friday night, march 7

i'm writing from nashville. i must admit that leaving on wednesday was one of the worst feelings i've ever experienced. mandy stayed to help until today when she went home to lubbock. so now it's just dad and mom for the first time since this all began. they're experimenting with his diet. mom's just trying to get organized with his medicines and all of the paperwork and learning that this new season is insisting on. there's just a ton of bricks sitting on the backs of the two at 2624 shepherds glen. we would give anything to make it all better. but we're so thankful that dad is here with us. even now i can feel that horrible feeling i felt on the night when the aneurysm ruptured, and i immediately googled it and saw the words, "catastrophic" and "quick death." i'm thankful i'm now back at the same screen with a different set of emotions in my heart.

pray for dad's kidney. also, his dialysis center is saying that they'll only test his levels twice a month which shocked us. so mom is going to insist they check it more often. it's vital to know whether or not his levels are high so that we can keep things in check and not just be in the dark on his condition. his treatments have been longer than expected (sometimes he's there for 5 to 5 1/2 hours each time). and let's just say that it's like a bunch of pigs at a trough lined up in their dialysis chairs, so it's anxiety ridden and full of chaos which is the last thing he needs considering the circumstances.

pray, also, that mom and dad will be quick learners about dialysis and the steps they need to take with the newness: from his diet to all of the paperwork involved with insurance, medicare, etc. and continue to put yourself in dad's shoes when you pray for his emotions. there's just so much on their minds. i can only begin to fathom...

keep lifting him and mom up in prayer because the next several days reality will really begin to set in now that it's just the two of them.

God has been so merciful.