Joel Newman

Welcome everyone! Karmell is authoring the posts and hoping to be able to give a couple updates everyday.

Here is how Joel’s medical journey began:

In July of 2019, Joel went for his annual appointment with his GI provider for his celiac disease. Routine blood work was ordered and it was found that Joel’s liver function tests (LFTs) were elevated. After a lot of blood tests and a liver biopsy to determine the cause of the elevated LFTs (all of which were negative), he underwent a MRI that identified a stricture of the bile duct, which was restricting the flow of bile from his liver and causing the high LFTs. He had a scope (ERCP) in Bismarck and stents were placed in the bile duct to allow the bile to drain properly. Bile duct stents are only temporary, so essentially only a temporary fix. He was then referred to the University of MN, Fairview to be seen by a GI specialist, Dr. Amateau. He underwent 3 more ERCPs at Fairview with stent placement in January, March and June. Dr. Amateau noted improvement in the stricture, but not resolved. Dr. Amateau said because of this “it needs to come out”. He referred Joel to Dr. Eric Jensen (Fairview), who is a GI cancer surgeon. We had a video consult with Dr. Jensen on June 29, and he recommended surgery to remove the right half of his liver and part of the left because of the location of the stricture. All biopsies from the previous ERCPs have returned negative, but Dr. Jensen said biopsies from this area can have false negative results, so he suggested surgery now rather than waiting. Not something a farmer wants to hear a month before harvest.
Joel has a MRI Tuesday July 14 at 2 pm and surgery is scheduled for Wednesday July 15 at 7:30 a.m. We are praying for a miracle that the MRI shows the stricture is gone! But if not, we’re going to march on into that surgery holding the hand of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and trusting him through Joel’s healing. Jehovah Rapha!
We so appreciate everyone who has prayed for us and prayed with us through this little journey! God has been so good to us;
so much grace,
so much peace,
so much joy.

Please pray with us for our next steps, whatever they are, and also for the medical staff and anyone we have an experience with while in Minneapolis, that they may see the light of Jesus through us. Love you all!