I wrote the last post about how fast things have been going, but then, don’t you know, it has been over a month since we have written. The Christmas season was a lightning blur, even with so many activities cancelled or postponed due to the raging COVID monster. We didn’t get to go to the festival of trees this year, but we did get to watch it on the computer. A bit different, but still cool that they could have the fundraiser still.
Well, we had Christmas and everything went really well. Amelia had some hiccups with her medicines and the timing of them. We had switched one of her meds from the afternoon to the morning trying to get a good reading on the labs. The problem showed up pretty quickly. This medicine makes her shaky and not feel very good. She wasn’t able to eat much, and was nauseated along with the shaking during the day. She was getting miserable, so we switched her med back to the afternoon. With that she is doing much better, having those symptoms during the night when she is sleeping, more or less.
She is able to eat better and is feeling better. I ask her every day how she is, and she usually says, “Crummy.” I told her that she should call that her normal and let us know if she is worse or feeling better. I only keep praying that she will be feeling better soon.
We had a fun New Year’s Eve, celebrating with homeade sushi and seafood, that Amelia actually ate. We call that a win.
She has been doing good with school, but is glad that this semester is over. She is looking forward to getting started on some new classes. We also found out that Amelia will be in one of the first classes of 9th graders to attend high school. She will be going to her 9th grade year at Taylorsville High School. She was both excited and nervous about that when she went to the orientation. Lucky for her, Leatha and Cameron have been going there for a few years and the school itself isn’t so intimidating.
Earlier this week, we had another kidney clinic, and wonder of wonders, it was virtual. I didn’t get to attend, but it went faster than ever before. We did find out that her labs are doing better in some respects, but worse in others. He kidney function is definitely going down though. We keep hoping that a new kidney will be coming soon to take care of that.
Again I would like to thank everyone who reads this blog and keeps Amelia in their thoughts and prayers. I am a big believer in the power of group faith and prayer. It is the reason that we still have Amelia with us, and the reason that she has done so well over these past 11 1/2 years of her transplant. Thank you to all of you.
I was also remembering back to that virtual Festival of Trees at the first of December, and a couple of things that Alex Boye said in his final remarks that have stayed with me all season. He said that he had looked up contagious in the dictionary and saw that it meant the transmission of something from one person to another. While we all have the COVID beast in mind, he also said that there are things in this world that are even more contagious; Love, Peace, Harmony, Joy and Good Tiding of Good Will. He was talking about the feelings of Christmas, but those are exactly the things that Jesus Christ embodies, and what I hope we can all spread around this country.
This weekend we had our stake conference. During the Saturday night session, they had a slideshow of some of the things that our stake did for others during the pandemic. From yard cleanup, to the harvest festival, to the coat drive, to the bike drive, these were all things making the community better. I find that seeing that kind of service and love in the face of this pandemic inspirational.
Carrying on and taking care of others, and just living with odds and circumstances against you forces you to find another way to look at things, and brings hope. Hope is always there if we can find it. I hope to be able to always find that hope.
Alex Boye also said that he mother used to tell him to always find the gift in every struggle, find the peace and good. We try to do that with all of the trials that we have and especially with Amelia. I know there is a far reaching reason for Amelia to have this kidney failure.
I don’t know what it is yet, but it will enlighten someone in the future. For myself and Brenda, I feel that our trial with Amelia is not only teaching us things, but through all of this, we will be able to help someone else understand what their child is going through, and help them. I don’t know when that is going to happen, but I hope that our experience will support and help them to find the gift in the struggle.
Thanks again for reading this.
Still coming to you live, now 208 days into this new kidney journey,
-Justin
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