Pray For Hannah Winter

Some Prayer Requests...

2012-01-30T12:05:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

This update can't be too long, and actually, it isn't much of an update, more like prayer requests. :)

3 prayer requests:

Because Hannah's immune system is so weak, she's been sick for what seems like forever. Right now she has a really bad cough, congestion, headaches, stomach aches, nausea, fever, etc. She's basically just been surviving in bed. For various reasons Hannah has had no appetite and has lost a lot of weight (too much). Please pray that we can figure out an antibiotic that will get rid of the cold/infection that she had, and that she will get her appetite back so that she can get some meat back on her bones. Also pray that she will be encouraged...it can be very discouraging being sick for sooo long, and not being able to function normally.
Our parents just got on the plane this morning to head back to Africa. Because my parents were living with Hannah & Daniel and helping with so much, now while Hannah is so sick, most of the load of taking care of the house and kids falls on our 16 year old sister Esther who is still living with them and Daniel. Please pray for grace, strength and encouragement for Daniel and Esther. Also we are hoping to get something set up so that a couple other families can help babysit the kids a day each week...please pray that we'll get something like this set up soon.
It is one of our main desires that Hannah's immune system/gut and body in general would be strengthened and healed through a healthy diet and natural supplements. Please pray that Hannah and Daniel would have the motivation, wisdom, time and grace to be able to go about changing her diet and such. Its easy to get overwhelmed when it seems like there are so many “to-dos”...and as you know, it always requires huge amounts of motivation and discipline to change ones lifestyle...it can be a big learning curve.

Thank you all so very much for praying. At times things can seem so dark and its easy to get discouraged, but we are remembering His faithfulness and that His mercies and new every morning - ah, so good to know! We also continue to praise Him for answering our prayers so far and lavishing us with love...Hannah is OFF dialysis and we just can't be happier about this. :)

Much love to you all!

Chloe

PRAISE GOD!!!!!

2012-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

(Update from Daniel Winter)

Hello All!

It has been quite a while since an update and we have great news! We are celebrating like Crazy!!!
Hannah's kidneys have been improving! The kidney doctor took her off of dialysis the Thursday before Christmas to see how her body would handle it. She saw the kidney doctor today to go over her blood tests. He said that her kidneys are functioning up to 25% and that she is doing well enough that they can remove her catheter and she will be able to stop doing dialysis! This is a huge answer to prayer!, because if she was not doing well enough, they were going to install a more permanent catheter or shunt. Both of which are more work and very undesirable. So we are very thankful for this! So please keep praying that her body would keep improving and her kidneys would heal and gain even more function. We are just hoping Hannah doesn't have to go back on dialysis anytime soon in the future (or ever in her life! :)
Hannah is very super excited to not have to spend 12 hours a week in the dialysis chair. She came to me today after her appointment and shouted "I'M FREE!" Now that she is 'free' from that, she hopes to do a bit of traveling this year.
Also she saw the lupus doctor on friday and he also had great news! He said if he did not know hannah's history and just looked at her blood work he would not even know that she had lupus! The lupus is in remission! This is due to our gracious Lord and the work of the newer drug - CellCept. She may still have to take CellCept for several more years. By March she should be off prednisone. We are very excited about all this!

One other big big answer to prayer is Hannah's blood count. Like we had prayed, it went UP the past few weeks, even though she wasn't getting the medicine to help with that. It is now the highest its been since August...at 10.5! Praise God!

We (the fam) are doing great! God is really good and I just so appriciate God's design when He created family. We have had wonderful support and lots of love pouring in. Hannah and I have been constantly growing closer as we have been working through life's adventures together! We are quite a team! And I am so blessed to have her and the wonderful children we share!

Again, I (and Hannah) just want to thank you so much for all your prayers, encouragement, and support. Can't even express how much this means! God is doing His mighty work in us. And there is nothing sent our way that God can't give us the strength to handle. We just take it one step at a time, holding on to His mighty hand.

Love to you all,
Daniel, Hannah, Adonia, Creed

SIDE NOTE: Hey guys, Chloe here. I know quite a few of you have asked for Daniel and Hannah's address so that you could bless them financially. Their address is 616Walnut, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Thank you all so much. We praise the Lord that Hannah's medications are going down, but she is still taking quite a few, and they have to pay a pretty high deductible. You all are such a blessing!

December Update

2011-12-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hello again all you beautiful people!

Long time no update, right? Ha ha, I do apologize for that, but I have my reasons. ;) We've been waiting on a specific Dr.s visit that finally happened yesterday to find out Hannah's current status.

So what's been going on? Well, Hannah's shingles are drying up very nicely! We are very thankful for this. Unfortunately, she still has a bad cough/chest cold/sinus infection (had this for a couple months) that just won't let go because of her weakened immune system. Despite that (and Lupus – ha ha) she continues to be the prettiest, funnest girl in town! She is having a blast getting ready for Christmas, and getting the house cozy and inviting for the holidays.

I bet you're wondering what the Dr.'s report was, so I'll get straight to that.

Good news: Hannah's Creatine levels have continued to go down (they are now at 2.4), meaning that her kidney function is going up! While she was in the hospital, her kidneys were functioning at 6%. They are now up to 19%. Hannah has been doing dialysis three times a week, but because of the improved creatine levels, the plan is that Hannah will take a little break from dialysis from the 22^nd to the 3^rd of January.

