An Update on Jimma

  I finally have news to share with you about Jimma, Sky and Fire's grandfather.  They had the big kids take Sky and Fire away to play when we went to Ebeye yesterday and they sat us down to tell us what they've decided to do about Jimma health situation.  In case you haven't read the earlier posts about this, I'll catch you up:  Shortly before Thanksgiving, Jimma (D and I call him Uncle since Jimma means "grandfather" in Marshallese), was admitted to the hospital on Kwaj and found to be in renal failure, brought on, they suspected, by his diabetes.  The doctors initially gave him a week to live but with medicine and rest, he began to show some small improvements.  After a week, he was released from the hospital and told to go home to Ebeye and to go to the hospital there if he continued to have problems. 
  Since he was still in renal failure, he started to have trouble breathing again and was retaining fluid so he was admitted to the Ebeye hospital for a week.  Again, with rest and medicine, Jimma improved just enough to be released.  While he was an inpatient, his doctor arranged for him to travel to Honolulu for 10 dialysis treatments.  That was several weeks ago and for some reason, Jimma still hasn't been cleared to go for his dialysis.  He's tired, and tired of waiting, so last night, Jimma and Bubu told us that they've decided to return to Majuro.  They have a house there, a nice house, and lots of family, and from there Jimma can go to the hospital and petition the referral committee for dialysis in person. 
  I've been expecting them to tell us this since Jimma told me that he wants to fight, that he wants to try everything he can to get better.  The hardest part about the conversation about their decision was that they prefaced it by saying that they were sorry to have to go, that they were sorry to leave us, and specifically, to leave ME.  This man is slowly dying and he's apologizing to ME, because he doesn't want ME to be without my family.  I really don't have words to express how humbling an experience that was for me. 
  Please continue to pray for our family as they travel to Majuro next week and continue to pursue health care for Jimma.

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