Day 256 - August 29th

James had his feeding tube removed today. He has been eating on his own for quite some time and it is no longer necessary to ensure he gets nutrition. It had also been used to administer medications that could not be done intravenously. Great strides in the recovery process. Praise God and continue to pray.

Day 255 - August 28th

James' white counts came down even more. He is feeling well. Please keep praying that he improves and that he will move to Rehab next week.

Day 253 - August 26th

James' white counts came down to normal today. Praise God! He is feeling well and his appetite is back. Things are going well for him and he looks forward to being released by the plastic surgeon so that he can transfer to Rehab. It looks like this will happen next week. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for healing and strength and praise Him for all He has done.

Psalm 36:5 - 9. "Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast You save, O Lord. How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light."

Day 252 - August 25th

No changes. Please keep praying.

Day 250 - August 23rd

James' white counts have increased significantly. Not a good sign. He has been off antibiotics for 72 hours now. The doctors will make a decision in the coming days on what course of action is to be taken. On a positive note, James was feeling good today and was able to enjoy some fresh air. The nurses wheeled his bed outside for a little while.
Please pray that James' body will be able to fight off the infections without the antibiotics.

Day 248 - August 21st

No changes today. Please continue to pray as the antibiotics have been discontinued. Pray for healing.

Day 246 - August 19th

The doctors have decided to take James off all of his antibiotics. As you know, James has been very nauseous and they believe the antibiotics may be the cause. Since he is doing so well and the wounds have healed to a point of being stable, the team believes it is time to remove the antibiotics. This is great news, but they are very cautious and will be monitoring his lab values and will be performing CT scans and MRI's to follow his progress. Please pray that James will do well in this process, that his body will demonstrate that he no longer needs these very potent antibiotics. They have always posed a possibility of side affects which James has never shown signs of - praise God - so we really need to pray that he no longer requires these medications and that he will continue to show signs of progress.

Day 245 - August 18th

Today marks 8 months for James. It has been a very long trial and a difficult battle that is frankly, baffling at times. Yet we are always mindful to acknowledge that against all worldly logic James has survived. And not just survived, but is on a road of recovery that will restore his health and will return him to his home with his family, and to the fellowship of his friends. Through these months we have seen the mighty work of our great God: mercy, grace, faithfulness, healing, strength, ever present help. Thanks be to our Lord for all He has done and all that He will continue to do. He is worthy of all the glory and honor!

James had a rough day today. He was given some new medications that made him very sick for most of the day. By early evening he was doing much better and was able to get some food down. Also, he required two units of blood. Not sure why this is, other than the fact that when you are very sick your body sometimes just doesn't make enough blood. The last time he received blood (August 6th), it didn't seem to make a big difference and so the doctors waited to see if he would improve. Unfortunately, the lab values kept creeping down. The two units should help him feel better and help with his overall healing. His white counts have come down significantly to just slightly above normal. Praise God for this! A very good sign.
Thank you for faithfully praying for James and seeking the Lord on his behalf.

Day 244 - August 17th

No changes today. Thank you for your prayers.

Day 243 - August 16th

No changes. Please keep praying.

Day 241 - August 14th

The doctors removed James' tracheostomy this evening. This is great news. It means James is improving and there is NO SURGERY planned for the future. Praise God! The wounds are healing well and his white counts have come down some - still above normal, but down nonetheless. Please continue to pray for healing and for spiritual and emotional strength.

Day 240 - August 13th

No changes today. Thank you for praying.

Day 239 - August 12th

James is doing much better with the pain and his white counts are coming down. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Day 237 - August 10th

No changes today. Please keep praying.

Day 236 - August 9th

No changes today.

Day 235 - August 8th

James had to have another unit of blood today. Other than this, everthing is about the same. Please continue to pray.

Day 234 - August 7th

James is still recovering from the surgery and is having more pain today. He is very sleepy due to pain meds. Even though he received a unit of blood yesterday it did not raise his lab values. His white counts are elevated and he has a low grade fever. Please pray for healing and strength to endure this very long trial.
Psalm 57:1, 2, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me."

Day 233 - August 6th

James is recovering from yesterday's surgery. He has some pain, but not as much as last time. Praise God! He required a unit of blood today. This is not due to blood loss, but that his body is not producing enough. Please continue to pray.

Day 232 - August 5th

Surgery went very well with no complications. The surgeon is pleased with the results and expects this to be the last surgery. James is resting comfortably. Thank you for your prayers and please continue as he recovers and deals with the pain that will follow for a few days.

Day 231 - August 4th

James is scheduled for surgery tomorrow at 2:30pm. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors and staff. Please pray that they will be able to successfully complete the necessary plastic surgery to finally close his wound. The doctors are always quick to remind us that every surgery is a risk to James. Pray that everything will go smoothly and quickly, and for healing and recovery.
Psalm 73:28, "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works. "

Day 230 - August 3rd

No changes to report. Thank you for your prayers.

Day 228 - August 1st

We received news today that James will indeed have the third plastic surgery. This is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30pm. The intent is to make some adjustments and attempt a final and complete closure of the wound in an small area that is troublesome. Rather than wait for his body to slowly do this on its own which could take weeks, the surgery will speed up the process and speed up his move to Rehab. James is not at all happy about having yet another surgery, but understands the necessity and hopes this will be the last one. Thank you for your faithful prayers.