Living by faith...

Awaiting the arrival....

2008-12-28T18:41:00.003-06:00

Well, Christmas 2008 has come and gone. We have had a VERY eventful and memorable December. I directed our church's Christmas Festival early in the month for two nights. I worked on finishing exams for my semester here in seminary. We moved closer to the church the weekend following the Christmas Festival. Then, the next day Beth went into labor and we had our first child on Monday, 12/15. Beth's family arrived for Christmas and we celebrated our 6th Christmas together. Whew! What a month!

As I sit here, Emma is in her swing, Mommy and Granny are out, and all of the family have gone home to California, Tennessee, and Virginia. We await the arrival of the Davis family tomorrow. It will be a great time to get to see them yet again. While Angie was unable to be here in time for the birth of Emma, I know this visit will be very special. Of course, we also await the arrival of 2009. We pray that God would continue to strengthen us for this upcoming year. We look forward in anticipation as to how God will work in and through us as a larger family. We are so blessed by everyone's prayers and support of us. This has been an incredible year as we look back. God has blessed us so much that we are overwhelmed with His love through His Body. Pray that we might be able to rest and trust His love for us and that we might be able to be extensions of the love to others as well. Thank you for walking with us as we live by faith.

Blessings....

The Zarlenga family

Emma in Christmas Outfit

2008-12-26T13:34:00.002-06:00

Emma Comes Home from the Hospital 2

2008-12-26T13:32:00.002-06:00

Emma Comes Home from the Hospital

2008-12-26T13:29:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T16:00:00.002-06:00

Beth, Emma Grace and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Thank you all for praying and supporting us through this time with Emma Grace. We do have wonderful news for you. As of Monday, she saw the pediatrician and has been taken off of the apnia monitor. YEAH! He said that since she had no significant episodes since she was born and the fact that the monitor has never proven to save a child's life, he thought it was best to take her off of it. This has given Beth and I a sigh of relief. Since then she has been doing very well. She has been sleeping, eating and pooping very well. He has kept her on the Mylanta and Zantac, which it seems will be for another month. We have another checkup this coming Monday.

Beth and I will be the first to admit that she is the most precious baby ever. I believe that is proud, thankful parents talking. I will put up some pictures from her coming home from the hospital and of course her in her Christmas outfit. We will be in touch soon!

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Dale, Beth, and Emma Grace

Granny and Emma

2008-12-18T23:31:00.003-06:00

Daddy changes Emma for the first time

2008-12-18T23:30:00.001-06:00

Daddy reading to Emma Grace

2008-12-18T23:29:00.001-06:00

Emma Grace update

2008-12-18T09:14:00.003-06:00

Hello Family and Friends...

Wow! What a week this has been! We are so thankful for how God has given us Emma to care for and raise. What a blessing she is! Thank you all for all of your prayers and support of us through this time. It has been a very busy week here caring for Emma. Thank you for your patience with an absence of pictures and information. I still need to learn how to put pictures and videos on the blog. I know it can be done, but I need a little help in doing that. So here is an update for you...

This week since Emma has been born, she has been battling a low temperature, dips in her heart rate and oxygen, and battling a moderate case of reflux. On Monday afternoon after she was born, she had a barium swallow. I couldn't believe that they could do that so soon, but they did it! They checked her for an infection from having a bowl movement on her way out. Those tests were negative, thankfully. All week long she has been in a special care nursery on the 7th floor. This is a step down from the typical NICU. These nurses and doctors have been very wonderful and helpful as we have sought to care for her and get to know her. She has progressed everyday this week as she has gotten a little older each day. They requested us take the infant CPR class to help know the signs and symptoms of a blocked airway and how to treat her. They also gave us yesterday an apnia monitor that she will wear for the next couple of weeks. Last night, they provided us a hospitality room for us to stay with her in the room on the same floor of the nursery. She has been stable and was expected to go home today (Thursday). We did have an episode last night of a low temperature again and they said to us this morning that they will want to keep her again for another day. So, we are expected to stay in this room and care for her while being near the nursery.

Please continue to pray for us as we battle these things with Emma. Pray for healing and her maturity through these issues. Give thanks that her feeding has gone very well this week when she isn't sleepy. Last night, sleepy wasn't the issue. She was hungry! Pray for our strength and focus during this time as we are new parents caring for her. We are so sad that she has to go through this, but know that God has her in His care.

Again, thank you for your prayers and your support during this time. Please feel free to leave messages here, Facebook, and emails. That is the best way to send your messages at this point. Thank you for understanding that we are unable to reply to all messages, including the phone. May God's peace be with you.

Dale

Emma Grace - Pics Day 3

2008-12-17T22:00:00.002-06:00

Emma Grace - Pics Day 1

2008-12-15T22:30:00.000-06:00

Announcing.....Emma Grace Zarlenga!

2008-12-15T22:00:00.000-06:00

Hello Family and Friends....

We would like to introduce to you our daughter, Emma Grace Zarlenga. She was born on December 15, 2008 at 1:20am. She weighed 7 lbs. and measured 19.5 in. She certainly is a gift from the Lord and a physical display of His grace and mercy to us. She has quite a story already before she was born and now that she is here, we look forward to walking in faith with her and how God will work in her life.

Thank you for rejoicing with us and welcoming baby Emma into your lives. We look forward to you meeting her soon.

Celebrating 20 Weeks and a Baby....

2008-08-07T10:35:00.003-05:00

In June, we had the privilege of attending a wedding of our dear friend, Anna. At the time, I was only 12 weeks along and we did not know what we were having. As Anna walked down the aisle, with her hand under the arm of her daddy, tears came to my eyes. Lord willing, would we one day be facing the bittersweetness of giving our daughter away into the arms of the man we have prayed for? And would my dear husband also be given the amazing privilege of officiating the service and lead worship in some capacity on her wedding day?

Not soon after we returned to our car following the ceremony, did I mention to Dale that I could not help but to wonder if we would have a daughter someday and he would have to give her away. He responded very quickly, " I was thinking the same thing. I don't know if I will be able to do that."

Just recently, my father called to congratulate Dale upon finding out we are expecting a GIRL! Dale's response was, "I can not imagine holding that little girl in the palm of my hand and then one day having to walk her down to give her away..." Oh, to hear of how the Lord is preparing my husband to love his daughter blesses me in ways I can not even express. Christmas Day can not get here soon enough! As we celebrate 20 weeks today, we are so grateful for her precious little life and continue to be ever so thankful for your ministry of prayer to us. Our next check-up is August 19th and it can't get here soon enough. We will look forward to keeping you posted...

Grateful for Answered Prayer

2008-07-20T21:04:00.003-05:00

This Thursday, July 24th, we will be 18 weeks along in our pregnancy. The Lord has taught us so much already through these past four 1/2 months and we know this is only the beginning.:)

Once we found out we were expecting, I had to see my doctor right away due to the high risk nature of our pregnancy. It is defined as high risk due to the blood clot I had in my lung last year. When you are pregnant, your blood flow becomes thicker and so to help keep my blood thin and prevent clotting, I give myself a shot every night in my stomach. During our first ultrasound at about 5 weeks, we learned that a blood sac had formed in my uterus. This supposedly is common for women who have had some kind of blood clotting disorder. We were very concerned when the doctor discovered it because if my body did not absorb the blood sac, we could either lose the baby first trimester or eventually go into pre-term labor. God has shown us tremendous mercy as He has graciously answered prayer. At our last ultrasound at 13 weeks, the blood sac was gone! We are so grateful! This Tuesday, we will, Lord willing, find out what we are having. We are very excited and can't wait! We will certainly let you know!:) Thank you so much for all of your love and prayers. We are indebted to the Lord for His grace to us through you!

