Good News...Good Weekend :-)

Delcy's appointments yesterday went very well...the echocardiogram showed that the fluid around Delcy's heart is being absorbed into his body just as it should.  His heart is strong and his incision is healing up very nicely.  Dr. Fangman, one of the cardiologists, gave Delcy the okay to resume "normal" activities (no soccer games or marathons for a couple more months though!).  With that approval given, we took the opportunity to get Delcy out for slightly more extensive outings while Brittany is here with us.  First though, we stopped in at the barber shop that took such good care of Delcy last time.  As soon as they saw Delcy, Ron waved him over to his chair and set to work giving him a quick spruce up.  He asked Delcy how the surgery went and Delcy told him that the doctors did a good job and them lifted up his shirt and showed them! We promised to get Delcy in one more time before he heads back to Haiti. Last night we went to the "World of Wheels" car show at the Century Link Center, where Bill and I have 2 classic cars entered.  We walked around quite a bit and then had a late dinner and came home.

Today we went to one of Omaha's best attractions, The Henry Doorley Zoo.  We've recently been ranked the number one zoo in the US.  We have the largest indoor rain forest In North America,  a Desert Dome, Aquarium and lots more.  There were 8 of us in  our little group and we had a good day...we were at the zoo from 11:30 until 4:30.  At one point, as we were walking up a hill, Delcy smiled and said, "my heart does not beat fast, but my feet hurt!"  It was wonderful for him to realize that he is now able to start doing all the things that he's been unable to for so long.

It's been a great weekend with Brittany.  It's great for Delcy to have his good friend with him for three days, and all of us Bolte's have enjoyed getting to know her.  It's fun to have someone to help me give Delcy a hard time when he starts getting sassy! :-) It's been a great pick-me-up for Delcy.

Peace,

Margie

UPS AND DOWNS

What an eventful week Delcy has had! Monday he had his first post surgery appointment with his cardiologist, and everything looked great. His heart and lungs both sounded really good, and his incision is healing very nicely.  The doctor told us it was okay for Delcy to start getting out and about again and enjoying Omaha as he's able.  We're starting off slow, but looking forward to showing him some more sights as he starts feeling stronger.

Wednesday started off on a great note with Delcy's first day of cardiac rehab.  Nick went with us to help translate, and that proved very helpful. Delcy enjoyed his "exercises" and was amazed at what he was able to do just 9 days after surgery.  He went with me to work at church for a little bit and then relaxed at home for a few hours that afternoon.  That evening, Bill and I took Delcy out for dinner and we all enjoyed good food and each other's company.  After we got home, we decided to relax and watch a movie ("Something's Gotta Give" dubbed in French) and after about an hour or so Delcy told me that his heart was beating very fast.  We took his pulse, and indeed his heart was racing! I called his nurse practitioner and he said that it was possibly no big deal, but that we should take Delcy to the ER just to be sure. The doctors decided to admit him so that he could have more tests in the morning, so Delcy and I spent the night in ICU (there were no beds available on the cardiac floor).  After 20 hours we got Delcy back home Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.  Turns out he has a little fluid around his heart but not enough to be really worried about...it should resolve itself fairly soon.  And Dr. Langdon said that it will take 2-3 months for Delcy's heart rate to get down in the normal range and stay there.  In the meantime, he should simply sit and relax if he feels his heart rate speeding up a lot. I think he finally understands that this is normal and he shouldn't be alarmed when it happens.
Since then, Delcy has been back at cardiac rehab and is doing very well.  He's enjoying being able to exert himself a little bit after living so long with such restricted physical activity.

Over the weekend Delcy met two of Bill and I's best friends, Marg and Rod.  We all had dinner together on Friday evening and they were very taken with Delcy (as everyone who meets him seems to be!).  Delcy is looking forward to going to their house on the lake for a visit soon.  He said that he would like to have a ride on their boat when we visit, but we explained that it's a little too early for boating in Nebraska!  Sunday evening we had a family birthday for Aly and Delcy got to meet the family members that he hadn't met yet.  He fit right in with our crazy family, joking and telling stories around the table. He even played Geoff's guitar and sang a song to Aly as her birthday gift.

