Wednesday will be the official start to cardiac rehab. Today was just Jeff's evaluation day, but the many conversations, smiles, words of encouragment, hugs and love shown by all the staff at Memorial's Koke Mill Medical Center gave us a bigger boost of energy than any exercise could have provided on this day. God's timing is perfect. However, no worries, the exercise is coming and Jeff is in excellent hands.
Here is a link to a song performed live at our church yesterday synced to a video featuring Jeff and others who have put their trust in God during tough circumstances. An interesting note, the vocalist in the video, Laura, was less than 2 weeks out from having back surgery as she sang this yesterday. Her strength is astonishing! Wendy, featured following Jeff's story, was diagnosed AFTER this video was filmed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She is currently hospitalized, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Please pray for Wendy, her husband Sam and their young son Carter as she battles the cancer.
CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO: HEALER
Nothing is impossible for God.
God is Good!!! ALL the time!!!!
-Stacy and Jeff
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Stepping Out With My Baby
First, we need to clear up some VERY important matters.
Apparently, the younger generation was left confused by one of our earlier posts. It seems, the title of the post, Beans Don't Burn On the Grill , from January, left some scratching their heads and loosing sleep at night. What was the meaning behind that crazy title? Well, it has a connection to the first sentence in the post and was a reference to the theme song for The Jefferson's. Needing to explain a reference to a particular sitcom from the past should not make you feel old. What makes you feel old is when you have to say, "you see kid, back in my day, they had these things called "theme songs" that played before every TV show started". And to just add some more completely irrelevant and unnecessary facts to this blog post, my favorite sitcom theme song: #1) Growing Pains closely followed by #2) Family Ties
Now, that we have cleared that up and we are all on the same page, Jeff and I have some updates to share:
Today, we went on our SECOND adventure out of the house since leaving the hospital. It was once again a doctor appointment, BUT..... this time it was MORE than a half mile from our house. Jeff LOVES being a passenger while I drive, he dreads the day the doctor tells him he can drive again, especially since my vehicle is out of commission forcing me to drive his truck. I think I might love it even more than him since I get the bonus luxury of having a state of the art guidance system fully engaged during our rides. Not only does this "special GPS" tell me when and where to turn to reach our destination, it lets me know if I picked the wrong lane, if I'm going too slow, braking too hard and even picks out the perfect parking spot. It really has been wonderful... especially when slow drivers pull out in front of you and it says, "just go around and wax them!". Yep, I don't know how I managed to get anywhere without this fancy guidance system. On our way back home, I was enjoying it so much I got a little distracted and "accidentally" turned down one of the bumpiest roads in Springfield. It totally was not intentional because I would never think of such a thing. ;-)
We received news the infection Jeff is fighting is responding to treatment and improving. Jeff loathes antibiotics and always prided himself with his successful avoidance of them ever since I've met him. Well, you know what the Bible says about pride? Jeff's infection could take 4-6 weeks to master which means more antibiotics for him for awhile longer. The concern the doctor has regarding continued treatment is recent literature has found tendon ruptures to be a side effect with prolonged use of Jeff's type of antibiotic. While a tendon rupture is small potatoes compared to what he has been through, it is something we've had our fair share of and would rather not revisit. Returning to drumming at church is a major motivating factor for Jeff, no other injuries are allowed on this journey.
We also got some news we have also been waiting for... Jeff gets to start rehab on Monday! I'm not sure if he is going to take his hockey stick to wave toward his therapist like he does me when I start barking orders. However, I do know as the infection leaves his body, his spunky personality is coming back with a vengeance. :-) So you might want to pray for the receptionist who will have to register him, the instructor of his first class and practically every individual who will be within a 3 foot radius of him. The jovial, joking monster is waking back up. :-)
Prayer requests at this point:
-Pray for those in your life this week who have recently received discouraging news. Pray that while the news may sting, they will not lose heart and they will continue to trust God.
-Pray for continued positive response from Jeff's treatment as his body fights infection.
-Pray for our kids. I have been careful and deliberate about protecting their privacy in dealing with their specific responses to this trial. God knows their needs - please lift the kids up for us.
-Pray for strength as the grind of being cooped up in a house during the winter paired with the lack of structure and absence from our previous routines and comfort zone can take a toll on our mental strength.
