“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”
~Psalm 119:105~
Kathy Jo Thompson (Amite)
Wow…it has been a while! I am doing good. My back is healing well. The muscles still hurt especially later during the day. I can’t stay in one position for long so it makes it hard to do things. I am working for the summer with the 4-H extension office in St. Tammany. Today is my first day and it is going well, I don’t do much.ha I am scheduled to go back to Maryland in July for more MRis and the doctor wants to look at the tumor in my cervical spine (my neck) because my hands are going numb and becoming cold. I graduated May 15th from LSU it was great! I have a degree!!!
Jimmy and Retia Dukes (New Orleans)
< signs of life. >
Someone on the Guestbook asked me to update everyone on Mom’s tomato plant back at their home. Well, funny you asked. My wife just stopped by to water it and get the mail and trigger the alarm (happens every time almost – she does it right, it’s just got a mind of its own and is overprotective). When she stopped by today, she emailed me this picture. Pretty awesome to see signs of life.
Mom continues to show those signs, too. She had another great therapy session today. The therapists told us it was a great workout. Mom especially enjoyed her shoulder massage, they said. She held her head up high while they rubbed her shoulders. Who wouldn’t?
The wound care folks said Mom’s bedsores are doing really well. The one on her head is almost healed completely. The one on her bottom is progressing well. They have been using a wound vac to treat it, as we wrote a while back, and that treatment has been effective. Kind of gross, but effective. Signs of life!
On top of all that, Mom is extending both arms and hands to hold our hand. She is waving with her right hand when we leave. There is an issue in her right arm with the “pick line.” So, they are moving it. It had caused some swelling. I long for the day when IV meds are not required any longer. Pray for that end.
We don’t think of it this way probably, but infections are signs of life, too. Maybe not the kind we want to see. Well, definitely not the kind we want to see. However, Mom’s infections continue. She has two now in her lungs, the one still in her tailbone, and one in her urine. Her blood was clear the last culture they took. They took another one over the weekend, the nurse said. Results should be back in tomorrow or so. Please pray for those infections to clear, for those meds to be 100% effective, and for her body to not be permanently affected from the infections and meds.
Mom also showed us greater signs of life with regard to her speech. She talked some more, they said, during therapy this morning (they got her early today before Dad and I got there). She was very talkative (mouth-ative) when Dad and I got there. She didn’t have her passy muir valve in for some reason, but she mouthed our head off!!! Which was wonderful – not like when you complain of someone talking your head off. This is a sign of life we want and have been hoping for. She mouthed full sentences and questions and interacted with us well. We are very thankful. Please pray for those vocal cords to show greater signs of life in the coming days.
Speaking of Mom’s speech, did I mention Dad’s speech? I mean preach. That’s right! Dad preached yesterday. Gentilly Baptist Church and Dr. Ken Taylor asked Dad to preach yesterday morning in their worship gathering, and he did it. He stood, leaning on his right leg and his walker, and brought the Word. Our church family in Orlando prayed for him during that time. We were all excited about it. Definitely a sign of life for Dad. It’s what he was wired to do. And, he does it really well. Even with a neck collar, a leg boot, a walker, and jogging pants. He’s just cool that way.
Just in case you were just thinking, “Man. Jimmy preached! I wonder if they recorded it? I hope they did. I would love to hear it!”
You are in luck!!! Thanks to Becky Brown and Vanee Daure and to Benji and Jenna, the moment was preserved for ages to come. At least as long as digital recording works and YouTube keeps web-broadcasting.
The DVD copies of it are being burned today to share with family. Jenna is going to upload it to YouTube today or tomorrow or soon. When she does, I will give you the link. I can’t wait to see him, showing those signs of life by sharing about the life we have been given.
Well, we are heading to supper. Two Tony’s. An Italian restaurant in the Buckhead part of town, by the lake. Cool spot.
By the way – you see that “show you care” thermometer on the right side of this page? Well, I got asked about it a few days ago. It’s a promotion from Caring Bridge to support Caring Bridge. Which is a good thing to do. Just letting you know, it is not the “Jimmy-and-Retia-Dukes Help-fund Thermometer.” Someone asked me if it was. That fund Erik mentioned a while back was set up by the New Orleans Baptist Seminary and is managed by them. No thermometer has been created yet that I know of. Maybe we could use the Chapel steeple for it. I’ll let you know if they approve and send pics.
Love yall. I’ll holler tomorrow.
-jason
Don Denton (St. Louis)
Yesterday was a good day for Don! He ate. It was short lived because today he was sick again all day could not lift his head from the pillow.
