I know that this is my first post of 2013 since the end of the year summary, but God has granted us some good things to share apart from all my aches & pains. Some good stuff! Read on...
During the month of April, 2013, Terrie and I finally got to make our LST (Let's Start Talking) trip to Qingdao, China. We had been scheduled to go back in July of last year, but I was way too far from a sufficient recovery to go then. We postponed our flight plans until April 5 and God made that the perfect timing for us.
I want to begin by thanking our huge list of generous supporters who made this trip possible. The funds that were given far exceeded what we expected and even prayed for! We were incredibly humbled by the response of all of our dear family, friends & other loved ones. Thank you so much for making this life-changing experience possible for us!
Our trip lasted from April 5-23. We read with Chinese students and young professionals from the book of Luke in the Bible in specifically-designed lesson plans to teach English with the Jesus story.
While I am on The Story, I want to mention one of the strongest impressions that God made on me during this adventure. Our students told us that they are taught in school from an early age that there is no God. However, in our modern world and the easy availability of information from everywhere, most of our readers had heard something about Christianity. Even with that, they were an essentially clean slate on which to etch the story of Christ. We got to witness the significance of God's love becoming evident to these young Chinese people. One of my readers told me early in our second week of reading that she was thinking about becoming a Christian! As she said those words, she turned to the page in our booklet where the baptism of Jesus was presented. Laying her hand on that very page, she said, "What do I need to do if I become a Christian?" I talked to her about what belief in Christ means and then we discussed baptism for her. I hope to hear soon about her taking that step! But also, as she talked about becoming a Christian, she said that it was the story that called out to her. That was astounding! I think we who have been Christians for so many years and have sat through so many sermons & Bible studies often forget how the loving story of Jesus affects a life that has never heard that message. I needed to be reminded of that power that Paul wrote about in Romans 1:16. The reader's name is Jossie and I want to ask you to pray for her to take the steps that will move her into Christ.
Another of my students was packing up her things at the end of one of our reading sessions when I asked her what she was going to do after class. She said, "I think I need to buy a Bible and read it!" I had just been giving her some thumbnail versions of the Old Testament to complement what we were looking at in Luke and it motivated her to know more. Her name is Ellen, so we can pray for her to read and learn that Bible well!
One of Terrie's students, Chen, already a believer, was troubled by what she perceived to be a conflict between biblical history and Chinese history. Fortunately, David Stathopulo and his son both had a book that looked at the historical evidence of belief in God within the history of China. They are going to share more of the content of that book with her and it will surely fortify her faith in God.
Another of Terrie's students was struggling with dinosaurs and what she understood of the Creation and related things. I was able to go online and find some information from Ken Hamm that addressed those very issues. We printed the information and Terrie gave it to her student, Zoe.
We could tell so many things about our precious readers! We fell in love with all of them. Some of them came to class daily, so we naturally developed more relationship with them. Besides English & the Jesus story, we learned about each other's families and cultures. It was great fun and the peripheral discussions made it much easier for us to share our faith in God. We hosted a party for all of them at the end of the second week (a prescribed part of the LST experience) and it went very well. About 20 of our readers came. We ate pizza (they with chopsticks!), drank Coca-Cola and played games. Some of the church members were there to interface with the readers in case they are interested in checking out the church there.
And one of the other great joys on our trip was getting to know the Stathopulo family. We knew about David and Sandi and had been around them often at The Hills. However, we only discovered that their son, Michael, and his wife, Elisabeth (Liz), were there as well. In fact, Liz had given birth to their first child, Rhema, only 5 weeks before our arrival. Well, if you know me, you know I was excited to get to meet that baby! I did get to hold her a few times while we were there! In all, we feel like we got really close to all 5 of the Stathopulos in Qingdao. They were all so nice, kind & helpful to us. Their preparedness and availability made the trip extremely easy for us. I had my 62nd birthday during our trip and Sandi made me a very special birthday lunch on the very day. It was awesome!
