Unpacking and More Medical Challenges

The new place is coming along. In the month we have been here, we have done quite a lot as for unpacking. There is still a lot to do though. I am very proud of the kids. They have been very willing to help. Considering we lost well more than a dozen pieces of furniture, which we used heavily for storage, I believe we have done an absolutely fabulous job of simplifying our belongings. When we started, the carport was completely filled with belongings and boxes and crates. We now have only a few left along the one wall of the carport including one shelf which was damaged during the move. We hope to fix the shelf since we cannot afford to replace it right now. We have had the joy of giving some toys to our new neighbors, and a large supply of books to CHOC's reading program. We have found a recycling center that took the cardboard, and were able to bless some friends who themselves needed boxes for moving. We have meet another family here whose son may also have bipolar or adhd disorder, and our kids have made friends. We have found it necessary to put limits on how often the kids play because they neighbor kids come over so frequently. We often have children from multiple families playing at our house.

School has started again, as I mentioned before, and is going well. Joshua is catching on to spelling and math well, although he writes some of his letters and numbers backwards still. Joseph is progressing, and his favorite subject is recess. Michael and Gabriela are excited to be starting again . Shawna is learning to write.

Medically, Michael is still having seizures. His eosinophilic esophagitis seems to be responding well to eliminating his food allergies and an elemental formula. His lupus is under control on multiple immunosuppressive medications.

Joseph had surgery for a heart cath this month, August 2010, and recovered well. We found that one of his heart valves is functioning poorly and leaking. We also found that one of his major arteries is dilated with the walls being thin and weak. Surgery is not yet imminent, and we will watch this closely. If it continues to dilate, get larger and develop into a full blown aneurysm, he will need another open heart surgery. Surgery is always such a big deal. Surgery, especially on the heart, is something that should be done only when the risks of the illness are greater than the risks of surgery. While a dilated artery is a very serious thing, the cardiologists believe waiting is the safer course. We can only pray that it does not suddenly rupture or balloon out, which would put Joseph's life in danger. Praise the Lord that the chief of cardiology is his personal cardiologist; he has the best care there is. Unfortunately, the dizziness and headaches seem to be primarily symptoms of his heart and pulmonary hypertension.

Michael and Joseph have both been having symptoms of blood sugar issues, and so are getting blood glucose checks at home. Michael's apparently are evidence of impaired glucose tolerance, which can be a precursor to diabetes due to the prednisone the physicians believe. His lupus is well enough that he is slowing weaning off the prednisone. We pray that resolves the blood sugar issues for him. Michael definitely does not need to have diabetes on top of all of his medical challenges.

Please keep us in prayer.

God bless your journey,
Jennifer Richardson

Mom to
Michael 14, Gabriela 12, Joseph 9, Joshua 7, and Shawna 4