We don't have a clue...only God knows where...Remember, nobody protects you from mayhem like God.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
His Ways Are Not Our Ways
Warning: The following post contains honest thoughts and reflections (just like all the others). The mood may change unexpectedly. And the roller coaster adventure continues...
My blood test results came back earlier than usual. It has been less than a week, and we were expecting up to two weeks. We are learning to expect the unexpected. Think about the ramifications of that for a while if you want a headache. Well, the result is that I will not be the donor for Missy's transplant. I missed the trick question on the blood test. The results show that I have a Factor V Leiden. According to Mayo's web site, it is a common inherited genetic disorder that can increase my chance of developing abnormal blood clots. I had never heard of this problem until this evening.
This condition, affliction (or whatever it is) is problematic on two levels. It could cause problems during the surgery to remove part of my liver. It could also be a problem for Missy since most of clotting factor V is produced in the liver. That means that my liver could produce a clotting problem for Missy if I was the donor.
I am very disappointed that I will not be able to be Missy's donor. I could sense Missy's disappointment as well. I was really hoping to be able to help her out with the transplant. This setback will further delay her transplant. When I had the hope of being her donor, I had a sense of being able to do something about her suffering. Now, I'm back to a feeling of helplessness. Remember the warning at the beginning of this post?
Upon further reflection and conversation with God, we are dealing with this news. We're not really happy about it yet, but we're dealing with it. We do have Donor Candidate #2 beginning the process tonight. We have Missy's caregiver situation worked out. We definitely don't want to endanger Missy's health any more with a possibly defective liver. God is going to work things out. He just isn't going to do it in the way we imagined. That's a good thing because He has a much better imagination than we do. He is okay with my disappointment and frustration. I'm okay with trusting Him to do what is best. At least I keep telling myself that.
He reminded me tonight of the time where Jesus drove an evil spirit out of a man's son. The man told Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief." God, we trust You with Missy's health. Just help us when it's more difficult to trust. Another part of that passage spoke to me as well. The disciples couldn't drive out the spirit. Afterward, they approached Jesus, and asked Him why they couldn't do it. His response was that it could only be done through prayer. Sure, I've been praying for Missy every day, several times a day, every time I think of her. But have I really been praying as I should? Have my prayers been as fervent and full of faith as they should be? God worked out circumstances at church tonight where I could have a good conversation with Him. You know...the kind of conversation where I was made quiet, still, and had to listen.
As our roller coaster takes another turn, I am learning how to move from trying to be the best donor I can be to learning how to be the best caregiver I can be. Your prayers are always appreciated. Stay tuned. Our journey is never boring.
My blood test results came back earlier than usual. It has been less than a week, and we were expecting up to two weeks. We are learning to expect the unexpected. Think about the ramifications of that for a while if you want a headache. Well, the result is that I will not be the donor for Missy's transplant. I missed the trick question on the blood test. The results show that I have a Factor V Leiden. According to Mayo's web site, it is a common inherited genetic disorder that can increase my chance of developing abnormal blood clots. I had never heard of this problem until this evening.
This condition, affliction (or whatever it is) is problematic on two levels. It could cause problems during the surgery to remove part of my liver. It could also be a problem for Missy since most of clotting factor V is produced in the liver. That means that my liver could produce a clotting problem for Missy if I was the donor.
I am very disappointed that I will not be able to be Missy's donor. I could sense Missy's disappointment as well. I was really hoping to be able to help her out with the transplant. This setback will further delay her transplant. When I had the hope of being her donor, I had a sense of being able to do something about her suffering. Now, I'm back to a feeling of helplessness. Remember the warning at the beginning of this post?
Upon further reflection and conversation with God, we are dealing with this news. We're not really happy about it yet, but we're dealing with it. We do have Donor Candidate #2 beginning the process tonight. We have Missy's caregiver situation worked out. We definitely don't want to endanger Missy's health any more with a possibly defective liver. God is going to work things out. He just isn't going to do it in the way we imagined. That's a good thing because He has a much better imagination than we do. He is okay with my disappointment and frustration. I'm okay with trusting Him to do what is best. At least I keep telling myself that.
He reminded me tonight of the time where Jesus drove an evil spirit out of a man's son. The man told Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief." God, we trust You with Missy's health. Just help us when it's more difficult to trust. Another part of that passage spoke to me as well. The disciples couldn't drive out the spirit. Afterward, they approached Jesus, and asked Him why they couldn't do it. His response was that it could only be done through prayer. Sure, I've been praying for Missy every day, several times a day, every time I think of her. But have I really been praying as I should? Have my prayers been as fervent and full of faith as they should be? God worked out circumstances at church tonight where I could have a good conversation with Him. You know...the kind of conversation where I was made quiet, still, and had to listen.
As our roller coaster takes another turn, I am learning how to move from trying to be the best donor I can be to learning how to be the best caregiver I can be. Your prayers are always appreciated. Stay tuned. Our journey is never boring.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
May = Mayo?
