Please pray for this family!

I received the email message below. I know how much prayer can impact a child so I am asking everyone to pray for this family. Thanks!!!

"Hi everyone! I'm asking for a very special prayer request for the little guy in the green shirt you see here, being held by his dad, Rob. His name is Bayler Teal and he is 5 years old. He was diagnosed with a rare childrens' cancer called Neuroblastoma this week. He is a very sick little boy and the Teal family desperately needs our prayers!

When I heard this news Pete and I immediately called our church (Highland Park UMC) and had him placed on our prayer list. Our church secretary also sent out a mass email prayer request for him. I encourage each of you to add him to your church's prayer list as well as your own. We all know that prayer is a powerful thing! I can only imagine how terrified Rob and Risha are at this moment, so they need our support as well!

Rob's sister Brittany gave an update today with a little good news: After hours of testing they've determined that Bayler's cancer is not in his bones and spine as they first thought. Praise be to God!!---Our prayers are being heard already! Bayler will start chemo on Monday.

This is a picture of the Teal family: Rob, Bayler, Bridges, and Risha. I have known Rob and his family my entire life. (Benefit of growing up in a small town.) I will continue to send out updates on Bayler and I ask for your continuous prayers. Please pass this along to everyone on your email list. You can never have too many people praying!

Thanks!
Kathy"

The Latest on Rachel's Surgery

Rachel came through the surgery yesterday! Her pain management was MUCH better last night than her last surgery. Praise God! Thank you so much for all of the prayers. I know that's what carried her through. Today she is doing good. She is still having some retching so please PRAY this goes away!!! The surgeon replaced her G/J Button with a G button. This means all her formula will now go directly into her stomach again. Pray that this is successful. If it is, it will mean no more feeding pump to lug around everywhere!!! Pray that Rachel will learn how to eat again. She will no longer be offered a bottle. The therapists are trying to introduce her to a sippy cup! She still has a VERY sensitive gag reflex so pray that God would intervene and she can learn to eat on her own. Pray that she recovers well from the surgery and that we can get her home. Thanks to you all and we love you!

It's A Party!

Rachel's surgery is Thursday, Sept. 4th (on Rachel's birthday!). Because of this we have had to reschedule her birthday party. It will be this Saturday, Aug. 30th at 11 am at the church. All are invited!

Bring the Rain

The doctor found the cause of Rachel's vomiting and retching! What an answered prayer. Rachel has a hernia on her stomach that runs up her esophagus. When the hernia fills with fluid it gives Rachel the sensation of needing to vomit. Rachel will be having another surgery(probably this Friday). They will undo her Nissen, remove or reduce the hernia and then redo her Nissen. Please pray that the surgery goes well and recovery goes much better than last time. Pray for pain management! Most of all, Pray that God gets the glory for it all. As Jason and I have learned to pray, Jesus Bring the Rain...

Checking In

Rachel has had some ups and downs since the last post. She had some issues with her seizures but Praise God they are once again under control! The power of prayer is amazing!
She is having trouble with retching and vomiting again so please continue to pray for her. We have learned that she will likely have to stay on the feeding pump for 2-3 more years. Jesus has given me such a peace about that. It's a long road, but the Driver knows where He is going!

Something New!

I am happy to announce that Rachel is finally over her stomach bug! Hooray! I thank God for all He did for us last week. We couldn't have made it with out him. On a different note I wanted to share Rachel's new accomplishment. She has acquired her first tooth! Pray that the pain is not too awful since she can't coordinate to get anything in her mouth to relieve herself. Thanks for the prayers while she was sick. They worked! (Like you had any doubt!)

One Sick Puppy

:( Baby Rachel is one sick puppy. She started yesterday with severe crankiness and vomiting. This was followed by a fever. The next thing we knew she was having a seizure pandemic that lasted over 30 minutes. I really thought I was going to have to call for an ambulance to transport her but the episodes slowed and finally stopped once I got her to sleep. Praise God for that! Rachel had a really rough night last night. She had LOTS of loose stools and stayed awake much of the night. It turned out to be a very long night for Mom and Dad, too! This morning when I went to check on her and she had very dry, cracked lips and a very dry mouth. What I thought was impossible turned out to be possible! My little tube fed baby got dehydrated! We took her to the doctor this morning to find out she has a stomach virus. This is also why she had such seizure activity. Pray that all goes well and she recovers quickly. She is still dehydrated, but she's on Pedialyte and Prayers. That should do the trick!

It is Well

Rachel is growing and getting stronger every day. She is still having a tough time with the retching and vomiting, but God's timing is perfect and we trust that He has a plan. We hope to eventually get her off the feeding pump. Right now the doctor says it will be a while yet. She fianlly has TEFRA medicaid...what an answered prayer! Those medical bills can haunt a mailbox! Continue to pray for Rachel on her journey. God has great things planned for her!

