A L-O-N-G overdue update.....

THIS has been a BUSY school year to say the least! With a new roll out of curriculum and being a wife and mom, I have BARELY kept my head above water this year....I have felt more like a first year teacher than a 12 year teacher this year for sure! BUT there is a LIGHT at the end of the tunnel and the end of the year is FAST approaching.
I will start back with December 2012. Rays liver numbers have begin to creep, creep, creep back up out of normal range. In December the Duke team decided to go ahead and do a liver biopsy. The biopsy showed early stages of the hep C virus, no scarring of the liver and they would biopsy again in June at the one year mark. They were very pleased with how things looked at treatment for hep C at that point would be counter productive. We were all PLEASED and ASTONISHED at the report. "Great news"

By March Rays numbers continued to show signs of distress. March 7, 2013 we headed back to Duke for another biopsy....This biopsy showed a little more inflammation with more scarring of a 1-2. However the scarring was "spotty" according to the report...some areas a 1, some a 2, some none. Duke wanted to then to an MRI to check bile ducts, blood flow to the liver, check for tumors, etc...that report came back with NO issues.

So here we are today, April 4, 2013. Ray and I are headed to Duke today to discuss hep. C treatment options. It seems as though the time has come for us to attack this monster again and hopefully this fight- while it will be the most grueling and toughest- hopefully this will be the LAST fight with Hep. C and they new drug can RID his body of the dreadful disease once and for all! Please pray for a sense of peace for Ray and our family. It will certainly take kindness, peace, patience, gentleness, love and self control from US ALL! All four of us will need to be reminded daily of the "fruits of the spirit" to take care of one another in a loving and patient way! I will post to the blog and update again to let you know what we find out from Duke today.
Ray and Jackson leave tomorrow to go to BOY SCOUT CAMP-A-REE for the weekend....way different than last year...what a blessing that a healthier Daddy is able to take his little boy this year than last year.

My goal is to do a better job with blogging again to update everyone- at least once a week is my new goal to update you on Ray, especially if he has to begin a new treatment. If you have registered with the blog spot as a "follower" please do so, so that you can receive updates. rcb2ndchance.blogspot.com

HAPPY Spring to you all- The Brooks'

This photo was from Dec. 2012

when we were able to take the kids to the NC mountains to "ride" the Polar Express and see Santa...very cool trip!!!