Back at the Ranch

I haven't really updated on what's going on here lately. We have been crazy busy.

Brian has started teaching middle school Sunday school at church. He really likes it! I try to help him with the cutting flannel graph and coloring pages. He went to the Dr for a follow up appointment about his blood pressure. I think they determined it was normal, and he just has "white coat hypertension". His cholesterol, however, is a different story. So, we've started eating more leafy veggies and cheerios. Football season has started, and the Razorbacks...well, they started pretty good, but Alabama and Texas kinda put an end to his revelry. The Redskins, however, are 3-1, and 2nd in the NFC East!!

I have been busy with homeschooling and trying to keep the house and kids. Of course, I get a few Starbucks visits in here and there. :o) I spend a lot of time worrying about my mom...I know, I know, worry is a sin. I'm trying, but it's hard to be far away and not being much help.

The girls are doing well. Sorta....Emily got sick last week. I took her to the Dr. because her knee had been hurting, and against my better judgment, I allowed her to play with the toys in the Dr.'s office. Eww. NEVER again. Within 5 days, she had a sore throat and bad cold. Within 5 days, Brian had a horrible chest cold. Withing 3 days, Savannah has an ear infection and chest congestion. SIGH. Let's see....3 out of 4....you know who that leaves, don't you?? I'm refusing to get ill. I don't have the time or the strength. :o)

Here are some pics of how our day got started! Nebulizers are a wonderful thing. Thankfully, Savannah likes to do it. When I turn it off, she gets a little annoyed. Never mind the boy looking pajamas. I went to Children's Place to get some that were on sale, and evidently 24 months is a popular size. They only had 2 pairs in girl colors. To get the sale, I needed to get three. Oh well. She doesn't mind.

Update on Mom

Another setback – Another tube – Another doctor – Another day of frustration

I guess my "40 day" theory of our trial being over was totally wrong (maybe I miscounted the days) because today was another day of trial. After the promising results of not having drainage yesterday, today the drainage was back and as bad as last Friday and Saturday. The dressing was completely saturated.

ANOTHER DOCTOR – We have seen (or they have seen us) 5 medical doctors during the past week. Each one has a "new idea" on treatment. Today's introduction to the treatment process – NG TUBE. I asked the same question: "What is that?" Here is what Wikipedia says in part:
"Nasogastric intubation is a medical process involving the insertion of a plastic tube (nasogastric tube, NG tube) through the nose, past the throat and down into the stomach. Nasogastric aspiration (suction) is the process of draining the stomach's contents via the tube. Nasogastric aspiration is mainly used to remove gastric secretions……"
The idea is to remove the stomach's acids etc via the tube to allow the "hole" in her stomach to better heal. Why this wasn't done 7 days ago I don't know. How long will the tube remain in place before another plan of action? I don't know! Is surgery still an option? I don't know! I had all these questions ready to ask the surgeon, but he never came by the room. If I ever get time, I would like to write a book on this modern medical field and the absence of good, old fashioned patient/doctor communication and relationship. I remember the time when a patient had "his/her doctor" that came by the room every day and informed the patient what was going on. Anyway, it's not like that here at good old Wayne Memorial. Enough of the FRUSTRATION part.

What's Next? Maybe I'll find out tomorrow! Please pray in a special, specific way for Linda. She is sore from being in bed; she is discouraged for not seeing improvement; she is showing signs (swelling, especially) of continuous input of antibiotics being pumped into her body. There is ALWAYS two of something going into her body through the PICC tube and the pain medication keeps her sleepy and lethargic. She is getting "feeble" from being confined to bed; she looks pitiful with all the tubes hanging from her arm and nose, PLUS, she can't get her hair fixed just right. My heart grieves as I watch her day by day – in pain and struggling to remain positive. I know the Lord can burden you to continue to pray specifically for these areas.

The Lord has been SO GOOD to me during this time. I've experienced an extra strength that I know doesn't come from me. I had a bout of sinus drainage and laryngitis, but I'm pretty much over that. I stayed at the hospital tonight with Linda in case she had problems with this new "attachment" to her body. Continue to pray for Linda's mom as well. She has to spend a lot of time at home alone as I spend time at the hospital.

Thanks again for your "ministry of prayer." Keep Looking Up!

Joe

Answered Prayer

**UPDATE**

Mom had a low grade temperature Sunday. She was given medicine and the temp came down. Please pray that there wouldn’t be infection develop that would hinder her complete recovery.

Thanks again for praying. The cards, emails, phone calls and visits have been a real encouragement to us.

I doubt this is very significant, but I read some place that the number “40” in the Bible is used for a period of “probation, testing or trial.” It just so happens that today was the 40th day since she entered the hospital on August 19th. Perhaps God will grant this period of trial be over for her. “God’s Will Be Done.”

Keep Looking Up,

Joe



Mom has a wound specialist that comes in and changes her "packing" in her stomach. Saturday afternoon, 3 gauze worth of "stuff" had leaked out of mom's stomach. This morning, when she came in, the bandage only had a dime size stain on it. PRAISE THE LORD!! She told my parents that she was going to recommend holding off on the surgery one more day and see what happens.

Your prayers are being answered! Please don't stop!!

Lessons We've Learned (And an Update)

**UPDATE** If Mom's stomach has not healed by tomorrow, she will have surgery on Monday. Pray for a miracle!


One week ago today, the G-tube was removed from Linda's stomach. It has been a very difficult 7 days for both of us. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PRAYING!!

There hasn't much changed since my last update. The doctor is still following the "conservative approach" treatment – body healing vs. surgery. There isn't any way of knowing how long it is going to take. The Lord knows. There is still a lot of drainage from the stomach which isn't necessarily bad, says the wound nurse. Please pray for the stomach to heal itself if this is the Lord's will. I expect her to be in the hospital at least 3-4 more days.

