Thursday, February 28, 2008

BIG Surgery???

Just when we think we've got a good grasp on what's going on....things change! This afternoon, Dr. Shires walked in and said "So, when do you want to do this surgery?"

He has spent alot of time mulling over all the issues in place; met with Dr. Dittman (head of Interventional Radiology...Dr. Parikh is in India meeting his in-laws for the very first time, even though he & his wife have been married a couple of years!) and decided they've run out of tricks.

The leakage issue does not seem to be getting markedly better and he feels they can deal with whatever they face surgically, but breakdown of skin in the area where they will be operating is not good. Compounded by the fact that there has not been success in tube feeding and his liver does not need to continue to take the hit. So, surgery will be moved up to mid-March. He does not feel it would be good for Ron to go home in the interim, the drain management and wound care at this point, requires more than he wants us to deal with on our own and feels a long term acute care facility wouldn't have the staff to handle it either. We should know a more definite date sometime next week. That being said, things could always change....if he were to stop leaking; if his liver count got better, etc. then they could always postpone.

Typically, they have an optimal window for this surgery of 3-6 months from last surgery. Ron's last surgery was December 10. Dr. Shires feels confident Ron's doing well enough for the surgery...he has had no signs of infection or problems with any other major organs. Post op recovery should be about 7-10 days (barring any complications) so we could possibly be home by the end of March...for good!!!

Isn't it amazing that last night I asked you to join me in praying that God would reveal his perfect timing to Dr. Shires, and this afternoon he comes in talking about mid-March? Long ago we entrusted Ron's care to the Father and his instrument, Dr. Shires. When he came in and dropped this news in our laps there was no anxiety, just some logistical questions to be discussed. And when we told the boys, they were at peace as well.

Please continue to pray that Ron will gain strength and stamina these next few weeks. And for Dr. Shires (and assistant Dr. Becherel) as they prepare for this complicated surgery. We appreciate you all so very much!

Love, Christie

"we who have fled to Him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to His promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls." Hebrews 6:18b-19 NLT

"Active faith gives thanks for a promise even though it is not yet performed..." Matthew Henry

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Roadbumps

Ron's had a couple of small bumps in the road this week and hasn't been out of bed much. His tube sites have been exceptionally painful the last few days making it very difficult to move. He continues to have leakage issues as well but they've finally found a skin barrier cream that is helping to reduce the raw irritated areas. Still a large area, but Dr. Shires says he can definitely see slow improvement, skin is not as red and isn't bleeding. He doesn't think they will try tube feeds again for quite a while, the problems this has caused outweigh the benefit at this point.

He has also been getting these "mini-migraine's" each night for the last several nights, they wake him up and take a couple of hours to get under control. He can't swallow anything (it would just get sucked out by the gastric tube) but they've been giving him an Imitrex nasal spray that works well, once they can get it from pharmacy. And top that off with a new "neighbor" who screams out alot, especially at night.

These roadbumps made Ron a little grouchy Monday. Despite his grumbling and complaining, late in the afternoon I had the nurses help me load him into a wheelchair, attach all his machines to a pole on the back and pretty much forced him outside. First time I've done this on my own, usually have the boys here to help but I did not want to pass up this opportunity since the weather is so unpredictable this time of year. It was quite an ordeal, the machines make the wheelchair very heavy and Ron cannot get out or the weight of the machines cause the wheelchair to do a wheelie (all the way to the ground!) The weather was gorgeous and he was very happy once I got him out. We sat by the fountain and just enjoyed being surrounded by nature...well, as much nature as you can find on a hospital campus in the middle of Dallas! It was warm enough that Ron actually got hot, so we took off his socks and rolled up his pant legs! It was glorious!!!

