Much has happened since we last wrote

Dear friends and family:

First of all, Kerry's cornea transplant surgery was a complete success. Monday the 15th, Kerry had an eye test performed and was found to have 20 - 200 vision. Four days later, she had another eye test that showed that everything was looking positive and her vision improved to 20 -165. Then, on the 25th of March she was tested again and it was determined that her vision had improved to 20 - 80! This was obviously very good news for us. Thank you, God!

On a completely different subject, immediately subsequent to the eye surgery, Kerry had been noticing increased shortness of breath and wheezing in her lungs. At first, Her primary care physician diagnosed her with asthma, but her shortness of breath and fatigue continued to get worse. Adding to the problem, Kerry pulled several muscles and tendons in her right foot, which made it impossible to put any weight on that foot until until it healed. Consequently, Kerry not only had very little energy, she also had lost her mobility.

Then, after having an X-ray and a V-Q scan was performed, it was discovered that Kerry had fluid in her lungs and would have to be taken to the hospital immediately. Kerry arrived at the West Hills Hospital on Friday the 26th around 5:00pm, but was not admitted until 3:00 in the morning! On Saturday, the 27th, Kerry had a battery of tests performed including an echocardiogram, which indicated that she had fluid around her heart (as well as in her lungs) and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. :-( It was at that time that the cardiologist indicated that her heart is only functioning at 20-percent capacity.

Kerry was kept in the hospital for six days and given medications to eliminate excessive fluids in her body and to make her heart stronger. Thursday morning, April 1st, Kerry was given an angiogram to determine if there were any blockages in her heart; it was determined that there were none... thanks be to God! The surgeon speculated that some sort of virus attacked the heart muscle, which weakened it to 20-percent normal capacity. The doctor indicated that most patients recover from these conditions by taking medication that strengthens the heart. It was determined that Kerry does not have asthma. Thank you, God!

Kerry came home Thursday night (April 1st). Her foot is still not completely healed, but is doing much better.

We give praise to God that Kerry's left eye is doing really, really well. She marvels at the new things she can see every day that she could never see before with that eye. The one thing that is a bit of an irritation is that the stitches are starting to loosen and are making her eye itch (the doctors will be removing the stitches as the eye continues to heal).

Prayer Requests

1. Please pray that God will be glorified in this and every situation. This is the most earnest request we have. The book of James tells us to "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." May the Lord perform His perfect will for His glory in this trial. Amen.

2. Please pray for a complete recovery for Kerry's heart. Understandably, Kerry is having difficulty processing the full impact of what has happened to her and the implications that it could have for many years to come. This is a very serious situation and, although recovery is a real possibility, there are no guarantees except for the ever-present assurance that God is completely sovereign.

3. This new heart condition comes with a lifestyle change involving diet, exercise and a plethora of new medications. :-( Please pray that Kerry will learn to adjust to the new regimen.

4. Please pray for Dennis, Emily, Craig and extended family as they also learn to cope with and adjust to what has happened to Kerry.

We would like to thank all the people who have brought meals, visited Kerry and taken care of her as she has been dealing with this new challenge. Your love, support and prayers have made a big difference for her and all of us.

May the Lord richly bless you all!

Happy Resurrection Sunday.

P.S. Kerry would love to have comments and notes of encouragement posted on this blog site. Thank you! :-)

Update on Thrusday, March 11th Surgery

Dear friends and family:

Kerry has now had all of her pre-op appointments, which have gone well... she's all clear for undergoing the surgery this coming Thursday. There are some concerns regarding a sinus infection, which she contracted in February, and was cleared up, but has returned this past week. She's on antibiotics and will finish them prior to the surgery. Her heart rate continues to be slightly elevated from her normal pulse; she is on a medication to help calm her down.

A slight correction regarding the description of the artificial cornea. The donor cornea will have a hole cut in the center where the field of vision is such that she will only be looking through the two artificial cornea plates. Everything else is the same as was described in the previous post.

Prayer Requests:

1) Please pray that the sinus infection will completely clear up and that her heart rate will return to normal.

2) It is very common for membranes to form just behind the artificial cornea; please pray that this will not happen.

3) Pray for peace and comfort as Kerry will most likely have a patch on her eye over night so that she will be completely blind until it is removed the next day.

4) Please pray for Joan Evans and Peggy Johnston, who will be caring for Kerry for several days immediately following the surgery. Pray that both they and their families will be well.

