5 Prayer Points - Things Are Getting Strange

Tonight we are in Rachael's room, attired in our vestments for 'Enhanced Contact Precautions'.  A paper thin, but highly suffocating gown and latex gloves are worn if you are to come close to or touch Rachael. Attached to the exterior side of Racheal's door is a collection of plastic pockets that contain the gowns, gloves and other items that should only come in contact with her once and then with nothing else.
The problem is with spores, we recently learned of them in the 3rd Grade.  They are tiny cells of a microorganism.  You can't see them without the aid of a microscope.  Little tiny devils kept in check in your gut by a multitude of probiotics - the good guys.  Let the little buggers out number the good guys and you have a highly uncomfortable and dangerous infection.  Touch even one of the microscopic spores and let it sit and dry on a door handle, bed rail or other common surface and you have been used to propagate an infection.  Folks at risk are those of compromised health and those that have been on a regine of "broad spectrum" antibiotics.  Broad Spectrum Antibiotics pretty much destroy all the bacteria, good and bad.  That is the best opportunity for this little devil to grow.  It is known as C. Diff. which is short of  Clostridium difficile  It is messy and painful.  That is the first problem and opportunity for prayer.

Earlier this evening, while being tended to by a care giver, Rachael's Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG Tube) popped out of her belly.  She dispises having ot be fed through it so you can well imagine her joy at hearing it popped out.  She was laughing quite a bit about it.  There is no pain associated with it popping out and it will be replaced in the morning but it is an added day in the hospital timeline.
It is also an interruption to her food intake but she is going into this procedure much stronger than she has been in the past 6 weeks of her dealing with her illness.  This is another opportunity for prayer.   

Rachael has had a fever for the past several days and it has not been pinpointed as to what may be causing it.  At first we thought it to be a regulatory issue manifested from her brain damage and stirred by the surgery.  Since peeking over 101.2, they have decided to investigate further.  She has had blood drawn tonight for an extensive search as to the cause. 
It is not believed that the C. Diff. is the cause.  The doctors and the lab need prayer for the resolve to this hidden dilemma.  Thus you have a third opportunity for prayer.  

Due to the results of her colocntomy she has been eliminating acids while on her back side.  Combined with the pressure of being on her back most of the time, a serious bed sore has developed.  Wound care has been stepped up to take care of this but the breakdown is worsening.  Getting her home on her own circulating  bed will help to get rid of this sore.  We need to get her home.  The bedsore is one of the biggest problems that people that are not mobile have.  They can kill.  So, this is opportunity four to pray on.

So Nancy and I are camped here at SMH to see this through.
We had hoped to get Rachael back home on Monday but that never panned out.  It has been a stresser.  We have been dealing with this eveny for 6 weeks while maintaining ministry at Calvary Chapel School.  All is good and the family has no problem with God's sovereignty of this.  Do we desire greatly and pray regularly for it to end, YES!  However, this is where we are at this time and willing to stay the course that God has laid out for us.  Rachael is above all the real trooper here.  She has been through so much more than anyone.  She is fit to be tied yet held by the reigns of the Holy Spirit.  She does get  very frustrated, yet, once we talk and pray, she is ok.  Due to the trial we are under, we have not been able to make it to church.  We need church!  If anyone wants to come by and do church, please do!  Call to make sure we are not on an errand at 941-Five Four Five-0713.  Nancy was able to pop into a nearby church this evening and was blessed with prayer extraordinaire!  Thanks Ladies!  I hunger for the gathering of belivers.  We did visit my friends church here in SRQ, but missed worship.  We did get to hear a great sermon.  We miss Grace Community Bible Church in  Venice.  Praise God that Tony's messages are online!  Thanks John for the effort to get it on.  So this is prayer number 5. For the family.  We REALLY need it.  This week tempers flew a bit unchecked with the stress hitting hard.  All is ok now.  Just those moments that seem innocuous, stir anger and take our eyes off the Lord.  So Prayer Opportunity #5, for the Family.  Through all of this, Hanna got a 100 on a History Test while sick with a bad cold!  Thanks to her brother Daniel for studying with her in our absence.  

We remember that we need to treat this as discipline and training up.  We are so thankful for a God that can make things better quick but wants us to learn as we go through these things to rely upon him.  There is much to be gained through trial.  Wisdom, peaceful fruit of rightousness and most importantly in sharing in God's holiness!  Wow!  Yes, it is for discipline that we endure the hardships that face us.

We can endurre but we need your prayer.  Please pray now for the 5 ponits above.

Blessings,
The  Wizeman-Hinkle gang.

48 hours + without incident.  Rachael ate a great lunch and is showing more strength. This is the first day in the chair since 10 days past.  

This is at the Casey Garden at the SMH gardens. 

Doing Better But A Long Way To Go

Last night in the middle of the night Rachael began to bleed again.  She was given 2 more units of blood and I believe that throughout the day she has been given even more.  Her blood levels were dangerously low.  It was decided, after imaging, that she should be still and see if the work done last night continues to heal, thus stopping the bleeding.  So far there has been minor bleeding up until this evening as I type.

