Anticipation

It's snowing here in lovely Spokane (aka Spok-a-loo, Spokompton, Spokanistan, just to name a few of our lovely middle-American city's nicknames!). Miss E. is enjoying her day at Ms. Vicki's as Mommy and Daddy continue to work on getting house, home, and finances in order, as well as spending a bit of time Mommy-Daddy together that is in such short supply some days!

Last night we decorated our ginger bread house, which anyone who has done this with a 3 year old can tell you was fun and challenging! If I can figure out how to post pics on here I will put on up soon :)

I found a beautiful picture yesterday which has been made my profile picture on facebook of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin on their journey to Bethlehem, Mary large with child (probably 'radiant' but most of us did NOT feel radiant at that point in our pregnancies!). I can only imagine her anticipation, both in meeting the Son of God face to face, whose kicks and somersaults she had felt for several months, and being done with being pregnant, that beautiful time that all women experience when they have entered the ninth month. Like many things, this most amazing experience was well worth the arduous waiting, and in their case things seemed to get worse before they got better (can't you just imagine- Joseph "Mary, I'm sorry, but Caesar is requiring a census, and we must journey to Bethlehem to do it.' Mary "REALLY?!?! HE HAD TO CHOOSE NOW?!!? DOESN'T HE KNOW I'M WITH CHILD?!?!? JUST CARRYING THE SON OF GOD HERE." Well, she probably didn't say that, but I would have!!). This challenge is a good reminder to us all who going through challenges--for our family, this time of waiting is difficult and at times heartbreaking, but that which we wait for will be a great reward--the chance again at life.

In this Advent season, we join the world in joyful anticipation of the celebration of our Lord's birth--Veni, veni, Emmanuel!!

Baby Anna

Just a quick note for now, but God has brought this family's story to me via a mutual facebook friend and I hope you will all lift them up in prayer.

Their blog can be found at : http://babyannajoy.blogspot.com/

Immaculate Conception-eve

Hello, hello :)

Today marks the eve of the date that the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, God's creating her clean and unblemished by origional sin in preparation for her motherhood of Christ! Thank You, Lord, for Christ's mother, the beautiful Virgin Mary, whose "Yes" to You brought Christ into the world to bring our salvation! We love you, Mary!!

Alex had a busy day today working with our friend Carl to get our garage organized. As we have a small garage and lots of stuff, this was not small feat. Thank you, Crockett, you are our hero! Erin had a fun day at Ms. Vicki's, and mommy had a good day at work. I was even fortunate enough to be given a gift of peace from God over a worry I'd had--ahhhh! it feels so splendid to just hand it over to Him and allow Him take the lead :)

As a consequence of the day, Alex was very tired and in a lot of pain after working. He got some rest while Miss E. and I stuff ourselves (mostly me!) on a pasta dish containing the dangerous combination of lemon, bacon, veggies (Stir-fry, as those were the only one's in house!), chicken, gluten-free pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Can you say 'stuffed'? I might be able to, if only I could breathe around all this food in my tummy....

We officially decorated the tree yesterday, and for the first time, Ms. E got to help. I think the best part continues as she stops and talks to several of the ornaments, a piggy with spectacles being one of her favorites and mine as well.

Alex spontaneously started doing better with his blood sugar the other day--proof that God answers prayer :) God bless you, everyone, thank you again for your prayers and please keep them coming!

Gremlins

I actually did write a blog post, back in OCTOBER (i.e., one million years ago--Douglas family standard time!). However, Blogger was apparently infested with gremlins that inhibited me from posting our info, which unfortunately coincided with my MIL's letter, making everyone aware of the blog--can you say bad timing?! I can only attribute this funk-ness to the fact Satan is getting his knickers in a twist over all that prayer coming our way and is trying to disrupt things. HAHA, too bad for you that God is stronger! And our prayer warriors are amazing, too, so basically he is just plain out of luck!

UpDates:
Anyway, Alex is doing OK. We are in the final phases of getting on the LIST. Big, big prayer request from all you awesome peeps out there--Alex must, absolutely, without hesitation get his blood sugar under control. This is a hard thing for Alex, so he really, really needs some prayer on this one! His blood sugar is a major non-negotiable in getting listed. Okay, I have emphasized that enough.

