Health update

First of all — thanks to whomever alerted the prayer circle folk at Luther about Eric’s health struggles. It’s been great to get emails from people who are concerned and keeping us in prayer. I really appreciate the support — it helps to lessen some of the isolation, in facing this challenge so far from home.

And now, the update: Eric has made the round of his doctors (the orthopedic specialist who drained his knee last week, and the dermatologist who's following his microbial eczema), and they both believe he's doing better. I think Eric is still kind of depressed by all of this, because he can't walk much -- and certainly not take any of the our usual hikes -- and his skin is still breaking out in new itching spots. But on the whole, his health is getting better, and while we don't yet see the end, at least there's hope that there WILL be an end to all of this.

There have been some amusing spots along the way. The BC/BS network person who made an appointment for Eric with what we thought was a generalist -- and turned out to be a gynecologist! Or all of the various home remedies being suggested. One of the more interesting, which even the specialists agree is a good idea, is a "topfen" poultice. Topfen is a little like ricotta or cottage cheese that's been smushed together into one block like cream cheese (instead of being in curds). To turn it into a poultice, you simply wrap a block in a thin towel, and then put it on the knee. It helps to wrap the whole thing (knee included) with an elastic bandage to keep it on. I have to admit that I didn't think too much of this idea, but now that even western medical folk think it's worth doing, Eric's giving it a try.

In any case, life continues to be an interesting journey. I'm grateful that we have the support resources around us (like access to healthcare) that we do. And I'm particularly appreciative of prayer.