The not-so-good news: Hannah's hemoglobin (blood) count has gone down to 8.4. If it goes below 8, she'll need to get another transfusion. Each time she is dialysed, Hannah receives a medication that keeps her hemoglobin levels up. Our concern is that during the break from dialysis when she won't be receiving this medication her blood count will drop, and we really don't want this happening.

Hannah is on many medications that are keeping her immune system suppressed so that the Lupus doesn't flare up, but our strong desire is to heal her kidneys and build her immune system back up over time. Dad has been doing a lot, lot, lot of research and has found a couple things that she's just gotten started on, or will hopefully start soon. A couple of these: Co-Q-10, probiotics, greens (powder/capsules) and low-dose naltrexone. We're also really looking at her diet and figuring out what foods well aid the healing process.

One thing I talked about quite a bit in the last update was Hannah's neck catheter (for dialysis) possibly needing to be replaced with a permanent arm port. At the moment the neck/chest catheter is still holding up. The decision to get an arm port is still on hold – praise God! We soo hope she doesn't have to get the permanent port, and this will depend on if she's able to get off of dialysis soon or not. We will let you know if there's an update here later.

Dad and Mom have purchased their tickets back to Mozambique on January 31^st. Elijah and Esther will continue to live with Daniel and Hannah for now. There are going to be a lot of changes and challenges for Daniel and Hannah after our parents leave. If Hannah has to continue dialysis, then they'll need to figure out help with the kids. Also Hannah's energy level is pretty low, so we're trying to figure out how Hannah can get help taking care of the kids, meals and the house.

I just remembered that I had said something on the facebook page about there possibly being a fundraiser in December to send Hannah to California. This is not going to be happening after all. Sorry for the confusion!

I've saved the prayer list for the end. :) We so very much appreciate your continued prayers, and see them answered daily. Here's the current (abridged – haha) prayer request list:

Most importantly: When it comes to Hannah's diet and health regime, please pray for clarity, desire and discipline for Hannah and Daniel. This will ultimately impact her kidney function, hemoglobin count and lupus, so this is big
Other big, big request: Pray for clarity, peace and help for Hannah and Daniel for after our parents leave. There are just so many logistics to consider...pray everything falls into place with their schedule.
Please pray for the break that Hannah takes from dialysis over Christmastime. Mainly that Hannah's blood count stays where its at, or even goes up! :)
Pray that Hannah's current neck/chest catheter continues to hold up well and doesn't get infected so that she does NOT have to get the permanent arm port.
Pray that Hannah's body fights off this nasty cough/cold/infection soon.
Pray for the relationships of everyone in the house (marriage, parental, siblings, etc.)...with crazy schedules (Daniel is working 6 days a week/two jobs right now and Hannah had dialysis 3x a week plus dr. appts.) and lots of people in the house, pray for grace, love, peace, awesome communication, and really good connecting time for everyone involved.

That's all I can think of at the moment. If there are any specific questions I didn't answer, feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to reply back quickly. ;)

Again, THANK YOU soo very much for praying. We do not take this for granted. You are such a blessing to us.

Until the next update...

Love to you all!

Chloe

2011-10-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I know a lot of you are wondering how Hannah's doing, so I thought I'd give you a quick update.

Hannah's Shingles are drying up, and she is finally off the high dose of painkiller she was taking for the nerve pain...Praise the Lord! The steroid shot that she got in the hospital is now helping with the pain and she is able to function pretty normally again. Thank you so much for your prayers for this!

Hannah went into the doctor to talk about getting a permanent port in her arm for the dialysis soon. Right now they are using the catheter in her neck, but I guess it's not going to last much longer, and could get infected if they don't switch to an arm port soon. We are not very excited about the prospect of getting something in her arm, as that would require surgery, and would definitely be more serious than the catheter in her neck. Please pray that Hannah's kidney function continues to go up so that she will be able to be off dialysis SOON, making the arm port unnecessary. At the moment we're not sure what the doctor thinks about Hannah's progress and the timing of coming off of dialysis. As soon as we know more details about this, we will let you know.

Please continue to pray for Hannah's blood count. When they last checked, it was at a 7.9, and they are concerned about anything under an 8. Because of this, Hannah will be getting another transfusion in a few days.

Also, please continue to pray for peace in Hannah and Daniel's home...with so many people living together there right now, it can be rather stressful at times, as I'm sure you can imagine. :) Of COURSE there is lots of fun going on too! Life is wonderfully crazy right now. :)

I will update you as soon as there is any more new news.

Much love!!

Chloe

2011-09-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

I just wanted to share the good news that Hannah is out of the hospital (after spending two nights there, she got out yesterday evening).

I just talked with her this morning and she is still in quite a bit of pain when she is walking or moving around, but she was very excited that the pain has gone down significantly when she is sitting. At this point she is still planning on being in the wedding, and just "dealing" with the pain. She is veeery excited about this, and grateful that her Shingles are not contagious.

She was given a shot of steroids for the pain in the nerve in her back that should last for a month. She is also taking some new medications for the pain and to get rid of the Shingles.

We're not sure how long it will take to get rid of the Shingles (and the pain). The Dr.'s say it could be from a couple months to a couple years.