Anyway...
I got a new job back in September--now working with children ages birth-15 three days per week at Holy Family. A truly fun gig, I laugh every day with my kiddos and have a great time being challenged by their various diagnoses, etc. I am reminded daily of the fact that the human spirit can over come anything--even as a baby, toddler, or child. And best of all, that no matter what the terrible challenge/situation/condition--God doesn't make mistakes! And even if we as broken humans do, He can make beautiful anything we mess up! My job does bring some tears of sadness, as well, I can't paint it all with pretty rainbows and unicorns and make it all amazing, but it's pretty darn close!

Ms. E...
Is fabulous. We were discussing prayer the other day, and her little girl insights are amazing. "Can we talk to Jesus, Mommy?" "Yes, anytime you want. He loves to talk to you!" "When we eat and ni ni time?" "Yep, and any other time, too." She is truly a blessing--whether it's singing a song, telling us a story, or finding the moon and stars, every day is another to be cherished. Since Alex was having a more and more difficult time taking care of such a curious, busy little bug, she started daycare near Mommy's work around mid-October and LOVES it! There is another little girl there around her age she can play babies with and nice boys she can climb and jump with and she really likes Ms. Vicki, the owner. You know it's a good sign when you get up on Saturday and your kiddo asks if they get to go to Ms. Vicki's house that day!

SSD--
So, I finally got around to dealing with the dreaded SSD (social security disability) application, fully expecting to be denied, get an attorney (fortunately Erin's god father specializes in that...and no, that's not why we chose him, haha!) etc. Amazing, about 6 weeks after our application was submitted, we were approved! Yay! Financial strain greatly reduced, ability to save some money for Erin's college fund, etc.--Thank YOU JESUS! Just when things were getting a bit thin around here, God, as usual, come through in the clinch.

In closing--
I am going to try to diligently blog everyday--I have been made aware people actually read this thing and might want some new material from time to time. So, I will do my best and please, as always, keep those prayers coming! Thanks everyone and God Bless you!

Learning to Fly

The MELD Goes On.....

So, we spent the day on Tuesday at UWMC for more meetings, tests, etc. This all went very well. Alex's MELD is still 18, where it has been holding for a while, which is good. Transplants are currently happening at 24-26 from what the surgeon told us. So, we have a ways to go, but as always with Alex's condition, it could drop back to 15, or jump to 30--and vice versa. So, we are just hanging in there for now.

A Tidbit of Awesomeness...

They are considering Alex for a liver/pancreas transplant. This is very cool. They haven't done one at UWMC, but their surgeons have at other facilities, including Dr. Reyes, who does them frequently at Children's Hospital. With a new pancreas, Alex would no longer be diabetic or have pancreatic insufficiency. Which would all be great! There is, however, more risk involved and they haven't decided if they want to do it or not--we are just being 'considered' at this point.

We got to meet with a transplant surgeon for an hour and go over all the risks/benefits/and liver types that we have options for. This sounds strange, but there are a few different types that come along, as follows:

Liver from a donor who is clinically without brainwaves:

These are the ones that allow for the most preparation, as the process of decision to donate is typically made a bit more in advance and the surgery is not rushed but a more orderly process in terms of collecting the organs (they are technically a 'harvest', but even when I worked in surgery I didn't like calling them that--that is a person who God created and is loved by a family, after all).

Liver from a donor who may or may not clinically have brainwaves but is determined to be unable to live without life support:

These donors fall into that area where it is felt that they will not live without significant life support, but with it they could live for sometime. Therefore, the family must decide which route they wish to take and if the life support is removed, then they wait until the person has passed away (no longer has a heartbeat) and then proceed with the surgery to collect the organs. This is a bit more hasty, as they must remove the liver within 30 minutes of the heart stopping. Therefore, there is a small chance of increased damage to the liver, and therefore a small chance of increased complications.

Hepatitis B

Seems strange to transplant a liver with disease, but since Alex has the antibodies to Hep B through the vaccine, it wouldn't make him sick.

Hepatitis C

In the very worst case of scenarios, i.e. MELD of 40, we can accept a Hep C liver that is not damaged yet by the virus. However, in any other case, they would give this liver to a Hep C positive patient instead.

Split-liver

Kiddos with liver disease get preference in the transplant world, but they only require 20% of an adult liver so they can donate that to a child and also give the remaining 80% to an adult, and the 20% will regenerate in 6 weeks (yep, that is how amazingly we are made!).

