Live And Unplugged

I  woke early this morning to the sound of Jason's dialysis machine beeping. This is not an uncommon noise in our room.  The display read, "check patient line" so I asked Jason if he was lying on his line.  He ever so casually responded, "I'm not even hooked up."  I was instantly alert and possibly a bit panicked.  This is the reason I have slept so fitfully for the past five months. I've never been entirely certain what Jason might do during the night.  Until this morning, I've always woken up whenever he's tried to get up to use the bathroom. I've come to the conclusion that either (a) I was rather unconscious after a long week, or (b) Jason has secretly been developing ninja skills.
There's a procedure that needs to be followed whenever he is connected to dialysis in order to avoid contamination.  This involves hand washing, wearing a mask, hand sanitizer, scrubbing the catheter with a bleach solution for one minute, and never touching the end of his uncapped catheter.  Needless to say, Jason wasn't able to remember these steps before setting off on his journey to the bathroom.  We ended up going to the dialysis unit at the hospital so they could put a new sterile end on his catheter.  He is also taking an emergency antibiotic for two days to prevent infection.
When Jason went for routine labs last week at the dialysis center, one of the nurses suggested we contact Research Hospital about transplant since KU still hasn't followed up.  She also left a message with his KU coordinator in hopes of learning his status there.  If we decide to try Research, we would attend a class in early October.  They would then request his records from KU before deciding whether to proceed.  We are trying to be patient, and trust the answer will come at the right time.
Eli seems to have already settled in nicely at his new school.  There is a lightness in him as he strolls to the car after his day.  He is excited about playing basketball in October.  We are incredibly thankful that God once again provided exactly what was needed.
I lost a friend this week to leukemia.  Audra had been fighting valiantly for the past seven months.  Each night before I went to bed, I would read her daily journal entry on CaringBridge.  She made such a difference in my outlook on life.  She faced each new day with strength and grace, even as she endured unimaginable struggles.  She had an enormous impact on me, as well as countless others.  I am heartbroken for those who were closest to her, and pray they can find peace in the days ahead.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:10-12)

Audra...such a brave warrior