Hannah specifically asked that you all please pray that her pain would continue to go down (when she's walking her pain is about an "8"). Also please pray that the Shingles goes away SOONER rather than later. :)

Thanks soooo much!

-Chloe

2011-09-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

Thanks so much for praying for Hannah.

I was talking with Mom tonight and she said that the past few days Hannah has been in so much pain that she has literally been screaming...I guess she was at this level of pain when they went into the ER. Hannah said it was more pain than she'd ever experienced.

The good news is...the Dr. thinks he's found what the issue is. We're still hoping they'll run an MRI tomorrow, but for now, she's basically diagnosed with Shingles. Shingles is a viral disease that effects the nerves, which is the reason she has been in so much pain. They are putting her on an IV tonight to start fighting the Shingles. The Dr. said it may take a couple weeks to get rid of it...and that sometimes it takes a couple months/years. We pray Hannah heals quickly.

She will be staying one more night in the hospital. I will update you tomorrow if we find anything else out.

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR PRAYING!

Much love from all of us,

Chloe

2011-09-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

For those of you who haven't heard, Hannah's back has been causing her major pain the past 5 days or so. So much pain that her husband Daniel has had to carry her around the house, to the car, etc. They have gone to a couple chiropractors and the pain hadn't decreased at all, so Hannah's dialysis nurse recommended that she go into the ER and see her kidney Dr. at Olathe Med. that she'd been working with while there in the hospital.

Dad and Mom took her into the ER this afternoon, since the pain was so bad. She has now been admitted to the hospital and will be there overnight, since they hope to get an MRI. A couple possibilities are a herniated disc, kidney stone, muscle spasms.

Please pray that the Drs will be able to figure out what the issue is and that the issue will be resolved QUICKLY as Hannah is going to be a bridesmaid in a wedding this Sunday.

One big praise is that Hannah's creatine levels have greatly improved, which tells us that her kidneys are also improving a lot.

I will keep you all updated, so check back tomorrow and I'll have an update as SOON as we know what's going on. :)

Love, Chloe

Great News!!

2011-09-24T18:11:00.001-07:00

Have some very exciting news for you all!

Yesterday Hannah saw her Lupus doctor who worked with her in the hospital. He said he is very positive about her recovery, as all the health markers from labs are going in the right direction up or down.

The really good news? While in the hospital, her active lupus level indicator, which would read below 5 for a normal person, read 634! Today it is only 10! WOO HOO!

Because of the overall improvement, the doctor is lowering the dosage on some of her blood pressure pills and steroids (prednesone...). The $4000 IV rituxin(sp?), which she received twice by IV, is still coursing through her body continuing to work for another 6 months. She still will be on CellCept for a couple more years, helping control the Lupus autoimmune response. But, the doctor is also quite hopeful Hannah could be off of kidney dialysis within 6 months.

She'll see the doctor again in two months.

Thank you sooo very much for your prayers! We praise our heavenly Father for watching over us!

Pictures

2011-09-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Daniel put together this slideshow of pictures from her time in the hospital. I thin you all will really enjoy it.

Click here.

2011-09-10T12:39:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!

Boy, we are long overdue for an update! I know everyone has been wondering what's been going on with Hannah...thanks so much for waiting patiently for me to send this out. :)

As our last update predicted, Hannah did get out of the hospital again, and is now in full swing of things at home.

Life is a little more crazy than it used to be...Hannah has to take around 40 pills a day, take her blood pressure at least 5 times each day, measure her liquid intake (she's restricted to 6 cups a day), eat a very strict diet, go in for 4+ hours of dialysis treatments 3 times a week...and the list goes on! Hannah has less energy than she used to have, and is learning to limit herself...figuring out that she can't take on eight projects a day like she used to, but has to take a nap every once in a while. :)

Hannah went in for a check up on Thursday, and got a good report from the doctors. Her blood count had been at 8.4 when she left the hospital, and a couple days ago had gone up to 9.1!

The dialysis treatments have been working effectively to clean Hannah's blood, but she is having strange side effects after each treatment. Right after each dialysis, she is pretty weak, and has very strange and uncomfortable tingling sensations through her body (she says it feels like soda is being pumped into her veins) and numbness. The nurses are uncertain of what is causing this. Please pray that they will find the reason for this soon so that it can be taken care of.

Hannah went to the eye doctor this past week and found that she has slight bleeding in one of her eyes. The doctor believes this is from Hannah's blood pressure being so high in the hospital. Hannah will be going back in a month to get this checked back out. Please pray that the bleeding stops and that the eye mends itself so that more serious measures don't have to be taken.

One of the biggest blessings is having our family back from Africa! Dad, Mom, Elijah (18 yrs) and Esther (16 yrs) are now living with Hannah, Daniel, Adonia and Creed. The house is full of fun and lots of dirty dishes, as my Mom could tell you. Please pray for her (our Mom, Melissa) as she is carrying a big load keeping eight people fed (including fixing all of Hannah's special diet meals), keeping the house organized and tidy, as well as helping a lot with the kids. Right now everyone is working to get a room in the basement renovated into a bedroom for Dad and Mom. In the meantime, they're also still trying to figure out a routine so that things don't get too crazy. Please pray for peace to fill the house, and for good communication between everyone.