The Jist

There are four main types of complications that can occur. Some require only an intervention, some require a new transplant--sometimes within 48 hours. The risks are calculated on the typical donor age of 55, and so it is fair to say that Alex actually has a reduced risk since he is so much younger. Also, the pancreas is a much more sensitive organ, so it has more risks. But, not being diabetic anymore will reduce so many other risk factors later in life that it will likely be a good choice for us, if we are chosen.

Alex...

Is feeling pretty bad lately. He's started having problems with vomiting, which is a normal but unpleasant consequence of chirrosis. We are working on getting his pain managed better, and God is good in our lives. Some days it's so hard to be patient and keep the faith, but we are making it day by day. It's funny how much things can change. I have always been such a planner, constantly looking to the next five years and trying to plan and push myself to do and be what I think I should, and doing that to those around me, too. But now I am learning to live in the moment, day by day. This was a prayer I had prayed sometime ago, and God answers prayers in such unexpected ways sometimes! But He is good, and our family is trying our best to stay upbeat and look to the future with joy and hope, even on the bad days. I was listening to the radio today and this song by Tom Petty made me kinda smile, since this stanza is so true:

(From "Learning to Fly")

Some say life will beat you down

Break your heart, steal your crown

So I've started out, for God knows where

I guess I'll know, when I get there

Sometimes I feel so helpless, so much like an island being beaten by the stormy waves of the sea that surround us what seems so infinitely. But we are learning to fly---without wings, without our own knowledge and understanding, but still, we fly.

Drum Roll, Please

And so, finally, and update! Life feels like it is going a million miles an hour and yet standing still...a strange juxtaposition for sure. At any rate, here is what is new, not necessarily in chronological order:

*August 4th found us again at the UofW, this time just Mommy and Daddy as Ms. E was having too much fun with her auntie and cousins to come along. We went through the transplant class, which is about 4 hours during which we had the opportunity to hear from a REAL, LIVE liver transplant recipient. And that was VERY cool. Colin received his transplant in 2002, and in 2004 his fiancee also had one, so he has seen both sides of the coin. Awesome. Truly. To hear the straight dope from one who has lived it gave us both much hope for what life will hold. It was hard to believe that this pretty healthy looking/talking/acting guy had once been so sick he was nearly on death's door. He was taking a ton of Lactulose (apparently a pretty foul cocktail similar to GoLightly, for any who have had to take that) to counteract the high ammonia levels in his body. Basically, it causes profuse diarrhea that doesn't allow you to absorb the ammonia that your liver is not dealing with. If ammonia gets too high, you can get hepatic encephalopathy, a kind of swelling of the brain that leads to severe confusion, seizures, etc. NOT GOOD. Fortunately, with some good drugs they can counteract it (pretty well) and keep you functioning until your new liver arrives.

We then heard from the transplant nurse coordinator, a lady named Stephanie who I would not want to mess with because you can tell she is a bulldozer when it comes to getting her job done and patients taken care of (can I get an AMEN! thanks be to God for the motivated, driven people in health care that we have been given!). And finally, the pharmacist who had a lot of good info about the drugs you take the first three months after transplant (40/day) and the rest of your life (12/day). We then saw a nutritionist who unfortunately gave Alex license to drink as much whole milk as he wants to keep his calories up and a very nice social worker who will be helping us with some of the logistics of the transplant, but since Alex is not getting it due to drug/alcohol reasons, maybe not as much as some. Also, she coordinates the support group that we are hoping to attend when we go back October 4.

We had some good mommy/daddy time, some great Indian food, and some amazing Seattle weather.

And now, Alex is actually feeling---wait for it---better! He is not quite the shade of yellow he once was and isn't quite so exhausted. We know that this can flip on a dime, so keeping that in mind, it's nice. They haven't required 30 day blood draws yet, so that tells me that his MELD is still below 19. We will go back on the 4th of October and meet with the transplant surgeon, do some other tests, ect, because we are CANDIDATES FOR TRANSPLANT. BOOYAH! This is great because it means that no red flags come up in the preliminaries that disqualify us. YES. Big, BIG sigh of relief.

