Tory Farina

Elizabeth's Mayo Clinic Story...

A note from Elizabeth:

Dear Friends,

On June 13, 2010 I went to the Emergency Room with an excruciating headache. I was admitted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul Minnesota and diagnosed with a carotid artery dissection with a pseudoaneurysm. This is basically a tear in the wall of the artery and causes a clot to form in the interior of the artery. The change of blood flow and clot usually leads to a stroke. My dissection was deemed inoperable due to its location inside my head at the base of my brain. I was treated with blood thinners and released from the hospital after two days in the ICU.

On June 23, 2010, I returned to the emergency room and a second arterial dissection was discovered in my vertebral artery. This one was also deemed inoperable due to its location at the base of my neck near my spinal column and is believed to be a result of the change in blood flow and stress from the first dissection.

Having one dissection is uncommon; having two is very rare (2.5 per 100,000).

I spent two nights at Regions Hospital where I underwent a neurological exam every four hours to watch for signs of a stroke. Due to my age, medical history and rareness of this situation I was transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota on June 26.

After consulting with a team of specialists from various fields, multiple MRA and CT scans, vile after vile of blood tests and two nights at Mayo, I’m home! The doctors have found no underlying condition to date (although I will follow up with a Geneticist on an out patient basis). I will be treated with blood thinners and have a follow up MRA scan in three months. They believe that without further injury the clot will dissolve and the dissection may heal. Once this set of dissections heals completely there is only a 1% chance each year that I will have any follow up dissections.

These next four weeks are very important to my recovery. I have a lot of restrictions to prevent any further tearing in my arteries. Among other things I am not to push, pull or lift anything over 5lbs - which will be hard to do with a two small children!  

We have seen the hand of God throughout this process and believe that the prayers of many have made a difference. I was already on blood thinners at the onset of this event due to my difficult pregnancy, a fact that Dr’s believe likely prevented a stroke. The Doctors actual words were “...you dodged a bullet”. Every nurse that treated me assumed that I had suffered a stroke, because it’s almost unheard of not to with this condition. I do still have a persistent migraine headache triggered by the upset blood flow, but no lasting physical impairment. Praise be to Jesus who shed his blood for me!

We have experienced the very presence of God, which has sustained us despite the gravity of the situation. When we have been troubled, He has comforted us. When we have had to make difficult decisions, He as granted us wisdom. When we were presented with physical unknowns, He has given us eyes of faith. We are moving forward one day at a time believing for complete healing and days free of fear. I’ve never been more convinced that my life has a purpose and I intend to live every day pursuing my full potential in Jesus Christ.

Thank you to the countless individuals who have prayed for me all over the world; to High Point Church for surrounding me with love; to the many friends who have visited me in the hospital and helped care for our kids; to my family who has dropped everything and made me their priority; to my fantastic husband who has not left my side.

My heart is endeared to you loved ones!

Elizabeth Farina

Kendall got accepted to the U of M!!!!...

After much prayer and concern Kendall and Courtney are staying in the Twin Cities! Kendall is in medical school and is about to enter into his residency program in Urology. Many schools from around the nation wanted him because he is an exceptional student and will be an amazing Dr. We all gave it to the Lord and realized that this was out of our hands being that the schools choose the student rather than the student choosing the school. I feel like this is a confirmation from the Lord for our future!!!! They are staying and we are pumped about what that means for High Point and for our friendship. E and I love Courtney and Kendall we love their friendship and are excited to have them close for the next five years of residency.

Pray For Jeff Update #?

Continue to pray for Jeff Kirby. Here is the latest from Milly.

Jeff's vital signs look good today. They have turned down the ventilator, decreased his blood pressure medication, and gotten some fluid off through dialysis. The doctors say he is still very critical.

We really need your prayers. Please pray for Jeff's organs to respond and repair themselves, for his infection to be completely gone, for the stem cells to graft on, and for Jeff to be completely healed. We are so grateful and blessed by your support. Thank you for the prayers, food, cards, and visits to the hospital. I know Jeff appreciates you too.

Hope in the Hospital

I spent much of the day at the hospital today. Jeff Kirby has just gone through a Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) to rid him of his ALL Leukemia. The BMT was on Sunday and last night he took a turn for the worse.

