Update on Myself

So, you may have noticed that you haven’t heard from me for a while… it is because I have been in the hospital for the last (almost) two months! You may remember I have been losing weight over the past two years due to “losing my appetite.” Well, it turns out there was a reason. I lost weight, but I also kept getting weaker.

My manager at work told me I was too weak to work, and put me on disability. They also posted my job and filled it. So, I had no job there to return to…

Finally, I ended up in bed at home and had no strength at all. I also wanted nothing to eat. I went into the hospital, bed fast, and they said after some tests that my kidneys were shutting down and that my liver was damaged.

Also, they said that due to all that and what they deemed “failure to thrive” (not eating, essentially) that I only had about two weeks to live, and were going to put me in hospice care. Not what you want to hear! I told my family that I wasn’t giving up, but that if I did go home to be with the Lord, I still would win! Something like this really shows you where you are at in your faith!

The doctors decided to send me to Chapel Hill for more extensive tests. They did ultrasounds, MRI, colonoscopy, endoscopy, and more blood testing. They also removed fluids off my abdomen over many paracentesis sessions, eventually getting about 60 liters of fluid over weeks of time. By this time, I had lost down to 170 pounds… which on my almost six foot two inch frame meant I was literally skin and bone!

It turns out that they found Celiac disease. So, for some time, any food I did eat (which had gluten) caused my small intestine not to absorb nutrients. They put me on a TPN (liquid nutrients directly into a vein.) That caused me to begin getting a bit stronger. I finally was put on a gluten-free diet and they removed the TPN. I was discharged and sent home with a hospital bed and wheelchair, as I still could not even sit up without getting faint.

Now, my appetite has returned, and after doing exercises in bed I have been able to sit up for thirty minutes at a time, and even took some steps with a walker yesterday! Quite a change from a death sentence! I keep getting stronger, my kidneys are now fine, and my liver, which they say has “non-alcoholic cirrhosis” (I have never used alcohol in any form anyway) is working better than they expected. I am still believing for complete manifestation of healing! However, I am not able to work, still on long term disability and will continue to be unable to work, unfortunately… so, we are believing for our needs to be met! I do have Cobra coverage for a while to help with the medical bills, thankfully!

Thanks for all your prayers! I keep pushing and getting stronger every day! I will be working on walking further, and sitting up longer. Keeping the faith, and watching God work!