Larina has suffered from nausea again today but, for the second day, without vomiting. For these 2 days she's not had to be hospitalized for re-hydration.
This nausea has been something she's dealt with throughout her 2 previous pregnancies. The difference this time is that blood issues lead to the stroke. She is recovering from more of the paralysis suffered as a result of that. But there's a lot of rehab yet ahead for her. Things like sensation, left side awareness, fine motor function, normal speech patterns,have yet to be fully restored. And there is concern about vulnerability to life threatening bleeding in the damaged region of the brain due to the high dosage of blood thinner being injected daily.
Thank God with us that she's had 2 days without vomiting.
Pray that this will continue and that the nausea will cease and desist!
Pray that there will be no critical bleeding nor further clots moving into her brain ...
And pray for Jon & Larina's financial situation. They have "catastrophic" Health Insurance which means they have to satisfy a high deductible before Insurance Payments for Medication and Procedures begin. At the present time they've had to cover thousands of dollars in medication costs alone ...
Our Lord's intervention is absolutely necessary!!
Your prayers are invaluable!
Jim, Shirley, Jon, & Larina
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
An Unfolding Family Story of Challenge and Faith ...
A CALL TO PRAYER! From Pastor Jim
11.09.2010 Update
Follow this link Jonathan's provided
- http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1573708595058&ref=mf
11.06.2010 Update
Family, Friends, Companions in Service to the King of Kings,
Here is the most recent Update from Jon. He posted it online to us and his 2 Brothers on the 4th …
“Yo...
So word from the Dr's this morning has Larina coming home on Friday the 12th. Counting the days...
She is making great progress though. Yesterday she rode a stationary bike for 12-min and today for 15-min. She also walked yesterday and today for a few minutes at a time without any stability issues. She even took a few steps on the stairs yesterday in PT. And just this morning she was able to squeeze my hand with her left hand. That is a huge sign of progress.
Overall she is starting to really hurt for home. She is also starting to come to grips with what just happened so she is very emotional. It's not the most uplifting scene here, most of the people in the stroke unit are very old, so please pray that we can create as positive a scene as possible for her.
The blood pressure issue still remains. It runs about 90 over 60 on the average. If ours was at that level we would be passing out every time we tried to stand up. So please pray for a healthy rise there.
Beyond that the big risks haven’t changed; bleeding at the stroke site, more clots, and the ever present pregnancy symptoms that have always rained down on her. And on that note...
On Tuesday we were praying in her room for guidance regarding the pregnancy. At this point we know the risks but have gotten a few different recommendations on how to handle those best. We were literally asking God to come into the room and speak directly to us about what to do ...
Then a little while later he did just that. No (emphatic expletive deleted) .
Our Dr. here, Dr. Kazmi, is a good dude. Extremely well respected and a survivor of childhood polio. When the polio vaccine came through his village in Pakistan they missed his house. He walks with crutches to this day.
So this Dr. comes in and tells us that, 1) Larina's BP is too low for the procedure which would be required if, in fact, it is determined that the pregnancy must be terminated to spare Larina’s life. Simply too high of a risk. And 2) that he feels it best to take a step back, reconvene with the hematologist and neurologist and high risk OBGyn Dr., so that we can get everyone on the same page about the risks, the treatment plan for managing those risks, and then make a final decision based on that.
Larina and I were both stoked to say the least. This was clearly God stepping in. The Dr. was positive about not only her recovery but also about managing the risks moving forward... while pregnant.
That is all for now. I think you know all the things to be praying for and thanks for doing that.
Later... Jonathan”
Friends,
The pregnancy continues to pose a threat to Larina's life! Pray that our Lord will give everyone, involved in the "reconvening" the Dr. is proposing, His wise discernment as to how they can actually "manage the risks moving forward while Larina's pregnant ..." Jim & Shirley
11.03.2010 Update
Our Praying, caring Friends, Family, and Fellow Followers of Jesus of Nazareth,
The procedure which we’d hoped would take place today was postponed because Larina’s blood pressure was too low.