Bill and Delcy spent some quality time together on Tuesday and Wednesday as I had an overnight staff retreat in Nebraska City.  Delcy accompanied Bill on visits to his job sites and even helped Bill take one of our dogs and our cat to the vet for an appointment.   Rehab has continued to go well this week and he's progressing very nicely.

Yesterday was a big day, as Brittany Galvin, Delcy's friend who volunteered  in Haiti for two years flew in to spend three days with us!  Brittany is currently living in Boston, so it's wonderful that she was able to see Delcy while he's in the United States.  As we speak, we're waiting to see one of Delcy's cardiologists to talk about the echocardiogram he just had.  It's a follow- up to last week's overnight stay in the ICU.  Hopefully we'll hear that the fluid around Delcy's heart is being absorbed into his body.  More news later...

Margie

RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL!

Delcy was released from the hospital on Friday and we got him back home at 6:00 that evening.  What a process being discharged is! Lots of people to go over instructions with, final tubes and IVs to be taken out, waiting to make sure that there was no bleeding where the tubes were removed and then speaking with the translator on the blue phones to make sure that Delcy understood everything.  We started the process about 1:00 that afternoon, and left the hospital at 5:45.

Delcy felt pretty comfortable all day Friday, so the trip home didn't bother him too much.  In fact, Aly and Geoff came over and had dinner with us that evening, and Delcy's face absolutely lit up when he saw that they'd remembered to bring Geoff's guitar.  He'd been asking to play it since before his surgery, and it turns out that Delcy is pretty good! He played the guitar and even sang for us a bit...that was magical!

Saturday (his first full day at home) was pretty good.  His pain was managed well and he stayed pretty comfortable. He had his second shower and watched the first half of Titanic with Bill.  Valerie spent quite a bit of time with Delcy on Saturday and her best friend came to visit with Delcy for a bit that afternoon as well. He was dissappointed that he wasn't able to go to church on Sunday, but felt better when we assured him that he would make it next week.. The best part of the weekend was that Delcy had very little pain and we were able to keep him pretty comfortable.  All in all, it was a good weekend...fairly quiet and restful, just what the doctor ordered :-)

SUCCESS!! 

Monday was a VERY good day!  Delcy's surgery was as successful as we could have hoped for and he is doing really well!

We arrived at the hospital at 5:45 a.m. and Delcy was given some medication to relax him and then prepped for surgery.  Bill, Nick and I were able to stay with him until they took him back for surgery at 7:30.  Dr. Langdon came and saw Delcy before surgery and reminded him that he hoped to repair the mitral valve in his heart, but that there was a chance he would have to replace it.  He explained that if he needed to replace the valve that he would use the tissue from a cow.  Delcy was very nervous about that possibility, because he was told that it would only last about 10-15 years and then would need to be replaced again.  Delcy knows how long it took to get him here this time and he was worried about the possibility of having to go through that again (as were the rest of us).  God answered our prayers though, and Delcy's valve was able to be repaired!

It took quite awhile for Delcy to fully wake up from the anesthesia on Monday afternoon, and he wasn't able to remember much of that day later.  That's a good thing though, because even though the surgery was very successful, Monday was a pretty rough day for Delcy.  I have to say though, that through it all, Delcy was remarkably well mannered and polite...every time one of the doctors or nurses came in and poked or prodded him, he would thank them and say "God bless you", or "have a good day". Everyone here at the hospital is pretty smitten with our Delcy :-).

By the end of the day Monday, Delcy had the tube removed from his throat, had sat up in the chair for 2 hours and had some broth, jello and water.  Tuesday brought more progress as Delcy ate solid
foods and started walking the halls here on the 5th floor.  He also had one of the lines removed from
his chest and felt more comfortable immediately! The best part of Tuesday was when Delcy told us that he could feel that his heart was beating much slower and that it felt good...PRAISE GOD!!