If you walked into the house right now, you might find...

...Elijah roughin' and tumblin' with Creed (9 months old) on the couch

...Dad either reading books on how to help Hannah or at his laptop working on a Bible study for the Makua back in Mozambique (http://heartsforthemakua.blogspot.com/)

...Hannah sitting on the floor making some ties (http://www.lilguyztyz.webs.com/) or organizing a fun girls night (Hannah has to have her parties!)

...Adonia (3 years old) on the porch playing with her scarecrow doll which she calls her “mommy”

...Daniel cleaning up that mess in the library that's been driving Hannah crazy ;)

...Mom and Esther organizing the kitchen cabinets

We want to say a huge thank you from each of us for your generous financial gifts, delicious meals and constant prayers. We are completely overwhelmed and blessed out the wazoo. :) Our hearts are so full...we wish we could say a personal thank you to each and every one of you, but for now this will have to do...all those personal conversations may have to wait 'til Heaven! ; D

I will keep putting up updates as often as I can on the blog, so make sure to add it to your bookmarks so you can check back every once in a while. FYI, I am no longer able to send message updates to the facebook group, so if you want to be notified of updates on this blog, you may want to message me on facebook with your e-mail.

Much love to you all.

Chloe

Update from Daniel's Mom

2011-08-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.
The Drs are thinking Hannah was low on potassium and some other
minerals....and because of this (her body being depleted) her blood levels
dropped after dialysis.
I am thankful she was listening too her body & how she was feeling.....
She had a headache, was shakey, and just not feeling right. When she arrived
at the hosp. her blood levels were low....in the 7's & have since risen up
into the 8's on their own! We are very thankful for this.
The kidney Dr is working to figure out what all went "wrong" or is still
needed.
She will stay another night at the hospital and have dialisys there.....just
to watch how her body responds to the dialysis.
Her Mom & Dad are with her and learning more about her diet needs and other
health concern/ needs as well.
thank you

Back to the hospital

2011-08-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

Please pray for Hannah. She went in for her first dialysis treatment since leaving the hospital at a dialysis clinic in Leavenworth. The dialysis went really rough...Hannah felt terrible the whole time and just thought it was the dialysis, but as soon as the dialysis was finished, she still felt terrible (tingling through her whole body, bad headache, extremely weak, etc.) This really concerned her and those who gave the dialysis, but the nurses didn't know what to do, so told her to go into the ER at Olathe Medical (where she had been staying before).

She, Daniel and our parents (just back from Africa) went in to the ER this evening. They found that Hannah has a Urinary Tract Infection (because of the dialysis).When Hannah had previously been in the hospital, the doctors had not wanted to see her blood count go below 8. This evening Hannah's blood count had dropped to 7.4, so she had been readmitted to the hospital. She is going to be getting another transfusion either tonight or tomorrow and put on an antibiotic for the UTI. They are also still waiting on the results of the CAT scan they did because of her headache.

Even though this is somewhat discouraging, Hannah was very blessed because she was able to have her former hospital room (the only room on the floor with just one bed in it so that she doesn't have to share the room with another patient). This also means that she has the nurses that she already knows.

We're not sure how long Hannah will have to be in the hospital. I'm guessing that it will depend on her blood count going back up.

Will update you as soon as we know more. Thank you so much for praying!

-Chloe

Hannah's going home!!!

2011-08-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I want to share some exciting news with you all! Hannah gets to go home this afternoon!!!!

The doctors have been monitoring Hannah's blood count the past couple days. The numbers have continued to rise (this morning was something like 9.2), so she finally gets to leave the hospital!

As you can imagine Hannah is very, very thrilled about this news. Our family is flying in from Africa tomorrow, so this is perfect timing as Hannah will need lots of help once she's back home.

I know that Hannah is going to have to continue going in for dialysis treatments three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) but at this point in time I'm not sure how long she'll have to do that. We will keep you updated on this.

Please pray for Hannah's transition back to home:

-that her blood count keeps going up, and stays up

-that her kidneys continue to mend

-that God gives us wisdom in how to best address Hannah's Lupus and Lyme's disease

-that the home is filled with peace and grace as Hannah transitions back into being a full time mommy again

-that Hannah doesn't get overwhelmed with all the medications she will be taking, but that she is able to understand and know how to take each one

One of the other main areas you can pray is about Hannah's diet. We talked a little with the dietician yesterday, and it looks like Hannah is going to have to be on a pretty strict diet. My Mom will probably be the main one figuring this out and cooking for Hannah, so please pray for her. Also, for those of you who have dealt with kidney failure diets, we would so appreciate some good recipes or meal ideas (you can send those to me – please understand if I can't respond to your messages).

Thanks so much to all of you who have personally messaged me, sharing your care and concern for Hannah. I'm so sorry if I'm not able to respond right now...please know that we SO appreciate you taking the time to express your love. I daily call Hannah to share all of your sweet notes with her. :)

Isn't this all so amazing!? Our God is mighty!

Rejoicing,

Chloe

Update from Hannah

2011-08-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Its me - Hannah! I know Chloe just sent out an update here recently, but I thought I would say Hi to everybody and give you all a peek into my world here in the hospital.