Linda's voice is getting stronger but we can't test her swallowing ability because she is on a "nothing by mouth" order from her doctor. This order is part of the healing process for her stomach. It could be that the paralyzed vocal cord has moved back in place. Treatment for her speech won't be resumed again until this stomach issue is resolved.

There have been many things the Lord has taught us (continues to teach us) during the past month. As I share some of these things with you, I trust the Lord will use some of these lessons in your lives and the lessons we have been taught will be a blessing to you. One thing that has been re-enforced is the power and need for prayer. The following is an incident that took place shortly after Linda had her heart surgery.

TEACH US TO PRAY

"And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1)

There was one of the disciples who saw the need to learn how to pray. Perhaps he saw and heard Jesus praying. It is clear that they knew John taught his disciples to pray. We all need a regular examination of our prayer life and ask ourselves: "Am I praying or just uttering words with my eyes closed."

Late one night while Linda was in the hospital in Raleigh, she called me at home. I had just driven the long hour home to Goldsboro. She was in pain and wanted me to come back to the hospital to be with her. I was so tired. I talked with her and explained that I needed rest and that the Lord would be with her during the night. After praying with her, I talked with her for awhile and the mail I had just picked up caught my eyes. I told Linda that she received some cards and then it clicked with me that the timing of these cards was "for the moment." I didn't open the cards, only read the names on the return addresses. I reminded Linda that these cards were from ladies WHO KNEW HOW TO PRAY.

The first card was from a lady that we had known for years in our little hometown of Starr, SC. This precious lady ministered to her husband for several years as he lay in bed paralyzed and unable to talk due to a stroke. I reminded Linda: "SHE KNOWS HOW TO PRAY" and she is praying for you!

The second card was from another lady we have known for several years. She has been greatly used of the Lord to minister to many people who have undergone sickness. But most precious of all her ministry has been to her own mom and dad. Her mom has been sick for many years and for the last 7 years she has been confined to a nursing home. I reminded Linda: "SHE KNOWS HOW TO PRAY" and she is praying for you!

I looked at the return address on the third card and it was from Linda's dear friend from a former church we attended. For several years her son has been in rebellion to his parents and the Lord. Over the past few years Linda had talked with this friend about this son's rebellion and we know she has a great burden for her son's spiritual condition. I reminded Linda: "SHE KNOWS HOW TO PRAY" and she is praying for you!

The fourth card to Linda that day was from a young, military wife. This young woman has a great load upon her with 2 young children and a husband in the Army serving in Iraq. She and her husband have been separated from each other many months over the past 3 years. I reminded Linda: "SHE KNOWS HOW TO PRAY" and she is praying for you!

I know this is only representative of many, many dear Saints of God who KNOW HOW TO PRAY. Thank you for praying for Linda's health and recovery. Perhaps this is also a reminder to some who have never come to a point in your life like that disciple who came to Jesus: "LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY."

Keep Looking Up,
Joe

Send An E-Greeting

One of my parents dear friends told me about this site where you can send an e-greeting to my mom. The volunteers print them out and deliver them to my mom's room! I think it's a great way to send a surprise greeting. Thanks Sandy!!!

I know a lot of you have commented on my blog, but dad would love to hear from you all!! He knows all "my friends" enough for them to feel like friends of theirs, so send them a shout out!! Here's the link.

http://www.waynehealth.org/body.cfm?id=84&eformid=3

Update From Dad

Well, Here We Go Again!! The follow up visit with Linda’s primary doctor late Monday afternoon ended in Room 236 at Wayne Memorial Hospital. It is impossible to give all the details that led to this decision. The bottom line, something had to be done (we knew that Saturday when we spent 6 hours in the ER) and the hospital seemed to be the best place to get the care that was needed. When she was admitted Monday night, we expected to face surgery to repair the hole in her stomach which had not healed after the removal of the G-tube.

NOTHING was done Monday night! NOTHING seemed to be getting done Tuesday morning. The surgeon came by the room around 8:30 AM and didn’t appear to be very familiar with her case. We lingered in a state of bewilderment most of the morning and early afternoon trying to find someone who would tell us what plan of treatment would be followed while in the hospital. Finally, about 2 PM a doctor came by to discuss with us “the plan.” Surgery will be considered as a last resort. The doctors want to give the body (we say ‘the Lord’) a few days, Friday or Saturday, to heal itself. She has been taken off everything by mouth except some ice chips during the day. She gets all her nutrition and medication by IV. Late yesterday afternoon a PICC line was put in place to accommodate all the “stuff” her body needs. There has been continuous, at times 3 different bags, of antibiotics being put in her system. The surgeon ordered a “wound nurse” to come by to look and treat the hole in her stomach. She “plugged” the hole with some type of sponge/gauze looking stuff and put thick cream on the irritated skin around the wound. Linda didn’t ONE TIME complain about the wound hurting the rest of the day or during the night. WHY IN THE WORLD DIDN’T ONE OF THE THREE DOCTORS SHE HAS VISITED SINCE LAST FRIDAY DO THIS FOR HER I’LL NEVER KNOW. Linda slept very well last night and woke up this morning looking and feeling well rested. I asked how she felt and she responded, “Fifty times better.” PRAISE!! Another blessing – her voice is much stronger. No apparent reason – “BUT GOD…..” She would like to try swallowing but the doctor has her on “nothing by mouth” status. So, we’ll see what happens during the next few days.

Thanks again to all of you for praying. Yesterday was a real battle for me as I saw the pain she was in and no one doing anything about helping her. I know you are praying for me as well as Linda. Pray also for Linda’s mom. She seems to be doing well, but I know she worries about Linda and she doesn’t understand the full extent of what is going on.

I have been staying at the hospital with Linda as much as possible. I can use my computer and access to the internet but for some reason I can’t send/receive email through Outlook. So, I have established a gmail account at Joe.Yeargin@gmail.com so you may be receiving some updates from that address during the next few days.