Apart from that she continues to progress. She's learning to eat solid foods despite the paralysis on the left side of her mouth. She’s been able to shuffle to the Bathroom with the aid of a Physical Therapist. She can sit up in a wheelchair. She’s able to interact with her Sons and is quite the Mom they remember with that vivacious fun loving personality.
While the blood issues – fluctuating pressure … clotting – continue to pose a serious threat there are daily signs of progress. She does faint periodically because of the low pressure but the therapists managing her rehab have assured her and Jon that this is something which happens with patients recovering from Stroke …
Your prayers are more important than anything else that’s being done and we are EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL to all of you for this now 10 day vigil!
Jim & Shirley (who’s in Maine w/ Jon, their Family, & Larina’s Mom, & Brother)
My Fellow in Faith and Ministry, Ken Kennedy sent this to us and I found deep comfort in it!
http://www.andiesisle.com/ThisBlessingIsForYou.html
11.01.2010 Update
Friends, Family, Fellows in the Service of Jesus our Life Master …
Here is a message from our Son, Jonathan.
“To the many who have been praying for Larina,
I want to start getting people on board for a very specific prayer time for Larina. I don’t know when it will be exactly yet but Wednesday or Thursday Larina will be undergoing a critical procedure. In preparation for this procedure she has to come off of all blood thinners for 24-hours. This will be a high risk window for her of further clotting. At that same time since she has been on thinners for 8 days now her risk for bleeding during or after the procedure is high. Either problem would be a very significant issue.
So my goal, once I know the exact day/time of this thing, is to have people praying specifically for her at that time. We want as many of you as are able, to pray in that time window, once we know it, that this surgery will, as suggested by our Medical Team, greatly increase her recovery outlook and equally decrease her chances of a future stroke episode.
I will follow up later with the timing of this. But I want it to be a super strong movement for her. We’re told it will be about a one-hour time block. She needs this physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in more ways than even I probably know.
Stay tuned for more details...
Jonathan”
I will keep you up to date on the schedule of this procedure so y’all can be part of that “super strong movement.” But once we’ve scaled this mountain with Larina and her Family I will no longer be sending out this form of communiqué. I am concerned about over-loading your e-mail boxes. I will simply post updates, until Larina is fully healed, here at DestinyLifeHappenings.
Once again THANK YOU! all of you, for this most generous Weeklong vigil! Our God has used your remarkable response and tireless attention to give us a whole new sense of the scope of His love and the Family into which He’s adopted us!!
Godspeed to y’all …
Jim & Shirley
10.30.2010 Update ...
Friends, Family, Fellow Christ-followers,
Your attention to our Kids has been overwhelming and so GREAT a BLESSING!
Larina was moved, today, from the Maine Medical Center where she’s been for a day short of a Week. She is now in the New England Rehab Hospital. Starting tomorrow she begins an intensive rehab schedule.
She has, personally, asked for “strength, perseverance, focus, and patience for what is ahead.” What makes it hardest for her, in this new location, is that Jon will not be able to stay in the room with her past the 9:00 PM end to visitors’ hours. She has a roommate who’s been through what she’s experiencing and is now about to be discharged. Her story has a most positive outcome. We consider this another arrangement our Life Master has made!
There are other wonderful bits of news today. Larina sat up for an hour. She’s eating soft food. The paralysis has affected the swallowing mechanisms and she cannot chew. They are also monitoring her food intake in case food particles inadvertently slide into her lungs. Still the fact that she can take food in and keep it down is a major step along the recovery line. Because of the great demand for energy foods and high caloric intake, while her body fights on several fronts to achieve full recovery, her being able to eat and process the food is huge!
Jonah, their oldest Son, has been quietly observing all that’s happening with his Mom. Today he “came out of the shell” and was, as Jon put it, “super talkative,” and his animated self with his Mom. She was clearly comforted by this!