We give thanks to our mighty God, who has been faithful during this time of trial. We also thank all of our friends and family for their prayers and support.

May God richly bless you.

Dennis and Kerry

Kerry's Surgery coming Up

Dear friends and family:

It has now been 13 months since Kerry had her first cataract surgery at the JSEI. From previous blog entries you know the outcome of the initial and subsequent eye surgeries that left her right eye completely blind. A cataract surgery was also performed on her left eye last August; that surgery was successful and we certainly thank God for that blessing. Her vision in the left eye is still very poor, however.

The next operation to be performed on the left eye is scheduled for March 11, again at the JSEI in Westwood. Dr. Anthony Aldave will be performing an artificial cornea transplant; he also performed the donor cornea transplant on Kerry’s right eye.

The doctor is going to be using a Boston, Type I artificial cornea. It has two plates that are shaped like a collar button. A donor cornea is placed between the two plates. Before the cornea transplant can be performed a conjunctival flap will have to be removed. This extra step is required because many years ago a conjunctival flap surgery (the conjunctiva is the white of the eye) was performed to address the recurrence of eye abrasions that Kerry was experiencing. This surgery was performed by taking a graft of the conjunctiva and covering the cornea.

The need for an artificial cornea, rather than a donor cornea, is due to Kerry’s aniridia condition; her stem cells are abnormal and may reject the donor cornea in the field of vision of the eye. The donor cornea will be directly touching the eye but out of the field of vision. The artificial cornea lifts the donor cornea off of the eye in the field of vision so that there is no rejection by the eye.

Please be in prayer for the following important requests:

1 This last year has been very emotionally-draining for Kerry as she has lost all vision in her right eye. Please pray for Kerry’s emotional well-being as she continues to heal from this great personal loss.

2 Kerry has been experiencing anxiety and a rapid heart rate as the next surgery approaches. Please pray for peace of mind and physical calmness so that her vital signs will be as normal as possible on March 11.

3 Please pray for a successful surgery with no complications and no infections.

4 Please pray for a quick recovery with very little pain.

5 Please pray that the eyesight in her left eye will significantly improve. The doctors have stated that her eyesight could be improved to about 20/100, which would be a great blessing to her.

6 Kerry’s father (Ralph Lawrence) will be flying down from Boise, ID, to be with her the week following her surgery. Please pray that Ralph will have safe travels and that the time spent between him and Kerry will be very sweet.

In closing, we know that our God is a faithful God and that he cares for us all. This past year, although it has been very difficult in many ways, has been a time of personal spiritual renewal and growth for Kerry. She has been in awe of God’s presence in her life and has felt His love in a closer, more intimate way that perhaps ever before. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for all the prayers, kind words and acts of service on the part of many, especially from members of the Bridge Bible Fellowship.

May God bless you all very richly.

Doctor Visit Update

Dear friends and family:

Today, Kerry had another follow-up visit at the Jules Stein with Dr. Kevin Miller. She did about the same as last time on the visual acuity test (her vision in her left eye is still about 20/300). The doctor removed three of the five stitches from the eye; he said that the eye was looking very good and that it was healing nicely. The doctor also tested Kerry to see if magnifiers helped in reading large print, but it was determined that in most cases the magnifiers would not be very beneficial.

Kerry will be going in for another follow-up visit in four weeks in which the last two stitches will be removed. She also has an appointment during the month of November to see the cornea specialist (Dr. Aldave) regarding the possibility of having an artificial cornea transplant.

God's presence is very evident as Kerry continues adjust from no eyesight in the right eye to having some limited eyesight in the left eye. God has given Kerry much joy and peace in the mist of this life-changing experience. He has taught her that the best possible place to be in life is always at the center of His perfect will and perfect timing. Kerry has seen first hand that when she waits upon Him, He shows her the way.

Thank you all who have been faithfully upholding Kerry and her family during this difficult season in their life.

God bless you all.

Improved Vision in Kerry's Left Eye!

Dear friends and family:

Kerry had her two week check up with Dr. Miller on Friday, August 28th. An acuity vision test was performed and for the first time since Kerry was a little girl she could actually read something on the eye chart with her left. Her acuity in her left eye is now 20/250. Also, an eye pressure reading was taken on both eyes and the right eye has a pressure of eight and the left eye has a pressure of 12 (the normal range for a healthy eye is from 11 to 21). In the months immediately following the surgery last January, the pressure in her right eye had been between zero and two; prior to that it had been normal. There is no change in the prognosis for her right eye, which has no vision.

