Tomorrow would have been John and my 28th anniversary. I confess I am very sad that we were not able to spend many more years together. I still sometimes think John will walk through the door after work, I miss him so much.
On another note, Chris is slowly getting better. He has good days and bad days, but through them all he has a good attitude. We are starting to work on him being able to sit on the side of the bed. He is still so weak, but slowly getting stronger. I just give thanks each day for his life, for the opportunity to be available to help and love him through it all. We have been reading the devotion book "Heaven", and it has so encouraged us both. Especially missing John and knowing that he truly is in heaven and that we will one day join him for eternity. I am especially excited about the new earth, this earth restored to how God originally planned and created it. How wonderful it will be.
We are the Champions
Friday, June 19, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Let me touch Your tassels
It is hard to honestly know what to write. My emotions are raw, trying desperately to keep my hope and faith alive. How do you watch your son struggle, both physically and emotionally? I feel his despair as a knife that cuts through my heart.
I am trying to keep a positive attitude, but it is so hard when someone you love so desperately is in constant pain and is totally dependent upon those around him to do the simplest of tasks. Chris always has a good attitude, he tries so hard to give a smile and a thanks to everyone who does anything for him. Chris loves the Lord with all his heart, and is waiting upon Him to bring his healing. The other night he wrote this simple request to the Lord, barely legible on a paper. "Your word talks about touching the tassels on you robe, I have the faith, let me touch Your tassels." It was such a sweet and tender prayer. Please Lord let Chris touch your tassels, so that Your power will go out to bring his healing.
"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. " Luke 8:42
Chris's request is that you pray for his anxiety, it comes and goes but leaves him very distressed. Thanks, Dawn
I am trying to keep a positive attitude, but it is so hard when someone you love so desperately is in constant pain and is totally dependent upon those around him to do the simplest of tasks. Chris always has a good attitude, he tries so hard to give a smile and a thanks to everyone who does anything for him. Chris loves the Lord with all his heart, and is waiting upon Him to bring his healing. The other night he wrote this simple request to the Lord, barely legible on a paper. "Your word talks about touching the tassels on you robe, I have the faith, let me touch Your tassels." It was such a sweet and tender prayer. Please Lord let Chris touch your tassels, so that Your power will go out to bring his healing.
"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. " Luke 8:42
Chris's request is that you pray for his anxiety, it comes and goes but leaves him very distressed. Thanks, Dawn
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
No place like home
Today Chris came home, this in itself is a miracle. There was many days when I wondered if he would ever come home again. It was just the reality of the severity of the situation. This morning we met with a team from the hospital and decided with the help of hospice nurses Chris would do better at home. He was very happy about it.
So this evening he came home, with lots of equipment to go along with him. But it is wonderful to have him home, a little nerve wracking as we figure out all the medications and how the various pieces of equipment work, but this is small compared with the joy of just having him home.
And one of the greatest things is we can start feeding him good food, he already had some pizza. As he eats we pray his strength returns. He also has a really cool new bed which we moved into the family room until he gets stronger. It is a tempur pedic with a remote that lifts the head and feet.
So this evening he came home, with lots of equipment to go along with him. But it is wonderful to have him home, a little nerve wracking as we figure out all the medications and how the various pieces of equipment work, but this is small compared with the joy of just having him home.
And one of the greatest things is we can start feeding him good food, he already had some pizza. As he eats we pray his strength returns. He also has a really cool new bed which we moved into the family room until he gets stronger. It is a tempur pedic with a remote that lifts the head and feet.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Faith like Potatoes
Each day has so many challenges. There is no doubt that it is easier to doubt God than to trust Him, at least for me it takes such a force of the will to see the situation as it is and in the midst of it chose to trust God. This afternoon I took my dogs for a walk. I like to take them to some harvest fields near the house and let them run, chasing each other and a rabbit or two if they find them. Today it was near sunset and the fields had been harvested for potatoes. I was reminded of a really good movie I had just watched about a man named Angus Buchan, who is a farmer in South Africa, the story is wonderful and true.
Faith like Potatoes is the title because Angus, during a drought in South Africa, and after praying for rain, plants potato seeds. Even though it does not rain he trusts God and waits to harvest the crop. Sure enough, when the time comes to harvest, under the ground, where Angus could not see, the potatoes had grown.
I can not see what God is doing, but I am going to try to have faith like potatoes and trust God is doing something where I can not see. One of the quotes from the movie is "The condition for a miracle is difficulty. For a great miracle is impossibility". Amen
Faith like Potatoes is the title because Angus, during a drought in South Africa, and after praying for rain, plants potato seeds. Even though it does not rain he trusts God and waits to harvest the crop. Sure enough, when the time comes to harvest, under the ground, where Angus could not see, the potatoes had grown.
I can not see what God is doing, but I am going to try to have faith like potatoes and trust God is doing something where I can not see. One of the quotes from the movie is "The condition for a miracle is difficulty. For a great miracle is impossibility". Amen
Holding On....
