The theme for today is: Fog.
Now what? Zach’s discharge from Foothills looms on the horizon. We don’t know when. We don’t know where. Discharge brings you back to reality. And it makes you ask, “Now what?”
It’s a challenge to find an answer to that question. Much of that answer rests on family of loved ones in care. You advocate for your loved one. You champion their cause. You want to get them to that horizon. But you can’t see it. It feels like you’re in a deep and dense fog. Zero visibility. Thick. Heavy. Treacherous conditions. Bone chilling cold.
Fog blurs. Fog disrupts. Fog closes you in. Concentration seems impossible at times. Purpose seems uncertain. Faith feels weak. The to do list keeps growing. Finding a suitable care home, inquiring about resources, asking questions, seeking therapies and other services, making new connections, deciding where we’ll end up living and so the list goes on.
You want to tackle the list. Check the items off. Accomplish something. Accomplish anything. But the fog slows you down. The fog brings you down.
But with fog there is beauty. The stillness. The calm. The hoarfrost. White on the trees. White on the bushes. White on the fences. White everywhere. A white that reminds you of purity. Reminds you of holiness. Reminds you of love. Reminds you of grace. Reminds you of Jesus.
Fog lifts. The horizon is back in view. The Saviour is always in view. Fix your eyes on Him even in the deep, dense, thick and heavy fog of trials. Now what? Just ask Jesus.
Today’s Updates:
Zach had a similar week to last week. He is still resisting food, drinks, and oral care, and he reacts unpredictably to his care team at times. He responds well to some staff and generally allows them to do his regular care routines like getting dressed, moving in and out of his chair, and getting his vitals taken. More often, though, Zach becomes agitated or upset when the nurses and care aids deliver their regular care. Zach’s speech therapist is trying out different communication boards and strategies that Zach can use to communicate when he is ready for care. Please pray that we can determine a reliable way for Zach to communicate how he is feeling and when he is ready for care. Pray also that he will feel safe around his care team and that he will be willing to eat and drink regularly again soon.
Zach received a new eye tracking communication device from ACETS on Friday to trial until the end of December. Zach is still figuring out how to use this device, and so he is not yet communicating clearly with it. Please pray that Zach will be able to communicate more clearly in the coming month as he adjusts to this new device.
Zach’s OT team is encountering some difficulty in strengthening and extending Zach’s left wrist, especially since he resists wearing his splint at night and will sometimes resist stretches and treatments. Please pray that Zach will maintain and increase his flexibility in his left wrist so that he will be able to use his hand for more functional tasks. Please also pray for wisdom for the team working with Zach’s left wrist and for a blessing on their treatments.
Zach’s OT and Recreation Therapy teams are hoping that he will be able to go on an outing soon. The original plan was for Zach to attend church this Sunday morning, but due to some lapses in communication, he does not yet have official doctor clearance to leave the hospital. Please pray that Zach will be able to go on some outings soon, especially to church, and that he will enjoy and benefit from these outings.
Zach has enjoyed listening to music this week, and it will sometimes calm him to listen to familiar songs while reading the lyrics on a phone or iPad. Zach has also enjoyed listening to Megan and the hospital volunteers playing the pianos in the hospital, and he always mouths “yes” to if he wants to hear another song on the piano.
Please continue to pray for Zach. Pray that he will feel God’s nearness and experience the peace of God every day as he faces the new challenges and opportunities of each day. Pray that God will grant Zach strength for his therapies and treatments and that God will bless his care. Please pray also for wisdom as we look at the long term care options for Zach. Pray that God will open doors so that Zach can receive the care that he needs, both from his care team and from his community and support system.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
(Hebrews 11:1)
“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
(Romans 8:24-25)
