Thursday, March 5, 2009

March

Every March, the National Kidney Foundation sponsors National Kidney Awareness Month, an educational outreach program aimed at raising awareness of kidney diseases. According to their education programs, approximately 8 million Americans suffer from reduced kidney function and up to 400,000 require dialysis or transplants to live.

For the rest of the month, many of the various kidney associations will be holding educational events and handing out kidney awareness bracelets. Early kidney disease has no symptoms and since people with diabetes or high blood pressure are particularly vulnerable, anyone suffering from those conditions are encouraged to test themselves often.

Here is a link to Matthew's hospital where he undergoes hemo and will eventually undergo his life changing transplant surgery. http://www.choa.org/default.aspx?id=694
Please, for the month and every month after, keep all of the patients, both children and adults, in your prayers. This is a rough disease that affects the entire family and not just the individual. Pray for the caretakers, doctors, nurses and extended family. Keep your health in check too. Is it time for you to go pee in a cup? Maybe this is the month to do so.

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4 comments:

Randi Jo :) said...

will do carebear.

I remember when we found out Raymond's kidney was enlarged in the womb and how worried I was. then how hard it was to get ultrasounds done all the time when he was little --- so I literally can not imagine what it has been like this past year. we went through nothing in comparison to u all.

God loves you and little Matthew. He is with you.

prayin for u all

carebear said...

Thanks RJ. I knew I could count on your prayers. You've helped me so much over the course of this year. It would have been a lot harder with out friends like you. :)

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Deleted my first comment because it didn't make sense. Typical me! Let's try again...

The woman who had suffered bleeding all her life reached out and just touched the hem of Christ's garment as he walked by. I've said it before, but I love it. The Greek word ("Therapeudo" - root word of English "therapy") which we translate into English as to heal literally means in Greek to make whole. Always, but especially in the Easter season, I pray you and Matthew, and Ian and William too, are made whole physically and spiritually. I pray that even when you get frustrated, you somehow find the strength to just reach for the hem of Christ's robe - that by itself is all you need.

Gives a whole new meaning to what we say every Sunday without even really thinking about it "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." doesn't it?

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