A Year at Home

Wow! It's so hard to believe that a year ago, I was coming home from Johns Hopkins with a PIIC line and TPN, just feeling so unbelievably tired, weak, awful, etc. What a difference a year makes! I am so very thankful to be spending Christmas this year with my family in New Orleans and New Years with Matthew's family in TN. I just praise the Lord for His healing power and perfect timing.

I hope you and your family have a Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year!

Doctor Appointment 12/01/2008

I saw Dr Brown today. All of my labwork came back completely within normal limits. He has no idea why I'm tired even when I get a good night's sleep. He's having me do labs again before my February appointment. He's also pushing for me to have a camera swallow study. Tricare had initally denied me & then came back & approved it; however, no one from his office ever called to schedule it & when I saw him the last time, we couldn't set it up because the authorization had expired. He's going to have his office call Tricare so it can be done again. All the research he's seen says that this is the best way to check things out...the only negative is that no biopsies can be taken. Anyway, he's also hoping to find out what's causing the random cramping I'm experiencing. Unfortunately, like the rest of it, this may just be the new way of life. Overall, he's very pleased with my recovery...it's certainly a long way from this time last year!!

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love,
Stephanie<><

One Year Anniversary for the Whipple Procedure...My FIRST WHIPPLE-VERSARY!!

Wow! In some way, it's hard to believe that it's been a year since my Whipple...in other ways, it seems like it's been a lot longer than that. A lot has happened during this past year. Looking back, it's hard to believe that my physical incision was fine, but all the internal stuff took so long to heal...very strange thing to go through. I am very blessed that the Lord's hand was upon me, and that He took care of me (and still is) through this whole ordeal. What an AWESOME GOD!!

Krista and Steph

We were in NY for Thanksgiving and were able to have an adult-night-out with the Bells. I celebrated by eating a shrimp and angel hair pasta dish at Mickey Mantle's Restaurant  We got to sit in his booth! It was very cool. We were treated like royalty and even got free souvenir hats!

Krista, Steph, Matt and James in Mickey's booth

Visit to Dr Brown

I saw Dr Brown today. He said I looked good especially in light of everything I've been through in the past year. He thought my weight was good...I've gained some & have been maintaining...& was pretty pleased with my overall situation.

We talked about the scope I had a few weeks ago, & the ulcer he saw. He said that could also be attributing to the anemia I've been having & agreed to try me on Nexium to see if that helps clear the ulcer up. He was a little doubtful that it would & said that ulcers that are located where mine is are often chronic. It has nothing to do with stress...just the location of the anastamosis site.

He also said that the ulcer is the least of my worries. The lab results of the random biopsies of my stomach came back. One of the areas showed that the stomach lining tissue was no longer a hyperplastic polyp (fake or harmless) but that it was starting to turn into an adenomatous polyp (the kind that can turn malignant in time). There's pretty much nothing that can be done. There's no way to tell which biopsy it came from. I have so many bumps in the lining of my stomach that it would take over a year to remove them all, & then new ones would continue to grow. The good thing is that the stomach has a very low malignancy rate for adenomatous polyps (praise God!) compared to the colon & duodenum which have very high malignancy rates.

I am eating just fine most of the time. I still have bouts of gastric dumping & nausea...mostly in the morning...& have started to learn what I can & can't eat for breakfast to avoid this from happening. It's really weird...for the most part, if I have any sweets in the morning (even yogurt), I get nauseated; however, I can eat the same stuff later in the day & have no problem.

I go back to see him in a month to see how my anemia is doing & if the Nexium is working. Soooo, unfortunately, the "ride" continues. I will continue to rely on the Lord & keep my focus on Him. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Love,
Stephanie<><

Anniversary of 1st Visit with Dr Cameron

Today is the anniversary of my 1st trip to Johns Hopkins to meet Dr. Cameron. Never in a million years did I image all that would take place in the following year. It has been a very crazy year. I don't know why I went through some of the things that I did, but I know that the Lord was with me every step of the way. Without Him, I would not have gotten through this. I am thankful & grateful for His provision.

