Overflowing!

Please know that I am soaking up all of the prayers being offered. I appreciate all of the love, support and prayers, and have felt blessed and comforted to know that we are not alone. It has also helped immensely to hear the stories of others in similar situations, knowing that others have been in our shoes.
We feel very optimistic about the outcome of Jiliang's Heart, whatever it may be, and we know that whatever her fate may be, we will have God's Grace to guide us, for HE has a perfect PLAN.
Keep sending up your prayers. We are feeling them.
Thanks!
Jill :)

Rosetta Stone is in the House

Okay, you will laugh at this: Shortly after Jiliang came home, my mom and dad offered to buy my a Mandarin Rosetta Stone as an "Easter" present. We wanted to preserve her native language as well as possible. I found a great deal online and hestitated because it seemed to good to be true. I paid through PayPal, so it was secure.
A week ago, I filed a fraud complaint with PayPal, because the webpage was no longer there, and despite multiple emails, I did not hear back from the seller. PayPal was all over it. It is such a pleasure to do business with PayPal, knowing that your purchase is guaranteed.
The UPS man just delivered it! Hopefully, it works. It will be fun to do the program with Jiliang, who can teach me. :)
Jill

Waiting

Unfortunately, we didn't receive any good news today; but endured the worst-case scenarios once again. I am looking forward to next week, as the cardiologists conference and discuss possible treatment plans for Jiliang. There may still be hope.
Our cardiologist admits to being one of the doctors who is conservative. He has told us all along that he is not a risk-taker. The original doctor that I contacted in the beginning is a risk-taker. So, at the this time, we wait. Hopefully, between the conservative end and the aggressive end, we will find a treatment plan that provides the best health and longevity for her. That is all we can ask for.
I am emotionally spent. Today was a very hard day. All I can do is leave it in God's hands, and trust in HIS plan. My heart breaks for the answers I do not have. I am still hopeful, but I need to focus on Jiliang and T.J. Therefore, as Scott put it, "Cherish every moment," and don't waste precious time worrying about it.
I can say one thing: my girl is one strong-willed child! She has been through so much and has so much energy to boot. She is truly an inspiration to me. When they sedated her, she fought so hard to stay awake that they had to give her another medication - one of the side-effects was hallucinations. :) I could have used some of what she had today. Just kidding.
The catheterization went well, and she recovered wonderfully. When she woke up, she ate two popsicles, an orange sherbert, water, crackers and juice. She refused to wear a diaper! That's my girl! They made her lie flat for a minumum of 4 hours, so she wasn't permitted to get up and walk or be carried to the bathroom. They didn't think she could use a bedpan, but I remember dangling her over a particularly filthy bathroom pit at a public bathroom in China, and she listened then; so I tried, and she used a bedpan 4 times - crazy sedation meds and all! They teased about how some adults couldn't even do that, let alone a 3 year old.
As soon as they moved us to a Mott's Children's room, she was all about eating: Graham Crackers, 1/4 lb. of chicken, cup of mandarin oranges, cup of mixed fruit, Cheetos, 3 juices, and water. She cracks me up. Then, she was like, "So let's play throw the stuffed cat back and forth." When the nurse came in and tried to take off her cardiology patches, she hid under the covers. I told the nurse to ask if she wanted to go home, and she quickly popped up from underneath the covers with a smile. Then, she assisted in tearing off the patches. Ouch! She looked at us to say, "For the love of God, just rip them off quick!"
Understanding the mystery of her heart is a crazy thing. She is a survivor with a strong will to live, and she really is a miracle to just be here. Every day is a gift, and she teaches us new things to appreciate about life on a daily basis. She is my little hero.
Please continue to keep her in your prayers. I am not sure when I will have a new update. For now, I pray that the doctors will be guided to help her in the way that she needs most.
Jill

Cath is Done

Cath is done. Getting ready for the doc to come talk to us. She is doing well and is still out. They are holding pressures on her arteries (standard procedure) to prevent bleeding. Keep you posted.
Next step, recovery area for 4 hours. Yikes.
Keep her in your prayers.
Thanks,
Jill

