| Author | Message | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1615 Registered: 12-2003  |
I want to share an update on my MIL. She's better--she's out of CCU and on a medical ward. She's off the ventilator and all her IVs. They're weaning her off Prednisone (given for the massive inflammation in her lungs and perhaps other organs), and she's feeding herself. She's very weak; physical therapy has been helping her get up to walk once a day, and it wears her out. We learned that her ejection fraction (cardiac output) had gone down to 15%. We don't know what it is now, but it is likely somewhat higher. Her blood pressure and blood gasses are stable without supportive meds at this point. Mentally, she's a bit (to use her nurse's term) loopy right now. They think her disorientation will improve as she regains control and familiarity with her life and also builds back strength. The million dollar question is: how much function will she regain--and how long will it take? As her nurse said, "With a low EF (cardiac output), she won't be a ball of fire." It's a waiting game. It could take her months to improve to the place where she'll eventually plateau. Meanwhile, she'll probably have to have quite a bit of personal and domestic help. We're still praying for her spiritually. It's hard to tell how she really is because of her disorientation, but she still seems pretty suspicious and angry. God clearly kept her from dying, though--she came awfully close. Thanks to all of you for your prayers for her. God is awesome, to quote Diana again! Colleen | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 132 Registered: 8-2004 |
Colleen, Thanks for the update! I will continue to pray! helovesme2 | ||
| Tisha Registered user Username: Tisha Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2005 |
Colleen, Thanks for updating us on your Mother-in-Law's condition. I will continue to pray for her. Also, I will pray for your whole family to be able to make the right decisions regarding her care, and your time and energy committments. My mom broke her hip a couple of years ago, shortly after my father died. For the first few months after her fall she was quite disoriented and confused. That has improved but she still falls occcasionally and is not as sharp as she once was. She will always need care 24/7. My daughter and her husband moved in with her to care for her in the evenings and at night. We live across the street and so trade off weekends. We hire a caregiver during the day. Added to this, my daughter and her husband had a baby girl - not planned, although wanted! So I take care of my granddaughter on my days off and my son-in-law takes her on his days off. And my daughter takes care of the baby and my mom on her days off. My husband fill in wherever needed. It's quite a juggling act! All in all it is a good situation, but it does take it's toll on all of us. So I know how important balance is! I pray daily for guidance about this. I have a hard time saying no, and then I overcommit and get exhausted. Mom can be very demanding and impatient which can make me feel guilty until I step back and realize that she will always want "more" and that I need to take care of myself and my other family as well. She forgets that I've even been there and gets sulky about me NEVER coming to see her! The blessing in all of this is that we have had more time to discuss our newfound understanding and JOY of Christianity. She now goes to Church with us and has been able to see what REAL Christianity is all about. She is learning to let go some of her SDA indoctrination! She even says now that she would rather go to our Church than her old SDA Church. She can see the difference in people that truely know and trust Jesus! She enjoys our Bible Study because we use only the Bible! Our pastor has a great understanding of the implications of the SDA doctrines so is able to help her when she has questions. He gently guides her to new understanding when she makes a comment that is from the SDA viewpoint. And she respects him enough to listen. He always turns to the Bible - he says "put your finger on the text". Her questions and comments also help me to better understand the ways that my upbringing influences me. It also has helped me to forgive her for some of the "hurt" I experienced growing up. It is just wonderful! God's ways are so good! I don't know just how you M-I-L will progress, but being a caregiver for a parent is very challenging! Only God can give us the patience and endurance, the love and caring that it takes for this. So I will pray for you as you face these things. And I will pray that this God-given extension of her life will let her see just how merciful God is! He still has plans for her! I know you are a great witness of Jesus' love for her. | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 52 Registered: 3-2005 |
Colleen, Thanks for the update on your M-I-L. She seems to be progressing quite well, from the report last week. Yes, 15% EF on the Echo is bad, but I've seen a few cases in my career improve significantly, Im not sure if I caught her age, but nonetheless is an uphill battle. Your family has been on my prayer list everyday as well as all of the others who have requested prayer on this thread. Stan | ||
