Rachel (and Angela) to go to Hospital

Angela and Rachel have met with the Paediatric Surgeon and he has started the ball rolling.

On Saturday (not Wednesday as we originally anticipated) Rachel will be admitted to Al Wasl hospital – Angela (or another designated female) needs to be admitted with her.

They will do a batch of tested (probably just repeating was Rachel’s already been through in South Africa) and then based on that do the Liver biopsy, followed by the Kasai procedure if required. All this could take more than five hours of being in theater.

To help us out during this time (especially with Nathan) Dad and Ma have offered to fly Ma out (again) – We pray that things will go smoothly and Ma will not need to utilise her entire 30 days VISA. The earliest flight available arrives on Monday morning at 5am … Her bed is already made and ready, waiting for her.

Please pray the Lord gives us all strength and understanding during this time, but in the same prayer please also Thank Him for our many blessings to date, most notably:

• Rachel’s improved eating habits – Upto 150ml’s 6 times per day
• Rachel’s improved sleeping habits – Sleeps for an 8-hour stretch from about 9pm to 5am
• The wonderful way we as a family have settled into our home here in Dubai, all together for the first time in a long while, and how happy we are all to be one
• Dad and Ma who have continued to provide us with Spritual, Emotional and various other forms of support
• Everyone else out there without who’s prayer support our spiritual (and emotional) battle would’ve been lost a long time ago
• Everyone who’s helped and suported us in so many various ways during the past three months
• Our wonderful God who sent his loving son Jesus to die for us, and without whom Angela and I would never have enough strength to face these trying times, and in who’s hands we know our daughter’s future is secured, and already predestined for us but to fulfill with her.

May the Lord bless all of you as He is wonderfully blessing us

Yours in Him

Roy, Angela, Nathan and Rachel

Cute lil’ Nathan

Nathan was really cute today … He read the story of Noah to Angela and I and did a very good job of explaining the big boat (have to see how cute he pouts his lips when he says “Boat”)

And of course, there was lots of aminals … (Yup, Aminals) … and he read us the story “All by his own self”

(admittedly he did add that the boat was also filled with baskets of fishes and five breads *wink*)

New member of the Family

Today Priyanka started working for us: As you know Nathan is turning 3 pretty soon, and we needed to prayerfully decide on a school to enroll him into (aparently you need to get these things done early)

After a lot of consideration and prayer Angela and I have decided we would much rather pay someone to keep our home tidy and help out looking after Rachel while Angela homeschools Nathan, then pay for a school for Nathan while Angela keeps our home tidy and loos after Rachel.

God in his providence allowed us to employ Priyanka, a Sri Lankan lady who started working for us today. She will work from 10 to 6 every day (‘cept Saturdays) for about 20 % what we’d have to pay to send Nathan to Kindergarden …

Angela and Nathan will start school like everyone else in Dubai after the summer holidays :-)

Anyway, I’m at home now with Nathan (and Priyanka) while Angela and Rachel visit with the Doctor … hopefully I’ll have some more news later in the day.

Bye Ma!

We just returned from the airport – Ma got on the 9:45 flight Johannesburg

Nathan handled it a lot better than we expected. He was very understanding and although you could clearly see he wasn’t happy with saying good-bye to his Grandma who’s been part of his daily life for 8 months now, he was accepting of it all and seems to realise what is happening.

It was really cute how he finaly agreed to let Ma go back to Wuvie, but “Rachel must stay here in Dubai!”

We plan on spending the rest of the day just relaxing, as a family together – Fridays are my day off, remember :-)

Good-bye Meal for Ma

We had a goodbye dinner for Ma with our best friends Julio, Slovanka and Sebastian at our favourite Mexican place, Maria Bonita.

It was a loverly evening (although a bit warm as the A/C seemed to need some attention) – As always the Mexican food was great, but not as great as the Mexican company :-)

We’re going to certainly miss you when you’re gone, Ma!

Meeting the Surgeon

I hope that you all had a good night sleep. I certainly did, and so did Nathan and Rachel – we feed Rachel at 8.30 last night and she only woke at 4.55 this morning!

I met up with Dr. Badriya today and have an appointment with the surgeon on Monday at 10am – They will do the ‘Dye Procedure’ on Wednesday.

If there is excretion (of bile), but the ducts are blocked then they will perform the Kasai procedure immediately (They will take some of her small intestines and attach it
to the part of her liver where the excretion is.)

This is a big op, and after a Kasai procedure is performed Rachel will go straight to ICU
for a couple days. We know that God is in control and whatever he wants to happen will happen, but she’s almost three months old now and has been at home for about a month – without going back to hospital, so of course our human nature is to be a bit upset, but again, God is in
control, and we hang onto that fact.

If however, there is no excretion at all then they will just close her up. Then she will need a liver transplant as soon as she’s old enough to receive one.

I pray that they will be able to perform the Kasai procedure or else find out what the problem is.

But otherwise we’re fine and doing well. Roy’s working hard and will probably be going to Riyahd on business next week sometime.

I’ll update again soon.

Ang.

