So excited!

Guest post from Leanna's sister, Kim

Hello Everyone!

As you can see my title for hit post was a bit sarcastic. Just wanted to let you all know that Don is going to be having gall bladder surgery. It is scheduled for Feb. 18th but apparently the Dr.'s are arguing over that. One of them thinks the surgery should be sooner so we will see who wins. Update: They are going to go ahead and stick with Feb. 18th.

Leanna sent me the photo above recently. I figured that was probably what he felt about the upcoming surgery.

Please pray for him that all goes well and that there are no complications. Also pray for Leanna. As you might know or can imagine seeing your husband go in for surgery again can be very stressful. Hang in there Don & Leanna. We are praying for you.

~Kim

Coming Home Today

Leanna's sister, guest blogging for Leanna again today.

It sounds like they will be letting Zackery come home today. Unfortunately, Donny is sick and so is Amanda. It seems to be the same thing little Zackery came down with so it doesn't sound fun at all. Ugh! Pray for the whole family. This isn't something anyone wants to get and it is certainly not something pleasant for the whole family to get at one time.

Update! Zackery HAS been released.

Prayers For Zackery

Leanna's sister "guest blogging" today.

Precious little Zackery is in the hospital again. He went to the hospital yesterday (2-5-09). He started vomiting (and losing liquids in other ways) and Leanna was afraid he was going to get dehydrated. She did good as the doctors said he was getting dehydrated. He also had 2 seizures. Once he got there he had another seizure. Before the day was over he had a total of 5. The last two were different so that was very concerning to them. He was later taken to the children's hospital. When Zackery is sick or has a fever (or even stress) his chances of having seizures goes way up. He was on IV fluids and they are working very hard to keep him hydrated. They are going to do an MRI on him.

That is the update for now.

Please pray for Zackery as well as his parents.

It feels like this never ends to them.

As you can imagine this is very hard on them also.

These are the verses that the Lord gave Leanna.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Mark 10:13-16

13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Hard Times Again-Prayers Appreciated!

Hi! This is Leanna's Sister Kim.

SShhh, Leanna doesn't know I am here.

Don't tell her either. ;-)

Leanna has been busy so I thought I would do a quick "guest" post for her. They are facing a tough time again and I really hate that it is so close to Christmas AGAIN! Ugh! I am frustrated about it so I KNOW they are. Don had to go back into the hospital. He was in there for 3 days and will be out of work for 2-3 weeks.

Yes, I know what you are thinking....wasn't he just in the hospital? Well, it seems like it but it was 11 months ago. If you recall he was in the hospital over Thanksgiving last year and here we are in Nov. again. I am sure Leanna will be on here soon to give more details but they were talking about letting him rest up for a few weeks and then do the surgery they said before they weren't going to do. I know that Donny is frightened about that but I also know he doesn't want to go to the hospital every 11 months or so and be out of work for a couple of months. In addition to the normal stress and strain of having a family member sick and suffering there is also the financial aspect.

This family needs prayer! Please, pray for them. They are concerned about the next several weeks and months. As you can imagine having no work pay check for several weeks and then having surgery with no income during the 5-6 week recovery period is pretty scary for them. The last time this happened they lost their house!

As the "big sister" in this family I am concerned about Leanna and her precious family. If anyone wants to send them a card of encouragement in addition to your prayers I know that would mean a lot. If you want their address just contact me or Leanna. If you are reading this post you probably know one of us and can email us.

Since Donny just got out of the hospital they decided the children NEEDED to go have some fun. They got to go trick-or-treating and this was the first year for baby Zackery to dress up. Isn't he a super cute baby clown???

Thanks for your prayers! They work!

MRI for Baby Zackery

Just wanted you all to pray for my nephew Zackery. He is having an MRI today.
He had 6 seizures on Friday. The pediatrician is saying they don't think it is Febrile seizures as the worst case of that would be a total of 6-7 in the entire childhood. Zackery is closer to 18 or 19 total now. The pediatrician suspects a seizure disorder. Of course, Zackery's parents are pretty frightened by this possibility. Please, pray for their peace of mind and that the dr.'s can figure out what the problem is.

Posted by: Zackery's Auntie Kim

Zackery Update For 2-12-2008

Isn't this a precious photo of Zackery and his Daddy?

Update from Kim: I suspect today will be a day of waiting. When Leanna called this morning she said they were waiting on the dr. to come by. They did the EEG yesterday and the dr. will come by to interpret what they saw. They are also talking about doing an MRI. Leanna said last night was pretty rough. Zackery was screaming inconsolably for a long time. Nothing, even holding him would calm him down. A dr. came in and said she didn't think anything was wrong, he's just really tired. I suspect more could be wrong than that. After 7 seizures, a spinal tap, taking blood, RSV, being woke up, Cat Scan, being drugged, all the other tests, and being away from home maybe it could be more than over tired? The good news is that they were able to get 4 hours of sleep. Although Donny slept in a chair all night I suspect it was really helpful. More good news is that they found the Ronald McDonald House IN the hospital so they could finally eat. They had been there 2 days and finally had a meal. They were grateful.

