We received a call from Ben's transplant coordinator last week. Washington has approved Ben to be placed on the transplant list. They just wanted him to do a couple more tests, - and Eco cardiogram and a Doppler - both of which he has already done. Now we just have to wait for a call from the hospital in Nashville, to find out when we will be going out there for our week long, pre-surgery visit.
It looks as though God may have timed everything just perfectly for us. God's timing is always perfect, but this is actually what we have been hoping and praying for. If everything goes smoothly, it still looks like it may be possible for Ben to have the transplant sometime this summer. That would be perfect timing for us because the girls will spend the summer with their mom and/or grandparents. I believe that will be less stressful for the girls - because they won't be here when he is gone for the surgery and hopefully will still be gone when he returns home. I think if they are with their mom and/or grandparents they will be more preoccupied and less likely to worry. Plus, it will probably make things easier for Ben and I to settle-in to his recovery time at home.
I believe I forgot to mention, in the last post, that Ben and I completed the Daniel Fast on Good Friday - our wedding day. The fast truly did help both of us to become much more aware of what we are eating and what is in the food that we are eating. In the end, Ben lost 14 lbs and I lost 9 lbs. We have now added meat and dairy back into our diet; however, we are trying to keep those things to a minimum and continue to focus on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. We are also trying to begin working out more regularly. We wanted to start P90X, but my ankle is not going to allow us to do that right now. Instead, we are doing some cardio in the gym [me on the eliptical and Ben on the treadmill], hapkido training everyday, and then doing the strength training portions of P90X.
The girls are all doing well. We have survived TAKS testing. We found out yesterday that Kaley passed both the math and reading portions - WOOHOO!!! Angela also passed the math portion - getting almost all of the questions correct! - but missed passing the reading portion by 6 points. We are very proud of her for doing so well on the math portion, and we are confident that she will pass the reading portion when she retests. Being that Solina just completed her TAKS tests last week, and Angela and Kaley just did their Science test last week, we do not know the outcomes for any of those tests yet.
Okay, I think that is it for now. I'll try to keep y'all as up-to-date as possible. I know there are several people reading this who do not show up as following the blog - I want you to know that Ben and I appreciate your support. : ))
I was just looking back at my old blog and saw that you commented on the 1st post I made on robneedsakidney.blogspot.com -- I'm glad I did! It's always cool to "meet" a new person, especially a Christian woman like yourself, who is supporting their husband who is going through kidney disease. I just read this, your 2 most recent blog posts, and wanted to say "congratulations!" on both your wedding and for Ben getting approval on the transplant list. I will keep reading your blog, it looks great! Have a wonderful day,
ReplyDeleteDanielle
Yay, so exciting to hear from you Danielle! And may I say "CONGRATULATIONS" to you as well; your daughter is absolutely beautiful! I haven't had a chance to watch the videos yet, but I'm sure I will.
ReplyDeleteNot only did reading through your blog help me gain some perspective, it also inspired me. Seeing all of the wonderful pictures of the rides you and Rob have taken inspired me to consider taking up trail riding. Ben and I love the outdoors, so we are going to try to save up our $ for some decent beginner bikes.
Thanks so much for your comment; it really does mean a lot. As you said, it is always nice to 'meet' a new Christian woman. Best of luck to you all!