I have been feeling so much better these past couple days. Dialysis has definitely brought down the swelling and is getting my body back to normal. With all the extra pounds of fluid on me it was so hard to walk around or do anything, so with it coming off its been great!

Boy, what an experience its been in the hospital! These past three weeks have been a whirlwind, but God has just been pouring out blessings all over the place...

I have so enjoyed seeing my kiddos everyday. Adonia (almost 3 yrs old) acts like she owns the hospital. When she comes to visit, Daniel says she insists on taking the lead and walks right through the entrance door, through the lobby, elevator (she knows what buttons to press), winds her way through the hallways....straight to my room! Her and I love doing manicures together, so everyday she comes in, hops up on the bed and we get a new nail color on. She had a big growing up moment the other night when she got to paint her toenails by herself for the first time. She did such a good job that I let her paint mine and Chloe's too...but had to draw the line when she asked to paint Daddy and Creed's toenails. :) She is so helpful in kissing all my boo-boo's and praying for me...and she always wants to make sure I get my intake of animal crackers for the day. Creed is my little happy “chunky monkey” (as we call him) and bright smiling sunshine! It seems every time I get to see him he is bigger and bigger. He loves to stick everything in his mouth and I hear he has adjusted well to eating lots of varieties of food since I haven't been able to nurse (because of all the steroids I'm taking).

On to Daniel.....my most AMAZING husband ever! This experience has totally brought us to a whole new amazing level in our marriage. We have bonded like never before. He has been the best support and encouragement to me and has such a servant's heart. He is constantly by my side asking if he can do anything for me, helps keep my room tidy and gets me anything I need. He reads to me, prays for me, and makes me laugh. Its been nice having him able to sleep here at the hospital with me so we get our evening together. Its amazing the little things that mean so much. The other night we were getting settled in together to watch our tv show for the evening, when I had the sudden craving for popcorn...so we sat trying to figure out how we could get some from somewhere. He then suggests he couldn't get me that, but that he could take me on a “date” to the vending machine. I got overly excited at the thought of treats (since I have been on a restricted diet we were actually going to have to sneak it in)....so we walked (or he walked...I waddled) to the vending machine where he spent several bucks getting me whatever I wanted! I was so excited - like a kid at the candy store. He is the best! Another night we had an funny memory together in the bathroom. I really needed to wash my hair and I had to be extra careful, since I can't get my catheter (that's near my neck, in my chest) wet, so I was on my hands and knees on the floor with my head hovered over the shower drain, Daniel was standing next to me with the shower hose, attempting to wash my hair. He got some shampoo and put it in, realized it wasn't enough, and went back for more. He ended up going back to get get shampoo four more times before I said "Daniel, I have a MANE of hair....GLOB IT ON!" We sat there laughing just thinking of how we looked getting my hair washed. I told him we don't have to worry about how we'll do together in our older years , because we are already experiencing it, with him helping me with getting dressed, washing my hair, and taking care of me. :)

I have so enjoyed my beautiful room! I have what I call my "garden" in the long window sill of my room, a row of the flowers you all have sent. With all the cards that you have sent, we have strung and hung them all over my room! Its so beautiful and every time I look at them it makes me smile to think of you all taking the time to pick out, write and mail your love to me! The nurses come in all the time and say "Wow, this is the prettiest room ever!" :) Thanks to all of you!

Speaking of the nurses (and doctors, too). They have all been amazing! Other than the thousands of needle pokes and surgeries that they have administered to me, they have been so sweet and helpful (not like the surgeries weren't helpful, but...). Since being in the hospital for this long I have become super good friends with lots of them and I know will stay in touch.

Sleeping here as been quite a time in itself. I have to get my vital signs checked through the night and get blood drawn in the early morning, so a full nights rest is out of the question here. Also, since I am on steroids I have been feeling pretty awake. Getting a good solid three hours of sleep is great for me and I wake feeling very perky and rested. If I get to bed at midnight, I can be up and wide awake at 3 in the morning ready to go! So God and I have had some wonderful times at those hours in the early morning together. I am reminded of the verse in Psalm 119:148 "My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises." And the steroids have definitely helped for that! :) I am so glad God is available for me 24/7. :)

I can't wait to have my parents and siblings back in the states !!! We are so excited as we make plans and arrangements to get them settled in with us in our house. It will be a full house and a ton of fun going on for sure...and it will be soo wonderful having their help as I get back on my feet in the next months.

I know you all have heard the great news that I will be getting out of here soon, and of God's healing of my body. Yesterday when I got the news my heart was so full of joy and excitement...I was jumping and dancing around my room like crazy, just celebrating what God had done! (and hoping one of the nurses didn't pop in and think I was going out of my mind!) When I was first in the hospital I was so bummed to think that I would be spending my month of August here, feeling like I was stuck and missing out on life. But God has given me one of the greatest months of my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything! I have so grown in my faith and trust in God, I have come to an amazing deeper level in my relationships with my husband and family, I have been so blessed to realize how so many people care and how powerful prayer is, and I have deepened my relationships with some people that I never would have had the opportunity to do if it wouldn't have been for this experience, and made tons of new friendships. Its been an experience I will never forget and would never want to take back. God has given me the best gift ever!

