Bethany's Health Update - 1/25/2011

[Tom & Bethany Eckert]

Dear family and friends,

I think it's about time to break out the Google group again.

For those of you who followed Bethany and prayed for her during her kidney transplant in October, I need to update you on her progress.
Bethany's transplant went very well and she recovered nicely.  Then over the next few months she got stronger and stronger.  She is stronger now than I've seen her in many years and we thank God for this.

Unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago, she started having some troubles so she was in touch with the

Dr.  He did blood tests yet he couldn't figure out what was wrong.  Last Friday, she had such a high fever and severe rigors that the Dr admitted her to the University hospital where she was put on antibiotics and she's now feeling much better. They determined that a cracked tooth had gotten infected and had leached into her blood and had developed into a staph infection. Today a test discovered that the staph attatched to her artificial heart valve.

Over the next 24 - 36 hours a team of Drs will come together to make decisions that will determine what will happen.  There is a lot to consider in this decision.  They will need to consider any risk to the donated kidney and will need to protect it from possible infection.  It is entirely within the scope of possibility (and maybe even probability) that open-heart surgery is in Bethany's near future.

We will keep you informed when we know more.

Thank you for your prayers.

Tom Eckert