The Road Not Chosen

Almost Out Of The Woods

Let me begin this post by saying Evan is much better. Now for the details. He had one type of bacteria & one type of staph in his blood. The names escape me at the moment. The Broviak line was indeed the culprit for the infections. That was removed from his chest on Monday. Ev has been on seveal different antibiotics which have changed as they zeroed in on the specific bugs. As of today he has no more infection in his bloodstream.

The length of our stay here kept changing daily & changed 2 differnt times yesterday AM. The current plan is that we will hang out here until Moday, while Evan receives IV antibiotic therapy & generally recovers from the septic shock. He will then go home on just oral anitbiotics. His body has develped Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcous, so he can't have Vanc infusions anymore. THis VRE is something he will have the rest of his life & something Harold & I will have to be careful not to contract. Ev is in isolation for the duration of his hospital stay, which is a bummer as he is feeling pretty good & wants to do something fun!

With each converstaion with the docs here it becomes clearer how close to death our son was on Saturday. I was asking God yesterday morning why Ev had to have this close call. About an hour later his Infectious Disease doc was telling us several things that were starting to happen in Ev's body that they wouldn't have found out about if he hadn't gone into septic shock: the VRE, some mild damage starting to happen to his kidneys as a side effect of the Vanc. treatment, and a couple of other things that would have had some serious long term effects on his health. So this was a (stressful) blessing in disquise.

Another blessing is that Evan's hip surgeon came by Monday to examine him & declared that he no longer needed his brace. So he is walking unencumbered.

So a week ago today our summer outlook was 3 more months of IV therapy twice a day, having to be home every night by 8 for the infusions, no swimming, or showers but now Evan will go home with no tubes of any type in his body, on oral antibiotics only & able to swim & shower & stay out late at night. We are rejoicing in that!

Harold & I are now exhausted & are crashing from the 3 or 4 days of adreniline-stress rush. We look forward to Monday! Thanks to everyone for their prayers & love.

Stretched Yet Again

It's been a scary weekend for us. Evan woke up Saturday morning at 5:30 with chills that rapidly turned into vomiting & a high temp. By 9:30 Harold decided we should call Home Health just to be on the safe side but we were pretty sure it was a stomach bug. The nurse came to the house, examined Evan & called the Infectious Disease doc in the Big City. The doc wanted Ev to immediately go to our local ER.

We jumped in the car & got Ev there right away. Fortunately our good friend, Dr. Jerry was the ER doc that day. After a preliminary exam it was apparent that Ev's blood pressure was decreasing rapidly & his heart rate was rising. We were told that he was in septic shock, which means that there was a system wide infection in his body. HIs body was working hard to keep his major organs functioning. The doc's in the Big City pulled together a team & flew to our town to get Evan & fly him back to Children's Hospital. Our friend & pastor, Tom, stayed with Evan at our local ER until the team got to our town. We got in the car to make the 4 hour drive, hoping to get to Children's before Evan. He has been in ICU since Saturday evening.

It was a scary 24 hours but tonight he is resting comfortably listed in critical but stable condition. They have determined that he has an unknown bacteria in his bloodstream that probably came in through his Broviack line in his chest. It will be a couple more days before they know exactly what type of bacteria it is. They have done lots of tests: echocardiogram to make sure he didn't have bacterial endocarditis (he doesn't), an ultrasound of his hip to make sure there was no infection at his surgery site, (there isn't), & various other tests.

He is hanging in there, but is cranky & not feeling all that great, obviously. We have been told this will be at least a week stay. We are praying that God will touch Evan's body & heal him just like He did with the femur. Speaking of which, several Dr.'s & nurses have come to ask us about the femur surgery that didn't happen. Apparently it is written up in Evan's medical record & no one can quite believe it! We are more than happy to tell of God's goodness.

Prayers, as usual, are appreciated.

As I Was Saying

If you found my post on Wednesday, You Bet Your (Eternal) Life, interesting, here is a great article by Chuck Colson & Anne Morse on Christianity Today's website. It's titled "Overheated Rhetoric"  and explores the issue of the current attack in the publishing world against Christianity. It's a good, informative, quick read. Enjoy!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Name a funny habit you have.

Hmmm, I'm obsessive-compulsive about a few things, such as how I make ice tea. There is a process & I have to follow it exactly each time. As far as habits, I'd say how I settle into bed at night, kind of rooting around & making little happy noises! I'm sure my friends & family could come up with some others!

