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Category: Medical

From My Back

 A Jon Post

So here I am laying on my back, hoping, waiting for the pain to go away. I went to the hospital last night. I had and still have trouble breathing deeply, my chest and back complaining loudly every time I try. Concerned about a possible pneumonia infection, the safest course seemed to get a doctor to say yes or no. Exams and an X-ray later, the doctor slapped the X-ray up on the wall and explained the good news and bad news. Good news, no infection in my lungs. Bad news, I have a pinched nerve/disk in my spine and every time I breathe deeply it pinches it more. The only thing the doctor could do was prescribe pain-killers… ibuprofen.

It’s been a tough week for the Heller family. On Monday we rushed Anaya to the hospital when SHE had trouble breathing and was throwing up and had a high fever. She had pneumonia in her lungs and was put on an emergency antibiotic and recovered remarkably fast. Layne wrote an excellent blog about that journey over on her African Gypsy blog. If you’d like to read more about what happened there she says it much better than I could.

I did have time to go to the hospital once this week. In the midst of all the hospital visits it was good to see friends there and hear them express how much they are concerned for Anaya and her health and tell me they are praying with us for her.

So here I am…

I think I’ll list the things that I noticed most this week as we pushed though a few difficulties:

1) Layne is an amazing mother and wife. Seriously. I wish all of you could see how selflessly she threw herself into caring for and loving Anaya and I as our health was compromised this week. She is almost 7 months pregnant and she hasn’t stopped to care for herself once in all of this. She has slept very little and has loved very much. I could not be more proud of her.

2) We have an amazing group of people who pray for us, both here in Maputo and around the world. We are overwhelmed by the responses we’ve been getting from people who have been praying for us this week, especially Anaya and her health. What a tremendous testimony to the Glory of God. Being a part of the communion of saints in this way is so powerful in drawing the lonely and forgotten to Him.

3) God is so so so good. I love that I can say that when I can barely breathe, when my chest and back are in pretty intense pain and when I can move very little without pain shooting through my torso. God is very very very good. I don’t deserve a healthy back, I don’t deserve such an amazing wife, neither I, Anaya or Layne deserve healthy lungs. And yet God continues to be so merciful in His gifts. If Anaya lives 1 year or 100, God’s mercy that He would give her to us, that He would minister in and through her, and that He would trust us with her life, is so great.

4) Pinched nerves really hurt. I know there are many who may read this who know better than I how frustrating it can be.

5) It’s really hard to watch your child sick. Getting IV ports, getting shots, getting oxygen masks pushed over faces, and not being able to explain any of it. That’s hard. Like above, I know there are so many who know this pain so much deeper than Layne and I.

6) Layne is an amazing wife and mother

7) God is really really really good.

April 7, 2012
Medical, Things we're dealing with
6 comments

A Post in Anticipation of Another Post

A Layne Post

I just wanted to give you guys a short heads up. Our precious Anaya will arrive this week, whether she comes on her own or by induction. If she has not come on her own by Tuesday, we will be starting an induction process. This does not mean she will absolutely come on Tuesday, however, I promise we will update as soon as we can and will include many pictures of our new larger family.

(Honestly, I’ve tried a thousand times to imagine holding our very own baby and kissing her face… I just can’t get there! It seem so unreal; the anticipation is killing me!)

We appreciate your prayers and support, especially with a few extra challenges that will come with birthing in Mozambique. We are thankful to our faithful God and place all our cares in His lap, trusting His perfect will.

February 20, 2011
Medical, Mozambique
3 comments

Asking for Prayer

A Layne Post

There are lots of things I could post about this week…

We lost a little boy at the hospital that we’ve known for a year.

My friend, Joanna, is suffering through her last days.

I got a new car and started driving in Africa for the first time.

We had 2 Christmas dinners with dear friends, who generously opened their families to us.

We may get to some of those things here soon, but for now I am going to focus on asking for prayer. I sat funny the other night, Christmas Eve, and somehow my back slipped out of whack; I knew the moment it happened. I have had previous back problems, but it has been quite some time now since I’ve dealt with anything.

At 2am on Christmas morning, after vomiting multiple times from pain, I decided we needed to head to the ER, where I was only given Tylenol. It gave minimal help. Since then I have pulled out my TENS unit, which sends small  electrical currents through your back, giving the effect of a pain reliever without the chemicals. They are safe to use, even with Anaya, and honestly has been the only thing giving me the ability to cope.

Being 32 weeks pregnant makes everything more difficult. My OB is currently in Portugal celebrating Christmas with her family; however, she has made it clear I am welcome to call. I’ve wanted to give her the holiday weekend, and tomorrow I plan to call and talk with her, hopefully putting together a game plan of what our options are. Examples we’ve come up with:

Option 1: Try and find a Chiropractor trained in prenatal care in Nelspruit, South Africa, which is about 2-2.5hrs away, and drive there for treatment. If need be, stay a few days for multiple visits. (not sure if there is one available)

Option 2: Find a pain management medication that works and is totally safe for Anaya. (not sure if there is something strong enough I could take over a long period of time)

Option 3: Dealing with the pain and consider inducing at an early, but safe time for Anaya. (I feel like 4wks sounds manageable for me;  I could count down and make it through painful days. 8wks does not.)

For now I am resting and taking things slow, trying to let my back heal naturally. We are praying for supernatural intervention. We are praying for wisdom and peace. Please pray with us. One specific area to pray for is sleep. Constant pain is hard enough; constant pain without sleep is nearly unbearable.

Thanks for standing with us. We’ll keep you updated as we make decisions and take steps forward. We praise Him and desire that He receives the glory through this situation.

December 26, 2010
Medical, Mozambique, Things we're dealing with
12 comments
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