Update on Cam: One week out...

Cam has been out of the hospital for over a week now, and seems to be doing well.  He's still taking a blood pressure pill and one other pill, but he doesn't have to take the caltrate anymore.  If we mix the pills in with 25% Juice, he doesn't throw up. :)  They are apparently some pretty gross little pills.  He will be weaned off them. 

He has been going to the doctor twice a week to get his blood pressure checked, and get blood drawn.  His blood pressure is getting back to normal.  At first it was on the high end of normal with the pills, but it is lowering.  So that's good news.  He should be completely healed within 2-3 years.  He has been acting normal and his face isn't swollen anymore. 
I didn't realize how stressed we had been during this whole trial.  As the dad, and as the "strong figure" I didn't realize how hard this whole thing has been on me.  When I returned to work, everyone could see a difference.  One man told me, "You haven't been yourself, and that's okay.  You've been through a LOT.  Everyone can see it."  I was distracted, and not able to remember things or stay focused very well.  I'm doing a bit better.  It's been helpful to work in such an understanding environment. 
  I've always known God's will would be done, and I'm really thankful that things are turning out so favourably for Cam and us.  Thank you for your prayers and for continuing to lift Cam and our family up.  God bless, yumob!  If you have any questions for us, please ask.

They are coming home!

It's official!  Cheri and Cam will be arriving in Katherine at 4:10pm tomorrow at the bus station! :)  Our family will officially be whole again.  Cam will need to go to the doctor to have his blood pressure checked and have a basic check-up.  He'll be making that trip twice a week for the forseeable future, but he'll be HOME. :)  Yes!  His kidneys will not be completely healed for 2-3 years, but they WILL HEAL. :)
  To each of you who have been fervently praying for our family and specifically Cameron, thank you.  Apart from God's mercy and kindness to our family, we wouldn't have faired too well.  We have been blessed with so many people helping us with the girls, offering their homes to us, a car while we were down in Adelaide, visits in the hospital from (to us) complete strangers who prayed with Cam and Cheri and me.  Friends on so many continents praying and encouraging us via Facebook or this blog.  We have been abundantly blessed.  We praise the Lord for his kindness, and thank Him for each of you.  Each prayer and encouragement means so much to me, and to our family.  God has been good to us.  May God bless each of you too, as you continue to serve Him and lift up those in need.  Keep being a blessing, yumob!

Second time around...

So, Cam is back in Darwin.  This is good, but I've also noticed myself(Jared) getting tired.  I'm tired of hospitals, tired of the smell of "extra sanitary", tired of the extra cold A/C, tired of measuring out urine...and I haven't even been doing it for the past week!  Cam is beginning to get better, and I can see it.  I want him to come home.  Like RIGHT NOW.  I know he wants to come home too, and all this is "getting old".

HOWEVER, on the bright side, we have been able to take Cam out of the hospital for extended periods of time, and just bring him back to sleep and get his blood pressure taken.  The staff here at RDH(Royal Darwin Hospital) are nice, too.  They've been very kind and understanding, especially when Cam has a fussy attitude.  All of the medical staff we've dealt with over the past 2+ weeks have been very kind.  There are all kinds of things we can be thankful for.

But, he's not ready to come home yet. (sigh)  We're getting close, SO close.  I know there are other families who have had to stay longer in the hospital than us, and their situation is permanent.  I'm thankful this is only for a "short" time in our case.

For all who have been praying for us, thank you.  Please pray for perseverance, especially as we near the (hopefully) end.  Or perhaps stamina would be a better thing to pray for.  We're not going to quit or anything, we just need strength.  Specifically, pray for Cam's blood pressure to be normal, and for him to be drinking enough fluids, as well as eating enough.  Until his blood pressure is consistently normal, he can't leave.  He's currently taking a little pill to help with that, as well as a calcium supplement and a medicine that helps him to pee.  When he can be taken off those, he will be coming home.  I know you've all been praying with me, and I look forward to praying more with you as well.  If there is anything you would like prayer for, just let us know and we'll be praying for you as well.  Thank you again for bringing our family before the Lord, and for encouraging us during this time.  Each of you is a blessing to us.  Thanks, yumob!

Back to Darwin! :)

Cam has now had his vascath removed (the tubes in his neck used to plug him in to the dialysis machine).  Thank you for your prayers during the removal time.  No more dialysis. :)

Plus,  I talked to Cheri this morning and they are flying back to Darwin tomorrow!  Yay!  We're not sure how long he may have to stay in the hospital up there, I'm praying we can all come back to Katherine on Sunday. (Though that is just a hope from a dad/husband, not a doctor.)  Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support for our family during the last two weeks and beyond.  Can you believe it's already been two weeks?  Crazy.

All of your prayers and encouraging notes have been a blessing to our family and we are in awe of how God has reminded us we are not alone in hardship.  Our Christian family has been such a support to us.  Though we've been far from our relatives and family, God's Family has held us up and supported us.  Thank you for walking this challenging road with us.  Praise the Lord Cam is healing up! :)  May God bless you all.

Jared for the Mullets

Quick Prayer Request.

Tomorrow, Cam will be going into "theatre" (surgery) to get his tubes removed.  Please pray it all goes smoothly.  It shouldn't take long.  Thanks, yumob! 
Here's the note from Cheri:

So Cam's getting his vascath out (the tubes in his neck they used for his dialysis) tomorrow morning! Yeah They tried to take it out today, but it was a failed attempt, as he had the opposite reaction to the sedative they gave him and ended up being agitated and throwing a big fit instead of sleeping... so they couldn't get it out unfortunately. They says about 5-10% of kids have the opposite reaction that it's supposed to give. So tomorrow he'll have to be put under I think. But thankfully it's coming out! Praise the Lord!

We're in the Home Stretch!

Well, the plan was to take Cam's tubes out today, but as sometimes happens (or maybe usually?) things didn't go as planned.  So, Cam gets a rest, and they'll try taking the tubes out tomorrow.  Coming back to the NT could be very soon!  Much sooner than we originally expected.  If everything goes well, we may have them back by the end of this week.  That would be WONDERFUL. :) 
  Thank you all for your prayers for Cam and our family.  You're all a blessing.  It's amazing how much things have changed in just one week.  We are convinced it is due to God's mercy to us, and the thousands of prayers offered to Him on our behalf.  Praise the Lord! God bless, yumob! (y'all in Kriol)