I just want to say thank you for your continued prayers. It was such a great encouragement, especially when everything was really going rough with my intense swelling, pain, surgery recovery, and just feeling very overwhelmed with all the news and diagnosis and information being poured into my little mind. God is teaching me to take everything a day at a time. And He will take care of the rest! I know its going to be a journey ahead adjusting to my condition and changes in lifestyle and just knowing my body can't take as much.... but I am confident in the verse of who God says I am, (Psalm 139:14) "I will give thanks to You for I am *fearfully* and *wonderfully* made. Wonderful are your works: and my soul knows it very well."

I hope I haven't rambled too much...I know my writing skills aren't anywhere near Shakespearean. ;)

I just can't even express how much you all mean to me!

Love you all!

~ Hannah

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not be afraid for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."

Good, good news!

2011-08-25T04:49:00.000-07:00

In the middle of the night about a week ago, Hannah was awake in her hospital bed, crying out to the Lord from the depths of discouragement. The doctors had told her she only had 2/3 a chance of living in the next five years. The doctors had told her that she would probably never be able to lead a normal life again....that she would probably have to take chemo-like medications...that she may have to deal with these medications and dialysis the rest of her life...that she may not be able to have any more children. Overwhelmed with fears of what the future held, crying out the question, “God, and I going to die?” she flipped open her Bible, hoping for some word of encouragement. She looked down at the pages and her eyes rested on these words, "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord." (Ps. 118:17)

Yesterday afternoon Hannah's Lupus doctor (the one who had been the most sober about her situation and future) came into Hannah's room and – fighting back a smile – told her that that day, August 24^th, marked the beginning of her path to living a normal life – yes, a NORMAL life! He told her that she would probably be able to get completely off of dialysis. He told her that she would probably be able to leave the hospital within a week. He told her that it looked like she would recover and be able to be a lively, active wife and mother for the rest of her life.

Yesterday evening Hannah shared this miraculous news with us and, beaming, shouted, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord!" (Ps. 118:17)

We praise You, Father!!!

Hannah is continuing to respond very well to the dialysis. Her blood count is gradually improving. Hannah had been given her first major Lupus medication a few days ago, and to the doctors surprise, hadn't experienced any side effects (this specific medication normally always comes with pretty major side effects). Her blood pressure is finally beginning to go down.

We are overwhelmed with joy. We are overwhelmed by your fervent prayers...by your deep love and concern. We are overwhelmed with awe as we worship our God who sees, whose hand is not too short to save.

We know this journey is not over, and will continue to keep you updated as Hannah recovers.

Much love to you ALL,

Chloe

2011-08-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends!

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting an update on Hannah, and I first want to apologize for how long its taken me to write this. Between being a new mommy to a 2 ½ week old daughter, to frequent hospital visits to see Hannah, I'm swamped! Thank you so much for your patience, and please forgive any delays in response or updates.

Now to the update! (I apologize in advance for the length)

DIALYSIS
Hannah has been doing dialysis daily, and this is an area that we have really seen prayers answered. Her first couple days of dialysis were quite rough, but things seem to be going more smoothly now. It seems like Hannah's kidney function is stabilizing, if not getting better, and with each dialysis treatment, the swelling is going down...there are still 20 lbs of extra fluid on her body that we hope the dialysis will address. The plan is to continue to do dialysis daily. Once Hannah is out of the hospital, she will be going in to get dialysis three times a week.

BLOOD COUNT
This continues to be the biggest prayer need. Hannah's body is still rejecting the blood in her body. She had a transfusion the day before yesterday, and they are looking at doing another one soon. Until this improves, Hannah cannot leave the hospital. Thank you for continuing to pray that Hannah's body stops fighting itself, and accepts the blood that the hospital is giving her.

HANNAH
Thank you all SO very much for praying for Hannah's encouragement – I have personally seen the effect of your prayers the past couple days I've gone to visit Hannah...she is noticeably more upbeat and cheerful (more like the Hannah we all know and love). The nurses at the hospital are all delighted by how cheery Hannah's room is. Your cards, gifts, flowers and posters have made Hannah's room so fun and cozy...I know this helps brighten each of her days.

VISITORS
Especially since dialysis has started, Hannah has been extra worn out, so Daniel and I feel the need to reiterate some guideline for those who would like to visit Hannah. Please make sure to call or text Hannah or Daniel at least an hour before going to visit so that we're not interrupting Hannah's dialysis, naps, or visits from family. Most importantly: while visiting Hannah, please keep an eye on the clock, and keep your visit to strictly 15 minutes or less. **Hannah may seem chipper and talkative, but is much more tired than she seems**. Hannah is so thankful to each of you who have taken the time to visit Hannah – I know this has cheered her up a lot.

