Message from Joy

May 28,2008

Hello everyone! I'm finally feeling good enough to sit up and write a few lines. GOD IS SO GOOD TO ME. He still has his healing hands all over me. I went into surgery weighing 215 lbs. My Donor's kidney kicked in and started working immediately. I started losing fluid right away. I had so much fluid that it started leaking right thru my incisions and running down my legs! They put a device called a wound suction vacuum over the lower kidney incision and it started pumping fluid out like crazy. The fluid is due to my liver not kicking in right away. My liver is now kicking in. I lost 28 lbs. of fluid in the past 7 days.
I'm still having pain, mostly over my lower incision. They are very good about controlling pain, so that I am up walking around and doing physical therapy. Last night I slept in bed, totally reclined for the first time.
I saw my surgeon yesterday, and he said I am an amazement to him, especially after all the difficulty with the surgery. He told me I make his heart smile. He told me the last big obstacle in surgery was answered by God.
I always wondered why I wasn't healed. Now, I realize that my surgery was so difficult and they knew that going in, that God showed all these people involved that the surgery that it was a miracle to get through it, let alone be doing so well 2 weeks afterword. I can't wait to tell my story from the age of 15, because I truly am a miracle of God.

I also would to ask that you keep the donor's family in prayer.

And, all of you who are out there, surrounding me with your love and support, there are no words that can express my thanks and gratitude for your love.

I'm going to sign off now, but I'll be on more often now that I'm feeling better.

STILL SMILING, Love ya! Joy