Dale's Greatest Birthday Present

2008-07-20T20:42:00.003-05:00

April 16th of this year was Dale's 29th birthday. He awoke that morning, having no idea of the precious gift that awaited him. He proceeded through his normal routine to prepare for school and work that day and I kissed him good bye.

About nine hours later, I met him in his office before choir practice with a little gift in my hand that had arrived later that day. When I handed it to him, he asked who it was from. " You'll see." I replied. With a smile on his face, he began to remove the tissue paper from the small package. Awaiting for him at the bottom of the bag was a small white box. He carefully opened the lid and stood there reading the little card that lay on top of the gift. It read:

Happy Birthday Daddy! I love you
and can't wait to meet you soon!
Love, Baby Zarlenga

In utter shock and disbelief, he broke out in tears and held me tight.Once he somewhat collected himself, he asked the infamous question," Are you sure? Have you seen the doctor today?" I was able to answer yes to both of those questions and show him the pregnancy test (still lying in the box) to verify the former question. Still crying, he could not believe his eyes! The Lord had heard his cry and had granted him one of his greatest desires. Lord willing, we will meet our little one and hold him or her in our arms on Christmas Day!:) We wait with much anticipation and joy!

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul....

2008-05-04T14:28:00.003-05:00

This past week has been one of those in which we have experienced a roller coaster of emotions ranging from elation to fear. It is during the times of fear that my heart begins the process of disengagement from the One who loves me more than I can comprehend. I hear of yet another consequence of the Fall, and I once again allow my circumstances to define God. Though I despise it, I allow my heart to become detached from Him and feelings of abandonment take over. I have wrestled with this for quite sometime now, and it is to me, the worst thing on this side of Eternity. I am so thankful for His amazing grace to love and pursue me in the midst of my fear and doubt. He is faithful to minister to my brokenness as only He can. In Worship today we sang a song written by Anne Steele and composed by Kevin Twitt titled, Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul. It practically brought me to tears as I feel like it so beautifully expresses the longing and struggle of my heart to cling to Jesus in the midst of trial. If you are struggling to cling to Him, our only Hope, I pray He may encourage your heart through these words today.

Dear refuge of my weary soul on Thee when sorrows rise.
On Thee when waves of trouble toll, My fainting hope relies.
To Thee I tell each rising grief, For Thou alone canst heal
Thy word can bring a sweet relief For every pain I feel.

But oh! when gloomy doubts prevail, I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail, and all my hopes decline.
Yet gracious God where shall I flee? Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee Thou prostrate in the dust.

Hast Thou not bid me seek thy face, And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of Sovereign grace Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of Sovereign grace, Attends the mourner's prayer
Oh may I ever find access, To breath my sorrows there.

Thy mercy seat is open still, Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope, attend thy will, and wait beneath Thy feet
Thy mercy seat is open still, Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet.

Looking back....

2008-05-03T15:10:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been one year since the beginnings of our hospital visits. This blog is at least one year old and has been a great reminder of God's work in our lives. God has been helping us to continue to live by faith as we live each day for him. Some days are harder than others, due to anxiety, stress, and temptation. Other days, we clearly see the Lord's hand and blessings in our life. I know for myself (Dale), this past year brought times of questioning God, His purposes and plan for our lives. It has been a year of tumultuous change for us. Through it all, God is bringing both Beth and I to grow in relying only upon Him and to know His redeeming, unchanging, compassionate steadfast love for us. There have been moments where this has been overwhelming to the point of tears, but one person put it, it seems to be God short circuiting the ways that have been turned against Him for so long.

Beth and I do thank you all so much for your prayers this past year. We do covet your prayers as we continue down this journey. This upcoming year will be filled with much more adventure I do not doubt. Lord willing, we will be able to update this a little bit more often to allow you to walk with us. Take care and talk with you real soon!

Dale

Called to St. Louis but Longing to Be in Virginia....

2007-08-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

In my last entry, I had mentioned the difficult news we have received about Angie's health. I wake up every morning and go to bed every night burdened beyond words for my best friend and her family as they face this reality in their lives. It takes everything in me to stay here in St. Louis when I want nothing more than to pack my bag and start driving home to be with her. Of course, being so teary eyed these days, I don't know if I would be of much assistance in providing an emotionally stable environment.:) So until the timing is right, I will stay here and continue to labor in prayer over her life and the lives of her husband and children.

I am very grateful for Brian's willingness to keep us updated through their blog at the following address: www.springofjoy.org. I would invite you to read it and enter into their world so that as the Lord leads you, you could know how to best care for them during this time. I know they are grateful for the love that so many have already expressed to them.

I am thankful for this season the Lord has called us to St. Louis. He has done so much on our behalf! And yet in times like these, I want nothing more than to be in Virginia. Thankfully one day in Heaven we will truly be at Home together, never to have to depart again. (and if our house is by the Davis, ours will be the messy one.) :)

Thank you so much for praying...

2007-08-11T14:05:00.000-05:00

Dearest Family and Friends,

It has obviously been a while since we have updated our blog...bless your hearts for being so faithful to continue to check it and pray. We have been loved so well through you. Thank you so much for the countless prayers, phone calls, e-mails, and cards. It is my desire at this point to ask you in joining me in praying for my best friend, Angie. She has been diagnosed this week with breast cancer. It deeply pains my heart not to be home in VA and right by her side....but the Lord is and I know He is loving her so well through her family and our home church.

We love you and are again, eternally grateful for you. We would continue to ask you to pray for us as the struggle with physical pain and anxiety persists, especially after hearing about Angie's health,and for Dale, as he serves in his new position at Twin Oaks Pres.

Love you!
Beth

Room Correction

2007-07-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Due to the latex allergy, they put Beth in her own room. She is in 626. Her phone number is 314-567-2626. She is doing okay overall, however she is extremely hungry and unable to eat anything. We may see the GI doctor this afternoon, if not today then tomorrow morning. There is question if they are going to do the endoscopy or not. The risk is associated with her on the coumadin. The problem is that this test seems to be what needs to be performed because they potentially will do biopsies when they are down there. The fear is that because of the coumadin, the places where they take the biopsies will bleed and not clot. So, we need to pray for the doctors to do the test while she is on the coumadin and that there will be no effects from the biopsies.

Welcome to Hotel St. John

2007-07-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

We are being admitted to room 623 at St. John's Mercy Medical Center.

Dale

Noon update

2007-07-06T12:35:00.000-05:00

We got notified recently from the doctor that Beth will be admitted to the hospital. We will let you know where we are when we move from the ER. The GI doctor will look at the schedule and probably attempt an endoscopy sometime tomorrow. Beth is doing okay at this point. They tried to give her some crackers and she can't get them down due to the burning sensations in her throat and esophagus. We have a friend here with us which is very helpful. This is the information I have at this point. Like I said, she is doing better in terms of her spirits and physical well-being due to having some IV fluids in her. Please continue to pray. Thank you.

