Nancy's Illness:
Nancy has PAH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension). In short the blood pressure to her lungs is too high. (about 4x normal) The cause of this is an ASD (Atrial Septum Defect) or a hole between the right and left atrium (or upper chambers) of the heart. This was probably congenital (or from birth). Nancy has for all of her life got short winded when exercising or doing strenuous work or even when walking. This hole is probably not new. Then a complicating factor is for a long time she has had a cough and has something going on to where her volume of air she breaths in is very small. The Peripheral BP, measured in her arm, is low normal and much of the meds to lower the Pulmonary Pressure also lowers the BP going to the extremities. Then recently her heart was beating very rapidly with Atrial Fibrillation.
We have many things to be thankful for:
We certainly are thankful that we have an excellent Pulmonologist who is doing a great job with her. This doctor is a sub-specialist in Pulmonary Hypertension.
We lived for 10 years in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. We are so thankful that she did not experience worsening symptoms while there even though we were living at the mile high elevation. If she would have gotten sick while in PNG that would have shortened our career. Then we moved to the Solomon Islands where we served for 15 years. Now we were working at sea level, a place where her condition could be tolerated. This move was providential as living at sea level slowed the progress of the disease. For a period of time she was the school principal and she was very short of breath walking up and down the steep hill on our school/mission campus. We just felt it "old age" and "out of shape". The last home assignment we went to Pulmonolgist in the states and at that time the diagnosis was missed. They didn't suspect PAH and never put the pulse oximeter on her finger. During that 2013 home assignment her symptoms were so that we were wondering what was wrong.
I know it was God's will for us to be in the Philippines and if in 2013 PAH would have been diagnosed there is no way we would have returned and would have totally missed the Philippine chapter in our life. If this disease would have progressed and symptoms worsened while living in the Solomon's we would have been evacuated to Australia and then to the USA. We returned and soon thereafter were reassigned to the Philippines and were once again living and serving in the mountains. Nancy soon began to suffer due to the high elevation combined with some pollution from gasoline and diesel engine emissions and burning. All of those things were affecting Nancy's breathing. We were thankful the doctor working at the private clinic in the Philippines when we first went was a Pulmonologist. He helped Nancy a lot but he too did not make a diagnosis of PAH. Nancy was referred to the Cardiologist due to swelling in her legs and heart arrhythmia. The first thing the Cardiology nurse did was put a pulse/oximeter on her finger and then once they saw her low oxygen level, they ran further tests and she was hospitalized for 8 days. We were thankful we were in the Philippines where we received excellent medical care and also it was inexpensive, at least when comparing it to the USA health care. We will always be forever grateful to the PNC (Philippine Nazarene College) students and staff who assisted us in cooking meals, visiting, staying with Nancy at hospital, cleaning house, carrying her oxygen tank around, etc. etc. etc.
Our son Gary was able to make a trip to the Philippines to hand deliver a portable oxygen concentrator so we could travel with Oxygen to the USA.
We are so thankful for the excellent health care insurance provided for us by our employer, The Church of the Nazarene, and for those who support that through the World Evangelism Fund offering.
We were so thankful for the prayers and words of encouragement from all our family and friends.
Life in the USA:
Once back in the USA we decided to live in the OKC area as that would be near 3 of our 4 children. Our doctor we had been using was near Dallas. It was a little challenging making an appointment and finding a physician to manage Nancy's care. We finally went to the Emergency Room as we were told that is the what we needed to do if we truly needed to see a doctor. Since Nancy problem was heart/lung we went to the Oklahoma Heart Hospital ER. She was then hospitalized. From that visit she now has both a pulmonologist and cardiologist managing her.
We've had to make some life style adjustments. Most of our dates now involve going to the doctor's office, and then going out to eat. With her PAH she can not tolerate much exertion, and is on an oxygen concentrator. On our tours we have taken a grandchild with us to assist with Nancy's care.
We have been renting a house but now have purchased a new home in Bethany, OK. Our son Geoffrey is overseeing the remodeling and painting of this house. Pray for us during this time of transition and moving.
Update on Nancy:
Recently we went to the ER again because Nancy was restless, could not sleep, and her heart was racing. Also her oxygen saturation level was low even while resting. She was again hospitalized, this time with Atrial Fibrillation. It took about 2 days before she converted to sinus rhythm. The drugs she can take is limited due to her PAH. With all of the options there are risks. She was discharged and returned to her pulmonologist on Friday July 1st. Nancy has been on two highly monitored drugs with serious potential side effects. One of these drugs is not available from the local pharmacy and Nancy receives a phone consultation regularly from the pharmacist and these drugs are mailed directly to her. Nancy is going to start taking the third such drug but with this drug the pharmacy rep will visit her at home. They will titrate the drug dosage until she can no longer tolerate it and then they will go back to the next lower dosage.
Due to the Pharmacist needing to visit and her condition, Nancy will not be traveling with me on this weekend to Ohio where we are scheduled for the boys and girls camp. It is questionable or probably doubtful if Nancy can accompany me on the rest of our long distance tours, unless of course the Lord heals her. Nancy does not do well flying or in high elevations, so definitely any trip that requires mountain driving to arrive, I will have to go alone. Pray for this final year of home assignment. I love having my wife by my side. We have been a team and she has definite strengths that I depend on. That said the Lord will help me, and our trust is in the Lord.
Servants in HIS Vineyard,
George & Nancy Miller