Soooo, to recap:
Going back on Oct. 4, 2011, for more mtgs, tests.
Being considered for "THE LIST"
Alex is doing better, but could easily shoot up to a MELD of 30 and then life would not be so fun.
Miss E is almost 3!!! We will sending out some kind of invite/evite for her b-day in the near future....please stay posted.

Keep those prayers coming and thanks for those you have already prayed! God Bless :)

Dr., Dr., Give Me the News

We had our initial visit with the UW today, and all in all I have to say they were kind, courteous, and pretty darn fast in the testing we had to do (lab work, EKG, Chest X-Ray, lab work again...). We met with the Hepatology fellow (a doctor who is studying a speciality, kinda like a residency on steroids) and the Hepatology attending (the official shot caller). They were both nice and informative, and very optimistic! Alex is considered to be an 'excellent candidate' for liver transplant and that is great news!!

We will return on August 3&4 to do a two day long series of tests, educational seminars, and meetings (including an hour and half long meeting with one of the transplant doctors--I have never spoken to a doctor that long ever, and I am a medical professional!). Interestingly, one of the doctors at the U was the transplant doctor for Olympic medal winner Chris Klug (please see this short article on http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/chris-klug-us-snowboarder_n_478863.html) which is kinda cool.

Also, we were told today that the three best places to get a liver are---Jacksonville, FL, the state of Indiana, annnnnnnnnnnd--The University of WA Medical Center! This is due to a good location, making livers more available (not exactly sure how this works, but you usually get a transplant at a MELD of 25 [Please see previous entry on MELD scoring] at the U and it's more like 30 other places--which means you are a lot sicker, longer, without the new liver.) And our MELD is 18, which is not terrible, not amazing (normal is 6). All in all, a good trip with positive news--yay!

We were so blessed to be hosted by some friends of friends in Bothell, deferring our housing costs and allowing Erin friends to play with, a great BBQ dinner, and fireworks (yes, they are legal there!). We had a great time and feel so fortunate for the kindness we were given.

That's all for now, will hopefully be back shortly. Oh, and one last thing...they actually know if we will have a likely match about 24 hours before it's time to do the surgery--so it's not actually as much of a rush as we thought (picture middle of the night phone call and the ensuing insanity) and that is really nice, knowing we will have a bit more time to get our selves together. We can still travel within 6 hours or so and live a 'normal'-ish life. And God is good :)

Blessings to you all, keep on praying!

Life is Beautiful

I first saw the film "Life is Beautiful" at the house of a friend that was dying, only 7 weeks earlier having been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. He had had this condition in the past, had it removed and was a diligent sunscreen wearer, ate organically, and was overall a healthy individual. And yet...he died.

In the past year I have known other stories like this. Do all the right stuff, get sick anyway. And although Alex hasn't always done the 'right stuff' in terms of his health, when he was first diagnosed with PSC, he was only a kid with barely enough time at all to mess things up. But sometimes it just doesn't matter.

Since finding out that we were headed to transplant in the immediate way, I have cried not quite every day. There are definitely times I do, and often it's when Alex is gone and I start thinking about the enormity of the situation. I am positive, upbeat, but also human. There are times I am so full of and gladness for my many blessings it overflows, and there are times I am so paralyzed by fear and sadness I can do nothing but weep. It is truly a roller coaster of emotion. And it's these times that I want to scream at God "IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!" And truly, it isn't. But He didn't promise us fairness, or a life without suffering. He did promise us the grace to get through it. It's really easy to get all caught up in us (and myself) and think only about how hard and sad and crappy this situation is at times. But I have to remember a saying that my parish priest once told me. When we get to Heaven, we will see the beautiful tapestry of the world, and all the threads that belonged to us while on Earth. We will see how they intertwine with all the others, going over and under and next to, making the amazing picture of Creation over time. And we will see why all the things that happened did, and how they impacted others. While on Earth we can only see the tangles, broken strings, and holes not yet filled. But in Heaven, we will see the beautiful image woven by the hand of God.

Bless you, everyone, and keep up the prayers! You are amazing :)

July 5, 2011

We got the first call from the U on Tuesday to set up our initial appointment. It is going to be on July 5, starting at 7:30am and continuing until about 1:00pm. This is exciting and scary. We will do lab work, talk to the doctors, nurses, and coordinators and ask the one million questions that we will have about what to expect. Based upon this visit, they will decide if it is yet time to do the two day appointment or wait.