Please pray....

2007-07-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

Beth is not well. The burning sensations in the back of her throat have gotten worse. She is now basically down to being able to eat nothing. Unfortunately, the only thing that does not burn is water. We have no clue what to do anymore. We are playing phone tag with our GI doctor at this point. He said yesterday on a message that he would be willing to do the scope with biopsies either today or tomorrow. So, we are trying to figure out what to do. Beth hasn't been able to take hardly any of her medication due to being fearful of having not eaten anything and the effects of the drugs because of that. This does mean that she hasn't taken anything for anxiety or the drug which is supposed to be helping her esophagus in the long run at this point. Please pray. We are very desperate, very weak, unknowledgable, and very close to being at despair.

Check ups....

2007-07-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

This week we have two types of check-ups. Yesterday, we had a visit with our GI doctor's nurse practitioner. This was a good visit. We got our questions answered, but still no real answers to the problem. She did increase Beth's evening medication, in hopes that this helps. Today, we are going to get a second opinion. It was God's grace that brought us to this doctor through contacts at our new church, Twin Oaks. This guy is a GI doctor as well. He is actually a mobility specialist along with other specialties. We are scheduled to see a mobility specialist in September through St. Louis University, but this one may help us sooner! Mobility, for those who may not know, is the study of how your food moves through the esophagus when eating. Your esophagus contracts in succession to move the food through. There is actually doctors who specialize in this and hopefully this one can help us.

The other type of check-up is for our car. Currently, I am sitting her writing this in their lobby. If you ever need a place to take your car, Green Tree Tire & Auto is the place. They are located in Kirkwood, MO. They do quality, trustworthy work, the owner is a believer, and they offer discounts to seminary students! We are attempting to get our car road ready for our travels next week to Nags Head for the wedding.

Please pray for us finding a car. We are going to be in need of another vehicle here shortly after we return from our trip. Please pray that God would provide a reliable car within our budget. Last time, it took 9 months. Lord willing, it won't take that long this time.

Well, we hope you all are doing well. It is good to hear from you when you write comments. Thanks so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support. Take care.

Return to the ER...

2007-06-26T21:57:00.000-05:00

We came back to the ER tonight. I spoke with our general practitioner. She talked us through the symptoms and recommended we return to the ER to get checked out. They did a thorough check including a CT scan of her chest. We found out that the blood clot is gone! There seems to be no residue of it left in her lung. Praise God! She will continue to be on the coumadin for the next 4 months. At this point, the spasms seem to be reflux related, which makes me say what is making the acid inflammed like that. Anyway, we are on the way home from the ER. Please pray for restful sleep and an uneventful day tomorrow. Hopefully we will get in touch with both of the doctors to review what happened. Thank you so much for your love and support. Talk with you soon.

Announcement....

2007-06-26T15:25:00.000-05:00

We do want to let you all know of two big and important things that have happened recently:
#1 - I finished last night all my work left from the spring semester. HALLELUJAH! I am unsure of how things will turn out grade wise, but at least everything is done.

#2 - With the status of Beth's condition, we had to make some decisions about her continuing to work full-time. At this point we have decided to have her work half-time at the Freedom School. This decision was made primarily because the Lord truly laid a full-time job in our laps. As of two weeks ago, we have accepted the call for me to be the Director of Worship and Music at Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church here in St. Louis. This will require me to slow down in school, which required me to swallow some humble pie, but we believe this is the Lord's desire for us at this point. We are excited about this new opportunity and I am extremely anxious about the challenges that lie ahead in the job, but God continues to be faithful. The church has gone through some hard times recently itself, so we look forward to see how God will work through us in the body at Twin Oaks. So, we have reason to give thanks and praise the Lord. Please continue to pray for Beth's health. Thank you so much!

Unsure what to do...

2007-06-26T15:20:00.001-05:00

We ask that you continue to pray. Beth has been taken off of Zoloft last week due to the reoccurrence of the pain in her esophagus. There just seems to be more going on here than anxiety. She is now suffering from hoarseness when speaking to folks and has pain in her chest and corresponding pain in her back. We are trying to speak to doctors, but they are all booked. We will hopefully speak to the GI doctor today and find out what we should do. We are weak and really wanting some answers. The question at this point is should we go back to the hospital? Should we go to another one and see if they can decipher what's going on? We called the insurance company and St. Louis University is within the network, so we are wondering if we should go there. Please pray for some answers, guidance, comfort from pain, and endurance through this time. Thank you all for your love and support.

Working with new medicines

2007-06-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

Today we saw the doctor again. She is actually the psychiatrist who has been helping us with the anxiety portion of Beth's symptoms. Earlier in the week she prescribed Zoloft for Beth. This will give some help to Beth on a more long term basis than the Xanax is doing. We went into her office this morning to take the first pill. She was gracious to meet with us and walk us through this new endeavor for Beth which makes her anxious. Needless to say, since leaving the doctor's office, it has been a rough day for us. It seems to have worked up Beth's GI tract a little bit, which we knew would be one of the side effects. The doctor did indicate that these symptoms would work their way out, but it may take a couple days to a week or so. So, we still pray that God would give us peace during this time. It feels as though we are back to the start again, which is frustrating. Please pray for patience and the stamina to battle this. Please pray also for us to have the ability to look forward in hope to that one day when we will meet our Maker and we will no longer have any pain or sorrow, our bodies will be glorified and we will live eternally with the Father in peace. May we begin to have a foretaste of the peace to come. Blessings to you on this day. Thank you so much.

Ups and Downs continue....

2007-06-14T16:36:00.000-05:00

We wanted to give a little up date on Beth's condition for those that are still reading. Beth has continued to have up days and down days. It seems primarily now that the symptoms continue to be anxiety related. The sublingual pill (Levsin) she has been taking and it seems to have taken care of the esophagus pain almost completely. She has mentioned yesterday and a little today that the pain is somewhat there. She still complains once and a while that food will get "stuck" in her esophagus. As well, she has really struggled with some sort of sore throat due to "gunk" being in there. All the tests which we had done two weeks ago now came back negative, so there is no news there. We have been speaking to several people and are now wondering if any of what Beth has been battling with is more chemically related than anything else, especially with the feelings of anxiety. So, we are checking into some of those things. At this point we truly don't have a diagnoses which has labeled everything going on. We continue to pray for God to sustain us with strength and patience as we endure this trial. We thank you for praying and encouraging us during this time. Thank you so much! Many blessings to you!

5th time to the ER

2007-05-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

So, as I was writing the previous blog and actually got some sleep in the waiting room, my wife was in getting her CT scan done. Little did I know that upon being injected with the needed dye for the scan, she began to have an anxiety attack. They were able to get the scan complete, for which we are thankful. However, upon finishing she believed she was having an allergic reaction to the dye and began to have the worst attack yet. They proceeded to give her some Benadryl to stop any potential reaction. She became lethargic, which was expected and then got more worried. It took a while, but she finally began to calm down and we were prepping to go home. We actually closed the place down and they had to give us the choice of going home or going to the ER. They were prepping the ER for our arrival, but we decided to come home. As we were doing so, we were about a quarter of the way home when she began to have chest pain that was shooting down from her neck. Needless to say, we were concerned, so I turned around and headed back to the ER.

