PRAISE the LORD...HEALING...a CURE!

Hi everyone (Please share with WOH, Church staff and Red Oak FD emails)

Well it's been quite awhile since my last update and this update has come a few weeks later than I wanted BUT better late than never. Ray ended his clinical trial with Duke the middle of July. This means he took 12 weeks of the medication that Gilead was testing and then was monitored by Duke 12 weeks after. His last visit they did their last blood work and called about a week ago.

"NO SIGNS OF HEPATITIS C", the virus was undetectable after week 4 of the medication and has not been detected since. They know claim him cured from hepatitis C. This is such an unbelievable blessing. Almost too crazy to process. When we told the kids and explained it to them, of course they were excited, cheered, etc...but I told them "do you know how lucky you are that at the age of 7 and 10 YOU have witnessed a miracle...you have seen God perform a miracle in your daddy by healing him".  

The maker of this drug was Gilead and it is named Sovaldi (for some of you who have asked and wanted to read about it!) For the first 3-4 weeks Ray took it in conjunction with Ribavirun but then had to stop that drug due to dropping his blood cells too low, however they are feeling like this 2nd drug may not even be needed, just the sovaldi. The great thing about this drug is it is a SHORT window of treatment, high success rates and very few side effects. The downfall is STILL they are arguing over price for patients and if insurance will cover, etc....it is my hope and prayer that they WILL...in the long run you would have healthier people to cover and potentially much lower cost than a transplant.

So how do we say thank you to all of you all for all the prayers, love, support, encouragement all along the way...we don't even know how to say thank you but a BIG THANK YOU! Without you all we couldn't have made it through this crazy ride. We are hopeful and confident that this CHAPTER is closed.....I am happy to lock it away and throw that key away! However we are always reminded that through ALL of this we have learned and grown in our faith, marriage, knowledge of hepatitis C and organ donation...I have grown in more ways than I can even acknowledge.

So thank you all!

I have begun (for many of you, you will smile because you have said this to me!) to write a book. I am about 10,000 words into it now and up to the first transplant! There's a lot to cover! It is my hope to connect to others who have had this disease, doubting their faith, grown in their faith, a young couple who struggles with a health issue, organ donation, etc...there is so much I want to hit on in this book. I just ask that you pray for me during this next journey...I guess I should say when that is done then I can close that chapter. I just feel like I really want to get this story out there. If you think of any "Ray liver memories!!"...send it to me if I need to remember to put it in the book! :)

THANKS all and most importantly PRAISE JESUS....your grace finds us! God is good ALL THE TIME, his word is true...never will I leave you never will I forsake you.

Ray and Janet

12 week DRUG TRIAL IS OFFICIALLY OVER....we did it!

 

Just wanted to give a "Ray update" on the trial medication. Today was the LAST day of the 12 WEEK DRUG TRIAL! It is hard to believe that 12 weeks have come and gone and so has this TERRIBLE virus! He will continue to meet with the duke study drug team over the course of the next several weeks. He will be seen by them until July 18th, twice in February, once in March, once in April and then the last visit in July. Dr. Smith I am sure will begin to pick back up with care and monitoring during long spans of time between study trial visits...I think he misses Ray and I truthfully!! :) Ray ask the question today out of those who have taken the drug before him how many have "relapsed" and the Hep C has returned...out of about 40-50 people there are maybe 2-3. Those who are POST transplant like Ray, most have just finished their 12 week course like Ray. Duke is very very hopeful that the virus has cleared and will stay that way. Ray and I are as well!

Over the past week Ray also received notice from Carolina Donor services and signed a release from them to have/accept contact from the donor family. Ray did and so did the parents of the young man who donated to Ray. We had received a letter from the young mans father and then right after Christmas received one from the young mans paternal grandmother. Just this week Ray received an email from the donors father. They may now have open communication through email- letters back and forth, calls, etc...Ray was very touched and thrilled- it truly seems so is this young mans father to be talking with Ray. He told Ray that he and his mother (the grandmother) had already found Ray (they felt) before receiving the confirmation from Carolina Donor services...interesting because we had done the same...locating the young man that had passed around the time of Rays transplant and finding his story on the news...they were doing the same thing....interesting how God was leading us right to each other, we both just knew we had to abide by the "rules"

So we just ask that you continue to pray for complete and TOTAL healing in Rays body. Continue to pray that Ray and I stay faithful that God has provided this miracle for ALL to witness and that no "seeds" of doubt be planted or paid attention to by satan of the "what if's" and "what if the virus returns"....NO WAY...God isn't done with Ray and I believe he has healed him and will use Ray for great things. So as Ray gets blood work in the next month we will share with you results and that the virus STAYS AWAY!

Thanks all!  Ray, Janet and kids  (and it actually snowed here this week...REALLY snowed so we ALL had so much FUN playing and sledding...that is the picture of us all above!)