Well, more blood tests for Julie have confirmed that we’re looking at our last two weeks in Nicaragua for awhile as we now need to move home from a kidney transplant. While this is somewhat discouraging, we are also relieved to finally have an answer, and, as we mentioned in our last post, this is a good time to step away since it will not be a major inconvenience for the ministry.
Below are the answers to some questions that we know a lot of you will have:
When will we move to the States? The plan is still for us to leave Nicaragua on August 13th, when we already have tickets.
What will you do with your stuff? We are storing a lot with friends here in Nicaragua, bringing some with us, and selling, giving away, or disposing of the rest.
Where will we live? At this point, we are planning to live and do the transplant in Norman, OK. There are many reasons for this. Since we've been away from Dallas for so many years, Norman feels much more like home to us. We have a doctor there that is already familiar with Julie’s medical history, and has been a great support to us so far. We still feel very much a part of the community at Wildwood, and many of our best friends are still in Norman. We have also had some friends graciously offer for us to live with them.
When will the transplant happen? We will begin the transplant referral process as soon as we get back. We've been told to expect everything (testing, donor matching, surgery, recovery) to take 6-12 months, but we don't have specific dates for anything yet.
Do you already have a donor? We have a couple people who are interested (including Chase), but don't know for sure if any of them are a match. If you are interested in donating a kidney, let us know!
Will you get jobs? We hope to not have to, but since our financial need may increase over the next several months, we don't know yet. Since we will still be actively employed by One by One (arranging details for short-term teams, creating resources and training materials, possibly even making occasional trips to Nicaragua to teach classes, etc.), we plan to continue living on support.
How can I help? If anyone has an extra cell phone or two on their plan that isn't being used, we could use it/them. Also a bicycle (if you live in Norman) or car you never use would be really helpful. If you live in Dallas and know a good nephrologist, we're required to have a second, independent opinion regarding transplant for our insurance.
Apart from that, we would appreciate prayer, as over the next couple of weeks we will be dealing with our belongings and planning for life in the States. There is a lot to do, and we are praying that we will not be overwhelmed or overly stressed. Also, pray for Julie's kidneys to continue functioning enough for her not to need to have dialysis before the transplant. In addition, we would appreciate prayer for the transplant process - that a donor match could be found quickly and that we would be able to return to Nicaragua as soon as possible!
We will keep you all updated as we know more! Feel free to contact us with any additional questions you might have.
I wish all the best for Julie’s health and for her to finally have a kidney donor match. Stay strong, Chase. Just a heads up on your plan for your things, it would be best to keep a checklist of everything – the ones you’d sell, those that would be given away, and those you’d be disposing, so that you can keep track of your items.
ReplyDeleteEricka Muldowney