So, here we sit. The ER doctor has seen her and does not seemed concerned. Beth at this point has calmed down pretty much and is sleepy. She has finally gotten a little something to eat, but is still definitely hungry. They gave her some tylenol for the pain, because she refused the drug they offered which would take the pain away, but also make her sleepy in addition. They took some blood to check her coumadin level just to be sure. She also said that she would consult with her doctors in regards to the pain that Beth has been experiencing. We probably will be going home tonight, but at this point we are unsure of that. The doctors are not alarmed or majorly concerned, so that is why I believe we will be going home shortly. Hopefully we will find out something soon and go home.

So, please continue to pray.....As our pastor reminded us this afternoon, may God continue to be our shield and protector, may He be our glory and may He be our encourager when we are in despair, just as He was with David in Psalm 3. Blessings to you.

Doctor's visit on Thursday

2007-05-31T15:54:00.000-05:00

So we are at the doctor's today. In fact, I am here in the waiting room while Beth gets another CT scan. Dr. Kreikemeier (GI doctor) wanted to do this scan in order to check her abdomen and such for any irregularities. This is only a precaution, but nonetheless we are here back in the hospital! He has also asked her to get some blood work to check for something that may be causing the anxiety attacks. He actually said that this stuff for which he is checking gives the symptoms of anxiety attacks, but it is not really anxiety. As well, he has referred us to a "mobility" specialist who is quite familiar and knowledgeable about the esophagus. We are hoping that she may have something to suggest in regards to what is going on with Beth's pain. PLEASE PRAY! for a soon appointment. He mentioned that she is VERY hard to get an appointment with soon, so it may be a couple months before seeing her. You can imagine that hearing this was frustrating considering the situation. We know that God has the ability and capacity to make that appointment sooner, so we will pray! The doctor has given her a prescription for the same little blue pills that she received in the hospital. We are hoping that a return to that may help as well. He has also given her a green light to begin eating anything that she feels like eating, including milk substances. He has continued the precaution of eating anything too spicy. So, we will continue to pray that as she begins to eat normal or at least different foods that she will be able to eat pain free. I believe there is a connection between her not being able to eat consistently or well due to the pains, her anxiety, and the possibility that the medicines react the way they do. The problem is I am not a doctor and I may be completely wrong about that. But, it is a thought.

So, those are my thoughts for the day. It was definitely good to see the doctor today and speak with him about these issues. It was also good to catch up with a friend personally today. No doubt, this has been a hard, long road. I am very tired! Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. It is encouraging to read your comments, listen to your voice mails, and to see you face-to-face. Thank you for being the tangible presence of Christ's body to us as we go through this. THANK YOU!

Saying goodbye to friends...

2007-05-31T15:46:00.000-05:00

We have said goodbye to two of our good friends recently, namely the Caricos and the Ortlunds. It has been a sad two days saying goodbye to these dear friends. Both of these families are going to be used mightily by the Lord through the gifts that He has given them. What an amazing testimony to how God works in people's life in different ways to minister, guide, and shepherd His people. Beth and I are truly grateful to have been a part of their lives while here at Seminary.

As well, this past weekend, we had some dear visitors from Virginia, namely the Davis family. We had a blast while they were here, even as we battled through pain and anxiety. What a blessing and encouragement for us to visit with them and be blessed by the energy and presence of our friends and their children: Asher, Micah, and Audrey. I got to go to the zoo with the boys and their father on Saturday. What a treat! I think they ought to make a coffeehouse environment in part of the zoo, surround it with plexiglass or some barrier, put internet access in there. What a place to study! This was truly a sweet time to be refreshed by good 'ole friends!

Ups and Downs

2007-05-29T22:47:00.000-05:00

Well the past week has been characterized by ups and downs. We have our good days and we have our bad days. The pattern however is leaning more and more towards continual bad days. The pain in Beth's esophagus continues to return and become more intense. We are at the point tonight where the heaviness in her chest has returned. It so happens that this was the same heaviness that was present when we were in the hospital before. It seems to me that the medicine which she is taking seems to no longer being effective. It does seem that she is regressing, which is very hard to swallow. (No pun intended!) The sensation of food getting stuck continues or has returned and gotten worse. So, there is something going on and we can't see anyone until Thursday afternoon at our scheduled appointment. They have upped her dosage of the nighttime medicine which was to help the spasms, however since they have done that the symptoms keep getting worse. This makes me wonder. Over the previous weekend we greatly struggled through moments of anxiety.

So, we just ask that you continue to pray. Thank you for your continued care for us as we go through this. It has definitely been taxing on both of us, especially in those intense moments when we don't know if we should return to the hospital or not. Please pray for endurance, patience, wisdom, and relief from this pain. Please pray for both of us spiritually as well, that we would be see the Lord's work and hand on us as we go through this. There certainly are times when it is hard to grab hold of hope.

Well, thank you for listening, praying, reading. It is good to read your comments when you write. Thank you for the encouragement.

MEALS - How you can help!

2007-05-23T00:22:00.000-05:00

If you are willing to offer a meal to us during this time, we would greatly appreciate it. If you are interested, please call Stacy Ortlund at 314-428-3337. She has offered to spear head this for us.

Thank you again for your help, support, encouragement, and love during this time. Please do continue to pray as we learn how to love and take care of one another during this time. Thank you!

Life on the other side....

2007-05-19T22:30:00.024-05:00

Well, this is what life on the other side was like for us this week:
Beth's mom left Monday afternoon and things were pretty quiet after she left. We continued on the road of recovery and resting. We began to fully understand what life was going to take in regards to slowing down in the pace of life.

Tuesday, we saw Beth's new primary care physician. We were thankful because she seemed very gracious and understanding of Beth's condition. She answered our numerous questions about the various drugs she is on and the potential interactions with each other and food. She also was able to prescribe something that helps more long term to help with Beth's episodes of anxiety. The doctor also changed her coumadin dosage per the results from the blood test the previous Friday.

Wednesday was her first day back at work. Beth's principal has been gracious and allowing her to return only for half days. The kids definitely missed her, but they began to get reacquainted with her. She came home and slept. Before doing this she took one of her new meds from the previous day at the doctor. Later that evening, after I had left for rehearsal, Beth had to call a friend to come over and sit with her for a while. She was feeling very drowsy and didn't trust being alone. We certainly are very thankful for our friends who have been gracious with us during this process and helping us out in the various ways. There was no more concern the rest of the night.

Thursday and Friday was the beginning of our somewhat busy weekend, which we realized is too much energy for one weekend. Thursday evening we went to her end of the year school program. The Freedom School is such a blessing to those kids where they hear about the Lord Jesus Christ and His love for this world. The program was on the character of God. It was quite interesting at times, but what a blessing to be reminded of who God is by those kids. Truly...How Great Is Our God! Friday evening, we went to our second graduation. We saw several of our good friends graduate, especially our cousin Tim Jones. CONGRATULATIONS! It was a blessing to see our Covenant family again at the reception and the little party that evening at a friend's house.

