Feb. Update

Good Morning!
Just wanted to send another quick update about Ray!

Ray went to the Mason Clinic Transplant Center at Piedmont on Feb. 16th.
They did more blood work and he has a new Meld score. (The meld score is what I call the liver score, it is how they base your needs for a transplant on a scale of 1-40...with 40 being the worst, and you must have a transplant within a day or two to live).
Before Christmas, Ray was a 12-13. He has been on the transplant list since Thanksgiving, but since he was not at least a 15, he wouldn't qualify for a transplant, unless there was an emergency, like if he got the flu or became very ill...then he would be all ready. Now, we have found out that he is a 16. He is averaging about a point a month increase.
Although comparatively speaking, he is still on the low end of the scale, but we were informed that recently, and it is not common, but there have been a lot of people with score's of 17's and 18's getting transplants. What that means for us: is that it could possibly be just around the corner. Please continue to keep Ray, his liver, and our family in your prayers! With all of this unraveling so fast, it's all we can do to remind ourselves that God is in control and His will will be done.

With his score going up, that also means that it is taking a toll on Ray. For that past almost 2 months now, he has really felt the difference with his score going up. His stomach does hurt and with pressure and bloating and he is very weak and lethargic most days. He is still working, praise the good Lord...but when he gets home he usually falls asleep as soon as he sits down..which is from the liver disease and him being anemic. This also is causing a problem with sleeping at night..even on days where he doesn't sleep during the day, he still has a lot of problem either falling or staying asleep..so it seems lately it has been un-ending circle with his lack of sleep and energy! Please especially keep this in your prayers, Ray needs all the rest and re-couping he can get now!

Some good news...As most of you know, Ray has also been having banding done on his varcies veins in his lower esophagus. His liver disease causes pressure on these veins and they are what the doctors believed to be the bleeding that he experienced when all this started. The pressure from the liver would enlarge them and make them swell and bleed. If they go untreated, they can burst. Typically, this banding procedure takes about 5 rounds. They just go down with an endoscopy tool and put 5 rubber band type things in his veins, each time, working their way down. Ray's veins are doing very well and they became so small and almost back to normal size, that he only had to have 3 banding procedure's done. The last one was Feb. 15Th.

Fundraiser...
We were planning on having another fund raiser at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Conyers, but when I sent in our application for a non profit booth, I found out that they only accept 501(c) 3 organizations, and as you know, for us to be one, we would have to pay between $400-1000 + a year, just to have a license. Unfortunately, we did not think of even asking our church before the deadline past for applications. However, we are in the process of finding another venue for a fund raiser this spring/summer. We are hoping to have some bigger items donated..like a car!! Please keep our fund raiser in your prayers, I have no doubt God will provide and his will be done! If you have any suggestions or know of any business's that would like to get involved in either a donation item to be raffled off or offering a location, please feel free to let me know!

We are also on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=164675942403

We can not thank you all enough for your continued support and prayer. We are HUGE believers in the power of prayer! I am reading '90 Minutes in Heaven' by Don Piper and it re-confirms everything I believe and know about God and prayer. If you have not read it, or it has been a while since you read it, I would highly recommend it! It is amazing and really hits close to home! We are so blessed to have so many family and friends love us and pray for us and be here for us! And we are blessed to have Piedmont Hospital. They really have been a great help and we feel very comfortable there!

Thank you again, for your continued support, prayers, encouragement and donations.
Love In Christ,
Krystle and Ray