Category: David’s Posts

We made it back! It’s been a whirlwind for the past few weeks of packing up our apartment, moving to Katya’s parents’ apartment, packing up for our trip to America, hospital stays, and much more! If you would like to skip to the end for a summary, you can, but, if not, keep reading and you’ll get all the details! 😀

For the last two months or so my (David’s) condition has been bouncing up and down between better and worse with no real positive change. My foot has been swollen, even though I’ve been on some pretty powerful medications that are specifically designed to treat ankylosing spondylitis. My doctor has been shocked, and really didn’t know what to do with me, particularly because my left foot’s swelling never went down, no matter what she did.

A friend of ours at church is studying to be a surgeon, and she is working at the local emergency hospital in L’viv. She recommended that we get a second opinion from a rheumatologist that she knows at that hospital.

I really enjoyed talking to the new doctor. She’s intelligent, and she listens to me. (My first doctor didn’t always let me finish my sentences – she would cut me off.) The new doctor, Olena, started asking a lot of questions and doing tests. We confirmed the ankylosing spondylitis diagnosis, but there were signs of another disease as well: rheumatism. The more she dug and searched, the more it looked like rheumatism was the main problem, while ankylosing spondylitis was just in the background.

Olena, my new doctor, asked if I would like to be treated for rheumatism, saying that there was a good chance that most of my symptoms would clear up after a 20-day treatment. I explained that, while I was leaving for America before 20 days would be over, I was interested in treatment. We then worked out a way for me to be in the hospital for 5 days for an initial treatment.

Staying in a Ukrainian hospital was an adventure! 😀 It wasn’t as bad as you would think, though. I honestly don’t think I would have been any more comfortable in an American hospital, except for the fact that I had a lot of roommates that snored a lot – we had a symphony every night. The place was clean, the nurses were nice, and the treatment was effective. Please pray for the guys I stayed with. I tried to be a good witness there.

Here’s the best part – my foot is doing SO much better. I really think this new doctor hit the nail on the head. I have a lot less swelling, I can put a lot more weight on my foot, and I have a lot more flexibility and mobility in my ankle.

Another thing that was cool was that the new doctor’s assistant is a Christian, and it was really encouraging to know that someone who worked there in the hospital was not only rooting for me to get better but also praying for me.

I’m sorry that it’s been so long since we’ve updated you guys. It’s been an adventure. Thank you all for your prayers. If you’ll be at Horizon Indy on Sunday, we’ll see you there. We’ll probably be there at 2nd or 3rd service. Please pray for our jet lag.

Summary / Prayer Requests:

• I have a new Ukrainian doctor, a new treatment, and much better results
• I’m still being monitored and treated from Ukraine, even though I just got to America with Katya
• We are still planning on going to the doctor here in America to confirm diagnoses, etc.
• BTW – WE’RE HERE! 😀
• We will need a car from the beginning of March on, so if you have anything or know anyone that could let us borrow a car for a couple of months, please send me a message
• Please be praying for: my treatment, our time in America, and Katya’s mom’s health

February 1st is coming up soon, and we have so much to do before we leave! Please be praying for that process. Another thing that we are concerned about is Katya’s mom’s health. She needs both of her hips replaced, and we’re not really sure where to start. With current prices, it costs about $10,000 including rehabilitation after the operations; however, we think it would be much better for her to go to Poland or Latvia (or some other country) to get a better-quality operation.

There’s a lot of other things that we are going through, deciding, and thinking about as we prepare to leave. We really appreciate the prayers. God’s working!

David and some friends got together to make a video about how Jesus is the BEST GIFT during the Christmas season. Here’s a translation of the audio into English:

The year has gone by so fast! Christmastime is upon us! We want to make this time unforgettable, so that we will remember it fondly for the rest of the year… We finally get to see family that we’ve missed all year and buy gifts that will make your loved ones so happy! We get all dressed up to be the “star” of our parties and make delicious food!

We have a saying, “The way you celebrate the new year will set the tone for the rest of it.” Because of that, it’s so important for people to celebrate in a good atmosphere with good friends. Does this work for you, though? Can the excitement of one night really give you peace and joy for the rest of the year?

This reminds me of what Lina Kostenko said:

“Don’t forget the unforgettable,
as it’s already slipping away!
And don’t disregard that which is valuable…”

This brings us to a question – what are those unforgettable, truly valuable things in life?

What should we remember when we celebrate Christmas and the New Year?

Gifts, holidays, and spending time with friends – this is all great, but does it give us real peace and joy for the rest of the year, or two, or for the rest of our lives?

…or are you looking for something deeper and greater, that will truly satisfy your soul?

God knew this need when He created us! He put a desire in our hearts for something eternal. He made with a hole in our hearts that only He can fill.

In the same way that people give gifts during the holidays, God wants to give the gift of a new beginning in our hearts and souls through His Son, Jesus Christ.

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating! We wish you a great time with friends and family!

However, don’t forget Whom Christmas is named after, with Whom it’s best to begin a new year, and Who can give you a gift that will last forever in your heart! Jesus Christ!

Would you like to receive a gift like that?

Author and Voice: Zhenya Zabudska
Director: David Snead
Music: Jonathan Markey

All music, sound effects, and shots used by permission.

Because of David’s medical situation, we have decided to come back to the U.S. for a furlough so that David can be treated by doctors there. We are planning to be already in the U.S. by February, and everything is happening really fast.

Just in case you’re not up-to-date with what’s happened, David has ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis. Right now, it mainly affects his sciatic nerves and one of his ankles, but parts of his back, hands and feet have also been affected as well. It creates swelling and pain around the joints and tendons.

Here’s a basic timeline of our adventures with it so far:

• Early September
  • David starts to have gradually increasing back pain. At first, we think it’s just a pinched nerve.
  • After a couple of days, the pain is so bad that David cannot walk
  • We start going to the doctor, and begin treatment with pain relievers and steroids
• Mid September
  • The doctors start eliminating the different possibilities of what the diagnosis could be
  • David notices that the pain he has actually gets worse the more he rests
• Late September – The doctors are pretty sure that David has ankylosing spondylitis, but they want a second opinion
• October
  • The diagnosis is confirmed with a second MRI
  • David starts a special “no starch” diet to help control his pain (long story)
  • Things get much better with pain in David’s back, but the pain in his ankle gets much worse
• November – We decide it’s best if we go to America to get treatment
• December – Preparations to leave for America