An AMAZING Transformation!

Today, I was with my friend Sarah Dahl.  We were weeding the gardens of our church in NOVA.  In doing so, I climbed a tree to remove the little "sucker" branches.  When I did this, Sarah ran to grab my camera so she could take a picture of me because she said that just a couple of months prior to now, she wouldn't have believed it anyone who told her that I'd be climbing trees in July. She said that I was truly a miracle.  For those of you who saw me struggling just to make it through each day, you know what a truly amazing transformation that was. I didn't even think about it until Sarah pointed it out today...that comparison really put things into perspective and made it sink in.

This is a photo taken about 10 days before the procedure.

This was taken with one of my favorite nurses, Gracie, on 12/07/07.

Christmas Day with my SG:  I was down about 20lbs here.

NYE 2007...a couple of days after I was released.

Resurrection Sunday with my SG...I was still thin & lifeless.

Today, we realized that a transformation had taken place.

PRAISE…THE…LORD for this great & wonderful thing that He has done.

What Is a Whipple Procedure, Anyway?

I am often asked this question so I thought I'd take the time on the 6-month anniversary of my Whipple procedure to explain what it is.

The Whipple Procedure (aka pancreaticoduodenectomy) is the worst surgery to ever have (even worse than something we generally consider to be serious like open-heart) and is most commonly given to people who have pancreatic cancer. Not that long ago, a Whipple procedure had a very low survival rate because most patientts either died from the procedure itself or from complications post-surgery.  I am so very blessed to not have had pancreatic cancer and am so thankful that I had a doctor who was able to be proactive which enables me to still here today.

In my case, I had a "Classic Whipple" which means that I lost a portion of my stomach (5% which includes my pyloric valve), my entire duodenum (1st 12-18 inches of small intestines; it absorbs most of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs), my gall bladder (the gall bladder duct plugs into the duodenum and if they just hooked the gall bladder straight back to the small intestines, gall stones would develop and it would have to be removed in 6-12 months anyway), my pancreatic duct (where the pancreas plugs into the duodenum), and the tip of my pancreas (because it had become hardened or something like that because I'd been having acute attacks of pancreatitis but didn't know it).  After that, they cut a hole in the pancreas in order to pull the jejunum (the portion of the small intestines after the duodenum) through the pancreas so it can still do its job. They then hooked up what's left of the small intestines to the remainder of the stomach so that it can empty as food is digested.  And, BAM! there you go...a new life with a whole new learning curve and with always finding and adjusting to the “new normal” in life because it can change frequently.  So, right there, that's at least 6 surgeries plus a lot of other things that have to do with rerouting blood vessels and all kinds of technical and complicated little things like that. (The operative report is like SEVEN pages long.)

So, after surgery, you get to spend at least a day in ICU so they can closely monitor you, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm not trying to make light of the situation, but it really is quite complicated so if you want more info and a real education on the GI system and anatomy, you can check out the following links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreaticoduodenectomywww.surgery.usc.edu/divisions/tumor/pancreasdiseases/web%20pages/pancreas%20resection/whipple%20operation.htmlwww.pancan.org/section_facing_pancreatic_cancer/learn_about_pan_cancer/treatment/surgery/Whipple_procedure.php

During my recovery from the Whipple, I lost 20lbs in less than a month...and I didn't have 20lbs to lose to begin with. Thankfully, I never went below 100 lbs which is the "magic number".  Once you go below a 100 lbs, things get even more tricky/complicated.  Anyway, I just barely hung and avoided a whole bunch of new issues.

Every day was a struggle, but I was able to keep my focus on Christ, and He enable me to get through each moment as it came and has used it to make me who I am.

I am so thankful that medical technology has made such great strides in the success rate of a Whipple Procedure.  I am also indebted to those Whipple pioneers who did not survive the surgery and to the families that lost their loved ones to the horrendous surgery.  They enabled more and more of us to survive and live longer lives as Whipple Warriors.

On the Upswing!