There is another MAJOR procedure to be undergone next Week. Pray that our Lord will guide, protect, and empower her for that challenge as well as that which the rehab poses!
May our Heavenly Father bring blessings to all of you … blessings as abundant and enriching as those we’ve experienced because of your concern, and prayers!
Jim & Shirley
The Initial Cry for Prayer 10.24.2010
Yesterday, October 24, Shirley & I received the sort of news Parents never want to hear! Our Son, Jonathan, who lives in Portland, Maine, called to tell us that his Wife, Larina, had been rushed to Hospital due to a Major Medical Emergency! In a shaking voice he urged us to pray for her. Recently he had called to tell us that they had learned Larina was pregnant. That news had a cautionary caveat to it. She already has two great Sons, Jonah 6, and Luke 3. Both were born at a very high cost to her. In short she suffered from “morning sickness” for most of each pregnancy. And Jon was telling us that this pregnancy was starting out with even greater difficulty. Within 36 hours of the conception she had to be taken to Hospital due to severe dehydration, low glucose, and serious migraine headaches. Yesterday’s first call was followed by the grim announcement that Larina had suffered a stroke! The initial picture Jon painted for us was devastating. Her left side was paralyzed. She was staring into space seemingly comatose.
Over the next few hours hundreds of people were called to prayer. You, who are our destiny: Life! Directors, know that the planned Board Meeting became a prayer Meeting in which we called on the Sovereign Lord for healing. Shirley began looking for some way to gather airfare and get to Maine to assist Jon in this hour of crisis. Larina’s Brother called from her Family’s Home in Portland, Oregon to ask for prayer on his Sister’s and Parents’ behalf. In the course of the conversation he offered to pay Shirley’s fare as he was planning to do for his Mom.
Today, Shirley and Carol – Larina’s Mom – are putting Jonah and Luke to bed so that Jon can be with Larina. And we know this about Larina’s and the Baby’s condition. EMTs and Hospital Emergency Staff worked with skill and were able to complete the procedures necessary for Stroke Patient’s within the critical window of time. Larina is still paralyzed on her left side. She can lift her left arm. Her left leg is strong. Her speech is clearly impaired. But the clot has been dissolved and at 5:00 AM tomorrow a tube in the primary – Femoral – artery will be removed. This procedure is delicate and must be completed without causing any bleeding which would be a major setback. The attending neurologist’s report is that rehabilitation will, quite likely, be achieved though it will take some time. All of this is good news for us as we pray for healing and full recovery. Equally encouraging is the report that the Hospital’s Team who analyze the health of Babies in critical situations such as this have concluded, after testing and an ultrasound, that the Child is not in any danger.
Please pray that the tube to be removed tomorrow morning can be taken out without causing any more bleeding. Pray that Jon will have the kind of help he needs long term to care for the boys while he works with Larina in her rehabilitation. Pray also that our Father will put an end to the extreme nausea and migraines and allow Larina to bring this Child to term without any further complications.
Literally thousands of people in the US, Canada, Norway, England and beyond have been praying for this little Family.
We will provide updates as we receive them.
Gratefully,
Jim & Shirley
Update 10.26.2010 …
Your response has been overwhelming and it’s with delight that I write this update on Larina’s condition.
The tube has been removed from the Femoral artery and there’s been no bleeding! The pain caused by the removal was excruciating but she was strong through the entire ordeal. She is now out of Intensive Care and in a much quieter Room where she can rest. She’s been able to engage in conversation and though she is sometimes slow to gather her thoughts this is most encouraging.
