GREAT News!

We are finally home. Yesterday the doctors gave Bethani the green light to go home! We are so excited and exhausted at the same time. The last 2 weeks have been long ones but we are grateful that the new anti rejection medication is working.

Thank you for all your prayers and thoughtful comments on the blog they have definitely ministered to us. God Bless you and yours during this Holiday season.

with much love,

Brian, Bethani, & Wyatt

Change of Plans!

Well we have a change of plans. We are not going home for Christmas. The Liver team told us this morning that her liver #'s are not what they should be yet. They have started Bethani on another immune suppressant drug that is a whole new level. Short term side affects are severe flu like symptoms and long term affects are much more serious, but we have to get this rejection under control. We are optimistic and believing that this medication will work better than the former. Although this puts a kink in our plans for the holidays we are optimistic that everything will work out for the best.

Tonight Bethani began her first treatment and is very nervous and scared about the severe side affects. Please keep her in you prayers through this difficult time. Remember the family (myself, and her mother specifically) as we help carry this load with Bethani.

May you all have a very Merry Christmas!

With much love,

Brian, Bethani, & Wyatt

A nitetime talk.

Dear friends,



Well it is currently 10 pm Wed. night and I am about to start my 5 night treatment for rejection. I have been surprisingly positive today. I thought today would be one of the hardest days for me but God has sustained me through distractions such as getting to see my little Wyatt this evening for the first time in 5 days. I fed him sweet potatoes, and tonight was the first time he said "DADA" in front of all of us. It felt so good not to miss out on a special moment like that. Being away from Wyatt has been harder on Brian and I than we realized cause we can now see that he misses us. But I have a Goal everyone....5 nights of intense treatment and then it looks like possibly home sweet home. Pray for us to get through this next 5 nights and 5days. They say there could be a lot of flu like symptoms so they have given me Tylenol, and Benedryl 30 min before my treatment just to help... but then again most people get through it just fine. So i guess we shall see. I feel so close to each one of you its almost strange, hearing from so many of you I have not seen or heard from in years. But just knowing you are there and you are praying is doing more than you could ever realize for me and my whole family... So remember I am shooting for being home for Christmas. That's one of our prayer goals ok, well I gotta start the treatment. I love all of you and your comments are still holding me up so please continue.

I Love all of you,

Bethani Roam

PS. Sis. "P" Please don't stop doing what your doing for me.

update 100 and something!

Well we are still here at UCSF working at getting this moderate rejection under control. As you are aware Bethani had a feeding tube for about 24 hrs until she began vomitting which caused her feeding tube to come up. So, Bethani will get another opportunity to keep food down without the tube. This is a good thing.

Today she has already had another biopsy and the results will be in tomorrow. The liver team is concerned about her lab numbers hovering instead of declining. So if the biopsy says rejection again then they will move to a much more powerfull medication for anti-rejection. This will help get her lab numbers back to normal. The only problem is that there can be some harsh side affects.

Big Picture is we need prayer for her lab numbers to level out and for this rejection to stop as quickly and smoothly as possible. As I have said before we need the peace of God to surround us and keep our hearts and minds against fears, and worries.

Thank you all for your prayer,


Brian, Bethani, & Wyatt

Good News!

According to the Liver Team Bethani's labs are getting better. Her main liver #'s are going down which means the anti rejection medication is working! This is the news we have been hoping for. Also if her numbers continue to trend downward then they will not have to put the camera down her stomach and check the bile duct. We thank God for this wonderful news!

She has endured 2 very difficult days in which she has gone through a biopsy, and lung draining procedures. Last night the doctors noticed her oxygen level was a little low and so they had to drain fluid from her right lung. This was not an easy procedure but necessary for her oxygen level. They where able to drain 2 liters of fluid off her right lung.

Where to from here?
Now the plan is to put a feeding tube in some time today so they can get her some much needed nutrition. This too has been difficult for Bethani to accept, however it might just help her with the nausea problems that she has been having as well as strength for recovering.

Your prayers are definitely helping us through this crazy time, please continue to pray that this nausea subsides enough to eat and keep meds down and lastly pray that we get a complete recovery from this rejection.

My sweet little wife is in a lot of pain. Please pray for her.

Bethani and I are looking forward to our first Christmas with our son Wyatt!

with much love,

Brian, Bethani, & the "little man"

bump in the road.

Fellow friends, family, and concerned. We just finished meeting with Bethani's liver team of Doctors. We have a variety of news to give you today. First let me thank you again for all you prayer and response to this blog as it has been a great source of encouragement for Bethani, myself, and the fam.

Yesterday was a big day for Bethani in that she experienced a liver biopsy as well as a lung draining procedure. If you would like the name of the procedure it goes something like this (lksdalfoi*%4) =). J/K I will just have to translate into the normal guy terms. Anyway they were able to drain a liter of fluid from her lung which has allowed her to breath some what easier. The new pain med is making her tired but appears to be easier on the stomach so this might be a peace of the puzzle we have been waiting for.

Today's news:
First we have good news in that her liver numbers from her lab report are trending down all except for one. The treatment that they started yesterday for rejection is already taking affect but will continue until her numbers are back to normal.

Second the biopsy results are back and are showing moderate rejection and a bile duct problem. So this is not exactly the news we where hoping for today. To get a better look at what is going on with her bile duct they will be testing her later today with a stomach camera. This will kill 2 birds with one stone, by allowing them to see if there is anything going on in her stomach (nausea) as well as in the bile duct. The Doctors have again reassured us that even a bile duct draining problem is an easy fix with a stint.

