Pressing Prayers

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

January and February 2024 have kicked off with a bang. From Trevor's car accident (and other sundry issues) to medical complications, we're in the thick of things. We have many pressing prayers daily. If you feel so inclined, join us in petitioning God for His best will for us in these areas:

John - My husband had a hernia six years ago. We have a hilarious story from that time. After the surgery, the nurses were performing some post-surgical procedure on my husband. The head nurse came running down the hall in concern, saying, "No, the correct patient is a 54-year-old man!" Ha! They had to inform her he was the 54-year-old man. Thankfully, he has a full head of thick, dark brown hair, with nary a gray to be seen. His mother had been the same. Despite her age, she maintained youthful-looking hair without the aid of dyes.

Sadly, John now has a hernia on the other side of his lower abdomen. We are praying for skilled hands in repairing this issue through surgery. We pray he will remain in sound health before, during, and after these procedures. Our eldest son and his fiancée gave us a gift of airline credit to arrange a visit to them in Texas sometime this spring. We had to postpone setting dates until we can determine when John will be back up to snuff and ready to travel (not his favorite thing to do in the best of times).

Sean - Sean had a scare the other night. He struggles with taking large pills and wants some new supplements that are not available in gummy form. Thus, he asked me to get him some thicker liquid to help swallow a pill. I gave him some Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Cherry Fudge Smoothie. He was thrilled to find that the pill went down with ease in the first gulp. A few seconds later, he said, "Wait, was there almond in that? My lips are tingling and getting puffy." Sure enough, it contained almond butter. 

When his almond allergy flares, he finds it difficult to swallow or talk and even gets chest pains. I ran to get him some antihistamine, but all we had was outdated by 2 years. Still, he took the pills (with milk) and waited for them to ease the symptoms. He doubted they would work. Sensing he was uncomfortable and concerned, I googled how to know when an almond allergy requires a trip to the ER (I'm a catastrophizer by nature).

My sister called during this, and I asked her to pray for Sean. My phone was on speaker and she said a prayer aloud for his comfort and healing. As soon as she finished, Sean said his chest felt better. The power of prayer manifest before our eyes and ears! Praise God! We now are considering getting him an epi-pen to keep with him, just in case.

My sister  - Dawn had a car accident last year and has been struggling with pain in her thumbs ever since. Facing the lengthy recovery time for a surgery, she opted to go with the less invasive shot therapy (I believe it is a steroid shot). She said the pain is excruciating. She had it done once before and did not get through the full procedure. I prayed for her throughout the morning. She called to say a nurse practitioner administered the shot after applying topical anesthetic, and it was far less painful than last time (praise God!). 

I know it is more than I could endure! How I pray I will never face the intense pain of such medical challenges. My most pressing difficulty is with a constant need to clear my throat. I've battled this for 5 or 6 years now and no doctor visits bring any answers or alleviation. Still, it is like comparing a blueberry to a watermelon.

My dad - In late January, my dad had a heart catheterization scheduled. Once again, my mind flew to worst-case scenarios. I urged him to find someone to come care for my mother and not to assume he would merely be gone for the 4-6 hour procedure. Thankfully, he came through that procedure and the cardiologist put in four stents. At his follow-up appointment, the cardiologist showed him a video revealing the severity of his blockages (70-99%) and recommended a quadruple bypass. He will have open-heart surgery on February 22nd.

My mom - Of course, anything that interrupts my mother's normal routine means potential upheaval for her Alzheimer's symptoms. My dad requested my sister stay with her during the week when he will be in the hospital. What a daunting task! I am praying for all of them - my dad, my mom, my sister. It will be a trying and tenuous time! For now, I'm not on the docket to help, but that may change at any time. I am on my knees asking the Father to watch over my loved ones and bring healing and peace.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash