Mar 21, 2010

HLA Typing COMPLETE!



We were finally able to get the HLA Typing COMPLETE for each member of our family. It was QUITE the ordeal! For starters, we arrived some time around 11. I got a bad feeling when the gentleman that checked us in told us to "get comfortable as we were going to be there A LONG TIME!" True to His word we were there for about 5 hours! Apparently paperwork for HLA typing for a family of 7 is quite extensive. Lots of waiting around, and waiting... sheesh, you'd think we were The Duggar's! :-) ( we had to actually be admitted into the hospital, not the simple quick and easy blood test I originally thought it would be)

We told to go to a special part of St Joseph that deals with Donor Type issues.

I was abit irritated when we arrived. One employee took one look at us and said in the most irritated, inconvenienced, exasperated voice he could muster. "WHAT! YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO DO ALL OF THEM? The WHOLE FMILY? There's SO MANY OF THEM! (along with a sighing and eye rolling) We were of course within ear shot. I'm thinking 1) Isn't it, you know.. your JOB to take blood? It's what you DO FOR A LVING. What does it matter if we are all from ONE family or from several. Just take our dang blood without complaining for Pete's sake! 2) I'm thinking, in THIS economy do you really want to have such disdain for the people that are providing yo with work? That was so irritating and really concerned me about how the rest of the procedure would go.

Fortunately all went really well. I wasn't really up for "why aren't the kids in school." Honestly, I didn't know how the kids would react to it all and wanted to see how well they would do before I mentioned that we homeschool. Gotta represent ya know! :-) Once we got inside we had the NICEST sweet nurses/phlebotomists ever. They all came in to compliment how well teh kids did. So many of them seemed quite amazed at how many children we had and how well they each behaved. We heard over and over again how impressive they were. ( it helped that I gave them all candy during the procedure) My very sensitive son that I expected to wig out did great, all of them did. I was most impressed with Anaiah as she has tiny veins and I watched as they rooted ALL around her arm looking for the vein. I wanted to totally GAG, but she was just her normal smiley self.

The only one who cried was Hezekiah. He really took to the nurse ( she was pretty) and he smiled and smiled at her flirting and smiling.. His little face showed concerned when she put on the mask. HE WAS LIKE " HEY WAIT AN MINTUE.. WHAT'S GOING ON... Then she pinned his little arm down and he all out panicked!


Here you can see him look totally betrayed almost as if to say " I thought we had something special! Elijah does great here. I wanted to take photos of everything because if we have a match it really will be special. I told them that we are all taking one for the team. TEAM RODRIGUEZ! :-)


Huatzin was the only one who complained. He doest like needles. I told him he needed to man up a bit. I had to get my blood drawn all while holding a very angry crying baby that was also trying to rip the needle out of my arm to taste it. As we were leaving the nurses were full of raise for the kids and 1 lady that had to know Jesus told me that my family/children were such a blessing. I then felt comfortable telling them it was because we homeschool. :-) To which they all agreed had to be the reason. ;-) ( could ALSO be the candy! ) We had a couple of other issues/adventures, such as losing keys and searching all over CHOC for them. Getting Josiah's blood drawn and realizing they didn't draw enough. (they wanted us to go back.. no can do! ) having a REALLY rude receptionist as I was trying to figure out how to drop off the lab( I carried around blood vials with 5 children alone while Huatzin went to look for the keys and was terrified I'd break them. For the life of me, I cannot understand WHY anyone that dislikes people would get a job at CHOC of all places. I almost want to tell her that she might consider a job at the DMV... where people actually EXPECT you to be rude and to be treated poorly.. but CHOC seems like a place you'd work if you generally LIKE INTERACTING WITH others! ;-) Thankfully other employees were much more helpful. All in in, the whole thing was covered in prayer and went better than expected. We were tired but happy. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Alida & Fam

Mar 16, 2010

HLA typing for the WHOLE family!

Can you all PLEASE pray that the Lord would supernaturally heal Josiah.. Like NOW? There is a position with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Kenya for teaching/caregiving Missionary children and they would consider taking us 5 kids and all.. But, I can't very well be living out in the bush having an Aplastic son that needs platelets and blood transfusions with a serious life threatening blood disorder in an area where HIV is highly prevalent now can I?" ;-) Plus it's just nice to have healthy kids. We like him and we kinda wanna keep him around. ;-)

I am amazed at how many brothers and sister in Christ I have. Many people, that we don't even know that pray for my family. It is so encouraging. Many I won't get to meet this side of heaven.

In other news our whole family of 7 is going to get HLA typing done in the TODAY Wednesday in the AM to see if any of us are a possible match for Josiah if he ends up needing a bone marrow transplant. We are praying the Lord will heal him supernaturally and if not that at least 1 of us would be a match. Please oh please Lord. Praying they'll easily find a vein in our 9 month old Hezie's tiny little arm and for 1 of my sons that is so phobic and panicky. Lord knows, you have NO IDEA how grateful I am that it isn't this particular son that has aplastic anemia. This isn't all roses but at least Joyful Josiah goes with the flow and is so easy going. I'm making my concerned phobic son go 1st so he doesnt work himself and his siblings up in hysterics. I'm hoping he'll " take it like a man." We shall see. :-) Love you all. In Christ, my GLORIOUS REDEEMING SAVIOR! Alida w5

Aren't these quotes just BEAUTIFUL?
Don't be afraid for tomorrow. God is already there.-- Ethel Löfgren

Faith says not, 'I see that it is good for me, so God must have sent it,' but, 'God sent it, and so it must be good for me.' Faith, walking in the dark with God, only prays Him to clasp its hand more closely. -- Phillips Brooks

It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.-- Jeremy Taylor

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.-- Corrie ten Boom

Wycliffe Bible Translators: World Missions for Unreached People Groups
www.wycliffe.org

Mar 4, 2010

There is only one relationship

There is only one relationship that matters, and that is your
personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let
everything else go, but maintain that at all cost, and God will
fulfill His purpose through your life. (This includes meeting
the needs of your heart.) One individual life may be of
priceless value to God's purposes, and yours may be that life.

-- Oswald Chambers

Atheism-Pull the Plug

Unless someone care's

Unless someone care's

Compassion Verse

"Lifehouse Anything Skit"

Our Mighty Arrows

Our Mighty Arrows