Update July 27
Dear All,
It is a pleasure to write this email update, which I fully expect to be the last email update regarding my Mom's esophagus tear – and her complete healing !
She returned home 2 weeks ago from the hospital. She has steadily increased her appetite, strength and health each day. This week, she had two follow-up appointments. One with the infectious disease team, and one with the thoracic surgeon. Although she does have 1 further follow-up with the infectious disease team in three weeks, she received the "all-clear" from the thoracic surgeon, her main doctor on this case. So she is Good to Go : )
Thank God for the healing that He provided her. Sometimes God works directly, and sometimes through doctors. I think He did both in this case.
Looking back briefly over the updates that were sent, I see God clearly showing up in answer to prayer. In terms of the doctor she had at U Miami, who was on holiday 1 week after he did the operation on her – but he took a tact of allowing her body to heal instead of doing a further follow-up surgery. The support that He provided to Diana and I through Luis at the Miami Marriott, and several other very specific ways He showed up. He revealed himself, I guess in more formal Bible-speak. Specific prayers were answered – ultimately for my Mom's healing.
But also for peace on my Mom's hospital floor, with the woman screaming at night. For restful sleep. The day that the email went out and people started praying for restful sleep – she was out all day. She had a weird kind of "foam" in her mouth, and I was just sitting there thinking, am I witnessing God at work? I think that I was, witnessing her throat healing right there.
I have attached to this email, the full list of updates in case you want to read and see God's hand at work day by day. You can also read those and see pictures of Baby Nico at wadesplusone.com, the site Diana keeps up with her blog and pictures.
I would like to thank all of you. People contributed in so many different ways. Prayer – I have heard this, prayer is not preparation for the battle, prayer is the battle. So thank you for your prayer.
For those who came and stayed with my Mom in Miami, who watched Baby Nico for Diana and I to just be able to see our Mom together. For the emails and letters of support, the pictures, the stories. Millie and the Murphys who watched our Mom's favorite child (Tucker).
What a blessing as well to be embraced and supported by both our old church family in Miami, and our current church family in Vero Beach. How important to have that support. And those who were praying simply for another member of the family of God – who were at other churches, in Arkansas, Florida, all over – thank you all.
In terms of how you can help my Mom now, I think that the best thing is continued prayer for her well-being and to take this new lease on life and use this opportunity to reassess things. Slow down, refocus, do what she really wants to do. That is one of the most important lessons that I learned after my father died. Tragedy comes to us all, sooner or later. But, how are we going to let tragedy – and God working through that tragedy – change us? The best book I have ever read on tragedy is called A Grace Disguised http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Disguised-Soul-Grows-through/dp/0310258952
and I highly recommend this book to everyone who is going through tragedy.
Flowers aren't the best plan, as the cat eats them and gets sick… but Panera and Toojays gift cards, she will use – they are a good choice for healthy food that she can pick up.Emails are better than calls, as she is working her way through to gradually seeing people in due course, as I'm sure you can understand…
Just to reiterate, I believe that God showed up in specific answer to prayer and healed my Mom – in spite of my, perhaps most of our, struggles with faith. Our little faith (at least I know mine is little). But, as my friend reminded me, it only takes the faith of a mustard seed to see mountains move.
Praise God for His power and His healing hand.
With Love,
Diana and Russell
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