BIG NEWS
For those of you who don't know, mine and Hannah's parents are currently living as missionaries in Mozambique, Africa, along with our younger brother (18 yrs) and sister (16 yrs old). Due to the high cost of airfare (about $3,000 a person), they have been unable to come back to the US since Hannah's been in the hospital. As you can imagine, it has been heart-rending for them knowing the things that Hannah has been going through and not being able to be here with her in this time. Just this week their home church told them to come home, offering to pay most of their airfare. This has overwhelmed and blessed us beyond words. My family quickly bought tickets, and will be arriving this next Sunday (the 28th). They will be staying for 6 months (but will be able to change the date if necessary), and will be living with Hannah and Daniel, helping care for Hannah, prepare healthy food, and take care of the kids and house. If Hannah is still in the hospital when they get here, my Dad will be taking an active role in talking with the doctors and sorting out all the medical advice so that we can better decide the best way to help Hannah. My mom will be making sure that Hannah is eating much healthier (so that she recovers faster), and being there to comfort her like only a mother can. My parents will also be helping out a lot with the kids. After praying about it, we feel this is an opportunity for you to give financially if this is on your heart. If you would like to give, your gift will first go to covering the rest of my family's airfare, and then will go towards other expenses my family will have while they're here including gas (trips to the hospital, doctors, etc. and food for them and Hannah and Daniel's family).

If you would like to contribute toward this, you can make checks payable to Daniel Maddux (Hannah's Dad) and your gift can be sent to:
Daniel Maddux
1124 E Westerfield Place
Olathe, KS 66061

Or if you would like your gift to be tax deductible, you can make checks payable to Daniel Maddux and your gift can be sent to:
B.E.A.
c/o Thomas and Linda Ledford
31625 Summit Ridge Dr.
Crystal Lakes, MO 64024

HUGE thanks in advance for your generosity...this deeply blesses us. One last prayer request would be for my parents as they're swamped trying to get ready to leave Africa on such short notice: packing, getting ministry and finances in order, etc.

I'll bring this long note to a close now. May God richly bless your hearts as He has ours. You all are treasures!

Much love from us all,
Chloe (Hannah's sister)

2011-08-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Daniel, Hannah's husband, just called me with an update. The doctors came in this morning and told them that Hannah's kidney's have been getting worse. I've been wondering if this was the case since she seems to have been getting more and more swollen. Her kidneys are now only functioning at 10%, and their guess is that she has about 30 lbs of extra fluid on her body.

They just started her on Dialysis. Please continue to pray.

Please pray that her Lupus "calms down" so that it stops attacking her blood. This is the main reason they're having to keep her in the hospital, because her blood count keeps going down so fast that they have to keep doing transfusions.

Thank you - every single one of you - for praying. Even as things seem to be getting worse, we continue to look to our Mighty God for help - He is so worthy of our praise!

Just one last note about visitors. At the moment Hannah is very weak and tired. If you are wanting to visit, please call Daniel or text Hannah at least an hour before hand to make sure they're up to visitors. Also, please do your best to keep your visit short (around 10 minutes)...Hannah loves people and its hard for her to ask her visitors to leave, so let's keep it short and sweet. We want to make sure that Hannah gets plenty of rest so that she has energy when her children come to visit in the evenings. Thanks so much for honoring us in this way!

Much love to you all,

Chloe (Hannah's sister)

2011-08-16T04:47:00.000-07:00

Hannah is not responding to the medication as quick as everyone would hope. There are three things the doctors are looking for:
1. Her Blood Count to stay up
It is decreasing because her body is attacking her blood cells
2. Her blood Pressure to go down
Most likely up because of all the extra fluid in her body
3. Her Kidneys to start working, Her protein levels in her urine to drop
This is the cause for the fluid build up in her body, with low protein in her blood it cannot keep the fluid in it, so the fluid runs out of her blood, and swells up her legs. Also probably the cause for her high blood pressure.

Last time I saw the Doctor these were the things he was concerned about.
Thanks for you prayers!
Daniel

2011-08-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends and all who have been praying for Hannah.

I wanted to give you all an update on things and to let you know what we need prayer for.

Please continue to pray for Hannah's kidneys. They are still not responding to the steroids. The doctors are worried. At the moment, they are just taking it day by day, trying different things, hoping that they will not have to move on to more extreme measures (intense medications, dialysis or a kidney transplant). Hannah's body is extremely swollen, due to her kidneys hardly functioning. Pray that this swelling goes down soon.

Please pray that Hannah's body would completely accept the blood that is being pumped into her body. Hannah's blood count seems to have slightly improved, and we praise God for this.

Please pray for Hannah's encouragement. She is pretty discouraged as she continues to hear bad reports from the doctors and scary statistics regarding her type of Lupus. She is seeking to trust God, but it is hard for her to not fear the coming months and years when she is hearing such discouraging things from the doctors so often. Pray that she is able to completely let go of all the details, statistics and decisions, and be completely at peace in her Father's arms. We all know Hannah for her huge smile, infectious joy and optimism. Please pray these things are stirred in her heart and fill her hospital room. Also pray that God strengthen's her heart as she is away from her children (Adonia, 3 yrs old, and Creed, 8 months). They are being well cared for by dear friends from church, but Hannah sorely misses them. Also pray for Daniel's encouragement as he juggles word, being with the kids, being with Hannah, and trying to figure out all the things the doctors are telling them.

Please pray that Daniel and Hannah would have very clear wisdom and direction concerning what paths to pursue for Hannah's healing. The doctors are presenting many options, and there are also 1,000+ directions they could go in the land of natural remedies. They feel pretty overwhelmed by all these options. Please pray that God will clearly direct their hearts.

We are so thankful to the friends who are aggressively addressing Hannah's dietary needs, and are making extremely healthy meals to help heal her digestive tract. Pray that every enzyme, vitamin and mineral from each healthy bite she eats takes full effect in healing and restoring Hannah's health.

