I'm not a fan of roller coasters. I never have been. I HATE how my head jars from one side to the other. I HATE the headache that I get during and then that stays with me after the "fun." Well, I'm not liking this roller coaster that I'm on right now either!!!
Over the past week...
I've cried more times than I can count.
I've sat in bed watching reruns of different tv shows on-line.
I've talked to the National Addison's Disease Foundation's founder and director.
I've been in and out of bed long enough to do one activity and then sit/lay back down.
I've let my kids do what they want when they want.
I've opened frozen pizza boxes while sitting on the kitchen floor.
I've sat 2 feet from the sugar on the counter and cried because I couldn't get up to get it.
I've decided to return to the states in January to have testing.
I've decided to return to the states next week to have testing.
I've decided not to return to the states.
I've doubted my doctor here.
I've not wanted to burn a bridge with the doctor here, but I don't trust him.
I've decided to take the test that the doctor who continues to keep me on a life threateningly low dose, wants me to take on Monday of next week.
I've been praying.
I've spent hours upon hours with a phone attached to my ear getting opinions from other Addison's patients, our regional administrator, and parents. All those who I've spoken with have concerns about me going TOTALLY OFF the medication for 2 days.
I've made a 2nd opinion appointment down here in Chile for Monday.
I've had that appointment remade for tomorrow.
I've almost passed out twice in less than 20 minutes and ended up giving myself a shot.
Are you as sick as I've been on this roller coaster yet???
Here are the current decisions...
1. I've decided not to go off my medicines and I will NOT be taking the test on Monday!!
2. Doug and I are seeing a female endocrinologist at a different hospital tomorrow at 2:30 EST.
3. Depending upon that meeting, I may need to return to the states to have LOTS of testing.
Keep in mind, I was diagnosed with Addison's Disease and I have NO DOUBTS of my diagnosis. I just need a doctor here who has no doubts either!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Feeling Low Again
PLEASE PRAY!! I haven't blogged about this in a while because my Addison's Disease was under control. However...
In July of 2008, I caught a cold that my defenses couldn't fight. During the course of 10 days and NUMEROUS blood tests to determine what I was really fighting, I ran a low-grade fever, slept 20 hours of every 24, couldn't mentally think enough to just lay in bed and read, flipped channels, and felt like my head was a bowling ball ready to roll off of my head at any moment. At the end of those 10 days with no diagnosis and no change in the symptoms, the doctor at the language school where we were attending in Costa Rica, placed me in the hospital. It was there where after having a clue from my grandfather through my father, the doctors, including an endocrynologist, ran LOTS of tests. They determined that I had Addison's Disease.
Addison's is an autoimmune disease that basically means that the Adreanal Glands have shut down and have stopped or nearly stopped producing cortisol. SO WHAT?? Well, Cortisol gives ones body the energy to run, including your heart, lungs, and other vital organs. So what the doctors in Costa Rica surmised was that during those previous 10 days of a bad cold, my body had to virtually stop flowing energy to the "non-important" organs, in order to fight the cold. In other words, my adreanal glands weren't producing enough cortisol or energy to run my body as normal, AND fight off the common cold. Therefore it had to divert all energy it could muster to keep my body functioning, albeit at it's lowest possible level. That's why I couldn't even think well or concentrate on reading, and had to sleep virtually all the time, because my energy was diverted elsewhere.
After the diagnosis, I began taking 2 different types of medication. It took a while to build up in my system, but after a while, I got my normal energy level back. We went back to the US for 2 months on our "mini-furlough." I was fine during all of this time. I had noticed over 15 pounds of weight gain, but knew that in taking steroids that this would happen.
Once arriving in Chile, I met with another endocynologist at Clinica Las Condes, which is associated with John's Hopkins in the states, so it is arguably the best hospital here in Chile. There my doctor decided that he had doubts about my diagnosis and began running tests. I have no problem with the tests or being a guinea pig of sorts, but it's been almost 6 months now, and I'm getting tired!
We began by lowering one type of medication. Once I was completely off of that one, I crashed with little to no energy. Then he put me back on it. He then ran other tests. Now we are lowering my cortisol intake each day. I'm currently at half of the dosis that I took when I was home just 8 months ago. Next Thursday, I begin taking 1/4 of the dosis and then another test. A few days ago, I began crashing. This means that I wake up feeling EXHAUSTED and that all I want to do is sleep. This means that I have to support my head often whether with my hands, a pillow, or even the wall in church. Trying to function this way is virtually impossible being a wife, mother, and missionary.
