When moving 12 inches requires a nap to recoop...

Mom reported that dad rested well through the night. All through the night she was singing an old Bible School song..."in my heart there rings a melody, rings a melody, rings a melody of love." This brought her comfort as she reflected on all of the love that is surrounding her and dad at this time.

It's 1:45 PM and the nurses are here to make some adjustments to dad's epidural. The anesthesiologist opted for this in hopes of reducing the amount of pain meds dad would need. Turns out, they are increasing the epidural dose to compensate for the amount dad was needing intravenously because his pain is not very "manageable", as they say. With much discomfort, grunting, groaning, and assistance, he was moved to a chair and has been sitting there for the past 2 hours. He said he's ready for bed now and that he needs a nap. Just now he started to lean forward in the chair and we all panicked and asked him what he thought he was doing. He said, "I'm leaning forward, what's it look like!" Then he made some jokes with the breathing apparatus that he is required to use every hour to maintain healthy lung capacity. He admits that he feels "pretty wobbly" and that he is seeing about 1 1/2 of each person in the room. It must seem pretty crowded in here to him. :)

He is so worried about all the tubes and wires getting tangled that he just now instructed the nurse about how he needed to turn so he wasn't laying on everything. Getting back into bed from a chair that is sitting less than 12 inches from the bed is quite an undertaking. Grunting along, he made it. He then corrected the nurse again and reattached the bed controls to the side of the bed. It appears that his engineerability is not effected by heavy narcotics.

It's difficult to watch dad struggle. He has always been so strong, healthy, and independent. I know in my head that he will get better, but my heart (and I speak for everyone) breaks to see him hurting.

Visitors have been slim and that has been good for now. We anticipate more as the weekend approaches and are taking things a moment at a time.

We sense your prayers. The grace that is here is peaceful and still. We trust God to work his good and perfect will in all of this.

One last thing,..yesterday morning, before receiving the call from mom, I was sitting at my table reading and came across I Timothy 3: 1-4, 7. Oddly, I grabbed a note card and wrote it down. When I returned home from the hospital last night, I picked it up and it took my breath away. I had no idea what it would mean to all of us at the end of yesterday's events.

"Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap."

Dad is the "real thing." Even in his darkest hours, these qualities light his way.

Please continue to pray for strength and protection against complications.

Peace and love from all of us...