11 October 2006

riding the roller coaster with Garty

One thing we've discovered in the past 9 days is that we should never assume we have the full story on our little boy. This evening we received two updates. The first said... Garty is looking a little better today. Finally I can see him slowly improving. No smiles yet, but his face was much more relaxed.
Just when we started to feel excited about things looking up, we read the second email written after the doctor's visit... Yesterday I said that Garty has a urinary tract infection. I saw the doctor again today and got more details. He actually has a systemic infection (which is why his liver and spleen are enlarged), and because there were so many white blood cells in his urine the doctor is assuming the infection is stemming from his kidneys. Garty is a very strong baby and is showing improvement, but this illness is very serious. I sometimes wonder how these babies get so sick. Thankfully God is in control, and we do have some medical capabilities in Liberia.
Barbara Jo, our new best friend and pediatrician, replied to this information with several significant questions, so we're going to try to get answers. She's not panicked, so we're not either. However, she did say that an enlarged liver and spleen can mean lots of things. Hopefully they are treating for the right problem, but it is possible that we're not there yet. She also mentioned that we might have the basis for a medical visa if he needs a specialist. Unfortunately, medical visas are very tough to get from Liberia.
As you pray for Garty over the next few days, please pray especially that (1) the doctors will get to the root of the problem and treat it correctly (2) if a medical visa is the best course of action, we would be able to move in that direction quickly (3) no long term damage will be done to Garty's system as they try to heal whatever is going on.

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