Praise the Lord with us for these milestones reached …
Our greatest concern, now, is that she be healed of this condition that causes constant nausea and migraines. She needs the resources to continue the recovery and rehabilitation. Coupled with that is a pregnant woman’s body’s propensity to produce excessive numbers of blood clots. And, with 1/3 of the right hemisphere of her brain damaged by Stroke, Larina does not need more of those. So the medical solution is to administer “blood thinners.” They pose a risk of bleeding in the damaged regions of her brain. In short, she needs more of our Lord’s direct intervention and healing.
Pray that the pregnancy will become friendly to her and that no more medication, with the ever present and dangerous side effects, will be needed.
Pray that Our Father in the Heavens all around us will give Jon and Larina wisdom for the tough decisions they face. And pray that Shirley and I, and our Family, along with Larina’s Family, will be directed by Him regarding what our part should be in the recovery.
Our Lord specializes in turning the tragic into triumph … May we have “eyes to see” how He’s doing so, among Us … Here … Now …
With deep gratitude!
Jim & Shirley
Update 10.27.2010
The list of people who are responding with assurance of thoughts and prayers continues to grow! And we are deeply moved by the groundswell of love and faith on behalf of our Kids!
Shirley is in Maine with them and told me that Jon’s and Larina’s boys, particularly Jonah the 6 yr. old, are openly expressing sadness at what is happening with their Mom; which they can only interpret as an inexplicable distance. They need an Angel visit. Remember Jesus said that “their angels in Heaven always see the face of my Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 18: 10)
I was able to talk with Larina by Phone this morning! Her voice was strong. She was completely lucid and quite emotional. We prayed together. Shirley, who was in the Room with Larina, told me later that she was deeply moved. Shirley also told me that Larina is experiencing some sensation in her formerly senseless left hand. She was able to have her boys visit in her new Room. An emotional scene indeed!
We are still praying for accelerated progress in Larina’s recovery from all of the side effects of the Stroke. We are also praying that her bodies propensity to manufacture excessive numbers of blood clots will be arrested. Further, we are praying for an end to the migraines. All of these things draw down resources which are needed for her own recovery and the nourishment of the Baby … Shirley said the Child’s heartbeat is strong even though he/she is only 1 cm long and just 8 Weeks old.
Our God is an AWESOME GOD! We are watching a miracle unfold these days and the Dr. told them today that if the swelling in the injured regions of her brain is appreciably reduced within 7 days they will know she’s turned the corner.
Our God has taken care of that Sir!
He’s glad to oblige!
May you be blessed in proportion to the enrichment your concern and prayers have released in us!
Jim & Shirley
Update 10.28.2010
The road today has been a combined scenic ride through a land of miraculous vistas and inspiring glimpses of Grace interspersed with some dark, even shadowy tunnels, and spirit dampening rainfall …
Larina’s boys got to see her again and Luke, the youngest, couldn’t stay away from his Mommy … crawling into her lap … smothering her with kisses and laying his head on her tummy … Jonah, the 6 yr. old was quite pensive. Shirley said that she saw the Larina we know and love in that time w/ her Sons! How like our Lord to show us His healing is progressing by demonstrating that He’s not allowed any compromise of her delightful personality!
She has begun the rehab process and went through a regimen of procedures which were indicators of what is ahead. She will be moved to the Rehab Facility in a coupla days for 2 Weeks of rigorous movements and repetitious exercises which will reactivate, or assign to other regions of the brain, functions that were managed by now damaged/disabled regions. Jon said she’s going at it with vigor and determination. She is, after all, herself, a Pilates Instructor!
The dark shadowy parts are the remaining threats to Larina’s well-being. These are things that are, still, life threatening. Her bloodstream remains cluttered with clots. These could take her life! The prescription of “blood thinners” and even greater doses of these meds also poses the threat of bleeding in the damaged regions of her brain. This too is highly dangerous! In ongoing analysis/diagnosis it’s been discovered that Larina has a hole in her heart. It has most likely been there since birth. Most of the time it’s not something to be too concerned about. But, when a woman is pregnant and producing more than normal numbers of blood clots, this hole which regularly emits clots, becomes more than just a negligible presence in the body. The Medical Team is truly caught in a web of conflicting conditions and clashing solutions … The Creator and Sustainer of Life is desperately needed on that floor … in that Room. Pray that these conditions will be treated with Divine solutions and Miraculous treatment!
