Sunday

Well, if I had written this post at various times during the day, each time it would have been different. I woke up this morning, very encouraged. Shared with Ashley, John 8:32, 34-36, "I shall know the truth and the truth shall set me free...So if the Son sets me free, I shall be free indeed!" I told her that we would cling to the TRUTH today...that Christ died for her, that God deeply loves her and that the Lord is bringing about His healing of her stomach...that this Truth will set her free from her fear of food hurting her! Then, breakfast went horribly! It is partly because eating gluten and dairy free in a hospital is EXTREMELY challenging with the limited selection. Grits and fruit were about the only option and I thought that the grits tasted like paste! Then I shared with her the "Team Hoyt" video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdA3Equ1I3s&feature=related  We talked about how we all have things in our lives to overcome and we CAN overcome them with Christ! I love that this video ends with the verse that we've been having her repeat...Phil. 4:13! We then watched some worship videos on Youtube...a different kind of church today!

Lunch went fairly well and then Ashley and I actually had a good nap together in her hospital bed. Last night at 2 am we got a new neighbor...a sick little baby who screamed for about an hour to let us know that he was next door! Then tonight went downhill. Her cold started getting worse and her throat is really sore and she's having trouble breathing thru her nose. Normally, no big deal, but for her, anything that further inhibits her from eating is not helpful. PLEASE continue to pray that her cold (and Brittany's) would go away! We used that really cool sucking thing that you see in hospitals and got alot out, but she was still pretty miserable until she moaned herself to sleep about an hour ago...thus, not great intake tonight. I guess we did ok on fluids though because they are not hooking her up to IV's tonight, although they still want to keep the port in her hand. She can not wait to have that out!

Mike, Pam and Cooper and Brittany got to go out to West Chester today to see our old friends the Abdala's. I didn't get the full report, but I think it was good for them to have a change of pace, other then the traffic they got caught in! By the way, that's why we're not commuting from my parents house. It has taken them well over an hour and a half at times to get to CHOP or home due to traffic. It would make a daily commute virtually impossible! Mike and I take turns staying at the hospital and Pam has been BEYOND amazing at helping entertain Brit and Coop during the day, purchasing other food options for Ash, or getting on the computer to check if certain meds are gluten free! I CAN NOT express how grateful I am for all that she has done for us for well over a week! She leaves tomorrow to take a train back to C-ville and get her car and drive home to NC. To say she will be missed would be an understatement! James, thanks again for loaning her to us...she's an amazing woman! As the rest of the gang was gone, I had a sweet visit with my parents this afternoon. Mom, thanks for doing everyone's laundry!

So, tomorrow we will continue to work on eating as our main focus and trying to find foods that interest her. She honestly can't remember eating anything that she likes because it has been soo long since food felt good. I should also mention at this point because it might be helpful to others, that we have learned here that "in a recent survey of the Celiac Spruce Assoc., over half of the members reported having additional food allergies to foods such as milk, soy, nuts, yeast, eggs, corn and fructose." Often, these are just in the initial phase of discovering Celiac disease and can be re-introduced later. Until we get the biopsies back, we are doing our best to avoid all of them...very challenging. We just don't want to take any chances of causing her any more unnecessary pain. When they come back, one will tell if there are any allergens present and then we would move forward with allergy testing to know what her specific sensitivities are at this point.

Beth Cramer, once again, encouraged us with Is. 55:12..."You will go out in JOY and be led forth in PEACE, the mountains and hills will burst into song before you!" I've already begun to pray that this is how Ashley will leave the hospital. The dtrs clearly told her that the NG tube was next and she really tried as hard as she could with her cold and the food choices today. She kept breaking my heart by saying, "it's soo hard", but continued to persevere. Please also pray for her spirits. I am not exaggerating when I say this... due to this long road lasting many months, she's at the point where she would prefer to just keep her eyes closed and pretend she's asleep, not look you in the eye, not speak in complete sentences and certainly not laugh or smile. We miss our Ashley Mae Catherine...please continue to pray that the Lord will restore her body, mind and spirit!

Ps 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit!"

Beyond grateful for your continued prayers,
Lori

PS- Lori Ann, thanks for your post. I would love to talk with you more!!!

"There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot from that situation create something that is surpassingly good. He did it at the creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today." ... Bishop Handley Moule