Hi there, our most precious Andrew's Army! Again, I have to apologize for my lack of updates beyond quick posts on social media... I have intended to update the blog on so many occasions, but putting my thoughts and feelings into words and a lack of time alway seem to win out, but not today!
Buckle your seatbelts, here is an overview on what the Rosslings have been up to and what we are gearing up for...
ANDREW:
- T-minus 2.5 weeks until Andrew is scheduled to receive a kidney from David! The mere fact that transplant is an option is a miraculous gift from the Lord because dialysis for a year and 4 months has been practicaly unbearable. Here is what Andrew's life looks like on dialysis... Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) is about 35 minutes away from us, so three days a week (Tues, Thurs, and Sat) he spends a total of 5 hours per session/day getting dialysis and then he typically feels terrible afterwards and has to take a nap to try and shake it off. He has to be at dialysis at 7 am (especially rough on Saturday mornings) where he first gets weighed, so they know how much fluid they need to pull off of him. Next, he has to thread two big needles into his upper arm (every.single.time and he pokes himself with the needles), sit there for four hours (the machine pulls his blood out, cleans it and returns it back into his body... each cycle takes an hour and he goes through four cycles) tethered to a machine that doesn't allow him to move at all. At some point during the session he usually starts feeling crappy (nauseous, sweaty, cramping, headache, etc), if he's lucky it doesn't get too bad until it is time to leave, in which case he typically needs to take a nap in order to feel better. When not at dialysis, he battles the frustration of getting winded easy, a not fun diet, taking tons of meds, always having to watch and manage his blood pressure, and one of the worst parts is having to say "no" to a whole lot of fun things because he can't go without getting dialysis every other day (this makes traveling almost impossible). One of the biggest heartaches that Andrew has had to battle through is not being able to go on mission trips or retreats with his youth group, he's wanted to go on a mission trip SO bad and it seems like there is always something that keeps him from being able to go (cancer treatment, dialysis, etc). He is well aware that he has a mission field right under his nose (one he doesn't need to travel for) and he most certainly takes that call very seriously (although he has no idea the type of impact he has on those around him; I try to tell him about it, but he often struggles to see it), he will often say he doesn't want to miss an opportunity to encourage or minister to someone. Well, that is the dialysis journey in a nutshell and then you layer on top of allllll that the fact that he still has cancer, so he still has his normal cancer scans, Dr appts, etc. I share all of those details to highlight just how big of a deal transplant is to Andrew and our family! Can't stop, won't stop praising the Lord for making a way where there was no way (remember, they have never transplanted anyone like Andrew before)!!!
- Many have asked what post transplant looks like- transplant is scheduled for July 26th. David will spend 3 days in a separate hospital from Andrew (they are connected by a crosswalk). Andrew will spend the first 5ish days in ICU and another 5-10 days on a regular floor. Once he goes home, he will have to isolate for roughly 6 weeks (can't start high school in person, but instead will have to do school on line) because he won't have an immune system and he can't travel for 6 months post transplant. He will be on immunosuppressive meds for the rest of his life, so we will always have to be careful about germs (ex. avoid standing water and dirty beaches).
- Andrew won't be allowed to play contact sports, but he has continued to enjoy golfing and has picked up skateboarding!
GRACE:
- Grace is going into 5th grade and continues to LOVE school (learning, her friends, all the things)! During the summer she lives for Abby to tutor her!
- She loves cheerleading, rides horses, swims, plays baseball, and runs track... she would tell you that track is her favorite! She crushed her first track season with Special Olympics!!!
- Grace basically makes everything in the world better... she is everyones favorite Ross for sure! If Andrew is having a rough day, Grace snuggles is the answer. When Abby has a soccer game, all she really cares about after the game is if Grace is there. You get the idea! Again, we praise the Lord for the gift of Grace Ross that only He could have known we needed!
There is usually so much to update on Andrew and Grace's crazy health journey, I don't often get to share about the unsung hero of the Ross family... Abby Ross! This kid is a better human than I will ever be; everything she does, she does with excellence, perseverance, and grit. I don't know anyone that works harder at ALL things in life and yet somehow always prioritizes serving others above all!
- Abby is officially a driver and my heart is still adjusting to having her drive into Houston two times A DAY most days (for various soccer/strength training, coaching, volunteering, etc). Grace has loved her special dates with Abby to get lunch, ice cream, or run errands.
- For Abby's 16th birthday, we took a girls trip (just her and I) to NY and it couldn't have been a more amazing trip getting to pour into my girl!
- As of June 15th, Abby has been able to officially talk to college coaches, so we have been busy praying about God's will for her future... soooo much to consider, but at the end of the day the center of God's will is where she wants to be!
We just returned from a blessed 10 day trip to California for soccer, seeing old friends, and making great memories!!!
Will you please cover all the things in prayer: transplant, where God wants Abs to go to college, Grace's heart continues to stay healthy, and allllll the things in between?
THANK YOU for continuing to be such faithful prayer warriors! We pray that you too would be reminded that when life feels relentless, the road ahead looks impossible, and you are fighting to just put one foot of faith in front of the other.... but God!!! We love and appreciate each of you!!!