Our Kids need a real life experience of what Paul prayed for … genuine “strengthening with our Lord’s strength, by His Spirit, deep in the core of their being.” They need “Christ living in them as they trust Him,” and a keen understanding of “how long, and high, and wide, and deep His love for them is.” They need to be “filled with all the fullness of God.”
Pray that it will be so!
Gratefully, Jim & Shirley
11.09.2010 Update
Follow this link Jonathan's provided
- http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1573708595058&ref=mf
11.06.2010 Update
Family, Friends, Companions in Service to the King of Kings,
Here is the most recent Update from Jon. He posted it online to us and his 2 Brothers on the 4th …
“Yo...
So word from the Dr's this morning has Larina coming home on Friday the 12th. Counting the days...
She is making great progress though. Yesterday she rode a stationary bike for 12-min and today for 15-min. She also walked yesterday and today for a few minutes at a time without any stability issues. She even took a few steps on the stairs yesterday in PT. And just this morning she was able to squeeze my hand with her left hand. That is a huge sign of progress.
Overall she is starting to really hurt for home. She is also starting to come to grips with what just happened so she is very emotional. It's not the most uplifting scene here, most of the people in the stroke unit are very old, so please pray that we can create as positive a scene as possible for her.
The blood pressure issue still remains. It runs about 90 over 60 on the average. If ours was at that level we would be passing out every time we tried to stand up. So please pray for a healthy rise there.
Beyond that the big risks haven’t changed; bleeding at the stroke site, more clots, and the ever present pregnancy symptoms that have always rained down on her. And on that note...
On Tuesday we were praying in her room for guidance regarding the pregnancy. At this point we know the risks but have gotten a few different recommendations on how to handle those best. We were literally asking God to come into the room and speak directly to us about what to do ...
Then a little while later he did just that. No (emphatic expletive deleted) .
Our Dr. here, Dr. Kazmi, is a good dude. Extremely well respected and a survivor of childhood polio. When the polio vaccine came through his village in Pakistan they missed his house. He walks with crutches to this day.
So this Dr. comes in and tells us that, 1) Larina's BP is too low for the procedure which would be required if, in fact, it is determined that the pregnancy must be terminated to spare Larina’s life. Simply too high of a risk. And 2) that he feels it best to take a step back, reconvene with the hematologist and neurologist and high risk OBGyn Dr., so that we can get everyone on the same page about the risks, the treatment plan for managing those risks, and then make a final decision based on that.
Larina and I were both stoked to say the least. This was clearly God stepping in. The Dr. was positive about not only her recovery but also about managing the risks moving forward... while pregnant.
That is all for now. I think you know all the things to be praying for and thanks for doing that.
Later... Jonathan”
Friends,
The pregnancy continues to pose a threat to Larina's life! Pray that our Lord will give everyone, involved in the "reconvening" the Dr. is proposing, His wise discernment as to how they can actually "manage the risks moving forward while Larina's pregnant ..." Jim & Shirley
11.03.2010 Update
Our Praying, caring Friends, Family, and Fellow Followers of Jesus of Nazareth,
The procedure which we’d hoped would take place today was postponed because Larina’s blood pressure was too low.
Apart from that she continues to progress. She's learning to eat solid foods despite the paralysis on the left side of her mouth. She’s been able to shuffle to the Bathroom with the aid of a Physical Therapist. She can sit up in a wheelchair. She’s able to interact with her Sons and is quite the Mom they remember with that vivacious fun loving personality.
While the blood issues – fluctuating pressure … clotting – continue to pose a serious threat there are daily signs of progress. She does faint periodically because of the low pressure but the therapists managing her rehab have assured her and Jon that this is something which happens with patients recovering from Stroke …
Your prayers are more important than anything else that’s being done and we are EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL to all of you for this now 10 day vigil!