Hi, All…

I just wanted to post a quick update to let you know that I’ve pretty much recovered from my surgery. All of the weird problems I had after surgery like short attention span (along with inability to focus & read; lack of desire to type), fine motor problems (like inability to write legibly, slow typing), extreme fatigue, digestive issues, depression, insomnia, blah, blah, blah, have gone away. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is our 14th anniversary. We are going out Friday night for a movie & dinner to celebrate. I can remember a time just a few weeks ago where the thought of eating out for our anniversary was quite inconceivable. When I think back to how I was before I started to heal, I must have looked like a zombie. It’s amazing that once I started healing, things progressed very quickly. I still don’t have the feeling of being hungry very often, but I am eating whatever I want, whenever I want pretty much without any problems. As far as I know, my iron is still low, but that should be on the upswing soon. I weighed myself this morning & was 103.6 which is an improvement. I am very grateful & thankful.

Prior to my surgery, we thought we’d be moving to Camp LeJeune this summer; however, after all the post-op problems I was having, we decided that it wouldn’t be very smart to move…especially to a remote place like Jacksonville, NC. At the time, we didn’t know that the Lord would have me healed way before Matt’s graduation. However, I really believe that He used this entire situation to have us stay here in Quantico. Everything has truly worked together for the good of our family…even having to put the children in a DOD school. They have made leaps & bounds. Cassidy is excelling in math & is reading way beyond her grade level. They both enjoy their art classes, & their teacher has told me how creative & talented they both are. Caelan is doing well in his special ed reading class & has really started clicking on a lot of things lately…including his SRI & DRA tests that show he is reading at grade level (but still below his age level). Reading is still a chore for him, & he has to work very hard at it, but it’s amazing to see him doing it. I am quite confident that with another year of assistance, he’ll be sailing through & ready to return to homeschool. Of course, that will be another major change in our family, & I’ll have to cut back on my volunteering, but hopefully & prayerfully, I’ll be ready when the time comes.

On another note, Matt graduated from EWS 2 weeks from this Thursday. To celebrate, we took a short trip up to NY to visit our friends from Cherry Point (the Bells). We had a blast going around NYC. I ate at a couple of restaurants & didn’t even worry about what I was going to eat. It was very nice. It was great picking up where we left off with our friendship…of course, it wasn’t enough time, but it was delightful. (On a side note, my 2 were enthralled with the Bells’ new “toy”, aka their adopted baby Sam. They wanted to hold him all the time.) After such a short visit, we were sad to have to come back home & not be able to hang out & catch up longer; however, the kids had to return to school & Matt had to start his new summer job at OCS.

Anyway, I just want to offer thanks & praises to the Lord for His provisions & healing hands. I also want to thank you for all of your concern, support & prayers. I wouldn’t have made it through all of this without them.

Love,
Stephanie<><

A Little Progress & a Trip Home

Hey…

I’ve been getting quite a few emails & phone calls asking how I’m doing so I thought I should probably post another update.

I am coming to grips with just how serious my surgery was. I’ve been told that open heart is less serious than having a whipple. The heart is a muscle, & muscles either work or they don’t…they’re not temperamental. On the other hand, all my internal organs that were operated on are finicky & have a mind of their own…either working or not working & there’s nothing you can do to control it. I done some research online & have heard from a few people who know others who have had a whipple & had similar problems…some lasting almost a year after the surgery. At 4 months post-op, I am way ahead of the game…it’s just not what I was prepared for or expected.

I am doing much better with eating both in variety & quantity (although there are still lots of foods that I avoid)…a huge improvement from just 2 weeks ago. I am up to 104 pounds (I gained 1 pound in a week! Praise the Lord that I’m not losing anymore!) My small intestines are still a sluggish but seem to be improving each day. I just completed my fourth (& hopefully final) weekly IV infusion of Venofer (iron). I go next week to have the labs drawn to see if the infusions have made a difference in my iron & red blood cell levels. My post-op depression is going away, & I’m starting to feel a little like my old self only a lot quieter (so that means that I'm not totally better).

I have been enjoying my time volunteering in the kids’ classrooms but miss homeschooling them terribly.