The nurses are doing a great job of keeping Delcy's pain under control, but unfortunately he did have
some nausea on and off during the day Tuesday.  Today is Wednesday and it is definitely starting to get better.  He is also walking farther and resting more comfortably.  I have been with him each day from morning until night, and Nick has spent the first two nights in Delcy's room to make sure that if he needed anything, he would be able to translate for him.  Bill has been stopping in for several hours at a time as his schedule permits, usually morning and evening.  Aly and Val have been here quite a
bit yesterday and today and he enjoys that very much, as do they.  Delcy's medical team are not the only ones smitten with him...the Bolte's are right there with them.  He calls me "mum" and Bill "dad" and the girls are his "sisters".  I certainly wasn't planning on having a third child at the age of 49 but God had another plan.  Delcy will forever be a part of our little family :-)

Please forgive me for not posting as often as I should...I'll try harder :-)

Peace,

Margie

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe that Delcy has already been here for 8 days...they've flown by!  He's gotten pretty comfortable with all of us, and he's settling into our routine fairly well.  I do apologize for not updating sooner, but life is so very busy with a new 20 year old in the house, especially one who is so eager to learn everything.  Delcy's English has improved dramatically since last weekend...just like he predicted last month! He is picking things up really well and we aren't using the Google translator app near as often now.

Delcy likes to joke and have a good time, and when he thinks something is funny he says "you very big joke!"  Unfortunately,  Delcy is having a particularly hard time pronouncing that word and it sounds more like "you very big jerk!" We've had to explain that to several confused people, but once they understand we all have a good laugh.  Val has suggested that he start saying "you very big joker" instead, and that's working out better.  

Some more new experiences...Delcy likes the store "The Buckle".  He said the music is good and many beautiful girls work there :-)  He's learning how to use an iPod touch and he likes American music, particularly Beyonce.  He absolutely loves BBQ ribs (I'll try to get some pictures posted soon), Mac and cheese, cinnamon toast and sweet and salty granola bars.  He wanted a haircut, so I found a barber shop that has a mostly African American clientele, and they took very good care of Delcy.  He got the tight lines he wanted and is thinking he looks pretty snazzy (which of course he does).  They also hooked him up with some products to keep his hair from getting terribly dry while he's here.  He enjoyed that appointment quite a bit...we'll definitely go back before he heads home.

On a more somber note, Delcy has had at least one episode per day since he's been here.  We've tried to be very diligent about keeping any physical activity to a minimum. He sometimes starts feeling badly (hot, and his heart beating way too fast) when we're simply driving in the car, or while he's having a conversation with someone.  It's so hard to imagine that his life has been like this for so long.  We spent 6 1/2 hours at the hospital on Thursday for all of his pre-surgical tests and procedures (the snow was lighter than originally expected and didn't really start until we were on our way home).  He was so glad to finally meet the wonderful doctors that are going to make him well, but it was a really long day for him.  The nurse (radiologist?) that performed his ultrasound told me that he has a very sick heart, and that his case is quite severe.  So now we all need to be praying that Dr. Langdon is able to repair Delcy's valve and that he doesn't have to replace it.  He's prepared to do that if it's necessary, but we're hoping that it's not.  Delcy is glad that we're going to church tomorrow, as he said that he will be praying very hard.  We'll have Delcy call his family tomorrow night (he's spoken to them several times already) and then again on Monday to let them know he's okay.  If he's not able to talk by then due to the tubes in his throat and so on, Nick will call them to make sure they know Delcy's okay.  I know he misses his family, and is feeling a little more anxious by the day, and I'm sure they're feeling the same at their end.

After church tomorrow, Delcy is going to Nick's house to meet his father (he already met his mother), and join them for an early dinner.  Then it's back home to us and early to bed...we have to have him at the hospital at 5:45 on Monday morning! Monday is a very big day! I promise to keep you all updated as the day goes along, but for now, please join Delcy and all of us as we "pray very hard" that he has a successful surgery and a good recovery.

Blessings,

Margie

New experiences!