A Shocking New Discovery

We left you hanging on the post about the last PH probe. Sorry about that. It took us two weeks to get the results! Good news...Rachel does not have to have a repeat Nissen surgery! Thank you, Jesus for all You do! Since she was still retching and vomiting often, we still had to wonder what the issue was. If it wasn't that her Nissen had come undone, then was it? That's where the new discovery comes in. Her doctor ordered a type of nuclear radiological study that measured how fast she digests food. Last week we were able to take Rachel to one of the local hospitals for the procedure. Yesterday we finally got the results. It turns out that this whole time Rachel has had a digestive issue. Food leaves her stomach too slowly, thus giving her a full feeling much, much longer than normal. I can only assume that this is also why she can't hold any volume. In normal people, as you eat or drink a slow amount goes out of the stomach into the intestines at a fairly consistent rate. This is why doctors suggested the continuous drip into her stomach because as it dripped in, it should have dripped out. With Rachel her stomach would not drip out properly and she would get backed up, thus causing the retching and vomiting. When you add the Nissen (which is designed to prevent things from coming up) then you get this dilima in that the milk going in can't go out or up. How miserable she must have been before they moved her feedings to her intestines! After thinking about it I began to cry. What had I done to my baby all those months before her surgery?! I thought of all the times I forced her to eat, crying and screaming all the way. No wonder she fought with all her life! It tears me up to think of it. All I can do is beg her forgiveness when she gets older and pray somehow they can fix her. Right now they are trying a medication to stimulate her stomach to contract and push things out faster. Please continue to pray for her. Pray that God would heal her of all her GI issues. Pray that she can live pain free. Pray that God get the glory for everything as He is the ALL FAITHFUL One that deserves it! Thank you for your prayers!

Time to Testify!

For those of you that follow Rachel’s Story, you know that I don’t usually post anything unless it is specific to Rachel. Today, I felt compelled to share something that has to do with Rachel, but not so much having to do with her health. My husband and I have been struggling with finances these last few months as many of you probably figured out. Satan kept whispering in my ear that God had all but given up on us in that area. My head and my heart knew better…look at all God had done for us! But still, the enemy was almost convincing at times. Last week seemed to be the worst for us. We were behind 2 mortgage payments & we were putting formula, food, etc. on credit cards. I can remember saying a few times that all I wanted to do was be able to feed my baby. Although tithing has never been a weakness for me, the enemy showed me time and again all the things we could do if we quit tithing. I now know in my heart that God was testing us. (Susanne, you played a role in helping me to see that…thank you!!!) Sunday we knocked the enemy in the eye and paid our tithes (Thank you Jesus for the strength). Tuesday I came home from work and was greeted by several cans of formula. God had provided my deepest need! (Thank you Sunday School class. You guys are the best!) As if that was not enough, Wednesday I was greeted with a much needed Medicaid card for Rachel! (We had been waiting over 3 months for that!) Then comes Thursday and we get our state refund check. Now we can pay our mortgage! Ain’t God good!!! He is ALWAYS faithful and His timing is perfect. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow! Thank you for praying for us!

Rachel off to Richland Again

We will be leaving Wed. night after church to take Rachel back to Richland. Pray for a safe trip and that all will go well. She will be having another PH probe done. This will determine if her Nissen (stomach wrapped around the esophagus) came undone and whether or not they will have to redo her surgery. Pray for a good report! We love you all!

Over The Flu

Rachel is alive and well! She has finally shaken the flu bug and things are getting back to normal. She is taking a new seizure medication that makes her quite irritable so please pray for our sanity! She is gaining weight, praise God! We are up to 11 lbs 15 oz! Ain't God good?! Thanks for your constant prayers on her behalf!

Finally Home...Again!

Rachel had another week long stay at Chateau De La Hospital! Seriously, she made it back home yesterday afternoon and seems to be doing well. She had to have her G-button replaced with a G/J button. This allows milk to bypass her stomach and go directly into her small intestine. She was having some vomiting and a lot of retching (or gaging). This new button seems to be doing the trick though. The downside is that she is hooked to a feeding pump 24 hours a day. This is quite inconvenient for her daily commutes to daycare but it's a small price to pay! I have to stop and praise God for her daycare while I am at it. Ms. Babb and her staff are awesome! I praise God for leading me to that daycare. They take WONDERFUL care of her so I can work. We wouldn't have health insurance if God didn't bring us there and one thing's for sure...with Rachel we definitely need health insurance! I thank God for all He has done in Rachel's life. I praise Him for His faithfulness once again! People ask me how my husband and I cope with everything. I have to say that God's peace really does surpass my understanding. All I can say is "It's Jesus all the way!!!"

New Button

Rachel has a new button! She had her G-Tube replaced with a button which is much easier to take care of. She has had some adjusting to do and so have Mom and Dad, but things should start improving soon. She is having some dificulty taking in as much food as the doctors want but she is still doing much better than before! Keep praying!