My mom was in town a couple of weeks ago for Easter & to celebrate Cassidy’s 7th birthday…it passed by too quickly. Tomorrow (Friday), I am leaving to go home to celebrate my Daddy’s 60th birthday. I also get to see my new nephew Nolan for the 1st time! There were quite a few moments these past few weeks that I thought I’d have to cancel the trip for health reasons. I just thank the Lord for my continued improvements.

Thank you for your continued prayers.
Steph

Post Retreat Update

I’ve had quite a few emails asking about my retreat up to White Sulfur Springs. I’m sorry to say that it was primarily uneventful…no instant healing or snap back to reality. I felt quite out of place knowing only 2 of the 30+ women that were there. I am not the social butterfly that my husband is (opposites attract) plus the fact that I was severely depressed…it’s very hard to talk & socialize when you’re sad & numb inside. The ladies were very nice. I did have some fun. It snowed on our way up there…it was very beautiful. On Saturday, I got to play some games with some of the ladies while others climbed the indoor rock-wall & sledded down the hill (they tried talking me into going, but I just didn't feel like it). After awhile, some of the wives my age joined us in the games.


Eating was very hard. Some of the meals weren’t the best choice for me…I didn’t think of that possibility at all, but I made the most of it. I even won 2 prizes because I didn’t eat any of the chocolate cake.


The speaker was good & friendly (she ran into me at the commissary on Friday & recognized me & stopped to talk). I needed to hear her message about keeping my focus on Jesus. I guess I just had some unrealistic expectations. Somewhere during the ride home, things chilled out a little inside of me. Matt says that he can tell I am getting better & not as irritable…just without any pep & he misses my pep. I start my weekly iron IV infusions tomorrow so I am quite concerned that this will add to the sluggishness of my small intestines. I just wish the docs could find a combination of medications that would work…it’s hard to eat when you already feel full & I don’t want to go back on TPN.

So, anyway, I am home & happier than I was before the retreat. Please just continue to pray for me.

Love,
Stephanie<><

Just Another Recovery Update

Hello, All…

Well, I thought I was on the road to recovery, but evidently, I’m still sitting in the parking lot. My hunger and appetite have not returned. My stomach is working a lot better; however, my small intestines are now quite sluggish. I am on 2 different prescriptions to try to get things moving. It is quite frustrating and discouraging to want to get better & heal but to have things happen that are out of your hands. My weight is fluctuating again and has dropped a few pounds. I am trying to drink Ensure and Carnation Instant Breakfast in addition to eating, but when things are not going anywhere, it’s not always easy to fill up.

Also, because of the surgery, my iron absorption is low. I start weekly iron IV infusions at Potomac Hospital to see if that helps bring my levels back up. I am very concerned that the iron IV will add to my sluggish small intestines.

Please continue to pray for my appetite to return and for my full healing. Also pray that I will not be distressed or discouraged by the situation and will be able to give God all the glory along the way.

The kids are doing fine in their school environments. They have adjusted very well and enjoy playing with their classmates. I miss having them at home terribly; however, it is nice to run errands or go to the doctor without them in tow.

Thank you for your continued prayers.
Stephanie

Going on a Retreat to WSS

I'm going on a women's retreat with Officers Christian Fellowship & Women of the Chapel (on base) at White Sulfur Springs in PA. I don't want to go but am going out of obedience. I won't know anyone except Sheri Braddy. I'm not even sure if the Lord wants me to go. Everything is chaotic...especially with the kids...lots of arguing, hitting & fighting. I feel like Solomon in Ecclesiastes when he says that everything is meaningless. I know that is true without Christ in your life, but right now, I can't find Him. The fog is too thick, & the enemy's lies are too loud. I am doubting my salvation big time. "Why would God want to choose me?" I know that none of us deserve it, but I really, really feel like I don't deserve it so why would He want me? The meds work some of the time. The nighttime meds aren't working all night long. Pray that the doc can give me something today so I can get some good rest. Please pray that I find Christ this weekend...especially if I am not really saved.