Soup
If you could instantly know how to play a musical instrument, which one would you pick?

Piano. I took lessons in grade school for 2 years, but dropped it in 8th grade because I wanted to be on the softball team instead. My mother said I would regret quitting for the rest of my life. You were right, Mom!

Salad
How long is your hair?

It's about 3 inches past my shoulders but I'm getting it all whacked off next week! It's driving me nuts at this point.

Main Course
When was the last time you forgave someone, and who was it?

You know, that's a pretty personal question that I won't answer here. I will say that I don't forgive people nearly fast enough as I ought to. I really want & need to grow more in the area of mercy & forgiveness.

Dessert
What is your favorite kitchen appliance? 

Right now it's my smoothie maker which I use every morning. I do love my stove, I'm just not using it very much right now. I also love, love, love, my Bosch dishwasher that is super-quiet. It was worth every penny as we have a small house & noise can really carry.

Read more Friday Feast's here.

You Bet Your (Eternal) Life

I've been reading a lot this week about Christopher Hitchens, he of the best seller God Is Not Great: How Religion Spoils Everything. Mr. Hitchens is an equal opportunity discriminator, he hates every religion with a passion that borders on fanaticism. An avowed "anti-theist", he claims to believe in absolutely no religious entity whatsoever.

I find his virulent attacks on religion fascinating. He is so worked up about it all! So angry! So temper-tantrum-throwing, name-calling, I'm-going-to-hold-my-breath-until-I-turn-blue furious, that people would dare believe in a higher power. What interests me about all this is I keep wondering why is he so...reactive?

As I have trolled my way through the internet, reading articles both by Mr. Hitchens and about him, as I have read the message boards on both sides of the debate, what I walk away with is a sense that everyone is in a tizzy trying to convince the "other side" that they are "right". The language is heated and politeness is in short supply all around, which is a shame.

As I have pondered all this, a verse came to my mind from 1 Peter 3: "But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. but in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

Here is what should set us as Christians apart from those who are God haters, that we explain our beliefs with gentleness and respect. This is, of course, not always easy to do when under fire. Yet it is what Christ did. The only time he was angry was at the hypocritical religious leadership. Unbelievers who found themselves in his presence were treated with mercy and compassion.

As Christians it is our job to know what we believe well enough to answer questions that may come our way. It is God's job to convict people of their sins. My sincere hope is that Mr. Hitchens will come across enough gentle and respectful Christians that he will, as Paul said, become ashamed of his slander. Christopher Hitchens is not the devil incarnate, as some would think, but a man as much in need of Christ as the rest of us. May he soon see this.

For further reading, you may be interested in this article by Christopher's brother, Peter, who is a devout Christian and has written a commentary on his brother's new book. Wikipedia has a lengthy entry on Mr. Hitchens with links to many articles he has written on a variety of subjects.

Web Surfing

Since summer is nearly officially started, I thought I'd give you a peek into what I've been reading on-line. Here are a few things that have caught my attention:

Today is Blog Like It's The End of The World Day. The premise is that the "post is written as if a zombie uprising were taking place - around the world, and in your home town...blog about how it's effecting you, what you might witness, rumors or news that you hear, and so on." For some reason I found this hilarious & also thought it was an interesting creative writing exercise. Not that I'm doing that but... 

An interesting article by Diane Singer at The Point talks about women being used as egg donors and the tremendous toll it takes on their bodies. There's also a scary political agenda attached to this. I have long felt that we are approaching (or have already gotten there) a point where lower income women will start selling their eggs & renting their wombs out as a source of income. It reminds me of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" where rich, barren women "own" fertile women who bear children for them.

Being chronically tired during this season of my life, I found "How To Take A Meditation Nap" very interesting & plan to try it out as soon as I'm doing with this entry.

Cormac McCarthy's book, The Road, is still running around my brain. I was very impacted by this book so I found Oprah's interview with him fascinating. As I read his book I kept wondering, "What inspired him to write this??" Now I know. (You may have to join Oprah.com to see this interview.) 

Normally, I'd be waiting for Julana to post something thought provoking on her blog, Life In The Slow Lane, but she has taken a break for awhile. If you've never visited her blog, browse through her archives. You're bound to find something interesting!

Well, I'm off to test that nap thing. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Morning Musings

Perched between the side of the house & the gutter downspout used to be a neat, clean robin's nest. A month or so later, I went to check to see if we had any babies. Much to my surprise, the robin's had vacated & the sparrow's had taken over. Now a sparrow's nest is quite different. Where the robin's use mainly twigs & grass, the sparrow's use...whatever. We were amused to see a large piece of duct tape dangling down from the newly renovated nest! (I meant to take pictures but never got around to it.) 

