Another busy day, but John is knocking a lot of things off the list! He came off of another IV medication, and he had a few other “maintenance” procedures done which means he’s moving closer to going home.
There are still some potential issues that the doctors are watching (kidneys, blood, lungs), but because John looks so good and his vitals are consistent and strong, his surgeon is not very concerned at this point. The surgeon told us that he thinks if there were a real problem John would not look good and he would feel lousy. He thinks these things should pretty much work themselves out in time. However, they will continue to monitor them closely.
John’s surgeon also said tonight that he cannot believe how much better John looks and how well he’s doing from a week ago. I said to him, “Well, I’ll be honest, that’s John. That’s why he’s still alive after six years with Cardiomyopathy. He’s a fighter, and he’s stubborn as a mule.” John went on to tell him, “Yeah, I’ve had a couple of doctors tell me that over the years.” We’ve seen through all of this how much of a fighter John really is!
Because John came off of that IV medication, he got an order to go off the floor and outside this weekend for 30 minutes. It will be the first time he’s been outside in 31 days. I’ll be sure to get pictures! How good it will feel for the sun to sit on his face!
And as a huge praise and blessing, God has once again proven to us that He is taking care of our every need in this process! Today John and I received a huge blessing from an anonymous person as a random act of kindness. We have been blown away by all of the generosity and support that we’ve received from countless people in many different ways, and today came another huge blessing! When I told John about this special gift today, he said, “I’m going to help others in the same way people have helped us.” It reminded me of a passage in Matthew I blogged about early in the summer and that the chaplain at Duke brought to my attention again recently.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34
John and I are a testament to the fact that God allows provides and always takes care of us. That does not mean I never worry, and sometimes I worry a lot, but this experience has proven to me that I can trust Him to provide!
I will post pictures of John’s first trip outside hopefully tomorrow!!