Jim & Shirley (who’s in Maine w/ Jon, their Family, & Larina’s Mom, & Brother)
My Fellow in Faith and Ministry, Ken Kennedy sent this to us and I found deep comfort in it!
http://www.andiesisle.com/ThisBlessingIsForYou.html
11.01.2010 Update
Friends, Family, Fellows in the Service of Jesus our Life Master …
Here is a message from our Son, Jonathan.
“To the many who have been praying for Larina,
I want to start getting people on board for a very specific prayer time for Larina. I don’t know when it will be exactly yet but Wednesday or Thursday Larina will be undergoing a critical procedure. In preparation for this procedure she has to come off of all blood thinners for 24-hours. This will be a high risk window for her of further clotting. At that same time since she has been on thinners for 8 days now her risk for bleeding during or after the procedure is high. Either problem would be a very significant issue.
So my goal, once I know the exact day/time of this thing, is to have people praying specifically for her at that time. We want as many of you as are able, to pray in that time window, once we know it, that this surgery will, as suggested by our Medical Team, greatly increase her recovery outlook and equally decrease her chances of a future stroke episode.
I will follow up later with the timing of this. But I want it to be a super strong movement for her. We’re told it will be about a one-hour time block. She needs this physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in more ways than even I probably know.
Stay tuned for more details...
Jonathan”
I will keep you up to date on the schedule of this procedure so y’all can be part of that “super strong movement.” But once we’ve scaled this mountain with Larina and her Family I will no longer be sending out this form of communiqué. I am concerned about over-loading your e-mail boxes. I will simply post updates, until Larina is fully healed, here at DestinyLifeHappenings.
Once again THANK YOU! all of you, for this most generous Weeklong vigil! Our God has used your remarkable response and tireless attention to give us a whole new sense of the scope of His love and the Family into which He’s adopted us!!
Godspeed to y’all …
Jim & Shirley
10.30.2010 Update ...
Friends, Family, Fellow Christ-followers,
Your attention to our Kids has been overwhelming and so GREAT a BLESSING!
Larina was moved, today, from the Maine Medical Center where she’s been for a day short of a Week. She is now in the New England Rehab Hospital. Starting tomorrow she begins an intensive rehab schedule.
She has, personally, asked for “strength, perseverance, focus, and patience for what is ahead.” What makes it hardest for her, in this new location, is that Jon will not be able to stay in the room with her past the 9:00 PM end to visitors’ hours. She has a roommate who’s been through what she’s experiencing and is now about to be discharged. Her story has a most positive outcome. We consider this another arrangement our Life Master has made!
There are other wonderful bits of news today. Larina sat up for an hour. She’s eating soft food. The paralysis has affected the swallowing mechanisms and she cannot chew. They are also monitoring her food intake in case food particles inadvertently slide into her lungs. Still the fact that she can take food in and keep it down is a major step along the recovery line. Because of the great demand for energy foods and high caloric intake, while her body fights on several fronts to achieve full recovery, her being able to eat and process the food is huge!
Jonah, their oldest Son, has been quietly observing all that’s happening with his Mom. Today he “came out of the shell” and was, as Jon put it, “super talkative,” and his animated self with his Mom. She was clearly comforted by this!
There is another MAJOR procedure to be undergone next Week. Pray that our Lord will guide, protect, and empower her for that challenge as well as that which the rehab poses!
May our Heavenly Father bring blessings to all of you … blessings as abundant and enriching as those we’ve experienced because of your concern, and prayers!
