Walk with Us awhile...

We wanted to give everyone a health update. We are so thankful for all the prayers for our health as we have been struggling with sickness on and off the whole time we were in Honduras.

Let me take you back a little …

After we both got the Roto Virus, we continued to have issues with our stomachs and my morning/all-day sickness began to intensify. While returning the group from Pella, Iowa Jason began having intense pain in his abdomen and around to his back. After much guidance from the team, we ended up at a private hospital in Tegucigalpa for some tests.

They ran some tests and found he had a precursor to a fungus that needed to be treated. They also scheduled him for an ultrasound for the next Tuesday. I post this picture of him smiling because by the time we were ready to leave, he was so drugged up that he was singing songs and giggling. I tried reasoning with him, not even to stop singing, but just to sing more quietly because we were just behind curtains, but this did not help. I would say I was embarrassed, but it was really more funny than anything else.

Prior to Jason’s visit to the hospital, I continued to struggle with vomiting and diarrhea. That intensified on Saturday night and by Monday I was on another IV and unable to eat or drink anything. By Monday afternoon I was very weak, some tests said I had a bacterial infection, and the head doctor of the hospital advised Jason to get me home to check on the baby.

Jason flew home with me one because I was too weak to get myself home and also to get an ultrasound for him because we never made it to his appointment because I was so sick.

We made it home safely on Tuesday evening and I had my OB visit on Wednesday morning. After a scary few minutes of not being able to find the baby’s heartbeat, the Doctor found it!! It was neat to hear, but we were all so worked up from the intense moments before we really didn’t enjoy it. The doctor asked us to return in a week because he felt like he couldn’t get a clear picture of how I was doing because I was so weak and we had just stepped off a plane the night before, so I returned home to puke my guts out … hints the picture. My job for the week was to sleep and try to eat.

My return visit was much more pleasant. The doctor found the heartbeat immediately and this time it was really cool. We even got to hold the machine and feel the heartbeat beating in our hands. I had also gained back 4 of the 10 lbs I had lost in the previous 2 weeks, so that was good. I must say it was the first time in my life I was happy to see weight gain. Our doctor has advised me not to return to Honduras at this time because my immune system will continue to be suppressed throughout the pregnancy and I will be susceptible to becoming sick again. He said I can not continue to loose weight like I did.

Jason and I are choosing to follow the doctor’s advice as my main job right now is to take care of the baby, which means taking care of myself. Jason will be returning to Honduras this weekend until the beginning of May.

Jason’s blood tests and ultrasound he had here in the States all came back negative. While we were happy that there was nothing serious found through these tests, he continues to have some abdominal pain. Our prayer is that his pain will stop and if not, that the Lord will make us wise about whatever steps we need to take.

We do ask for your continued prayers over this next month as we will be apart. I am having to mentally and emotionally prepare for this unplanned separation. It is hard to think about the baby beginning to move and Jason not being here to experience that and also it is just not easy to think about being apart from my husband for so long.

Well, sorry to be so lengthy, but we wanted to give a full update. We hope that this will be our final health update and the next photo that you see of either of us in the hospital will be in September when our little one arrives :)