Here is the latest !

Well, we have a LOT of doctors appointments in the upcoming weeks. Joseph is doing well, walking, moving around on his own, and seems to be doing just fabulous with his new pacemaker. It is such a relief to not have to worry about him waking up or his heart just stopping. He also seems to be doing okay with the pulmonary banding as well. He has activity restrictions for the next 3 months according to his discharge instructions, and some activities he will never ever be able to do because of the location of his pacemaker. Contact sports of any kind are now permanently out. The reason is if the leads to the pacemaker break from being hit or an impact to his chest, he would end up in the emergency room and back in open heart surgery or worse it could be fatal. His wounds are all slowly healing, and he has medication several times a day. He is back on blood pressure medication to manage his blood pressure, but all in all not too bad.

Michael's labs indicate he is having trouble with his kidneys. We are anxiously awaiting the results of those tests. He also has an echocardiogram, MRI and neurology appointment coming up. Michael is still having headaches and chest pain. We continue to be concerned about that. Also, Michael is not growing. His bones are getting further and further behind. Going through puberty is so important for many reasons - one being for the growth plates in the bones to solidify as we enter into adulthood. For this and many medical reasons, daily growth hormone injections are now very very important and no longer just an option but a necessity for Michael. We are supposed to start those this week.

For similar but different reasons, Joseph will also be starting daily growth hormone injections to give him the best chance for his heart to grow. Joseph's growth is also very delayed, and in order for any chance to have the final surgery in a few years his heart MUST grow or they cannot do it.
Joseph is being positive and says he is going to be big like Michael.

Scott's dad needs everyone's prayers. We just found out on Sunday that he has a brain tumor. He already has a heart condition, and is having brain surgery on Thursday 10-16-08.

Lord, please help us cope. This is getting very hard with one thing after another. Please pray for our spirits, our finances, our groceries, our gas, all the medical tests and appointments. Our plumbing broke; yes, again ! Scott's car battery died, and needs servicing again.

Please know for our friends and the many families who are struggling in such a difficult market. We are PRAYING for God's provision for you too !!

If you have the means to help us out, we would be ever so grateful for a donation. We have had so many angels help us in the past weeks, and we thank every single one of you.

Jennifer Richardson
Richardson Studios
www.richardsonstudios.com
Every child has a story, and every child matters.