the waiting game...

Here is little Ethan, about a year ago, sitting in Michael's hospital bed at UVA.

Here we are now, a year later. A very full, busy, and sick year later. Surgeries, doctor's visits, ER trips, recoveries, infections, sicknesses, many medications...

We are so thankful for God's grace which gives us strength and sustains us through our weaknesses. We need our Savior every day. There is no doubt about it in our minds. We want to praise God for who He is, despite circumstances happening that we do not understand.

Our trip to UVA gave us some answers regarding Michael's current condition. The test he had revealed that there is still a leak and very small hole in the J-pouch area, although the area has made significant progress since the 1st and 2nd tests he had. His body is healing itself, which is what we have been praying for, but it is a s-l-o-w process. With all the meds, extreme

auto-immune suppressants, surgeries, and infections that he has had over the past few years, it is taking his body a longer time to regain strength and build resistance.

Because there is still an area of concern, we will continue to wait for his body to heal itself. Michael will continue to undergo tests to check the healing process. When the radiologists, nurses and surgeon give us the green light, we will schedule his final surgery (although there is no time-restraint for this process of healing. so it could be weeks, months, even years.)

Because the hole is so small (we've been told it is the size of a pinhead), surgery to repair the hole is considered to be too great of a risk. We were greatly encouraged to hear that his body is healing gradually and are completely content waiting for it to heal on it's own.

In the meantime, Michael is regaining strength. The stronger he is going into the final surgery, the easier his surgery and recovery will be.

We appreciate all of your prayers and notes and wish we had the time to personally talk to each one of you. Our God is great, and He is good. We don't know the reason for the waiting game, but we know that God is doing what is best for us and that this is the best way for Him to receive glory right now.

While we were at the hospital today, I had the opportunity to visit my neighbor, LeeAnn, and her sweet little 8 month old who recently had his second heart surgery. He has been in the PICU on floor 7 at UVA for months now and is a living miracle. As we talked, LeeAnn patted his bed and put him to sleep...his tiny 12 pound body looks perfect, despite all of the things hooked up to him. A few weeks ago he flatlined which resulted in brain damage (the extent is still undetermined...time will tell). Please pray for this family, our friends~ LeeAnn, Chris, Baby Bradley and his two big brothers, Nicholas & Douglas.