I don't know how I helped but I would like to think that just being their and praying for Him and the Family is enough. In times like this you feel pretty helpless. I often think of what Jesus did I think of the emotion he had for those hurting. I prayed prayers of faith and hope and love. I was their in the room and Laid hands on Jeff's bare belly. I spoke into his ear the truth... God is in the hospital room with him and will be their come what may.

It is hard to see Milly and the other family and friends under such duress. Here is what I wish that they could all understand. It is near impossible to talk them through it in the middle of the crises but this is what I want to and hopefully will help them understand.

I sat at a coffee shop a number of months ago and we talked about life and our past and our future and right then and their I talked with him about receiving Christ in his life. Not just about going to church or being a good person... Jeff was already great at those things. But at actually surrendering his life to Gods leadership through Jesus Christ. Jeff and I prayed together. Surrendered together to the will of God and I saw a shift... A change... Jeff was different.

I looked at Jeff in the hospital bed and I was hopeful. Jeff's body may be sick but his soul is healthy as can be. His body will be healed at some point. It prayerfully will be today, but even then he will get sick, he will feel aches and pains, like we all do. Eventually, and hopefully many years from now, Jeff is going to die. Maybe not today or tomorrow. He may live another 60 years. But some day I and you and Jeff will go through the same thing... Death. We will face our eternity. Jeff is ready.

Scripture says that when we die their will come a day when we are given a new Body, a heavenly body. It will be a perfect body without love handles or arthritis or cancer or high blood pressure. It will be a body made to live in eternity with God in heaven. If Like Jeff we have surrendered our heart and mind and life to him. I may have felt a little helpless at the hospital but I was not HOPELESS... Because no matter what may come because Jesus will heal Jeff.

Keep praying... He is stable but has a long way to Go.

Pray For Jeff Update

I just read this on Jeff's Caring Bridge site. I am headed back over their in a few...

Jeff's Blood pressure is still low. He is receiving a fourth medication to help increase his blood pressure. he will be moved to ICU to be monitored and to receive dialysis. Because his pressure is low, his kidneys are not working. Jeff has been put in a drugged induced coma to make sure the respirator can do its job. Jeff's heart is having to work overtime to just keep up his low blood pressure. The docs say that the reduced blood pressure is his main concern, that it is affecting his other organs. There is still the infections to deal with after the pressure problem. The next hours are very critical for Jeff. Jeff seems to be responding to peoples voices and touch.

STOP & Pray For Jeff

I just received this emergency prayer request for Milly and Jeff Kirby. Stop what you are doing and pray for Jeff's Healing. He just had his transplant on Sunday and now is in Critical Condition.

"Jeff is in very critical condition. He has a bad pneumonia in both lungs, a bacterial infection in his blood, and his kidneys and liver are damaged. He was put on a respirator this morning and finally seems to be resting. Please pray for his recovery. "

I am headed over their now. Pray for them.
Milly is scared. The Dr.'s need wisdom. Jeff needs Healing. I need Gods Words of comfort for them.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Catastrophic Storm

I am sitting here watching huge waves pummel the east Texas Coast. The news has been reporting that this is now considered a catastrophic storm. I can not imagine the pain that would fill my life if I were living through that. We need to pray. They are saying that their will be over 100,000 homes that will be under water. They are saying that it is to late for people who stayed, they can not get them out now. One reporter said he heard cops telling people if they stay to put their Social Security number on their arm so their loved ones can claim their body. They are saying it might be well over 100 billion dollars of damage.

 

Here is my Prayer...

"Lord protect the innocent. Have mercy on those who do not know you that they may make their peace with you before it is too late. Help the damage to not be as bad as they are predicting. May the Storm change course. May the winds die down. Protect the economy of America. Can we handle another devastating hit like this? I pray you would help America to weather the economic, physical and emotional Storm that we are currently facing. Father bring people to your son through this tragedy."

-Amen

What is your prayer? Leave it as a comment.

Pray For Jeff

Jeff Kirby has been apart of High Point for a while now. He was the Police Officer in the "Rescue Me" series. He has been battling Leukemia at the University of MN.    Jeff needs prayer. He is awaiting a bone marrow transplant this week and was informed last week he no longer has a job. Take a look at the 9 news report... Pray for Jeff and his wife Milly. He needs healing and they need financial breakthrough.