Cassie, Mom, & Judas' Kiss 3/28/05

Dear Praying Friends,

Here's an update on Cassie's time in the hospital for EEG monitoring. My apologies for not getting it to you sooner!

Cassie only had to be in the hospital in Anchorage for only about a day and a half, with 24 hr continuous EEG monitoring. As it turned out (according to her neurologist reading the EEG history), during that 24 hour period, she had about a DOZEN partial seizures. On the one hand it was somewhat alarming to us that she actually had that many "events" in one 24 hour period. But it also accounts quite a bit for her extreme fatigue that, until this revelation, we were always blaming on medication. And having so much activity gives the doctors allot of good data to look at, as well.

The next step? Well, we are waiting on a call from her neurologist who is conferring with other doctors in Seattle. From my somewhat limited understanding, this EEG will either rule OUT brain surgery as a possibility (if the seizure activity originates from many different areas) or it will bring us one step closer to that POSSIBILITY - but only that.

In the mean time, her medication has been switched again in an ongoing effort to solve the problem this way. Everyone agrees that the right medication combination is a "cure" but, since she has had numerous failures in this area (with full or partial seizures even while she was within proper levels of medication), the surgery looks more and more like the way we are heading, given the final determination of activity location.

Your prayers are what keeps us going right now as we try to focus on family, ministry and sanity .

My mother traveled from Georgia to be with is during ths shakey time, and it;s sure great to have her around. She will be with us until the end of May.

Kris will be sharing in chapel at ACC tomorrrow. Her topic is Judas' Kiss. She will share the scripture, show that scene from THE Passion and will also share the Petra Song by the same title. Here's the lyrics to the 1st verse and chorus (The song first came out on their "More Power To Ya" album back in the late 70's.)

I wonder how it makes you feel when the prodigal won't come home
I wonder how it makes you feel when he'd rather be on his own
I wonder what it's like for you when a lamb has gone astray
I wonder what it's like for you when your children disobey

It must be like another thorn struck in your brow
It must be like another close friend's broken vow
It must be like another nail right through your wrist
It must be just like
Just like Judas' kiss

THERE or in the air!

Gary


God bless each of you!

Reminder - 03/20/05

Our family asks you to be in prayer this week as Kris and Cassie travel to Anchorage and Cassie is admitted for 24 - 48 hurs of observation and continuous EEG monitoring.

Our hope is that some light will finally be shed on her continued problems.

Also, my mother will be traveling to Anchorage from Georgia this week and will travel back with Kis and Cassie to our home in Kenai. We are looking forward to her being here.

At times, it seems like we are all on the verge of tears. Other times, it seems like we are making much ado about not so much, really. But All I want is to see Cassie happy again, and to see no more tiredness in her eyes. I want her to gain weight, and I want her to wake up in the morning, ready to go! I sometimes think it's just not fair.

Sorry about the melancholy-ness. But, hey, I think you know us well enough by now to know that we really want you to know what is going on. I get too many newsletters from missionaries where I have to read between the lines to see what is really happening.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Ministry Moves ON - 3/14/-5

Dear Praying Friends,

We heard back from the folks who administer the TEFRA Medicaid program for Cassie. She is now fully covered under that program and we are moving forward with her treatments! This is a HUGE Praise.

In addition, they will pay the bills that have stacked up since January, as well. We thought they would also cover all the medication costs but, as it turns out, we will not be reimbursed for those expenses. Oh well!

Cassie has been doing well the last several days. She is still very tired but she went to a movie with her sister a few days ago and was also able to be in Church yesterday. It had been several weeks since we had all been together for a Church service. It was something I will not take for granted again.

I also believe that I have come up with a pretty good idea for how to market the computer work I do on the side to help support our ministry with ACC. Basically, for every hour I bill out in time, I will donate an hour to area ministries. This does two things for me:
1. It keeps me from giving away time that I really need to be using to generate supplemental income to support my family
2. It allows me to use my administrative/computer abilities in continued ministry

I hope you can see how this will keep me balanced real well. We are getting settled in pretty well with Kris and her role in counseling and me in my role of "whatever is needed."

