For those of you that dont know, this is Jen (Talans mom) that updates his blog. I know its been awhile since I updated his blog, I always procrastinate because sometimes its hard to express my feelings about all of this. One thing is for sure, we have been blessed with a special angelic spirit that I dont know that Im worthy to have. Actually lets just say I have two children with angelic spirits!
Where do I start? In my earlier post I mentioned about Talan trying to go through the Temple. On August 18, 2012 Talan was able to go through the Logan Temple and receive his endowments. Thank you to all that helped getting him there! Can I just say what a beautiful experience this was. I cannot even tell you in words what it was like! One of the most wonderful days of my life, let alone his and everyone else that he touched that day! He put in for a service mission to the new Brigham City Temple a short time after he went through the Temple. He was able to receive the service mission to the Brigham Temple. He started the first day the Temple opened, Sept.27, 2012. He is serving in the Engineering dept. This means that there are different things he can do. Very simple things because of his disabilities, but it is very rewarding. He works there two days a week from 1-5 to see if his body could handle it, and he has the option to do more days if he can. He loves his job and goes when he can. They are very understanding of the days he cannot come. Unfortunately, he has only been able to go about 6 times since his call. He was finally set apart about 2 weeks ago. In his blessing he was told many great things, and that his body would allow him to serve the amount of time he was called, which is two years.
He hurt his back again the first of Oct. and then he fell 3 times after that. His leg will sometimes just give out on him and he falls. Well, out of these times he injured his back worse. About 3 weeks ago he had facet injections in his back. For those of you wondering what that is, its your joints in your vertebraes. Yes, this does not feel very good. The Dr. tried to sedate him a little and the medicine just kept wearing off really fast. He had 3 injections on each side of his lower back. I got to watch the whole thing. Ummmm, those needles were at least 12" long! Ya, I was just about to pass out as I watched the Dr. inject them. He had some bad muscle spasms on one side that it pushed the needles out of his joint and bent the needles. So he had to be repoked again. Which is a total of 9 times of being poked. As I watched, and watched Talan lay there and communicate with us. My heart just ached for him, what a trooper and fighter he is! There is nothing worse than watching your kids suffer! I silently cried behind him as this was happening to him. I just wanted him to be out of pain and put myself there and take it for him. I know that his trials are many and it is for us to learn from and become strong and have much faith. But as his mom I wanted to take it all away from him.
Talan had just got done with doing a two week IV antibiotic from having infection, then he moved on to his facet injection all within about a one week period of each other. With Talans disease his veins are affected and he only has about 2 to work with. This made it challenging for the IV therapy and for his sedation for his shots. We were hoping for his injections to help him with his pain, but it did not work:(
His disease is also inflammatory so he is in a lot of pain as storms roll in and out. We are now in the winter months and its not been fun for him. With his disease he loses and gains weight. Since he went through the Temple he has lost 40lbs. Now he is starting a cycle again of gaining. It is mostly water when he gains, and he does not like it when he gains. We are still fighting the Ins, Comp. to let him have the medicine he needs to help him. They are fighting it because its not FDA approved, and its only $15,000 for a milligram, even though this drug is used a lot for cancer patients and for Rheumo arthritis. This medicine is Rituxin, there is a Dr. that has studied this drug on some patients with this disease on the east coast that it has helped and thats why his Dr. wants to use it. There are some other options for him if they turn it down again, but it wont do what this other can do. All in all, it will be a wait and see what it does for him. Again, there is no cure for his disease, IGg4 systemic sclerosing disease. In my posts below there are some links that I put there so you can go and see what it is.
Talan really bounced back to doing pretty good since he went through the temple, but over the past month he has been declining again. I know its just the disease process to come and go in cycles. We were hoping for a longer time of relief. This to shall pass, and we will move forward with faith that there will be many more miracles brought to him. Talan really could use some friends, if you have a son, daughter or even you that would be interested in texting him or talking to him or visiting him that would be great! He is on FB but does not get on there very often. He says he doesnt have anything to offer anyone because he cant function like he wants to and all the girls at this age are looking for marriage and he cant support them. If he asks someone out and they turn him down. He has been down a little bit lately and could use a good friend. Times are tough at this age, his friends he has are married or going to school full time and working. He gets frustrated because his body doesnt allow him to move forward like them. We are hoping that he can get this medication so that he can function more and move on with his future. Whatever happens is Gods will, but HE and WE will not give up!
I cannot even begin to tell you though what a testimony of the gospel he has. He tries so hard to be upbeat and positive. He knows that God has a plan for him and he just needs to trust in him and have faith. He has taught us so many lessons and his example of his edifying spirit. He has recently lost two different gentlemen that lived in our ward that also had long term chronic illnesses that he grew a special bond with. They all understood how each other felt, and could relate to what each other was going through. Its through their examples that he fights everyday! To those families that read this, he loved your son, husband, or dad! He looks up to them as great men that fought their battles with much faith!
One last thing, when the announcement of the Brigham City Temple was announced some of our Stakes in the temple district decided to have the young men and young women to walk to the temple from their Stake house. Our ward did this, and on the trek there Talan was asked to come and talk to the youth about going through the Temple and his job that he was called to. When they broke for a break, Talan spoke to them. If I can upload the video of him, Im going to let you here him tell the story he gave. Thank you to the leaders that asked him to come and do this. It was such a wonderful moment in time! I would like to share with you a little story that Stan put on his FB page about a month ago. I just want to tell you all thank you so much for putting us in your prayers and putting our names in the Temple. We feel your love....
(This is written by Stan.) Just got talan to sleep its been a rough couple of weeks! But sitting by him tonight he bore his sweet and humble testimony to me. He started with quote from a book he has been reading by John Groberg, yes the same John from the movie the other side of heaven, it's called blessings of the temple he said a chapter in it spoke straight to his heart, it was about someone that needed answers, that was
going to the temple several
times a week to have the Lord help him with his questions, receiving no
answers he asked John who was the temple president , why he was not
receiving the answers to his questions! Brother Groberg told him to keep
coming , and with faith, in the lords time the answers would be given
to him. He went to leave, Bro, Groberg was impressed to give him further
instruction, he said when you come to the temple try to focus more on
the person your trying to help, what their life was like, trials, family
struggles! And do the work for them to the best of your abilities! What
great advice! Talan said when I'm at the temple I'll try to do that and
the lord will help me also I'm sure! Talan thanks for teaching your
father a true gospel principle, and talan finished it up by saying dad
did you know that Christ got mad at the Apostles the garden, he told
them two times, could you not wait with me for an hour? And. The third
time he just said sleep well! Tal said I think thats what the lord
expects from us! Do the best we can and then the Lord will tell us rest
well!! Once again taught by my son! I just have to keep remembering
God said it came to pass he never said it came to stay! Hope every one
who reads this is as touched as I have been tonight! Thanks for all your
prayers, in our behalf, may the Lord continue to bless us during our
time in the garden! Love you all have a good night!
Once again, a teaching moment from such a great and wonderful spirit that I get to call my "Son"! Love you all! I will try and keep you more updated. He has a appt. with his Dr. on Friday. Hope we will get some good news about meds!
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