Today was filled again with excitement. Beth's school's Field Day got canceled, so we enjoined staying home and resting. Around 12 noon Beth proceeded to get anxious and tried to eat something in order to take some medicine. However, this time she proceeded to be troubled again with pains in her esophagus as she ate. We suffered through this and the anxiety attack by rubbing her back and attempting to decipher what was going on. She took some Xanax to help calm her down a little bit and took a nap for the afternoon. Upon waking she was not much better in regards to the pain. After deliberation, we ended back in the ER earlier this evening, attempting to figure out what was going on. The doctor reviewed all the records from the hospital visitations before and concluded that there was not much else they could do for her at this time without her seeing the GI doctor again. They did prescribe a carafate drink for her, which was actually ordered for her while in the hospital but never given. This drink is for patients who struggle with ulcers, however Beth does not have an ulcer. So, at this point she is a sleep for the night, resting quietly. Unfortunately, the events of the day have prevented us from attending two graduation parties, which included Tim's, our cousin, and some time with Beth's prayer group for one final reunion. Tomorrow will be a quiet morning for us here, hopefully working on staying pain free.

One thing is for sure we both are mentally and emotionally exhausted from this endeavor. Beth and I both are longing for her to be free from this and desire for her to be healthy again. You all have been so gracious to continue emailing, praying, calling, and hoping for the best in our situation. Sometimes it is very hard to answer the question, "How are you doing?" Speaking for myself, I don't even know which end is up. I listened to myself respond to Beth today and I began to question if I am the right person to be helping her through this. I was able to speak with our uncle this afternoon and was remarking at how I believe after everything we have been through with Beth, my sister and her tragedy, and other things in the past three weeks I have shut myself down emotionally because I seemingly have nowhere to turn. I am unsure of how much more I can take. It is definitely harder when you feel isolated by all this pain.

So, we ask for you to continue to pray. Thank you for being with us in this, reading these posts, and encouraging us along the way to hold fast. Please pray for God to bring healing, restoration, and hope into our midst.

Monday update

2007-05-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

Well, things have begun to really quiet down here now. The long road of recovery and adjusting is upon us. Beth's mom left earlier today and the house has become less busier. We definitely miss her support, encouragement, and love through out this time. We are finding that the morning tends to be the worst time for Beth in regards to being anxious. Thankfully, Beth will not attempt to go back to school until Wednesday and then she will only be there a half a day. She definitely misses her friends and talking on the phone with them. The one thing she has noticed is that she does get tired quickly doing that and has gotten anxious during the conversation. We haven't quite figured that out yet, but please know that if she doesn't call back, that is why. We have learned that we need to pace her day a little to moderate the activity, otherwise she is pushed and then gets anxious. She indicated to me earlier before her nap that she wanted to communicate to you all how blessed she feels by all your love and support through this ordeal in everything that you have done. Thank you as well for being gracious with us as we go through this and begin to learn how to live on this side of the hospital. No doubt, things will look different. They already do.

Please continue to pray for both of us as we do this. Please pray that I would be able to refocus back on school. I am pretty worn down right now from everything we have been through. Without going into details, please pray for my sister, Yvonne and her husband Rick. They have been through a very rough time this past week and need to be comforted with the peace that only Christ can offer them in the wake of a tragedy.

As for more practical needs...I know at some point meals would be helpful. We still have a refrigerator full of stuff from Beth's dad who went shopping for us. It may be helpful to have some one come and help me clean out the frig so we know what end is up. Visitors for Beth, we will have to moderate. I know she desperately wants to talk with friends and get reacquainted, however is learning how to limit her activities for the sake of her energy.

Again, we extend our sincere appreciation for all your help, support, and encouragement. We pray that God would continue to bless you as you have been a blessing to us. Take care and talk with you soon.

GONE! (We think)

2007-05-12T10:04:00.000-05:00

Beth woke up this morning with no welts or rash! We believe that the reaction to the latex is over. It has always reappeared in the morning after sleeping through the night. This morning it hasn't come back. So, we are thinking we are in the clear. We have stopped the benadryl, but have continued the others to help keep it away. By tomorrow, we will know for sure.

So, now we are able to get back fully on the doctor's regime of medicines and treatment of the various items. It certainly has been a long week of up and downs. Last night Beth was light headed and nauseous for a little while. We think this is similar to some of the symptoms in the hospital. So, we are treating it as such.

We do again thank you all for your support, prayers, cards, balloons, flowers, visits, emails, comments, calls, love, and encouragement. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We pray that you will be blessed in return as you have blessed us.

We are blessed this weekend with keeping Hank, Tim and Kristin's dog. We are so thankful for him too! Take care and we will be in touch.

Persistent Rash

2007-05-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

The rash Beth had yesterday continues. Now, the welts are on her back and are of substantial size. We have been taking Benadryl as the doctor ordered, however it is not touching the allergy. We just talked with the doctor. She gave us a plan to build up the antihistamines within her body. Beth is fearful of the interactions with all the other medication. Dr. Miller reassured us that there are no interactions with the medicines. So, we will do this for now and pray that the medicine works. Talk with you soon!

Gone and back again

2007-05-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

Well, Beth took some Benadryl for the rash. It went away and in the process knocked her out. We battled all day with being sleepy. Late in the after she developed the chest pain returned slightly. She does continue to battle with this costrochondritis. This is inflammation of the cartilage that connects the sternum and the ribs. Apparently this is very common and very minor in regards to her health. The thing is that it aids all this pain in her chest. She took some Tylenol and felt better, so we are thankful for that. The roller coaster continued this evening as the rash returned. So, she took half of a benadryl this evening and covered the spots with topical benadryl creme. We pray that this will continue to work through out the evening as she sleeps and take the rash away. So, there's the wrap for the day. She is heading off to sleep and we are looking forward to what tomorrow brings. Thanks so much and talk with soon.

Developed a rash...

2007-05-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! We did come home yesterday around 6:00pm. Our cousin Kristin was here waiting with dinner. Thankfully, she also had Hank with her. What fun! We noticed on our way home that Beth had this little spot where her IV was on the arm. Well, as the night went on we found numerous other spots on her arm and legs. We had her put some benadryl on the spots and take some orally. We woke up from a good night sleep and found more spots and rash all over her legs and arms. We had to talk through it a little in regards to the concern for her safety. She doesn't have a change in her breathing and she doesn't have a change in her heart, so this is not a life threatening reaction. We thought about a couple options of what could have caused it and have narrowed it down to the latex glove that got put on her hand and IV when she took a shower yesterday. Beth has a latex allergy which she discovered while working at the pregnancy center in Harrisonburg. The doctors and nurses have been so careful in wearing latex gloves. One time with the latex glove in the shower and here she has a pretty good rash over her body. So, we have added benadryl to her list of medicines to help us battle this rash. Man, someone is fighting real hard to wear us down.

Thankfully, she just said a couple times that she does feel better this morning. It was good to be able to sleep in our own bed and begin the road to recovery.

We are going home!