Please pray that the Lord would see fit to spare her the need for surgery. “His Will Be Done.”

Keep Looking Up,
Joe

Praise the Lord!!

Last night when I talked to my mom, her voice sounded very strong! My dad is still croupy, and I told Brian that I thought her voice was stronger than his! This morning, when she got the phone, she said, "Good Morning!" and right away, I knew things were different. She said, "I wanted to be the first one to tell you your Mama is BACK!" Her voice sounds amazing!!! We are accrediting this completely to our Lord and Savior!

She is wondering: since she can talk now, can she drink and eat? But, she is waiting for them to tell her her stomach is healed before she tries that.

I thought we could all use some good news! Thanks so much for those of you who were praying for our miracle!!!

Why Doesn't Anyone Have Any Answers??

Well.....we had three Drs consult with each other and decide that they would rather mom heal on her own. That's good...I guess, because that means she won't have another surgery. However (comma) that also means that in 48-72 hours, we could back to square one and she may have to have surgery anyway.
They put in a PICC line (which you can read all about here) for her nutrition, fluids, antibiotics and other medicines. This was not a pleasant experience, I don't think. But, since she's had so many IV's and since they only last three days, they decided this would be a better solution.
So, she stays up there for "2 or 3 days" and see if she's healed. She eats and drinks and if she contains everything, she's good and can go home. If she starts leaking again, they'll have to do the surgery anyway.
We'll keep you updated! Pray for dad...he's still not feeling well. At least he's close to home this time.

Please Pray

**No Update** Mom and dad don't know anything yet. The surgeon came in this morning and asked mom if she "wanted to have the surgery or wait a couple days and see if it healed on its own" Ummm....who's the Dr? Anyway, he was going to "consult" with the Dr that said she needed it done in the first place and get back to them within the hour. That was 2 hours ago. SO. I'm imagining his schedule is probably full today, so I'm assuming she will be in the hospital for a couple more days, anyway. Her spirits seemed OK this morning. She is frustrated at the seemingly stupidity of the nurses (Two came in to put her IV in....the one that had been in for hours). So, continue praying, and I'll keep you updated!


My mom had a follow up appointment this afternoon with her primary care Dr. He was NOT very happy that her stomach had not been repaired over the weekend. So, regardless of what the Emergency Room Dr called "normal", mom is back in the hospital and is awaiting surgery to get her stomach repaired.
Please, Please, Please pray for my parents. My dad (who is still sick) is very frustrated because mom has been shuffled from doctor's office to ER to hospital room with no pain meds. Pray for my mom who is very terrified of hospitals and especially surgeries. Hey, maybe this breathing tube will knock everything back into place!! We serve a God of miracles!!!
I'll update again when I have news of the time of the surgery.

Update on Mom

Friday afternoon was such a glad time for us as we came home from the doctor’s office. We thought having the G-tube removed would hasten Linda’s road to recovery and we were looking forward to a better weekend. Little did we know when I sent the good report of her doctor’s visit what the week end really held for us.

The doctor (gastroenterologist who removed the tube) told us we would notice some drainage, even food, in the area of the skin where the tube was located. After all, there was a hole in her skin through to her stomach lining about the size of a nickel, at least the size of a dime. Linda was still a little “fuzzy” from the medicine given to her during the procedure, but she was hungry having not eaten in almost 24 hours. So I prepared her a scrambled egg and she drank a small glass of V-8 juice. About an hour later, our nightmare began!! The contents of her stomach began to GUSH OUT through the hole in her stomach. It was GROSS – we panicked. We called the doctor but he didn’t help. He only told us it would take a few days to “heal itself and if the hole didn’t close it may require surgery to patch the hole.” We spent most all night Friday catching gastric juices, fluids and food coming out of Linda’s stomach.

Saturday morning around 8:00 AM the same gastro doctor called asking how Linda did during the night. I gave him an hour by hour of our “mop up duty” and he said he thought she should go to the hospital to be admitted and treated by a surgeon. Linda panicked again!! Another hospital; more doctors; more torture to her body!! NO!! We talked, prayed and considered several matters of her health and decided to go on to the hospital here in Goldsboro expecting her to be admitted.

To not bore you, I’ll give the short version of the day. Since it was the week-end we had to go through the emergency room. We arrived at 11 AM and finally seen by a doctor around 2:00 PM. He ordered a Cat Scan of Linda’s stomach area and concluded that everything looked alright and that it was going to take 2-3 days for the hole to heal. She was discharged shortly after 5:00 PM and instructed to make an appointment with her primary doctor on Monday. I think we followed this procedure last Monday.

The week-end has been pretty miserable for Linda. Her stomach continues to drain and a 3-4 inch area of the skin around the opening has become very irritated. The liquids from her stomach contain acids which are very painful on the irritated skin. I have become pretty good at changing dressings for wounds and I’m thinking about getting a part time job in the medical field. (Just kidding)

There are several neat side line notes to all that went on during the past three days. One of the nurses that attended to Linda on Friday is the wife of an NCO stationed at Seymour Johnson. She could see Linda was terribly nervous (actually scared to death) about the tube being removed. As soon as Linda was taken to the room for the procedure, this nurse asked Linda if she could have prayer with her before the doctor came in. This was the ONLY time that has happened since she first entered the hospital one month ago. Also, this military couple will transfer next year to Sheppard AFB in Texas where Brian and Jennifer are stationed. Who knows what lies ahead for this couple and connections in Wichita Falls? We were also blessed by those who ministered to us during the past three days. Ray cut the grass; Keren (his wife) attended to Oma (Linda’s mom) on Saturday; Betty sat with us most of the afternoon in the ER; Pastor and wife, Martha, came to visit during the ER stay; Diane and Heather brought a meal to us Saturday night; Roy brought 3 plates full of food from the church ‘dinner on the ground’ this afternoon. We are so thankful for those who step up to help in time of need.

