(Charlie and Lucy)
Friday May 28
The surgeon was pessimistic and concerned about my dad’s condition last night (Thurs).
This morning (Fri), my dad was doing better. After today’s procedure, the surgeon was pleased. They never did actually ‘close up’ my dad. He has what is called a wound VAC. The wound VAC is a device that uses negative pressure to promote healing in the open area. It is used by forming an airtight seal over the area and "sucking" all the drainage out and pulling new tissue to the top.
Today they changed the wound vac, and observed tissue and organs.
At the moment, things are not worse. We do pray his liver will begin to function better.
My dad is on so much medication, and going in and out of surgery, that he is not able to communicate with us regularly. He has moments when his eyes are tracking – moments when he can communicate a need or request – but mostly, he is out of it.
In spite of that, we have someone with him always. We either have one of our own nurses and/or a family member. This has been very challenging. While insurance helps to cover some nursing expenses when my dad is home, they cover none when he is in the hospital. Also, with sicknesses that have been going around, and summer traveling, lots of our personal nursing shifts are going uncovered – which means that either my mom, or Keith, or Kale have to cover shifts. As they all have full time jobs, this has been a bit of a scramble.
Our dear friend, Lisa, was there when the surgeon, Dr. S, spoke to my mom about his concerns. Lisa shared with me how my mom ministered to the doctor about the hope and promise we have in Christ, and how when my dad does leave us - he will... be... free!
We are reading to my dad...singing over him...and praying over him. There have been awesome, heavy duty prayer sessions experienced at the hospital.
We rejoice as the Lord has shown that a host of angels are surrounding my dad.
Every moment that my dad is still with us, is a moment that the Lord is still using him on this earth. We see it. And we know that God is moving in ways we can’t imagine, and using my dad’s (and my mom’s) story to affect others in ways we may never know this side of heaven.
And that is true for every believer who lays down their life.....to take up the cross.
This morning (Fri), my dad was doing better. After today’s procedure, the surgeon was pleased. They never did actually ‘close up’ my dad. He has what is called a wound VAC. The wound VAC is a device that uses negative pressure to promote healing in the open area. It is used by forming an airtight seal over the area and "sucking" all the drainage out and pulling new tissue to the top.
Today they changed the wound vac, and observed tissue and organs.
At the moment, things are not worse. We do pray his liver will begin to function better.
My dad is on so much medication, and going in and out of surgery, that he is not able to communicate with us regularly. He has moments when his eyes are tracking – moments when he can communicate a need or request – but mostly, he is out of it.
In spite of that, we have someone with him always. We either have one of our own nurses and/or a family member. This has been very challenging. While insurance helps to cover some nursing expenses when my dad is home, they cover none when he is in the hospital. Also, with sicknesses that have been going around, and summer traveling, lots of our personal nursing shifts are going uncovered – which means that either my mom, or Keith, or Kale have to cover shifts. As they all have full time jobs, this has been a bit of a scramble.
Our dear friend, Lisa, was there when the surgeon, Dr. S, spoke to my mom about his concerns. Lisa shared with me how my mom ministered to the doctor about the hope and promise we have in Christ, and how when my dad does leave us - he will... be... free!
We are reading to my dad...singing over him...and praying over him. There have been awesome, heavy duty prayer sessions experienced at the hospital.
We rejoice as the Lord has shown that a host of angels are surrounding my dad.
Every moment that my dad is still with us, is a moment that the Lord is still using him on this earth. We see it. And we know that God is moving in ways we can’t imagine, and using my dad’s (and my mom’s) story to affect others in ways we may never know this side of heaven.
And that is true for every believer who lays down their life.....to take up the cross.
__________________________________________
This is a note Lisa wrote (this past Tuesday) to my mom in the book that contains all the nursing/med notes for my dad.
5/25/10
Dear Lucy,
I can't believe your husband, Lazarus! He is, "eyes open, tracking to my voice, bossing (nurse) Jeanie around, talking with his face." I was reading out of Philippians Ch 1-4; a place where the apostle Paul says, "to live is Christ to die is gain..." Paul said that the people still had need of him, so he would choose to stay, that Christ still had need of him to bring glory to His name...
Some people have a death wish. Charlie, Lazarus, has a life wish.
The Lord has need of him.
XOXO
Lisa Bennett
Life wish Inc.
_________________________________________
Did I mention that we are still packing up our house? Pathetic, really, that it is taking us this long.
Months ago, Keith and I planned to move about 30 minutes away from the area that my family lives in. We have a vision for our family that involves a little different lifestyle than we live now.
We’d like to have a little land and some chickens, etc. We’d like to teach the children skills that would enable them to be more self-sufficient. We want to give the boys some ‘real chores’ - and space to build, create, and grow.
(Kainoa holding the door for Uncle Kale and her dad)
Ultimately, as my dad’s condition became more of a concern, we decided that now was not the time to move away. While our house is being prepared to go on the market, we have temporarily moved in with my parents, which has been a blessing in so many ways.
But each moment we have to spare, I am dashing over to our house – which is a construction zone – and trying to pack up our remaining things.
(The triage room - 2 'wounded' and icing their 'owies.')
It has been slow going because a) we have too many things, b) we have too many things, and c) we have too many things.
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