There has been no talk as to when he might be able to go home but Dr. Shires did mention in passing that they may possibly try to schedule his big surgery for sometime in April. He would like to have him home for about a month before surgery...gaining strength and weight. Of course, all of this is very dependent upon how healing progresses. Still needing colonic fistula (hole in colon) to seal as well as any other small tears there may be in his intestines. Please join us in praying that these will heal quickly and that the intestines will not atrophy but be as healthy as possible. Also pray that God would reveal His perfect timing to Dr. Shires as to when this surgery should take place.

All the news for now!
Love, Christie

"My grace is sufficient for you." 2 Corinthian
"My gracious favor is all you need." NLT

"Little faith will bring your souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your souls." Charles H. Spurgeon

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Surprise trip to IR

Ron made his third trip this week to Interventional Radiology this afternoon! It came as a surprise to everyone! We knew there was consultation going on between docs trying to figure out what to do to get the leakage under control, but it took us (and his nurse, Karen) by surprise when they called about 3:15 and said they were coming to get him. They downsized two of his tubes and repositioned them. These were the tubes at the intestine (the feeding tube that had been in the Malecot and one drainage, Malecot--techinical words for the benefit of those in the medical profession who read ).

After the procedure they put him on bedrest for the remainder of the day. This evening he's dealing with a horrible, migraine-like headache...they've put in a call to the doctor to see what they can do for him.

Ron didn't get much sleep last night because they were having to change his dressing every two hours. Dressing change is VERY painful since they have to cleanse the skin which is extremely raw. His skin is so raw and blistered from all the acidic fluid leaking, at times when they go to clean it, he bleeds. As you can imagine, he is hitting that morphine often.

Please pray he will get some good rest; for ease of pain and healing! Thanks for your support!!

Love, Christie

"Lord, when doubt fills my mind and my heart is in a turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer." Psalm 94:19 Living Bible (thanks, Carol)

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Leakage

Sorry I haven't kept up as well lately. It's been a bit of a rough one. Since Ron's procedure on Sunday he's had quite a bit of pain, therefore had to take alot more morphine, which makes him sleepy and lethargic. Yesterday afternoon was the first since Saturday that he felt well enough to go for a walk. They tried tube feed again Monday and had to stop it on Tuesday because it was leaking out heavily.

He went to Interventional Radiology again yesterday (Wed). They decided to remove the lower tube (at the intestine), but leave the feeding tube in place. The plan is that that cavity will collapse down around the feeding tube. Hopefully, when they resume feeding again, he won't have the leakage from there. They also advanced the feeding tube a bit more down the intestine. The Jpeg tube (the one that drains leakage from the colonic fistula, in the upper right quadrant) has been taken off of bulb suction and now drains into a bag . They were hoping to downsize the tube from the hole in his colon (the old gastric tube) but healing had not advanced enough to do this yet.

He has been feeling much better today, getting that one tube out relieved a good deal of his recent pain. He was able to go on a long walk this morning and a therapy session this afternoon with PT. There is still concern that he is leaking out. The substance is very acidic and is a breeding ground for skin breakdown. Dr. Parikh and his partners will be meeting together to discuss what their next plan of action should be.

Ron has a new toy! I bought him an Etch-a-Sketch and he proceeded to spend an hour making a spotted dog that looked great! I can hardly make a box on one! He's also gotten hooked on Su Doku puzzles, thanks to the book from Debbie & Charles. Anything to keep his spirits up!

I think that's all the news from Presby for now!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Setback

Wow! What a day it's been!

After staying up until 1:30 AM (couldn't sleep!), my day started at 5AM when I was startled awake by a phone call from Ron telling me I needed to come down to his room, one of his tubes had dislodged and come out! He tends to gag easily and had a gagging/retching episode that caused the stitches that hold the tube in place to break. This is the tube that leads to his lower intestine (originally put in place by Dr. Elieson back on November 6), the one that Dr. Parikh was able to put the feeding tube in shortly after arriving at Presbyterian.

