Part 6, - My little lady's health journey continued...

On Monday May 16, 2005, 5 days into my wife's 2 month hospital stay, a nurse who looked and spoke like the TV character Rosanne was on duty. It was another day of exciting signs that my dear wife was trying to communicate. At that point, she had many tubes on her and some down her throat. Even though she was in a drug induced choma, at one point she tried to talk to me, she reached out at another nurse, and during a separate occasion grabbed the side bar during her dressing change. We were seeing a miracle! The staff and I were getting to know each other and we shared in each triumph. How much of herself she would return to would still take months to see. My practice was to stay the night, I would see my wife before 7am (shift change) and then after rounds as much as was possible until shift change at 7 and then again until 9. My ever supportive in laws would spend as much of the day with me as was possible. During my visits I would chat to my wife, tell her what the kids were doing, read to her and give her the foot rubs she so loves. Her dry skin just soaked up the lotion. My wife's work supplied lunch's and church people from the 3 churches we had attended supplied dinner for us at the hospital as well as for those at my home. The staff were very liberal with me as far as my coming and going. Our associate pastor stayed the night with me.

On Tuesday May 17, 2005 another nurse and an orientation nurse were on duty. By now my wife had been taken off of Zigres due to thinning of her blood, which they felt could cause excessive bleeding from her surgery. Zigres was a drug used to combat the fleshing disease. The surgeon who performed most of my wife's 9 surgeries reviewed the open wound and saw no visible infection. Thank-you Jesus. They did remove a little bit of dead tissue and muscle. My wife's oldest brother arrived that afternoon from the west. What they call a vac dressing was introduced, it was to reduce fluid in the areas of the wound so that the opening would heal. My brother stayed the night with me. During the early morning hours a nurse gave my wife a bath and for an extended period her eyes were open.  My wife shook her head no when asked if she was in pain and shook yes when asked if she wanted to see me. Yet another amazing sign, thank-you Jesus.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

New International Version (NIV)

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus