...and...WE'RE BACK! And going to Nevada!

It's been so long since our last post, I'm not sure where to begin... A LOT has happened in the last two months.  Our church's all-out, hold-nothing-back VBS, Corrie running childcare at a pastor's retreat, family trip to the mountains, old friends coming to town, and...doctor's visits!!!

While there is MUCH to tell about all of that other stuff, I'm sure that most of you are most curious about my health updates.  Makes sense, seeing as the update part of that has been pretty much non-existent for the last couple months.  So let the updating begin!

First of all, if you don't remember or don't know, the last 6 months have been some of the best in a LONG time.  It feels like my body has been given back to me after months of feeling trapped and bound.  In fact, I had a doctor visit about 6 weeks ago where we found an amazing number...my SED rate was a 15!!!!  Now, I know that that means nothing to most of us in this world, so let me explain.  A normal SED rate, which is determined via standard blood test, has a maximum somewhere in the teens, maybe 13, maybe 15, I don't really remember.  For much of the last five years, my SED rate has been in the 80s and maybe even HIGHER!!  So 15 is pretty much a miracle.

What that means is that my inflammation is WAY down and under control...almost normal.  This is excellent because prolonged inflammation can open the door to numerous disease processes to take over in the body.  Without that inflammation, my body can work on REAL healing, and I can actually start gaining weight and absorbing nutrients!

Here's the BIG news.  Because of my feeling better, our doctor is confident that my body is ready to handle ozone treatment.  If you remember several months back, this was something that Corrie and I asked for prayer about, that ozone would be something that I could handle.  It really has so much potential for healing not just with Lyme disease, but also with many different autoimmune conditions (like arthritis!), and we have been eager to try it.

Well, now we are going to.  Our doctor has referred us to a clinic in Carson City where the pioneer of the medical use of ozone is practicing.  This is going to be quite the adventure!  They want me to go up there and stay for three weeks, during which time I will be receiving various treatments daily, Monday through Friday.  The treatments will include several types, one of which is joint injections.  Injecting ozone straight into arthritic joints has often resulted in PERMANENT healing.

We are so thankful to have friends and family like you all, who have stood with us over these last months and years.  We want to let you know all of our needs so that you can know exactly how to pray for us and even participate in meeting the needs.

1) The three week treatment time will cost somewhere around $8000.  The minimum cost at the clinic will be $4550, which includes the initial examination and the three weeks of daily treatment.  Joint injections and medications, however, are not included in the $4550.  The joint injections cost $250 per shot, and, given that many of my joints are arthritic, I may receive several of these.

We also need to pay basic living expenses while we are there (gas, food, etc.).  The major cost here will be lodging at a local hotel or condo...we want to find a place with a kitchen!

2) That leads me to the next need.  We need a place to stay!  We are definitely researching different options in Carson City, Reno, and Tahoe, but if any of you has or knows someone who has a place in the Tahoe area that we would be able to stay at, it would help A LOT!  It would cut out a lot of our cost while offering a bit more of a home for us (rather than three weeks in a hotel room).

3) If any of you want to join us in Tahoe for any length of time, we would love it.  Obviously that would depend on where we stay, especially if it's in someone's cabin.  We can't just invite people at will to stay in someone else's house.  But, assuming everything works out with our lodging, we definitely want others to come and be a part of the time. We are still in the process of deciding if Corrie and Rebecca will come for just part or all of the time, since that would be a long time to take off of work for Corrie. And we aren't comfortable with my being there alone because we don't know exactly how I will be feeling from day to day, and I may just need help driving and cooking and such.  But even if we all go, we would love to have people join us to help break up the stay.

This feels like a lot to ask for from our friends and family...even a lot to ask for from the Lord. But we know that He will go before us and pave the way if this is what He wants us to do. It is so awesome when He works things together and pieces just fall into place. And we want you to all be part of the process of bringing these needs before Him.

Its also awkward to start laying out numbers of how much we need, and it is not our intention to place a burden on anyone. Really we want those numbers out there so that when the Lord meets those needs, we can all see just how GREAT a GOD He is!  We also know that at certain times, the Lord leads us to help others in their need. And when he does so, it is joyful and exciting.  It's our prayer that any help we get leads to incredible joy, excitement, and blessing for those who give it.

We love you all.