Well these last few days have been quite an experience for Delcy and all of us as well! Delcy woke up his first morning to a little disappointment.  He didn't realize that Aly and Val don't live at home anymore, but in their own apartments.  Bill was able to make him feel better though, with a plate of waffles, eggs and ham...all were approved of by Delcy!  That afternoon Aly and Val joined us when we took Delcy shopping for some clothes that are a little better suited to winter weather in Omaha. As we drove through Omaha, Delcy commented that there are not as many people out on the streets as there are in Haiti.  When we got to the mall, he saw where all the people were! He saw the escalator at Von Maur and asked if he could ride on it...after three flights up and then back down, he was satisfied.  We had a successful shopping trip and Delcy is currently feeling very stylish :-)  

We took Delcy with us to the grocery store and he was pretty amazed at all it had to offer.  He asked if the store had hot dogs, so we bought some and they were part of our dinner that evening.  The next afternoon Val asked Delcy, "do you like our dogs?"...Delcy's response was "yes thank you, I ate one last night." We all had a good laugh about that, Delcy included! 

We all went to church together on Sunday morning, and Delcy was very good at communicating with all those who introduced themselves and wished him well.  He said he enjoyed church very much and would like to go there as often as possible.  Well, since I work there, I'll plan on bringing him with me when I can.  After church, we went out for lunch at a Mexican restaurant and Delcy had tacos, beans and rice and liked all three.  On our way home, we drove around Omaha a bit to show Delcy some highlights and stopped for ice cream downtown.  We also drove by the hospital where Delcy will have his surgery so that he could see where he will be having his operation.

Nick, our new friend who speaks Creole, picked Delcy up today and took him to the Children's Museum along with his 4 year old son, Niko.  They had lunch at a Jamaican restaurant and then spent some time at Nick's house.  Nick told me that Delcy saw a pretty young woman that worked at the museum and walked right up to her, introduced himself and talked to her for almost 10 minutes!  He's very charming our Delcyn:-)

A few other things that Delcy has learned about in the last few days...hot showers, dishwashers, wearing seatbelts in the car, how to make and throw a snowball, operating the TV and DVD player, and bowling with Wii. He also learned that you don't put ketchup on your salad (he prefers poppyseed dressing!). His English is getting better everyday and we're all picking up a little creole!

Delcy's pre-surgical  appointments with his surgeon are this Thursday and we're supposed to get up to a foot of snow that day!  We have a four wheel drive Jeep, but would still appreciate some prayers 

that we have no problems getting Delcy where he needs to be.  I'll keep you posted...

Peace,

Margie

Well, after much anticipation, Delcy arrived in Omaha this evening! Thank God for answered prayers!   I can't imagine what this journey has already been like for Delcy...waiting, waiting and more waiting!  Now, he's left behind all that he's familiar with and entered a culture that will most likely send him into shock. And to make it all a little more bizarre for him, he came to the Midwest in February! So long balmy Haiti...hello fresh snow in Omaha!

Bill and I were lucky enough to be connected with a former Haitian volunteer/mission worker.  His name is Nick, he lives here in Omaha and he speaks fluent Haitian Creole...can I get an AMEN?!!  Nick went with us to pick up Delcy and what a Godsend that was! Poor Delcy looked exhausted, nervous and overwhelmed when they brought him to us in a wheelchair.  He was polite, but very quiet at first.  After we got his bag and got in the car though he started talking with Nick a little bit, and by the time we got home he was chatting away!  It really helped Delcy start to feel comfortable to have someone that he could talk to as we showed him around the house.  When Bill showed him his room, Delcy gave him a big hug. :-)

We have two daughters the same age as Delcy and they came over to meet him and brought their fiance and boyfriend as well.  Aly and Val both took French in High School and before long they were all laughing together and communicating fairly well (our Google Translate app on the iPad was a bit of a help too!).  It was very special to see my kids starting to form a friendship with Delcy so quickly...they can't wait to come back and spend more time with him.  Nick is planning on spending quite a bit of time with us as well and I know Delcy will like that.