Honesty, I want to end up back in the hospital, so that the doctors here can have no doubts about the diagnosis and/or if it's not Addison's Disease then they can determine what it really is.
Please pray for me to make it through the next 2 weeks before I have the next set of blood tests and that by lowering the medication dosis again next week, that I can still fulfill what GOD wants me to do.
In July of 2008, I caught a cold that my defenses couldn't fight. During the course of 10 days and NUMEROUS blood tests to determine what I was really fighting, I ran a low-grade fever, slept 20 hours of every 24, couldn't mentally think enough to just lay in bed and read, flipped channels, and felt like my head was a bowling ball ready to roll off of my head at any moment. At the end of those 10 days with no diagnosis and no change in the symptoms, the doctor at the language school where we were attending in Costa Rica, placed me in the hospital. It was there where after having a clue from my grandfather through my father, the doctors, including an endocrynologist, ran LOTS of tests. They determined that I had Addison's Disease.
Addison's is an autoimmune disease that basically means that the Adreanal Glands have shut down and have stopped or nearly stopped producing cortisol. SO WHAT?? Well, Cortisol gives ones body the energy to run, including your heart, lungs, and other vital organs. So what the doctors in Costa Rica surmised was that during those previous 10 days of a bad cold, my body had to virtually stop flowing energy to the "non-important" organs, in order to fight the cold. In other words, my adreanal glands weren't producing enough cortisol or energy to run my body as normal, AND fight off the common cold. Therefore it had to divert all energy it could muster to keep my body functioning, albeit at it's lowest possible level. That's why I couldn't even think well or concentrate on reading, and had to sleep virtually all the time, because my energy was diverted elsewhere.
After the diagnosis, I began taking 2 different types of medication. It took a while to build up in my system, but after a while, I got my normal energy level back. We went back to the US for 2 months on our "mini-furlough." I was fine during all of this time. I had noticed over 15 pounds of weight gain, but knew that in taking steroids that this would happen.
Once arriving in Chile, I met with another endocynologist at Clinica Las Condes, which is associated with John's Hopkins in the states, so it is arguably the best hospital here in Chile. There my doctor decided that he had doubts about my diagnosis and began running tests. I have no problem with the tests or being a guinea pig of sorts, but it's been almost 6 months now, and I'm getting tired!
We began by lowering one type of medication. Once I was completely off of that one, I crashed with little to no energy. Then he put me back on it. He then ran other tests. Now we are lowering my cortisol intake each day. I'm currently at half of the dosis that I took when I was home just 8 months ago. Next Thursday, I begin taking 1/4 of the dosis and then another test. A few days ago, I began crashing. This means that I wake up feeling EXHAUSTED and that all I want to do is sleep. This means that I have to support my head often whether with my hands, a pillow, or even the wall in church. Trying to function this way is virtually impossible being a wife, mother, and missionary.
Honesty, I want to end up back in the hospital, so that the doctors here can have no doubts about the diagnosis and/or if it's not Addison's Disease then they can determine what it really is.
Please pray for me to make it through the next 2 weeks before I have the next set of blood tests and that by lowering the medication dosis again next week, that I can still fulfill what GOD wants me to do.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The 18th of September
As I mentioned before in a previous post, we spent the 18th of September, or Independence Day at Word of Life's camp here in Chile. WOL sets up a presentation with many aspects of the Chilean culture. They block of "sites" where each church can have a "home base." Then you send some men off to borrow tables, benches, and a grill from near the kitchen area. These are just a few pics from our day there. What a blessing of spending time with fellow Christians from all over Santiago!!
The kites for sale along the side of the road. This is a typical sight this time of year.
Our "youth pastor," Alejandro with one of our youth, Diego
Hannah with her Daddy, enjoying WOL! She's still Daddy's little girl!!!
The presentation "stage" and our pastor grilling out at our "site."
Monday, September 21, 2009
NOT SO LITTLE & A LITTLE BIT OF CULTURE
Just the realization of a very proud and blessed mommy,
Chile, that is independence day. They have many traditional dances, costumes, and foods that go along with this holiday.
One of those dances is the Cueca and this is a traditional dress worn by the "cow-girls" when they dance the Cueca or dance of the rooster.
The first dress for Hannah we bought when we were visiting Chile on our survey trip. She wore it for YEARS while we were on pre-field. Many of you may remember it. So, when I saw this one for only $10 I had to buy it for Hannah. My how she is growing into a little lady!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Cultural Difference?
