First Big Miracle

 Before we left for the U.S., we had been told that the surgery had been scheduled to take place at the Nationwide Children's Hospital with a team of doctors coming over from The Ohio State University The James Cancer Center.  When we got there on Wednesday, we received word that the Children's Hospital did not want to deal with us at all because we didn't have insurance. We were hoping to apply for Medicaid through Ohio and have our bills covered that way, but it wasn't certain that we would be accepted.  Living in Albania, we didn't have any U.S. insurance plan.  When we heard this, we really wondered what our Father God would do!!  We had ALL come all that way only to be told that it wasn't going to happen.  Our scheduled CAT scan at the Children's Hospital the day after we arrived didn't take place and instead we waited for our first appointment at the James Cancer Center with Dr. Matthew Old, who was to be Elsa's surgeon, not knowing what would happen.  While we waited and rested, we tried to get our Medicaid application passed, with no success.  That night, though, we got a call from our amazing coordinator over at the James who told us that she had made a call to someone high up at the Children's Hospital explaining who we were and why we should be allowed to get treated anyway, and we were accepted. That was a huge burden lifted.  On Friday morning at the James, we had a great visit and felt confident that the doctor had a good plan and Elsa was in experienced hands. 

The healing journey begins at the Grigorenkos

As I shared in my previous post, we were on faith headed to Ohio to seek treatment for Elsa's desmoid tumor which had recurred very rapidly after having it removed here in Albania.  I was hoping to be able to write more when we were there, but I wasn't able.  It really was an amazing journey of blessing all the way, and now we are back here in Tirana THANKFUL beyond words for healing and grace poured over us day by day.  Elsa continues to do very well and look beautiful!  The doctors did an amazing job of removing the tumor and God did an equally amazing job of filling in all the gaps so she didn't have to have reconstructive surgery.  There are many, many stories from our time there, but I want to be faithful to write as much down as I can remember by way of encouraging myself and anyone who reads this blog that God is really is watching over the details of our lives, he can work in a sin-soaked world to effect much good and he can and does use each one of us as his hands and feet to bring the blessing.

The first hands and feet hand-picked by our Father that loved on us throughout our long time in the U.S. were that of Drs. Don and Margaret Grigorenko.  Mrs. G as I like to still call her picked our tired gang up at the airport in Columbus and drove us to their home.  Elsa, who had been a good traveler most of the trip was very unhappy and cried and cried, so Mr. G stopped at the first available McDonalds and we all got to experience this classic American restaurant together.  The playground was amazing and Mrs. G took care of little Elsa, helping her up and down the slide over and over again. We all enjoyed ice cream cones dipped in chocolate.  This was to be the first instance of Mrs. G lightening my load of mothering and in her characteristically loving, patient and good-humored way caring for each of my children in turn. 

The Grigorenkos came into this story through my childhood friend Corrie, who is their oldest daughter.  As soon as Corrie saw that we might be headed to Columbus, she volunteered her parents home to us. She then called her parents and asked them if it would be OK. ;)  The Gs were warmly welcoming to us, had the perfect home out in the country with lots of space for our young rambunctious city slickers.  What was beautiful for me was that I know and love the Gs from when I was young in Nepal - 20 years before.  Mr G taught me all I needed to know about dos and typing tutor when I was in middle school. This was our first formal introduction to computers and it was a memorable experience.  Mrs. G helped a lot with our girl guides troup, amongst other things.  The Gs also had spent time in Dandeldhura in far west Nepal where I was as a very young child and so can relate to my stories of kaphel berry picking and the mud houses and the adventures getting there and back, fording rivers in big old buses when there weren't bridges, etc.  I felt so, so at home and reconnected with parts of my history that I missed.  What I didn't know, was that the Gs were now professors at Cedarville University and had a great interest in Anthropology and Linguistics - two of my favorite subjects.  The G's library was like being in a candy shop for me!!  I didn't know whether to read one of the many ethnographies, or the Nepali bible or hymnal or the far side comics, or the books on linguistics, or mission...on and on. I could have read just about every book in their house if I got the chance.  The Gs had little reminders of Nepal all over and also made us some great Nepali (or Indian) curry on a couple occasions.  The kids really loved their Nepali madal (drum) and we introduced them to some folk songs on it. 

Elsa was thrilled to make a new friend in the Gs' dog Kimber or, "Timbers" as she would call him.  He was the perfect dog for Elsa as she just wouldn't give him a break.  She would follow him everywhere, including right into his crate, where she'd cuddle up to him.  She would also try to hand feed him!! Our dog would definitely not have been so well-mannered about all this attention.

With Mrs. G at the Jame's Cancer Center waiting room.  We were thankful too for the knowledge that the G's had of this hospital and caring for those with cancer.