2007-05-08T16:52:00.000-05:00

Hello folks....we just wanted to update you and let you know that we are going home. The doctor is confident that the major issues for which we came are in good condition and do not warrant us to stay in the hospital. The blood thinner is at a good level. The GI symptoms are at minimized and improving. The challenge will be working through times of anxiety as we walk forward. Please continue to pray for us as we adjust to home. Thankfully, the doctor is strongly encouraging her to return to a "normal" lifestyle step by step. We will continue to update this as we go this week, this most likely will not be as often, but I will attempt at least once a day. Please pray for myself as I attempt to find some hours away from the situation to work on school and get my exams and papers done. I know last week when we went home for the first time, it was difficult to make that transition from taking care of Beth to being at school.

We hope you are doing well and look forward to catching up with you personally at some point soon. God bless!

Tuesday morning...

2007-05-08T09:09:00.000-05:00

Beth and I had a good night last night. Overall, yesterday she had very minimal chest pain and tightness, which is a blessing from the Lord. We did wrestle with this lightheaded feeling in the morning. The doctor attributed this to being dehydrated, which seemed odd considering she goes to the bathroom almost every half hour or so it seems. She did have a very sore throat yesterday as well. The doctors noted that this is the effect from the procedure she had on Saturday with the scope. We are attempting to get her up to walk around a little bit to get some strength underneath her legs. We have not seen the doctor today, but she has indicated that we may go home today, pending.

I will say, we have been both blown away by all of your support and encouragement through these days. We still have a long road of recovery at home this week, but we at least are able to have the pain under control. We as well have been very thankful for the visitors to help the time pass by quicker. We were surprised and shocked when a dear friend from Virginia walked through the door, Martha Anderson. What a blessing that was to see a familiar face in a place such as this. Thank you so much for everything.

Please pray...

2007-05-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

If you are reading or will read this soon, please pray. Beth has suddenly felt light-headed similarly to last night. However, this time she didn't do anything. Needless to say we are a little fearful. We have called the doctor and are awaiting a response. This is a new thing that we haven't wrestled with before. Thank you for praying.

Monday morning...

2007-05-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Beth had a restful sleep last night. The floor was relatively quiet, I was with her all night, and some of the pain has gone away. She had a good bit of phlegm in her throat last night and this morning. This has made her a little nauseous. We do believe that she may have stepped too far yesterday in the realm of eating, so we are going to go a little slower today with what she eats.

The plan for her as it stands will be this:
Treating blood clot - stay on blood thinner for roughly 6 months. They will then do the genetic testing at that time to see if she is genetically prone to producing clots.
Acid reflux - stay on Nexium for at least 6-8wks and then reassess from there
Esophagus spasms - stay on Levicin or a related drug indefinitely to treat the spasms in her GI tract.
Anxiety - she will be given something to help calm her a little bit, especially when there are intense moments

Hope you are all doing well. It is good to hear from you on the comments. We love to read them! Thanks again.

Learning to slow down

2007-05-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

Overall today was a very uneventful day. The pain was considerably less than what it has been. Praise God! I will say that this process of being in the hospital is helping us both to slow down a bit. An example was earlier this evening. There were two visitors who came to see us. Beth had gotten up from the bed and walked out into the waiting area a little too fast, more like she would have just a couple of weeks ago. This time, however she got a little lightheaded which scared her and then she proceeded to get anxious. We got the nurse, took some vitals to make sure she was okay and brought her back to the room. Needless to say, she was a little shook up. So, we are somewhat learning what it means to slow down and to not always be in a rush.

Another thing we are learning is the difference between something being black or white and the possibility of things being gray. This is tough for both her and I in our lives. We are quick to assume one thing when something happens, and then expect that assumption to happen. However, in reality as we experience hard things, especially pain, things are not always black and white. There is a possibility of gray. There is the possibility that things may not always turn out as bad as we think and to know that there are other options besides the direction in which our minds go. I don't know if this makes any sense to you all, but I know that this is something I am learning through this and my own healing process.

We thank you again for praying. Take care and have a good night. We will update you tomorrow how the night goes.

We've moved to room 616!

2007-05-06T14:19:00.000-05:00

We are in room 616. The nurses prompted the doctor to authorize a move to a private room. So, we are now back in the hallway which we were in on Wednesday and Thursday. I will be able to stay the night with her and help as problems arise throughout the night.

We have seen both the general doctor and the GI doctor this morning. She is still battling with pain in her chest, which they firmly believe is from the acid built up over time. They both said the pain was like when we get a sun burn on our skin and then run water over it and it burns. The symptoms are similar to this. They are talking about a possible Tuesday discharge. We will have a long road ahead of handling anxiety and learning to eat again, trusting that the pain will not be there.

So, please continue to pray for this pain. We seem to have answers that address the problems it is now a matter of finding some formula of medication that helps the pain. Again, thank you for praying.

Sunday morning

2007-05-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

First, thank you for your prayers....Beth had a rough night last night. She was having some intense pain and had several episodes of intense anxiety. The people watching her heart monitor called last night and said that her pulse was low at one point. She seems to be waking up when this happens. It didn't help her anxiety that someone coded last night here in this wing. She seems to be less anxious if I am here, so we are going to try to see what we can do about that in regards to allowing me to sit here in this "comfy" chair. We are still perplexed at the amount of pain she is having in her chest. The good thing is that they have run just about every test that indicates something serious. So, we will keep praying. I will say that she has been very strong throughout this. She dealt with so much and I am so thankful she hasn't given up. I do believe that there is a deeper level of appreciation and love for one another as we go through this endeavor. May you be blessed this day as you meet with the Lord in worship. Take care.

Lessening of Pain

2007-05-05T21:35:00.000-05:00

Well, God is definitely answering the prayers. Today, Beth has taken this little blue pill before she eats. She sticks it under her tongue and the medicine dissolves and enters the blood stream quickly, relieving the spasms within the esophagus. The first time she ate after taking the pill she had some crackers and felt pain, but not as severe. For dinner, she did the same, but this time she was actually asking for more! We are not out of the woods yet. I do believe that it will take some time for the medicine to fully take its affects within the body. But, praise God that Beth will be able to eat once again and venture out beyond bland foods.

Please pray for a restful night sleep. The roommate who snores worse than I do is still here. Beth's back is hurting from the bed, so she is rather uncomfortable. We look forward to tomorrow and further progress in regards to relief of the pain. Beth's parents are here and it is a blessing to have them here. Please pray for their stay here with us that this visit may be a blessing to us all. I will say it is good to see familiar Virginia faces again!

Again, thank you all for your love and support. We truly feel as though you all are lifting us up to the Father. Thank you!

EGD produced results

2007-05-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Beth and I talked with the GI doctor this morning. We both were very impressed and pleased with him from his knowledge and patience to his bedside manner. We talked through the various symptoms and possibilities and discussed the procedure. We also talked through other tests which may be used in order to diagnose some problems. We did speak to him about following up with him about other GI related issues which Beth seems to have.

She did have the procedure at around 12:30 or so. He did conclude three things: #1 - basically acid reflux disease, which is nothing we didn't know already; #2 - spasms of the esophagus; and #3 - a hiatal hernia. The hiatal hernia is a pouch of the stomach that slides through a hole (hiatus) in the diaphragm where the esophagus passes through. This is basically where the stomach protrudes through the hole in the diaphragm into the chest cavity. It is associated with acid reflux. He did take some pictures of the various parts of her esophagus, stomach, and intestines. I may attempt to place them on the blog for your viewing pleasure at some point. I think they are so cool.