I feel like Burtie Bad News each time someone asks "How is Rachael?  How are you guys holding up?"  It has been since the week of August 11th that Rachael has been dealing with this problem.  Since that date, she has only been home for a total of about 2 weeks. She is so frustrated and sad to still be in the hospital.  It has been quite a weight on all the family.  The gang here at CCS have been fantastic as they offer support in many ways.

Today Rachael is resting comfortably.  She is currently not taking anything by mouth (NPO for the medically inclined) and we hope to get her on clear liquids sometime tonight.  She is very pale, and tired.  This has certainly been a setback.  

Nancy and I got to sleep at home last night.  That has been the exception since the surgery.  It is not at all easy on any of us but as crazy as we are down inside, much more is the peace of the Lord washing over us.  

So instead of Burtie Bad News, here is some good news:

1.  Many folks have been praying and all that prayer amounts to much.  We have been able to walk through this with strength in spirit and peace in our hearts.  I have stumbled a few times in frustration with staff which was totally uncalled for. We got to see God work a few nights back in a miraculous way when Rachael was not responding.  She awoke in the ICU as if nothing had happened.  There is the inexplicable peace that we are holding in our hearts that is directly due to all the prayer.  We both agree that if not for Christ we would be devastated. Rachael and Hanna too.  

2.  Either by example or by sharing of the word, we have been able to bring Christ to many in the hospital.  I have found that just treating the hospital employee as a believer and asking them if they know Christ is a great way to share with them all the neat things we have seen God do through Rachael.

3.   Trials, hardships, tests, we have a whole new outlook on these things.  Quite simply, as Isaiah 45:7, "I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things"  and in Deuteronomy 8:3 where Moses was guided to write "And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord"  Now I don't want to get into the agencies or a deep theological study but I know that God is sovereign over all things and to think that all things bad that happen to us are an attack of the enemy is simply not true.  Hebrews 12 is rich with the view on hardship and discipline.  If things are going well all the time and you do not feel like God is training you up via some kind of hardship....well, let Hebrews 12 give you the lowdown on that.

There is more and this is a glimpse.  There is much good news from all of this craziness.  

Pray for our marriage.  It is so hard to focus and invest in our marriage when something like this is going on.  Pray for Hanna, she has already lost her dad back in '05 and this has been a heavy load on her as well.  You would not know it talking with her.  Nancy needs to be lifted up continually as she is at the hospital more than I.  Pray for me for wisdom in handling my family, discerning where needs are to be met and doing so in a way that is love to my family. Also to be a better witness to those we deal with in the medical community.

Thank you all for your continued prayer IT AVAILS MUCH.

Blessings,

Burt

Rachael Needs Urgent Prayer

Yesterday Rachael began to bleed heavily. Though at first assumed to be a natural occurrence, Nancy was convinced otherwise.  She pressed on and today it turned out to be bleeding that has caused the order of a colonoscopy. That will be at 5.  Rachael has lost several units of blood and is getting blood in a few minutes.  Her blood pressure is low, heart rate in the high 140's. She will need to be sedated fir the procedure.  Please continue to pray

Burt and Nancy 

The Morning

Yes it has been a confusing day.  Yesterday we planned to have Rachael admitted to SMH.  That happened today at the direction of her doctor. The surgery from the 16th of August appears to have provided the desired results.  Something else is troubling her now.  She is not able to eat more than a few small bites of mechanical soft; or food of the consistency of oatmeal.  She is suffering from extreme abdominal pain and has lost a considerable amount of weight  She is able to drink but only a few ounces at a time.  Before any more testing can be done she needs to have an eating tube inserted to restore her strength.  This procedure has been set for 8:30 in the morning (9/12). 
Nancy will be spending the night and prep begins at 6 AM. 
Rachael is very weak.  She has not had a typical meal for herself since before the week of August 16.  To quote W, it has been a "long hard slog" for her. 
She needs your prayers as does Nancy.  Yesterday, with the activity and agony that surrounded Rachael, Nancy said she felt lifted up!  Prayer works.
Please lift up a prayer for them and as you go about your day, keep them in prayer as the Lord calls them to remembrance.  
We will update you as we have solid info to share.

Blessings,
Burt

Returning To SMH

Rachael came home last Thursday but has since worsened. She is not eating much more than a very small amount of food and drinking little fluids. We were hoping that as she healed her appetite would increase.  Nausea and cramps have kept her from increasing intake  and she complains of persistent pain.  We will be readmitting her today.  Please pray for Rachael and lift Nancy up as she works to get  Rachael's ability to swallow and intake foods and liquids resolved. 
Pleas remember to pray for the whole family as well.

Burt

Back At SMH The Dam Broke

We had to readmit Rachael after she refused to eat for 2 days and eventually became sick. We rushed her back to SMH on Sunday after speaking to her doctor. All is well after a long night.  About 2:00 AM prayers were answered and her bowels woke up. She is very tired but moving in the right direction, so to speak.
She will remain on a clear liquid diet today as she progresses.
Keep up the prayers!