UPDATE #2: Zackery is not on oxygen anymore (needed because of the RSV). They told her that the EEG test only shows what is happening currently not previously. They told them he will go home on meds and be followed for quite a while with the specialist. They are planning to havethe MRI in 2-3 wks.because he has to be sedated. They feel he has too much congestion right now. I guess the MRI or the sedation can create a seizure so they want him to be healthy when they do it.
They want to do a skeletal check on him since his skin is so sensitive. They said he had a lot of fluid in the lungs from the RSV and he has some left over pneumonia.. This was not surprising.
His cultures look good and as long as they don't grow he may get to leave tomorrow.
The neurologist will be in today to give his medical opinion and what he wants them to do. Zackery will be watched closely since 7 seizures in one day is NOT healthy/normal. They are saying it is obviously more than febrile seizures. They eased Leanna's mind by saying this does not happen from pregnancy. It was nothing she did or didn't do. They also said they could take the IV out of his head today if he keeps drinking. They are encouraging him to drink a lot! :-)

Thank you for your prayers. Prayers are still very much needed for this situation, Donny's health, and the financial situation.

I found out that Leanna has been checking her blog although she hasn't posted. Please, feel free to leave comments for the family as I am sure they will appreciate the encouragment.

(Hi Leanna!)

Zackery Update

from Kim: Early this morning I received a text from Leanna saying Zackery has RSV, please pray! If you are not familiar with it you can learn more about Respiratory Syncytial Virus by clicking here. Later this morning Leanna informed me that they are doing a spinal tap to check for infection and meningitis.

Please, continue to lift them all up to Jesus. Donny is not feeling well and Leanna is not feeling well but of course they are there at the hospital for their son. They both need to be resting and taking care of themselves. The rest of the children are at home by themselves and worried about their baby brother. Amanda is 18 so I am sure they are fine physically. I am sure they need some prayers for peace though. They need a special touch for Zackery and some financial miracles.

As you can imagine this is a VERY difficult time so thank you for continuing to pray.

Update #2: Leanna said, she spoke to a team of neurologists in Zackery's room. They said the do not believe it is JUST febrile seizures. It is possible it is febrile seizures (seizures that happen when a fever goes up to quickly) as well as something related to epilepsy. They are saying that either way, having 7 seizures in one day is NOT normal. They will start the testing today. They are saying he will be in the hospital at least several days. They are doing more blood work of course. They don't think he has meningitis but they want to make sure. I suspect they are just wanting to rule that out as a possibility. They told Leanna it will be 48 hours for exact test results but that they could know something much sooner. He is on antibiotics until they rule that out.

Update #3: Meningitis has been ruled out. The Dr. said this means they will go forward with the epilepsy diagnosis/testing.

Zackery Needs Prayer!

Update from Leanna's sister:

Leanna sent me this picture from her cell phone today. My nephew, Zackery, has been taken to the hospital again. He had 2 seizures this morning. After getting to the hospital and doing many tests (cat scan, x-rays, blood tests, etc.) Zackery is going to be taken to Children's Mercy hospital. He had 2 more seizures AT the hospital and after his temperature had returned to normal. They don't believe it is the same problem they thought in the past. Now they are thinking it may be a form of epilepsy. That is all I know right now. They have given Zackery valium and he is pretty much out of it. His parents are going through a terrible time right now. Please pray for them. Their financial problems are getting overwhelming to them and now there is medication and transportation to deal with. Zackery turns 1 in 10 days (Feb. 2oth).
Thank you for your prayers.

Please Pray!

(Photo added by the sis mentioned below-Love you Leanna!)
As of Monday morning Don awoke to feeling sick again! After talking with his Dr. he was scheduled for an emergency collonoscopy. They found that his Diverticulits has roared it's ugly head yet again. He is now out of work until the 20th at which time they will admit him into the hospital if there is no progress. He goes in for a scan on the 13th to see how things are going. He has been dizzy, light headed, nauseated not to mention in a lot of discomfort. Please pray for our family to make it through this trying time. No work = not a lot of income so PLEASE we ask for all your prayers!!!! Zackery has also been in and out of the doctors office due to pneumonia and his seizures. I just recently lost hearing in my left ear. I am on medication that hopefully will help return my hearing back to me. I have however been told it could take as long as 3 weeks. As you can tell we are a family with health issues at current. We know none of this is from the Lord so we are asking for prayers. There is also a posability we will have to move which was not at all what we wanted. We thank each of you for praying and I will try to keep you posted with new info if I can't I am sure my sister will. She is always great about helping me!! Love ya sis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update from Sis: Leanna has been dealing with her own health issues for some time. She had pneumonia and an ear infection that just kept hanging on. Today Donny says she is in bed with fever and chills. Pray for a quick recovery for her.

