Rnporter’s Weblog

Things have been going very well since we’ve gotten home from the hospital on the 13th.  The only real struggle has been her not getting a night sleep of more than a couple of hours.  Over time that has made her exhausted and emotionally strained.  This past weekend she started trying Benadryl to help her fall asleep.  Well, after six days it finally gave her a few more hours of sleep and then this morning she had a headache.  She asked for some aspirin and I gave her one pill. Then she just when lemp on me and I couldn’t get a good response from her. Only moans and groans.  I called the rescue squad and they took her to the “ER”.  There she began to come around and it was determined that the benadryl had built up in her system and finally put her in this state.  To say the least she will not take it tonight and I’ve told her that if she can’t sleep we will just sit and talk. 

She has a doctor’s appointment in the morning and we expect things to still be progressing forward.  Just Pray for sleep and rest. That’s what she needs most now.  God continues to be our guide and strength through this all.  In Christ Alone.

Sometimes we don’t understand the reason behind things that go on in and around our lives. I know that I certainly don’t.  But, what I do know is that God is supreme and makes no mistakes. Therefore, I must put all my faith, hope and trust in Him that all will be okay and my task is simply to “trust and obey”.  Paul said, “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).  And what Christ did for me when He entered my life was to create a desire and an increasing ability to obey Him by committing myself to follow Him. That is the purpose I hold dear and true to my heart and I encourage you to know for yourself what is your purpose.

UPDATE ON ROSA: She rested a little last night.  We go back to the doctor today and they will drain the lung again.  Pray that it will soon be done and the chest tube can come out.  Pray that she will be able to get sufficient rest for her body.  Most urgent: Pray that Rosa’s emotions will not pull her down. She is having a hard time with this right now and the enemy can use this as his on agenda to camp out and keep her feeling defeated.  She needs to see that she is doing great under the circumstances and that God is working in her, “to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Since coming home from the hospital Rosa has had good days.  It’s amazing to see the change that in a week she has made.  Last Sunday she was still under the medicine and couldn’t remember much of anything, conversation or talking with visitors.  Today she went to early service and except for a little fatique she has been able to enjoy the family and talk with one of her dearest friends on the phone for about an hour.  Praise God.  When we left the hospital the doctor even gave God the glory and that he had only been used by Him to help Rosa get back home and feel so much better.  God receives the glory from us all.  Last friday when we went to the doctor’s office for them to draw off the fluid she did experience discomfort for a while in her shoulder and chest.  We figure that was due to them drawing 350 cc’s of fluid and things shifting again inside around the lung.  But we are thankful that the fluid is becoming less of a problem and that she remains off of oxygen.  All is well for now and improving.  As long as the spleen keeps shrinking and the chemotherapy takes care of the luekemia we shall praise the Lord. A special prayer request from Rosa is that she be able to sleep better at night. Thus far she has only been able to aquire about 3-4 hours a night. Thanks again for your love and support which has just been a blessing for both of us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not own your on understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” Prov. 3:5-6

We are back at home and very thankful to be here.  This has been a much longer than expected hospital stay. To bring you all up to date on what has been going on and why I even haven’t been posting is as follows.  On August 1st, Rosa had a scheduled C.T. scan to see how much fluid was on her left lung.  As soon as it was done the radiologist conversed with the doctor’s and it was decided to admit her and draw some of the fluid off.  They took her over from the day hospital to the Hardee’s Heart Center and there they inserted a needle through her back, between the ribs and into the plural sac around the lung and drew off 1800 cc’s of fluid.  She was then admitted to the hospital for observation and the decision to put in a chest tube which was done on the following Tuesday.  At that time they drew off another 1500 cc’s of fluid.  After the chest tube was put in Rosa experienced a great deal of pain.  As they increased her pain medicine to get it under control she became very disoriented and over medicated.  It was not until they were able to decrease and eventually get her off those medicines causing her the problem that she could return to being normal again.  And now, she is on a non-narcotic pain re-lever and doing great.  We are so thankful.  They have drawn most all of the fluid at this point off of the lung, but have left the tube in for a couple of weeks to check and make sure it does not build back up.  That we can handle. 

It’s great just to be home again and relax.  Today is mine and Rosa’s 36th wedding anniversary and we are blessed just to say, “Thank you Lord for each other, family and friends.”

We are headed home today and Rosa is doing so much better.

We are still in the hospital and making slow but positive progress forward.  Rosa’s medication may have gotten out of whack and she has had restless days and nights since Tuesday.  We hope that will be corrected soon and if all continues in that direction we may be home Monday.  She is doing very well with the chest tube, and the pain from the spleen is lower that any time before now.  Praise the Lord!  I have been spending nights and most days there with her therefore I am tired but she and I both want me to be there as much as possible.  I am blessed to have a church that understands and has been faithful to support us through prayer and by bringing meals when Rosa what at home.  I have gone to the church for short periods and then done most of my sermon preparation at the hospital.  I’ve even been able to visit some members who have themselves been in Nash General.  We will continue to be faithful to one another and love both God and you all through this.  God is Good. Amen!

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The chest tube was put in yesterday around 3:30 p.m. and her latest chest x-ray was good said the Doctor.  Rosa said it hurt like the dickens and was very sore.  The good news last night is that she rested and her back and hip wasn’t as sore.  There is still some pain in the area of the spleen and lung, but I don’t think as bad as I don’t see her showing it as much.  Thank the good Lord and you all for your prayers.  We probably won’t go home before Friday since they want another chest x-ray to see how fast the fluids are building up and how often it may need to be drained.  They said that it might be some where between two weeks and a month.  Then the tube can come out, and the problem dealt with.  Her leukemia doctor thinks that it is a collection of the leukemia cells and will need radiation to take care of removing them and opening up the sackaround the lung so that it will not retain the fluid.  That’s our hope and prayer now.  Again we are blessed and praising God for victory in His name. Roy

We are still waiting for things to be cleared for Rosa to have a drainage tub put in her chest and allow the fuild to come off the lung.  But we are confident that in time this will be done and we shall be home and recovering nicely.  We have so much to be thankful for and shouldn’t be complaining at all.  We have heard of several heart rendering situations just today and we are praying for many friends and their families who are suffering.  That, if for no other reasonis why we are here with the stillness of the Holy Spirit guiding us to be praying for others.  God continues to allow us to see so much of our need and His power to meet that need no matter who we are, great or small, He loves just the same.  I’m  praying for those of you who are reading this blog that God will bless you also.                 In Christ Alone, Roy

Rosa went Friday for her C.T. scan of the chest and left lung.  It had more fluid in it so the doctor thought it best to put her in the hospital and draw it off.  They drew 1800 cc’s off.  And the doctor doing it said that was only about half, so they will have to draw the rest before she leaves the hospital.  They are not sure what is causing this so they are running it through the lab for testing to see if there is infection or bacteria growing which the antibiotic she has been on the last four weeks just hasn’t taken care of.  So please pray they will discover the origin and what method of treatment best works on it.  We remain very optimistic and encouraged that this too will pass and it’s necessary to clear Rosa of any danger down the road.  Thank you for being there for us and our dear friends in Christ. Roy