We're headed off to...

Betcha can't guess which school we chose! Although I wouldn't describe Lubbock as green or hilly, I think it will be a great fit for our family for the next few years.

Here's a few things we look forward to:

*No snow!
*Children's hospital in town
*Still being close to a temple
*Great funding for Matt
*Our own fenced-in backyard (we hope)
*Star-gazing
*Research and clinical opportunities
*Steaks at the Texas Roadhouse
*Great peers and professors
*Cockroaches and country music (okay, not really)
*A little recession-proofing?
*Playing outside 10 months out of the year
*Getting a country twang, y'all


Now we just need to find a home!

________________

By the way, if you are wondering about Tuesday's prehearing call...well, the real one will be in a month (sigh). The call was a highly-prepped, needless way to tell us they need medical records for the girls before they can discuss the case. Despite the false alarm, we still appreciated all your prayers and encouragement!

Appeals Process

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope it is appropriate to request this through our blog. We are still trying to get our insurance to consider genetic testing important enough to fund a test for one of our girls. One of the things the recession has affected is government-funded healthcare, and we are feeling the effects of it. We still don't have a complete diagnosis, and although we (our geneticist included here) generally feel that both Vanessa and Nicole do indeed have Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia, their range is so different, we want to be sure (as there are 200 types of dwarfism, each with its own range and type of health issues), for their health management and for future family planning. We are trying to appeal the denial from our insurance. Tuesday we have a prehearing conference to establish necessity of the hearing. We could use your prayers in our behalf as we try to present valid and convincing information. While we certainly don't consider Medicaid our enemy (they have been a huge blessing, covering many of Nicole's expensive bills), we know it's important for insurance companies to understand why certain procedures, tests, doctors, and equipment are truly necessary, despite their cost. We truly feel blessed for all the prayers you have offered for Nicole and Vanessa over these past couple of years, and thank you for all your love and support.

Love,

Lisa, Matt, and the girls

Koryn

I was singing to the girls last night and started to sing We'll Bring the World His Truth. Whenever I sing that song, it always reminds me of my friend, Koryn. It was one of her favorite church songs. Last night, the emotions were especially strong, so I had a hard time finishing the song. Vanessa, my emotional barometer, needed to know why, and not a simple answer would do. I began to tell her about Koryn.

I believe I first met Koryn while I was still in elementary school. I don't recall much from when I first met her, but I remember she was always a sweet, friendly, loving person who had a gift for making people feel accepted. She cared about everyone.

In middle school, she was one of the only people strong enough to stand up completely against peer pressure, and did things according to her standard, not according to the insecurities of others. She was so strong.

Even through high school, Koryn was consistently a thoughtful, amazing friend. She had such fun, quick sense of humor that would catch you off-guard and make you laugh just when you needed it most. She was always so good at seeing the positive.

It was during high school that Koryn found out she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I remember when she told the news, it seemed like time stood still. Cancer? At this age? To Koryn? I was speechless, and I soon found she was conforting me rather than the other way around.

The story is a long, hard one, but to be brief, Hodgkin's took its toll. She was 16 when she received her diagnosis. When the rest of us were dating and hanging out, and life was generally carefree, she was dealing with chemo and other treatments, and all the isolation and pain that came with it. It would have been enough to make anyone bitter, but with Koryn, she was cracking jokes and asking how well others were doing. Her cancer went into remission for a short time, then came back with a vengeance. The times she was feeling a little better, our group of friends (some pictured above) were able to do a lot of fun and creative things together. She even got to go to one of the school dances our senior year, and flew back from treatments in Mexico to attend graduation.

I hate to admit it, even to myself, but when Koryn was hospitalized or confined to home, I never visited her. I think I was simply afraid. I was afraid of how much the cancer and treatments were hurting my friend. I was afraid of not being strong for her, and making her feel worse. I was afraid of disturbing her time with her family. I was afraid of cancer. I let that fear make me less of a friend.

Koryn hit a point at which treatments were no longer effective. She passed away May 25th, 2001. She was 19. I miss her. I think about her at every milestone in my life and wish I could share it with her; that I could witness her reaching those same milestones.

It's hard to express my feelings, even after 8 years. Koryn has been a model to me of what a real friend is. She had such a big heart and a genuine love for people that never waned. While I don't mean to canonize her, she is truly unique. She taught me so much about what is really important in life. I dearly wish in life I had been the sort of friend to her that she was to me. I imagine, even now in heaven, she is constantly reaching out to people and just simply loving them. I keep trying to be better myself so that I can be that sort of friend, to her and others, when we meet again. Perhaps, then, I can share all these thoughts with her. Or perhaps she already knows...

I love and miss you, Koryn!

We need a vote...should we be Red Raiders or Bulldogs?

Yep, our blog needs resuscitation...here's a heartbeat for starters...