Despite the 3 main issues looming, (nausea, rejection, and the bile duct) we want you to know they are very treatable and even common. However, it has still caused Bethani and I to be uneasy. Please pray the Docs get her nausea under control with the correct medicine and dosage and pray for a measure of peace to surround us in this anxious time. We feel like we are hitting another bump in the road so this is definately not easy for us here.

Finally one last bit of information, they are going to insert a small feeding tube for nutrition. This is not good news for us but because she has not been able to eat they need to get nutrition in her somehow. She has been fighting to keep food down over the past couple of weeks and really hasn't done that well. so once this nausea gets under control we can feed her.


Dependant on your prayer,


Brian, Bethani, & Wyatt

Update from Brian Roam.

To all the concerned, family, and friends. As you already know the past 6.5 weeks has been a crazy time for Bethani and I. This traumatic time started back on 10/28 when Bethani first started experiencing symptoms of liver problems. There is no doubt that without your prayers and support we could not have made it this far. It is at times as traumatic as this that you really have to rely on prayer from others and trust that God is in control.
Currently we are waiting to see what the biopsy results will bring and then her lab work as well. For those who are not familiar with transplant medicine, let me rest some of your concern. First it is common for acute liver failure transplant patients to experience rejection and this is very treatable. The doctors have reiterated to us that they can treat this with no problem. I don't want to come across as everything is ok and alright, because it definitely is not, it is very scary for us right now, however we are on the road to recovery. Please continue to pray and send comments on the blog as they are sunshine in our day. Thank you again for all your generous support. Our main prayer concerns are nausea and vomiting, rejection, and leveling of medication. These all go hand in hand and once they are corrected they will allow her to eat and speed up her recovery.

with much love,

Brian, Bethani, & Wyatt

Update

Bethani is out of her biopsy. They are waiting for results. Her fever has broke, and she is in a regular room. Prayer works!

Please keep Bethani and Brian and the entire family in your prayers!

Update

Bethani is in for a biopsy right now. Last night they hydrated her, and they are trying to get her nausea under control. She has developed a fever. She is in critical condition in ICU. They will not totally know the level of rejection until after the biopsy.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Urgent Prayer Needed!

Bethani had her blood work done yesterday in Redding. She woke up this morning unable to keep her medications down. They called the doctors in San Francisco to discuss her problem today. After looking at her blood work they told them to come straight to San Francisco that her numbers showed that she was in full rejection of her liver.

The family is asking for your prayer! Please pray that God will reach down right now and touch Bethani. God is able!

Update

Bethani was able to go home and spend some time with Wyatt. She is still very weak, but she has been eating a little. She will take a bite, wait 20 minutes and take another bite. She is very determined to get her strength back. She has her regular doctors appointment Tuesday.

Thank you for your prayers!

Thanks and Update

Thank you so much for your concern, prayer, and words of encouragement! The strength that come from all of you is fabulous. God has been so good, and we know that He has His almighty hand upon Bethani! It is still a pure miracle that she had not only an acceptable liver, but a perfect liver for her in just one day.

Her recovery is progressing. Sometimes it seems very slow, but there is progress. Yesterday was one of those slower days. She was not able to eat at all. Her nausea is unbearable at times. Today had progress. Bethani ate a little of her lunch today. She is walking at least two times a day. Her spirit was up, and she had enough strength to talk on the phone to her sister (Denise Bobo). She is still short of breath due to the fluid on her lung, but her oxygen levels are normal. Thank you Jesus!

Continue to pray that the Lord will help with the nausea. That is a big hurdle at this time. Thanks again for everything!

Hospital Report

Bethani has been resting more and more. She was dehydrated and one of her lungs is two-thirds filled with fluid, but she had no fever. The doctors at this point think the lung fluid will clear by itself. They can drain it if it is needed (God can drain it!) The ultrasound and x-ray on her liver was fine. Fluid is flowing through her liver. Last night she was able to keep her medications in her system. They are trying different meds for the nausea. The doctors want her to eat anything at this point. The more calories the better.

She has been very determined to get better. Even when she was nauseated she would still get up and walk. The doctors very strongly told her she needs to eat more to get more strength.

Bro Bishop is at home with Wyatt. Sis Bishop and Brian are at the hospital with Bethani. Thank you for your prayer for all of them. God's family is awesome! The support and prayer they are getting is beyond words.

Hospital Update

Bethani was admitted to UC San Francisco last night. They were able to give her medication to help her get some much needed rest. They also are giving her medication to help her nausea. They expect her to be there for three days for observation and test.

Thank you for your prayer! We serve a Great God!

Update

Bethani, as you know in our last blog, has been nauseated and unable to eat. She got to the point where she could not keep her medications in her system. Sis Bishop, Brian, and Bethani were on their way to San Francisco for her Tuesday morning appointment. They called ahead to the doctors, and they asked them to go straight to the ER tonight. They are there now. We will give you another update tomorrow.

Bethani is very weak. You will never know how much it means to her knowing that you are praying! She knows from reading this blog that prayer is going up.

Thank you for your continued prayer!

Prayer Request

Bethani is in need of our prayers. The doctors are working to regulate some of her medications. Her anxiety level is VERY high. Part of this is due to her medications. She is also very nauseated and has been unable to eat which does not help with her medications.


Please pray for her! Also, please remember Brian and Bro & Sis Bishop in your prayers. They are carrying a heavy load.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." -Phil 4:6-7