It was a very anxious time for a while. Ron was very upset, not sure what to expect but having flashbacks of the last time he had problems with the tube feed and ending up having surgery to clean out his belly. They immediately stopped the tube feed and called in the surgical resident who taped everything in place so it would not move until one of the Digestive Health surgeons came in around 8AM. They scheduled him for Interventional Radiology and took him down around 10...but had trouble getting someone to administer anesthesia so it ended up being 12:45 before they got started! Fortunately, it did not pull out the feeding tube since it is threaded further down into the intestines, so they were able to place a new tube in the same place and will try to resume tube feeds in a few days. He did well, but they had to keep him in recovery a little longer because his blood pressure was running low. He was back up in his room about 4PM.

It's times like these that I'm especially thankful that I'm able to stay at Hotel Presby....I can't imagine what the drive would have been like after that call. I must confess, times like this cause a little anxiety about going home...but I know, God is in control, and know that He will be right there with us every step of the way!!! And He will equip us to handle whatever He allows in our path. We are to "be anxious for nothing," and to "pray about everything."

On a better note, we were able to continue with our plans late this afternoon of celebrating our first birthday with our daughter, Kristin! I took advantage of the opportunity to inaugurate our guys with our first girly birthday and we celebrated in true Princess style! We had Princess plates, Princess playing cards, and we each had a tiara to wear! But then we did add some Nerf shooting as well...too much estrogen was going on for my guys! Aaron made a wonderful red velvet cake with cherries, whipped creme and almonds! The staff love it when we have birthdays, not only do we share our cake but they get a kick out of our party attire and games!

It was alot of fun for everyone and was especially good for Ron....playing with his "kids" really lifts his spirits. We were laughing so hard, his belly was really hurting, poor guy!

This is definitely a setback no one was expecting...please pray things will get back on track quickly!

We appreciate each of you and your faithfulness!

Christie & gang

from Streams in the Desert

Nahum 1: 12 "Although I have afflicted you...I will afflict you no more."

There is a limit to our affliction. God sends it and then removes it. Do you complain, saying, "When will this end?" May we quietly wait and patiently endure the will of the Lord...we would not want the difficulty to depart until God has removed from us all the honor we can yield to Him.
...
It is not difficult for the Lord to turn night into day. He who sends the clouds can just as easily clear the skies. Let us be encouraged--things are better down the road. Let us sing God's praises in anticipation of things to come. ...Charles Spurgeon

Friday, February 15, 2008

Yeah Friday!

Bit of a rough afternoon for Ron. He was down in radiology for several hours. They filled him with dye and did several tests. The dye, on top of being bloated from the tube feed and being without suction on his g-tube for so long, made him get sick shortly after returning to his room. His belly is always tender but all the moving around in radiology and then retching made him especially sore and really wore him out. After a few hours of napping off and on, he finally started feeling better this evening and was able to enjoy a visit with his brother, Leonard, and wife, Nancy (as well as some target practice with the Nerf guns and shooting a few hoops with Ryan! Ryan rigged up a ball return using a sheet so that when Ron shoots, the ball rolls down a sheet back into his bed! Fun stuff!!!)

We were happy to hear they were very pleased with the way today's tests looked. We were concerned that the tube feed might be leaking into his belly because he has some leaking out around the tube at his lower intestine but tests confirmed there are no cavities for it to leak into. Dr. Shires said they expect it to leak out some and that it's no problem, just messy. They do have to watch it closely though since the stuff leaking could cause skin breakdown.

They have increased the volume of tube feed again today so please pray he'll tolerate it well.

That's all for tonight...I'm so glad it's Friday! This has been a tiring week.

Christie

"Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive a reward that lasts forever. They will survive through hard times; ...they will have more than enough....The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand....I have never seen the godly forsaken." Psalm 37: 18, 19, 23, 24, 25 NLT

Jaundiced--BOO!!

Dr. Shires was just in and there is concern that Ron's liver count is low, therefore he's slightly jaundiced...a sign that the liver is working too hard and is unable to handle the TPN the way it should. They also need to get more calories into him than they are at this point with the tube feed now so he wants to increase the tube feed which will allow him to decrease the TPN. There is also a concern that his Albumin is low (the main protein in the blood which helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure and is produced by the liver...I think this is correct....in my self-taught medical terminology for dummies, this is what I understand it to be! Someone, please stop me if I'm misleading!!!!) The Albumin is not being able to carry protein properly to the body. Dr.Shires is slightly frustrated that they aren't able to get this count to come up, it remains critically low which affects immune system, as well as other areas.

Please pray that Ron will continue to tolerate the tube feeds and that they will be able to increase it daily. They just took him down to radiology...I'll update more later!

Thanks for praying!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day! And Happy B-day Kristin!

My sweetheart and I spent our evening target shooting with Nerf Night laser dart guns and shooting hoops with his new Nerf Basketball set! Not your typical Valentine celebration, but we enjoyed it! And boy, did the staff enjoy playing with them! I don't think there was a single nurse that didn't get shot at one point or another with the dart gun this evening by either the receptionist or one of the PCT's (patient care technician). It was hilarious! They were having way too much fun! Most of them think I'm a little crazy at first, when I pull out whatever toy I've come up with to keep Ron amused, but then they get into playing, too! I keep telling them he needs the therapy...good eye-hand coordination, right?

Not much has happened this week. I was sick on Tuesday so had to stay away from Ron...my allergies kicked in hard leaving me feeling lethargic, having body aches and a terrible headache especially around my eyes that just would not go away. Put in my absence from work and slept off and on all day (with my bed buddy heating pad!). I didn't have the energy or desire to go down to eat but I keep soup, cheese & crackers and fruit (plus alot of other stuff) in my room for those days when nothing in the cafe looks good, so this was very handy. Still didn't feel great on Wednesday morning but got up and went about my normal routine day and by mid afternoon I was feeling good as new!

Ron seems to be tolerating the tube feeds much better this time. He wasn't feeling real great yesterday morning but it got better as the day went on. He is pretty bloated feeling which makes his tender belly feel more sore, but they're hoping this will pass...literally! He will go down to IR sometime tomorrow to check things out.

Dr. Shires was in this evening and he's saying maybe he'll get to go home in the next 7 to 10 days, or at least sometime this month, he hopes; dependent on Ron's overall progress. It's hard to believe we've been at Presby for 2 months now!

I understand progress is going very well on the house. Ron's brother, Leonard, has worked on it steadily this week with off and on help from his brother Ken, our neighbor, Adrian and many otherse. I hate to name names because I'm sure I'll forget someone....if I have, please forgive me!!!! I've decided I don't want to see the house until Ron and I can see it together, just like on Extreme Home Makeover; the family always sees it together!

That's it for now! I'll update when I get results from tomorrow!

Much love to each of you!!!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

4 months


Another beautiful weekend! We took Ron out for about an hour this afternoon. We sat in the sun by the fountain out front and visited with Ryan, Aaron, Kristin, Mom & Dad Nordell & sister-in-law, Nancy. They all stayed for a couple of hours. By the time everyone left, Ron was pretty tired. But it was a very good tired! Thank you, Father, for allowing us this small pleasure!

Dr. Shires came in this morning and said he wanted to try tube-feeding again. He's hoping it will go more smoothly now that they have switched out the G-tube and removed the Wound Vac. They started this afternoon infusing 2 teaspoons an hour around the clock. Please pray things go well this time. He's felt very good the last two days and I'd hate to see a setback. If this goes well, Dr. Shires says they may allow him a few sips of clear liquids in a few days. He's looking forward to the day!!!

There's been alot going on at our house this last weekend. Ron's brothers, Leonard & Ken (and wives Nancy & Shar), brothers-in-law, Tony & Terry; nephew, Jason; good friend Jim Collier and Ryan (as well as Aaron & Kristin today, after Aaron surprised Kristin with a romantic getaway for an early Valentine's Day!) have been very busy...repairing sheetrock, preparing walls for texturing, repairing brickwork, removing countertop in master bath and building up cabinet to bring it up to more accessible level, removing carpet in master bath to replace with tile and who knows what else! Leonard is here for the whole week (from El Paso) and will be working on the house the entire week. We are so very blessed! Both our families have really stepped up to help us out in so many ways these last 4 months!

