A Personal Note of Need

As regular readers of this blog are aware, I use this blog to share my thoughts, and the thoughts of others, on a variety of issues related to theology and culture. My normal practice is not to use this blog as a forum for the personal areas of my life, but I am making an exception with this post.

Since before Thanksgiving my wife has been suffering from intense upper abdominal pain on the upper right quadrant just below the rib cage and radiating toward the back. We have been to the emergency room twice (the first time by ambulance given the extreme nature of the pain), and to a doctor at a clinic on numerous occasions. Thus far we have received a variety of attempts at diagnosise so as to explain this pain, including gall bladder, pinched nerve, and an ulcer. My wife was treated for a few weeks for an ulcer, but this has not alleviated the pain. We are frustrated and concerned that this health condition has thus far persisted undiagnosed with no end in sight in the near future.

In my wife's latest consultation with her doctor today he suggested that she consider a gastric scope and possibly a CAT scan, two exploratory methods that represent the continued quest to find a cause for the pain. The catch for all of this is that while my wife and I pay for health insurance for our two teenage children we have none for ourselves. Unfortunately, this has finally caught up with us. Given the high costs for these exploratory procedures we are opting for another ultrasound, and a meeting in early January with an internist who specializes in internal medicine. We have already incurred major medical expenses with the two emergency room visits, and we are paying for procedures as we are able as we seek an explanation for the condition. But the reality is that we may end up having to find funds for the more expensive procedures, and possibly surgery in the near future.

Why am I sharing this? Well, I'd like to ask my readers to consider a few things on our behalf:

First, I'd like to ask you to consider praying for my wife and for the doctors, or the offering of your well wishes and meditations would be greatly appreciated.

Second, if you have found my reflections on this blog helpful in any way I'd like to ask you to consider the possibility of making a donation towards my wife's medical needs. I work for a non-profit organization, and you can make a specially designated gift that will be used specifically for this situation, and you can receive a tax-deduction at the same time. Simply make your checks out to "NFP" with a memo reading "Designated gift to Morehead medical expenses," and mail your donations to P.O. Box 160611, Clearfield, UT 84016. All donations postmarked by December 31 can be claimed on 2007 tax returns.

Please accept my thanks for whatever you are able to do in response to this situation. It has been my pleasure to blog with you, and I look forward with hope to greater things in 2008.