I don't know if this is a cultural difference, or what, but it was definitely an interesting question.
As many of you know, Doug has taken up running. I'm not talking a little bit here, and a little bit there. I'm talking marathons. He hopes to run one here in the near future and that will mean he's run one in North American, Central America, and then South America. Well Doug needed some new running shoes.
On Tuesday, we were out on an afternoon "date" at o a little "mall" called Plaza Quilin. There we found a sports store. The prices were right and Doug found what he wanted so he asked to try on the shoes. The lady attendent went into the back, typical for us too in the US, but she only returned with ONE SHOE. Doug was about to try the one on when she asked if he wanted to try them both on. I thought, "Well, duh!" I know not very missionary like, but of course if one is going to buy running shoes, wouldn't one like to know for sure that they are going to fit? Doug answered yes and he tried them on, walked in them, and then we bought them.
Maybe someone who's here in Chile (Stephanie) can comment on this to let us know if this is typical here to only try on one shoe or just a quirk of this particular attendent.
As many of you know, Doug has taken up running. I'm not talking a little bit here, and a little bit there. I'm talking marathons. He hopes to run one here in the near future and that will mean he's run one in North American, Central America, and then South America. Well Doug needed some new running shoes.
On Tuesday, we were out on an afternoon "date" at o a little "mall" called Plaza Quilin. There we found a sports store. The prices were right and Doug found what he wanted so he asked to try on the shoes. The lady attendent went into the back, typical for us too in the US, but she only returned with ONE SHOE. Doug was about to try the one on when she asked if he wanted to try them both on. I thought, "Well, duh!" I know not very missionary like, but of course if one is going to buy running shoes, wouldn't one like to know for sure that they are going to fit? Doug answered yes and he tried them on, walked in them, and then we bought them.
Maybe someone who's here in Chile (Stephanie) can comment on this to let us know if this is typical here to only try on one shoe or just a quirk of this particular attendent.
Friday, September 11, 2009
September 11th from 2 Perspectives
September 11th - What do you think of when you see that date? For us as missionaries to Chile there are 2 different events that run through our heads.
As United Statesians I of course think of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York only 8 years ago. I remember being pregnant with Hannah and laying on the couch as usual with Caleb running around the apartment in diapers while I watched the news coverage. I thought of extended family that lived in NY. I thought of the families that lost daddies, husbands, sons, mommies, wives, and/or daughters. Wow! What pain!! It wasn't a day for attacking our own government and rioting, it was a day to unite within our boarders and look inward. Boarders were closed shutting some out and others in. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting to know if there were more attacks coming. Waiting to hear of missing loved ones.
September 11th for Chileans held LOTS of waiting too. In 1973 on September 11th the first socialist democratically elected government was thrown over by a military coop. This followed by MANY socialists being "gathered" together and held in Chile's National Stadium. From there many "disappeared." Many had to flee the country with their families seeking refuge from countries as far away as France, and possibly farther. Many of those families came from right here in Penalolen and in fact the school that bought the property across from our ABWE school is a socialist school. Families fought for their own under a repressive government and riots now mark September 11th in rememberance of that day, so long ago, but still felt by many here.
We will still experience riots here in Chile today. We, as Americans, have been told to stay home and just enjoy a night in with the family. We are close to the main street of rioting, so we'll probably hear various explosions and smell burning rubber from the many tires that will be set ablaze, but we should be safe in our house, on our closed street, in our safe neighborhood. However, there are others who live close to the "action" that we love SO much!!
Please pray today for safety for Pablo and Lisette. They are a young couple married since December and expecting their first little one, Sophia sometime early next year. They are both seminary students in the ABWE seminary that is right next door to the ABWE elementary and high schools. Pray that they will be safe tonight as they rest and enjoy the BRIGHT future that God has blessed them with!
Please pray for Tito, Julie, Gonzalo, and Kimberly! They are a special family to us!! Julie teaches our kids Spanish. Kimberly comes here 3 or 4 times a week to learn English and to help watch the kids so that Doug and I might get a moment to go out alone. Tito has helped us fix various things around the house and is currently without a job. Gonzalo works hard in his church and at the young age of 24 is a bright future leader and in leadership training at his church. They live on the other side of the school and have had a close relationship with many missionaries from ABWE. Please pray that they will all arrive safely home and that they will enjoy their time as a family.
