John 16:33 & Kidney Disease

I am asked on a daily basis how Brent is doing.  We are very blessed by the community of people to honestly care about Brent's health, his over all well being, and our family as well.  It's a great comfort when people say we are praying for you and we know that they really are.  

This week we met our goal of being able to administer dialysis treatments at home and they have been successful.  Brent has been able to adjust to the new routine, the new normal of sanitizing, warming, connecting and all the other new vocabulary we are adjusting to.  For those of you unfamiliar with dialysis there are two types; hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.  

Types Of Dialysis

Hemodialysis (referred to as Hemo) is done through your blood and is probably the method that people are most familiar with, where you have to go to a dialysis clinic and they hook you up to a machine and they clean your blood of toxins several times a week.  Peritoneal Dialysis (referred to as PD) is done through osmosis through your peritoneal membrane where a solution is drained into your belly, where it dwells for 1-4 hours and the toxins bind to the sugars in the solution and then are drained out. Peritoneal Dialysis can be performed manually or on a cycler machine. Hemo patients feel relief of symptoms right after treatment but Hemo is more difficult on the body where PD patients take a few weeks to feel relief and is gentler on the body. 

Brent has Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) and is on a cycler machine at night.  This method provides him the opportunity to go about his normal functions and responsibilities during the day.  The cycler, though more convenient can also be more painful when it drains, and at this time is causing Brent terrible discomfort.  

PRAYER:

1  The "drain pain" would subside and become more manageable. 

2  Continue to acclimate to our new routine on dialysis.

3  Brent would find the right combination of medication to treat the kidney disease symptoms and dialysis side effects.

4  Find a live kidney donor.

PRAISE:

1  We are able to perform PD at home.

2  Jesus is our hope and our strength and our ever comforting peace in times of trouble.

I was sharing with someone today who is also going through a very difficult time as well in the midst of suffering and a new "normal" and was reminded of John 16:33.

In this passage Christ is preparing the disciples that they would be leaving him to be alone. However Jesus reminded them that He is never alone because God the Father is always with Him.  Then He comforts us that in Christ alone we would have peace. Only in Christ would we have it, possess it, find it, be secure in peace.

Christ tells us the world will have tribulation, it will have turmoil, disease, famine, war, loss of job, hardship.  But with Christ, because of his sacrifice on the cross, He has overcome the world.

It puts everything in perspective when we consider that any pain, suffering, trial, and tribulation we go through in this life is nothing that Christ cannot overcome, because He overcame death. Because of Christ's resurrection; He killed death. Isaiah 25:8 reminds us that Christ will swallow up death and He will wipe away all tears from our faces.  

I thank God that some day kidney disease will be no more and the pains of this life are nothing compared to the joy we have in Christ.