Two Year Anniversary

(I'm on another computer, without a spell-check...)

Kendra and I were recalling how this is the two year anniversary of Loren receiving his heart transplant.

Two years and....*looks at clock*....4 hours, to be approximate. The nurse sorta forgot to tell me when they actually started, but I'm fairly certain they had Loren's chest open and waiting when Pastor John and I heard the helicopter land at St. Mary's around 5:30.

We went from extreme lows the night before, to extreme highs all through the 8th of November, 2006.

Somewhere, another family was going through just the opposite chain of emotions.

Sitting in the waiting room, I got a case of the shakes....just nervous pent up energy, fears and thrills. The only other times I have experienced that kind of shaking was about an hour after each of the kids was born.

I don't know if Loren would care to remember what he first felt like upon waking, but he sure looked weird, with all manner of tubes coming out of his neck, his chest and goodness knows where else. It took two nurses just to get him out of bed, which amazingly enough, they start to do rather quickly!

I literally couldn't believe it when I came back at supper and found him eating turkey and sweet potatoes. I might have asked, "Are you sure he should be eating that stuff?" (I think they are rather used to dumb questions :-)

Those nurses are simply incredible.

___________________

Then Kendra and I started reminiscing about less joyous times....like when Jason--then 15--walked into the computer room and found his dad face down on the floor. By the time I got to him, he was turning purple. I just knew the defibrillator would kick in, but I'd never seen him blue before. Then the shocks started.....one...........two...................three. (it takes longer to charge after each shock) Finally he came around, groggy, weak, dazed and once again prone, with people standing around staring at him.

Or the time I was coming back with Sharon after year 2 of college. I pulled into the drive and Derek came running out, "Jason says somethings wrong with Daddy!" (poor Jason, he often seemed to be on shock-watch) So we ran in and found Loren lying in the recliner, "I'm gonna get shocked....I'm gonna get shocked".........*wham*......and we're just standing around waiting and there's nothing you can do.
___________________

That might be enough recapping for now. (probably just as well I didn't know about blogging back then) Sometimes it's good to remember where we've been, but not to wallow in past horrors over-long.

God's been very good to us, though there have been times I wondered if He was even listening. At all.

But any given time of desperation is securely nestled between great acts of God's grace. The assurance of past protection can lead us through more current trials.

And that brings us up to today. You can pray for Loren in these next weeks.

He has had his Prednisone gradually decreased over the past two years, which up till now has caused him no problem. But the latest change is a bit different. The twice daily pills have been combined to one morning dosage. You wouldn't think this would be a big deal, but it is. The goal is to kick-start the adrenal glands into working again. They've been in hibernation during this time, post-transplant, and apparently they like it that way. They're not going to start up again without a fight.

I don't know how long this process is supposed to take, but Loren is extremely tired, weak and well-nigh exhausted.

Maybe the turning point is just around the corner, or maybe he'll have to slog it out a bit.

One thing's for sure....it's a good thing he's retired! Ain't no way he could work outside the home, feeling as he does.

Mercy me, how I do ramble on. (Kendra thinks this might be why Ethan likes to talk so much :-)

Well, we all have our methods of survival.

Some put a smile on their face and pretend everything's super....some whine and bring everyone down with them.....some quote Bible verses, as if they're a magic potion.....some keep busy and ignore the distress.....

....and some people blog.

Tweet