Updates

on answered prayer

Hello world. This post feels like an attempt to throw my fraying rope over the edge of the not-knowing-ness in which I have left you all hanging for weeks. My arms are a little shaky, and the rope may not hold much weight, but it’s time to make an attempt to catch you all up to our current state.

First of all, thank you. So many of you have reached out to tell us you are praying, to ask about the decisions we are facing, to check up on us. And I am sure there are many of you who have been quietly praying behind the scenes, too. We feel held and known and loved, and we are both so, so thankful.

After I posted my prayer request back in December, I closed up the computer, went to help Wayne with a few things around the house, and then heard my phone ring. Within less than an hour of that post—honestly I think it was more like thirty minutes—the contact person for the Shands trial was calling me. I was floored. I mean, I believe that God hears us, and that He does answer prayers, but that was pretty immediate! I don’t know why I keep being surprised by His goodness, but in a way, I’m glad. I don’t ever want to lose the freshness of perspective when He comes through yet again.

Anyway, this phone call very specifically dealt with the things we had been wondering about. I had mentioned that Wayne would have to discontinue his current supplement regimen, but actually, the trial coordinator and I were able to discuss them more, and he has been approved to continue all of it. And another concern that we had, the original day of the trial being on Mondays, was changed because of an issue with the doctor’s schedule. That removed the main conflict Wayne had for his business. It seems like the doors keep opening, and Wayne and I both feel pretty confident about stepping through and walking down this path for now.

The final part of this phone call being an answer to prayer was that the trial coordinator had been looking over Wayne’s records and noticed that at his last clinic visit, his PFT (pulmonary function test) was at 74.6%. Now this may not sound like an answer to prayer, particularly if you are a little hazy on what pulmonary function is. Let me hasten to reassure you that it is not blood oxygen level. Ha. If that is where your mind went, believe me that you are not the only one. It has been quite the adventure to see folks’ faces when I share this in person; people are wondering how he is even standing on his own feet at this point. I actually did not even really know what the 74.6% meant either, and to think that he has already lost so much was disconcerting. Wayne has noticed that his coughs are not quite as productive as he would expect or is used to, but that is very minor and is the only breathing-type issue he has noticed at all. I did not think to ask for more information over the phone that day, but have since looked it up, and it seems that 70-85% is considered normal, which is reassuring.

In order for Wayne to participate in the COYA trial, he will need to have at least 75% at the preliminary intake appointment. They do round up, so with Wayne’s current recorded lung function, he would be accepted. However, if he has lost any lung function since October, he would be disqualified. Wayne has been doing his breathing exercises at home, except for when he was sick and coughing, and we are hopeful that he can join the study when it begins. But if he cannot meet that benchmark, that in and of itself would be an answer to prayer, since we have been asking God for leading, for what would be the best choice for Wayne and for our family as a whole. It makes the decision feel easy, knowing that in a way, it is out of our hands. As soon as the trial is approved, we’ll get another phone call to schedule the intake screening, and go from there. That should happen any day now.

In the meantime, we do have another clinic day coming up in about a week and a half, which will be a good chance to check back in with all the care providers at the VA, evaluate where we are, see what is ahead, have a day with each other to adjust and think and just fully be present in this journey together. It would be wonderful if we could schedule the trial screening around the same time and avoid multiple trips, but we just don’t know when it will all come together.

Again, thank you for praying; please keep it up! I am going to work on some more updates, as things have been changing quickly around here, and we both have things to share. But at least for now you can hang onto this little snippet. Love to you all!

(I’ll let you decide what this picture means and how it is relevant….)