-Pray for continued healing of Jeff's body.
-Pray and thank God for all the wonderful blessings He has given you. It is easy for negative news to saturate our minds and thoughts. One of the things that has consistently given me a boost is when I log onto facebook and see posts from people in our life sharing their victories, their celebrations or just giving us a peek into the fun things happening in their life whether big or small. For Jeff and I, reading posts about friends enjoying a sporting event or hobby, experiencing successes, hanging out with friends or enjoying a much needed vacation is more evidence of all the good that exists in this world. Please don't ever feel the need to shield us from any excitement you have going on in your life. Blessings in our friends and families lives are blessings in our lives as well.
Please never hesitate to to let us know ways we can be praying for YOU.
God is Good! ALL the time!!!!
-Stacy and Jeff
Apparently, the younger generation was left confused by one of our earlier posts. It seems, the title of the post, Beans Don't Burn On the Grill , from January, left some scratching their heads and loosing sleep at night. What was the meaning behind that crazy title? Well, it has a connection to the first sentence in the post and was a reference to the theme song for The Jefferson's. Needing to explain a reference to a particular sitcom from the past should not make you feel old. What makes you feel old is when you have to say, "you see kid, back in my day, they had these things called "theme songs" that played before every TV show started". And to just add some more completely irrelevant and unnecessary facts to this blog post, my favorite sitcom theme song: #1) Growing Pains closely followed by #2) Family Ties
Now, that we have cleared that up and we are all on the same page, Jeff and I have some updates to share:
Today, we went on our SECOND adventure out of the house since leaving the hospital. It was once again a doctor appointment, BUT..... this time it was MORE than a half mile from our house. Jeff LOVES being a passenger while I drive, he dreads the day the doctor tells him he can drive again, especially since my vehicle is out of commission forcing me to drive his truck. I think I might love it even more than him since I get the bonus luxury of having a state of the art guidance system fully engaged during our rides. Not only does this "special GPS" tell me when and where to turn to reach our destination, it lets me know if I picked the wrong lane, if I'm going too slow, braking too hard and even picks out the perfect parking spot. It really has been wonderful... especially when slow drivers pull out in front of you and it says, "just go around and wax them!". Yep, I don't know how I managed to get anywhere without this fancy guidance system. On our way back home, I was enjoying it so much I got a little distracted and "accidentally" turned down one of the bumpiest roads in Springfield. It totally was not intentional because I would never think of such a thing. ;-)
We received news the infection Jeff is fighting is responding to treatment and improving. Jeff loathes antibiotics and always prided himself with his successful avoidance of them ever since I've met him. Well, you know what the Bible says about pride? Jeff's infection could take 4-6 weeks to master which means more antibiotics for him for awhile longer. The concern the doctor has regarding continued treatment is recent literature has found tendon ruptures to be a side effect with prolonged use of Jeff's type of antibiotic. While a tendon rupture is small potatoes compared to what he has been through, it is something we've had our fair share of and would rather not revisit. Returning to drumming at church is a major motivating factor for Jeff, no other injuries are allowed on this journey.
We also got some news we have also been waiting for... Jeff gets to start rehab on Monday! I'm not sure if he is going to take his hockey stick to wave toward his therapist like he does me when I start barking orders. However, I do know as the infection leaves his body, his spunky personality is coming back with a vengeance. :-) So you might want to pray for the receptionist who will have to register him, the instructor of his first class and practically every individual who will be within a 3 foot radius of him. The jovial, joking monster is waking back up. :-)
Prayer requests at this point:
-Pray for those in your life this week who have recently received discouraging news. Pray that while the news may sting, they will not lose heart and they will continue to trust God.
-Pray for continued positive response from Jeff's treatment as his body fights infection.
-Pray for our kids. I have been careful and deliberate about protecting their privacy in dealing with their specific responses to this trial. God knows their needs - please lift the kids up for us.
-Pray for strength as the grind of being cooped up in a house during the winter paired with the lack of structure and absence from our previous routines and comfort zone can take a toll on our mental strength.
-Pray for continued healing of Jeff's body.