Rachel to go for a open liver surgery

Angela got a call from Dr. Nadia at around 9pm this evening.

Angela and Rachel need to go to Dubai Hospital tomorrow to collect some papers and to talk to Dr. Badriya (The pead’ doc’ in charge) about the test results from the HIDA (i.e. Isotope scan) and the US Scan.

Following that they also need to go to Al Wasl hospital and make an appointment with the surgeon there. Next week sometime Rachel will have to go to theatre to have the dye put straight into her liver and then they will monitor the progress in theatre – This will obviously require open livel surgery.

If the liver does correclty secreet some bile, they will do the Kasai procedure – If not, then Rachel will need to be evaluated for a liver transplant.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers

God Bless

Roy, Angela, Nathan and Rachel

Awaiting USS Results

We still have not spoken to Rachel’s doctor about the sonar that they did yesterday, but this is just what the doctor who did the sonar told Angela:

• The cyst in Rachel’s liver is still more or less the same size.
• There is now some free flowing liquid in Rachel’s abdomen.
• There is a umbilical vein which is open in Rachel’s liver – we aren’t sure if this is normal or not.

Angela will call the doctor today and arrange the an appointment to see her about the HIDA scan as well as the sonar (USS) results

Nathan’s obviously not too happy about Ma going back. I think he wants His Grandma and Grandpa to come here and stay for good:) But he said to me that Grandma can go to Wuvie, but Rachel must stay here. It was sweet to see his love for his sister.

Love to All

The Verrips Family

Happy Birthday Ma!

It is Ma’s birthday today (not allowed to say how old)

Her present from Ang and I was a morning of pampering at the Grand Spa and this afternoon Angela put on a “tea” with the ladies of Sahari Villiage.

Ma and I shared a 1.5kg Pan-Fried Black Peppered Mud Crab and Angela had deep fried linefish at the Singaporian Seafood place we goto for special occations, aptly called Peppercrab.

We know Ma and Dad were seperated for this one, so we tried to make it as special as we could.

God Bless, and thanks for everything you do for us Ma

Love you Lots!

Roy and Angela

Rachel to go for an USS Upper Abdomen

Following on the doctors visit this morning Rachel has to go for a USS Upper Abdomen.

This is an untrasound which uses sound waves to generate pictures of many parts of the body. The pictures are created by applying a warm gel on the skin and then moving a transducer (also known as Ultrasound Probe) over the part of the body being examined. It is a completely safe and painless procedure and you cannot feel or hear the sound waves.

The USS Upper Abdomen examination is focused on the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, and kidneys.

We pray this scan will identify what is wrong with Rachel’s abdomen.

Yours in Him

Roy

Pictures of Rachel

Here are a few pictures of our beautiful daughter … (Click on the image to see more)

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Still no dye in the bowls

Angela just phoned – at 2pm this afternoon they did the last scan and Rachel’s liver was still not removing the radioactive chemical and secreting it into her bile. This should normally happen within a bout 2 hours after the chemical has been injected (it was injected around 8 this morning) – In some extreme cases it can take upto 6 hours which is why they did the last test at 2.

Tomorrow they’ll do another scan to see the status of the chemical and after that Angela and Rachel will meed with Dr Bedria to dicuss the results. For the time being though it’s definetaly a prayer concern.

Yours in Him

Roy

Second round, no results yet

Angela called again – They just did a second screening and there still doesn’t seem to be any dye filtering through Rachel’s liver, so the functioning of her bile ducts are looking very questionable.

Angela and Rachel have to go back for another view at half past one …

Not looking too good …

Angela just called – They’ve done the first batch of tests and are currently on a “break” at about 12 they’ll do a second sortie. So far though it’s not looking as though Rachel’s bile ducts are funtioning as required … Please pray.

Test to go ahead

Ma woke at 3 this morning to feed Rachel and start the fasting.
Angela and I were up at 5:30 to be at the hospital by 6:25 for the Phenobarbitone blood test.

It was bit concerning arriving to a sign stating the testing lab only opens at 7 – We then went to the nuclear testing lab and were told the blood test wouldn’t be needed – they will do the isotope scan at about 8 regardless (Praise the Lord)

I am currently on my way into the office, but will update as soon as I know more.

God Bless

The Human Mind

Don't look at the words, just read

The human mind …

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was
rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch
at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in
a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer
be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll
raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed
ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Freaky hu,

keep well,

Roy, Aglnea, Nhtaan and Rhaecl

D.I.Y. Nathan

We went shopping today and bought a bookcase at IKEA for the passage – Nathan put it together for us (“by his own self”) and here’s the pictures of how he did it … (Click on the Image to goto the gallery)

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Swimming

We went swimming today – Rachel looked SO sute!

Meme’s Funeral

Meme’s funeral went well. Rohanne did the reading, Henri the thanks and Denby the tribute.

After the service a lady came to me and said that if anyone is still unsaved after the sermon it’s their own fault. So, we trust the Gospel was understood causing people to think about where they are in relation to God, eternity and their own forth coming death.

Yours because His

Don

Order of Service
Sermon Notes