Prayers for Aaron and Nan Kennard

[Lindsey Dunkley]

I wish I had more information...but I have heard that Aaron Kennard has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is a very rare incurable stomach disease.  I know that any prayers and support would be appreciated!  Thanks!!  Let's pray for him, Nan, and their family at this tough time.

[Sasha Pachev]

Update from Nan at

http://nan.fastrunningblog.com/blog-My-baby-is-6-weeks-today-I-tried-joggin/09-08-2012.html

"We checked Aaron into the hospital on Monday because of this severe flare of ulcerative colitis. He has lost 30 lbs in the past month, he was in a great deal of pain even on pain medication, and he was becoming extremely weak to where he needed more assistance than I could provide him at home. His colon does not seem to be responding to the GAPS diet we started him on a month ago or the meds they have given him and the Doctors are going to try others drugs to see if they can find one that works. Yesterday they said his colon was dilated and warned us that if it perforated he would need emergency surgery to remove the colon but now today they are saying it looks a little better. The Doctors have not given us a timeline for how long he will need to be hospitalized. Right now they are waiting for his colon to look a little healthier before they dare scope it. The most helpful thing for now is to keep him in your prayers. Our Ward here has been SUPER helpful with meals and childcare so that I can support Aaron and we have already felt many tender mercies from the Lord. We are hopeful that things will turn around and eventually he will be restored to full health hopefully sooner rather than later. Thanks for your care and concern. "

[Lindsey Dunkley]

A friend sent me this, it is an update from Aaron:

This is what he posted:
 
I gained a few pounds in the hospital this week and I'm seeing slow forward progress. I think I am on the recovery path. Though from where I stand it looks like a pretty long path.
 
The hospital stay was a blessing. But after 6 days in 1 small room dragging my IV between the bed and the bathroom...I thought I might go insane.
 
Yesterday morning at the hospital was one of the lowest feeling time
 s in life I can remember. I was becoming overcome with negativity and discouragement despite the progress during the week. All I was seeing was a pretty bleak life for some reason.
 
But my angel wife Nan came and rescued me. And thankfully I came home last night. Home sweet home has never meant more than yesterday. My 4 year old Ali couldn't stop hugging me and her beaming smile and love felt so amazing.
 
So now I will keep taking one shuffle step forward at a time, until I am back to taking normal steps...and then running free again. 2 months ago I ran a personal best of a 4:37 mile. I will be running again someday. For now I'll be taking a bunch of pills and pain meds and doing my best to find the good in and make the most of each moment I have.
 
Thank you all so much for your loving, positive thoughts, prayers, and energy toward me and my family. We feel it and are so grateful.
 
This promise lifts my soul and carries me in the darker moments:
 
Isaiah 40:28-41
 "Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.
 
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
 
Even the youths shall faint and be weary...
 
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
 

Please continue to have him and Nan in your thoughts and prayers.

[Jake Krong]

Glad to hear Aaron is home and feeling better.

Thanks for the updates, Lindsey and Sasha.

[Aaron Kennard]

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  This is truly an insane and unimaginable trial for us.

I've lost 10 more pounds in the last week and am desperate for anything to get me improving and relieving the pain .

Right now I'm blogging and updating at http://trulyamazinglife.com and facebook when possible.  Thanks again for all prayers, we can use all the combined faith possible at this point...my state is pretty severe.

[Lindsey Dunkley]

Based on the number of views, I think alot of the blog is following Aaron and his illness and thought you would want to know an update, sadly it has taken a turn down hill.  This is from Nan today:

We have had a crazy day. Aaron woke up at 3:30 am in searing pain, called the ambulance and went to the ER screaming and wailing. I was left home with my four sleeping kids and began to pray and call friends relentlessly until someone finally picked up and rushed over to my house so I could go be with Aaron. One test led to another and now its 9 hours later and I am sitting in the surgery waiting room to hear how surgery went. They had to remove his entire colon because it was clogged and perforated. Definitely one of the most stressful and scary days of my life. I hope it gets better from here. Awaiting good news from the surgeon....

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers...

[Lindsey Dunkley]

Hopefully this is the last post because it sounds like things are turning around:

This is from Nan:

Today I feeling grateful. Grateful that Aaron'a life was spared. Grateful for a brilliant surgeon and alert, kind nurses watching over Aaron as he recovers from major surgery. Grateful for local friends and my church family who are supporting and serving us daily. Grateful for all the prayers and thoughts from loved ones. Thank you.

[Andrea North]

Thank you so much for updating us Lindsey! Really hoping it's all good news from here.

[Lindsey Dunkley]

One last post I copied from Aaron's facebook today, YAY!!

Aaron: I finally got to come home from the hospital last Wednesday. It is SO good to be home. My strength is coming back a little each day and my digestive system is a little better each day. It's so relieving to finally be seeing some progress.
 
This afternoon I went out with Nan and ate a Larkburger and strawberry shake that I was craving. Then we went to REI to get me some clothes. I almost felt like a normal human being again...which was pretty cool.
 
Last night I was able to tuck my kids in to bed for the first time in months. It was such a sweet experience, and it felt so good to finally be able to help and take some of the load off of Nan. She deserves some kind of award for what she has been through with a newborn, 3 extremely needy and scared kids, and an incapacitated husband the last few months. I am so blessed to be married to such a strong woman...her ability to endure hardship is mind boggling.
 
I am thankful to all of you that have been praying, and sending positive energy our way. And especially thankful for the many people that have been supporting Nan and coming with food and help with the kids and the house. We have received so much kindness and help. I've still got a lot of recovery and I'm 40 pounds underweight. I'm still on iv nutrition to supplement at night's. But im home and things are getting better each day and I'm grateful to God beyond description to be back with my family instead of stuck in a hospital bed alone all day.