As far as our travels, our flights were good. In spite of the internet scare I got when I researched China Eastern airlines, they were excellent and we felt well-served. In Qingdao, we essentially walked everywhere because almost everything we needed was within a 15-20 minute walk of our apartment. When we needed a taxi, they were plentiful and inexpensive.
I won't go on and on with all the details of our marvelous experience, but I do want say this. Terrie and I have gone on for days about all the blessings - large and small - that God rained down on us throughout this whole adventure. We went so many places, traveled so far, met so many people, totally out of our cultural element, etc. There were so many ways that things could have gone wrong that it's mind-boggling to think about - and God was there overseeing & blessing the whole way. If the worst thing that happened was the Beijing airport security confiscating Terrie's nail polish remover, then it was a pretty enchanted trip!
I don't think there is anything we regret about the trip and the total experience. We made some wonderful - and I hope lifetime - friends in China, both Chinese and American. Our hearts have been forever affected by our Qingdao adventure. God, You are so good! Thank you for this incomparable blessing!
Well, it almost rhymes.
We all look back over 2012 with a mixture of regrets and satisfaction. Same here. Everything we have been through has been intended by our loving God to be a learning experience. I usually wish that some of the things I have had to learn in a given year could have been gained by less painful methods, but the main thing is that I learn from life.
I began these 12 months researching and dreading the possibility of needing back surgery. My L5 vertebra had broken loose and slipped forward (spondylolisthesis), putting pressure on the nerve root to my lower right leg & foot. I opted for that surgery and on April 23 had 360 spinal fusion at the L4-L5-S1 level. The jury is still out on the wisdom of that decision and I'm not really sure when (or if) it will come out of the jury room! The back doc tells me I'm doing well, but the nerves in my lower legs (yes, that's with an "s") and feet don't agree with him. They, along with the rest of my rapidly deteriorating body, will have to wait and see if my nerves are indeed regenerating at the bullet-train rate of 1mm per day. By the tape measure I'm looking at about 1500 days, give or take a few. So far I'm a whopping 250 days in! Practially there! Calculated well date: June 1, 2016.
Just when I was beginning to turn a corner with the whole nerve issue in my left foot (the more painful one now), a blood clot set into my left leg. Through that process I learned that I have developed a blood condition called antiphospholipid syndrome. In short, I now tend to clot in a very unhealthy way. So, I will be on blood thinners and in compression hose the rest of my days. My left leg will always be at least a little bigger than my right one and not because of a highly developed muscle! On December 18, I had a procedure on the left leg to essentially insure that I will not have as many problems in that leg 10 years from now as I would have had otherwise.
Okay, so enough of the doom & gloom! God has gotten my attention very well in 2012. I had quite a few discussions with Him as I walked the streets around our home in my back brace. I learned to lean into Him in the long hours of the night when sleep was not where I normally found it. I wept my way through my first back-to-church service on Mother's Day, realizing not just how much I missed it, but how far my heart actually felt from God. I have prayed harder during this year than I have in a long time. I have been humbled by the ocean of prayers that have been uttered for me, most especially for how much my precious wife has asked God to heal and protect me. I don't know what I would have done without her presence and her encouragement.
As I close out 2012, in spite of the speed bumps in my health, I realize how fully blessed my life is. I can do almost anything that I need to do. I can carry on all my work duties at The Hills. I can do most of my household projects & chores. I sleep all night. I get to spend lots of time with my family. I can still do Wal Mart trips, if I pace myself. :)
All in all, I finish the year with great hope and energy. And, as if to add one more blessing to my list, God gave us a white Christmas! It was so great! All our grandkids were here at our house and once the snow had done it's thing, most of them hit the back yard for some frolicking in the beautiful whiteness! It was the perfect Christmas!
So, still some healing to do and plenty of blessings to enjoy! Happy 2013 to all! And...
Prayers up!
Actually I got a little better news from my vascular surgeon today that I expected. Based on what he told me in the hospital on Tuesday, I didn't think he would have much encouragement for me today, but it was somewhat better.
He did achieve a small flow through my deep vein that was 100% blocked before the procedure. He said that would make a big difference to me in about 10 years when, untreated, my leg would have given me major problems. So, this procedure has been mostly an investment in the future.
