Dear friends and family-
So sorry for the delay of this update. The last 2-3 days have been non-stop and the sleep deprivation finally caught up…
…but, I have AWESOME NEWS TO SHARE!
As you know, Richard was taken off the respirator on Sat. morning.
Since then, his progress has been phenomenal. He started out with a
killer soar throat (for obvious reasons) and could only talk in whispers. The first two days off the breathing machine were filled with his desperately trying to cough up his own mucous/flem, which was previously being done by the nurses through the respirator. As you can imagine, the throat pain coupled with back and chest pain made coughing a dreaded process.
The next milestone was walking. Though his knees were pretty wobbly, he made his first lap around the nurses station on Sunday late
morning. He was definitely winded, but he had many of the staff
cracking up with his “Superman/faster than a speeding bullet” jokes.
We took Superman joke literally for his second walk of the day, making a red cape out of the red trash can liners that have *bio hazard* printed all over them. It was a classic moment for sure.
On Monday night, he was officially moved out of ICU and into the general cardio-thoracic care unit. The room is quite ample and allows plenty of room for visitors!
Richard, his mom & I have started receiving instruction on how to administer medication and food through his feeding tube. He’ll most likely need the feeding tube for the next month or so, until he can begin to eat enough orally to keep his calories up. At this point, however, his stomach incisions are still healing and he’s not allowed to swallow ANYTHING for the next two weeks; everything must be administered through the feeding tube. Fun times!! 😉
It’s Wed. morning and Richard just took his first real shower since Monday of LAST week! He’s a very happy man.
GREAT NEWS is that the doctors are planning to send him home tomorrow morning. At some point tomorrow afternoon, a home health nurse is supposed to meet us at Richard’s house to go over home care instructions/feedings/etc.
I can’t believe his progress, considering he just came out of total sedation on Sat. morning!! His humor has been incredible and we don’t take his progress for granted for one second!! God has been so good and so faithful.
ANOTHER PRAYER REQUEST: For those of you who remember Daren and Krista Moorman: Krista’s father, Charles Van Kirk (Pastor of the Rim of the Work Community Church up by Lake Arrowhead) is two doors down
from Richard, recovering from a 14-hour cancer surgery!! Please keep
his recovery in your prayers as his well. For Richard, it’s been great reconnecting with Daren & Krista, and it’s been awesome for me
to meet them for the first time. What a totally unexpected blessing
at this time.
God willing, the next update will be from Richard’s home. In fact, it will most likely be coming directly from him.
Thanks again for all your prayers, visits, offers to bring dinner and to transport Richard’s mom back and forth from the hospital. I can’t tell you how much that has meant and it gives me a better perspective of exactly what’s needed for the family members of people in the hospital… looks like a ministry opportunity in our future! 😉
All our love and appreciation!
Richard and Maria
Maria, You’re awesome for all the work keeping us updated on our friend. Can’t wait to meet you in person. And Richard, you are awesome just for being you and such a wonderful show of God’s unfailing love and care! I think I’ve had a sympathetic illness. First I had a cold and then lost my voice. I’ve been going for nigh on to two weeks, first with total silence (only able to whisper) and gradually each day getting better. Nothing hurt, just laryngitis. I think it was God’s way to keep you ever in my thoughts and prayers – as you are each day anyway. I still have our “call to prayer” that pops up on my computer every morning and when you’re not available to pray with me, God and I share a minute about you.
Take care and keep up that healing!
Hugs to you both,
Diane
Maria and Richard,
Has been a while since an update and I, for one, would love some kind of update on my friend. If you don’t want to do a formal website post, please drop me a line at my e-mail address above.
Also, I have a praise item for Richard…my 22 year old grandson, Tony, is home from his six month stint in Iraq. He called on Saturday night from Baltimore where he was greatly enjoying cool weather…and then Sunday night from Sacramento where he was in his little apartment home with his bride and his dog.
Thinking of you both.
Hugs,
Diane