Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas wherever you are. I spent the day with my boyfriend and his family - his dad, his sister and her four boys. It was a fun day - a good way to remember what's really important and the reason we celebrate.

May God bless you all in the last few days of 2010 and throughout the new year!

With Scott's youngest nephew on Christmas Day

Kidney Update: Day 10

I got the drain out today! I have been slowly starting to feel better over the last few days and getting the drain out has helped me to feel even a little bit better. I have to see the doctor again in three weeks to have the stent removed, but other than that, everything seems to be ok and I'm just going to keep healing.

Thanks for all your prayers! Merry Christmas!

Kidney Update: Day 8

My procedure this afternoon went smoothly, and I received excellent care at the hospital this time. The doctor took the old stent out and put a new one in. I'm back at home now and feeling pretty good. Hopefully my catheter will come out tomorrow and the drain soon after that.

Thanks for your prayers!

Kidney Update: Day 7

Unfortunately I can't tell you that the drain is out. Actually I don't have any good kidney-related news at all...

I finally convinced the doctor to see me today as it's been a week since my surgery and I haven't had any follow-ups. The result of that appointment is that I have to go in for another outpatient procedure/surgery tomorrow.

The doctor is concerned that I am still draining so much fluid from my abdomen and he doesn't know why this is happening. He suspects that the original temporary stent (which was left in after the surgery to help healing) is blocked somehow, so he needs to go in and check or replace it.

I will be having this procedure tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon at 4 and it should take about 30 minutes. I should be able to come home afterward rather than staying overnight in the hospital. The drain will have to stay in at least a few more days after that and the stent for a few more weeks.

Thanks for your prayers. I know many of you pray for me and I really appreciate it. Here are two things you can specifically pray for now:

• Competent care by the doctors and nurses - The care (or lack thereof) that I received in the hospital last time was unbelievably bad. Pray that this time people will do their jobs competently so the problem can be fixed and I can be adequately taken care of.
  

• My attitude - This entire experience has been incredibly frustrating and discouraging. The latest news is just one more blow. Pray that I will see the situation from God's perspective, and that everything I say, do and think will be pleasing to God and give glory to Him.
  

Kidney Update: Day 5

I'm now five days out from kidney surgery. I'm doing somewhat better, but I still have the drain in, which causes pain. I've been told that it might come out on Monday, but I'm not particularly hopeful that it will.

I've been up and about a little more although my main activity is still resting in a chair. Most of the time I feel pretty good but I still have sporadic episodes of pain. Since mom flew home on Thursday night, I'm now being well taken care of by my boyfriend Scott and his dad.

Hopefully the next update will be that the drain is out! Thanks for your prayers everyone!

No drain, no pain

It's the third day after my surgery... Most of the time I am feeling ok, although I am still having episodes of bad pain occasionally. The pain is centered around a plastic grenade-like drain that is hanging out of my side. It was supposed to come out today, but now they are saying they might take it out Friday or maybe not until Monday.

I am spending my time laying in a recliner, sleeping mostly. The doctor thinks it would be good for me to try and walk some, so I will try and pace around my tiny apartment later.

Thanks for your prayers. Keep praying for relief from pain and that the drain will be taken out soon. Once the drain comes out, my pain should be a lot less.

Post-surgery Update

I'm back home now after my kidney surgery on Monday. The operation went well and I spent Monday night in the hospital and was discharged around mid-morning on Tuesday. I had a few episodes of bad pain while I was in the hospital, but the pain has lessened a bit now.

Thank you for your prayers! Please keep praying for my recovery, as I regain my strength and try to resume my normal activities.

Foreign Language Dubbing Project

My last big VMS project was dubbing part of the Luke Video (similar to the Jesus Film) in foreign languages. First, my partner Cate and I built a sound-blocking booth for the speaker to sit in.

We used PVC pipe to build a frame and then covered it with foam, blankets and burlap to block out excess noise. We also put blue foam and a mattress in front of the window in the office we were using as our studio.

Here's the view from behind the recordist's table:

We had a number of volunteers who came in to record for us in Spanish, German, Portuguese, Korean and Tok Pisin. After we finished recording, we did some editing on our sound clips.

Here I am, sitting at the recordist's desk, editing my sound files: (Notice the blankets covering bookshelves in the background and the egg cartons. It looks funny, but it is all part of our temporary soundproofing!)


Here's Cate in our studio. See the small TV on the table? That was for us to watch the video on; there was a screen for the speaker to see just out of the left of the picture. After we recorded a scene, we'd play it back for the speaker to watch and listen to, to make sure it sounded ok to them.

The project was a lot of fun, and a great learning experience!

This week is my last week of class, and I'm working on two slideshow presentations. Graduation is Friday, Mom arrives on Saturday, and then my surgery is scheduled for Monday morning!