Please also pray for Alejandro, our pastor's son! He works downtown and usually doesn't get home from work before 6 or 6:30. By this time much of the violence and demonstrations will be underway. Please pray that "Hano" will be home and arrive safe and sound to his family. He is a GREAT asset to our church and a blessing to our family in particular!
So, when you think of September 11th please remember those who gave their lives to defend the USA, and who died 8 years ago, but please also remember those who are serving overseas to defend and share of God's love!
As United Statesians I of course think of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York only 8 years ago. I remember being pregnant with Hannah and laying on the couch as usual with Caleb running around the apartment in diapers while I watched the news coverage. I thought of extended family that lived in NY. I thought of the families that lost daddies, husbands, sons, mommies, wives, and/or daughters. Wow! What pain!! It wasn't a day for attacking our own government and rioting, it was a day to unite within our boarders and look inward. Boarders were closed shutting some out and others in. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting to know if there were more attacks coming. Waiting to hear of missing loved ones.
September 11th for Chileans held LOTS of waiting too. In 1973 on September 11th the first socialist democratically elected government was thrown over by a military coop. This followed by MANY socialists being "gathered" together and held in Chile's National Stadium. From there many "disappeared." Many had to flee the country with their families seeking refuge from countries as far away as France, and possibly farther. Many of those families came from right here in Penalolen and in fact the school that bought the property across from our ABWE school is a socialist school. Families fought for their own under a repressive government and riots now mark September 11th in rememberance of that day, so long ago, but still felt by many here.
We will still experience riots here in Chile today. We, as Americans, have been told to stay home and just enjoy a night in with the family. We are close to the main street of rioting, so we'll probably hear various explosions and smell burning rubber from the many tires that will be set ablaze, but we should be safe in our house, on our closed street, in our safe neighborhood. However, there are others who live close to the "action" that we love SO much!!
Please pray today for safety for Pablo and Lisette. They are a young couple married since December and expecting their first little one, Sophia sometime early next year. They are both seminary students in the ABWE seminary that is right next door to the ABWE elementary and high schools. Pray that they will be safe tonight as they rest and enjoy the BRIGHT future that God has blessed them with!
Please pray for Tito, Julie, Gonzalo, and Kimberly! They are a special family to us!! Julie teaches our kids Spanish. Kimberly comes here 3 or 4 times a week to learn English and to help watch the kids so that Doug and I might get a moment to go out alone. Tito has helped us fix various things around the house and is currently without a job. Gonzalo works hard in his church and at the young age of 24 is a bright future leader and in leadership training at his church. They live on the other side of the school and have had a close relationship with many missionaries from ABWE. Please pray that they will all arrive safely home and that they will enjoy their time as a family.
Please also pray for Alejandro, our pastor's son! He works downtown and usually doesn't get home from work before 6 or 6:30. By this time much of the violence and demonstrations will be underway. Please pray that "Hano" will be home and arrive safe and sound to his family. He is a GREAT asset to our church and a blessing to our family in particular!
So, when you think of September 11th please remember those who gave their lives to defend the USA, and who died 8 years ago, but please also remember those who are serving overseas to defend and share of God's love!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
August Prayer Letter Update
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Greetings once again from Chile!! This past month has seemingly gone extremely quickly for our family so we wanted to get you caught up with what has happened.
Since our last letter I have taught in our church Sunday school and preached for two weeks while our youth group went north to Iquique on a mission trip. We have spoken at two different youth mission camps, and Heather has been busy with kid and ladies
ministries (discipling, Ladies Bible Study, kids’ English classes) in the church.
It has been a busy first six months here in Santiago, so two weeks ago we were thankful for the chance to celebrate our anniversary and go away for a short family vacation to a little cabin in a canyon not to far from Santiago. It was extremely enjoyable, especially as the mountains just above us got covered in almost two feet of snow, unfortunately we only had rain.
This month we wanted to give you a little more information about our church that we are working in so that you know better how to pray both for us and for the church. It is an exciting time for the church, and we believe that God is definitely working here in Chile.
The church is located in “La Reina,” on the east side of Santiago, and at the base of the Andean mountains. The official name of our church, which has changed recently, in English, would be “Good News Baptist.” The church has existed for over 30 years I believe, but in every sense of the meaning we are a completely new church. In the past 10 years the church had experienced several difficulties which really suffocated the church and was causing the church to slowly die. In December 2008, when Pastor Christian started at the church there were no more than 15 people, and maybe 2 people would show up for prayer meeting. Today we are consistently in the mid 40’s and we have roughly 17 attending prayer meeting on Wednesday. We have also had several new visitors in the past three weeks so please pray that God would continue to bring new people to the church to hear the Good News!!
