3-12-2006

I hope this update finds you all doing well. Like last October, Aliyah goes into the Hospital this Monday for a few days for some tests. She seems rather robust most of the time. Hard to keep up with her on campus some days. She did work hard enough to make the Dean's List in her first semester at Purdue in Computer Graphics Technology. This semester is as busy as the Fall semester, I am extremely tired, but trying to stay reasonably healthy and rested. Along with Aliyah, her mother and I also have appreciated your prayers, kindnesses, and friendship.

As well as Aliyah is doing, right before Christmas, Aliyah did suffer a very minor stroke. It really only lasted a few brief but scary minutes and then was completely fine in a couple of hours. So, in spite of everything that has gone well, we know that she is still in God's hand and, as with us all, life in this world is tenuous.

To review a little. In October, her ejection fraction of blood being pumped out of the heart each time it pumped had risen from below 10% last April to over 30% in October (normal for most people is 50% to 60%). In October they said her heart was already strong enough that they were no longer considering a transplant, but instead would try to wean her off the Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) and then remove it. They said she was already strong enough to remove the VAD in October, but wanted to wait and see if her heart would continue to get stronger first. There is also a medication she started to take that they wanted her to be on for 6 months before they removed the VAD. So, the current plan is to have open heart surgery sometime in May and then let her rehab over the summer. At this juncture, they do say she will likely be on heart medication the rest of her life, but who knows. They were not expecting her heart to get better either, so we are simply pleased to have her still with us in this world and to not be facing the prospect of transplants for the remainder of her life. I feel very blessed.

I will send more information soon in a few days when we know more.

Friday was the 1 year anniversary of Aliyah's initial diagnosis and admittance to the hospital. Thanks again for all your love that has helped us weather this most difficult of years.