Wow, I didn't realize it has been so long since I posted to this blog. So much has happened over the last eleven months.
Missy's new liver is doing very well, but she is still having problems with bile duct issues. During the most recent post, Missy was dealing with stents in her bile ducts. She went through that procedure again in March, May, August, and October when they were finally removed. Lately, she had been experiencing some of the same symptoms. We really couldn't afford another trip to Phoenix, so we asked if a local doctor could run some tests. The Mayo staff approved that request, and Missy met with a new, local doctor last Friday. An MRI test was taken, and the doctors thought they saw some stones in the bile duct. Fortunately, they didn't see any strictures at that point. As we have experienced many times throughout this journey, what we see is not always what we get. The ERCP was performed this morning. The expectation was that the stones would be removed, and we would be on our way.
My hopes were up when the doctor came out after about 30 minutes. This procedure has never gone by so quickly in the past. He said that everything went well, and that he would see us in a few minutes. I waited with Missy in recovery for a while. When the doctor came in, he didn't have bad news, but it wasn't the news we were expecting. There were no bile duct stones. He referred to something called sludge in the duct. I guess it is a softer, more fluid type of stone. The sludge was removed without any problems. The doctor also said that he found one stricture. That stricture was opened up with a balloon, and three stents were placed in that duct. This was all done quickly and without complications. It does mean, however, that the procedure will need to be repeated in a couple of months so that the stents may be removed. In the meantime, we will send results and photos to the doctors at the Mayo Clinic and wait for their recommendations.
Our feelings are mixed at the moment. We are very glad that everything went so smoothly today. We are a little disappointed that Missy will have to go through this again in a few months. We were really hoping to get the stent issues behind us for good. The good news is that feelings don't dominate our lives. Sure, we would have loved for things to have happened a little differently. That doesn't change who we are or where we go from here. God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way that we would prefer, at least not at the moment. More often than not, we see later on down the road that what we would have liked really wasn't what was best for us. So, we are very thankful that all went well today and that Missy's recovery is going very well so far. We will continue to trust in God's provision for what lies ahead. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Speaking of different answers to prayers, we have seen a new benefit from an answer that we originally didn't prefer. It has been almost two years since I was tested to be the donor for Missy's liver transplant. I was extremely disappointed not to be able to make that sacrifice for her. God had some other things in mind, however. Looking back, we can see situations that were better since I was not the donor. I was able to be Missy's caregiver. Very soon, she will get to return that to me.
I have been approved to donate a kidney to my nephew, Jody. The transplant is scheduled to take place next Monday in Oklahoma City. If I had donated part of my liver to Missy, I wouldn't be able to donate a kidney to Jody. Kidney transplant is more common and seemingly less complex than liver transplant, so I am thinking this will be a little easier than Bobbie's surgery. My surgery will be done with a laparoscopic incision, so recovery will be much easier. I will only be in the hospital a couple of days, and I could very well be home on Thursday. This will be my first surgery of any kind. I'm not really nervous about it, but I am a little anxious. I am excited for Jody in hopes that my kidney will help him have a better quality of life in taking care of the kidney disease that he has. I have seen what Missy's transplant has done for her, and I am praying for the same kind of improvement for Jody.
Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. Thank you to those who have prayed and supported Missy through her journey. As I have posted before, the journey is ongoing. Thank you for those that will pray for Jody as he continues his journey. I'll do my best to make another post soon and let everyone know what new adventures God is leading us through.