| Lisa_boyldavis Registered user Username: Lisa_boyldavis Post Number: 14 Registered: 3-2005 |
Dear Friends, I am making a trip to California to see an uncle who is not doing well physically, and has hardened his heart to Christinaity because of the damage incurred via SDA family. Please pray - for the trip (I'll be alone and driving 12 hrs. each way) -for Uncle Jack and his pride - for my husband as he cares for a house load of kids all by himself - one being a very 2 two year old Lisa | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1215 Registered: 3-2004  |
Colleen, Thank you for the update on your MIL. God has her in his awesome hands. I will continue to pray for her, Richard, you and your children that God bring you through this with a stronger faith and deeper love for God. Lisa, You have also been written in my prayer book. I will pray for all three situations. You driving alone, Uncle and his pride and your husband caring for the children. Now that last one is a challenge. God is awesome in how He gets us through all situations. Diana | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 89 Registered: 2-2005 |
Lisa, my prayers are with you. Greg | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1625 Registered: 12-2003 |
Lisa, I'm praying for you also. Colleen | ||
| Jeannette Registered user Username: Jeannette Post Number: 94 Registered: 3-2003 |
Dear brothers and sisters, my son really needs your prayers and so do I. In a nutshell this is what happened. My son started a business back in July. Because he did not have credit he got an offshore merchant account. The merchant account bank in the UK took $60,000. of the money. He is extremely depressed because the money he used to start the business he had borrowed from me and from my brother. He told me a couple of days ago that he felt like killing himself but that he was not the type of person to give up. For some reason this evening I felt like my prayers pleading for my son are not going beyond the roof of my house, my heart felt crushed so my husband and I went to the business to see him. He is not doing well. I don't know if he drank too much and took something else but he was not himself. I could not convince him to come home with us. Please pray for us. Thank you for your prayers | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1221 Registered: 3-2004 |
Jeannette, I have put you, your husband and your son on my prayer list. He is in God's hands as are you and your husband. Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1631 Registered: 12-2003 |
Jeannette, I'm praying for your son and for you. God is faithful. Colleen | ||
| Sabra Registered user Username: Sabra Post Number: 313 Registered: 10-2001 |
I want to thank all of you who prayed for my step-daughter's salvation. She went to the opening night of The Book and I'm happy to report that she is "sister Tiffany" now! Hallelujia! Satan has really been fighting this book. It is the clearest portrayal of the gospel I have ever seen. One cast member just wont decide anything about Christ and it is shown how that is as bad as rejecting Him. Made me think of our Adventists, just burying in the sand, not willing to study or listen or decide anything. We actually even had a fight at the church on the second night. Right at the invitation a crazy man attacked another man with a motorcycle helmet, broke his nose, blood everywhere, one went in an ambulance, one to jail. Only 14 decisions for Christ that night. They were not members and apparently it was some domestic deal, jealous ex or something. Colleen, please let us know how your m-i-l is doing. Praying for her and your family. Jeanette, praying for your son too. Prayers to all here. Blessings, Sabra | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1222 Registered: 3-2004 |
Sabra, God is awesome in how He works and now Tiffany is "Sister". I am so happy for you and I thank God for doing it. Diana | ||
| Sabra Registered user Username: Sabra Post Number: 314 Registered: 10-2001 |
Yes He is, Diana!! Hey, I've missed your little e-mails. Did you get my new address? It's sabra68@peoplepc.com send me something to encourage me, I need it! You are always such a blessing! Sabra | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1227 Registered: 3-2004 |
Sabra, I did not have your new address. Plus, since I have been working full time, I do not spend as much time at my computer with e-mail. But I will send things to you. Another Christian Sister, Diana | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1711 Registered: 11-2002 |
Diana, My favorites that I get from you are the singing and dancing chickens. I LOVE those. I love anything animated. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1634 Registered: 12-2003 |
Sabra, what great news re: your daughter! My MIL is much better. She'll probably go home on Monday or Tuesday. It looks as if she may regain enough heart function to be considered normal for her age. She still has congestion in her lungs and is on albuterol inhalers and, I believe, is still on antibiotics orally. Spiritually we can't really make much of an assessment. She's happy to be getting well--that's clear! Otherwise, things seem "normal". I'm confident that God is not yet done with His work in her! Colleen | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 1716 Registered: 11-2002 |
