Prayers Needed

When fighting a chronic illness there always seems to be a lot of questions and very few answers. Daddy's situation is no different. Few paths to take and many more "if's" to go along with the decisions. No path seems correct, no path has the "right" answer. We find ourselves having to make those tough decisions once again. After a recent evaluation, daddy's Hepatitis is acting up again and the condition of his liver is getting worse. With that being said, the doctors feel it would be best to start Interferon (a type of chemotherapy) treatments again and try and eradicate the virus. He's tried these treatments before and they were unsuccessful, however the doctor feels this is the best route to take at this time. We are hopeful that this round will be successful.

Daddy will begin next Friday, March 11, taking daily injections of Interferon. No treatment goes without its side effects. Interferon is a very harsh drug and the side effects are brutal. The best way to describe it is having the flu every day. Not only will daddy feel sick every day, Interferon is insensitive to the liver. It is probable that daddy's liver will severely worsen to the point he will need to be moved higher up on the transplant list.

If things go like the doctor is proposing, we will kill the virus and get dad a new liver within the next 2 years---a lot sooner than we were anticipating. After talking with daddy last night, he's in great spirits. He's ready to battle this disease and fight it head on. He said he's absolutely warn out and cannot wait to get a new liver. His attitude is remarkable and how he keeps moving forward with such a positive outlook amazes me every day.

Please be in prayer as he starts this new treatment. Please pray specifically for the side effects to be minimal and that the drugs kills every Hepatitis cell in his body. Also, please pray for the liver that daddy will need. We feel all the prayers you all have said and we know that God is listening!