Yes, it's been 4 months today since Ron's original gall bladder surgery--October 10. Who would have ever thought a "routine" gall bladder surgery would have led to all of this???

I'd like ot share bits and pieces of things God has been speaking to me over the last few days...through my devotional readings

"Surely I am with you always." Matt 28:20
Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear...look at them with the full assurance thta God will deliver you out of them. Hold His hand tightly and He will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.
Do not look ahead to what MAY happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day.

"with His love He will calm all your fears" Zephaniah 3:17 NLT
God's tender heart must often ache listening to our sad, complaining cries. Our weak, impatient hearts cry out because we fail to see through our tear-blinded, shortsighted eyes that it is for our own sakes that He does not answer or that He answers ina way we believe is less than the best. In fact, the silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His words and may be a sign not of His disapproval but of His approval and His way of providing a deeper blessing for you. ...His love is silent because He loves beyond the power of words to express it and beyond the understanding of the human heart. It is silent for our sakes that we may learn to love and trust Him with pure, Spirit-taught spontaneous responses. He desires for our response to His love to be without prompting.


"This is the covenant I am going to make with you. I will perform wonders that have never been done before....And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord--the awesome power I will display through you. Your responsibility is to obey..."
Exodus 34:10-11a NLT

There are times when doing nothing demands much greater strength than taking action. Maintaining composure is often the best evidence of power.

The apostle Paul said, "None of these things move me." (Acts 20:24 KJV). He didn't say "none of these things hurt me." It's one thing to be hurt, and quite another to be moved. Paul had determined not to move from what he believed!...He never looked for the easy way...He only cared about one thing and that was his loyalty to Christ--to gain Christ's smile.

Know you are always in our hearts!

Friday, February 8, 2008

New G-tube

Ah, Friday night!! It's been a very long week and I'm sleepin' in tomorrow!!! No alarm clocks for me!

I've had trouble posting to the website the last couple of days, so sorry to those of you who haven't been kept up to date!

Ron had his surgery yesterday evening. Went down around 5:30 and was back in his room about 9:30-10. They actually had to put him under general anesthesia and intubate him for this one. As anticipated, it was very difficult to get the new G-tube in. His anatomy is different from most (Dr. Shires calls him an Alien!) since things have moved around because of having spleen and kidney removed 20 years ago; his stomach is shifted up higher than most. They ended up having to go between two ribs, so it's quite a bit more painful and a little more difficult recovery. He had a hard night, wasn't able to get comfortable to sleep until after 2AM. He's very sore, so not moving around much and has had to take other pain meds on top of the Morphine, which has made him a little loopy and lethargic. Otherwise, his spirits have been good. His bloodwork looks good except his creatnine (kidney level) being elevated.

Dr. Shires wants to try tube feed again sometime next week. He would really like to send him home on tube feed, feels he would be able to put on some much-needed weight as well as muscle which will make him stronger for his big surgery later in the spring. They are in no rush!

Please pray Ron will get over the pain quickly so he can stay on target for going home in 10-12 days. Not sure how long he'll recover at home until the big surgery. He'll have to come back to Presby every week to 10 days for scans to see how the healing process is coming along.

I think that's all to report tonight...my brain's a little fuzzy, tho!

Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Feeling better

Thanks for praying....Ron is feeling much better today! He's had no fever and white blood count is back down! He felt well enough to do PT today which was very good since he hasn't had PT for the last two days.

Wound Vac has been removed, wound is not totally closed but almost! Enough to where they feel comfortable with another type of dressing that is much easier on him.

They did an X-ray today as a precaution since he had such a problem with the feeding. His G-tube (gastric tube draining stomach) has a feeding tube attached to it (internally) and the x-ray revealed that this feeding tube has turned upward and is in his esophagus....reason why he's been having so much reflux and gagging! Either this evening or tomorrow morning they will have to put a new G-tube in. But, they will probably have to leave the old one in for a while, since it went through the colon they don't want to take a chance of disturbing the healing process of the hole there. They will actually pull it out of the stomach but leave it in the colon. Dr. Parikh will do all of this down in Interventional Radiology under fluoroscopy (using some type of contrast that allows the stomach to look white, so I'm told) They can rotate him around as they are watching to get things in the right position to do the procedure.

Please pray things will go smoothly when they do the procedure to replace the G-tube. And that he will continue to move forward without any setbacks.

Put your hope in God

Haven't seen Ron yet but just had to share my devotional reading from Streams in the Desert this morning:

"Why are you downcast, O my soul?" (Psalm 43:5)

Is there ever any reason to be downcast? Actually, there are two reasons, but only two. If we were still unbelievers, we would have a reason to be downcast; of if we have been converted but continue to live in sin, we are downcast as a consequence.

Except for these two conditions, there is never a reason to be downcast, for everything else may be brought to God "by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving" (Phil 4:6). And through all our times of need, difficulty, and trials, we may exercise faith in the power and love of God.

"Put your hope in God" (Psalm 43:5). Please remember, there is never a time when we cannot hope in God, whatever our need or however great our difficulty may be. Even when our situation appears to be impossible, our work is to "hope in God." Our hope will not be in vain, and in the Lord's own timing help will come.

Oh, the hundreds, even the thousands of times I have found this to be true...When it seemed impossible for help to come, it did come, for God has His own unlimited resources. In ten thousand different ways, and at ten thousand different times, God's help may come to us.
Our work is to lay our petitions before the Lord, and in childlike simplicity to pour out our hearts before Him saying, "I do not deserve that You should hear me and answer my requests, but for the sake of my precious Lord Jesus; for His sake, answer my prayer. And give me grace to wait patiently until it pleases You to grant my petition. For I believe You will do it in Your own time and way."

"For I will yet praise Him!" (Psalm 43:5). More prayer, more exercising of our faith, and more patient waiting leads to blessings---abundant blessings. I have found it to be true many hundreds of times, an therefore I continually say to myself, "Put your hope in God." [George Mueller contributing author]

God is amazing! And always faithful!

Have a blessed day!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Praise You in the storm

It's been so long since we've had a bad day, that it's a shock when one comes along. And today was a bad one for Ron. They began tube feeding yesterday afternoon, 2 tablespoons an hour directly into the intestines. Unfortunately, it did not go well. He had a very bad night, didn't hardly sleep. His stomach tight and bloated, the Wound Vac on his belly makes it worse and he had terrible reflux so couldn't lay the bed back (has had to remain in a semi-reclined or straight up position or he gets gagged and begins retching. Yuck!). Then, this afternoon he started running a fever and his white blood cell count is up more than it has been since he arrived at Presby! Not good! So tube feeding was stopped this afternoon.

Poor guy, he feels awful. As well as discouraged and disappointed. We were all really hoping things would go well this time with the tube feeding and no one anticipated he would start to feeling this bad. We knew he might have some discomfort but didn't expect this downturn. He dozed off and on all day; but not really restful sleep; and did not get out of bed except once to brush his teeth and that was a struggle.

On top of that, tonight the kids had come up to celebrate Aaron's birthday with us, so he was especially bummed about feeling so rotten. We were able to coax him into a shooting competition (rubber bands & pirates, again.) But he just wasn't his perky self; very quiet and reserved.

Please pray that this will pass quickly, and he'll get back on the road to recovery. And especially that the stomach bloating and cramping will go away so that he can get some much needed comfortable sleep. And specifically that this will not become a source of infection...we know there is leakage but it should be contained by the drainage tube (JPeg) that is in the area of the colon leak. This drain was definitely putting out alot more today, evidence that his system is not absorbing what little bit is going in so there is no since in continuing the feeding at this point anyways.