Continue to pray. We go back to the doctor Monday to find out more about this stomach issue. We pray surgery won’t be necessary. I’m sorry this is so long and I’ll try to send updates more often. We need you to PRAY!!

Keep Looking Up,

Joe

Back to the Hospital

**UPDATE** Mom will NOT have to be admitted to the hospital!!! Praise the Lord!!! The Dr. said that the leakage that she is having is normal, and should correct itself in a couple days. For most people, it heals within a couple hours, but her being diabetic, it could take longer. So, she is going home!! Thank you so much for praying!!


Dad called around 10 this morning and said that he was on his way to take Mom to the hospital. The Dr. called this morning to check on her, and said that since she was still "leaking" that she needed to be in the hospital. Dad expected her to be admitted. Mom is really scared....especially since she faces the possibility of another surgery. I'll update when I have more information. Thanks for praying!!

Another Prayer Request

**UPDATE** Well, mom had her tube removed. She had a really great nurse who prayed with her before the procedure. She didn't have any pain, and came home thinking things would be better. They may get that way, but as of right now, she needs prayer. The tube left a hole in her stomach the size of a nickel. Out of that hole is gushing....ummm...stuff that comes out of a stomach. Dad contacted the Dr. and his answer was, "Well, we may have to do surgery on Monday." Well, that's great, but it's only Friday.
So, pray for mom and dad this weekend. They aren't able to stop things from coming out, which means, mom is unable to stay hydrated and nourished. She is in a great deal of pain on her left side (which is the opposite side of "the hole"). They aren't sure what's causing that pain. On top of all this, dad is sick. He has finally, 32 days after this ordeal began, ran himself into the ground. Please pray for his strength, for mom's pain, and for them to be able to control the leaking.


Yes, another PRAYER REQUEST – probably won’t be our last. Please set aside a few minutes at 1:30 PM, EST to pray for Linda as she has another procedure.

The doctor’s appointment yesterday went well. The doctor concluded that since Linda is eating by mouth; she has an infection around the G-tube; she is in a lot of pain because of the G-tube – THE TUBE NEEDS TO COME OUT. So, that will be done tomorrow.

Linda has been through a lot of pain, fear and trauma. She has developed a great phobia – no, more like terror of white coats, tubes, needles, doctors, nurses and anything to do with medical procedures. She is fearful that something else will go wrong, like the throat problem. Please pray that God will flood her heart and spirit with peace, comfort and His presence.

Thank you once again for being faithful in our behalf.

Keep Looking Up,
Joe

Picture for Meme

Emily colored a picture in one of those huge coloring books with the black fuzzy outlines. She wanted to send it to Meme, but I told her it was too big, and that I would take a picture for Meme. So, this is Meme's weekly letter. Love you!!

Update on Mom

**Update** A wonderful nurse in our church, Betty Thibeaux, was able to call the gastroenterologist and get mom an appointment for this afternoon at 4:00. Pray that the right decision will be made. Dad would like to see the tube come out, but she isn't able to drink water, so that decision will be up to the Dr.


Several have asked about an update on Linda since she came home last Thursday. I’m sorry I didn’t write an update in time for church on Sunday, but I just haven’t had time. I thought with her being at home I would have more time to catch up some things that have gone undone while I spent time at the hospital. (And on the highway) Anyway, every minute is pretty much filled with things to do around the house either with Linda, Linda’s mom or the house.

Overall things have gone well but still far from where we would like to be in her recovery. We knew there would be “bumps” along the way and wouldn’t you just know the first big bump came on the weekend, Sunday in fact. Linda’s feeding tube (G tube) has been showing signs of drainage even while she was in the hospital. Well, Sunday morning that drainage became major leakage. (Too gross to go into details) We sort of panicked and began calling doctors and nurses. The home health nurse came out on Sunday afternoon and decided she should see a doctor Monday morning. She didn’t think it was bad enough to endure the emergency room wait.

Monday was a very tiring day for Linda. We carried her to her primary doctor and fortunately (God’s doing) was able to get in to see him. He changed some things with Linda’s diabetes, including putting her back on oral medication instead of the insulin prescribed by the doctors while she was in the hospital. However, he could not treat her G tube problem. He could only prescribe an antibiotic and refer her to a gastroenterologist. Her appointment with his office is not until Thursday afternoon. This tube has been very painful for her to have to endure. We are only using it for her water intake, not food. She is able to eat certain foods and enough to maintain needed nutrition. We don’t know if the tube will be removed or not.

If you read this on Wednesday morning, PRAY that there would be an opening today for the doctor to see Linda. This tube is really causing her pain.

Some other side notes to her “road to recovery”: She is now under the care of a home health organization and they will provide nurse care, speech therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy for several weeks. The time depends upon her response and how well she does. Being home has really been a great help to her. She still gets tired quickly and doesn’t have much stamina for staying up very long. We think this will improve as she is able to get rid of the pain and discomfort of the tube so she can work on her physical therapy exercises. So, pray for her as she tackles each day with new determination to get better.

Keep Praying and Keep Looking Up,

Joe

A Mother's Love

When I was a little girl, I remember telling my mom when she would tuck me in at night, "But Mommy, I'm hungry!" Did she forget to feed me dinner? No....I probably got a bedtime snack! She would say, "Go to sleep, Jenn! You're not hungry." I would moan and groan, but lay there, like the complacent, good girl I was.....am. :o) Then, about 10 minutes would go by, and I would see my door crack open. In walked my mom, with a couple pieces of popcorn in her hand. She would silently hand them to me, smile, and walk out.


