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UPDATE
- August 17
Day 88
Now it is the Lord's Day and
Jenny has been trying to get
his temp down all morning and most of the early afternoon. His temp is
finally down to 98 degrees. Rebekah, David's other sister (20 years
old) and I (Robert) have travelled to Atlanta to be with Jenny for a
few days. She wants and needs some company and some relief. Please pray
for David to not have any more seizures, for his temp to stay down, for
him to make good rehab progress in all areas: mentally, physically,
emotionally, and Spritually. Pray that we will be able to refresh Jenny
and encourage her.
Some other news: Jenny has
used up her 30 days of free
stay at the Shepherd Center apartment complex. Many friends and family
had graciously and generously offered places to stay in and around
Atlanta. We are very grateful for these offers and may need to accept
them at a later date. But God and our friends have provided a wonderful
and helpful alternative - several have offered to pay for Jenny to stay
in the Hawthorn suites which is immediately next door to the Shepherd
Center. This allows her to walk to see David in about 1 minute (without
driving
in Atlanta traffic [which scares and confuses her])This hotel also
offers a very nice breakfast buffet every day and a hot evening meal 4
days a week.
Also, David has "officially"
been extended until
September 3 by the insurance company. Please pray that he will make
significant rehab progress before then.
Psalm 118:21-24 "I will
praise You, for You have
answered me and have become my salvation. The Stone which the builders
rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing -
it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made, we
will rejoice and be glad in it!!"
UPDATE
-
August 18
Day 89
Luke 7:20-23 "When the men had come to Him, they
said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, "Are You the Coming
One or do
we look for another?" And that very hour He cured many of infirmaities,
afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus
answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen
and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And
blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."
Another interesting day for David: his fever
went up to 106.6 and took many hours to come down (I am writing a
little after 8 pm and it is still 100.7) He had a very extensive CT
scan to rule out any possible medical reason for his temperature
fluctuataions. Jenny and I also met with the Docs (Leslie and Long) to
discuss David's treatment in the near future - they plan to increase
the dosage of his anti-convulsant over the next 3 days to prevent any
more seizures. They performed the CT scan to eliminate any possible
causes of fever, the have received preliminary approval to test and
implant, if effective, a baclofen pump that will directly inject an
anti-spacticity drug into David's spinal fluid. The Shepherd Center
pioneered this treatment over the past 15 years.
The Docs also indicated that because of these continuing problems David
should be able to stay at the Shephered Center after September 3. Thank
you for your prayers - please pray for these drugs to be effective, for
the Lord to grant healing and recovery to David, diligence and skill to
all who attend to his care, and peace and contentment to his parents,
siblings, relatives and friends.
John 10:27-30 "My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give
them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone
snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's
hand. I and the Father are one."
UPDATE
- August 19
Day
90
Isaiah 66:12-14a For thus says the LORD,
“Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of
the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you
will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. As one whom his
mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in
Jerusalem.� Then you will see this, and your heart will be
glad, And your bones will flourish like the new grass;"
David continues to run high fevers - though
because his nurse Kathy caught this one early (at 99) it "only" got to
104.5 (not the 106.6 he had yesterday) He has finished all his IV
antibiotics and the Doctors want to wait 3 days to see if the
infections are truly gone or if they have just been suppresed by the
antibiotics. If they are truly gone, then the
docs want to do a trial of "intrathecal baclofen" [baclofen injected
directly into the spinal column] to see if it will reduce his
spasticity and hopefully help somewhat with his temperature
fluctuations. The docs have also increased his dose of anti-convulsant
drug. Hopefully this will prevent any more seizures. Please
pray for these medicines to be effective, ask our Lord to keep his
temperature down, and that he would improve in his physical and
cognitive abilities and have peace in his soul.
1Corinthians
10:12-13 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does
not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man;
and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape
also, so that you will be able to endure it."
UPDATE
- August 20
Day 91
Jer. 31:31-34 “Behold, days are
coming,� declares the LORD, “when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like
the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by
the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they
broke, although I was a husband to them,� declares the LORD.
But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel
after those days,� declares the LORD, “I will put My
law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their
God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man
his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the
LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the
greatest of them,� declares the LORD, “for I will
forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.�
David continues to run high fevers - it stayed
up at around 104 for most of the day. The good news = his infections
appear to be gone (though the docs are going to wait 2 more day to make
sure) and we hope that they will be able to conduct a test as to
David's response to intrathecal baclofen.
Jenny and I talked to a occupational therapist from the Shepherd Center
yesterday who is an expert in vans with wheelchair lifts. She discussed
various models, design considerations, etc - the BAD news = whether you
buy a minivan or a full size van, they cost over $40,000!! I told her
that about what an associate pastor takes home in a year!!
Well, we hope we won't need such a van!!! We may also need to sell our
house to buy or build one that is wheelchair and handicap accessible
and friendly. Please pray for our wisdom in these matters. Please pray
diligently for the Lord to releave David from the fevers and
spasticity. Is.