Chris continues to be stable. There have no real changes since he took his breathing tube out. Yesterday he finally did get some much needed sleep, which was a blessing. He is having trouble with anxiety. Giving him some anti-anxiety medicine seems to help.
We are trying to get him off of some of the pain medication as these we think are causing him to be at times confused and being in a bit of a fog most of the time. I don't think he has much actual pain just a lot of discomfort from being in a hospital for now 4 weeks. He is still in the ICU. Dan is still here which is such a huge blessing to me, and Chris's friends still take turns staying with him day and night, they are a demonstration of true faithfulness as friends.
We are trying to get him off of some of the pain medication as these we think are causing him to be at times confused and being in a bit of a fog most of the time. I don't think he has much actual pain just a lot of discomfort from being in a hospital for now 4 weeks. He is still in the ICU. Dan is still here which is such a huge blessing to me, and Chris's friends still take turns staying with him day and night, they are a demonstration of true faithfulness as friends.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Awake
Well Chris decided to take things into his own hands, literally. Yesterday morning he pulled the ventilation tube out of his mouth. I get a call from the hospital saying Chris has pulled it out, but that he is doing fine. And indeed, he has been doing fine. All his vital signs have been stable, unlike before where they were all over the place. His breathing is not labored. Yesterday he was pretty out of it as he came off the sedation they had him on. But today when I walked in his room he was able to talk. It was such a joy to hear his voice, it is raspy, but his voice non the less.
Today he was stable, working on coughing stuff up from his lungs. He is very weak and hopefully will be able to swallow soon and take in some real food. Emily stayed up all night last night with him, holding his hand and talking with him. She is amazing. The x-rays show that his lungs are improving. What can we say except Praise You Lord. We have no doubt this is only by His hand that Chris is recovering. To Him be all the glory.
Today he was stable, working on coughing stuff up from his lungs. He is very weak and hopefully will be able to swallow soon and take in some real food. Emily stayed up all night last night with him, holding his hand and talking with him. She is amazing. The x-rays show that his lungs are improving. What can we say except Praise You Lord. We have no doubt this is only by His hand that Chris is recovering. To Him be all the glory.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Stable
I am going to use the words of my friend Rille again, she has done a wonderful job of summarizing what is going on.
The doctor today said Chris's daily chest x-ray had no change from yesterday and that the tear in the lung and collapse are corrected. Yesterday Chris had to have a chest tube put in due to a tear in the lung which was causing it to collapse. We take this all as good news. We will believe that even if the doctor can't see it, there is change going on as our God restores Chris. He said that Chris is not ready to come off of the ventilator, but they are keeping him in a state that is no longer paralyzed, just very sedated. He opens his eyes now and that is such a blessing to everyone. He can't talk with all of the tubes in his mouth leading down to various places, but he can communicate basic yes/no with a noise and a head move. Then he falls back to sleep, which is the best thing for him.
Emily reports that she slept very little as he woke up frequently in the night and so she talked to him instead of sleeping. To be honest, just seeing him peaceful and vitals improved is a relief and a miracle in its self. His resting heart rate had been anywhere from 120-160 for almost 3 weeks now hovers around 90! His fever is now completely gone. There are still lots of issues, but we remain hopeful. Everyone is pretty tired, but the mood here today seems peaceful. We just continue to put our trust in our God. He has it all in His hands.
The doctor today said Chris's daily chest x-ray had no change from yesterday and that the tear in the lung and collapse are corrected. Yesterday Chris had to have a chest tube put in due to a tear in the lung which was causing it to collapse. We take this all as good news. We will believe that even if the doctor can't see it, there is change going on as our God restores Chris. He said that Chris is not ready to come off of the ventilator, but they are keeping him in a state that is no longer paralyzed, just very sedated. He opens his eyes now and that is such a blessing to everyone. He can't talk with all of the tubes in his mouth leading down to various places, but he can communicate basic yes/no with a noise and a head move. Then he falls back to sleep, which is the best thing for him.
Emily reports that she slept very little as he woke up frequently in the night and so she talked to him instead of sleeping. To be honest, just seeing him peaceful and vitals improved is a relief and a miracle in its self. His resting heart rate had been anywhere from 120-160 for almost 3 weeks now hovers around 90! His fever is now completely gone. There are still lots of issues, but we remain hopeful. Everyone is pretty tired, but the mood here today seems peaceful. We just continue to put our trust in our God. He has it all in His hands.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Word from a friend
I am to tired to think to write what is going on so I am going to cheat and use the words of my dear friend Rille and the e-mail she has faithful been sending out.
Dear Sweet Friends of Chris and the Champion Clan,
Even though so many of you who read and pray for this family, have never met them, you are indeed their friends. Your prayers and encouragement have been a sweet offering and they are mindful of them. For those of you who write, I have taken to reading some of these e-mails over Chris in the belief that he is encouraged by your words of hope and faith and love....
