Deja vu

Well, this is FOR SURE my last update from the hospital. David was not discharged today (3/18), because he started running a fever again. However, tomorrow morning, the hospital is no longer allowing visitors. So at 7:00 am tomorrow, I am taking my bags and heading out. I’m PRAYING that David won’t be too far behind me!!
Sometimes it’s hard to understand Doctor’s thinking. Especially when it’s a doctor that we don’t have a history with. However, we know that in the end, whatever the Doctor decides, he does so with David’s best interest at heart. It was so frustrating this morning when David started running a fever. It didn’t get very high, and it came down pretty quickly (very different from the fevers he was running this past week). However, it was enough to make the Doctor hold David back. If David is fever free for 24 hours, they said they will release him tomorrow morning (have I heard that one before?). The doctor still believes it is related to his immunotherapy, but he doesn’t want to risk releasing him if there’s still something underlying happening.
It really stinks to be thinking that starting tomorrow, I won’t be able to visit David. We are so very blessed, that when David is in the hospital, I am able to spend most of the day with him, and spend the night here as well. We just keep praying that no more complications arise and he will actually be able to go home tomorrow. He misses the kids so much. He’s been video chatting them and sending them funny videos to keep them entertained. It can be silly, but it still doesn’t replace having their Daddy home.
All of your messages of prayers, thoughts and support continue to mean a lot to us. Even the simplest message makes our hearts smile and reminds us that we have a HUGE community backing us. We love you all so much and will never be able to thank you enough for everything that you’ve done for us.

Prayer requests:
-For complete healing of David’s body
-For David to be fever free and able to come home tomorrow
-For clarity while moving forward and planning David’s continued treatment
-For protection from all sickness that is spreading
-For God’s continued support over our children and everything they are dealing with
-For peace as I leave David in the morning, that as much as I love him, God loves him even more

There are two other things that are heavy on my heart tonight. We have family and friends who have experienced such tragedy in Washington this month. My heart aches, knowing that there’s a husband that is having to continue life without his wife or one of his daughters. Please pray that he can lean on God during this time and that God gives him strength to face each new day and that his faith, and the faith of his children will do nothing but grow.
Also, I know the last couple of nights, I’ve asked you all to respect the social distancing order. As believers, we so often lean on the phrase “I’m not going to live my life in fear”. I do believe that there is a huge difference between living in fear, and living a life that is respectful to others, while still trusting in God. About a week ago my mom shared this quote from Martin Luther, and it really put my feelings into words, perfectly:

When Martin Luther was dealing with The Black Death plague, he wrote these wise words that can help inform the way we approach things happening in our world right now…
“I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash no foolhardy and does not tempt God.”
Luther’s Works Volume 43 pg 132 the letter “Whether one may flee from a Deadly Plague” written to Rev. Dr. John Hess