What Day Is It?

I know I got home from Scotland on Monday the 19th.....

In all seriousness, it's good to be home.  We flew to Florida Tuesday morning and flew back yesterday morning.  I'm feeling like a regular jet setter now.  

Tim's Mom is doing amazingly well.  Her therapists are happy with how she's doing.  The only thing that overshadows it all is that she could have another stroke.

When we arrived in Florida we found out that she had decided to decline the Coumadin.  There are risks of stroke associated with taking it, hemorrhagic strokes, which could cause a massive build up of blood in the brain.  This was weighed against the possibility of a regular stroke, and she decided to not take it.

There is a blood clot on one of her heart valves that they believe is the cause of the stroke that happened Friday night.

We flew to Florida to see Mom, of course, but also to be there for a family meeting with several of her husbands' children (one attended via FaceTime) and Tim's two sisters and us.  

We are all in agreement that they will do better if they can stay in their own home but they are going to have to have live in help 24/7.  This emergency with Mom enlightened us all to just how bad her husband is as far as mental ability, and how much Mom had been doing for him.  He was unable to process the need to call 911 or Tim's sister who lives nearby, but did manage to call someone in Jean's rolodex, (Saturday morning - the stroke happened Friday night) thankfully someone who lived nearby, and they were able to come over and they called 911 and Tim's sister.   So if this were to happen again, we need to have someone who lives with them, and can do the cooking, cleaning and laundry.  When Mom comes home from the hospital she'll be able to care for herself.

We'll likely be heading back down in a few weeks to take the kids to visit her and to work on some handyman type projects that are needed around their home.

Mom has a DNR as well - she is adamant about it - she said "If I die, DON'T bring me back!" 

There you have it.  She hasn't signed the DNR because her life is horrible or she is experiencing the challenges of old age, but because she is nearly 92 years old and she is READY to be with her Lord when He calls her home to Himself!

There is peace in that for us all.

Prayer For Tim's Mother - Update!

Photo credit - Melissa Gill

***Jean's speech is back!***




This joyful woman is my mother in law.  She is nearly 92 years old.

She has had quite a full life of service for the Lord, both at home and in West Africa, where she raised her family and buried two sons.

Sometime Friday night she had either a heart attack that lead to a stroke or vice versa.  Her husband, who is 90, was at home with her, but she has been the stronger, healthier partner, and he didn't think about calling 911 and he couldn't get her up off the floor, either, so she laid all night on the floor by her bed.  In the morning he didn't know Tim's sisters phone number so he called a man from church, who called 911 and Esther.  They ran more tests late Saturday and we will have the results of those tests tomorrow.  For now she is stable, in intermediate icu, on a heart monitor and heparin.  

In the days to come some difficult decisions will have to be made regarding their living situation.  Her husband's daughter is on her way to be with her dad at their house, so he is taken care of while Tim's mom is in the hospital.

She has good motion in all her limbs, but is terrible weak.  Her speech is the most affected.  She can say certain things but not other things - it is garbled.  They doctor feels she will regain her speech!

She will need rehab when they release her from the hospital, for speech and physical therapy.  

Please pray with us for wisdom for the doctors, and for all of us who will need to help them through this time.  Also Tim's brother Dan is a missionary in West Africa, and is currently having meetings in another country than the one he lives in.  Please pray that his wife will be able to contact him.

Thanks so much friends!  It means so much to be able to share this request and know that you'll take it seriously and bring it before the Lord!  She is resting in Him and that gives us great comfort!