Prayer Request

Totally Katy

If you guys think about it, keep Megan (and me) in your prayers. We're going through a pretty stressful time with some medical problems right now and it's getting harder and harder to deal with. Megan's had to deal with a ton of medical issues since I've known her (and before), as I've mentioned on here many times before, but now some new problems involving her heart (doesn't look to be fatal) is really causing some trouble. She's already used up more than her allotted number of sick days for the year and it's only March, so we're not sure what's going to happen with her job. On top of that, she's still not supposed to be using her hands (is still on voice activated software at work), and, oh yeah, we're trying to plan a wedding in may (which has its own set of stresses, some of which are superficial in nature, but which we're having a hard time combatting).

I'm also having to miss a good bit of work because of megan's health issues, so that is another stress. But it's the nature of the current medical stuff that's probably most stressful and scary. She's passing out. Like, falling down unconscious. I'll be getting out of the shower and I'll hear a thump in the other room, run out there and she's face-down on the ground with drool pouring from her mouth. It takes a little bit to get her to open her eyes, and then after she's awake she's still pretty out of it for a bit. Yesterday was the first time this happened out and about, while she was walking to work alone. She awoke to find 2 women trying to help her up. They found the card of her cardiologist in her wallet and took her to him (megan doesn't really remember the trip over). Today, while I was home with her this morning she passed out 3 times.

We're seeing really good doctors and they're working on the problem (it's probably caused by a combination of too high a dose of heart medicine that she's taking for another heart problem - which they've lowered a good bit and are continuing to try and lower further, stress, dehydration, and how hot our apartment gets towards the end of the night and into the morning). We're doing the things we need to do to help this but it's a slow process. And it's pretty friggin' scary to see your fiance unconcious in that way. And to top it off, when she faints and falls down she inevitably hurts herself simply because of the fall itself.

Anyway, I am usually pretty good about being patient and about dealing with the stress of illness and suffering. But dealing with so much for so many years is getting to me a bit.

All that to say, if you could keep us in your prayers it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Dave

Most definitely, dave. What a stressful and trying time.

Lord of mercy, come into this situation right now. Bring wisdom to the doctors, healing to Megan's body, and peace to Dave's heart and mind. And most importantly, God, allow this very scary, very serious issue to bring Dave and Megan closer to you, that you may be glorified through it all. Amen.

Praying!

wow, Dave....I can see why you feel stress. I'll be praying, and please if you have time keep us updated.

Thanks all! We're having a much better day today. Megan didn't feel faint at all and is now with a friend hopefully getting her wedding dress! So, we're taking it one day at a time, but so far today looks good! Thanks for the prayers.

The company my brother works for imports bamboo flooring from china. A batch of their wood was manufactured faultily. Tomorrow he has to go to Texas to try and settle with the company who bought it. At best, everyone in the company will take a pay cut... at worst the company will have to close and everyone will lose their jobs. Could you please pray for him as he tries to save everyones job and the company... and if the worst happens, that another job will come his way.

thanks.

Oh Katy.

sure will.

could use some prayers for my Uncle Stanley. Just got the following email from my mom:

I need to ask all of you to pray for Uncle Stanley. He is in conjested heart failure, which means his organs are starting to close down. His body has been filling up with fluid and he is not able to walk from one room to the next without losing his breath. He is home. He went to the Dr. today and they gave him a shot and medicine to try to get the fluid out of his body. It is surrounding his lungs as well as other organs. He goes back to the Dr. at 8:30 tomorrow morning for them to check his lungs and then they will take it from there. Please pray that this medicine will do the job.

Sorry to have to tell you this. He is my whole family and I’m quite upset. Please pray hard!!!

He's the only remaining immediate family that she has.

dave wrote:He's the only remaining immediate family that she has.

Meaning sibling, parents, etc. Obviously I'm her immediate family.

I'm sorry Dave....I will pray for your family....that is very hard.

Angie wrote:I'm sorry Dave....I will pray for your family....that is very hard.

Thanks! He's doing a lot better now! The medicine got rid of a lot of the fluid and he doesn't seem to be in any immediate danger. He's still very weak, but he's had a weak heart for years now (has a pacemaker). thanks again for the prayers!

There is some drama going on at church around the mission trip to mexico and financing and public promotion of the trip.
I'm finding myself feeling very in the middle and icky about the whole situation because the leader of the trip (who is a volunteer) and the lead pastor have differing opinions about how much the trip should be promoted and how much fundraising is needed.

