Praise God, Lea remains stable again tonight. The doctor decided that she needed to have a day of rest before adding any more burden to her recovery. They did replace one of the IV ports in her arm, which they do on a regular basis to prevent infection, gave her a unit of blood, and infused albumen periodically to keep her blood pressure up. They also increased her ventilator just slightly to help her rest a little better.

She wouldn’t want me to say anything about big, multiple bowel movements all over the bed. And, I have nothing at all to say about six-week old lobster. But, I CAN tell you that I have a different perspective, and a new appreciation, for the duties of the nursing staff in intensive care. I guess I COULD say that the nurses gave me a couple pair of scrubs, and my name is up on the board as a nursing assistant. J

Lea was fortunate to have Barbara as her nurse overnight again last night, and Adam again today. They are both very attentive and caring, and I am very comfortable getting away for a few hours when they are caring for her. I’ve mentioned others, too, in various notes, and wouldn’t exclude any one of the nurses. It’s like they are handpicked. Not only are they very skilled technically, but they also are compassionate and thoughtful. I feel that we were led to this hospital, and have been very grateful for it.

I had a note from someone who started receiving these updates from an acquaintance some weeks after our initial stop in Hartford, wanting to know how we ended up here, so far from our home in Indiana. We were driving home from a vacation in Maine, and happened to be passing through the Hartford area when illness struck.

We vacationed with another couple from the town where we live, Pat and Joe Stroup. While passing through Hartford on the interstate, Joe, who was driving, suddenly pulled over to the side of the road, and got out of the truck, saying that he was experiencing chest discomfort. Long story short, he wound up in the emergency room of the hospital with suspected heart problems.

The next morning Lea got up feeling a little out of sorts, but showered and dressed, thinking we would rent a car for the drive home. By the time we got to the rental car agency across town and rented a car, she was too sick to drive home, so I turned the car right back in and drove to the hospital. Shortly thereafter she was so ill that I walked her into the emergency room, and she was later diagnosed with Acute Pancreatitis (not pancreatitis – they are different).

Our friend Joe’s stay was several weeks, and he just recently transferred back to Indiana via Air Ambulance, and is recuperating quite well. He is expected to complete his in-patient stay in the next two or three weeks and start out-patient rehabilitation. We are very grateful for his recovery, and thank God for His mercy in sparing our good friend.

Meanwhile, we continue seeing miracles worked here in Hartford. Lea has really surprised the doctors time and again with the healing that has occurred at so many stages of her recovery. She was given a 15% chance of recovery when we first brought her to this hospital, three days after being admitted to another facility. Acute Pancreatitis has only a 70% recovery rate, and that occurs only after many months of treatment followed by many more months of recovery.

We have had our setbacks, too, but know that the will of God is being worked, and that we are but pawns in the work that is being done through this illness. I continue to pray for Lea’s recovery and her return to full health through miraculous healing, and am looking forward to the day I can take her back home to be nearer to her friends, family and loved ones.

I will have to say again to those of you who have done so much to support us through your emails, eGreetings, and greeting cards, that these are tangible evidence for the staff here at the hospital of the love that surrounds Lea. It is a palpable demonstration of the wonderful support we receive through the prayer groups that are lifting her up. It helps Lea when I read the notes to her, and it helps the nursing staff see that she has earned a special place in the hearts of so many.

Thank you again for your love and support,

Larry