Praises!

Surgery went very well! Gallbladder was done laproscopically with no complications. Her bladder got a clean bill of health! She is now home resting. With four incisions and air to expell from her torso, she is uncomfortable. However, she is still planning to attend a Super Bowl party tommorrow!

Sabrina missed three days of school with strep. But, so far, no one else has gotten it! She did miss school Friday, the day of surgery. So Scott was home with Sabrina and I was at the hospital with Noelle. Thanks, Elke, for hanging out with me!

Surgery tommorrow

Noelle's gallbladder surgery and bladder scope are tommorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. Specific prayer requests:

1. For two days Sabrina has been home with strep throat, 103 degree temperature last night. Please pray that I do not carry the infection to Noelle and that Sabrina is feeling well enough to go to school tommorrow so that Scott can come up to the hospital.

2. For wisdom for the doctors and anesthesiologist!

3. Laproscopy rather than open surgery!

4. Quick recovery.

5. That if something needs to be discovered in the bladder that it would be.

6. Protection as Noelle is put under for the third time in seven months.

7. Protection from anxiety especially since this procedure is scaring Noelle for some reason.

8. Grace from Noelle's professors.

9. That removal of the gallbladder would actually improve Noelle's pain/stomach upset.

I think that's it. Never fun to have someone you love require surgery. We so appreciate your prayers!

Woohoo!

So amazing that Noelle completed 11 credits this semester so that she could graduate in 2014! Since she was unable to attend a Waterloo Schools ceremony, we held our own. Sue Flynn, (Scott's assistant, our friend and school board member), helped us to have a short ceremony. Noelle pranced to and from the podium. She said that she saw many tears but I had dry eyes. I was just so excited for her!

Noelle played recreational and competitive, indoor and outdoor soccer for many years until her health got in the way.

This display was all Noelle's idea. Her journey from patient to nursing student. She has been granted eary admission in to Allen nursing College. She will do two years at Hawkeye Community College. Then she will go to her reserved spot at Allen to continue on for her BSN.

The fancy pink mixer was a graduation gift from my parents. Noelle made gluten free Raspberry Cheesecake cupcakes for the open house. We also had Scratch cupcakes (her favorite before going gluten free) and yummy italian sodas. Uncle Curt and Uncle Mark were our bartenders.

It was a great day! And so deserved!

CONGRATULATIONS NOELLE!

Celebrating Jesus' Birth

Our first celebration was Sabrina's Christmas Concert. Is wonderful that she attends a Christian school so her Christmas program celebrates the true meaning of Christmas and not some random sparkle holiday!

We celebrated Christmas eve with a service at our church, Prairie Lakes. Then we had a meal at our home. My whole family was there. After the relatives went home we opened our gifts to each other. Christmas morning we went to my parents house for yummy food and presents. I didn't do a great job taking pictures, but here are a couple.

Seven stockings this year!

Jake and cousin Emilee!

Health Update

Noelle is taking it day to day healthwise. So much better than a year ago, but not as healthy as she would like to be. In November and December she had multiple ultrasounds and scopes. The endometriosis specialist recommended we check out urology and gastro-intestinal options for her pelvic pain. We did discover that Noelle's gallbladder is operating at only 4%. The big risk is that if it drops to non-functioning it is a big risk for infection. So she will have her gallbladder removed at the end of January. While she is sedated her ob/gyn will also scope her bladder. There is a possibility that she has painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis.

Unfortunately, her botox treatments for migraines have continued to be denied by our insurance. We will be trying a second appeal. Please pray for favor. Noelle has big plans this summer. She will be travelling with Global Expeditions to South Africa and Zambia. So it is important that we get Noelle's symptoms as in control as possible before her
departure.