Well, here I go again writng a book of prayer concerns. First, I am home extremely sick with the flu. Actually today I'm feelng better than I did yesterday. I still feel awful though. Even my skin hurts. My baby, the 19 yr. old had to report to jail yesterday to serve 20 days. He also is real sick with the flu. I had wished he could postpone doing is jail time until after he got well but the judge told him he had better be to the court by 8:30 am yesterday or he'd have to do four months. We discussed calling the courthouse to pleed with the judge. Then we decided the judge wouldn't believe us anyway (That really only works with Michael Jackson and those in his fame and fortune status. The rest of us out here really don't have that option.) so now he's in jail exposing all the other inmates to the flu. Let's pray thay they don't get the flu. Many inmates are very unhealthy to begin with and catch whatever illness they are exposed to very easilly. Let's also pray that this ends my sons jail expriences. That he can use this time to think and reflect about making some much needed changes in his life. This is the forth time in a year that he's been to the county jail. I hope it will be the last time. The good news is that his best friend is in there so now they can be together. Yeah, I know that sounds tacky but it is kind-of like turning lemons into lemonade. My older son, the one in the state prison, I got to visit with him this past weekend. He has many serious health problems and I am asking prayers that he will take care of himself to overcome is health related issues. It's not hard being healthy in prison. However, out here where there is freedom and poor choices are only a phone call away to give into those poor choices can cause very serious health problems. Then there's my third so. He's never in trouble, he works at a good job, he is very diligent about taking care of himself, has clean-cut friends etc., and he gets lost in the chaos. It's been very hard on him having to grow up being born between the two sons I previousely mentioned. And, my oldest is out at sea on a military deployment. We don't know where he is but please keep him and his shipmates in your prayrs. Thank-you, very much. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1653 Registered: 12-2003 |
Still praying for you and your family, Susan. Colleen | ||
| Mrcato Registered user Username: Mrcato Post Number: 15 Registered: 12-2003 |
Dear FAF members: this is the first time I have discussed this on this level so please bear with me. A while back, there was a discussion on homosexuality on the forum, with various viewpoints of course...i read with much great interest...i have read several theological takes on the issue that resulted in- for, against, unclear - conclusions concerning what the bible says about it. Well I've never ever been open about this to anyone other than people dealing with the same issue, but it is something I have struggled with all of my life...early this morning i was awakened after dealing with a situation the previous night...I finally confessed to God that an unGodly frienship/relationship i was in until December had totally taken me out of His will and had destroyed the closer walk with Him that I was developing...in January/Februay I started feeling extremely lonely and depressed more than I had ever felt because my 'friend' was no longer there...I desperately tried to look at everything through a spiritual eye, to no avail...at my church's Good Friday service last night the main point I got from the sermon was that we need to commit things not of God to Him...trust me, the point was much much much more in depth and profound than that, I just can't do my pastor justice at this moment...once I woke up, I started hearing parts of the sermon in my mind and was praying aloud to God begging Him to cleanse all parts of me of this person and of my sexuality issues...I begged Him to consume with His righteous fire and to kill as he has his enemies anything not of Him that is in me...it's harder than any of you could ever imagine...I cannot discuss this issue with my church family-I'd rather not...thanks to the anonymity of the internet and the loving, delivered Christian people and their wisdom on this forum, I feel comfortable to openly ask for you all to pray for me, pray with me, fervently...I so want to know Christ in His death and ressurection and I want to be close to my Father again...please pray that God will cleanse, cleanse, cleanse, purify, sanctify me and burn and kill anything not of Him that is occupying my spirit...and pray also that I will have the strength and gain the willpower to not allow the unholy things that have been killed and burned to be resurrected...currently I'm not in the best state of mind concerning this but I know God is more than able...thanks a lot everyone, I have been reading this forum for a couple of years now and have gained much knowledge and insight on the things of God. God bless |