When I made out tests for my students, I liked to lighten the mood for them a little bit by including a joke. The first part was at the top of the first page. The punch line appeared somewhere else on the test. The point was to give them a release for any stress that might be caused by the students' lack of studying for the test. I know that the difficulty of the test couldn't have caused any stress! Students usually looked for the joke first or for the cartoon at the end of the test. For some reason, I thought of the following joke today.
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Wait for it...wait for it...
Well, the answer is pilgrims, of course. Go ahead and groan and shake your head. I'm used to it. You don't even have to give me credit when you tell it to somebody else. It's not an original joke anyway.
It looks like May might be bringing another trip to Phoenix for us. I received a call today from the living donor coordinator at the Mayo Clinic. The insurance company has approved the process (again), and we are ready to proceed. I had called the clinic earlier telling them that I wanted to be tested to be a donor. The coordinator called back this evening. She told me the history of living liver donations at the Mayo Clinic, the possible complications that can occur with the donor, and the rest of the process for becoming a donor. She then asked several questions about my medical history. I think that I aced that quiz even though I didn't study for it.
The good news is that no donors have died at the Mayo Clinic since they began living liver donations in 2001. Of the 110 transplants, only two have had major complications, and both of them are fine now. Even the few minor complications have been resolved. After giving me all of that information, the coordinator proceeded to inquire about my medical history. She then asked if I had any other questions for her. She had already answered everything that I could come up with, and we had already found most of the information in our own research.
So what does all of this mean? Well, the coordinator will meet with the head of the program tomorrow. If he agrees that I am a good possible candidate, they will fax orders for blood work to Baylor Hospital. I will then go by Baylor on Friday to have the blood tests done. If anyone knows of any online study guides for these tests, please let me know because I want to do my best. It should take one to two weeks for the results to be evaluated by the team at Mayo. If I did well enough, I will get invited to travel to Phoenix in May for a week of evaluation. After that week, the Mayo team will make the final determination as to whether or not I will be a good liver donor for Missy. Sooooooo, if the answer is yes, the transplant could happen in late May.
We are making progress, or at least we are doing something. We still have some issues to consider and handle like logistics for Joy, our pets, and our house during the transplant. We also need to secure two caregivers for the recovery process. Thanks for all of your prayers and support through all of this.
Oh, one more pilgrim joke: Why do pilgrims have problems keeping their pants up? Because they wear their belt buckles on their hats!
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Wait for it...wait for it...
Well, the answer is pilgrims, of course. Go ahead and groan and shake your head. I'm used to it. You don't even have to give me credit when you tell it to somebody else. It's not an original joke anyway.
It looks like May might be bringing another trip to Phoenix for us. I received a call today from the living donor coordinator at the Mayo Clinic. The insurance company has approved the process (again), and we are ready to proceed. I had called the clinic earlier telling them that I wanted to be tested to be a donor. The coordinator called back this evening. She told me the history of living liver donations at the Mayo Clinic, the possible complications that can occur with the donor, and the rest of the process for becoming a donor. She then asked several questions about my medical history. I think that I aced that quiz even though I didn't study for it.
The good news is that no donors have died at the Mayo Clinic since they began living liver donations in 2001. Of the 110 transplants, only two have had major complications, and both of them are fine now. Even the few minor complications have been resolved. After giving me all of that information, the coordinator proceeded to inquire about my medical history. She then asked if I had any other questions for her. She had already answered everything that I could come up with, and we had already found most of the information in our own research.
So what does all of this mean? Well, the coordinator will meet with the head of the program tomorrow. If he agrees that I am a good possible candidate, they will fax orders for blood work to Baylor Hospital. I will then go by Baylor on Friday to have the blood tests done. If anyone knows of any online study guides for these tests, please let me know because I want to do my best. It should take one to two weeks for the results to be evaluated by the team at Mayo. If I did well enough, I will get invited to travel to Phoenix in May for a week of evaluation. After that week, the Mayo team will make the final determination as to whether or not I will be a good liver donor for Missy. Sooooooo, if the answer is yes, the transplant could happen in late May.
We are making progress, or at least we are doing something. We still have some issues to consider and handle like logistics for Joy, our pets, and our house during the transplant. We also need to secure two caregivers for the recovery process. Thanks for all of your prayers and support through all of this.
Oh, one more pilgrim joke: Why do pilgrims have problems keeping their pants up? Because they wear their belt buckles on their hats!
Monday, April 4, 2011
It's Pizza Time Again
CiCi's Pizza in Waxahachie has graciously agreed to host another round of fundraising for Missy's transplant. Each Monday in April, CiCi's will donate a portion of the day's sales to Missy's transplant fund. If you would like to help out, all you have to do is place your receipt in the box at the counter.
We have really appreciated all of the nights that CiCi's has hosted. This particular location is managed/owned by wonderful Christian men. They are always glad to see us because business always seems to be better on fundraising nights.
We would love to see any of you out there on a Monday night this month. Just be sure to save some cinnamon rolls and spinach pizza for Missy.
We have really appreciated all of the nights that CiCi's has hosted. This particular location is managed/owned by wonderful Christian men. They are always glad to see us because business always seems to be better on fundraising nights.
We would love to see any of you out there on a Monday night this month. Just be sure to save some cinnamon rolls and spinach pizza for Missy.
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