Jim & Shirley
The Initial Cry for Prayer 10.24.2010
Yesterday, October 24, Shirley & I received the sort of news Parents never want to hear! Our Son, Jonathan, who lives in Portland, Maine, called to tell us that his Wife, Larina, had been rushed to Hospital due to a Major Medical Emergency! In a shaking voice he urged us to pray for her. Recently he had called to tell us that they had learned Larina was pregnant. That news had a cautionary caveat to it. She already has two great Sons, Jonah 6, and Luke 3. Both were born at a very high cost to her. In short she suffered from “morning sickness” for most of each pregnancy. And Jon was telling us that this pregnancy was starting out with even greater difficulty. Within 36 hours of the conception she had to be taken to Hospital due to severe dehydration, low glucose, and serious migraine headaches. Yesterday’s first call was followed by the grim announcement that Larina had suffered a stroke! The initial picture Jon painted for us was devastating. Her left side was paralyzed. She was staring into space seemingly comatose.
Over the next few hours hundreds of people were called to prayer. You, who are our destiny: Life! Directors, know that the planned Board Meeting became a prayer Meeting in which we called on the Sovereign Lord for healing. Shirley began looking for some way to gather airfare and get to Maine to assist Jon in this hour of crisis. Larina’s Brother called from her Family’s Home in Portland, Oregon to ask for prayer on his Sister’s and Parents’ behalf. In the course of the conversation he offered to pay Shirley’s fare as he was planning to do for his Mom.
Today, Shirley and Carol – Larina’s Mom – are putting Jonah and Luke to bed so that Jon can be with Larina. And we know this about Larina’s and the Baby’s condition. EMTs and Hospital Emergency Staff worked with skill and were able to complete the procedures necessary for Stroke Patient’s within the critical window of time. Larina is still paralyzed on her left side. She can lift her left arm. Her left leg is strong. Her speech is clearly impaired. But the clot has been dissolved and at 5:00 AM tomorrow a tube in the primary – Femoral – artery will be removed. This procedure is delicate and must be completed without causing any bleeding which would be a major setback. The attending neurologist’s report is that rehabilitation will, quite likely, be achieved though it will take some time. All of this is good news for us as we pray for healing and full recovery. Equally encouraging is the report that the Hospital’s Team who analyze the health of Babies in critical situations such as this have concluded, after testing and an ultrasound, that the Child is not in any danger.
Please pray that the tube to be removed tomorrow morning can be taken out without causing any more bleeding. Pray that Jon will have the kind of help he needs long term to care for the boys while he works with Larina in her rehabilitation. Pray also that our Father will put an end to the extreme nausea and migraines and allow Larina to bring this Child to term without any further complications.
Literally thousands of people in the US, Canada, Norway, England and beyond have been praying for this little Family.
We will provide updates as we receive them.
Gratefully,
Jim & Shirley
Update 10.26.2010 …
Your response has been overwhelming and it’s with delight that I write this update on Larina’s condition.
The tube has been removed from the Femoral artery and there’s been no bleeding! The pain caused by the removal was excruciating but she was strong through the entire ordeal. She is now out of Intensive Care and in a much quieter Room where she can rest. She’s been able to engage in conversation and though she is sometimes slow to gather her thoughts this is most encouraging.
Praise the Lord with us for these milestones reached …
Our greatest concern, now, is that she be healed of this condition that causes constant nausea and migraines. She needs the resources to continue the recovery and rehabilitation. Coupled with that is a pregnant woman’s body’s propensity to produce excessive numbers of blood clots. And, with 1/3 of the right hemisphere of her brain damaged by Stroke, Larina does not need more of those. So the medical solution is to administer “blood thinners.” They pose a risk of bleeding in the damaged regions of her brain. In short, she needs more of our Lord’s direct intervention and healing.
Pray that the pregnancy will become friendly to her and that no more medication, with the ever present and dangerous side effects, will be needed.
Pray that Our Father in the Heavens all around us will give Jon and Larina wisdom for the tough decisions they face. And pray that Shirley and I, and our Family, along with Larina’s Family, will be directed by Him regarding what our part should be in the recovery.