I am going to the gastro this morning for a check up so please pray that he can help my very sluggish GI system...that really, really bothers me & causes me great concern & at times, anxiety. I have no desire to eat, & when I do eat, I force myself & cannot eat very much at all.

Desperately seeking Him...love,
Stephanie<><
PS...Sorry that my thoughts are all over the place...that's just the way my brain is working right now.

Doctor Appointment Update

I just wanted to update my special prayer warriors to let you know that the psychiatrist diagnosed me with (post surgical) severe clinical depression today. He changed my meds & said it would take some time for things to feel better & that I just needed to hang in there. He also told me that I'd be on the medication for at least a year before being weaned off.

I am having trouble grasping his diagnosis. It doesn't make sense to me, & I don't understand why I'm having to go through another hurdle. I do not like the way I'm feeling on the inside. It's hard to describe. I just know that it feels very yucky, & I don't like it 1 bit. Please pray for me as I patiently wait for things to get better.

I feel like I am living Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes...meaningless, meaningless...everything seems to be meaningless. I know this isn't true, but that doesn't change how I feel on the inside. The counselor told me yesterday, that I'm already doing the things she tells her patients to do to help mental healing...I'm volunteering & getting out & about. I just need things to get back into whack.

Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Stephanie<><

Looking for Praises

I am trying to focus on the Lord & not the negative things concerning my circumstances & have come up with a list of praises for today:

1. all the songs on the Christian station are about my situation (or so it seems)
2. I found $20 in a birthday card from when I was in New Orleans last summer for my cousin's wedding (from my brother's in-laws)
3. I came across 31 Days to Praise that my friend Sara gave me back in December of 1999. I am reading it again.
4. After reading my email, my friend Amy called me & invited me out with her mentor Sheri to go get something to drink. This was just after I cried out to God for help (again). I thought it would be my mom calling, but it wasn't.
5. My friend Marisa invited me to come over sometime & play games.
6. I am going on a retreat this weekend (even if I don't feel like it) with a new sister-in-Christ named Kim.

Please continue to pray for a breakthrough of some sort(s).
Love,
Stephanie<><

Urgent Prayer Request

OK…once again, I am at it…I feel like all I do is ask for prayer; however, please pray for me…I am slipping back into the pit & it’s a struggle to not fall in. Matt came home & took me to a psychologist today who ended up being a Christian. I also have an appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow to regulate the meds I am taking so that I get some chemical relief from this depression I seem to be in. I am still not hungry & am forcing myself to eat. I do not like feeling this way. I don’t know why this is happening nor do I understand it. Please, please, please pray for me.

Thank you.

Love,
Stephanie
PS…to God be the glory…I am relying on Him.

Praise the Lord!

As we say in TX, “Yee-haw & PRAISE THE LORD!!” (I know, I know, we don’t live in TX anymore, but my heart is definitely there…my body wishes it was as warm here as it is there.)

I just wanted to let you know that my appointments went incredibly well. My stomach immediately began to empty after drinking the barium…no doubt about it. I was finished with the x-ray in less than 5 minutes! Based on this, Dr Cameron released me back to my gastro Dr Brown…no more trips to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The home health nurse removed my PICC line this evening!!…another HUGE praise. I can’t wait to have a silent night’s sleep as well as a real shower in the morning. It’ll be nice to regain 12 hrs each day & return to normal nighttime activities like cell group & Awana at Mt Ararat & Sunday youth group at New Life.

Please pray that my hunger returns & that my stomach expands some soon. It’s hard to think about cooking when you’re not hungry at all. It’s been a major source of stress for me that I hope goes away soon.

Of course, today didn’t happen without the normal hiccups. The Goodings were supposed to watch the kids today, but Elaine got a stomach bug yesterday afternoon so they couldn’t take the kids. However, I quickly called my friend Sarah Dahl & she came over with her daughter Lizzie to watch the kids. They baked cookies, playground hopped for 4 hrs & came inside just in time to avoid a downpour. It all worked out perfectly...divinely arranged of course.

Thank you so very much for your prayers, encouragement, emails, phone calls…basically all your love & support. It is very much appreciated.

