Pain

Please pray He heals Christine from her chronic pain. 🙏 Her back and knee pain were severe, but the left arm agony that started in May is now spreading to her right arm. She sleeps less and suffers seizures more often. It’s been weeks since she left our humble apartment. Just getting from bed to bathroom is a struggle. Her eyesight is failing more rapidly and barely able to use her phone (with HUGE font) on a good day. She mostly streams videos to try and keep her mind occupied, away from the pain. I hope and pray we can find some way to improve her quality of life.

Updates

Though we are thankful her heart has not stopped like it did last July, taking 3 rounds of antibiotics brought back Christine’s C. Diff symptoms. She has been an excellent patient following doctors’ orders, but remains very week and in a lot of pain.

On October 13, we waited 5 hours to see a neurosurgeon. Dr. Schulte saw us right after performing a brain surgery, and he gave us somewhat hopeful news: Christine is eligible for a stimulator implant in her spine. He gave us a 50% chance it would work. He then said if it works, it may lessen pain 50%.

In the USA, Christine was denied this treatment by insurers and providers. In Europe, eligible citizens get the implant for free. To pay out of pocket, it costs €30,000 (USD $35,000). We hope Dr. Schulte will approve Christine next week, and we can work with the financial office to find a way to raise funds and make payments.

We started paperwork to get a nulla osta from Italy in the hopes of receiving temporary residence, and then access to healthcare. Both the life-saving treatment and pain-reducing surgery are unavailable in the USA but free in Europe. So we pray He holds us as we take a leap forward to a new location and a new life. I just want Christine to be happy and healthier with hope and peace. ☮︎