This morning as I surveyed the now-deserted & torn apart nest I thought to myself, "What am I building my spiritual house out of? Am I using clean building materials or am I just using whatever piece of junk I come across?"  Well, I'd like to tell you that my spiritual house is spotlessly clean & perfectly sturdy, but then I'd have to repent for lying! However, I did appreciate the fact that the Lord dropped that thought into my mind this morning so I'd have something to consider as I go about my day. So if you will excuse me, I'm going to go inspect my house. Have a wonderful day!

According to the Pew Research Center...

I am a Pro-Government Conservative. Pro-Government Conservatives represent 9 percent of the American public, and 10 percent of registered voters.

Basic Description
Pro-Government Conservatives stand out for their strong religious faith and conservative views on many social and cultural issues. They also express broad support for a social safety net, which sets them apart from the other two core Republican groups. While backing George W. Bush by roughly six-to-one, this group has one of the lowest incomes levels in the typology. Pro-Government Conservatives are skeptical about the effectiveness of the marketplace, favoring government regulation to protect the public interest, and government assistance for the needy.

Defining Values
Religious, financially insecure, and favorable toward government programs. Support the Iraq war and an assertive foreign policy, but less uniformly so than Enterprisers or Social Conservatives. Back government involvement in a wide range of policy areas, from poverty assistance to protecting morality and regulating industry.

Who They Are
Predominately female (62%) and relatively young; highest percentage of minority members of any Republican-leaning group (10% black, 12% Hispanic). Most (59%) have no more than a high school diploma. They also are poorer than other Republican groups; nearly half (49%) have household incomes of less than $30,000 (about on par with Disadvantaged Democrats). Nearly half (47%) are parents of children living at home. 42% live in the South.

Lifestyle Notes
Most (52%) attend religious services at least weekly; nearly all describe religion as “very important” in their lives. Gun ownership is lower (36%) than in other GOP groups. Just 14% trade stocks and bonds in the market; 39% say someone in their home has faced unemployment in the past year.

2004 Election
Bush 61%, Kerry 12%. Fully 21% said they didn’t vote in November.

Party ID
58% Republican, 40% Independent/No Preference, 2% Democrat (86% Rep/LeanRep)

Media Use
Most Pro-Government Conservatives consult traditional news sources, including newspapers (48%) and network TV (31%). No more or less engaged in politics than the national average.

This was an interesting test to take & pegged me fairly well. The Pew Research Center's website is fun & interesting to browse. I don't usually take much stock in surveys as they can be pretty skewed but this was an interesting overview of questions that are being polled about.

Catching Up

Last week was a whirlwind of activity. I'm just now catching my breath & getting some things done around here, like blogging! We made a 2 day trip to see the surgeon & the infections disease docs. (Man, are we tired of that drive!)

We had good news on all fronts. The surgeon said Evan can now fully weight bear on his leg, walk with a walker, do steps, & only wear the brace during the day. The brace is adjusted to that Evan can sit up straight now. One more month & he won't need the brace at all. So no more wheelchair for him.

The I.D. doc took Evan off his oral antibiotics which we all did a happy dance for! He will still need his IV infusions until fall, however. Evan has lost 35 lbs. since March 2nd & 15 lbs. in the last 3 weeks due to decreased appetite from the oral antibiotics. He needs to put 15 lbs. back on which should be no problem as  his appetite has come back with a vengeance! We were so happy that we stopped on the way back home at our fav sushi place. Evan ate a ton of sushi & some teriyaki chicken. He does love Japanese food!

When we got home we had the hospital bed (which has been in our living room for the last 3 months) picked up. Saturday morning was spent putting our house back to normal. Evan is sleeping in a regular bed, can toilet himself again (hallelujah!!!) & do what he has missed so much, play his drums & get on his computer. He is one happy guy. let me tell you.

I finally started planting flowers yesterday, a little late but I didn't want to start until I knew we'd be home to care for them. We all so appreciate regaining these parts of our life that have been on hold. Harold & I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary yesterday. It's been quite a ride but we are blessed beyond belief.

At the moment, I'm re-evaluating the focus of this blog. I feel like I'm in a place of transition right now. While I will definitely keep writing, I'm just not sure in which direction God wants me to go. Feel free to throw in your 2 cents worth!