11:1-9 Then a
shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots
will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of
wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The
spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in
the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor
make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will
judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the
earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with
the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will
be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down
with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear
will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat
straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the
cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s
den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the
earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the
sea.
UPDATE - August 21
Day 92
Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my
affliction, That Your word has revived me. Psalm 119:92-94 If Your law
had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction. I
will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me. I am
Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts.
Give
praise to our God - He has spared David's
life for 3 months now and we look to Him for grace upon grace - to
David and to us. David had another day of high fevers.
Jenny spends long hours working with the nurses and therapists and with
a host of medical equipment to keep it from going very high, like it
has before (107 up to 109!!). He continues to be infection free after
several weeks of IV antibiotics. Dr. Leslie told Jenny today that he
plans the intra-thecal baclofen trial for Monday. We are hopeful for
success. Please continue to pray for David - and today I would ask you
to pray for his spiritual needs - we know that this is a severe test
for him as well as us - please ask our Heavenly Father to keep him in
the Faith once delivered to the Saints, to grow him in grace, to keep
him from bitterness, depression, resentment, impatience, and anything
else displeasing to our Lord and detrimental to his growth in grace.
Rom.
8:18-32 For
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the
anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the
sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself
also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom
of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole
creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly
for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we
have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for
what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with
perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also
helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but
the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And
we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For
those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the
image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many
brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom
He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also
glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us,
who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him
over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all
things?
UPDATE - August 22
Day
92
Job
1:20-22 "The Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and he
fell to the ground and worshipped. And he said, "Naked I came from my
mother's womb and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the
LORD has taken away: Blessed be the Name of the LORD. In all this Job
did not sin nor charge God with wrong."
Today
is the 3 month anniversary of David's injury - how long ago it seems
and yet how quickly it passes!! David spent another day battling fever
but seems to have "defeated" it quicker today than usual. It is 8 pm
Eastern time and his temp is
97.3 degrees!!! We are hoping for a peaceful and "cool" night for
David. We are asking to Lord for a quiet weekend. Jenny says that the
nurses and therapists are of the opinion that the intra-thecal baclofen
trial will be on Tuesday and, if the trial is successful, then the
surgery to implant the pump will be on Thursday.
Please pray for a successful trial and an uneventful surgery and that
the baclofen will help David's spasticity and ask our Lord to keep
David's temp normal (He is the only one who can evidently!!) I (Robert)
came to Atlanta this afternoon and now plan to stay at least through
the baclofen trial on Tuesday. Thanks again for your prayers and your
many other tangible expressions of support for us during our time of
trial!!!
Acts
of the Apostles 17:26 "And He has made of one blood every nation of men
to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their
preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings so that they
should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and
find Him, though He is not farfrom each one of us! For in Him we live
and move and have our being..."
UPDATE
- August 23
Day 93
Luke
7:40-43 "Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to
say to you." So he said, 'Teacher, say it.' 'There was a certain
creditor who had 2 debtors: one who owed five hundred denarii and the
other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely
forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him
more?'
Simon answered and said, 'I suppose the one whom he forgave more.' And
Jesus said to him, 'You have judged rightly.'"
We
were hoping for a nice quiet weekend with David - but that was not to
be!! Jenny came over early this morning to check on David and she
wasn't over with him long before the nurses and doctors told her that
he was being moved to the ICU wing because his hemoglobin count was
significantly down. They suspected and it was eventually verified by
endoscopic examination to be an stomach ulcer.
But the good news (we always like good news) is that the doctor could
find no signs of active bleeding. So they plan to keep David in the ICU
for 24 hours and check his hemoglobin every 6 hours. He will receive an
IV anti-ulcer agent. We are still hopeful for the intrathecal baclofen
trial on Tuesday. Pray to that end. IF you want to read up on this
treatment, go to:
MD Virtual University.
Psalm
1:1-3 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, But
his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day
and night. He shall
be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its
fruit in season, whose leaf also does not wither, and whatever he does
shall prosper."
UPDATE -
August 24
Day 94
Mark 4:30-32 "The
Jesus said, "To
what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or whith what parable shall we
picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown in the
ground is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown,
grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs and shoots out large
branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."
David continues his stay in ICU at the Shepherd Center. He has had a
relatively good day - he had a 103+ fever in the early morning hours
and the same in the early afternoon - so he spent most of the day
sandwiched between two cooling blankents with ice on all his pressure
points. The Gastro-interologists (gut doctor) believes that David isn't
bleeding anymore but his hemoglobin level dropped somewhat from early
morning to early afternoon. So they gave him another unit of blood. We
received some more disturbing news: Jenny's mom was diagnosed with
malignant breast cancer and has had the tumor and surrounding tissue
removed. The docs believe they got it all but want to look at the lymph
nodes nearby and probably remove them also + she will get 6 weeks of
radiation and several years of oral chemo. Please pray that the
medicines will be effective and that the surgeons will be skillful.
