Vacation Week in America
Vacation week was both a year long BUT has flown by! I am sure it feels that way because of the ground that we covered and that you never have enough time with the people you love.
To fully understand, I need to back peddle.
A month or so before we left Haiti for the states. Hassan stopped by ready to try out his new "toys" as we called them. He had a stethoscope, reflex hammer, and a blood pressure cuff. He tried all of the toys out on My Dear and it was confirmed, as we assumed, he was in good shape.
The plan when we reached the states was for My Dear to get a physical that he needed to keep his CDL license for driving a large truck so it would transfer to his driver's license in Haiti. A stop in TN with our favorite truck driver Pops, the appointment was made...pretty much a done deal! OR so we thought....
My Dear failed the physical. Nothing like this had every happened and he wore the shock on his face. His urine had too much protein in it and his blood pressure was high. What? His blood pressure had always been excellent. He is a chilled out guy! We wanted answers but were not fearful. This life is temporary, right. We know the Creator. We know how it all ends here and eternity begins. But I dig this guy and want him around for awhile.
We arrived in our home town and got My Dear an appointment with his doctor. His blood pressure was still high. Knowing our time frame, the doctor put him on blood pressure medication and ordered some labs. The labs came back and he suggested a specialist. The problem was, we were about to hit the road again. Miss Brooke, at the office, wrote down our traveling schedule and got to work...a lot of work I would guess to find a specialist in those locations and one that had an appointment open! But she did it!
We got the call on a Tuesday morning while in Winchester, KY that he had an appointment in Panama City, FL at 10:30 the next morning. We loaded the truck and headed out (forgetting My Dear's suit hanging in the closet-which arrived in our home today. Thank you Grandmother.) This just happened to be the day that AT&T services were down so no one had anyway of contacting us about the items we left behind. Sigh.
We were able to get enough connection to meet up with friends for dinner and to hug them good-bye. They were our cheerleaders and neighbors in Haiti and the Lord has called them to TX. It was the first time for us to see one another in the states...and clean, not sweaty and in something other than a skirt for the ladies. Jen and Chris have been so much more than friends to us in our mountain home so this unexpected, one more hug was what we ALL needed!
We arrived at our hotel around 2 am and completed the rest of the drive the morning of the appointment. The kids had gotten scooters/skateboard so we pulled them out to play on the helicopter landing pad while My Dear had his appointment. What a gift those toys were!
The doctor met and prayed with My Dear and we were both encouraged. He knew our situation and time line and was working hard to move things ahead. Which meant, My Dear would be admitted to the hospital for a biopsy of his kidney. A biopsy that did not go exactly as planned and landed My Dear in the hospital for 2 nights.
The God of the universe saw fit to have a support system in place in FL already. We were coming in as My Dear's sister and her family would be leaving soon after our arrival but there was an overlap. Nana was there with them and Pops arrived on biopsy day, all planned before we knew of My Dear's medical needs. Our friends were driving for 2 days to meet us for the fun part and now, we are held up at the hospital! Our friend Jesse is a military chaplain currently working in a hospital. So he would leave his work to relax, in a hospital, again, but this time beside his friend...some vacation.
God totally took care of our kiddos. They swam, played on the beach, had time with their family, and were given the royal treatment. My Dear's biopsy fell on Billy's 14th birthday. I wanted to be in 2 places at one time, with my man and with my Billy on his day. My Dear sent me home from the hospital to be with Billy and his Aunt Shelly held off the cake eating until Nana, a freshly arrived Pops, and myself could be there. I am not sure I have ever seen Billy that happy to see me. My heart felt the same!!
After a few days driving back and forth to the hospital, our friends and family loving on our kiddos and our guy home....it was time to vacation and it was fun to play Hand and Foot again with our friends and Nana and Pops. We laughed a lot...much needed medicine! Jesse and "Nanner" have been friends of ours since college. I believe our children thought we were related for years. My Dear and Jesse began their friendship as prayer partners in 1993. I did not know either of them at the time. A year or so later I met them and young married couples in college are poor and cards are cheap so Hand and Foot was our game. It began a friendship we had no idea would lead us through tears and laughter through the years. This stuff is VALUABLE!
So, My Dear was diagnosed with Berger's Disease. The doctor handed us a stack of papers and said the goal is to preserve his kidneys. He then, pretty much said, in my translation, "Get back out on the field, people need to hear about Jesus and take this medication!"
We are making diet changes for all of us. This continues the eye-opening the Lord started when were preparing food for our diabetic friend Anette while she was in the hospital. We are trusting that the Lord will continue to meet all of our needs....just like He said He would and has shown Himself faithful.
To fully understand, I need to back peddle.