I spoke in dept with his neurologist this evening. Don will be moved from the neurosurgery floor to the neurology floor tonight or in the morning. They are going to switch some of his meds to manage the pain. They are going to conduct a few more tests as well. If they can manage his pain they will be sending us home by the middle of the week hopefully.
We will await further test results. They found red and white blood cells in his spinal fluid. The white blood cells are of concern as it is a high number. We continue to wait for test results which could go into next week.
We are working at being more thoughtful about what happens next. Our goal is to get the neurologist here at Barnes to consult with our neurologist back at Mayo. I spoke with our neurologist at Mayo today as well. He wants all of Don’s clinical records to review.
Once he reviews those clinical records we will discuss what is next.
I have been burning a candle at both ends again. It is hard to sleep at night with my mind racing with questions.
Thanks to our friends from church for getting some much needed clothes to Joshua and I. WE had come up here with so little not expecting a hospital stay.
Your emails and caringbridge posts to me lift my spirits and so encourage me more than you can know. I look forward to them and I hold onto the words you all write to me. Some days at the end of the day I am so discouraged; and then I find emails in my box that contain your words that minister to me more than you can know. I find that I hold onto these words of hope, words of affirmation, love and care throughout my days. I am moved deeply by your compassion toward us. I know this is from our heavenly father.
The doctors here are still saying that they don’t know if they can help Don. Some of them are praying too. They have seen what we have been through and are going through. They see our discouragement and our hope.
I have allot to get accomplished over the next few days. I was so tired today as I could not sleep much last night at all. It can be tough to stay focused on what is important when I am depleted like this.
Pray that we can get our doctor at Mayo and Barnes to consult with one another. Pray that we can get the records in a timely manner. Pray that Don will respond to the new meds they are going to start him on.
Pray that they will find the answer so they will better know how to treat Don. They are sending out his lumbar fluid samples for further testing as well.
I will do my best to post sometime tomorrow. The computer at the hospital today was down and I was there from early morning to this evening.
Joshua had a good day today with actually a very special student from SBU. Mary Jane is a sophmore at SBU and she happens to be the niece of a women that my brother/wife – Steve and Lynn are friends with here in St. Louis. She found out that we needed help with childcare and offered her time to help us.
Joshua took to her right away because she is so wonderful with kids and second she knows how to build legos. She too is a Godsend to us.
Bless you
Diane
Gunky
I SAW THIS sign at a gas station while I was traveling…
It made me think about instances when I’ve had to deal with “gunky build-up” in my life. For me, gunky build-up occurs when I let less important stuff squeeze out the real priorities in my life. Maybe you’ve experienced it too:
. Sometimes I believe the lie that I can’t afford to take a break and rest. The reality is that I’m far less effective in my family and leadership roles when I’m tired and grumpy.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that I’ll spend quality time with my wife at the end of the day after everything else is done. The reality is that the last things on my priority list rarely get done.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that I’ll get to the next big projects after I knock out the more routine tasks. The reality is that there will always be other routine tasks to complete.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that the more I do, the more valuable I am to the team. The reality is that I’m not being effective if I’m busy doing the wrong things.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that the little problem I have isn’t jeopardizing my leadership. The reality is that most times everyone else is already being impacted by my little problem.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that I need to correct every false statement and negative comment. The reality is that many times those faint voices become a distraction when I draw attention and make them loud.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that goals will be accomplished without a plan if I’m just patient and faithful. The reality is that most goals worth pursuing require counsel and strategy and hard work and commitment.
. Sometimes I believe the lie that I need to jump at a good opportunity. The reality is that someone will always have a good opportunity for me to pursue, and many times those good opportunities squeeze out time and energy needed to fulfill a greater mission and calling.
Do you know that I’m talking about? Have you dealt with similar cases of gunky build-up? I’m still trying to learn how to deal with this, but along the way I’ve also learned some preventive maintenance that helps clean up my engine. Here are some things I’ve learned I need to do to “de-gunk” my life:
. Schedule my week in advance, including scheduling time to work on major projects.
. Prioritize time with my wife.
. Surround myself with friends who will push back when needed.
. Stay disciplined about my faith, my exercise, and my eating habits.
. Learn to say no.
. Decide in advance what I hope to accomplish.
So is it time for you to stop the gunky build-up in your life? Now is the time to do something about it. Don’t delay. (Tony Morgan)
“But one thing is needed….” Luke 10:42
Posted by Mike Benson
Thank-you for being there to pray each day. You mean so much to so many!
Anna Lee
The Prayer Link 