Annyeonghaseyo!!!

Annyeonghaseyo!!!

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Summer Chaos

Summer has been a chaotic season for the Lett family. Hank has continued Chemo rounds since finishing radiation and ended up having to miss a treatment in early July due to low white cell counts. So that pushed back his treatment calendar by a week. The oncologists had told us to expect delays, but since we hadn't had any yet, and Hank was doing so well, we just assumed he would keep sailing through. We were wrong. We have been trying to keep him healthy and eating well, so that he can hopefully stay on track for the rest of his treatments. The mold issue in our home has made that an almost impossible task as of late.
You may remember that back in February we scrubbed our home and let our landlord know that there was a mold issue and that it needed professional remediation for the sake of Hank. With his immune system so low after treatments, mold spores that enter his lungs could potentially latch on and begin to grow. Our landlord seemed to understand the urgency and began adding additional vents to the foundation, as well as sucking out the moist air with industrial fans. We assumed he would continue in pursuit of remediation. Once radiation began, we were pretty well consumed with Hank's treatments and getting Corin finished up with the semester and didn't think to "babysit" our landlord on the mold issue.
Our landlord apparently thought that having added the vents, he had "taken care of the issue" and that any further mold was likely a result of something we were doing wrong. On July 15th, we noticed mold forming on a vent cover for our central air system and immediately removed our family from the home for fear that there could be mold circulating in the air conditioning. We contacted our landlords once again, notifying them we would be out until the issue was professionally resolved and testing to ensure the remediation was done. A week later samples were taken and came back that indeed there was a mold issue. After having companies come to give estimates for the work needing to be done, our landlords finally chose a contractor and work began last Wednesday. We were then notified there would be a slight delay due to having found mold issues with a part in the AC unit. The remediation is set to finish on Thursday and samples will be taken shortly after. We are hoping the lab will rush the results and that we can move back in this weekend, as we have been out of our home for 5 weeks on Friday. We will have to get in the home and do a deep clean prior to Hank moving back in... meaning wiping all surfaces, cleaning all toys, and washing all our dishes to ensure there is no residue on anything he would come in contact with. We have already removed all fabric items and I have been washing, drying, folding and purging like a mad woman for the past week.
Our family has shifted from home to home during these past 5 weeks. And currently, Taylor and Hank are at one home, and I am at another with the other 3 kids. It is not ideal, but it is the safest option for Hank. Our landlords have been very resistant to understand our perspective in all this nomadic chaos. It has been hard to maintain a courteous and patient attitude with them. We are potentially facing the need to enter legal proceedings to be reimbursed for rent, which is a whole other level of chaos we were not prepared to have to face this year.
 We are mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. There is so much we can't possibly share in a blog, but I am begging that you pray for our housing situation to resolve peacefully and quickly. We simply can not afford to move at this point in time. And yet, our landlords are making it very difficult to consider living where we are long term amidst this high tension. Please pray that the samples come back quickly and come back clear after remediation is over. Pray for our strength and endurance. Pray for our attitudes towards our landlords. Pray for our decisions going forward as their tenants. Pray for Hank to remain healthy in the midst of all this transition and moving. Pray for our kids as they go through all this change. Pray for it all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
As we approach the end of August, the next month to emerge will be September... meaning despite all the hard summer stresses, we will celebrate a landmark day. September 26th, Hank will turn 5 years old. I can't wait to celebrate that day with him. I can't wait to let him choose his birthday dinner, and favorite cake and just celebrate his little life. It is hard to think all that has happened in the past five years, starting with his birth story in South Korea. So many emotions. So many memories. We all just love this little person so much and know he will be, and have, a huge testimony to the faithfulness of our mighty God.
Praise Him.
LL