Signs of Promise

No blooms yet like Wanda has in California, but we do have hope of spring!

I know Martha in New York really doesn't care much for these particular birds, but seeing them here headed north is a good sign for us.

The season we began yesterday is another sign of promise for us.

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:22-24 (NIV)

Progress!

We're seeing some progress! We've gone in every other day since last Friday to have the dressing for the wound vac on B's thigh changed, and each time the wound is noticeably, measurably smaller! It's certainly not all closed up yet, but it sure seems like we're headed in the right direction now.

Point of information: vac on the machine is actually V.A.C., which stands for "vacuum assisted closure". We sure are grateful that God gave somebody the brains to figure out that this nifty little machine would be just the thing to invent!

Simply Superb!

Wanda assigned me the letter "S" for listing 10 things that I love.

In no particular order....

1. Sunshine
2. Siamese cats--Tang, Ting, Ling, Zing, and currently Ka-Ching!
3. Scotcheroos, Sopapilla cream cheese dessert, and other Sweets!
   
4. Singing to my Savior--"I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have being." Psalm 104:33
   
5. Sleep/Sweet Dreams--"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O LORD, makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
6. Snowflakes--especially ones that are big, fat, and slow to float to the ground
7. Starry Skies, Sunrises, Sunsets--"When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast established, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?" Psalm 8:3-4
   
8. Sweetie, Son, and Sisters (That's B, M, K and T in case you couldn't guess!)
9. Silliness--there's nothing like getting those endorphins going with a can't stop, can't get my breath, here come the tears round of the giggles!
   
10. Sarah Sisters--That would be the ladies of the Sarah Circle I belong to at church. We are known to Study Seriously, as well as engage in much Silliness at our meetings.
    

If anyone else would like to make a list, just leave a comment and I will be glad to assign a random letter for you.

Man Purse?

The infection (the redness around a center area) on B's thigh is gone, but.... the center area itself, which had been just a darker area, actually got larger and necrotized (died off) so that it had to be surgically debrided twice this past week. After the last time, they put a "wound vac" on it. This machine totally seals the area, pulls out "stuff" that shouldn't stay there, helps with circulation, and just generally promotes healing of the wound. It stays on continuously, runs very quietly, and is in a portable bag. Imagine B. with a "man purse"! Maybe I can add a picture later. (added Feb. 12) We're told to expect some rapid improvement, though we'll still just take one day at a time.

As to what let the original infection get started, we will probably never know. It could have been a tiny scratch, a bug bite, a superficial blood clot, a tiny ruptured vessel, even an ingrown hair! B's being on Coumadin seems to be a possible factor in how things progressed to where they are now, but again, nothing is really certain right now.

Thank you for your continued prayers. They are much appreciated!