Anyway, this long email went out this morning from the lead pastor clarifying how and why things were happening with promotion and fundraising and what will happen moving forward. Knowing Ben the way I do and having dealt with a very dramatic volunteer in outreach before with his help I know that this email while very direct, clear and polite was his way of taking the issue publically and saying that this is the way it's going to be and that's just that. Because the leader of the trip just won't stop talking about it and she's talking to everyone and not Ben directly, which I told her is wrong and to stop talking to me about it period unless she can properly address it with Ben.

Anyway...ick.
So then the leader starts text messaging me this morning asking me what the staff is thinking and why would Ben send this email and what did I think about it etc etc. I just told her I got the email and as far as I knew the only thing that happened was that one of the girls going on the trip posted a promo for the bake sale this weekend on her FB page. Then the leader sent an email clarifying some of the points in Ben's email because he said all money should go to the mission organization when only some of it should and some should go to the leader b/c she's buying the plane tickets.
She kept text messaging me asking what I thought of the email, what I thought of the tone and everything and I just have been ignoring her because I don't want to get drawn into the drama and I also don't think it's my place to really discuss the leadership ability of our lead pastor with her when she's already shown a contentious and disagreeable/negative attitude towards him as the leader of our church.

It just makes me want to drop out of the trip totally and not even go which I do really really want to go.
But I am going to talk to Ben about it at our outreach meeting Monday beacuse I want to A) let him know that I am not in agreement with the leader about the way things are being handled B) that I am not disparaging him to anyone C) let him know that I support him as the leader of our church and the position he is taking (which I really totally do) and D) find out what if anything he would like me to do/say in this situation...get a little guidance from it

So if you could maybe pray that I don't stir up more drama by trying to do the right thing and that the drama will just stop and people can deal with it in an appropriate and biblical manner.

you got it!

Church stuff really screws up God's best for us.

Do what He leads you to do and blow off all that peripheral stuff.

I've been very apathetic in the lord lately. unmotivated, and baiscally going through the motions of a spiritual life.

which has lead to the diet, hobbies, housework. all which need improvement.

all in all a general funk has come over our lives.

I'm sorry Jason, a lot of us have been going through our own funks lately too. I'll be praying

We all go there, Jason. It's more than likely just a mini-wilderness experience.

The fact that you recognize it's happening is important.

Spend a little time in prayer/meditation on a regular basis. Things will re-center.

I mentioned before, but have been thinking even more this morning, about my friend's sister. Her name is Elizabeth, or Lizzie. She is 15 and has been cutting herself.

This morning, I was listening to a woman talking about women's issues etc. and I realized that women who go to get surgery are cutting themselves too...it's different, but not so much. They are going through pain because of their feelings about themselves. It is structured and sanctioned, but the reasoning behind it isn't all that different from taking a razor to the inner thigh or arm.

My heart breaks for these girls and women. It rests heavily on my soul right now.

I wonder why this seems to be primarily a woman's issue?

TheGreat&TerribleBob wrote:I wonder why this seems to be primarily a woman's issue?

I had this discussion with Erie.

I think it is because women tend to turn their self-esteem issues inward. Men turn them outward. I was asking Erie if The Mentoring Project ever plans to expand to include young girls who need father figures too. He was pointing out that men without fathers end up in prison more. I contested that the mothers of those prisoners probably didn't have fathers themselves and so didn't know how to find someone to love and respect them properly. I don't think there is a clear fix on any of it, but it helped me to realize that men with 'issues' tend to become socially delinquent and women with 'issues' tend to self-destruct. I think that is evident with this issue of cutting too.

That makes a lot of sense.

So this girl whose blog I love has had mono and pneumonia for awhile and they found spots on her lungs. She went in for a follow up because she wasn't getting better and more spots appeared. They did a full body scan and found that her ovaries and uterus were both full of cysts as well.
She is going in for a 2nd opinion and is at the very least having a biopsy to see if the cysts and spots are cancerous or not.
The doctors initially said probably not because of her age and relative health. But with the spots multiplying and the cysts filling her ovaries they are not sure.

In other devestating news she is single and childless and is one of those 25 year old girls that longs for a husband and family. I can't necissarily relate to that aspect but I know how much it means to her. The doctors said she will most likely end up needing a complete hysterectomy and even if she keeps her reproductive organs it is next to impossible for her to carry children based on the quantity of cysts.

So pray about all that. Complete healing, peace, a support system etc etc. I would try to explain why this hurts me so much seeing as I've never met her past a few emails. But then we're all here together and we know how that goes.
Thanks guys.

Wow, that's horrible. What's her name?