A family health update...

I am here before you with some good news to report and feel enormously fortunate!

Patty
Many of you have been concerned about her health and praying for her. Before her big surgery, things looked very grim. We were even worried she wouldn't make it to the surgery. Her poor body just was giving up on her. Her spunk was gone and she was very weak and couldn't eat much, if at all.

I can't tell you enough how grateful and astonished we are to see her turn around for the better. It was rough in the beginning, but you can literally see she's back, and she's looking fantastic more and more! It felt so good to see this turn around after everything she has been through. Truly a gift long overdue! Thankfully, she is enjoying food now (yay for nourishment!), and the pain she was in—as well as the variety of medications she was on has greatly diminished.

Leah
On 12/11, you'll recall she suffered an eye injury (as reported in a previous post). From her last checkup, what they thought was a retina detachment then, isn't! With her healed a bit, they can see more clearly that there is viscous fluid build up and blood that will go down as she continues to heal.

She will return in a couple weeks for another follow-up. Her surgery to repair the injury was done beautifully, and the surgeons should be proud of the great work they did. These doctors aren't trained specifically for these types of scenarios... I mean, come on, a pitchfork accident? Their mastery is truly an art form and is clearly attributed to her success so far. Her sight in this eye is obviously affected, and she's relying on her left eye for now. We'll learn more about the vision part in her next checkup.

Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
I think many of you will agree, that this has been a difficult year for a lot of people. This family, in particular, has a lot to be thankful for. We hope 2009 will be a great year to reflect upon with many fun adventures and memories to recall.

Hugs!