A month or so before we left Haiti for the states. Hassan stopped by ready to try out his new "toys" as we called them. He had a stethoscope, reflex hammer, and a blood pressure cuff. He tried all of the toys out on My Dear and it was confirmed, as we assumed, he was in good shape.
The plan when we reached the states was for My Dear to get a physical that he needed to keep his CDL license for driving a large truck so it would transfer to his driver's license in Haiti. A stop in TN with our favorite truck driver Pops, the appointment was made...pretty much a done deal! OR so we thought....
My Dear failed the physical. Nothing like this had every happened and he wore the shock on his face. His urine had too much protein in it and his blood pressure was high. What? His blood pressure had always been excellent. He is a chilled out guy! We wanted answers but were not fearful. This life is temporary, right. We know the Creator. We know how it all ends here and eternity begins. But I dig this guy and want him around for awhile.
We arrived in our home town and got My Dear an appointment with his doctor. His blood pressure was still high. Knowing our time frame, the doctor put him on blood pressure medication and ordered some labs. The labs came back and he suggested a specialist. The problem was, we were about to hit the road again. Miss Brooke, at the office, wrote down our traveling schedule and got to work...a lot of work I would guess to find a specialist in those locations and one that had an appointment open! But she did it!
We got the call on a Tuesday morning while in Winchester, KY that he had an appointment in Panama City, FL at 10:30 the next morning. We loaded the truck and headed out (forgetting My Dear's suit hanging in the closet-which arrived in our home today. Thank you Grandmother.) This just happened to be the day that AT&T services were down so no one had anyway of contacting us about the items we left behind. Sigh.
We were able to get enough connection to meet up with friends for dinner and to hug them good-bye. They were our cheerleaders and neighbors in Haiti and the Lord has called them to TX. It was the first time for us to see one another in the states...and clean, not sweaty and in something other than a skirt for the ladies. Jen and Chris have been so much more than friends to us in our mountain home so this unexpected, one more hug was what we ALL needed!
We arrived at our hotel around 2 am and completed the rest of the drive the morning of the appointment. The kids had gotten scooters/skateboard so we pulled them out to play on the helicopter landing pad while My Dear had his appointment. What a gift those toys were!
It is obviously early since Miss B is rock'n the jacket.
The doctor met and prayed with My Dear and we were both encouraged. He knew our situation and time line and was working hard to move things ahead. Which meant, My Dear would be admitted to the hospital for a biopsy of his kidney. A biopsy that did not go exactly as planned and landed My Dear in the hospital for 2 nights.
Silly Billy
The God of the universe saw fit to have a support system in place in FL already. We were coming in as My Dear's sister and her family would be leaving soon after our arrival but there was an overlap. Nana was there with them and Pops arrived on biopsy day, all planned before we knew of My Dear's medical needs. Our friends were driving for 2 days to meet us for the fun part and now, we are held up at the hospital! Our friend Jesse is a military chaplain currently working in a hospital. So he would leave his work to relax, in a hospital, again, but this time beside his friend...some vacation.
My Dear's sister wanted to take this photo before the hospital to make sure we got one.
This is our first load of cheerleaders and the sweet photographer that loved on the girls.
God totally took care of our kiddos. They swam, played on the beach, had time with their family, and were given the royal treatment. My Dear's biopsy fell on Billy's 14th birthday. I wanted to be in 2 places at one time, with my man and with my Billy on his day. My Dear sent me home from the hospital to be with Billy and his Aunt Shelly held off the cake eating until Nana, a freshly arrived Pops, and myself could be there. I am not sure I have ever seen Billy that happy to see me. My heart felt the same!!
After a few days driving back and forth to the hospital, our friends and family loving on our kiddos and our guy home....it was time to vacation and it was fun to play Hand and Foot again with our friends and Nana and Pops. We laughed a lot...much needed medicine! Jesse and "Nanner" have been friends of ours since college. I believe our children thought we were related for years. My Dear and Jesse began their friendship as prayer partners in 1993. I did not know either of them at the time. A year or so later I met them and young married couples in college are poor and cards are cheap so Hand and Foot was our game. It began a friendship we had no idea would lead us through tears and laughter through the years. This stuff is VALUABLE!
So, My Dear was diagnosed with Berger's Disease. The doctor handed us a stack of papers and said the goal is to preserve his kidneys. He then, pretty much said, in my translation, "Get back out on the field, people need to hear about Jesus and take this medication!"
We are making diet changes for all of us. This continues the eye-opening the Lord started when were preparing food for our diabetic friend Anette while she was in the hospital. We are trusting that the Lord will continue to meet all of our needs....just like He said He would and has shown Himself faithful.
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