Specific Requests/Praises:

-Cassie will be in hospital for two - three days next week (the 21st) for continuous EEG monitoring to determine the next step in her treatment.
-Kris is still doing a bit of double duty at the counseling center and also as a book keeper at ACC. Pray that they will find that part time employee to take her place so she can devote all her time to her mentoring ministry
-Gary is doing some legwork for ACC in the area of ACH transactions. This will allow donors to give via Checking account debit if they desire. This was really big for ABM when he set it up a few years back and ACC will also really benefit from it we hope.
-Thanks to a gift from a supporter in Wisconsin, we were able to pass out copies of Lee Strobel's book, "A Case For Easter" to all ACC students and staff
-Gary is also helping a ministry down in Homer get their website up and running, as well as assisting the local LOVE Inc. with some computer needs.
-We have targeted several people in our community to invite to Easter Sunday at our church and have over for a meal aftewwords
-We will soon have health coverage with Alaska Christian College!
-Gary's Mom is coming up from Georgia to stay with us through Chelsie's High School graduation in May. We are excited to have her here and she is coming with a desire to serve! She may come as early as the 21st of this month, or end of the month otherwise.
-Chelsie is starting up with Soccer soon. She's a senior this year, and one of the captains. She's also coaches Boys/Girls club soccer. AND working at a espesso stand!
-Tyler attended church on Sunday. Not our church, but that's OK. And probably not for the right reasons but, hey, we'll take it however we can get it. He's still looking for work.

In closing, let me tell you a story about our van. We need to replace both front lens units. One was bashed up in an accident, and the bulbs are hard to get too as a result. So, left turns using the left turn signal are a fast blink, because one bulb is burned out. Right turns are the normal, slower blink.

I really like making right turns. Right turns are cool. Slow and easy - - - relaxed.

By contrast, the left turn sound is hurried, stuttery, and sounds somewhat "uptight".

We really want to live a "right turn life", don't you?

In closing, you will see that I am now using an ACC e-mail address. The ABM address still works as well.

THERE or in the air!

Cassie Update - 3/06/05

Dear Praying Friends,

We were informed by officials with the TEFRA program that Cassie has met the first two out of three requirements for her medical needs to be fully funded by Medicaid.

First, since TEFRA only looks at the financial status of the individual seeking coverage, that requirement has been satisfied,

Second, it has been determined that there is a medical need.

If it wasn't so sad a situation, I guess it would be funny. After two months we have proven that Cassie has no offshore holdings or Money CDs stashed away somewhere. And, yes, she is sick.

Now, all we need do is wait another 3-4 weeks to find out if she is actually "disabled."

In the mean time, the rash that was supposed to be associated with an anti-seizure medication she no longer takes - - has come back again. She has also been running a fever on and off for the last few days.

We took her to the doctor on Friday, and they took both blood and urine samples, as well as ran some additional tests. We hope to know better what is going on re. the fever on Monday or Tuesday.

In the mean time we have decided to go ahead with scheduling her for a 3 or 4 day stay at providence Hospital in Anchorage. The purpose of this will be to have her constantly monitored via EEG. (but the fever must be gone before they will admit her). They want to build up more data to determine if the seizure activity is localized to a particular activity of the brain. As I understand it, this appears to be the case with what tests have been taken over the past 4 5 years, but continuous monitoring will really tell this better. It all has to do with determining if Cassie is a candidate for brain surgery (if all attempts at medications continue to fail) as well as strengthening our case with TEFRA, should we need to contest if they rule against the disability issue . This is unlikely, but these test results would be just what we need to change their mind if that's what they decide.

Kris and I are really, really frazzled at this point. Each day starts out with uncertainty and ends in exhaustion. But we know that it's your prayers and God's Grace for holding us all together.

In no particular order:

-We are thankful for those who have stepped in to cover our Sunday school responsibilities at church. (Cassie has missed the last two Sundays in church. Since Kris and I both teach classes, we have had to "tag team" our responsibilities,)
-We are thankful for Alaska Christian College and their support and understanding as Kris misses days of work (right now, her vacation days).
-We are thankful for the friend who called down to the state offices in Juneau and rattled someone's cage for us
-We are thankful for Tyler and Chelsie, our other two kids, who have been very understanding
-We are thankful for extended family who are keeping in touch
-We are thankful that, despite her troubles, Cassie was able to sing with ACC students at the Native Musicale in Anchorage 2 weeks ago (she "signed: as well)
-We are thankful for the many people at our church, in our community, and you, our prayer partners, for the prayers offered for Cassie
-We are thankful for the local hospital and ambulance service, and their patience as we seek TEFRA coverage for the bills we have already sustained
-We are thankful for our family doctor, who is allowing us to pay for Cassie's visits in installments
-We are thankful to the Lord for his sustaining power

If I can borrow some words of Paul,

2 Cor 4:7-9"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

Well, maybe not the persecuted part. But we can sure relate to the rest of it, especially the "treasures in jars of clay" part. Tyler and I went out yesterday and shot up some clay garden pots (don't tell Kris) And the rounds from that .44 Ruger just vaporized them!

Trying to find some routine in the midst of "day to day",

Gary