Letter from Oma: Dawn's health

Hello to all of you from Kenya,

My mom is writing this and I chose to blog it.

Since before Christmas Dawn has not been feeling physically well, she contributed a lot of it to the stress of grieving, but two weeks ago she started getting some testing done and found out she has gall stones and over active thyroid. This was found out after many blood test, ultra sound and C Scans. This Friday she is going to have a final test to find out how bad her gall bladder is inflamed.
Her symptoms for the gall bladder are aches all over and feeling yucky in general. The symptoms of the thyroid problems are being very warm all the time, headaches, and not sleeping well at night. The most effective way to control gall bladder problems is to go on a fat free diet. Being on a fat free diet is not a cure rather a way to control, most people who follow the fat free diet eventually have their gall bladder removed. She has been advised by Doctors and Nurses in Kenya to have it removed.

So, the current plan that is being set in motion is to have her gall bladder removed in South Africa. South Africa has a state of the art hospital and highly skilled Doctors. Dawn was very impressed with Ryan’s care in the South Africa hospital. Dawn is a high risk surgical candidate because of her burst appendix and all the infections and two major surgeries she had 5 years ago. All her symptoms are on the right side of her body where lots of adhesions would have formed after her surgery. She is hopeful the surgeons in S. Africa can do the simple procedure for removal of G.B. but if it is too hard to get to then she would have a incision and have a longer period of recovery.

I (Darlene) arrived on Jan. 15 and planned on staying until February 28, with these health problems that need to be addressed I think I will stay here until March 25. Hopefully Dawn will have surgery the first week of March and be able to fly home soon after. Please keep her in your prayers.

I will stay with the kids in Nairobi, keeping the kids in school and the house hold running. They need continuity which I can bring. Dawn will be free to go to South Africa for surgery and recovery. AIM has missionaries there that lend support. She is considering who can travel with her and be her advocate.

On a happy note, Caleb and Levi are attending West Nairobi Chr. School. Levi is in kindergarten and Caleb in second grade. They are enjoying the school environment and doing well. Seth and Chloe are going to preschool four mornings a week and learning lots of new things. We love to hear all the stories the kids have when they come home from school.

Dawn plans on returning to the US in June and will spend one year on home assignment before future years in Kenya. She plans on returning to Kenya and is looking at different ministries in the Nairobi area. This is their home and this is where they want to be.
Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested.

Thanks for all your prayers and concerns. Darlene, Dawn, and children

First day of School

January 12 is the first day of school for Caleb in 2nd grade and Levi in kindergarten.

Eager beavers

New Back Packs full of new school supplies

Christmas at the Coast

We went to the coast for a week over Christmas and stayed at a 3 bedroom villa. We went with Dale and Chris Hamilton, John and Heather Miller, Josh Hamilton, and Wanza. It was nice to be apart of a larger a family. And to have the adults out number the kids at the pool and in the ocean.

John, Heather, and Josh

Levi in the pool

John and Seth

Caleb and Levi in the surf

Stockings



Wanza

Opening Presents

Super soakers for the pool

Out for Ice Cream on Christmas Day

Wanza and Chris

Christmas Dinner at the poolside

Christmas in Nairobi

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Stockings

Setting up the Wii and then testing it



Ladies blessing Tiffany and I

Making Christmas Cookies with the Kellers

Christmas breakfast, Levi slept in.

Opening dinner with the Gibsons