Medical Updates

Well, with all the sickness and injuries we've all experienced lately, we aren't really doing much except sitting at home watching the Olympics.

Debbie went back to the Dr and he said she's still not better. He wants her back on a liquid diet to help her bowel not work so hard. He's still keeping her on pain medications and anti-biotics. He's trying to prevent her from having her colon removed, so the more we can do prevent that the better her quality of life will be.

And just because we were all feeling sympathy pains, my Mom went into the Dr with the exact thing Debbie has (thankfully not as severe). Then Madyson and Mike both felt the sympathy pain and decided to get hangnails removed from their toe (the same toe on each of them).

So when you come to our house you see three bandaged feet (did I mention Deb tore the fascia off her heel in June and it still hasn't healed) and Deb just looking tired and weak. But we're pushing through it. We just see it as a test of our faith and we'll keep doing what we're doing. We continue to read scriputes every night and have family prayer both morning and night. We know that is the only way we can prove to the Lord that we're faithful no matter what.

I Love the Olympics!!!

This is the best time of year, I must say! I love to watch the Olympics! Michael Phelps is kicking butts and taking numbers! Go USA!!!

Just want to send a shout out to Mom. She is going through this procedure this week and our prayers are with her along with lots of love. This family is sure getting it's share of health issues this summer - no more!!!

I am officially feeling old - we are getting invites and making plans for the 20 year reunion. I cannot believe we are this old. I still feel 20. (haha)

For those of you keeping track of us on here, I am still trying to get better. I am having more pain so we are just praying that is gets better and I don't end up back in the hospital. For now I am mostly on liquids so we will keep praying and hope for the best!!!

Thanks to you all!!!

I just wanted to say thanks so much to all of you who sent out your prayers of love and support over the last few weeks. We are really blessed to have wonderful friends in our lives. Thanks to all of the family members who visited me and checked in to make sure I was ok. It has meant so much to me.

I am on the mend - I have the most wonderful husband who has taken such amazing care of me. Now his biggest job is keeping me down as most of you who really know me, knows that is not something I am good at doing. There always seems to be too many things to be done. I have learned my lesson at least somewhat though.

Maddy loves 5th grade! She is so happy to go everyday and when she gets in the car at the end of the day she is beaming. We'll see if she still feels the same way after this week though since today was the day they were supposed to officially start doing work. Last week was a get to know you week. She has lots of friends and seems to really enjoy learning and trying to do her best at everything - when she slows down - she does a pretty great job too!

I have decided I am going to start trying to get stuff in on this also. I am not as good at it as Mike and certainly not as creative but I will give it a try.

We hope you are all doing well and that your families are happy and healthy.

Who Needs What?

I saw this on our friends blog page and thought it would be fun to see what comes up...
Here is how it works... Take your first name and type "Needs" after it in Google Search. Then type the first three things that come up.

Michael Needs...Mum (Mom in America)
Michael Needs...A Tutor on Flickr
Michael Needs...Revenge (a prison break clip on Utube)

Debbie Needs...A Saddle
Debbie Needs...To Look Behind Her
Debbie Needs...Prayer

Maddy Needs...A Home
Maddy Needs...Some Privacy
Maddy Needs...Love

What A Week

These past nine days have been pretty rough on our family, but we finally have some peace now that things are slowly progressing back to normal.

Debbie is finallly home from the hospital. She spent nine days in the hospital and she is oh so excited to be back home. The hospital was a very nice place and all, but as Dorothy said to the Wizard, "There's No Place Like Home."

And Debbie's return home couldn't have been better timed. She got home Tuesday afternoon and today Maddy starts the 5th Grade. So Debbie was there to do Maddy's hair, get her ready and take her to school. I can't wait to hear how school goes for maddy. She has a very good teacher. We are all impressed with the teacher. Debbie is even going to try and volunteer once a month.

We Need Your Prayers

Well, for those keeping score... Deb is losing the medical battles 0-3. In May she had to have her appendix removed and stayed in the hospital for three days. In June, she tore the attachment on the underside of her heel. She had to wear a boot to help her heal. That makes the score 0-2.

But God has a very funny way of making people slow down to heal. Since Deb didn't wait the full five weeks after her appendix surgery before going back to work full-time and since she wouldn't wear the boot her foot doctor told her to wear, God had to take matters into His own hands.

Beginning Saturday night, July 26th, Deb was complaining her gut hurt. Not much could be done. She tried working through the pain, sang a solo in church, and taught her young women's lesson. Then Monday morning she woke up in a lot of pain. I told her to go to the Dr and see what the problem was.

Her doctor wasn't working Monday and he told her to go to Urgent Care. Well, Urgent Care does tests and finds she has a bad infection but they cannot tell where the infection is. They tell her to go to the Emergency Room.

I happened to take a vanpool into work on Monday. I get the phone call that Deb is in the ER and I need to get home. Well, I didn't drive so one of my employees had to drive me all the way from Florence to Gilbert.

Needless to say, Deb has been in the hospital since Monday morning and is still there as of this posting with no end date in sight. According to her doctors, she has Diverticulitis which is a severe infection in the colon. To make matters worse, she has a tear in the colon wall. The sharp pains are caused by air leaking into the abdomen from the colon. She has gone without food and water since Monday. I didn't quite realize how sick she was until her surgeon said she had a severe attack and that we all need to be patient in order for her to heal properly.

That being said, there is still the possibility the colon could abcess and then she will have to have surgery to remove the colon. So she is not out of the woods just yet.

Somewhat good news today though. She just called me and said they are allowing her to have liquids. This will be the test to see how well she's healing. If her fever returns and her white blood cell count rises after having food in her, then they will have to do the surgery. But if she tolerates it, then she'll be fine... for now.

So, God has made sure that Deb is resting from her appendix surgery and has time to allow her foot to heal... All because Deb wouldn't do it on her own. :o)

Anyway, she could reallly use your prayers. She is still pretty sick but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.