Below are the words to a song by Casting Crowns that has become our anthem for this time in our lives. It is especially meaningful on the difficult days.

Thanks for praying!
Love, Christie


Praise You in This Storm
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms

I was sure by now, God, You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again,
I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
and takes away.
Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone
how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth

Monday, February 4, 2008

Happy Birthday sweet, Aaron!!!!

I was reminded today that this is not the first of Aaron's birthday's that we've spent with Ron in the hospital. Twenty years ago we were at Baylor Hospital in Dallas where Ron had bypass surgery on the artery leading to his right kidney. He had suffered a ruptured aneurysm on the left artery that caused him to lose his left kidney 6 months earlier! It was during this trying time that Ron came to know Jesus Christ as his Saviour. But that's another story!

This afternoon was a busy one for Ron. When I stepped out for lunch, he called me to say they had come in and said he was going to have a fistula-gram but he wasn't sure when. I was back up to his room within 15 minutes and he was already gone! He was down for a couple of hours and when he returned he was happy to tell me they feel he is ready to try tube feeding again! So, tomorrow they will begin feeding him directly into his intestines through the lower tube. Please pray this all goes well, he really needs the more substantial, direct nutrition this will offer.

After he returned from Radiology, PT arrived. He walked with a cane to the end of the hallway and back (resting at the end of the hall). He looked better this time walking with it. Not so unsteady. It's still very tiring for him and his heart rate really gets up there! PT feels he has regressed some. His stamina is not the same and she was detected a little less strength.

Shortly after PT got him back in bed, the wound care specialist came in to change his wound vac! Poor guy, he was exhausted already and then the pain of the wound vac change really wiped him out! The wound is healing but they weren't as impressed with his progress as they had been last week. They said they don't want him going home while he still has the Wound vac and they know docs are talking about possibly around the 16-18th but said it may have to be delayed. Ron and I talked about it and agree we don't want him going home with the Wound Vac, either.

Next on the agenda, was PICC line and Central Line dressing changes (which are done weekly). Also a little painful because of all the tape removal and it tends to tug on the stitiches that keep each of these lines in place.

So, this evening he was a little groggy and loopy from all the morphine he had taken throughout the afternoon. But we did get exercises done and a walk in around 10PM and finally a bath and hair washing before tucking him in for the night!

I spoke with Dr. Shires this evening and he was very pleased with the results of this latest test. He said "everything looked dramatically good". Even the tunnels where the tubes had been (that they removed last week) had closed down. He also said that Ron's White Blood Cell Count is down to NORMAL!!! I don't think that has happened since before he was hospitalized in October! Aside from Ron's continued weakness, Dr. Shires feels he's made a turn for the better in the last few days! Thank you, Lord!!!

Not sure if I've mentioned this but I had started to feel a little guilty for spending so much money staying here at Hotel Presby but was having a hard time even thinking about what that would mean. Their policy here is to pay every time your bill reaches the $500 dollar mark and I had already paid twice. One day runs into another around here but I thought it was past time to pay again and had asked a couple of times in passing and they said they'd let me know when it was due. It was a little disconcerting because I didn't want to have to pay a huge lump sum because of someone's mistake so I stopped at the desk to inquire again when they told me as of January 4, I was placed on the long term rate which is only $20 per day (as opposed to the usual $63). What a blessing!!! Ron and I both feel between the cost of gas and my time, it would be silly to not stay here! God continues to take care of everything!

Tonight, I was reading in Streams in the Desert. Scripture reference was Isaiah 58:14:
"I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land."

"the sufferings of life are God's winds. Sometimes they blow against us and are very strong. They are His hurricanes, taking our lives to higher levels, toward His heavens....When the storms of life appear, the atmosphere is changed, purified, filled with new life, and part of heaven is brought down to earth."

