Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We got back last night from our 3 day visit with Nate’s family. We had good food and great fellowship. The girls enjoyed opening their first round of presents and spending lots of time with their cousins. Today we go to my parent’s house and stay overnight for a few days to really get some quality time with them. We are looking forward to it…more presents of course, but also watching the joy of Jesus’s birth through the eyes of a (almost) 4 year old.

We hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas.

Rescheduled for the New Year

We are scheduling Amy’s thyroid uptake scan for the new year.

Rescheduling

We have to reschedule the thyroid uptake scan.  The scheduling dept at Edward had us down for the wrong scan, so we have to reschedule it.  We are talking with the ENT to see if this scan can wait until after the holidays.  Things are getting more crazy for us, as I am sure for you too.  If it cannot wait, we’ll be there to sedate Amy again on Wednesday.  What misery that was, hopefully we’ll be able to work it out a little better.

Thanks again for the calls, emails and comments.  We are thankful for you all.

More Christmas Joy

I was reading Mark’s blog and he posted some stuff as well in regard to the Christmas Season.  [Nate]

VOL: Sing Angel Choirs
VOL: On to Bethlehem
Jason Harrod: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Jason Harrod: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O Holy Night

We watch Studio 60 feverishly.  We think it is one of the smartest, best TV series on right now, despite what Christians think and how they are portrayed (I am not threatened by what they say about Christians, since they frequently characterize Christians incorrectly).

Anyway, last week was the Christmas Episode.  Instrumentalists from the Tipitina’s Foundation rendered "O Holy Night" for the show, my favorite Christmas hymn.  Phenomenal. 

It was a great show anyway, but this rendition brought me to tears.  Enjoy. [Nate]

Studio 60 site  Actual MP3

Results

I just heard from Dr. Morganstein about Amy’s CT Scan. The lump IS her thyroid gland. It looks like it is just the way it developed and that it is in the wrong position (your thyroid sits lower in your neck). He indicated that we wouldn’t need surgery now, but it is a concern that her thyroid is still so high. The next step is she needs another test. I believe it is called a Thyroid Uptake Scan. They want to monitor how her thyroid is functioning. Since her blood tests were normal, I’m assuming it is functioning well, but I guess we will find out for sure. Once the Dr. gets the results, he will contact us to meet and talk about what comes next.

I’m thankful we won’t have to go through surgery, but still sad that her thyroid is not where it should be. She may just have a large lump on her neck for the rest of her life. We’ll see.

Had the CT Scan

Amy had her CT Scan this morning. It was emotionally exhausting for all three of us (Natalie stayed with Grammy). We got to the hospital about 7:45 am and Amy did not like all the poking and prodding by the nurses. Around 8:15 she received her IV…it was hard to hold her down and hear her scream. BUT that wasn’t even the worst part. They gave Amy the sedative by mouth and it started to kick in after a half hour. At first it was funny…it was like seeing our little Amy drunk. But after fighting to go to sleep for 45 minutes, they gave her more of the sedative. It took us another 45 minutes of crying and screaming for her to fall asleep in Mommy’s arms (which were about to fall off). Once she was asleep, she was so peaceful…but that is when the full emotional impact hit me (Kara) and I have been crying ever since.

The wheeled her in for the CT Scan. Nate went in with them and I stood outside and watched the screen. She slept through the entire thing. To be honest, I kind of hoped they let her sleep for a little while, but they woke her up right after it was finished. So…2 hours getting her to sleep for about 15-20 minutes. She is still pretty drugged up…can’t walk or crawl. And if you know Amy well, she is pretty strong-willed, so this has been really hard for her. We left the hospital about 11 and it is 12:30 now. I finally got her to eat something…Doritos and watch Curious George. This is the first time she has stopped crying since we left the hospital.  I just feel so drained…what a morning! I think the hardest part was seeing my little girl so upset…then so limp and complacent…and now so irritable again. They say it could take up to 8 hours for the drugs to wear off! Hopefully she will take a nap this afternoon to pass the time.

Thank you for your prayers for us and for Amy. We just hope the CT Scan was able to show the doctor what he needed to see.

Ooh! She just asked for carrots and dip…that’s a good sign.

Job Change

Since we told the current high school students and their parents yesterday, I feel like it is okay to tell the rest of those close to us. And since I want you all to hear it from me before someone else, this is the "best" way to do that…

I have accepted the call to be the pastor to 20’s and 30’s/young families at our church. The position oversees growth groups as well. As of January 1, I will no longer be the youth pastor at NPC. This has come from many months of prayer and deliberation with Kara, my parents, relatives and my growth group. We are excited about this change, but also sad to leave the high school ministry. We are grateful for the ways in which the students have blessed us.

There is a ton more detail for those who are interested, but I think this suffices for now! Just know that we are not leaving the relationships… Kara and I want to still have students over to our place, I plan on finishing well with our senior class, and we intend to maintain solid relationships with the students into the future.

I am also excited to share that Brian Dennert has accepted the call to be the new director of high school and college ministries at NPC.

Amy’s CT Scan

Amy is scheduled to have the CT scan next Friday, 12/8, at Edward Hospital, 9 am in the morning.  Please pray the CT scan is clear so the doctors can see, evaluate and diagnose accurately.  Pray the cyst is localized and easily removed by the recommended outpatient surgery.

We have chosen Dr. Morgenstein, D.O. (CDH profile) from Central DuPage Hospital, Edward Hospital and Children’s Memorial (Chicago) to continue with Amy and perform the surgery.  He has 21 years experience and specializes in pediatric head and neck tumors and pediatric surgery. 

Thanks for reading.  We’re feeling better, but it is hard to think about and watch your little one go through all this.