We were blessed to be in Oregon visiting some great friends when this call came. We had a great time, Miss E. enjoyed the trip to aquarium immensely, except the touch tank ("Don't you want to touch the starfish, he's a nice starfish" "NO!"--she is a woman who knows her mind!) and the gigantic anaconda they had as part of the Swampland exhibit. The mommy was big, pregnant, and shedding her skin--which also renders such snakes blind until, I suppose, their new skin grows in again on their faces. We also had a lot of fun going to all the shops in Newport, enjoying the touristy side of things.

We also ate a tremendous amount of good food, especially my Friend C. and I, who enjoyed the cuisine of Marco Polo's International Restaurant in Salem, OR, and some great wine at a local wine bar called Crush. If you get the chance to have the ice wine from Eola Hills, I definitely recommend it.

On the way home, Alex fought hard not to demonstrate his road rage tendencies against the Oregon drivers we encountered. We stopped off at Multnoma Falls and then Bonneville Dam where Miss E. got to feed the trout in the hatching ponds and see what a Sturgeon looks like up close and personal.

Of course, this post about our Oregonian adventure would be incomplete without a shout out to Friend N., husband of Friend C., intrepid educator of mathematics who graduated with his Master's in Teaching, the very impetus of the trip. Congratulations, Friend N., and Godspeed in your endeavor in twisting minds and crushing spirits--or something like that.

Love to all, and Blessings of God be with you!

Four letter word of the day: MELD

The Truth of the MELD



Or, more accurately, the acronym for the day. MELD is the shorty version of Model for End Stage Liver disease (see why they needed a shorty?). This is a score that patients with liver disease are given based upon three factors and indicates one's probability of survival for a determined amount of time.



I suppose the first thing to mention is the liver and it's function. The liver is the one of the largest organs in the body, weighing in at about 3# (similar to your brain), but less than your skin (8-10#). This may not seem huge, but when we consider the important role of the liver in sustaining life, the old adage applies--size doesn't really matter.


As most of us know, the liver one of the cleansing organs of the body (along with the kidneys), filtering out harmful substances from the blood, as well as helpful substances that in too great a quantity would become harmful. However, it has a much greater role than is commonly realized.


The primary functions of the liver are:


Bile production and excretion
Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones, and drugs
Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
Enzyme activation
Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals
Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin, and clotting factors
Blood detoxification and purification



Okay, so back to the MELD score. The three factors are~



Bilirubin: The by-product of the liver's breakdown of red blood cells (red blood cells are recycled by our bodies about every 120 days). It's yellowish-brown in your bile, makes your poop brown (yes, I do think you should use that as a conversation starter at your next dinner party!) and if you have too much, like when your liver is not working right, your skin and the whites of your eyes begin to look much daffodil yellow than Lilly white.



Serum Creatinine: This is a measurement of kidney function. Kidneys and livers apparently like to party and get into trouble together, i.e. they will often both have problems at the same time.


INR~(International Normalized Ratio, previously know as a prothrombin time, or protime for those of the medical persuasion): This is a measure of how long it takes the blood to clot, and is important since the liver is responsible for the production of clotting factors. Without those, blood will not stop bleeding once it has started, and this is BAD.


You must have a MELD of at least 10 to be considered for liver transplant. The scale runs from 10-40. Right now, Alex is at 15, which means he needs to have labs done more frequently and he is eligible for consideration of transplant. We are being referred to the University of Washington, where they do 80-100 liver transplants per year. As of now, the wait has been about 6 months for a liver, which is awesome, by the way (national average is much greater, around 2-3 years from what I have read). There is no guarantee, however, that Alex will actually need a liver in 6 months after we are on the list (if he is not sick enough), and the wait can be longer. There is not a steady supply to meet the demand and several factors, including size and blood type, as well as MELD score, are considered.





The Process

Basically, we are referred to the U, they do a 4 hour intake interview and decide if we should be considered for transplant. If they say yes, we will return for two days of testing (including EKG's, blood work, etc.), meetings (with doctors, nurses, and financial counselors), etc. to gather all the information for the Review Board. The Review Board will determine if we are appropriate to be "listed". If they do (and we hope they do!) then we will be placed on THE LIST and then--wait. This is a hard thing, because A)no one likes to wait for anything--just think of pregnancy, most of us would gladly just have the baby! B)it's very unpredictable, a call can come any time, day or night, and C)somebody else and their family are having an awful day if you are having a good one. The U does only deceased (aka cadaveric) donor transplants, and there is a degree of sadness which accompanies the joy that you feel.