1 Corinthians 13:13 (New International Version)
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Although Chris remains on life-support he has survived the first 33 hours very well. He had 3 more procedures last night that added a multitude of tubes, tape and incisions. Its hard to see him like this, but his sweet face looks peaceful despite the medical horror of it all. He has a fever that brings a rosy flush to his cheeks and although not ideal, it remains under control. I enjoy holding his hand or stroking his cheek... something he would never let me do if he were awake... infact I wouldn't even consider it... sorry Foos! He is never left alone as one of his dear ones stands, sits or sleeps constantly in the room. The hospital which normally allows only 1-2 close family members at a time has granted us favor and sometimes there have been up to 6 of us in the ICU.
Please continue to pray, there are many who have received God's peace regarding his healing. I know his sweet Emily has. She diligently watches the many monitors, knows every number on the many screens and speaks calmly and quietly to Chris... never waive ring in her hope for a future with him. She usually will be found on the cot in his room sleeping soundly through the visitors, the nurses, the lights and machines.. then waking cheerful and ready to pray and encourage! Please pray for those of us called to minister to our friend Dawn. Her mother's heart is tender and so raw and she misses John so much. I really don't know how she manages to match her shoes in the morning, but she does. I know she is sad and I don't know how to help her really, you can pray for that... how do you support someone in such a long long struggle?
The nurses back up in the Step Down Unit on the 5th Floor all signed a card to Chris that came today. They thanked him for his Godly example to them during the nearly 2 weeks he was there and are all praying for him to return. When you leave the ICU, that is where you go (Step Down Unity) before you go home. It was really sweet... there are so many stories. Before Chris was unconscious, this was one of the e-mails I read to him. It came from a 23 year old friend of mine and in the middle of a struggle to breathe and mask on his face he said "Wow!"
"I am praying. My heart is heavy tonight, but trusting completely in the Lord. I have never even officially met Chris, but since you have started sending these emails, I have been praying for him, and I can honestly say that his life and faith have changed mine forever. May God continue to have the glory in Chris's life. How sweet and amazing it is that Chris is willing to sacrifice his health and even his life for God's glory. What an inspiration. I know I am only one of many many lives that have been changed by his and his family. I am praying that God holds you ALL close tonight--giving you ALL a peace that truly transcends understanding. Thanks for the updates."
Thanks for reading this rather long e-mail, but mostly thanks for being out there... forwarding it and praying.
With love,
Rille
Dear Sweet Friends of Chris and the Champion Clan,
Even though so many of you who read and pray for this family, have never met them, you are indeed their friends. Your prayers and encouragement have been a sweet offering and they are mindful of them. For those of you who write, I have taken to reading some of these e-mails over Chris in the belief that he is encouraged by your words of hope and faith and love....
1 Corinthians 13:13 (New International Version)
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Although Chris remains on life-support he has survived the first 33 hours very well. He had 3 more procedures last night that added a multitude of tubes, tape and incisions. Its hard to see him like this, but his sweet face looks peaceful despite the medical horror of it all. He has a fever that brings a rosy flush to his cheeks and although not ideal, it remains under control. I enjoy holding his hand or stroking his cheek... something he would never let me do if he were awake... infact I wouldn't even consider it... sorry Foos! He is never left alone as one of his dear ones stands, sits or sleeps constantly in the room. The hospital which normally allows only 1-2 close family members at a time has granted us favor and sometimes there have been up to 6 of us in the ICU.
Please continue to pray, there are many who have received God's peace regarding his healing. I know his sweet Emily has. She diligently watches the many monitors, knows every number on the many screens and speaks calmly and quietly to Chris... never waive ring in her hope for a future with him. She usually will be found on the cot in his room sleeping soundly through the visitors, the nurses, the lights and machines.. then waking cheerful and ready to pray and encourage! Please pray for those of us called to minister to our friend Dawn. Her mother's heart is tender and so raw and she misses John so much. I really don't know how she manages to match her shoes in the morning, but she does. I know she is sad and I don't know how to help her really, you can pray for that... how do you support someone in such a long long struggle?
The nurses back up in the Step Down Unit on the 5th Floor all signed a card to Chris that came today. They thanked him for his Godly example to them during the nearly 2 weeks he was there and are all praying for him to return. When you leave the ICU, that is where you go (Step Down Unity) before you go home. It was really sweet... there are so many stories. Before Chris was unconscious, this was one of the e-mails I read to him. It came from a 23 year old friend of mine and in the middle of a struggle to breathe and mask on his face he said "Wow!"
"I am praying. My heart is heavy tonight, but trusting completely in the Lord. I have never even officially met Chris, but since you have started sending these emails, I have been praying for him, and I can honestly say that his life and faith have changed mine forever. May God continue to have the glory in Chris's life. How sweet and amazing it is that Chris is willing to sacrifice his health and even his life for God's glory. What an inspiration. I know I am only one of many many lives that have been changed by his and his family. I am praying that God holds you ALL close tonight--giving you ALL a peace that truly transcends understanding. Thanks for the updates."
Thanks for reading this rather long e-mail, but mostly thanks for being out there... forwarding it and praying.
With love,
Rille
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