Monday

I spent about 45 minutes with Dad this morning. He ate all of his breakfast and was able to walk about 125' this morning. He was in good humor and his color was good. His voice is still raspy and weak but he showed off a little with his breathing "toy". I thought he was going to hyperventilate.

We had the no non-sense nurse today and they were short handed again. I think it may be economics instead of other causes. I heard on the news tonight that WRMC was cutting pay by 2% for most employees and 3% for executives. This seems to be a common practice across all companies. Not a good time to get sick. I asked the nurse if he would be able to have another PT session this afternoon and she bluntly said "No, once per day!". She told me that PT employees were not in today. Well, we will see about this. I asked her to at least bring the recumbent bike in so he could get another activity period in today. She told me that he was about to have lunch, then his meds including Lasix which is a time bomb in its effects. She said that by the time all that was accomplished it would be dinner time. I repeated our desire for more activity and told Dad to keep asking for it. I have not heard how it turned out (I got home too late to find out). The nurse did show me the xray from two days ago and the one they took this morning. There was appreciable change and it looks like the steroids and or diuretics are helping clear up the lung congestion. It may have looked better than the actual result though because I noticed that the exposures were from slightly different angles but I was satisfied that he was making progress. It is also hard to tell how much of the pulmonary symptoms are from the BOOP (bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia) and the congestive heart failure.

I took Dad another batch of your comments and emails to read, and while I was talking to the nurse, he began reading them. They always seem to lift his spirits. He also told me that several members of FBC were out at the house clearing debris. Mom was at home feeling meek and grateful for such magnanimity and altruism. Dad's lunch came and it was time for me to go to work so we blessed the ravioli and I left.

I stopped by the homestead on the way to work and was amazed at the work this band of angels (even the fallen angles, Bill Brunner and Rick Tanneberger) had accomplished. Travis, etal. THANK YOU SO MUCH! We can't begin to herald our gratitude for your charity and hard work. These wonderful saints were not through. They left for lunch and were headed to another home devastated by the ice in the afternoon. God bless you all!

Rom.12
[1] I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
[2] Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
[3] For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him.
[4] For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function,
[5] so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
[6] Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
[7] if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching;
[8] he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
[9] Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
[10] love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
[11] Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.
[12] Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
[13] Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality.
[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
[15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
[16] Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited.

God is good!