Scripture

Screaming & Schedules

Well… I’m exhausted :-)

We have four hours of therapy, resting-foot-splint schedules, active-foot-splint shedules, hand-splint schedules, pureed diet eating schedules, weaning feeding tube schedules, dressing, diapering, teeth brushing – and bathing schedules.

And all of this while Anne is in her “agitated phase” (aka: SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS phase :-) I’m laughing right now – that keeps me from crying ;-) Seriously, the fact that Anne is crying 75% of the day is a GOOD thing. It means she’s coming back to us – but that doesn’t make it any easier…

The doctors, therapists and veteran-rehab-parents all assure me that this really is just a phase. Meanwhile, God has supplied energy and endurance. “Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip” Psalm 18:35-36.

Please pray:

  1. For Anne to push through this “agitated phase” to a place where she is less disoriented and has greater communication skills (in other words – please, God help her to speak!)
  2. For Anne’s tremors to subside so she can have greater control of her hands.
  3. For patience for all, and
  4. Finally, for her total and complete recovery.

-kathryn

Pressing forward

The accident was four weeks ago today… Sometimes I feel like I’m in the middle of a dream; it doesn’t seem possible that my spunky, bright Anne has a severe brain injury.

Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying ‘This is the way; walk in it.'”So we press forward, with a mix of grief and joy, but forward nonetheless.

Anne’s current phase is challenging. She is agitated and confused, audibly crying most of the time. I find myself leaning on my old ways of self-sufficiency. Thinking back over my day, I realized that I did not ask God for help once, but carried on – essentially alone – trying to care for Anne.

You would think that I would learn to cling to my saviour – to run to Him, cling to Him. This is just as much a “rehab” time for me as it is for Anne :-) May we both come out on the other side more “like gold” (Job 23:10).

Thankful for His grace -kathryn

Working hard…

Another tough, but wonderful day in rehab. Little Anne worked really hard to open her mouth for some popsicle – and she opened a little wider today! She also was able to push a down on a button with her right hand which was a huge thing for her. Anne sat up in her wheelchair longer today than any other previous day, and we went outside for some sunshine – the warm sun on her little body immediately calmed her – i think she really liked being outside. She also had lots of family interaction – and she seems a tiny bit more responsive with her few smiles.

George Wallace gave us John 11:4 today: But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” What a great story to be reminded of – God’s timing and his plans are often very different than our own!! But they are always GOOD plans!

Praise God for the miracles he has already provided. Pray that Anne will one day soon be able to speak!!

-eric

Not a good night…

Wow, not a good night for Anne. She was very uncomfortable and agitated with lots of tremors and crys most of the night. i would get her comfortable, then 15 minutes later she would be crying out for help. i was so worried about her “going backwards”. This started last night around 11pm and lasted until around 6am. Then God put an idea in my head around 6am – Take the blood pressure cuff off of her arm – As soon as i did this – she immediately became calm!! She has now been sleeping for 3 hrs. Anne has always been so sensitive and apparently that arm cuff was REALLY bothering her.

Reading Isa 40:28-31 this AM – such rich words. An insight from the ESV about “waiting on the Lord” – means having faith in God’s promises until the time of their fulfillment – such a good definition to what God is helping us do day by day with MUCH help from all of you supporting us !

Pray

  1. that Anne’s tremors would disappear
  2. that we would be able to remove her ventricular drain tomorrow 
  3. that she would be able to move to the rehab unit this weekend

-eric

What a glorious day!

To see Anne breathing on her own is a miraculous gift. We are so grateful. Tomorrow – and all of its challenges – will come. But today, I have seen God’s goodness in the land of the living!!! This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!

Happy Sunday everyone :-)

-kathryn

Removing Anne’s ventilator

This morning the nurses are working to remove the ventilator.
Right after the ventilator came out of her, the words i heard on the praise music CD playing in Anne’s room: “This is the air I breath – your holy spirit living in me”. God supplies all we need!

God has answered the following specific prayers:

  1. Anne is alive! The first night we did not know whether she would make it.
  2.  Anne woke up! The doctors did not know if she would ever regain consciousness.
  3. The swelling in Anne’s brain has dramtically reduced
  4. Anne’s sedation continues to be reduced and she is responded well to it.
  5. Because of your guestbook entries, those scriptures help Kathryn and me know what to pray.

It is hard to tell if little Anne recognizes us yet. I think she may respond to Kathryn’s voice at times. She opens her eyes, but she doesn’t seem to be able to focus on us. This is very hard to see. I so want my little girl to be able to run and play and dance. . . . but i most want God’s plan for her, whatever that may be.

We pray that her brain will heal. I know God will take care of my little girl in His way, and in his timing.

Still reading through and praying over Mark 5 and Luke 8.

-eric

“Things too wonderful for me”

It is difficult not to fear trials even though God can provide great blessing to flow from them…

Can God’s good plan be thwarted through negative events? I still don’t understand it, but He is the great “I am”. Job’s answer was God himself. God can somehow work the best out of the worst this fallen world can throw at us!! I know God has wonderful things in store for Anne and is holding her so close . . . . we are not always able to understand God’s ways: “things too wonderful for me”

Job 42: 2-3: I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
-eric

Time at home

Danny took the night shift last night so that i could spend time with Canon, Kate and Kathryn together at home. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with them.

Danny and the nurse told me that Anne did well last night and rested peacefully. She continues to utilize the food from the feeding tube.

The labs came back from the mucus in her lungs and found there to be an infection. She was placed on heavy antibiotics last night, so pray that the infection is knocked out quickly. Also pray she is able to wake up quickly so that we can get her off the ventilator.

Mark 5 and Zep 3:17 have been incredible to pray and think through over the last couple of days. . . . .

-eric

I say to you, “Arise.”

The Culpeppers wrote us a note with Mark 5:41. Below is section of Mark 5:

He said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.