Christine Update

As the sun sets in the west another Sabbath has past bringing us one more week closer to Christ’s return.  How we long for it!

Today seemed to be a busy day.  It was past before we knew it.  Neither Christine nor I slept very well last night and between meals, doctors visits, PT visit, naps and Grandma, Elliot and Megan coming to visit that was it.  Christine continues to show improvement in expressive aphasia and can find her words some better though she still struggles.  Her vitals are normal but she has experienced some dizziness and nausea this afternoon particularly after trying to walk.  She did walk down the hall but got dizzy and trembly.  Basically she did not eat anything for supper.  Hopefully it is just her Keppra or other meds.  She is going to bed now and Shell is staying with her.  I will stay in the lodge tonight.  I seem to rest very fitfully in the hospital and have a hard time going back to sleep after the nurse comes in for something.

One special Sabbath day’s blessing came about 10:30 am when someone knocked on the door and in walked Wayne Dysinger.  “What are you doing here?” I asked totally surprised.  We had not heard that he was going to be in DC as a speaker at a special weekend seminar that is held in honor of a resident he helped train who was killed on the plane which hit the pentagon.  Anyway we had a pleasant visit together and it was a blessing to talk with him for a while.

Other Sabbath day's blessings came in beautiful flowers.  Three bouquets sit on her window sill and several thoughtful cards surround them.  The view out her window looks over the roof of another part of the building but you can see some nature in the distance.  So these reminders of our creators love also remind us of the care from friends and family.  They also remind us of Christ’s words, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”   What a blessed reminder not to worry about tomorrow!

Mom stayed with Christine in the afternoon as she rested so I could go over to the lodge and try to catch some sleep while Elliot took his nap.  He slept well but I didn’t make it to the land of snoozes.

Please pray for a man named, John Nichols.  His wife had surgery on her pancreas the same time Christine was in the OR.  So we were waiting in the waiting room together.  After some time everyone left except him and his sister-in-law and us.  Our operations were much longer than most.  He overheard us pray several times throughout the day and when we finally got news that Christine had come through and were preparing to leave we talked with him.  He had been very touched overhearing our conversation and our prayers and asked some questions.  We shared with him and had prayer with him for his wife.  I plan to visit with him tomorrow as he indicated he wished to talk more.  His wife had a rare genetic disease which causes cancer of various types.  They have been here before.  There are so many suffering people here at the NIH but what an incredible place this is to provide hope to so many which have so little.

Happy new week!

Blessings,

Rob