So, Can't Alex Just Have a Part of My Liver?

Yes, and no. Liver matching is based primarily on size and blood type. However, there are only 5 locations in the USA that do live donor transplants for livers (kidney's are much more commonly done that way these days). Amazingly, nearly everyone we have spoken to has offered this, though, and what a loving gift! Although it will likely not be the route we take, it is a blessing to know we are so cared for by so many that would be willing to take on that task. THANK YOU!

Until next time, God Bless you and keep you!!

Four letter word of the day: Pain

As defined by Webster's Online Dictionary:

a: usu. localized physical suffering associated with bodily disorder (as a disease or an injury); also : a basic bodily sensation induced by a noxious stimulus, received by naked nerve endings, characterized by physical discomfort (as pricking, throbbing, or aching), and typically leading to evasive action
b : acute mental or emotional distress or suffering

Pretty darn accurate, that Webster. Although I really do think that there is more than one way to view pain, and multiple factors that impact the way that pain in perceived and reacted to. Additionally, the use of the word 'suffering' is interesting, I will explain why in a moment.

Physical pain is something that nearly all of us avoid whenever we can. There are those things in lift which do not allow us to avoid pain, such as childbirth (to varying degrees) or illness or injury. Alex has been such an incredible pillar in the face of all the discomfort he is enduring, it's truly amazing. He would say that he complains a lot, to which I would agree, but the fact of the matter is that he walks this road of physical discomfort with great grace the majority of the time, and tolerance the rest. At this time we are not actually sure what is causing Alex's muscle/bone pain, the right upper quadrant pain he is experiencing is due to his liver's malfunctioning. It is hard to suffer this physical pain, and also hard to see the one you love in pain. All in all, pain stinks!

Now onto suffering...forgive me if this is a bit of stream of consciousness writing, I am trying to let it flow and get some of the yuck out of my heart and mind. Suffering is NOT.ALWAYS. BAD. Amazing, but true. Take, for example, the Apostle Paul, who states in Collosians 1:24
"In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, that is, the Church". Suffering allows us to align ourselves with the Cross of Christ in a way that no other experience does. And, it builds our dependence on God. At times, only when we have absolutely, positively, supercalifragilistically NO WHERE to go but our knees, that is when we actually DO it.

As Christians, we strive constantly throughout our lives to come closer to God and be Christ in the world--and yet we run from suffering, one of the most sure-fire mechanisms to enable both of the processes, as fast as we can. And it is no wonder why. It hurts! When a tree is pruned, the sap pours forth from it to cover the wound. And then, the healthier, new growth can replace that which was plucked away. The tree can grow taller, healthier, and be more fruitful. Doesn't sound bad when it's happening in the life of a tree, does it? If we want our faith to be healthier, more fruitful (and we do, because as it says in Matthew 7:19 "Every tree which does not produce good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire"...hmmm, some Biblical passages are so full of symbolism that it's hard to wrap your head around--this one, I would say, is not!).

So, it is the time now to recognize the benefits of suffering in our lives, but not to dwell on that suffering. God is love, a good and faithful Shepard who will not lead us on a path sadness, pain, and yes, suffering, without a major purpose behind it, for us or someone else. This is an amazing gift of our faith.

I will keep up the posts, I hope daily, and look forward to your comments (yep, not a passive activity, this blog reading!). There will be the good, the bad, and the ugly in this blog--our happy's, sad's, and others. It will be an effort to foster the support that we are so desperately in need of, and that others are so willing to give but at times do not now how to give. First and foremost, PRAY. God is listening! His angels and saints are listening! Mary, the beautiful mother of Jesus, is listening! Please lift up your prayers on our behalf, and that will be the greatest gift. And we will pray for you! Let us know your sorrows, your joys, and your needs! This is a journey we are on together, and while we are in one of the rockier spots, we do not want to lose sight of the needs of others. Allow us to uplift you as you lift us up as well! We will also do a great deal of Alex's health updates on here, so stay tuned. Love to you all from the Douglas Fam!