Finally home from my three week stay in the hospital. It was quite an experience with many opportunities to share my faith with doctors and nurses. I gave invitations to my church to all of them. It as amazing to receive so many Get Well cards, visits, phone calls (from 10 countries), emails and Facebook messages. I was deeply touched by the outpouring of love.
I came home on Tuesday afternoon after quite a whirlwind day of confusion getting discharged. Thank GOD for Pastor Randy Zimmerman who patiently waited through all that to bring me home.
I came home with a bag full of medicine priced at $598.00. When I arrived home I unpacked all that to find that they had not included the insulin. I have two types of insulin I use that is in a new thing called a Flexpen. It's an easy way for someone that has limited use of their hands (arthritis and neuropathy) to give the injections. It's expensive. The type of insulin I take during the day was $179.00 for 4 pens. (1200 units of insulin). I use 24 - 40 units per day. The nighttime insulin was $198.00 for 5 pens (1500 units of insulin). I use 46 units per day right now. The amount of insulin changes with time.
Along with all that - I came home with an long term IV port for the antibiotic that is administered three times per day for two more weeks. They delivered the supplies for that shortly after I got home. Those were $1,230.00. A visiting nurse arrived shortly after to train me how to take care of the IV, how to change the dressing on my foot and to give me the plan for the next two weeks. Because of the risks involved while I have the IV and the fact that we are trying to get my foot healed and the infection gone I can't go out. I must limit my activity. I have a special shoe that puts all my weight on the heal of my foot and I will have that until the end of July when I foot will be 90% healed. So, I can't go to church for the next 2 weeks and only go out for my Dr. appointments.
I feel like I should at least be an LPN by the end of all this. I have 9 medications to take at different times of the day. I test my blood sugar 4 times and administer insulin 4 times per day. I give myself the IV antibiotics 3 times a day. It takes me about 8 minutes having to push 4 different liquids that come in syringes into the IV port in my upper arm. The antibiotic takes about 5 minutes to slowly push in. I also inject something to keep me from getting blood clots. Before each I push in saline to flush the line.
Too much information? As I am asking you to pray you can see that this is a lot to deal with on top of Dr. appointments for a variety of things I will be going to. I am experiencing moments of blindness which is scary but I will be seeing someone about that soon. The GOOD NEWS in all of this - I am excited about my new life and diet. I've lost a lot of weight and have 35 lbs to be at my goal weight. When I am able to walk - you'll find me on the walking trails near my house and getting lots of exercise. Even going to the gym to firm up this body. I call it THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.
Thanks for your continued prayers as I am on my one year sabbatical. During this time I will not be working or traveling doing ministry. No mission trips until July 2012 (Nicaragua) and Jan 2013 (Africa) - Lord willing! I will be taking time to get my health under control, get in shape and have time to be involved in my church and a small group. I will also have time to be with friends that I was too busy to be with. All this is going to bring about a total healing and prepare me for what GOD has ahead. One project during this sabbatical is writing a book about my experience with this whole diabetes thing. (A DVD version will follow) I have to have the book ready to publish by Nov or Dec.
IF YOU READ TO THIS POINT . . .you must really care about me. THANK YOU! You might be wondering how I will be able to live without working during this year. I've been told not to worry about that. That GOD has a plan. I've taken that leap of faith to do the ministry all these years. When it was a leap to help someone else I didn't have a problem. Now it is to help me. It's been 16 years without a break or vacations with the exception of one summer when FIKA & BO and I were blessed with a great few days in Rehobeth Beach thanks to Larry & Suzie Cooper. Pray for me. I am not used to having people helping me. Right now people have to shop for me and drive me to appointments. Even some meals are being brought in. My church (Shiloh Community Fellowship - Quarryville - Brett Rush, Sr. Pastor) is rallying around me.
I'm finished. I would love to hear from you and visits are welcome. I live in Willow Street with the bass player from my church (Andrew Lehman).Our address is 2 Parkwood Drive, Lancaster, PA 17604. My cell: 717-471-8737.
GOD is GOOD! Jesus said: "I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly" Take time to enjoy LIFE.
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