Love,
Stephanie

Update for Saturday 02/16

My PCM changed my meds, & I’ve slept all night long the last 2 nights…I feel like a new woman! It’s amazing what more than 4 hours of sleep can do for you. I had a busy day yesterday volunteering in Cassidy’s class for a little over an hour, getting my haircut (best one in years!) & shopping for the kids & Nolan (my new nephew).

I go back to Dr Cameron in Baltimore on Monday…what a way to spend Matt’s day off. The Goodings are taking the kids for the day so we don’t have to take them with us (Praise the Lord!). I have an upper GI (drinking chalk/barium) at 11 to test my stomach’s emptying & then my appointment with the doc is at 2pm. My stomach is emptying properly as far as I can tell. I’m eating & drinking a lot more than I was, but I don’t get hungry b/c of the TPN…my body is getting all it needs via IV so it doesn’t feel the need to be hungry. (So, basically when I eat, it's b/c I'm forcing myself to eat...I have no desire to do so.) Please pray that it empties the way Dr Cameron wants it to so I can get off the TPN, return to a normal diet & get my PICC line removed (& take a REAL shower).

The kids are doing fine in school & may attend next year as well. Caelan is receiving about an hour & 15 min each day of special ed services to help him catch up with his academic delays. Cassidy is learning to be patient, wait & take turns. She enjoys going to art classes. It’s certainly easier on me not teaching 2 kids reading & phonics. I am happy that they’re doing just fine in their new environment.

Also, for those of you who are family or family-friends & haven’t heard. Michael & Kim officially became parents on the 13th. Nolan Michael Pertuit was born via c-section. He weighed in at 8lbs 6.5ozs & about 20” long. Both sets of grandparents are in Dallas right now enjoying the precious new bundle of joy. All are doing just fine & should get to go home tomorrow. Michael created a web-page complete with pix that you can check out a www.pertuit.org. More pix are in the gallery at www.pertuit.org/pics/index.php. You should check out the new parents…they’re so cute!

Anyway, thanks for your prayers & encouragement. I pray that all is well with you & yours.

Love,
Stephanie<><

One last note: Happy Birthday, Mom!

Depression?

I just wanted to make a quick prayer request. My PCM is currently treating me for what she thinks is depression related to surgery & probably exacerbated by being home by myself since the kids are now in school. Please pray for me to snap out of it &/or for the medication to work. Also pray for me to sleep the whole night through…at least more than 4 hours or so. I praise God for my wonderful husband who is taking care of everything as I’m now trying to heal emotionally.

Thank you in advance.

Love in Christ,
Stephanie<><

Update

I’ve been getting a lot of emails and questions about how I’m doing so I thought I post another update.

1. I think things are finally starting to move along. I can eat food portions the size of a plum and hear my tummy rumble a couple of hours later. I’m still hesitant to eat more than that. I’ve tried chicken, beef, different casseroles and guacamole (avocados are easy to digest). I’ve also had ½ a pb and j sandwich (yeah!). I’m up to and maintaining 107 lbs (with the continued help of TPN).
2. I’m still having bouts of cramps although it’s not as often.
3. I’m also having trouble sleeping. I can fall asleep just fine, but once I wake up, it’s hard to get back to sleep…the TPN pump is just too loud at 3am! Please pray that I sleep until 5:30am each night (or should I say morning).
4. I’m still experiencing shortened attention span. I’m also pretty impatient & bored (especially with the kids gone). I have a couple of typing projects to do which are usually right up my alley & feel like doing neither of them. I’ve been convicted by the Lord to be content with my position right now b/c He is in control & has me just where He wants me. Please pray that I stop wishing things were “normal” and that I see Him through this all.
5. My daddy is doing well…still tired and moody at times, but eating up a storm…especially ice cream since he’s not so sensitive to cold stuff. He goes for some type of scan in a week or so.
6. The kids are doing well in school. I met with Caelan’s CSC team to develop his IEP (individualized educational program); he qualifies for an hour of help/day. I can’t wait for them to get started & see some results. He may also be evaluated by the new OT (occupational therapist) at the school. Matt went to the school for Caelan’s birthday to have lunch & was impressed to see how calm Caelan is in class (without being drugged as was suggested by a well respected doctor)…there’s no way he could have ADHD. The developmental pediatrician was not happy with any hints of opposition on our part…“medicate, medicate, medicate”. I’m glad we chose not to. We may go for a 2nd opinion this summer.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support.

Love
Stephanie<><

Praise Yahweh

Hello, All…

I thought I’d post a quick update.

1. We had snow & the kids had a lot of fun playing in it.
2. My Daddy finished his last chemo. The doc chose to not give him 1 of the drugs since it was his last treatment. It was the drug that caused all the problems so he’s had energy, been eating, cooking, etc. For the 1st time since he started chemo, he was able to eat ice cream (2 times!). His hands & feet are still a little numb but they should be back to normal soon. He goes in a week or 2 for a CAT-scan & some other tests (I think), but we are fully expecting for his body to be clean b/c he passed his earlier CAT-scan.
3. For the 2nd time in 2 weeks, my Daddy has gout. It can be a side effect of chemo. He’s taking meds for it & should be back to normal in a few days.
4. I had a bad day on Thursday…ate something too heavy & threw up like crazy. I almost ended back in the hospital. My stomach itself hurt until yesterday, but praise God b/c everything settled down, I didn’t go to the ER, & I’m eating again.
5. I still have a little over a month to go before things are expected to return to normal. Please pray for patience.
6. The kids are doing fine in school. Homework takes a little longer than I’d like, but hopefully, we’ll get into a routine, soon.

Thanks for all of your prayers, emails, cards, phone calls, etc to offer encouragement & support. They are appreciated. Most importantly, thanks for giving all the glory, honor & praise to the God who is in control of all this apparent chaos & who isn’t surprised 1 bit by any of the events.

Love in Christ,
Stephanie<><

Results of Doc Appointment

Hello, All…

I saw Dr Cameron today & found out that my stomach emptying has improved but is still deficient. I need to go back in a month & do the test all over again. It’ll be small bites & sips of water until then as well as no heavy lifting, cooking or housework. (It’s not as nice as it sounds.) I also need to firmly massage (OUCH!) my incision for 5 minutes 2 times a day to soften the scar & help it heal more.

I was discouraged & came across the following excerpts in a devotional & really felt God speaking to me in the restlessness of my present circumstance: “Many foolish decisions have been made out of the emptiness of discontentment…We want something more, something better, because we’re not quite happy with our lot in life. We forget on unwavering scriptural principle: God is the Author of our lot…Christ…is the Fixer, & only our trust in Him will deliver us from our restlessness. That trust, if cultivated rightly will give us the contentment that David expresses in this psalm (Psalm 16). It will define for us our security…The key to contentment is to refuse to define your life by your present circumstances. It’s to know that you are where you are because God is sovereign.”

On another note, the kids had a good 2nd day of school, but Caelan is struggling with homework. I’m very thankful to my neighbors for taking the kids to & from school today. (For those of you who don’t know, the kids were enrolled in the base school since I need to concentrate on recovering & can’t homeschool right now. Last week was quite emotional for all of us.)

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love in Christ,
Stephanie<><

First Day of School

Hello…

With all the inquiries, I thought I’d send out a quick note to let y’all know the kids had a great 1st day of DOD school…no tears on their part (but plenty on Mom’s…just not in their presence).

There was an assembly where they were introduced as the new kids at school, & then Caelan got recognized for his birthday. (On another note, he may be behind academically; however, his teeth are quite advanced. He’s already got a 12 yr molar. CRAZY!!)

Since it’s a school for military kids, they’re really great at making new kids feel welcomed. I found out that they’re each in class w/ a child from a family we knew in Cherry Point when the kids were all babies. Caelan told me that he didn’t recognize Sophia or Isabella b/c they weren’t babies anymore & looked different. They’ve been playing with these girls at the playground for a month now, & I didn’t realize it.

