Good News!

Hey Y'all,

Hold on! I'm floating from the high I got talking with Kim after her Doctor's appointment at Wake Forest. Kim was so upbeat after this consultation it made me cry with joy just to hear her voice so happy.

Kim doesn't need a Feeding Tube yet! Hooray! Hooray! Thank you Jesus! And the pacemaker is on hold for now until conclusive tests have been performed.

She saw Dr. Kenneth Koch (pronounced Cook) who is the Director of Gastroenterology at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospitals. He obviously knows exactly what Kim is going through and is prepared to help make her better! No fooling! He gave her Positive Feedback for what she has been doing for herself and has started her on a 'plan for the future.' The plan sounds like it just might work and take some of the mental pressure off of her in the bargain! He stopped two of her prescriptions, the most important one being the Reglan that was suppose to help her with the vomiting and digestion but was making her bowels 'dump' unexpectedly for the past three years. He has scheduled her for two tests to be performed, one on the 15th and the other on the 21st. He gave her a realistic diet that she won't have trouble following instead of the off the wall ones that the nutritionists have recommended to her. Those diets were fine except that they were labor intensive and if you don't have the energy to walk to the bathroom how in the heck was she suppose to spend hours in the kitchen preparing her food? I guess if you've never had to live like Kim and others who go through this you don't take daily living into account-but Dr. Koch does! Dr. Koch has also advised Kim about his desire to enter her into a medical study of diabetes with gastroparesis, if it turns out that it is feasible for her. In any case, we feel very positive about this new direction Kim's health is about to take. Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital is one of only 4 certified hospital programs to deal with this problem in the United States and we are very fortunate to live within commuting distance.

I am so thankful that Kim was referred to a doctor who seems to honestly care about her life. I do not believe this would have come about if not for the hundreds of you who have sent up prayers and good wishes for her. Thank you from my heart and soul.

Love,
Liv

PS: Sorry it took so long to get this info up - I was doing research on the good doctor and his hospital.