Lastly, I just want to thank EVERYONE for EVERY SINGLE prayer, thought, note, visit etc. In our times of great discouragement, knowing that you all have been praying has boosted our faith, and reminded us to keep our chins up. Our God is overwhelmingly faithful...we are in awe of His deep love for us.

We love you all.

-Chloe (Hannah's sister)

2011-08-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

Update!
Hannah Winter is sleeping peacefully right now, praise God! She had plasmapheresis done this morning/early afternoon, so that has really wiped her out. It is similar to dialysis in the sense that there is two lines that run into her jugular vein, they hook that up to a machine and as her blood runs into the machine it cleans out her plasma, and puts the new plasma into it. This takes about three hours to do, and then your body is very worn out. So that is where she is right now.
Her blood pressure is still very high, 181/111, they are giving her medicine to bring it down, but it is not responding like it should, we would like it to be 140/90 or less. So please pray that will come down.
Her blood count was a 6.5 and they gave her the units of blood, which brought it up to a 9.5, which is better, just pray that her body does not continue to destroy her own blood. A normal persons blood count is 12-14, so 6.5 is very low.
Her immune system is basically attacking her body, so they have upped her dose of steroids to help "shut down" her immune system so it will not attack her blood or her kidneys anymore. Please pray that her body continues to respond to the steroids! In the mean time she has been working out quite aggressively, trying to take advantage of the steroids! (Ha Ha, that is not true!!) Steroids are not a long term option as then her body is vulnerable to other types of virus'. So pray that God will heal her immune system. They were hoping that was the last time for the blood transfusion and plasmapheresis, please pray for that to be true.
They are also giving her medicine for her kidneys, so pray to see a change in her kidney function, they have the worst disease they can have and still be functioning. It is not that they are not cleaning the blood, they are cleaning the blood, but letting to much of the "good stuff" out of her blood into her urine. A healthy adult will spill about 150 milligrams of protein in their urine every day, Hannah, the first day we were here, spilled 19 grams of protein in her urine (19,000 milligrams). That is what is causing the swelling in legs, because her blood does not have what it needs it is losing fluid. That is the way I understand it at least. Please pray the medicine helps bring her kidneys back online.
Hannah and I are also very grateful for everyone's prayer and support! Hannah is looking as beautiful as ever in my eyes! I love her so much.
Creed and Adonia are happily staying at my parents house, they are having so much fun playing with their aunts and uncles! We are extremely grateful to my parents allowing them to stay there this past week! With several visits to the hospital to see mommy, of course! I have been spending the nights here with my lovely bride, except Wednesday night, she had a roommate and I stayed down at my parents with Creed and Adonia, I enjoyed that time with them! Thankfully they have moved her to her own room where she is more comfortable and I can spend the night here with her!
God is great! We are thankful for all he has done and is doing for us! This will be a long road to full health, but we appreciate your prayers the whole way, but especially as she is here "in the woods," Your prayers as she stabilizes to the point where we can all be as a family once more! When she can go home.
Thank you all for all you are doing!
To sum it up Pray for:
Her blood pressure to drop to normal levels.
That her immune system will function properly and not attack it self.
That the steroids the doctors are giving her will help her body not attack itself
That the Kidney medicine will bring her kidneys up and running again
That her body will start functioning on her own and we can go home
That we keep our faith in God and keep our thoughts on a eternal focus!
Also for Daniel, Melissa, Elijah and Esther Maddux to have peace while they are in Africa through this time. I know they must be anxious not being able to be here!

Thanks for your time, I am not a doctor but I explained it to the best of my knowledge.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!
Daniel Winter

2011-08-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

We need to give an update on Hannah. As many of you may know, she has been in the hospital since Sunday evening. The doctors have been investigating their concern, and have figured out that she may have an auto-immune condition called Lupus attacking her kidneys. They received some tests today – and it was by the grace of God and some invaluable advice that she came to ER on Sunday. The doctors told us today that if she hadn't come in when she did, she would not be alive today. She has one of the most severe types of Lupus and it is aggressively attacking her kidneys.

The doctors have things under control currently, but we have several issues that need immediate prayer. Her body is attacking her blood cells. While they keep giving her blood, her body attacks it. Her body is also not responding to the current dosage of medication being used to reawaken her kidneys. They are going to put her on a larger dose and try an additional medicine to help her kidneys.

The doctors don't feel like the need to put her in ICU at the moment, but if her body doesn't start responding it isn't out of the question.

We all know Hannah. She is one of the most upbeat and positive people on earth, and if you have talked with her throughout the week you know that hasn't changed. She isn't losing her positive faith and joy – and we know God will work everything out.

So please keep her in your prayers for these four things: her body accepting/creating blood correctly, her kidneys reviving and healing, wisdom for the doctors, and peace, joy and strength for all of us.

If you have any detailed questions please contact Jonathan, Chloe (Hannah's sister and brother-in-law) or myself. We don't want to bombard Hannah. Obviously, Hannah is processing a lot, so we ask at this time that you would use wisdom and only join us in communicating love, encouragement and faith.

Thanks for everything in advance.

God is faithful – it was no small thing that we caught this when we did.

Prayer warriors get on it!

Feel free to spread the word.

Daniel Winter