This is something I've done with Emily. That girl can smell popcorn from a mile away. I'll sneak in her room and give her some, and leave.....standing outside her door to make sure she didn't choke on it (Hmm, I'll have to ask my mom if that's what she did). Tonight, after the girls were in bed, I popped a mini-bag of popcorn. I peeked at the monitor and saw that Savannah was asleep, but Emily was still tossing and turning (it stinks to have a 2 year old bedtime, but Vannah won't go to bed without her!) I cracked open the door, and two little heads popped up (so much for the little one being asleep). I walked in, and Emily, with arms in the air in triumph, said, "I KNEW IT!!"

I silently handed one to each, smiled and walked out. Then went to the monitor to make sure my sleepy little ones didn't choke.

Thanks, Mom, for showing me in these little ways how much you loved me, so that I can pass on these ways to my girls. I love you!

Gloves!!

Savannah is still wearing gloves at home; especially at night. It keeps her from scratching her hands, and keeps her from scratching her ankles with her nails that tend to tear off skin. Unfortunately, wearing gloves 24/7 (because I don't get out much) is hard on gloves. She has worn holes in several pairs. There is a certain type of glove that fits her perfectly and she is most comfortable in. So, despite attempts to make her gloves and re-sew gloves to fit, only this certain type of gloves fit her well. Anyway, living in Texas, you can't find gloves....not sure why. :o) So, Sarah was headed to New Hampshire for vacation, and she was sure she could find some. Boy, DID SHE!!! She called me the day after she got there and said she had found some and was putting them in the mail the next day. We got them last night, and Savannah was SOOO excited!! She opened the bag and kept saying, "Gwuvs!! Gwuvs!!!" Thank you, Sarah, for taking time out of your vacation to do this for 'your' Vannah. We love you and miss you! COME HOME!!



Look at that face!! ha ha

Look at her beautiful hands because of her gloves!

Mommy's Home!!!

“Home, Sweet Home” – a song that has been around for more than a hundred years, but today those words had a special meaning to Linda. SHE CAME HOME TODAY!! Praise the Lord!! We now have a road to recovery to travel and I know there will be some “bumps” in this road. We had one today as we worked at getting Linda’s blood sugar under control. We crossed one hurdle as I gave my ‘first ever’ insulin shot. Linda didn’t even know I gave it to her. Pretty good, huh? Today was a very busy day for both of us and we are tired, but it’s a great blessing to be able to sleep in the same bed together for the first time in 24 days.

I plan to follow up along in the days ahead with some lessons we learned, some people we met and some precious blessings that were ours during this time in our lives.

Thanks again for praying for us and the encouragement you have been over the past three weeks.

Keep In Touch and Keep Looking Up,

Joe

Tiny Trackers

Last night was the start of Tiny Trackers!! Our church has a program for children called Truth Trackers and the 3 1/2-Kindergarten age group is called the Tiny Trackers. This is Emily's 3rd year in this group. She's learned 43 verses so far, and this year, she'll learn 30 more!! It is a wonderful program, and she loves it! Here is a picture from last night and a picture from the first year she was in the group.

Homeschool Update

Several people have been asking me how the "Homeschool thing" is going, so I thought I'd give a quick update.

Things I Love About Homeschooling:

1. Monday and Thursday mornings. I love not having to drag Emily out of bed on these mornings because she's so tired from church the night before.

2. Every morning when my neighbour leaves to take her kids to school and mine are still sleeping while I read my Bible and Pray to get ready for the day.

3. Every afternoon when I see my neighbour leave to go get her kids and Savannah is snoozing away for her afternoon nap. I remember last year having to wake her up to go get Emily. Ugh.

4. Not having to leave on rainy days.

5. Flexibility. We can take 2 hour lunch breaks to be with daddy and still be done by 1:00.

6. Seeing my daughters eyes light up when she makes the connection between a triangle and the Trinity. 3 Sides....One Shape........3 Persons......One God. The teacher said "Does this triangle remind you of anything?" Emily started saying, "I know!" and I quickly paused the DVD so she could tell me before she heard it. And she DID!


Things I Don't Love About Homeschooling:

1. Ummm

2. Ummm

oh!

3. My own impatience as I'm trying to teach Emily how to write in cursive.

Really, it has been going SO well. The first week was a little sketchy. I had SO much going on, and it was the week that my mom was having surgery. Then, the 2nd week, well....we didn't have school the next week, b/c I went home. This week has been going great. We start by 9:00 (except for Monday when my girls slept until 9:30....why they can't do that on Saturdays, I have no idea) and take a break for Brian's lunch around 11. Then, we eat lunch and are done by 1! I am so glad I have this opportunity to see Emily's eyes light up with concepts and have those concepts linked to Christ!!

Late Night Update

I stayed up past my bedtime to get this out to all of you...I'm sure dad did too! But, it's worth it! Read on:

We had a meeting with Linda’s case worker as scheduled yesterday afternoon. Linda and I had already agreed upon a plan of action that we would take for her to be discharged ASAP. The meeting went well with good to excellent progress reports from all three therapy departments – speech, physical and occupational. The recommendation from the case worker was that Linda would stay in rehab until September 17th. We politely informed her that we wanted the discharge date to be sooner. She asked “How soon?” We said “Wednesday!” Well, she said, we can’t hold you against your will. Let me talk to the doctor and see what he says. Anyway, we didn’t get an answer by the end of the day Monday.

The doctor comes in early Tuesday morning for his “30 second appearance” and told Linda, “Well, you can go home tomorrow.” (Wednesday) Later that statement was retracted when he learned of Linda’s scheduled swallowing test at 9 AM this morning to be conducted by the speech therapist. Linda was REALLY NERVOUS about this procedure (THANK ALL OF YOU WHO PRAYED AT 9 AM THIS MORNING) of putting a tube through her nose with a camera to monitor her swallowing. It was pretty neat (from MY prospective as I was able to watch) to see the vocal cords and the throat respond to food and liquid being put into her mouth. The speech therapist was very pleased with her progress and ability to swallow, even though one vocal cord is still not in its proper place. SHE PASSED THE TEST!! Linda came out of that room shouting! You would have thought she had just attended a Pentecostal camp meeting! Based on the test and her swallowing, she was put on a “Dysphagia 3” diet (look up if interested).

