In this section of the web site, we shared information that we had on Lynette's medical condition and other developments relative to her activities and treatment.
October 15, 2005:
Lynette saying her goodbyes at the airport.
Yesterday morning, at about 4:30 am local time, Lynette, Nathan, Tristan & Katherine finished saying their goodbyes and walked through the doors of the airport here in Tirana to return to America. About 30 of their friends, who had come to see them off, continued to watch them through the terminal windows as they went through security. They stayed until the Hoppes were finally went out of sight, as if unwilling to let them go.
Their visit here was a blessed experience, for everybody involved. Somehow, everything that had been planned, Lynette was able to find the strength to do. We will soon share many of these experiences with you through Nathan's photos of the trip. For now, we will just say that for everyone who prayed for Lynette to be able to come here, perhaps for the last time, and to have a beautiful and fulfilling trip, our prayers were answered.
Lynette experienced a significant amount of pain and fatigue during this trip, as she, Nathan, and her doctors knew she would. She handled it with grace and was able to focus on the people who had been denied her presence for the last ten months.
Please pray for Lynette and the Hoppe family as they return to Minnesota and face the struggles of her illness and that of her mother. But also rejoice in their joy for being able to visit Albania.
October 28, 2005:
Nathan called today with the following update:
The Hoppes have been adjusting back to life in America after their blessed visit to Albania. Lynette is having some good days and some bad days with regard to pain and sickness. The good news is that when she was tested for hemoglobin level last week, it was still at 11.0, maintaining the level she had before leaving for Albania. Nathan called this unexpected good news an answer to prayer.
The other good news is that Nathan and Lynette are going to Paris next week to spend some time together. This trip was made possible by their parish in Rochester, MN and will give them the blessed opportunity to enjoy each other's company in a very beautiful place.
Please pray for a safe and joyous journey for Nathan and Lynette.
November 17, 2005:
Nathan called today with the following update:
Nathan and Lynette had a wonderful time during their trip to Paris. They have gotten a lot of questions about the riots that occurred in Paris during the trip. Nathan reports that they were not affected at all by the riots and were able to do everything that they had planned. Tristan and Katherine did well while they were gone, but were happy to have Mommy and Daddy back.
Lynette has been feeling pretty well the last week. The pain medication is doing it's job she has had a good energy level. She is struggling with nausea quite a bit. Nathan thinks it might be a side effect of the pain medication or simply because of the fact that people with cancer at this level tend to experience a lot of nausea.
The condition of Lynette's mother, Marcy, continues to deteriorate as her liver cancer progresses.
Please pray for Marcy as she faces the last stages of liver cancer.
December 2, 2005:
Today, Nathan emailed the following update:
After returning from Paris , Lynette enjoyed several weeks of feeling quite well. The family, including her parents, went to Lynette's sister's home in northern Minnesota for Thanksgiving. For the past five days or so, however, Lynette has not been feeling well. We are trying to combat her pain by stepping up the dosage of her pain medication. Lynette's mom continues to get weaker. The doctor says she may make it until Christmas.
December 19, 2005:
Today, Nathan emailed the following update:
Prior to our trip to Albania, Lynette's hemoglobin levels were a major concern for us. When we returned from Albania we were blessed and encouraged to learn that her hemoglobin level, which had been 11.2, had not dropped at all since her previous transfusion. We truly believe this to be a miracle. The level held fairly well over the next month, but then dropped to 9.5 by her checkup Nov 22. Over the following two weeks, Lynette began to experience the symptoms of low hemoglobin--chest pains, shortness of breath, and pale coloring. Tests showed that her hemoglobin had dropped to 7.4, putting her in danger of a heart attack. On Dec. 9, Tristan's birthday, she spent the day at the clinic receiving 2 units of blood. This week, although the symptoms of low hemoglobin have disappeared, Lynette has been struggling with upset stomach, nausea, and general pain. She is trying to control these symptoms through medications and natural means.
Lord, hear our prayers.
