We would still very much appreciate your prayers for Jen. Vasculitis is a tricky disease to get a handle on. It’s an auto-immune disorder so there really is no cure but can often be managed with a combination of medications. Finding that combination is the tricky part and our rheumatologist tells us that this phase, which she’s calling the treatment phase, can last about a year.
If there are no setbacks, the hope is to move into a maintenance phase where the vasculitis can be kept in check with a minimal immuno-suppressant. Getting to that maintenance phase can often have setbacks like the one Jen just had. The hope is that once we get to a maintenance phase, Jen’s lifestyle will begin to resemble more of the activities and commitments to which she’s been accustomed.
So please continue to pray for the following:
- Pray that Jen would remain healthy for the next 5 months while her immune system will be compromised because of the infusions she recently received.
- Pray that Jen would begin to feel more normal now that she is out of the hospital. She’s pretty tired. We think that’s a combination of not getting the best rest, being confined to a bed for 10 days, and being restricted in her diet because she’s diabetic. Jen told me that she was constantly feeling hungry.
- Pray that she would not have a recurrence of the vasculitis as they continue to taper her steroid dosage down over the next several weeks.
- Pray that we would continue to put our hope and trust in the Lord. The last 10 days have been a roller coaster of emotions. Pray that we would be able to experience some spiritual and emotional rest.
If you haven’t checked out Jen’s CaringBridge site, you can do so by going to: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jenlowe
The Lowedown 