After the swallowing test, the case worker came back to the room to discuss Linda’s discharge. We were told that patients are normally monitored at least 24 hours after beginning to eat and the therapist would like her to stay until at least Thursday providing her eating goes well. So, as of this afternoon, LINDA IS SCHEDULED TO BE DISCHARGED THURSDAY!! PRAISE GOD!!!

She ate lunch and dinner today without much difficulty. She is very careful when swallowing and light liquids such as water still caused her to aspirate. They seem to think that the vocal cord just needs TIME to move back into place. Now all of a sudden, the E-Stim which was so IMPORTANT a few days ago is being discontinued. The tech likened it to a brace on a broken bone. Once the bone gets better, the brace isn’t needed any more even though the limb may be still weak.

Once at home, Linda will be under the care of an In Home Health Organization here in Goldsboro. They will work with her until she is no longer “home bound.” We are convinced that we can do what is necessary at home to continue bringing her to a full recovery.

We have been so blessed by the response of SO MANY of our brothers and sisters in Christ, from Europe, to Okinawa, even Australia, who have prayed for Linda and me. We are overwhelmed by your love, concern and prayers. Jennifer has been a great source of strength to us even though she is 1600 miles away (by land) but only a moment away in spirit. All of you have been a blessing to us.

We know there are still some hurdles to jump over and some more valleys to pass through. But, I believe we can face these with greater confidence because we know we have a team of prayer warriors lifting us to the Throne of Grace.

Keep Praying and Keep Looking Up,

Joe

Thanks!

Thank you so much to those of you who prayed for my mom during her test. It went very well. She was able to eat applesauce, ice chips, graham crackers (the best she's ever had, she said) and drank milk, and tomato juice (ew!).
There is more and exciting news, but I'll wait for my dad's update for that! Thanks everyone!

Jenn

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for my mom tonight. She is having a swallowing test done tomorrow. She is very nervous about it. So, our request is that she can feel the calmness of the Holy Spirit tonight and that the test will go well tomorrow.

The test will be done at 9 AM Eastern. Thank you for your prayers.

Emily and Savannah

Here are Emily and Savannah....both taken on their respective 2nd birthdays.

Mom Update

Yesterday was Savannah’s second birthday. We weren’t as involved with this birthday as we would have liked to have been. Linda likes to “go all out” for her grand-girls. She missed being able to talk normal to her, shopping and wrapping a dozen or so gifts, but this birthday was a little different and Savannah won’t remember that “MeMe” wasn’t able to be involved with the celebration – but Linda will remember.

(Daughter insert---when I put Savannah to bed last night, I said, "Happy Birthday, baby" and she said, "Cake?" I said, "Yeah, you had cake, didn't you?" and she said, "Meme?" The two things she remembered were eating cake and talking to Meme on the phone. )

She had a pretty good week-end with a few set backs here and there but for the most part she has made improvement. Her voice is still very weak. In fact, I have to be real close to her to understand what she is saying. Some have mentioned calling her but I don’t think she is up to receiving phone calls just now. However, she said she would like to have visitors. I have been able to wheel her around the hospital in a wheel chair, even outside to the patio, several times.

Yesterday, she sat up most of the day and we had devotions together and played a complete game of Phase 10. Pastor and Mrs. Frasher came by for awhile in the afternoon. He called for a special prayer meeting for Linda after the morning service inviting those who wanted to pray for Linda to a classroom at church. He said there were 30-40 present and they all prayed. This meant a lot to Linda and she wept as she learned of this special show of concern.

The hardest time for her is at night. She hates the thought of being in a place without family being near. I stay as late as I can until she gets ready to fall asleep but visiting hours end at 8 PM. They have asked me to leave twice, once around 10 PM. I hate to leave her knowing she wants me close by. My prayer (and yours) is that she will learn to put her TOTAL confidence in God’s presence and know His peace when she is alone.

Today at 3:30 we have a meeting with her case worker to determine the future needs of her therapy and hopefully learn how long they expect the treatment to take. We don’t want to rush her home coming, but we want to get her back to Goldsboro as quickly as we can.

Keep Praying and Keep Looking Up,

Joe

Two Years Ago Today......

That's what I said all day yesterday.

Two years ago right now, I was just getting the Pitocin.

Two years ago right now, I was really feeling bad.

Two years ago right now, I got my epidural.

Two years ago right now, I passed out.

Two years ago right now, I wondered if I was going to feel the same love for this baby as I do for Emily.



and then



This baby was placed in my arms. My long awaited, much anticipated, prayed for baby. My Savannah Lynn.



Vannah, words can't describe to you how much you were wanted. Mommy prayed for you on a daily basis. I begged God to bring you to me, and He did. You are the joy of my heart, and I love you so much!!!



Sorry for the endless pics.....Grandparent's orders. :o)



Sunday morning before church


Look at all my presents!!


Emily "helping"


Pop-out book from Meme and Papa. Look at her face!!


Spaghetti....my favorite


Blowing out her candles, yes, she actually did it!


See? She's so proud.


Umm, big bite.


Again, so proud!!

Various Happenings

It seems like I blog a lot these days. I guess being gone from my kids for a couple days makes everything seem cute and exciting.

Emily has been taking Gymnastics through the Homeschool group. They offer several things that take place at the YMCA and is considered PE for the kids. She LOVES it. Savannah has her own little playdate during this time. Shannon so graciously offered to watch Savannah during this time as she can. She loves playing with Ian It helps out so much because Savannah wants to walk on the high beam, and well, that's not happening.