Zackery is Home!

Zackery is home from the hospital! I meant to post this update yesterday. The family is so happy to be home but very tired. Three of them are working on getting rested up. My sister is feeling a bit under the weather due to the cold that Zackery had but she is getting better too. They are SO tired of hospitals and don't want to have anything else to do with one for a LONG time. Can't say that I blame them at all though.

I am sure when they get rested up Leanna will post here herself.

Kim (Leanna's sister, again)

UPDATE ON ZACKERY

As you might imagine Leanna is a bit too busy so she can't update her blog. I am giving you the update that I have right now.

First of all, thanks everyone for your prayers. They are much appreciated. At the hospital they discovered that Zackery has an ear infection so he is on antibiotics. His fever went up to 100.1 and they immediately gave him Tylenol to keep the fever from starting another seizure. He has NOT had any more seizures or stopped breathing again. Praise God for that! God hears our prayers.

My sister is really tired of being in the hospital so I hope they can go home soon. This morning she said it would be tomorrow afternoon so we will just have to wait and see.

Donny had a visit with the company Dr. and was told he can come back to work on Monday.

Continue to keep them in your prayers as I know they are all very tired. The hospital is 45 minutes away so it is hard on the other children too.

Thanks again for all your prayers,

Kim (Leanna's sister)

URGENT: Pray for Zackery!

Pray for Zackery! Leanna, called me this morning to tell me that he was rushed to the hospital when he stopped breathing and had 2 seizures. 11/30/2007

Leanna's sister, Kim

Out Of The Hospital

After almost a week in the hospital (over diverticulitis)and more dr. visits to come I am thankful to report my husband is home! It sure seemed like he was there a lot longer than 6 days. We are so grateful that he is getting better all the time.

As you can imagine, being out of work has created a financial strain. However, God has seen to it to provide for our family. We have been humbled and amazed by the blessings that have over taken our family. We have had people we have never met showing up with food, paying electric bill, water bill, insurance, and medication. Through it all we have even found a church. Although many bills have been paid we would appreciate your prayers for the rest. Pray with us that God continues to meet our needs.


Two songs that have meant so much to us are "There Is A God" and "The Best Man" by 33 Miles. I am adding those songs to my playlist to share with you. I hope you will listen to them. God has used them to help us to get through each day.

The words to one of them is below:

There Is A God

There’s a beauty to the dawn, a rhythm to the rain
A silence in the soul that I just can’t explain
There’s a breath of life I breathe, a beating in my heart
A magnificence, a scary sense of what lies past the stars
Beyond what we can see behind the mystery
I know that it could only be

(Chorus)
There is a God; this is the proof
That all around the evidence is speaking the truth
From the center of my soul to the edge of the universe
Creation is crying out believe it or not
There is a God

There’s a debt that has been paid, a grace that I’ve been shown
A hope that I’ve been given that I have never known
There’s a love that conquers darkness a piece of life in me
There’s a life that’s not just here and now but for eternity
Beyond what we can see behind the mystery
I know that it could only be that

(Chorus)

I believe it; I believe it
There is a God
I can feel it; I can feel it
There is a God
And the more I find the less I need to see
I’ve never been so sure, so sure of anything

(Chorus)

Update on Don

For those of you whom I have not talked to I wanted to let you know what doctors have told us so far concerning Don's health.
He has undergone a specialist, x-rays and a multitude of body testing. They found that a vertebrae in the back of his neck is pushed out and not placed where it should be. There is also a bone spur on his vertebrae. Also found was a cyst in his shoulder. He will be at a spine specialist today who will also be taking an MRI of his spine. They have determined he has a form of arthritis just not sure of the extent. It is also still believed he has Fibromyalgia. As soon as we find more out I will be sure to let all of you know. Last night after getting home from work he was in much pain. Although they have him on medication for pain it seems to only help to a min. Thank you to all of you who have kept my dear husband in your prayers!! Please keep on praying. Thank you!
~Leanna

A Prayer For Misty

Please keep our very close friends in prayer as they await to become pregnant! Misty has undergone some surgery recently that had to be done for her to even begin to try to become pregnant. They are wanting a new little one soon to add to there precious family. They currently have three beautiful girls ages 14, 12 and 8. Now they are in prayer for a boy but will be delighted with either gender. I am asking everyone to join in prayer for a little bundle of love to soon arrive. Keith is a youth minister and works full time in a print shop and Misty a full time mother and wife. They are wonderful parents that we would love to be blessed with another. After the loss of there last daughter a few years ago they are understandably nervous. I am asking everyone to pray for them to have inner peace in there lives. Thank you everyone and I will be sure to keep you posted on the outcome.