Hospital Update and Prayer Requests

So sorry for no updates...the hospital is a wifi-free-zone.  Not a great thing.  I have quickly read emails from those who have written and we want to say THANK YOU!  We will try to respond as soon as possible and we can have access to wifi again.

I have just returned home to have my very first shower in three days (aren't you delighted that you can't smell through the internet?!)

The Charmer is likely going to be in the hospital for a full six days.  We are awaiting the development of the culture from the unfortunate-looking discharge from his leg.  Until then, we are giving him a heavy, every six hour, infusion of an antibiotic that kills staph.  It is most likely that he has a staph infection in the bone.  If the culture shows that it is not a drug-resistant strain of staph, then we may good to go home with oral antibiotics on Tuesday.  If it is more serious, we may be long-term boarders at the hospital.

He has stayed in generally good spirits, today has been more difficult though as his IV site blew a vein and it took nearly thirty minutes and many, many pokes, accompanied by wailing, sweating, and threats (on the part of the patient's mother :)  It appears that the massive swelling in his left leg is reducing, and today we were unable to express any pus from the wounds...all of which point to good results with the current choice of antibiotics!

He tells me that he hates doctors, that nurses should apologize to him for every discomfort, and that he demands that we hurry up and "shoot the bad guys livin' in (his) leg!"

Momma's $1 per night bed rental...yes...it is a comfortable as it looks!

We are in a room with a beautiful girl who has a serious, life-threatening bone infection.  She was riding her bike, she fell and broke her arm in three places.  She went to the hospital near her home where her family paid for surgery that has resulted in a horrendous, drug-resistant infection in her bone that has her raging with fever and in tremendous pain.  I have literally been praying against death in that room, hour by hour.  Today, it seems that she's taken a turn for the better!  Today she had a procedure done, in the room, that was another gruesome episode.  I saw her father, who along with her mother has never left her side, crying as he was unable to remain in the room.  I just wept and prayed.  They are so dear and we've had a great deal of time to talk to each other about meaningful matters.  It has been a great privilege to be there with them.

Our roomate, and her watchful parents

Another precious soul has entered our little hospital posse.  A nine-month old baby girl who was born with Spina Bifida.  This is the same congenital birth condition that The Charmer was born with.  This baby has use of her limbs fully, but, now her back has opened and she is leaking brain fluid.  She also has a tethered spinal chord (her nerves are bound to the spinal chord instead of moving freely.)

Jin Jin and Potato share a moment in our room

Her family is not wealthy, I think it is her grandparents who are staying with her awaiting her surgery on Monday morning.  Neurosurgery will be done.  This surgery can be life-altering if anything goes wrong.  PLEASE PRAY FOR JIN JIN's surgery.  She came into our room today with her family, enchanted us all, and we prayed for her body to have strength, healing, and protection.  It is a privilege to be able to pray for these precious families who it seems He has brought close to us, while we all face uncertain outcomes for our children, among a sea of faces who are also in inmates at the hospital.  Our surgeon told The Charmer today that he really needed our guy's help in praying for some of these serious cases...and he was glad that The Charmer was on the scene to do just that!

Visiting hour in our room today...12 Hs...Jin Jin's family...and our Roomate's family...the atmosphere was warm

Family support.

Packed room.

Auntie "Feryl" as Mr. Sunshine calls her...present to encourage The Charmer and bring some corn :)

Brownie will stay with us overnight tonight...keepin' the party goin'

Must run and get clean clothes, some food, and a headache powder for my seizing head...


Keep praying for The Charmer but also our roommate and Jin Jin!  Life is fragile, we see it here so closely as suffering is all around...

Thanks for all your love and support!