Jiliang's Catheterization - Going Well ~ and some Goose (Koeppe) humor

Jiliang is currently undergoing her catheterization for her heart. The procedure was delayed by over a couple of hours. Whew! We feel seemingly calm, considering the fact that she has a small object maneuvering around through her heart. The nurse just did a status check on her and reported that she is doing well, and remaining calm. Our little girl is such a trooper. She is such an inspiration to me.
They have taken some pressures in her pulmonary arteries and her lungs. They have been able to take some pictures inside her heart as well. They may need to inject some dye if needed, but I don’t think that is going to be the case today. After the Catheterization procedure, she will need to lie still in the recovery area for 4-6 hours. Wow. That is going to be a challenge.
I will keep you all posted on her status. Unfortunately, we may not have any answers today after her prognosis or an action plan to do or not do surgery. That will hard if we end up waiting through the weekend. Hopefully we will get some good news, but if not, we will wait for the answers that we so desperately need.
On the bright side, they are going to have a team of University of Michigan Cardiologists review the results and make their recommendations. On Monday, I stated that I wanted every possible treatment plan, from the most conservative approach (no surgery) to the most risky, non-conservative approach. I think it is important to have all of options at our disposal. I am praying for corrective surgery, to prolong her life.
I have to laugh, because we have maintained our usual Koeppe humor throughout this ordeal. Our closet is hallowed out, and Scott is going to find the time to put a storage organizer and racks in it, when he gets the time. LOL. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the free dresser that we were given after a Saline Church Rummage Sale. Remember, the one that was going to be such a blessing? Well, it didn’t fit in my car, so Scott went to pick it up the next day and it was gone. Seriously, even with a note on it. Someone took it! I have to laugh, because it was pretty ugly anyways; but I was trying to be thankful that it met our needs and after a trip to China and back, I have no place for fanciness. Just look at my wardrobe - That's where I need to start. He he.
However, that brings me to the point that our clothes are piled in baskets, as we have little dresser room and no closet room. Finding an outfit to wear is always a daily trial. I laid out a fire department sweatshirt and a comfy pair of jeans. Before we left, Scott challenged what I was wearing, because I was wearing his work sweatshirt. “You’re not supposed to advertise.” Honestly, I just wanted a warm, comfortable, hooded sweatshirt, and the zipper on my Chicago hoodie broke. After giving him a hard time, like I always do, I realized that I would not want him wearing a shirt with my work on it –although, that would be completely different in my opinion – I agreed to put on a new sweatshirt.
Twenty minutes from the hospital, I tell Scott, “Okay, I changed my sweatshirt, now I want you to let me play my my Joel Osteen CD.” It was an inspirational CD. Oh no, not Joel, "I hear that every Sunday." He begrudgingly agreed to turn off his radio to allow for me to listen to my man, Joel; and he cringed when the music came on: "Discover the champion in you". I am not making fun of Joel, as I am a huge fan - no, my husband is just super NON-sentimental." No sooner did we hit Ann Arbor and your typical kamikaze pedestrians, did Scott’s road rage kick in. It is hard to be inspired when your husband is calling people names that I wouldn’t write here - not that they don't spontaneously fly out of my mouth when I'm driving in Ann Arbor. If you are familiar with Ann Arbor, pedestrians just walk right out in front of you, which is annoying, especially when you miss your turn multiple times, because of the ignorant pedestrians who don't even look. Even though I lived and worked in the Ann Arbor area for years, I never ceases to annoy you, especially when you are enroute to the U of M Hospital.
Anyhow, we are managing to keep our sense of humor and we are hanging in there. We appreciate your prayers and will keep you posted.
Jill :)

Prayers for Jiliang's Heart Cathetarization

Enjoying Easter Sunday


Jiliang enjoyed playing with her new Cousins, Samantha and Clara, on Easter Sunday. She is jumping with them in this picture.

****Tomorrow, we find out the condition of Jiliang's Heart and if a repair for her heart is possible. We are praying a miracle that her heart can be fully repaired, and that they miraculously find minimal or no lung damage, and NO irreparable damage that would prevent a repair.
Jiliang goes in for her Cath at 9:00 a.m. and it will take a couple of hours. She will be in recovery for at least 4 hours. We don't anticipate being home until after 5:00 p.m., so I probably won't be able to post an update until late tomorrow evening.
Scott and I are both at peace with the Cath procedure tomorrow. It is in God's Hands now, and I bet all those prayers are helping too. :)

Thanks!
Jill


Easter Sunday - Smiling at Cousin Sammy. She had a messy face, but still a clean white dress. Shocking!

Help a Child Today! **Updated

Hooray, Lucy has found her forever home! Her family is trying to get her home fast, due to her severe heart condition.


Jeremiah's parents are desperately trying to bring him home safely, and they are committed to loving and caring for one of God's orphans.

I wanted to give you an update on Lucy, the little girl with the severe heart defect - she has found her forever family! The internet is an amazing resource today, and it allows people to reach out and help one another in ways that were futile just a decade ago. You never know when a simple touch of a keyboard can be a part of someone's Miracle. We are powerful in numbers! Please pray that her family can get her home in time for her to know the love of a real family. You can read more on Lucy and see more photos at: http://asiahope.blogspot.com/2010/03/appeal-for-lucy.html
You can help make a difference in the life of another child, Jeremiah. Jeremiah's Mom, Tami, has been a huge support to me during our Journey to Jiliang, and I am doing my best to Pay It Forward. If you are able to Grab Jeremiah's box or email his blog to others, it could make a world of difference to that little boy who knows no Mom or Dad. His family is in torment over his current health update, and is making desperate attempts to bring him home safely. Their family's blog is:
http://tillgodbringsthemhome.blogspot.com/
Please pray for Jeremiah and spread the word. It only takes a minute to post and a second to pray. When you sow God's seeds of love, you reap HIS blessings. I hope to be reporting good news on Jeremiah in the next couple of weeks. I believe that his parents will be rejoicing in good news soon, because God provides.
Please be a part of a Miracle for Jeremiah and Lucy. I also pray for these courageous parents who are committing to loving these children, despite all of the unknown health issues. I know that God will Bless them greatly.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Jill :)