Prayer for me please

[Miss Daisy]

praying. let us know any updates when you can.

[HappyChristian]

Praying.

[Jim_Alaska]

Well, this update doesn't contain much good news. I got home Tuesday night after a week in Florida. Things down there were grim at best. I'll make this short. I and the family have been through a harrowing week. My sister was much worse than we thought. She was near death when we got there and no one around her seemed to have any idea of the gravity of her situation. We were able to get emergency room medical staff involved and she is much better after a week in the hospital, although this is something that will need constant watching and attention. There is a natural diuretic that her body is producing that flushes sodium from her body. The docs are and seem to be working with this problem well, although recovery is slow. When we got there she was totally disoriented and looked to be ninety years old. To say the least she was dangerously ill.

 

Her husband Frank is not going to make it. He has had massive brain damage from both multiple strokes and multiple blood sugar events.
He was totally unresponsive when we got there and remained so throughout the week. His kidneys had shut down by the time we arrived and his other organs were beginning to shut down. To add to this situation he contracted pneumonia while we were there and his lungs were filling up. This is not something that will "get better" and cannot be treated by any means now available. The doctors have signed off on his case and said to the family that Frank's condition now is the best it will ever be from now on, he will only deteriorate from this point on. He will not recover from this and we worked feverishly to do the best for him that we could. He is now in Hospice and family members who are in the medical profession said yesterday before we left that they believe he will not last more than a couple of days and certainly no longer than Friday.

This was made all the more difficult since Patti needed to make life decisions for Frank and was so disoriented that she was not able to understand enough about his condition to make rational choices. After working with her a few days while her medical condition started to improve, she was then able to understand and finally make the decisions she needed to make for her husband.

This is something that I hope I never have to go through again. It was a rat race from 6 am every day of the week until late at night for seven whole days. It really drove home the necessity of having advanced directives and living wills in place so that family doesn't have to go through this kind of nightmare.

 

P.S. My sister and I ended up flying instead of driving. She was able to get a "next day" flight and it turned into a blessing since conditions there were a lot worse than we thought.

 

Thank you all for your prayers, each day presented us with new problems that we were able to resolve. It was only through God's grace and prayers for our family that we were able to accomplish what we set out to do.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Continuing to pray for your sister and Frank.  Praying also for the Lord's strength as they go through this difficult time.

[Covenanter]

May our Lord be with you all, give you peace, & the unbelievers peace with God.

 

[1Timothy115]

Jim, thanks for the report. My sincere sympathy for your sister and brother-in-law's condition. I will continue praying for your sister. Answered prayers for you & other sister's traveling mercy. 

[Rosie]

i missed this post Jim, so sorry just saw it... so sorry about your family will pray..

[EKSmith]

contacting all my Prayer partners to Pray

in constant prayer for you and you loved ones

God Bless Brother Jim

[Miss Daisy]

I just read your update from awhile ago. Prayers going up! 

The need for advance directives is not just for elderly, EVERYONE, needs them, all ages, and ON FILE with your doctor and hospital. Put a copy in your glovebox. If you are a DNR, please wear a bracelet or necklace. As a nurse and former EMT, in a auto accident, no one will know if you're DNR. (do not resuscitate)