As far as the blood clots go, he said that now they are not considered as blood clots, but as scar tissue. So, they will remain. But, at least the blood flow is getting by them.
He told me to wear knee-high compression hose, actually on both legs, from now on anytime that I am up. I don't have to wear them while sleeping, but when I'm up, the blood will want to descend into my legs through my veins. That is because the clots have destroyed the valves that keep that from happening. The bit of good news with the compression hosiery is that over time, they should help my swelling to decrease. The squeeze on the leg will help keep the blood from descending as much. My left leg will never return to the size of the right one, but the swelling should not stay where it is now. I told Terrie that I just need to exercise the right leg a whole lot and beef it up to match the larger left one!
I go back to see him in a year, so I hope he has something much improved to look at next December!
Oh, yeah. One more thing: I found out that I have an ear infection and the beginning of a sinus infection. No, the vascular surgeon didn't diagnose that one - it was a doc-in-the-box. So now, I'm doing 10 days of two horse-tablet-sized antibiotics per.
But, who's complainin'?
Prayers up!
As I prayed over the results of my procedure on my left leg, I asked God that it be successful to the extent that He save my leg from getting worse and eventually becoming useless. That part of my prayer appears to have been answered yesterday! The doc said that the deep, main vein in my leg was 100% blocked and that often he is unable to even get into such a vein to do anything. God answered my prayer to the extent that the doc WAS able to get into my vein and balloon it to the point where the blood is flowing once again. I am not sure of the level of flow, but something is better than nothing, right? The veinous work was being done by the colateral veins, so now maybe they won't have to work so hard. So, that new flow should help my leg in the long run (actually, I don't know if the term "run" is really in my future!).
One other thing I took as a good sign is the nurse's comment on how strong my pulse is in my left foot. She said she wishes hers was that strong. I guess the ole ticker is pushing down that far pretty well!
The other part of my prayer was that my leg get better right now. That part I'm not so sure about. Neither is the doc. He predicts that I'm likely to see little, if any, change in my leg. I guess that means that I'm still going to be swollen everyday. I was hoping that at least some of that would go away. Oh well, we will see. Right now, the morning after the procedure, it is too early to see how my leg is reacting. I know God will enable me to deal with whatever I am facing day-to-day.
I have a follow up with the doc tomorrow, so I will prepare a list of questions for that visit. So, prayer-wise, I'm thankful for the long term benefits and will continue to ask God to deal with the current situation with my leg and do far beyond what any of the dox expect!
Prayers up!
I found out today that the procedure on my left leg is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18 at 10:30 AM. It will be at Baylor Hospital in downtown Fort Worth. It is a same-day procedure, but I will be there for several hours. I arrive at 8:30, have 2 hours of pre-op, about 1.5 hours of procedure and then 2 more hours in post-op. Barring complications, I will go home that same day.
The procedure will begin with a venogram, where dye is injected into my veins so that the doc can get a good picture of the situation and blood flow. He will then proceed with a thrombolysis intervention, which I believe means an attempt to do something about the clots themselves.
Today I met with my hematologist. He agreed that I should go ahead with the procedure because it can definitely do some good for my leg. I also will continue with monthly blood tests in his office and see him again in 3 months. He also prescribed compression hosiery for me, which I knew was coming at some point. Hey, if it decreases the swelling substantially, it will be worth it. There go my shorts-wearing days. I wonder if they come in fashionable colors.....
Like I said in my last post, the vascular doc says he can possibly give me from 20% to 80% improvement in my leg. I really want all our prayers to be that God will take me to 80% and beyond in the improvement to my leg. So...
Prayers up!
We need to get all the prayers flowing again!
My latest doc visit today was to a vascular surgeon who specializes in blood clots. Unfortunately, I didn't get very hopeful news, sorta good news, bad news.
