Still having problems . . .

I thought that this kidney stone thing was behind me, but Monday night my lower back was killing me again. I took the strongest pain meds that I had and they weren't touching it. After getting up and moving around I felt better and always determined to get on into school if possible, I planned on going to school. I felt much better, that is until right before I left for school, when I stopped to use the bathroom. I think I passed a second small kidney stone, almost pure blood instead of urine, and a large amount of trash and blood clots. Well going to school didn't happen. I stayed at home and rested all day. Slowly the urine cleared and I felt better. Today, I finally am feeling like I'm on the road to normal kidney function. I am dreading the future that this paints. Everyone says that once you have a kidney stone, you're destined for more. I have to take the stones to the doctor tomorrow to be tested for composition. If they are calcium, like most, I am worried, since I must take calcium supplements to keep from having osteoporosis. Oh, by the way, keep my niece, Stephanie, and her husband,Don, and their little "Almlet" in your prayers, because he's almost here!

No Fun at All . . .

Yesterday morning I got the worst pain on the left side of my back. I couldn't stand it. It wasn't long before I was losing my breakfast and in agony. Tim had to take it to me to the emergency room and I found that I had a kidney stone. After being doubled over in pain, throwing up my guts, and getting scans runned, they gave me a couple of great injections in my IV that did wonders to help with the pain and nausea. Eventually I was released to come home and drink/eat lots of clear liquids, take pain medication and wait for the stone to pass. So far, the stone STILL hasn't passed and I am starving from this clear liquid diet. The pain is much better, because the stone is apparently in my bladder now. I am praying that it moves on out very soon so that I can get some things done, eat some real food, and go back to work tomorrow. This is the first time I've ever had a kidney stone and they say once you have one, you generally are plagued with them the rest of your life. I'm not looking forward to that at all. Anyway, it's not been fun at all . . .

Prayers go out . . .

Wow, what a week it's been! Figuring out final grades for students has taken hours and has kept me up late at night. Not a good combination when I then go to give those lovely State EOC exams that last 3 hrs and all's quiet for all that time. The clock ticks so slowly. I have plenty of time to pray for others in need and there are numerous people on my prayer list right now. Definitely continue to pray for Tricia, Gwyneth, and Nate (see post below) and the other couples, children, and babies they are sending out prayer requests for on Nate's blog.

In addition, please be praying for Brittany and Kyler who were in the wreck Friday. Brittany is out of the hospital, but has a broken arm and ribs, all her front teeth were knocked out and she will have to undergo oral surgery for implants, she has 18 stitches on top of her head where it hit the windshield and she has numerous scraps and bruises. Kyler is still at Carolina's Medical Center in critical, but stable condition.

Continue to pray for Christy Church's family after her death last week from leukemia. Her two young sons and husband must be broken hearted even though they can rest assured that she is with Jesus and no longer in pain. Unfortunately, Christy's mom, dad, and siblings never have received Christ as their Savior and are really hurting from this whole ordeal. Please pray that they will come to know the Lord and her death will have a true purpose and they can rejoice one day with her in heaven.

Elizabeth Dupuy is still undergoing treatments for her colon cancer. Her positive sunshine attitude keeps her going and she is so appreciative of all the prayers that everyone has been sending up on her behalf (she says she can feel them).

Elizabeth Laxton has been in the hospital with heart trouble. They haven't made a diagnosis yet, but she needs our prayers. Her son, Ryan, was visiting at Sunday School on Sunday and let us know that she was not doing well.

Mandi and Jeff are taking Tanner to Baltimore on Wednesday to schedule surgery that will hopefully once-and-for-all rid Tanner's body of this crippling disorder. Pray that God will guide the doctors to find the correct surgery this time so that Tanner can have hopefully just one more final surgery after years of surgeries.

Barry, the head custodian, is having surgery on Wednesday to open up his throat to relieve his sleep apnea. The surgery will be much more riskier than normal because of his heart conditions and if all goes well, he will undergo heart surgery in several months after recuperating from this surgery. The doctor says that he must have this surgery first unless he has a heart attack first.
Pray that this surgery goes well that his heart is strong enough to endure the anesthesia and that the valve will perform as needed. Pray that the doctors will be guided by the hand of God during the surgery.

Check out about Tricia and Gwyneth!!

If you haven't been following the story that is unfolding at Duke University Hospital as we speak, you are missing something truly inspirational. God's Hand is 100% in blessing this faithful couple and their new baby girl born Tuesday afternoon at 24 1/2 weeks @ just 1 lb 6 oz. Sweet little Gwyneth Rose is a pure miracle of God arriving straight in on a bed of thousands of prayers on her behalf that continue to flow. But another miracle unfolds just a few floors away as her mother, Tricia, who needed a double lung transplant for her Cystic Fibrosis (CF) before discovering she was pregnant, fights her own battle to gain enough strength from the emergency C-section and ventilator to be able to actually survive to get the double lung transplant to save her life. The husband and father, Nathan (Nate) has unending faith as did Tricia leading up to the operation. Check out his blog and please join in prayer for their family @ www.cfhusband.blogspot.com I promise that you will come away blessed!

-- Pam