One of the most exciting changes for Kerry is that she can now see individual facial features when she looks at other people at close range. She also can see colors more vividly and has been able to lower the magnification on her computer software that magnifies text and reads what is on the screen for the visually impaired. It was set on 24 times and now is on 14 times. Dr. Miller says that everything is healing beautifully. Kerry will go back for another follow-up visit in three weeks. After that the doctor will look into the possibility of performing an artificial cornea transplant.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the many people who have been praying for Kerry and our whole family during this very challenging period of our lives. By the way, some loving person (only you know who you are) dropped off a lovely basket of goodies (a stuffed animal and a loaf of banana nut bread) at our home the weekend just following the surgery. It also had a lovely note but no signature. Please let us know who you are so that we can personally thank you!

Kerry's recent cataract surgery was a success

Dear friends:

On August 13th, at 7:30am, Kerry again had cataract surgery at the Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI), this time on her left eye. Dr. Miller was able to successfully remove the cataract in one piece and was able to implant an interocular lense, but had to place it in front of the lense capsule rather than inside because the capsule was too fragile. The doctor also said there was a film residue inside the lense capsule, which he said could be removed at a later date using a laser. Kerry was able to leave the surgical center with no patch on.

Kerry and Dennis are rejoicing in the goodness of God because Kerry's vision has definitely improved in her left eye. There were not complications, no infections, and very little pain. Each day since the surgery, Kerry has been noticing, little by little, new things that she CAN see! Last night, when she was going on a walk, she noticed that she could see little flowers and could distinguish the color of the leaves from the color of the flower petals. Before the surgery, everything seemed to blend together and was very blurry. Early this evening (8/17) Kerry was looking at Craig's senior portrait that hangs in the living room; she proceded to point to his eyes, nose and beautiful smile.

The next step (Lord willing) will involve having an artificial cornea transplant into the left eye. The doctor said this may occur within the next three to four months when her eye has fully heald from the cataract surgery. Please pray that Kerry's eye will fully heal so that this next important step can take place in God's perfect timing.

We would like to express our deepest thanks for all of the love and prayers that many people have offered up on Kerry's behalf before, during and after this surgery occured. We would also like to say a special thanks to Joan Evans and Peggy Johnston for caring for Kerry while she stayed at the UCLA Tiverton House.

May God richly bless you!

Update on Kerry (after long hiatus)

Dear friends:

It has now been about six months since Kerry had her first surgery on her right eye. Since that time there have been several setbacks, particularly with the infection that resulted in a very long recovery time. In May, Dr. McCannel (the retina specialist) released Kerry from his care saying that there was nothing more he could do for her right eye. Due to the infection the retina had been severely attacked, leaving that eye completely blind. This had been her “good” eye prior to the surgery and we had been told that there was a good chance that her vision would improve after the procedure was performed.

Recently, Kerry met with the doctors at the Jules Stein to discuss the options available to her for her left eye. Drs. Miller and Aldave have recommended that a cataract surgery be performed on her left eye as soon as possible. Surgery on this eye will be somewhat more problematic due to the condition of the cornea and the density of the cataract (Dr. Miller has called this one the “mother of all cataracts”). If all goes well Kerry’s eyesight should be much improved in this eye. Please pray that doctor Miller will be able to successfully remove the cataract from her left eye and, if the eye structure allows it, place a lens implant in the eye. Also, please pray that Kerry’s testimony will shine brightly during this next major step of faith. Additionally, and this almost goes without saying, please pray that Kerry’s eyesight will greatly improve in this eye and that there will be no infection. Pray for the provision of helpers to assist Kerry during the initial recovery period. The surgery is scheduled for August 13th.

On July 29th, Kerry has a series of doctor appointments for the purpose of taking measurements and other preparations for the surgery. Please pray that these perparations will be performed correctly and accurately so that everything will go smoothy during surgery.

For those of you who have been praying, Kerry (and Dennis) would like to express thier heartfelt thanks. God has been answering them and we praise Him for it.

Finally, Kerry really likes it when people leave comments. It is a nice reminder that they are praying for her... and the encouragement is a blessing.

May God richly bless you.