We will start with the bad. The doc said that he wishes he could have gotten to me in September when this all began. According to him, my leg will never be the same. There is a pretty extensive clot running from above the knee to well into the calf area, in the principle vein. The clot has hardened. It likely has destroyed the valves in my leg vein. The doc feels that he could have restored up to 95% of my leg if he had seen me early. He says that most dox still proceed with the standard treatment for blood clots: start the Coumadin and let it go at that. He says for the 5 years he has been in Fort Worth, he has tried to get other dox to recognize that something can be done, but the word is not spreading very well. I already know that I will be on Warfarin (generic Coumadin) the rest of my days. Now I learn that I will have to add compression hosiery to that. Yucky, but I can deal with it.
Now the good (or maybe only better) news. The doc plans to do a procedure on me where he goes in with a needle-sized hole behind the knee and does something to deal with the clots. I'm not sure exactly what, but he mentioned ballooning some of the vein and checking out some potential problems in my lower abdomen. So, from behind the knee, he will go both directions, up and down my leg, to try to improve my condition. That oughta tickle! I will be out of it enough to not feel anything, thankfully! It was hard to tell from what he said if it will be an outpatient procedure or a one night hospital stay. We plan to do this before the end of the year. His prognosis is that I will get anywhere from a 20% to an 80% improvement in my leg.
So, you know where I'm going next: we gotta pray for the 80% - or better! So, I need you to please pray for me and ask anyone else you know (who knows me) to pray as well! I really like this left leg of mine and I want it to be healthy. It's like we have been together my whole life! My doc's name is Dr. Broker, if you want to mention him to God in particular. Thanks so much for all the prayer you have poured into my health over the last year! I can definitely feel God working. So, once again...
Prayers up!
Tomorrow I go see a new doc. This one is a cardiovascular surgeon. I don't know if he can help me, but I at least want to ask. Is it possible to go into my leg veins and extract the clots that are there? Without risk of any chunks breaking loose and hurting me elsewhere? When I hear from other docs that my body will eventually break down the clots in my leg, but that I'm likely to have permanent damage from the experience (varicose veins, perpetual swelling), then my question is: if we can go in there and get the clots out now, can we prevent some of that long term damage? It might not be possible. It might be too risky. I won't know until I ask.
The wonderful people at our church are still praying for me way beyond what I deserve. And everytime I'm there, many of them ask me how I'm doing. Many say I am walking better - and I am. Thanks for noticing! But honestly, with my betterment requiring God to reknit my nerves from my back to my feet at the lightning rate of 1mm per day and whatever aeons of time until my body breaks down the blood clots, I really can't tell on any given day how I'm doing. I'm telling my loving inquirers that I am daily trusting God to be doing His silent & slow healing work in my body, even though I might not be able to notice it. That I hope one day to wake up and things will suddenly seem better.
In the meantime, I do everything I can and feel like doing. I get to go to work everyday. I get to enjoy my family. I sleep well at night. I just go a bit slower and step more deliberately everywhere I go. I really enjoy my life. I just have this stupid swelling, numbness & pain going on in my leg. God is being good to me and I am just charging ahead in full faith!
Prayers up!
I want to begin by thanking our huge list of generous supporters who made this trip possible. The funds that were given far exceeded what we expected and even prayed for! We were incredibly humbled by the response of all of our dear family, friends & other loved ones. Thank you so much for making this life-changing experience possible for us!
One of Terrie's students, Chen, already a believer, was troubled by what she perceived to be a conflict between biblical history and Chinese history. Fortunately, David Stathopulo and his son both had a book that looked at the historical evidence of belief in God within the history of China. They are going to share more of the content of that book with her and it will surely fortify her faith in God. 
We could tell so many things about our precious readers! We fell in love with all of them. Some of them came to class daily, so we naturally developed more relationship with them. Besides English & the Jesus story, we learned about each other's families and cultures. It was great fun and the peripheral discussions made it much easier for us to share our faith in God. We hosted a party for all of them at the end of the second week (a prescribed part of the LST experience) and it went very well. About 20 of our readers came. We ate pizza (they with chopsticks!), drank Coca-Cola and played games. Some of the church members were there to interface with the readers in case they are interested in checking out the church there. 
