Trish #11

Trish sat in a chair today!

It was a neat gadget that can be folded down flat. The nurse rolls the patient from the bed onto the "chair." The apparatus can then be moved into a vertical position. She sat in the chair for nearly an hour, though she slept most of that time. She was exhausted from the work. Nonetheless, she kept her eyes open for longer periods than any day up until now.

Trish shakes her head "yes" or "no" to communicate. (She is still on the ventilator for a few more days.) She seems to know where she is. She has some general idea about what has happened to her. She remains confused, however. Tonight I just told her not to try to stay awake. I told her to rest, that I would stay with her for a while as she slept. She held my hand. She would open her eyes every few minutes to look at me. Then she would sleep again.

I will probably not send a daily update after tonight. I will write from time to time to let you know how things are going. I deeply appreciate your patience with my use of these e-mails to process my own feelings and fears these last eleven days. Many of you have written very helpful remarks to me and these have been a source of great encouragement. It helped get me through.

Keep praying. The journey ahead is long and there is much to learn. Trish must go through extensive therapy in coming months. But I am joyful that she gets the opportunity to do the work of recovery. Most in her situation do not get that opportunity.

In my sermon tomorrow, I will focus on our journey these past two weeks. I will try to express what I believe I have learned. If you want a copy, just open the attachment that I include with this e-mail. (It is a first draft, simply a rough general outline of what I intend to say.)

Today concluded 11 full days since Trish's aneurysm hemorrhaged. She has come through the most dangerous phase of her trial. Two days from now she will likely be out of the most serious danger to her survival. From then on, the doctors and hospital staff will focus on her rehabilitation and restoration. After that, we will focus upon her testimony and how to share it!

I am glad to have been able these past two weeks to share with you the remarkable woman that is my wife. On her behalf, and on behalf of my children and grandchildren, I thank you for your prayers. Your love and concern kept us from going under.

You are the family of God and I honor you. Despite the aggravation we often experience with the Lord's church, I can testify that in time of great need, it does its work amazingly well.