This afternoon, we found out that Caelan qualifies for educational intervention for his learning disabilities so that’ll be great for him. It’s quite a relief to FINALLY get confirmation of what I knew was wrong instead of continuing to be told that all is “ok”. Hopefully, he’ll be sailing along in a few months.

We are all together again after a day of separation. We all survived & no one's head exploded or anything like that!

Thanks for all your prayers, emails & phone calls concerning our need to put them in school & my continued healing.

Love,
Steph<><

Update for Wednesday 01/09

Hello, All…
There are lots of things going on in our house…

1. Food & Steph: I’m tolerating small amounts…translation a bite or 2 at a time. I’ve been told that this is quite normal. I’m eating things like mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, toast. I think I’ll try applesauce later. I discovered that fo me, Cream of Wheat & Malto Meal were not good ideas. Please continue to pray for things to continue to be properly processed. Also, I’d like to get off TPN sooner or later (I really don’t like having a PICC line…less freedom), but I’m not sure how much I have to be eating before I can get rid of the TPN & PICC line.
2. After much prayer & deliberation, Matt decided to enroll the kids in the local DOD school to keep up their education while I’m recovering. He said it’s not fair to either them or me to put that type of pressure on my recovery. I’ve cried like a baby, but I agree with him. It’ll be quite the transition for all of us. The kids will start on this Friday 01/11/2008. Caelan will be put in 2nd grade b/c of his learning disabilities. Cassidy will be in 1st grade. I’m not sure what the future holds, but we’re looking at this from the present perspective & hope/pray that God will allow us to return to homeschooling this fall. Pray for the transition & for us to be joyful in the midst of this life change.
3. Matt isn’t sure where he’s going for his next job but knows that he’ll be stationed here b/c of my health issues…we will not be moving.
4. My upper GI is scheduled for Monday at 11am; the appointment with Dr Cameron is at 2pm. Please pray for favorable results.

Thank you for your continued prayers & encouragement & support. I appreciate it so much.

Love,
Steph<><

Sadness

I just wanted to let you know that the kids are going to be enrolled at the DOD school here on base. We were already thinking of enrolling Caelan b/c of his learning disabilities, but Matt decided to enroll Cassidy to give me the downtime so I can recover. It's also not fair to the kids to delay delay their education & make them behind just because I don't have the strength & attention span to teach them right now.

He’ll be in 2nd grade & she’ll be in 1st. I guess I’ll take the paperwork in tomorrow. I’m trying very hard not to be sad & cry. I understand why my hubby made the decision, but it's not something I ever planned to do & it doesn’t make it any easier.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Please pray for me to accept this as a blessing from the Lord. Pray for the kids to adjust to the new routine & environment (neither want to go...lots of tears). Pray for us to adjust to the new routine & daily separation.

To God be the glory!

Love,
Steph<><

Diet Upgrade

Dr Cameron’s PA Heather just called & gave me permission to start upgrading my diet.

PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD!

NOW, I need you to pray that it goes out the correct end & that it doesn’t come back up!!!

I am so excited & GOD IS SO FAITHFUL!!!

Grace & peace to you & yours,
Love in Christ’s holy name,
Steph<><

Update for Wednesday 01/02/08

I have an appointment for an upper GI/barium study on Monday 01/14 to see if my stomach is emptying. I’ll see Dr Cameron after that at 2pm. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray that things work b/c I am HUNGRY!!! I would love to be able to eat anything & get off the TPN & lose my PICC line so I can be “human” again.

I am 5 wks post op & still on restrictions like no lifting anything more than a gallon of milk, no cooking, no cleaning, etc, etc, etc. It’s very hard for me to do nothing. I hate being bored.

Matt’s doing a great job of hooking up my TPN each night & unhooking it in the morning. He goes back to school on Monday so I’ll have a week of disconnecting my TPN w/o him. Of course, the kids are all too willing to assist in the process. Needless to say, they are glad to be home with the whole family again.

Thanks again for your prayers…most importantly, pray for our witness during this whole ordeal.

May you experience the grace, peace & blessings of God today.

Steph<><