It’s been a while since I made my health struggles known. I first announced my struggles with Hepatitis, then gave an update, and another, and another. In this whole process, the updates have not come quickly or frequently simply because this has been a symphony of confusion and a rather gigantic waiting game. I’ll give an update as best I can for everyone (knowing that some of you are probably wondering what in the world has happened to me):
1. Praise the Lord I’m feeling better. My energy levels are returning and my jaundice is visually gone (meaning I’m no longer yellow). I’m not having as much trouble sleeping as I did before and the one drug I’m on has kept my body from retaining much water (i.e. I still have ankles). I’m able to eat without struggle now (my nausea has subsided for the most part) and I’m generally bouncing back.
The Lord has been good; my liver clearly isn’t failing and I’m physically not as bad as I definitely could be.
2. I’m feeling better but my doctor is still watching my blood work numbers, meaning that my blood work is the judge of whether I’m actually doing better. My bilirubin levels are still dropping, but I’m not at the level I need to be in order to get on my next round of treatment. Please pray for me; pray that my blood work gets to where the numbers need to be and pray that I don’t have another “incident” (i.e. get a secondary infection) that basically does this:
3. I’m hopefully a month away from starting my next round of treatment, and I’m still uncertain if the whole regime of treatment will be covered. I’ve got different answers from everyone I talk to and nobody will give me anything in writing except for highly cryptic letters chalked full of caveats. The drugs will cost around $90,000 and I may have $50,000 of coverage from my health insurance provider or I may have $1,000,000 worth of coverage: I’ve been told both answers. Obviously, getting half way through the treatment and being asked to cough up the money for the other half will be rather inconvenient. Please pray that everything comes through with my health insurance and there are no surprises.
4. Also, please pray for my wife. Jennifer has been having a rather hard go of things for the past 2 years, and these last 3 months have been overly hard on her. She’s had to endure so terribly much with me and our 2 kids (including the birth of our second), and I’ve not been much of a help for around half that time (as I’ve been quite “not-myself” for around 12 months of that time). She’s been having trouble sleeping, having trouble finding energy to do things and having trouble dealing with all the various challenges each day brings her. I am so thankful for her and will ask you to remember her (and our two kids) in your prayers. In being sick for the last 2 years and this whole situation hasn’t exactly been an easy one for her to bear…
My most sincere thanks go out to all the thousands of people, all over the world, that I’ve learned are praying for us. Your prayers have been certainly felt in our home and we covet them greatly over this final stretch.
I’m going to sign off now and go play with my son (and keep him quiet) while Jen and our little daughter both have a much-needed nap.
Until Next Time,
Lyndon “keep on keeping on” Unger
