Enduring The Ins And Outs

With mixed emotions today we said goodbye to the bladder catheter. The catheter was uncomfortable and a potential source of infection (none found, but so many tubes make the doctors nervous). It was also a very easy way of dealing with bodily excretions. Things are more complicated now with it out because Krista needs a diaper change whenever she goes. And she's going much more often now that they started her back up on Lasix, a fast acting diuretic. It's a better situation than having to get exhausted using a bedpan, but she's very self-conscious about getting cleaned up so frequently.

Krista's appetite has been good again, and she's had an Ensure for each meal. There's something of a pattern that she's established to make it possible: clear the palette with baking soda mouthwash, rinse with water, numb the mouth with "magic mix", drink and repeat. Between each step within the pattern there's a massive struggle to get mucus out, but by the end of it the Ensure is gone. The seemingly simple task of drinking an 8 ounce shake becomes an exhausting ordeal, each and every time.

The added nutrition hasn't yet shown up in her lab results. The white blood hasn't changed; it's still 1.1 with 400 neutrophils. Her platelets continue to resist their efforts to increase them, continuing the regular roller-coaster due to daily fevers, especially at night. She was supposed to get dialysis today, but the doctors opted instead to try to work the kidneys with the Lasix instead. She was also supposed to get physical therapy and a cardio-chair today, but neither ever showed. Krista still did her leg exercises and hopefully when the therapist and chair do arrive she'll be a little stronger.

This seemingly endless phase will eventually pass. We are trusting God to provide us with all the endurance we need to get through it.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Romans 15:4-6)