I spoke with Nichole on Saturday, then was able to visit with her and Norm for a while at church yesterday. They both had smiles on their faces, and were glad to be at church (though Nichole was struggling with severe kidney pain). They sat through first service in their fellowship group, then sat in the back of their van in the handicapped parking space closest to the patio, so they could listen to the service from the comfort of their van (with the back door open). It was so sweet to see the line of visitors standing next to their van after the service...
Here is the latest information on Nichole's medical condition. Her kidney is giving her much pain. She is unable to sleep much at night because of the pain. Both kidneys are enlarged and problematic, and she will need a major surgery soon to help to specifically see what is going on, and if they can correct it. They are still doing some preliminary testing to attempt to more closely pinpoint what is happening there.
Since Nichole has had a fever after each dose of IV chemo, she will no longer be going in for those treatments. She is only taking the chemo pill, which has much less side-effects.
Nichole is on very strong pain medication (two patches) for her hips (I believe) and kidney.
On the financial side, Nichole has been looking into some clinical studies that she may be able to take part in. Insurance does not cover most of these trials, yet Nichole may want to try to get in on one, which would mean financial strain (or impossibility). Please know that Nichole did not ask me to post this on the blog. She has said over and over that she knows that the Lord will provide all of their needs, and has seen His care for their family so clearly through the generosity of the body of Christ.
To further add to the burden, Norm will be on "hiatus" from work for the next three months. Norm is an incredibly talented finished carpenter, and an extremely hard worker. All that to say if you are in need of any cabinet work or carpentry, please email me and I can get you in touch with Norm. He is available around the middle of March for any side jobs you may have waiting
to be taken care of. My email address is kurtjulieandkids@gmail.com