Anyway, we are soooo thankful for both of our doctors and the potential answers to all this pain. They do have a method of treatment which include giving this pill to put under the tongue before eating and increase the dosage of nexium to twice a day. The doctor did indicate that the pain in Beth's neck and jaw definitely could be related to the acid reflux. We will keep praying and hoping that this is the answer we are looking for. If it isn't there aren't too many other tests that they can do.

Beth is doing well. She is very hungry and in good spirits at this point. We thank you all for your prayers, support, encouragement, flowers, visits, calls, emails, and so many other ways you have and are caring for us in this time. Thank you! May God bless you as you meet with him in prayer. Take care.

Saturday morning....

2007-05-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

Well, Beth had a rather rough night last night, from a snoring roommate 4 times as bad as me, to experiencing symptoms in her neck that she had last Saturday. So, Beth is very tired and very emotionally exhausted from last night. The nurse she had wasn't very helpful as well. Apparently, she will have the same nurse tonight, so we are not too excited about that. I may try to stay the night so she has someone by her side through the night. We will see about that. We had a visit from our favorite nurse from the other wing that we were in. She is so helpful and kind and is here all day today.

Today's plans include doing the EGD, which will scope down her esophagus and stomach. Beth's parents will arrive today as well. Please pray for both of these things. Please also pray for continued pain management and diagnosing the chest pain.

Again, thank you so much for holding us up in prayer. May the Lord bless you as you meet with him in prayer.

Working with strange feelings

2007-05-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

Tonight, they gave Beth her regular medications of Tylenol and Xanax. So far, everytime they have given her this combo it has been fine. Recently for the last hour or so she seems to have feelings of being on a rollar coaster ride. It feels as though she is going up a hill and then coming down. Needless to say, she is fearful. We spoke with the nurse, who spoke with the doctor; all her vitals are fine and strong, heartbeat is good and breathing is good. This just seems to be some reaction towards the Xanax. The difficult thing is that it hasn't happened before and it makes us anxious. At this point, Beth seems to have fallen asleep, she seems rather comfortable and the feelings have subsided.

Looking forward to a restful evening...

2007-05-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

Today truly has been a blessing from the Lord. The pain today has been more moderate or Beth has been learning how to manage it. We are thankful that Beth was able to eat after taking the mylanta and we are trying that again right now as she eats dinner. I think for both of us we are looking forward to a restful evening. We are searching for a good movie like 'Return to Me.' We may hear from the GI doctor at some point this evening. If not tonight, we may tomorrow. Please pray that Beth would continue to have decreasing pain in her chest, for a restful sleep this evening, and that the EGD scope would happen potentially tomorrow. Thank you again for all your prayers and support. We feel very blessed by all your love and responses. Talk with you soon....

Doctor's Update

2007-05-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

Beth and I got some rest while waiting for the doctor. She awoke having some nervous sensations and said she needed to use the bathroom. Let's just say the barium cleaned out her system. We did get to see the doctor again this afternoon with test results. Both tests, the Barium and the ECHO cardiogram came back negative. This is good because it clears any of the large items and those that are most concerning. However, the pain continues after she eats. So we need to find something. The doctor did indicate that the thinning of the blood is on the right track. The next step is the GI doctor will come and talk with us. The nurse practitioner will come and speak to us and then the doctor himself will come. The idea is that he will be able to shed a little more light onto the issue of the pain when Beth eats. The potential test they may do is an EGD, I think. Basically, it is a video scope of the esophagus. This will help them see any scars or such that may be present.

We do have some good news. Beth had an idea of taking some mylanta before eating rather than after. This seems to have helped a little bit and she is not having as much pain as previous attempts at eating.

Please continue to pray that we would have a plan for Beth going into this weekend rather than having to wait until Monday. We learned this past weekend that the hospital definitely becomes quiet with doctors and tests. We are definitely learning how to be patient and learning to deal with pain.

Again, thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement.

ECHO test

2007-05-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

Well, Beth has finished the test and now the waiting game once more. I do believe we are learning about patience while here. Beth is hungry which is a good sign. Please pray for her comfort after she eats. I asked her what she wants to eat after she gets out of here. I suggested a big steak from Maggiano's and she just smiled. For now, however, we are sticking with crackers, noodles, and toast.

Barium swallow

2007-05-04T10:41:00.000-05:00

Beth had her Barium swallow. She seems to have perked up a little bit. Please pray that the swallow test will show something in regards to the pain that occurs after she swallows. They did take us up to have an ECHO of her heart. I forget exactly what they are looking for, but I do remember the doctor saying that she wanted to have the test done to rule out any issue with the heart. The EKG was clean and healthy, but she wanted to be sure and rule out anything else. So, we are here waiting for her to be taken for the test. Thank you for praying.

Friday morning....

2007-05-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Beth had a pretty restful night last night, except for being woken up to take vitals and blood throughout the night. This is definitely good. We continue to wait for them to take her for the Barium swallow test. Hopefully that will come soon. She seems to be doing pretty well. The pain and symptoms seems to have dissipated for a little bit. It does continue to hurt after she drinks. It sounds from the hallway that they may be up soon. I will post again shortly with how she did.

Cell phone: Please know that if you call the cell, it may go directly to voicemail. We are doing this for the sake of the roommate. I will check the messages and get back to you soon.

Visitors: Please email or call first before you come. There are definite times when Beth has indicated she is uncomfortable due to being weak. Please know that you are welcome anytime, we just need to moderate as we go throughout the day.

Meals: We do not have any meals planned for today. That may be a helpful thing. Beth at this point is not eating much. Hopefully that will change soon.

Thank you all for your emails, comments, and prayers.

How you can pray....

2007-05-03T22:57:00.000-05:00

Please pray for:
-answers to the pain in Beth's esophagus when she swallows
-answers to the pain in her chest which feels like heaviness
-that we both might know the peace of Christ as we walk through this situation
-strength, endurance, and patience as we walk into paths of unknown of pain and recovery
-guidance for the doctors as they attempt to diagnose the various issues
-comfort from the presence of Christ as we battle with feelings of loneliness, confusion, anger, and sadness
-wisdom as to how to prepare for Dale's final exams and papers
-in thanksgiving, those friends and family here in St. Louis who have provided meals, visited, listened, prayed, encouraged, and were tangible expressions of Christ's love

Thursday

2007-05-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

Upon arriving at the hospital, Beth was being prepped to go to the vascular scan. We went up there and I learned a thing or two about reading an ultrasound. Finally, those things somewhat make sense. The ultrasound came back negative indicating that there are no more clots. We saw again Dr. Miller, who had released us on Monday and with whom we were so pleased with. She talked through various issues with us including when the clots developed and how the clots are related to these symptoms. We also discussed what life will be like at least for the next 6 months and beyond. She did decide to go ahead and order a barium swallow test in order to find out what was going on with the esophagus. We found out later that we will have that test on Friday.

Some friends came and stayed with Beth, while I was able to get back home in order to shower, shave, and pack some bags for both of us for our stay. Upon returning, Beth continued to struggle with some tightness of heaviness in the chest. There were some intense moments in dealing with that pain. The important thing that the doctor reassured us was that her vitals remain strong. She has a solid heart beat and that there were no changes in her breathing. She does have a heart monitor on her, which is monitored somewhere on the 7th floor.