I believe that everything went as well as we could have hoped, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this journey. For now, I think it's safe to say that Delcy will sleep well tonight!

Peace,

Margie

We're almost there

You'd think that having a visa for Delcy would pretty much mean all is well. That's not exactly how it turned out.  Nothing is easy in Haiti and Delcy's journey since our last post has had many twists and turns.  But, he's almost on his way.  If all goes as planned, Delcy will be flying from Port-au-Prince to Omaha this Friday, February 15. 

Well, actually, all we know for sure is that he will be flying to Miami even though he does have a ticket to Omaha. One thing we learned during this saga is that a visa is really only an invitation to come to a US port of entry.  It does not mean you actually get to enter the country.  Whether you can enter or not  and how long you get to stay is determined by the Department of Homeland Security AFTER you reach the port of entry. 

It will be a long and exciting day and probably very scary trip for this young man. His host family will greet him at the airport with a heavy jacket, hat etc. because, well, he doesn't have any snow gear, of course.

On February 21 he will undergo testing and the surgery is scheduled for February 25.

Delcy was at Kay Jezi Mari today getting last minute instructions from Sr. Jackie. He's a little nervous, of course, but so profoundly grateful for all those who have helped to make this trip possible. He said he is praying for all of us. I told him we were all praying for him.

God is GOOD

We received great news this morning:  Delcy was APPROVED for a visa! The prayers and years of hard work has borne fruit.
This is a huge step, and now we are so close to getting him on that plane to Nebraska. Continue the prayers as we really prepare, and get the last things done to complete Delcy's journey to the states!!

Visa Progression

Today, Sr. Jackie and Delcy are going down to Port-au-Prince to continue Delcy's journey in getting to the states. Since the first available appointment to review his visa application wasn't until March, Jackie decided to request an emergency appointment. She had to provide documents in how this was an emergency. So, she copied almost every paper we have in the large pile of papers we have for Delcy and explained the situation. She hoped they would see this as an emergency like we do, and would get him an appointment quickly. We were told we would get a response in two days, and were hoping for an appointment within the next few weeks.
Well, she got a response this afternoon that said: Be in Port-au-Prince tomorrow morning at seven am.... How AMAZING!! However, it really became an emergency to get there. She had to get everything together for the appointment, get Decly, drop everything she was doing, and they needed to start the four hour drive down tonight!
Hopefully tomorrow afternoon we will have good news for Delcy! Please keep them and our driver in your prayers as they travel, but please continue to pray for the positive progression of Decly's journey to the states!

Meeting Host Family

This morning Delcy and Sr. Jackie skyped with the couple who will graciously host Delcy for his surgery in Nebraska. They had a great introduction and Delcy is confident that after seven days he will be able to understand English! The family asked if there were any foods Delcy didn't like - to which he responded he doesn't eat very spicy foods, and he's not a fan of boiled plantains. They don't think he'll have to worry about the latter.

They chatted about pets, cheeseburgers, and snow - all new concepts that could be a fun learning experience for Delcy!

Now we're on to the next step: Obtaining his visa. Many thoughts and prayers appreciated for this!

This is the new blog we've set up to keep everyone up to date on Delcy's progress with heart surgery.

To give you a little background on Delcy. He is a 20 year old from Gros Morne, Haiti who needs a repair on one of the valves in his heart. The medical services in Haiti are unable to perform the surgery he needs and therefore the RJM sistes in Haiti have been working for about 6 years to get Delcy to the states for his much needed surgery.

A hospital in Omaha, Nebraska called Alegent Creighton Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center has agreed to do the surgery and provide supporting medical care for free. A anonymous donor has donated enough American Airline miles to fly Delcy from Haiti to the States and back again.The Bolte family also Omaha, Nebraska has also graciously agreed to open their home to Delcy for the estimated 6 weeks he will be in the United States.

Currently we are working on the process of applying for his visa and hope to have it in the next 2-3 weeks. We'll keep you all up to date on his progress as we continue along this journey.