We have been extremely blessed in the last month or so to have a new young couple, Daniel & Ibodne, become members of our church. Daniel is Peruvian, and Ibodne is from Ecuador. The blessing is that they have both graduated from the local ABWE seminary, and are a strong vibrant couple who want to be active and involved in the local church. As the church is still small, to have another biblically trained couple who can help carry the load is a tremendous
blessing.
With their addition this will allow Heather and I to adjust some of our energies to possible future ministries. Daniel and I possibly may split some of the Sunday school teaching, while Ibodne and Heather work on the various kid and ladies ministries. Daniel also brings some musical depth to the church with his chimes, and I believe the guitar as well. In speaking with Pastor we would also like to get a keyboard for the church. If you would like to give to this please send the money to our ministry account at ABWE noting it is for a keyboard. We are also beginning to frame our discussions around starting a kids program similar to Joy Clubs or Awana in the future as well as a teaching English program to reach our community. La Reina is a working/business class community and there is an incredible educational push to learn English here in Chile, so this would be a great opportunity for the church.
Please continue to pray for us as we seek to diligently serve God in the church with our teaching, in the office, and in our family. Heather and I are thrilled to be here in Chile, and blessed by God to have our first term start in such a wonderful fashion. There is much to do – but we serve a GREAT GOD. Thanks for praying!!
Ephesians 1:3
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Greetings once again from Chile!! This past month has seemingly gone extremely quickly for our family so we wanted to get you caught up with what has happened.
Since our last letter I have taught in our church Sunday school and preached for two weeks while our youth group went north to Iquique on a mission trip. We have spoken at two different youth mission camps, and Heather has been busy with kid and ladies
ministries (discipling, Ladies Bible Study, kids’ English classes) in the church.It has been a busy first six months here in Santiago, so two weeks ago we were thankful for the chance to celebrate our anniversary and go away for a short family vacation to a little cabin in a canyon not to far from Santiago. It was extremely enjoyable, especially as the mountains just above us got covered in almost two feet of snow, unfortunately we only had rain.
This month we wanted to give you a little more information about our church that we are working in so that you know better how to pray both for us and for the church. It is an exciting time for the church, and we believe that God is definitely working here in Chile.
The church is located in “La Reina,” on the east side of Santiago, and at the base of the Andean mountains. The official name of our church, which has changed recently, in English, would be “Good News Baptist.” The church has existed for over 30 years I believe, but in every sense of the meaning we are a completely new church. In the past 10 years the church had experienced several difficulties which really suffocated the church and was causing the church to slowly die. In December 2008, when Pastor Christian started at the church there were no more than 15 people, and maybe 2 people would show up for prayer meeting. Today we are consistently in the mid 40’s and we have roughly 17 attending prayer meeting on Wednesday. We have also had several new visitors in the past three weeks so please pray that God would continue to bring new people to the church to hear the Good News!!
We have been extremely blessed in the last month or so to have a new young couple, Daniel & Ibodne, become members of our church. Daniel is Peruvian, and Ibodne is from Ecuador. The blessing is that they have both graduated from the local ABWE seminary, and are a strong vibrant couple who want to be active and involved in the local church. As the church is still small, to have another biblically trained couple who can help carry the load is a tremendous
blessing.With their addition this will allow Heather and I to adjust some of our energies to possible future ministries. Daniel and I possibly may split some of the Sunday school teaching, while Ibodne and Heather work on the various kid and ladies ministries. Daniel also brings some musical depth to the church with his chimes, and I believe the guitar as well. In speaking with Pastor we would also like to get a keyboard for the church. If you would like to give to this please send the money to our ministry account at ABWE noting it is for a keyboard. We are also beginning to frame our discussions around starting a kids program similar to Joy Clubs or Awana in the future as well as a teaching English program to reach our community. La Reina is a working/business class community and there is an incredible educational push to learn English here in Chile, so this would be a great opportunity for the church.
Please continue to pray for us as we seek to diligently serve God in the church with our teaching, in the office, and in our family. Heather and I are thrilled to be here in Chile, and blessed by God to have our first term start in such a wonderful fashion. There is much to do – but we serve a GREAT GOD. Thanks for praying!!
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