Signs of Encouragement

Dear Friends,
I tried to pick one of the less shocking pictures to post of Grace because I know that it will seem much worse than it actually is.
The image that you are looking at show the IV that they had to put into a vein in Grace's head because the vein they had an IV in had closed up and they used the other good veins on her hands and feet. It looks bad but it is actually better than the one that was on her hand before. They had to tie her hand down in order for her not to pull out the IV, this way she has both hands free and she does not feel the IV in her head.

Her condition was stable all day. They still have not fed her but she needs less oxygen today than she did yesterday and is almost completely weaned off it. By tomorrow she should be off it completely. Also, if the x-ray looks good tomorrow and she doesn't have as much fluid being drawn out of her stomach they may take out the tube and slowly reintroduce food to her. The culture has not come back yet to see if she has a bacterial infection.

Before we left the hospital tonight we had a long talk with the doctor concerning her condition. He said if the tests come back negative that she has a bacterial infection, she begins to take milk and keep it down, her oxygen level stays consistently up and there are no other problems that are introduced, she could be home in three or four days. However, if she does have a bacterial infection it could be up to ten days or longer.

They have been giving her antibiotics in case it is a bacterial infection. She shows signs of improvement which means either her body is fighting off a viral infection or the antibiotics are dealing with a bacterial infection.

One of my seminary professors, Dr. Harold O.J. Brown, who was going in for cancer surgery to remove commented to me in a conversation, "Doctors can pour on chemicals or cut things out of the body, but only God can heal." Either through supernatural means or the natural mechanisms He has put in place for the body to heal, that is something that only God can do. We are grateful for doctors and medicine, but our faith is in the Great Physician!

One last picture of Jenn and Grace. She may be in the hospital but she is still surrounded by those who love her!