Our Lord specializes in turning the tragic into triumph … May we have “eyes to see” how He’s doing so, among Us … Here … Now …
With deep gratitude!
Jim & Shirley
Update 10.27.2010
The list of people who are responding with assurance of thoughts and prayers continues to grow! And we are deeply moved by the groundswell of love and faith on behalf of our Kids!
Shirley is in Maine with them and told me that Jon’s and Larina’s boys, particularly Jonah the 6 yr. old, are openly expressing sadness at what is happening with their Mom; which they can only interpret as an inexplicable distance. They need an Angel visit. Remember Jesus said that “their angels in Heaven always see the face of my Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 18: 10)
I was able to talk with Larina by Phone this morning! Her voice was strong. She was completely lucid and quite emotional. We prayed together. Shirley, who was in the Room with Larina, told me later that she was deeply moved. Shirley also told me that Larina is experiencing some sensation in her formerly senseless left hand. She was able to have her boys visit in her new Room. An emotional scene indeed!
We are still praying for accelerated progress in Larina’s recovery from all of the side effects of the Stroke. We are also praying that her bodies propensity to manufacture excessive numbers of blood clots will be arrested. Further, we are praying for an end to the migraines. All of these things draw down resources which are needed for her own recovery and the nourishment of the Baby … Shirley said the Child’s heartbeat is strong even though he/she is only 1 cm long and just 8 Weeks old.
Our God is an AWESOME GOD! We are watching a miracle unfold these days and the Dr. told them today that if the swelling in the injured regions of her brain is appreciably reduced within 7 days they will know she’s turned the corner.
Our God has taken care of that Sir!
He’s glad to oblige!
May you be blessed in proportion to the enrichment your concern and prayers have released in us!
Jim & Shirley
Update 10.28.2010
The road today has been a combined scenic ride through a land of miraculous vistas and inspiring glimpses of Grace interspersed with some dark, even shadowy tunnels, and spirit dampening rainfall …
Larina’s boys got to see her again and Luke, the youngest, couldn’t stay away from his Mommy … crawling into her lap … smothering her with kisses and laying his head on her tummy … Jonah, the 6 yr. old was quite pensive. Shirley said that she saw the Larina we know and love in that time w/ her Sons! How like our Lord to show us His healing is progressing by demonstrating that He’s not allowed any compromise of her delightful personality!
She has begun the rehab process and went through a regimen of procedures which were indicators of what is ahead. She will be moved to the Rehab Facility in a coupla days for 2 Weeks of rigorous movements and repetitious exercises which will reactivate, or assign to other regions of the brain, functions that were managed by now damaged/disabled regions. Jon said she’s going at it with vigor and determination. She is, after all, herself, a Pilates Instructor!
The dark shadowy parts are the remaining threats to Larina’s well-being. These are things that are, still, life threatening. Her bloodstream remains cluttered with clots. These could take her life! The prescription of “blood thinners” and even greater doses of these meds also poses the threat of bleeding in the damaged regions of her brain. This too is highly dangerous! In ongoing analysis/diagnosis it’s been discovered that Larina has a hole in her heart. It has most likely been there since birth. Most of the time it’s not something to be too concerned about. But, when a woman is pregnant and producing more than normal numbers of blood clots, this hole which regularly emits clots, becomes more than just a negligible presence in the body. The Medical Team is truly caught in a web of conflicting conditions and clashing solutions … The Creator and Sustainer of Life is desperately needed on that floor … in that Room. Pray that these conditions will be treated with Divine solutions and Miraculous treatment!
Our Kids need a real life experience of what Paul prayed for … genuine “strengthening with our Lord’s strength, by His Spirit, deep in the core of their being.” They need “Christ living in them as they trust Him,” and a keen understanding of “how long, and high, and wide, and deep His love for them is.” They need to be “filled with all the fullness of God.”
Pray that it will be so!
Gratefully, Jim & Shirley
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