January has been full of challenges.
We discovered that our furnace here at our farm in WVa died during trip away. Thankfully, our wood stove and firewood stockpile allowed us to survive until a new furnace could be installed--but not before the pvc pipes in the bathroom wall froze and burst- resulting in a week without showering. But all's well that ends well.
This past week, Jennifer followed up with the neuro-ophthalmologist at WVU who gave a good report. He documented continued improvement in extra ocular movements and reduction in size of her dilated pupil. Most importantly, he definitively stated that corrective surgery for her eye muscles will not be necessary. He recommended a routine follow-up appointment in 6 months - which basically means she's doing well and nothing more to do except an occasional check-in visit. Her eye is not normal, but as the nurse helpfully stated, it's live-able. Yes.
Friday, Jennifer endured four hours of rigorous and exhausting testing - cognitive, memory, coordination. "I'm going to read you a list of 20 words, repeat back as many as you can remember." Then 5 minutes later during another exercise - "Hey, repeat as many of those 20 words back again." Again 30 minutes later. "Here's a list of random numbers - now repeat them back to me; now repeat them back to me in reverse order; now repeat them back to me in numerical order." "Now - here are three letters: B, W, Q. Repeat them. Now serially subtract 3 from 81." In the middle of that serial subtraction exercise she taps on the desk and she must repeat the three letters. Now here are three different letters and a new number to start the serial subtraction. Go. And on and on.
Four hours of that. It will take some days for the exam to be scored and evaluated. We must return next week to receive the results and recommendation. Please pray for that visit. That she can receive the results with humility and grace.
Meanwhile, we are fully engaged with our work as Area Directors. We had a week of meetings with our Area Directors in the second week of January (Zoom). We have regular zoom call with those we supervise in Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, DRC, and Malawi. We've been helping work through some of the complicated issues with the Christ School-Bundibugyo restart. While we wait for these results--we're busy!
4 comments:
So thankful for this update and prayer direction. That testing sounds daunting...
Wonderful that God is engaging you in His kingdom work from a distance.
Praying too for the school.
Deborah
Good to get this update and the encouraging report from your ophthalmologist. Thankful for the technology that allows you to stay actively involved with people and problems around the globe. Praying for continued healing, patience, grace for you in this prolonged season of recovery. Steve and Beth
I could envision the exhaustion that kind of testing would precipitate, but I pray that it helps bring clarity for future decisions, personally and professionally and therapeutically. Thanks be to God for every step of progress, and may He give you grace for gaps. We love to offer our strengths to God, but so often we are called to offer our weakest selves.
Continuing to pray. Overjoyed for all of your family time. It seems you guys will gather no moss no matter what circumstances you find yourself. :) I STILL feel exhausted reading about your lives.
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