Good night, all! Or, most likely, it will be good morning!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

First time outdoors!




Yeah God for weekends! Especially nice because Ron gets a break from wound vac change. They typically change his wound vac every other day. When they changed the vac on Friday, they were very pleased with how it looks. The holes in his belly at the incision site are definitely getting smaller, in fact they didn't even put the white foam stuff inside this time. It's working well and they hope he won't need it for very long but it hurts like crazy when they change it. Not from the wound vac itself but his tape allergy leaves that area blistered, raw and at times bleeding. So, he usually takes quite a bit of morphine for the day which leaves him pretty wiped out!

Saturday was a quiet day for us...Aaron & Kristin were headed to Kingsville for her Meme's funeral, Monday, and Ryan was at the house helping with our own personal "Extreme Home Makeover". So, I decided we needed a little fun. I bought a rubber band ball and a package of mini plastic pirates that I set up around the room. We used the rubber bands to try to knock over the pirates. It took us 96 rubber bands to shoot down 11 pirates and could never get the last 2!!! Ron thought I was crazy, at first, but enjoyed every minute of it!!!! (He used to do this with the boys when they were young, only with cowboys & Indians!)

Ryan brought pictures he had taken of all the work being done at the house. Much thanks to all of the 12th graders (along with Jason Roberts & Leslie Whitehurst) at NRHBC who worked so hard, Becky Levy for organizing, Jim Collier, Tony Apel and thanks to Rusty Levy for providing lunch; my brother, Doug, for helping to save the fishies!!! And, of course, Ryan, Aaron & Kristin! We are incredibly blessed to have so many people who care for us; who are constantly looking for ways to meet whatever needs we have!

Today, Ron had his first trip outside since October 19 (not including the ambulance ride from HEB to Presby!). I've been talking about taking him out for several days but am so glad I waited 'til today when Ryan was here to help! It was quite a feat getting him (in a wheelchair), all his tubes and IV pole into the elevator, through the lobby and across the drive to the fountain out front. We were only out about 5-10 minutes, but it was well worth the effort!!! It was wonderful to see him enjoy a little bit of sunshine and just be able to soak in being in the outside world! I've attached a couple of pictures...hope you're able to open them. As you can imagine, it was very taxing on him so he had a good little rest this afternoon before his parents came up to visit.

I've been reading some writings by Elisabeth Elliot and today she was relating an entry from her husband, Jim's, journal.

Jim had written: "I have prayed for new men, fiery, reckless men, possessed of uncontrollably youthful passion--these lit by the Spirit of God. I have prayed for new words, explosive, direct, simple words. I have prayed for new miracles. Explaining old miracles will not do. If God is to be known as the God who does wonders in heaven and earth, then God must produce for this generation."
Elisabeth says: "I read these prayers now with awe--new men, new words, new miracles all granted..."

"Be steadfast . . . cleave to the Lord . . . love the Lord your God.... You know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed."

These words cause me to reflect on a Sunday, 3 months ago. November 4, 2007--a day we all saw God perform a "new miracle" that He "produced for this generation." I remember our 12th graders meeting for Senior Bible study and praying fervently for God to spare Ron's life. And when Dr. Elieson told us they had done everything they could but it wasn't enough and they would do everything possible to keep Ron alive until the kids arrived but he couldn't make any promises, my heart and mind could not fathom that God was finished with Ron, his ministry, our ministry, yet. I was willing to accept His will; but unwilling to give up my fervent prayers for God's mercy and grace to miraculously save my husband! I remember telling Pastor Tommy that I could not think of a better testimony for our students (and everyone else) to see that God truly hears and answers our prayers but if He chose differently, we would still praise Him. And we do praise Him, for all He has done and all He continues to do!!!!

It's here!!! Ron tells his story

Love it when my hubby shares!. Though a very condensed version, Ron eloquently shared with our youth group a few weeks ago. Below are his th...