I am not even sure where to start! So I guess I start where we last left off!
David had his PD surgery on October 18th to have his catheter placed in his stomach. It went very well and he had about a 2-3 week recovery before it could be used. The surgery itself was very quick (about 45 min.) and we found out the surgeon who placed it IS THE BEST AROUND, and he doesn't do these surgeries anymore (it must have been God's perfect will for him to do David's).
After surgery we didn't really know what would happen next. We went to Hemodialysis like normal and were informed (in a totally nice way) that they don't really follow up with the surgery and we needed to contact the PD clinic. So I made phone calls and within 3 weeks of surgery we were in training for PD dialysis!
Training was 2 weeks long of half day training. IT WAS A LOT TO LEARN!!! David and I both went through the training with some amazing nurses! We both had to take half days off of work (which made me nervous about finding a sub...but God was faithful and I got an AMAZING sub who has been a life-long friend and she could handle my class! Thanks Betsy!) We learned everything from how to wash our hands the right way...to how to hook up for the actual dialysis (a very long process), how to add medication to the dialysis solution, problem solving, what to do when things go wrong...we learned it all!!! They had to come out and do a home visit to see the set up we have for dialysis at home. Needless to say IT WAS A LOT OF WORK!
It was hard to leave our "family" at the hemodialysis center. On the way to our last hemodialysis David and I got in the car to drive there and literally the first song we heard on the radio was "Celebration"!! I looked at him and he said "I know...totally ironic!" We plan to go back and visit our friends that we made at Hemo..but we need to give it some time.
So by this point it is late November and we are going through our training. We received our first shipment of supplies and when we were warned that it would be a lot they did not lie! It started with a delivery of about 30 boxes of dialysis solution from Baxter (a medical supply company). Then we also recieved another 4 boxes full of all kinds of goodies such as gauze, tape, medical pads, soap, cleaner....TONS OF STUFF!
The question in my mind was....WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT IT ALL? Thankfully our families are AMAZING and they came over and helped us re-arrange, clean, and organize our house so we could change rooms around (including our bedroom), and we would have a place to put all of our supplies! Our nephew, Shawn, was a huge help and really came through for us by helping so much!
So at this point we finished our training, passed our home visit, and we were cleared to start doing PD dialysis at home! It has been an adjustment...but we have enjoyed being home instead of going to a center 3 times a week. It takes a lot of time to do PD....David has to do "exchanges" (drain and re-fill with fluid- a 45 min. process) 4times a day. Not to mention we have to heat the solution up before putting it in his belly....with heating pads. This may not seem too terrible but IT SUCKED! We learned quickly it took hours to heat one bag....so we created a little incubator using a cooler, a heating blanket, and 2 heating pads. I learned to put multiple bags in at a time, but I felt like we were constantly heating bags...arrrrrg! Then the majority of the time....THE BAGS WERE TOO HOT. So I had to then cool the bags down with ice packs and frozen vegetables. We had to get the fluid to be between 92 and 98.9 degrees. SO HARD TO DO!!!
After about a month of doing manual exchanges we were able to start training for the night cycler!!! This is a fancy (but not by looks!) machine does the exchanges for David at night while he sleeps. Basically....he hooks two very large bags of dialysis solution to the machine and he hooks to a long tube and the machine drains out the fluid out and then re-fills his belly automatically 3 times during the night..the machine is quiet so it doesn't disturb our sleep. He still has to do one manual exchange during the day but this saves us a lot of time! AND THE GREATEST NEWS....THE CYCLER HEATS THE BAGS FOR US!!!! It heats it to the perfect temperature so no more heating pads and frozen vegetables!!
So things are going well. It has been an adjustment..between housing the supplies, putting away the supplies (about 40 boxes a month full of fluid...each box contains the equivalent to 12 liters)..they are heavy, and documenting everything. But it is well worth it to be home...not getting stuck with large needles twice 3 times a week like before.
As far as other life....OUR LITTLE NEPHEW WAS BORN...you know the one that was on his way my last post! Jaren Robert Wilcox was born October 14th and he is perfect! I love him so much!!! He is so giggly, snuggly, and amazing! My sister is an amazing mom (yes the girl that said she would never hold a baby who is under 6 months!)!! 
Right: Jaren at the hospital.
Left: Jaren....3 months old!!!!
AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH....OUR FIRST NIECE WAS BORN IN DECEMBER!!! David's step-brother Will and his fiance had a little girl names Willow! She is beautiful!
Here is a picture of David's step-dad with his first granddaughter...after 7 grandsons!!!
I am still working at Curves..and staying very busy there! As well at teaching...staying even busier with that job! Trying to keep up with our puppies (who have especially enjoyed having us home more!)
Life is good.....WE STILL NEED A KIDNEY~ but we are thankful for the opportunity to be home now for treatments!
I will try my best to continue to update more! We appreciate ALL of our families and friends who have been so supportive through this whole process! Especially my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and David's mom and step-dad, and our nephew Shawn who have done so much for us! We are so thankful for David's dad and step-mom for their help with meals. We are so blessed with such supportive families!
Leave me some love in comments...I would love to know people read this..hee hee!
~DAB (David and Alice)
P.s. I am leaving you with a few more pictures to catch up on life!
Uncle David and Jaren on Christmas morning! Picture taken by myself with my new fisheye lens I got for Christmas!!!
Finally a picture of David and I on Christmas Eve at his Dad's house! Thanks Elizabeth for being a fantastic photographer!!
Shawn...so grown up!! This is his 6th grade 12 year old picture I was able to take in the fall!
Last picture....Finnick experienced his first snow AND LOVED IT!!! He also celebrated his first birthday on January 15th! He is our big boy now!!!
