3 Good Days in a Row – 5/22/10

Here it is Saturday night and I have had three good days in a row!!  I am so thankful to have been able to celebrate my birthday with my kids yesterday.  It was not a super-active party, but we were together and I was fairly comfortable physically.  It looks like I am over the “hump,”  or it at least seems that way.  We are praying that this three day stretch of good is the trend for the future.

One of the things that I think has helped (other than divine intervention) is that when I got back from the ER with a “we don’t really know what the problem is,” answer, Karen and I decided to take my medicine regimine into our own hands.  I have been on so many meds to help with this and couter-act that, that I think my body has been ove-stimulated or something.  On top of that, I am trying to get used to dialysis and recover from two surgeries and deal with very little kidney function.  The dialysis alone is tough as my nurses are still “experimenting” to figure out exactly what I need.  We stopped all meds, except what we know I need based on our experience these last tens years.  We are re-introducing meds little by little and figuring out what I need and don’t need.  (Don’t panic, we know what meds are crucial and which ones are for things like “this will help your stomach settle”).  As well, I have spent ten years woking closely with my Nephrologist and made quite a few medicine related decisions based on my knowledge of my body.  I only say all that last stuff because I know many will be concerned that I will harm myself.  Please don’t worry!  So far, I have had the best three days of my life since April 19th.

I am still uncomfortable quite a bit during the day, but Friday and Saturday, I spent more time up and out of bed than I did in bed or lying down.  This is definately a change.  While I wear out fast, I am finding I can walk around and do stuff more, though I can’t lift anything and I certainly can’t move fast.  The family laughs at me because all I have to do is sit up at the computer for 10 minutes, and then my face and forehead and neck become saturated with sweat, as if I had been running for miles in 90 degree weather.  So most of the day I walk around with a wet washcloth on my neck and/or no shirt on (now that that is public, I will be getting lots of visits from the ladies I am sure…who wants to see my water-laden, toxin filled, beat-up no exercise body?!?)

Tonight we traveled to Parsippany, NJ.  When healthy, I speak regularly at a church called Christian Testimony Morris.  These folks have been a God-send to our family.  We met the saints there 12 years ago and they have been faithful supporters of Karen and I ever since.  I was scheduled to speak there this weekend way back in January, before the official transplant date was picked.  Since going through all this recent trauma, it has been sketchy as to whether or not I’d be able to come speak.  Well these people are prayers and I have no doubt that a big reason I have had three good days previous to this Sunday is that the saints have been begging God to open the door and make me healthy enough to be with them!  Not only that, they reserved and paid for a hotel room so that I could get the 1.5 hour drive done tonight so I could be fresh in the morning.  Karen and I have rarely seen a more generous, giving, caring group of people than the brothers and sisters of CT Morris.  Thank you all for your faithful, servant lifestyles that glorify our Lord!

You can be in prayer for me as tomorrow is my first “public” work.  I have been working from home for a while but it is easier to hide my pain there.  I just want to be a faithful follower of Christ and share what He puts before me.  Thanks for the prayers.

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