Please ask our Lord to grant David the ability to maintain his
temperature at a normal level. Pray for Him to remove David's
spasticity and grant him cognitive thought, speech, and movement. Thank
you for your prayers.
Romans 9:35-39 "Who
shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is
written, 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things
present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created
thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
UPDATE -
August 25
Day 95
Psalm 107:13-15
"Then they cried to
the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke
their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for
His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men."
David had a relatively good day today - his hemoglobin count went up
and down somewhat but has remained well above the level that would
cause the docs to become alarmed (for you med types it ranged from 9.4
to 11.1). He continues to struggle with temperature control though the
swings are not as pronounced as they have been. The intrathecal
baclofen trial is on for 7 am tomorrow in ICU. We will update you ASAP
when we know its effectiveness. Please pray for quiet night, for his
temperature regulation to return to normal, and especially for a
successful trial tomorrow.
Isaiah 40:29 "He
gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, he increases
strength."
UPDATE -
August 26
Day 96
Ephesians 2:1-7
"And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespesses and sins, in which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by
nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in
mercy,because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we
were dead in tresspasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace
you have been saved, and raised us up together in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by
grace you have been saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Well, there is good news and not so good news from today - first, the
good news, David's hemoglobin level seems to have stabilized at a good
(in fact, very good) level which indicates that he is no longer has a
bleeding ulcer in his stomach. His temperature has also stayed down
very well today. It has not gone over 101 today, so far! The
not-so-good news = the intrathecal baclofen test did not yield, the the
exact words of Dr. Leslie, "optimal results" = he didn't get a great
deal of relief from his spasticity. There is still some possibility
that he will exhibit a delayed reaction to the dose that would qualify
him for the pump. There is still a possibility of additional testing so
please pray that will occur. Pray for us in this disappointment.
Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to Him who is
able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church
by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
UPDATE -
August 27
Day 97
Isaiah 46:9b-10
"For I am God and
there is no other; I am God and there is none like me: declaring the
end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet
done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand,' and 'I will do all My pleasure.'
David has had a very good day health-wise so far (it is about 5 pm
EDST)- since the administration of the baclofen yesterday at 7:30 am,
David has not had a fever that went over 100.5 degrees. This is much
lower than last week (about 104.5 highs) and even lower than this
weekend (about 103 for highs). I suspect the baclofen but the doc is
not sure. MORE GOOD NEWS: Dr. Leslie has agreed to conduct another test
with intrathecal baclofen at a higher dose next Tuesday and if it is
successful, David will have surgery on next Thursday to implant the
permanent pump. IN ADDITION: David continued to show mild benefit from
the baclofen for about 30 hours after it was administered. His blood
work continues to show good levels of hemoglobin and crits, so the docs
are relatively sure he doesn't have a bleeding ulcer any more (they
have stopped any anti-inflamatories [naprocin and ibuprofen]) Please
pray that his spasticiy will subside and that his rehab sessions will
yield good results for him. David is probably in his best condition
healthwise since the accident (he has no infections, no bleeding
ulcers, no pneumonia, his temp. fluctuations are lower and less
frequent, etc.)Please pray for his continued improvement cognitively,
physically, mentally, and esp. Spiritually.
2 Corinthians
5:1-10 "For we know
that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building
from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in
this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our heavenly
habitation, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found
naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because
we want to be "unclothed" but rather "clothed", that mortality may be
swallowed up by life. Now, He who has prepared us for this very thing
is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are
always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are
absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are
confident, yes, well pleased rather, to be absent from the body and to
be present with the Lord. Therefore, we make it our aim, whether
present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must ALL appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the done
in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
UPDATE -
August 28
Day 98
2 Corinthians 5:21
"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him."
David had a relatively good day, though he still has severe spasticity
and continues to have fluctuating temps as high as 104.5. A friend from
Greenville, who is a RN, came for the day to stay with David so Jenny
and I could have a day together before I go back to Greenville for a
few days. Please pray for David's spasticity to abate and for his brain
to regain control of his temperature control. Pray for Jenny as she
ministers to him daily.
Ephesians 6:10-11
"Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on
the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take
up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, to stand."
UPDATE
- August 29
Day 99
The Revelation of Jesus
Christ 1:4-6
"John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace,
from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven
Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful
witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the
earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood -
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father-to
Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
David day returned to more "normal" = he was dressed and in his chair
and had several sessions of rehab. He still is very "tonal" and still
has sudden and dramatic temperature fluctuations several times a day.
The docs have ordered increasing doses of Xanaflex (a powerful muscle
relaxer) - but so far it has had little effect on David's "tonality".
We are still hopeful of a successful second intrathecal baclofen trial
on Tuesday - please join us in prayer. If the test is successful, the
permanent pump will be implanted on Thursday. David's current "end"
date at the Shepherd Center is Tuesday, September 9. Please ask our
Lord to extend that date - David has a long way to go!!
The Revelation of Jesus
Christ
1:12-18 "Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with
me. And
having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the
lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to
the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and
His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like
a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been
made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many
waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth
came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in
its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And
He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the
first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I
am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades."
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