Double Digits!

Rachel has finally graduated to double digits! Her last doctor visit proved a successful surgery! She now weighs a whopping 10 lbs 1 oz! Praise God! It took her 5 months to reach that goal, but she finally did it! She is at home now and doing well. She got a cold that had her feeling down a few days, but she seems to be getting better now. Thanks for all your prayers! Keep them coming!

We love you!

Seeing Improvement

Rachel seems to be improving. The medical staff now has her pain under control. We have been able to get acclimated to the G-Tube in her stomach. She still will not take a bottle, though. Please pray that she learns that the bottle is no longer her enemy! I have to praise God for all His faithfulness and all of His blessings. We have been through the fire but Jesus has been that unfailing "fourth Man in the fiery furnace" once again. I kept telling Rachel over and over before they whisked her away that even though I could not follow her to the operating room Jesus would never leave her side. How precious are His promises! Your continued prayer is so very valued. We appreciate it more than words can express. How could I ever explain how much it means to me to have someone intercede for my precious Rachel? Please keep her big sister Samantha in your prayers as well. She has been through so much without having her parents at her side. God has made her a strong little lady and for that we are so grateful. (I'm going to pay for it when she is a teenager, though!) God bless you and we love you!

Urgent Prayer Needed

Please be much in prayer for Rachel. She was in pain most of the night last night and cried uncontrollably most of the time. This has made her tummy quite sore as you can imagine. The surgery went well but the epidural they gave her for pain management came out some time during the night and no one knew it. She finally got some morphine at 7:30 this morning and went to sleep. After that wore off they gave her Tylenol with codeine. They both work, but not for the duration so she is still battling the pain. Please pray that God would intervene and she would have more manageable pain or even no pain...God can do either one!
Thanks and God bless!

Surgery Today

Rachel will be having her surgery at 1 pm today. It should last about 2 hours. Please be in prayer for her. Also, Rachel's Poppy is having some health issues that require immediate care. Please be in prayer for him as well.

Thanks and God Bless!!!

Upcoming Surgery

Baby Rachel has had many, many tests to find the cause of her eating issues. It has been determined that her Reflux is bad enough to require surgery. One of the tests (called a ph probe) measured how much acid is going back into her esophagus. In a 24 hour period little Rachel had 170 episodes of reflux. A surgery called the "Nissen" procedure should correct this problem. It is a procedure where the surgeon takes her stomach and wraps it around her esophagus. Then he attaches the stomach to her abdomen wall and puts a PEG tube into the stomach. She will be able to eat through this tube if needed. Please pray that the surgery is successful and without complication. Pray that God keep her safe and that she will have a speedy recovery. Please pray that she will not be in too much pain after the surgery and that she be protected while they administer morphine and Tylenol with codine. She will possibly have the surgery as soon as Monday. To God be the glory for all things. We praise Him for answered prayers!

Life at Richland

Rachel is now at Richand's Children's hospital undergoing various tests. Since her recent weight loss the doctors decided to try to find out why baby Rachel has so much trouble eating. Her weight has pretty much plateaued in the last couple of months. She has had a variety of blood tests and urine tests (praise God she didn't have to get a cath!). She is currently in the middle of a test called a ph probe. She has a tube (about the size of a feeding tube) run into her nose and down her esophagus. It is hooked to a little computer that measures the acid in her esophagus. This will determine how severe her reflux (or GERD) is. The test lasts 24 hours so we should know something tomorrow. The staff here at Richland is great. She has 7 different doctors checking her progress daily. They are all informative and helpful. The nursing staff is also a blessing. It is hard to be away from home and away from Rachel's big sister, but god has been faithful in keeping our spirits up! Baby Rachel has been such a trooper threw this entire process. God has given her a special touch to make it through. He has also been with both Daddy and I and for that we are eternally grateful! We want to thank everyone who has helped us during this week! Jen, thanks for taking Samantha at a moment's notice. Thanks to Dayna for keeping Samantha at home and taking her to school. Nanny and aunt Shellie, thanks for keeping Sam, cleaning and for everything else you have done. Thank you Mammaw and Pappaw for keeping Sam as well. Thank you Susanne for getting Sam from school and keeping her for us. Thanks to everyone who has called, came to Columbia to visit, sent flowers, and most importantly, thanks to everyone who has prayed!!!

A Bump in the Road

Baby Rachel was doing well, praise to Jesus! She has hit a bump in the road. She has lost more weight. Monday she has to go back to the doctor for another weight check. If she has lost weight again, she will be admitted to an out-of-town hospital for a few days for testing to see what is going on inside her little belly. The next resort is surgery or a feeding tube inserted into her naval. Please pray that she gains weight and gets better! To God be ALL glory, honor & praise!