The lung doctor came to see us in order to see if there was anything he could bring to the table to diagnose this chest pain. He mentioned some kind of inflammation of the small joint which connects the rib to the cartilage of the sternum. He suggested to give her some morphine to attack that pain. He also said that the pain which Beth is having in her chest is unrelated to her blood clots in her lungs. He was able to inform us that the clots were in the lower left lung and reaffirmed that they were small and were low risk.

Dr. Miller and the nurses have been such a blessing to us here. Beth has never been through something such as this before and is learning to cope with the pain and the way her body reacts to the various medications that they give her. This has been very rough at times, especially because the unknown is scary and we don't know what is going on when the pain is severe.

We have had three roommates throughout today. The last was the roughest due to the company which she kept. Beth was not able to tolerate the language, the volume, and the tone with which they talked. Thankfully, the doctor and the nurse was able to pull some strings and got us into a very quiet room.

So, at 10:55pm here is where we are....Beth continues to have pain in her esophagus after she eats. She continues to have some sort of heaviness or chest tightness. Hopefully, tomorrow's test will bring some answers of some sort.

Wednesday...the diagnosis

2007-05-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

Beth woke up at roughly 1:45 in the morning and could not go back to sleep. She was once again having tightness in her chest and suffering from severe nausea from acid reflux. She proceeded to take some mylanta in the attempt to calm the symptoms. Nothing worked. She called the doctor in the middle of the night and attempted to find some answers. Nothing.

She went to work that day and the kids did very well for her. She had tightness all day and the numbness began to get worse by traveling into both hands at this point. In addition, Beth noticed that she began to have shortness of breath, especially when singing, coughing, and other sorts of activities. I picked her up from school and we proceeded to go to an appointment. Upon arrival, Beth began shivering a lot with the other symptoms continuing. We were under the impression that the prozac was the wrong medication since it was a stimulant rather than a depressant type. Our friend strongly urged us to return to the ER . Very reluctantly we did so. Upon our arrival at the ER, we approached it from the standpoint that we were going home and only needed a change of medication, an easy thing.

The doctor gave Beth some GI drink and some adavan in order to calm the symptoms which Beth was having in regards to the stomach acid. They also performed another EKG to check the condition of the heart one more time. The doctor as well wanted to perform a CT scan on her chest in order to make sure that these pains were esophagus related and nothing else. This is where the doctor informed us that Beth had blood clots in her lung. We were stunned and scared.

The doctor assured us that she was at low risk considering the size of the blockage and the timing with which we were able to treat it. They immediately began the blood thinners, which is the only way to treat the condition. The clots they believe were a product of Beth on the Birth control pill. Thankfully, this was our last month anyway. However, possibly combined with this is her being on bed rest and staying in the hospital. Obviously, the thoughts were running through our heads, questioning if this was the issue all along. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to find that out. The plan as we knew it was to have a scan on Thursday to check the legs (where the clots originate) for more clots and to stay on the drip blood thinners for roughly 5 days.

We were very thankful for the friends that came around us after the diagnosis. It was such a blessing to enveloped by this tangible love of Christ.

Recent Events...

2007-05-03T15:40:00.000-05:00

We wanted to share with you the events that have transpired this past week with Beth.

On Friday morning, Beth woke up rather anxious. She had tightness in her chest, slight tremors, and very nauseous and so we went to the emergency room. They did an EKG to check the condition of her heart and it was clean. We talked to the doctors about her anxiety and her troubles with acid reflux. They took an Xray of her chest and that gave sign of an inflammed chest (whatever that means). The basic diagnosis was severe acid reflux and anxiety. They prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug for the tightness in the chest and gave her a prescription for Protonix.

Beth was feeling better off an on for the rest of the day. She got to relax and rest for the remaining of the day. On Saturday, Beth felt better in the morning. As the afternoon approached, Beth began to again have similar symptoms as before. She proceeded to take one of the meds to treat the tightness. A short while later, she noticed tightening within the right side of her neck, which turned into a "deadness" feeling in her jaw, followed by short pains in her shoulder. This was followed shortly thereafter with numbness down her right arm. It was at this point we decided to go back to the ER.

We got to the ER. They looked at the chart from the day before and began to do prick tests on her to see if there was anything stroke related. Beth at one point had to go to the bathroom and discovered that the numbness went down her right leg as well. They could not diagnose anything conclusive at this point without doing an MRI, and so they proposed two options. #1 - Stay the night in the hospital in order to get the MRI on Sunday. #2 - Get a CT scan, be discharged, and then return later in the week for the MRI. We decided to stay the night and get the MRI on Sunday.

The course of the evening into the next day was very rough with the symptoms. Beth deeply struggled with being nauseous and continuation of the numbness. She was unable to eat hardly anything, even Jello. We discovered that noodles and toast were the two things that she could keep down.

Around 2:00pm on Sunday they came to take her for the MRI. We had visitors in to keep us company which was very helpful by this point to pass the time. They gave Beth adavan (relaxer) to take away any nervousness. They took her down to the scan room and began to prepare her for it. The technician placed foam ear plugs in her ears and then placed a black cloth over her face and then proceeded to put a mask over it to make sure she doesn't move her head. Beth, being very claustrophobic realized she couldn't do the scan. I was called in to the situation and they informed us that they could do the scan under general anesthesia. So, under Beth's direction we went for that option.

At this point, we were maintaining the pain and doing nothing to solve the issues at hand, especially the stomach reflux feelings. After some strong advocacy, we were able to see a doctor and begin to discuss these symptoms which Beth was having. The doctor after hearing Beth and the symptoms indicated that it may be gall bladder related. So, they decided to perform an ultrasound on the gall bladder in the morning and then do the MRI the next day depending its results.

Monday (4/30) came and by the time I got there in the morning, Beth was being prepped to go for the ultrasound. She came back and it showed nothing. We were most disappointed because we believed that this was the answer. They informed us that she would have the MRI at 12:30 and they were soon up to take her to see the anestesiologist. We were firm with him about Beth's reactions to the medications given to her while being under. He listened to our concerns and in Beth's words "was as sweet as could be." They performed the MRI and she came through it with flying colors. There were no reactions to the anestesia, even vomiting. It was remarkable. The Lord answered many peoples prayers. Shortly after being released from the recovery room, the doctor came to see us and informed that the scan was clear and that she desired to speak with us about options.

In considering the next steps, the doctor proceeded to bring the issue back to the common denominator, anxiety. She said very often anxiety can create those symptoms of numbness and such if under lots of stress, which Beth takes on a lot. She prescribed prozac to help with this in order to bring the seratonin levels back to normal. She as well gave us a prescription of nexium to aid with the acid reflux. We left feeling very confident in the diagnosis and were looking forward to the mending process.

We both took Tuesday (5/1) off and rested throughout the day. Several times we wrestled through some boughs of anxiety, but overall it was a very successful day. Then we got to Wednesday....

Purpose...

2007-05-03T15:34:00.000-05:00

We created this blog in order to help you, our family and friends to find out what is happening with the Zarlenga family. We pray that you are blessed through the reading the entries and viewing the pictures as we share how Jesus Christ is working through our lives.