BABY HANNAH GRACE

CONGRATULATIONS to my brother Nathan, sister-in-law Heather, and big sisters Rachael and Madeline on the birth of Hannah Grace. She's a cutie!!!


Dad and Mom with the kids

Mom and baby Hannah

Rachael loves her sister!

Maddie loves being the big sister

Proud Mom and Dad minutes after the birth

APRIL.....ORGAN DONATION MONTH

I'm writing this post with many emotions. April is organ donation month which holds a very special place in our hearts. With Shantel number 1 on the lung transplant list we are very mindful of what that call means. It's joy and anticipation of the opportunity for an extended life for Shantel, it's sorrow for a family that has lost a loved one.

Two and a half years ago when Shantel came to live with us, I knew transplant would most likely be in her future. It wasn't until I spent many, many hours at Duke on 5300, one of the pediatric units, did I come to appreciate the need for healthy people to take organ donation serious.

If you, or someone in your family has never had the need for medical care on a consistent basis or if you've never known anyone that has been in that situation, it's not something you would think much about. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to think about organ donation for you and your family. We are never prepared for a sudden or tragic death of a loved one but the reality of life is that death happens. What an awesome way to honor someone's life than by giving the gift of life to someone else! We will forever be thankful and grateful to the donor family of Shantel's lungs!

It's easy and simple to become an organ donor! Here are some web sites so you can read all about donation. http://donatelife.net/, http://unos.org/, and http://cff.org/.

HAPPY EASTER 2009

Happy Easter!!!
As I've been driving this week I've had a lot of time to think about Easter and how it's taken on a different meaning in my life this year. It's been incredibly sad knowing my Mom will eventually die from this cancer as will my little girl Shantel of Cystic Fibrosis. I now understand how sad God must have been seeing his only Son die so we might live. What point has really hit me this season is how unbelievably wonderful it is to know we as Christians have something to look forward to after we die......Heaven!!! I honestly can't even fathom how you go through the sickness and death of a loved one without this! Knowing the emotions and feelings I go through on a daily basis and I know they'll be in Heaven, I can't wrap my head around how someone without this hope manages.
So, this Easter if you're reading my blog and don't have this hope of a future in Heaven with our risen Lord, I strongly encourage you to consider knowing where your future will be and ask Christ to be Lord of your life.
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son. That whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

CHECK-UP

Today Mom had a check-up with Dr. Uronis. She had blood work done first and then her appointment. Yesterday she had an ultrasound. Very good check-up!!! :):) Her blood work is fine, her bilirubin is good, no new tumor growth and all her swelling is gone. Great news!!
The next steps will be an appointment with the surgeon and deciding when to start the next round of chemo. She's feeling really good and we are pleased with her report!!

Shantel's PIC line is still working fine so they haven't had to put in a new IV port. The Dr.'s have decided she will remain in the hospital until her transplant. This makes us very sad because we love having her home and she does so well at home. With her being on Albuterol every two hours and continuous at night, sugars going up and down and not being able to be on steroids in preparation for transplant, it's safer for her to be at Duke.

Thank you all for your prayers.

LOTS GOING ON TODAY

We have a lot happening today. Shantel's IV port has stopped working so they will be putting in a pic line....that's a line treaded into a vein, usually in the arm, so IV meds can be run. A port is something Shantel will need to have but if the pic line works for now a new port can be put in at transplant.
Mom may be headed to Duke depending on what the Dr. says. She's been having a sharp pain in her lower side off and on for a couple weeks. It doesn't last long, just more annoying. Last night she had major pain and then started having blood in her drain line. She feels good but gets very nervous now when anything happens.
If you get a minute please pray for Mom and Shantel and for wisdom for the Dr.'s who are taking such great care of both of them!

STUBBORN PORT

Today Shantel's IV port decided to stop working. The nurses and IV team have been working on it all day to try and get it to work but so far no go. This isn't a good thing because is will most likely mean they will need to put in a new port......which means surgery. Always risky for a CFer.
Please keep her in your prayers.