September 25, 2011

Sunday Day 18 The Day of The Lord,
I'm sure many of you went to church today or last night asking for the 
prayer of healing...as we did. Lou and I woke up and decided to go to
730am at our home parish. Although we have been attending a Catholic 
mass as often as available at the Chapel in the hospital, we needed to
feel the power of our own church. Of course after being there we headed 
to the hospital with a renewed strength for Nicole and all said "today
is a beautiful day for a miracle" On the ride that was our hope.  When 
we went to her room it was a different feeling. Imagine you look at the
sky and it is filled with dark clouds... you are hoping for a sunny 
day. You receive news of not much improvement...she is still not
responding. Where do you go? What do you say? You call on God, you call 
on the prayers of family friends and even strangers to lift you up. And
then in the midst of the dark clouds a small ray of sun shines though. 
In a little while it is a few steaming beams of light. That is the
prayers you sent us. That is the effort you put into going to church 
and asking on her behalf. That was what got us through today.
She continues to have high doses of co2 and although it did come down 
after yesterday, it is still not where it needs to be to remove the
breathing tube. The good news is she is getting her Cystic Fibrosis 
treatments and her lungs are responding better. They are suctioning out
cups of mucus and freeing up the airways...long way to go. We were told 
today she has a small Pneumothorax in the left lung, it is the presence
of air between the layers that separates the lungs from the chest wall. 
They are not treating it in the hopes it will not change or cause more
harm. Her vital statistics remain stable, and that is good. We are 
facing a tracheotomy either tomorrow or Tuesday. Doctors believe it
will ease her breathing with a larger tube and also allow for an easier 
transition off the ventilator. Given the choice I would not want her to
go through another thing, but I have to trust in the long run it may 
help her.
Please look with the eyes of Faith,that all small graces that come in 
our path are our small miracles. The doctors are using that word quite 
often.
Her being here, continuing to fight gives everyone HOPE, including 
Doctors and nurses that see this everyday. They are all fighting for 
her.
And you dear family and friends are fighting for us. Without that love 
and support this would be impossible. Many people have said to me "how
do you do it" how are you surviving this night mere? This to me is the 
opportunity I have to give thanks, to realize how small I am ,to see
that God is in control here and the gift I have is trust. Please remain 
close to God, he is all love and compassion. Nothing will change that
no matter the outcome.
You are our life line of prayer, each prayer is a link in this chain of 
love that is circling the world. Every faith has crossed the barriers 
for the sake of a beautiful woman who deserves God' s grace. Again we 
thank you for remaining faithful and hopeful...for trusting his will 
without question.
The food the cards the love and prayers are amazing. I wish I could 
forward you every e-mail and response so you could witness the love of
Christ. Sr. Marie  answered me with something I want to share : In the 
end, it doesn't matter whether we live or die but whether we have known 
love.  Nicole has known an abundance of love.  You could give her 
nothing more precious.  Were she to live to be 100, what you have given 
her, what you now bestow on her, could not be greater or better.
HOLD ON TO THAT.  REMAIN FAITHFUL
May God abundantly bless you all, Lou, Deb, Tina, Robert Nicole and our 
angel Robert Louis