"At This Point"

Since the last post, things have declined rather rapidly. The drain exchanges happened on Friday, in addition to the placement of a third drain that takes the place of needing to have a paracentesis every 10 days. Friday evening was rough but not unusual after a procedure. However, things did not improve Saturday or Sunday.  She began struggling to form complete sentences or finish a thought, and the pain was still significant. Both of those are signs of liver failure - the body isn't able to flush out toxins, and a whole host of complications follow. 

Sandy enjoyed having "Second Sunday" lunch at her house, and she surprised us by eating everything on her plate, including ice cream cake for dessert! By the evening, however, she was really struggling. Rod called hospice this morning, and they came out a couple hours later and set everything up. Sandy has a nice hospital-style bed, fresh sheets, and a good dose of morphine helping her remain comfortable.

While we are always hopeful, always looking for the miracle, always keeping eyes open for mighty works of God, we are also looking reality in the face. The hospice nurse who provided great care this morning kept saying "at this point..." - and we didn't like the conclusion each time.

At this point our goal is comfort
At this point move her around as little as possible
At this point it's not necessary to provide those medications anymore
At this point it's good to let friends and family know what's happening
At this point....

So let's change the dialogue a bit.

At this point, we are thankful she is able to rest after months of poor sleep
At this point, we are thankful that she was doing really well on Thursday when Katie and the kids came to visit before leaving for a week-long mission trip.
At this point, we are choosing to remember that good is still all around us
At this point, God is still good, still strong, still in change, still in the business of bringing good out of every situation.

Visitors are welcome at the house. You don't need to call first, though you are welcome to check in if you prefer. In case dad is able to get a good night's sleep, please wait to come until at least 10am each day. We will try to update the blog as there is new information.

Please pray for comfort for mom, family, and friends, for timing to work out with Katie's family coming back to town, for wisdom about medicine types and dosages, and for everyone to strongly feel God's presence. Thank you for continuing to support mom, even at this point.