No, Shannon doesn't make him wear a helmet. He asked to put it on.

This morning, Emily and I had to get Savannah's cake ready for tomorrow. I decided that this year, Emily was going to make the cake. I helped, obviously, but she did most of it. She was pretty proud.






This was how Savannah kept herself occupied while we were making the cake. I didn't know she had the box, and yes, she had about five of them in her mouth.

Update on Mom

I spent a lot of time Thursday trying to locate a rehab facility in or near Goldsboro that would be able to treat Linda and allow her to be closer to home. After numerous phone calls, talking to her doctor in Goldsboro and comparing the available facilities, I concluded she should stay in the Raleigh rehab center. Linda was greatly disappointed that she couldn’t get in home care, but she accepted the decision and we are working through all that is necessary to get the best care that will give her the most expedient recovery.

She started her therapy full scale today. Speech was for an hour this morning. We had a set-back in that we were told by the ENT doctor that her left vocal cord is still paralyzed. However, the speech therapist was very pleased with the session today. Early next week, another swallowing test will be done with pictures of her actually swallowing water and food. She had an hour of occupational therapy which was doing simple things such as folding dish cloths and playing UNO. The physical therapy was also an hour with walking, climbing stairs, leg lifts and using a machine for her leg muscles. She was very tired at the end of the day and I expect she will sleep well tonight. All the staff who has been involved with her treatment will meet Monday morning to assess her overall condition and make recommendation for what is needed for her recovery. We are scheduled to meet with her case worker Monday afternoon to discuss their recommended plan of treatment.

Her blood sugar is still not under control but overall it remains pretty low considering the feeding “stuff” they use. (High in protein and sugar) Linda still has periods of depression and low feelings emotionally. I think this is pretty normal considering the trauma she has been through. She is getting stronger in all areas and I know your prayers for her are being answered. I am also quick to add that there are many periods of “highs” as well as she realizes this could have been a lot worse. One morning I walked in and asked how it was going to which she quickly replied: “It’s not a rose garden- but it’s not the cemetery.”

Soon I will take/have time to write about some of the many people we have met while on this journey. God has been so good to me by providing daily strength, finances, help for Linda’s mom and general help that’s needed to get through another day.

Keep Praying and Keep Looking Up,

Joe

24 Month Stats

Yes, I'm in denial. I'd rather say 24 months than 2 yrs old. :o) I took Savannah to her 24 month well baby exam today. It was the shortest appointment I've ever had. I didn't have any questions except for "She refuses to eat vegetables is that ok?" To which the Dr. responded, "Cook some green beans down real low (only because I'm a southern girl do I know what that means) with some bacon and then sprinkle sugar on them." Hmmm, at that point, is there a point to the green beans?? Not to mention, my Mom just had triple bypass, so bacon isn't really in our vocabulary right now. :o)

Anyway, she is 27 pounds 7 ounces (50th percentile) and 32 1/2 inches tall (almost 25th percentile). Yes, I realize I have very small children. The Dr said she looks really good and her eczema is looking wonderful. She got lots of compliments, of course. ;o)

Here is a video of her "Calling the Hogs". For those of you who are out of touch, she is saying, "Woooooooo PIG SOOIE!! Razorbacks, YAY!!"

Her First Poem

Ok, so I was inspired by my friend Tracy's little girl saying her poem and decided to post Emily's first poem and Kindergarten song. Never mind the shifting eyes....daddy had just come up the driveway for lunch.

Woo-Pig Sooie!!

It has been a dream of Brian's since we've moved here to be able to go to a Arkansas Razorbacks game. The school is only about 6 hours from us, and this last weekend was his chance! It was a long weekend and the season opener. So, early Saturday morning, he and Tim headed out for Arkansas. They had SO much fun and the Razorbacks won....barely, but they pulled it out! Here are some pics from their trip.


Here we go!!


Razorback Stadium


Calling the Hogs!


The 3rd largest jumbo-tron in college football.


Yay! We're #1

Daddy's Daily Dose

Ok, the titles lame, but it's the best I could do. Here's the update from dad:

Tuesday night was a very difficult night for Linda. I won’t go into all the details – thanks for praying.

After waiting all day yesterday to be moved to the rehab center, Linda finally got to her room around 3-3:30 PM. Things got off to a bad start with her feeding being late resulting in a drop in her sugar to 46. Then her night feeding was late also. Her blood sugar didn’t drop very low, but by 7:30 she had developed a lot of pain and asked for pain medication which she didn’t receive until almost an hour later. Then there was a mix up in another medication she was taking prior to coming to the rehab center. NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE INITIAL IMPRESSION OF THE PLACE!!

Visiting hours are 4-8 PM only, even for the family. I was politely “asked to leave” by the head nurse around 9 PM last night.

Linda slept better last night than Tuesday night. I talked with her this morning around 8:30 and she sounded pretty good. Our main goal now is to get her to swallowing again.

Some have asked for an address to send cards. I have been telling people to send cards to our home address and I will take them to her.

Thanks again for the many cards, e-mails, phone calls and help from our church family here in Goldsboro. Ladies from Grace have brought meals to Linda’s mom this week. Thanks to Fay for coordinating this for me. Also, a special note of thanksgiving to Susan, Linda’ long time friend, who sat with her most of the day Wednesday and was a great source of comfort and encouragement. “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's FRIEND by hearty counsel”. (Proverbs 27:9) Many have offered to help and we are grateful for the resources we have available through you – our FAMILY IN CHRIST.

In His Love,
Joe

Sarah Palin

Did you SEE her speech???? Oh my word!! Kacey, if you didn't see it, you need to find it online and watch it! I'm sure you saw it though. My favorite part was when the little girl licked her hand and smoothed down her brother's hair. ha ha My second favorite part was when Sarah said "If you have a child with special needs, you will have an advocate in the White House." That is so huge!!!

To Rehab We Go

No, I haven't taken up drinking. I mean my mom was moved to cardiac rehab today. She is sharing a room with an elderly lady that doesn't look like she partakes in too much rehab. :o)
This is a good move for her and for my dad. She will be gently taken off the pain meds and worked into getting back to doing things. She'll also be able to get intense speech therapy. It's good for my dad because he's only allowed to visit from 4pm-8pm. This way, he can get more rest. However, I know they are both anxious about spending time apart.

Pray that my mom's nerves will settle. She is having a hard time with peace about everything. She really seems to struggle with this mostly at night. Pray also for her to adjust to new nurses and a new routine. She is having bolus feedings and twice now, they have brought it later than they are supposed to. This may not seem to be a big deal, but she is getting insulin round the clock, so her sugar has dropped to as low as 46. That's not helping her nerves or her comfort level.

Thank you for your continued prayer. I can't tell you how much the comments and calls have meant to me and to my dad. (Speaking of which, Ray and Keren, I hope you got my message. You guys calling while you have so much going on yourselves, means SO much to me).

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Desperate Prayers Needed

I know that we've continually asked for prayers through this whole process. Today, however, we need you to renew your strength and pray. There are answers and decisions that need to be given and made today. Please pray for my dad as he has to be the one to make these decisions. We love you all and appreciate the support you've been able to give.

News From Dad

I didn’t write an update yesterday because there wasn’t much going on in the way of treatment or any changes. (NOTE: Hospitals should offer a discount rate to patients who are in the hospital on week ends and holidays.) A “fill-in doctor” walked into Linda’s room and I began to bombard him with questions that he couldn’t answer. (Hey, Kacey. Thanks for the encouragement to start a blog. I’ve been thinking about that. What should I call it?)

Today was a busy one which began at 4:30 AM for me. Actually, it began earlier, but that’s another story. I was determined to arrive at the hospital in time to talk with as many doctors as I could. Mission Accomplished: I talk with her heart doctor, 2 case workers, speech therapist, and several others that came in the room to do different things. Here is a summary of the day:

· Her heart doctor has released her with the recommendation that she enter rehabilitation to gain her strength and work on the throat issue. Tomorrow (Wednesday) she will be moved to another section of the WakeMed complex in Raleigh to begin the rehab program. Depending on her progress, she may be there for a few days up to 2 weeks.

· She walked more today which is good.

· She didn’t ask for as much pain medication. She has a patch but other medication is given as needed.

· The speech therapist worked with her for about 30 minutes with electronic stimulation and Linda was able to swallow 6 teaspoons of apple sauce and some ice chips. This is the first food or water she has swallowed by mouth since midnight August 18th.

· The G-Tube which was put in place (installed) Sunday morning is now being used for her feeding. She has been on continuous feeding; but will be changed to bolus feeding by tomorrow.

Areas of Special Prayer:

· For me to be able to keep up with the needs of home and Linda in the hospital. The days are long.

· For Linda to have a quick recovery and the rehab program will be beneficial for her.

· For Linda’s mom here at home. She seems to be doing OK, but she is spending some long hours alone.

Thanks for praying,

Joe

PS From Jennifer: Continue to really pray for my dad. He is very tired, and I think even he'd admit he's slightly discouraged. It's hard for me to be apart from him during this time. Thanks for all the prayers being sent up for all of us.

To Meme from Your Babies

I've never shared videos on here, but the girls wanted to send get well messages to Meme. Hopefully this works!! It's a little dark, but it'll have to do for my first try.

Update From Dad

It's just easier for dad to give me posted updates now since he's there and can give details. So, they may not come as frequently as twice a day. ha ha Here is the latest from yesterday.

It was a day of ups and downs for Linda. The day began with the PEG procedure, which was definitely a “down” from Linda’s perspective – she hates pain and the unknown. But, the procedure went well and by 4:00 PM in the afternoon she was being fed through the PEG. Her medication schedule was interrupted much of the day due to the switch in her feeding tubes, so she had a little more discomfort and pain during the day. Every thing now seems to be in line for a move within the next couple of days, but not home. Her heart doctor wants her to begin a period of in-patient rehabilitation at the rehab center here at the same hospital in Raleigh. This may take up to a couple of weeks depending upon the doctor’s recommendation and Linda’s progress. Of course, over the week-end we were not able to discuss this with her doctor or case workers and since Monday is a holiday, it will be Tuesday before we get some answers to questions about rehab. So, pray for us to have wisdom to make the right decision that will be in Linda’s best interest for recovery.

Up to now, everything surrounding the surgery has gone very well except this throat matter. Her temperature has been normal, her oxygen level is back in the normal range, she is walking and the doctor seems satisfied that her heart surgery was a success. Now the attention is upon getting her voice back to normal and being able to swallow. No one can tell us how long this will take.

Our son, Jon, called and briefly talked with Linda which was an encouragement to her. (Note: Jon has “strayed” over the years and hasn’t maintained close family ties) Her dear friend from our old days in Goldsboro, Susan, came by with some hats for Linda to try on. (Linda is worried about having a “bad hair day.”) Also, Pastor and Mrs. Frasher visited for awhile in the afternoon. She enjoys visitors but it is very difficult to carry on a conversation because of her weak voice plus she still get tired pretty quickly.

We have developed a deeper appreciation for some very special servants – nurses. Over these twelve days at Wake Med, we have been surrounded by some wonderful nurses who have a deep commitment to their profession and a loyal compassion for their patients. Their care has been excellent.

Continue to pray for us. (I know you will.) Some things on the home front and ministry are getting a little behind, but we’ll get caught up when we can. God continues to be so good to us.

Still Looking Up,
Joe