Update

Well, it’s a little embarrassing to realize it’s been about 9 months since my last entry. When I started this journey, my goal was once a month… time to rededicate myself.

Let’s see…..after our great 4th of July visit in Seattle, our next adventure was our annual trip to the Oregon Coast sand dunes. Our good friends, Scott & Jody, loaned us their quad so that we would have a toy of our own (so to speak). Jaime and I both managed to launch it while we were there !!! He stood it up going up a hill, and I (literally) launched at the top of a dune, then set it on it’s rear – busted the tail light !!! Ahhh….what great memories !!! Our goal was to get either a camper/trailer, or a side-by-side for this year’s trip.

September meant the beginning of school – for Justine and Darci. Justine continued taking classes at Mt. Hood Community College, working toward the nursing program. Darci began her freshman year at Portland State University (PSU). She began taking general studies while she decides on her major. She scheduled classes for every day, starting at 8 am!!! So, she would leave the house by 6:30 so that she could ride the Max. She takes after her dad…

Then winter set in…..We spent this Thanksgiving with Jaime’s sister Elizabeth and her family down in southern Oregon. Justine and Darci went with us, while Kayleigh and Chris stayed here and celebrated Thanksgiving with Chris’ family – in their new town house !!! Mid-November, Kayleigh and Chris bought a new townhouse in Sandy, which is up the road from us about 20 minutes or so. They managed to close before the end of the year and take advantage of the tax credit. It’s a nice 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath – the perfect starter home.

The big news was the big freeze in December. This translated to a really busy time at work for me. And then we were flung into Christmas. We enjoyed a nice, quiet family gathering at Kayleigh and Chris’ house. And before we new it, the new year had arrived.

In January, after suffering months with chronic nasal congestion, Jaime finally relented and visited an ENT. His diagnosis included a deviated septum and lots of inflammation. His recommendation – sinus surgery. So, at the end of January – Jaime went under the knife – got a nose job !!! Besides the obvious discomfort, it was difficult to tell he’d had anything done….there was no swelling, no black eyes, just a little nose bleed. And this really funny looking kotex-type contraption !!!!

Well, that’s where the fun ended……….. About a month after the surgery he started having problems with hydration – or so he thought. Symptoms – very yellow urine, itching (like dry skin), nausea, and then he began to feel weak. So, this prompted a visit to the doctor and a diagnosis – hepatitis !!!

We are now 5 weeks into this ordeal….. The doctor quickly discovered it wasn’t Hep A, B or C (which means it’s not contagious). He referred him to a gastro-enterologist in hopes he could type it and determine how he got it. He started with blood tests, and then, when that didn’t reveal anything, Jaime had an ultrasound, and then a CT scan.

At this point, I have to insert a side note……… During this time, I had an aunt pass away, somewhat unexpectedly. On the day Jaime got his ultrasound, I was headed out of town for the funeral. While I was enroute, Jaime underwent the CT scan.

They originally suspected he had gall stones, and so they thought he would be scheduled for gallbladder surgery – possibly while I was out of town. CT scan didn’t reveal any stones, however, the doctor wasn’t convinced. The next step was an endoscopic ultrasound – that’s a procedure where they stick a camera down your throat while under mild sedation. They were hoping they would find a stone in the bile duct, and finally the cause of the hep. No such luck…… However, they did discover an enzyme deficiency, which they believe, coupled with the large (and long) dose of antibiotics, sent him into a drug-induced hepatitis. Finally, they mystery is solved. The next step is a liver biopsy, hopefully to determine if there’s any liver damage. As for a “cure”…………the only thing the doc can prescribe is time. You see, there is no medication to treat hepatitis.

So, he’s now into his 5th week at home. Can’t go to work cuz he’s too weak and too yellow ! And he has a hard time sleeping cuz he spends most of his time scratching. You see, he’s basically having an allergic reaction to the bilirubin in his blood. And, until recently, he’s struggled with his appetite due to the nausea.

So, we’re headed into April which, for us, means 25 years of wedded bliss! We had planned a trip to Hawaii – and now we’re hoping to at least be able to enjoy dinner out. And Hawaii, or not, we’ll be able to count our blessings.