-Pray and thank God for all the wonderful blessings He has given you. It is easy for negative news to saturate our minds and thoughts. One of the things that has consistently given me a boost is when I log onto facebook and see posts from people in our life sharing their victories, their celebrations or just giving us a peek into the fun things happening in their life whether big or small. For Jeff and I, reading posts about friends enjoying a sporting event or hobby, experiencing successes, hanging out with friends or enjoying a much needed vacation is more evidence of all the good that exists in this world. Please don't ever feel the need to shield us from any excitement you have going on in your life. Blessings in our friends and families lives are blessings in our lives as well.
Please never hesitate to to let us know ways we can be praying for YOU.
God is Good! ALL the time!!!!
-Stacy and Jeff
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Trying to Sprint in a Mud Pit
The lack of updating the past few days was contributed by 2 things which contradict themselves:
#1) Not much has occurred
#2) There hasn't been free time to type an update
We did not make the three times a day walking goal yet. However, we did make it outside to the mailbox on Wednesday! The infection seems to be responding to treatment but still has a grip on Jeff's body and is affecting his rehab. Yet, we are THANKFUL for the response to treatment.
We also had another positive highlight, we recreated the father-daughter banquet at home tonight. It was a nice opportunity for Jeff and Kenzie to have some quality time together. I will save the details and pictures for the next blog but I will give you a sneak peek...
There hasn't been time to update the blog due to trying to transition to life on our own. At times, I really miss the hospital and those nurses! :-) In the hospital, we were able to focus the majority of our energy, thoughts, and time on Jeff's health. Now, we must work to blend our "new normal" with the "old normal". The differences become more apparent as you try to resume your previous routines.
This leg of the journey reminds me of running a cross country race. OK, I know it isn't the most exciting, glamorous sport but stick with me just for a moment. You can get back to your Super Bowl hoopla soon enough.
During a cross country meet, there is a lot of commotion at the start of the race. Coaches are by the athletes' side for words of expertise about the race ahead, you can talk to fellow teammates sharing similar anxieties, adrenaline flows giving you an added boost as you head to the starting line. Then the gun goes off and chaos ensues. You have no fatigue when the race starts and you have a chorus of friends, family and school supporters providing encouragement. It is the beginning of the race that is actually the easiest.
Then you get to the backside of the course, suddenly you turn the corner to be faced with a steep hill. By now, the field of racers has thinned and sometimes your nearest teammate is out of sight. It is much lonelier, more quiet. The back part of the course is out of sight from spectators and fans. Now, your legs are burning, your body is fatigued but you know you have to keep going. You want to look good when you come around the next corner and get seen again by the crowds. You look ahead and see a competitor who was right next to you when the race started and wonder how did they get so far ahead, why I am still back here.
This is where we are right now, we are on the backside of the course. We are climbing the hill. Gone are the nurses to assist and the daily doctors visits coaching us with their words of expertise. Other "teammates" with similar experiences with this surgery are further ahead at this point. We knew we would be facing a hill on the course. But we mentally prepared ourselves for a grassy instead of a muddy hill. There is a difference between running in grass vs. mud. If you doubt me, and you live in Central Illinois, the current wet weather provides the perfect opportunity to try it out.
This blog has been one of complete transparency. The times of strength are authentic and real. They are also much easier to write. Exposing weakness comes with hesitancy. We don't want to get in the trap of dwelling on the negative or getting caught up in self-pity. More importantly, we don't want our trials to become the focus of a prayer life that deserves so much more. Our struggles are so pale in comparison to the THOUSANDS living with no medical care, no food, no clean water, no clean clothes and no safety from abuse. It sounds like something fabricated for a good comparison. It is not. If anything, the inaccuracy in the previous statement is the underestimation of "thousands" instead of "millions" of people suffering. Our financial struggles are temporary and we can make adjustments in our lifestyle to accommodate it. They cannot. We will eventually return to jobs with income, Jeff will regain his energy and strength, we will return to our "normal" daily schedule raising our kids, and life will go on.
We have friends who have made the choice to leave their comfortable lifestyle behind and dedicate the next five years serving and living among those in need, to not only provide what is lacking, but to bring news of an incredible ending. One day, we will all have the opportunity to cross the finish line in this race called life and be greeted by our biggest supporter. We WILL be provided energy that will never fade, legs that will never cramp and good days that will NEVER cease. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
It is those who are intentionally sacrificing their bodies, their finances, their lifestyles for the sake of building God's kingdom who truly need our prayers. It is those with none of the provisions we take for granted who truly need our prayers.
It's easy to get caught up in the trials of this life. It is easy to focus inward. It is at this point, we need to lift our eyes and thoughts upwards.
God is Good!!! ALL the time!!!!
-Stacy
#1) Not much has occurred
#2) There hasn't been free time to type an update
We did not make the three times a day walking goal yet. However, we did make it outside to the mailbox on Wednesday! The infection seems to be responding to treatment but still has a grip on Jeff's body and is affecting his rehab. Yet, we are THANKFUL for the response to treatment.
We also had another positive highlight, we recreated the father-daughter banquet at home tonight. It was a nice opportunity for Jeff and Kenzie to have some quality time together. I will save the details and pictures for the next blog but I will give you a sneak peek...
There hasn't been time to update the blog due to trying to transition to life on our own. At times, I really miss the hospital and those nurses! :-) In the hospital, we were able to focus the majority of our energy, thoughts, and time on Jeff's health. Now, we must work to blend our "new normal" with the "old normal". The differences become more apparent as you try to resume your previous routines.
This leg of the journey reminds me of running a cross country race. OK, I know it isn't the most exciting, glamorous sport but stick with me just for a moment. You can get back to your Super Bowl hoopla soon enough.
During a cross country meet, there is a lot of commotion at the start of the race. Coaches are by the athletes' side for words of expertise about the race ahead, you can talk to fellow teammates sharing similar anxieties, adrenaline flows giving you an added boost as you head to the starting line. Then the gun goes off and chaos ensues. You have no fatigue when the race starts and you have a chorus of friends, family and school supporters providing encouragement. It is the beginning of the race that is actually the easiest.
Then you get to the backside of the course, suddenly you turn the corner to be faced with a steep hill. By now, the field of racers has thinned and sometimes your nearest teammate is out of sight. It is much lonelier, more quiet. The back part of the course is out of sight from spectators and fans. Now, your legs are burning, your body is fatigued but you know you have to keep going. You want to look good when you come around the next corner and get seen again by the crowds. You look ahead and see a competitor who was right next to you when the race started and wonder how did they get so far ahead, why I am still back here.
This is where we are right now, we are on the backside of the course. We are climbing the hill. Gone are the nurses to assist and the daily doctors visits coaching us with their words of expertise. Other "teammates" with similar experiences with this surgery are further ahead at this point. We knew we would be facing a hill on the course. But we mentally prepared ourselves for a grassy instead of a muddy hill. There is a difference between running in grass vs. mud. If you doubt me, and you live in Central Illinois, the current wet weather provides the perfect opportunity to try it out.
This blog has been one of complete transparency. The times of strength are authentic and real. They are also much easier to write. Exposing weakness comes with hesitancy. We don't want to get in the trap of dwelling on the negative or getting caught up in self-pity. More importantly, we don't want our trials to become the focus of a prayer life that deserves so much more. Our struggles are so pale in comparison to the THOUSANDS living with no medical care, no food, no clean water, no clean clothes and no safety from abuse. It sounds like something fabricated for a good comparison. It is not. If anything, the inaccuracy in the previous statement is the underestimation of "thousands" instead of "millions" of people suffering. Our financial struggles are temporary and we can make adjustments in our lifestyle to accommodate it. They cannot. We will eventually return to jobs with income, Jeff will regain his energy and strength, we will return to our "normal" daily schedule raising our kids, and life will go on.
We have friends who have made the choice to leave their comfortable lifestyle behind and dedicate the next five years serving and living among those in need, to not only provide what is lacking, but to bring news of an incredible ending. One day, we will all have the opportunity to cross the finish line in this race called life and be greeted by our biggest supporter. We WILL be provided energy that will never fade, legs that will never cramp and good days that will NEVER cease. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
It is those who are intentionally sacrificing their bodies, their finances, their lifestyles for the sake of building God's kingdom who truly need our prayers. It is those with none of the provisions we take for granted who truly need our prayers.
It's easy to get caught up in the trials of this life. It is easy to focus inward. It is at this point, we need to lift our eyes and thoughts upwards.
God is Good!!! ALL the time!!!!
-Stacy
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