May 8, 2015...Day 3 in Cancun

This is the day that the Lord has made and I am greatly rejoicing in it.  It's almost time!

"Father, thank you for the gift and opportunity of today. You did not promise me complete healing, but you did promise me your presence which is what I need the most. You created my stem cells and you are the Great Physician who decides what to do with those. Thank you for the medical personnel who have trained for their work today. Please guide their minds and hands as they perform the procedures.  I know that faith and obedience please you, so may my words, deeds, actions and reactions bring honor to you.  Father, may the 8 hours I spend on my back today bring some sweet blessings along the way.  May they bring rest and restoration to my body.  Thank you for family and friends who are praying for Larry, the medical team, and me during these days.  What an incredible gift and blessing to me.  Lord, along with Jesus and Jim Elliott, I too desire your will..nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen."  

My room at the hospital.

There were quilts on the bed.

My room

The bathroom

I was admitted and already in the room ready to go by 9:05 a.m. Larry was able to go to the room next door and pray for Tony (our friend with ALS), his wife Karen, and daughter Stephanie this morning.  A few minutes later Karen and Stephanie came to my room, we joined hands while Larry prayed for me! We also shared some scriptures that had blessed us.  It was a sweet time!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

O Master, these are the conditions in which people live,

    and yes, in these very conditions my spirit is still alive—

    fully recovered with a fresh infusion of life!

It seems it was good for me

    to go through all those troubles.

Throughout them all you held tight to my lifeline.

    You never let me tumble over the edge into nothing.

But my sins you let go of,

    threw them over your shoulder—good riddance!

The dead don’t thank you,

    and choirs don’t sing praises from the morgue.

Those buried six feet under

    don’t witness to your faithful ways.

It’s the living—live men, live women—who thank you,

    just as I’m doing right now.

Parents give their children

    full reports on your faithful ways.

Isaiah 38:16-19

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

    which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

    so the LORD surrounds his people

    both now and forevermore.

Psalm 125:1-2

I began a one hour IV saline solution in preparation for the IV stem cell treatment which also took about an hour.  I received 200 million stem cells through the IV.  This treatment was in the hospital room.

The nurse who did the saline solution

Dr. H who did the stem cell IV procedure

Holding my cells

Preparing the IV solution

Receiving stem cells.
The red on my arm is sunburn.

The heart doctor came by to report that the EKG report was fine.  He did another check and declared me ready for the intrathecal. 

Heart doctor

I went to the Operating Room for the intrathecal infusion.  Wish I could have taken a picture of that room.  It was impressive.  Due to the curvature of my spine, a 20 minute procedure took a little over 90 minutes.  The vertebrae are very close together where he needed to insert the needle.  The doctor was amazing.  He apologized several times for having me hold positions.  I assured him that it was worth it and appreciated his diligence in finding the best location.  I had been praying silently, but after a little over an hour I prayed out loud, “God, help him find the right spot.”  In less than two minutes he found the best place and was able to complete the infusion.  I thanked God for his provision out loud, too.  Dr. Robles thanked me several times for praying.  That was a very dear time for me.  When the doctor came back to the room to report, he brought a model and showed us exactly what the difficulty was and what he did.  He told Larry I cooperated 200%.

Intrathecal doctor and his daughter

After 2 hours in the hospital room, we went back to the hotel.  What a blessing that the hospital and our hotel are connected by a short hallway!  I then began the 8 hours of being flat on my back.  Thank you so much for the gift of your prayers! They are certainly working.

We did it!!! God answered your prayers!!! I stayed flat on my back for 8 hours and 2 minutes. I wanted to go the extra minutes to thank God for his faithfulness and to thank you for interceding on my behalf. Also to thank God for the gift of Larry who has gone over and beyond to help in every way possible. 

Three prayer requests:

1 A tolerance for the expected pain and soreness. When you are praying for a miracle it's even a blessing to know that those nerves still work.

2 For strength and energy now that I can eat and hydrate again.

3 For an uncomplaining spirit and overactive heart of expressed gratitude.

I love you and thank God for your willingness to pray, encourage, and love us during these days.  God continues to be faithful.