In Defense of Healthcare Workers

You may or may not be aware that the protections afforded to healthcare workers are currently under attack. Without these protections, my husband (along with every other healthcare worker in the country) will be required by law to take part in procedures that go against his conscience, convictions, and religious beliefs. As the wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece of healthcare workers (and a former nurse myself), I find this disturbing and very, very scary. The paragraph below was published in our church bulletin yesterday. I'm passing it on in case you feel led to get involved in supporting/protecting the rights of these workers. Please consider supporting the rights of these good servants.

"Current regulations protect healthcare workers from being required to provide services that violate their conscience, such as abortion or assisted suicide. They prevent discrimination in hiring, firing, promotion, or acceptance to courses of study (such as medical school & residency) because of one's moral & religious convictions. On 2/27, the Obama Administration announced its intention to remove these regulations. On 3/10, the US Dept. of Health & Human Services issued a proposal to rescind these regulations and activated a 30-day period for public comment. Please register your support for conscience protections before the April 9 deadline at www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection."

33 WEEKS!!

One more week down and 5 to go! Each week feels like such a victory!

More respite reflections (not necessarily in order of importance):

• When you're on the couch, and you have leanings toward introversion, and there's literally nowhere to find solitude except the bathroom (and even those trips are limited) and you've got a crew of "care-takers", some of whom are extroverts in need of lots of physical touch and some of whom are at stages of life where they are needing lots of re-assurance, it can be very, very draining. When this stint on the couch began, I shortsightedly thought that the focus of our family would shift to my needs. That has definitely been true on a physical level as there are many things I just can't do. But emotionally and spiritually, the opposite has happened. Maybe it's because there are fewer distractions preventing me from being in tune to my children or maybe their needs are greater these days or maybe both. Regardless, I sense their needs more strongly than ever and I'm so thankful for that - thankful for rich conversations with time to linger, thankful for tight hugs that seem to go on forever, thankful that I'm always available because there's nowhere else for me to go, and thankful for the opportunity to surrender my need for solitude. It's uncomfortable at times, even downright frustrating, but I see the fruit of it in my own heart and in our family. (Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if ti dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.--Jn 12:24, 25) God knows my needs and theirs. And when those needs seem to conflict, He is generous with His grace as He cares for us all.
• I now feel a kinship with all the little old ladies in the world who get gussied up just to go to their doctors appointment because it will be their biggest outing of the week!
  
• Humor is such good medicine. And thanks to some clownish kids and some comedian friends, I've enjoyed a lot of it recently. A good belly laugh can be such a balm to the spirit - and believe me, I've got the belly for it these days!!
  
• Our goal has been to get to thirty five weeks with this pregnancy. None of the docs suggested that time frame but it just seemed a good safe point in the pregnancy at which we could begin to breathe a little more easily. Not that I'll do anything differently at that point, but I will feel less of a sense of danger for this little guy. Baby's lungs should be nicely developed by then and he will also be a good 5-6 pounds. I realized last night that I turn 35 weeks on Easter Sunday. Easter Sunday is the goal. The Resurrected Lord is our goal. I'm learning that so much of this trial is as much (if not more) about the journey than the destination. While getting to 35 weeks will be cause for great celebration, experiencing Jesus along the way in each moment and accepting all that He has for me in this will be the greater prize.
  
• Netflix is a true sanity saver!!!
• I still have the best husband EVER.
  

Couch Chronicles - Vol. 4

Snippets from Breakfast
(Breakfast occurs in two shifts around here since the olders are always up earlier than the youngers.)

During shift 1:

"Mom, my eyes hurt."

me: "Does your head hurt, too?"

"Well, my eyes are in my head."

I can always count on this particular very concrete child to state the obvious.

During shift 2:

"It's OK if I call you weird, right?"

"Yea."

It's a good sign that we're headed for a happy day when these two wake up feeling so amenable.

WOW! Lab Results are in!!!

31!!!!!

That's my Hematocrit after a week and a half of triple doses of iron, spinach, molasses and lots of prayer! I am just giddy. Who would ever have thought that lab results could bring such joy??!! (People, I lost sleep over this last night. I really did!) This number means that if I were to have another "event" today, although there would definitely be risk involved, I would not be in immediate danger. It means I have some reserves whereas before, I had none. Oh-thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord, for this encouraging number and for your continued protection!!!

Big Day Out

Today, I had an appointment for a follow-up ultrasound and then later, an appointment with my OB. The ultrasound confirmed, as we expected, that my placenta hasn't budged from it's low position. The chances are slim to none that it will migrate. That pretty much clinched the deal on my requiring a c-section. We expected it would and that's really OK. Something about a c-section feels safe and controlled at this point. And those a very precious things to me right now.

The area where the bleed occurred appears to have sealed off well meaning that "event" (as the docs like to call it) is over. Now, we just have to prevent any futures "events". This basically means I'm back to the couch indefinitely with permission to get up for meals (no more coffee table dining!) and bathroom trips. August can also take me on an occasional drive which I was so glad to hear!

It was a little disconcerting today when August and the high-risk OB doc who did my ultrasound were chatting about how low my Hematocrit had gotten in the hospital. Questions like "Did they transfuse you?" and "How far do you live from the hospital?" just aren't very assuring! He sounded a little more upbeat when I told him I'm on iron supplements three times a day.

Speaking of my Hematocrit, I had bloodwork drawn today too. We'll know the results of that tomorrow. I'm really hoping for a high 20's number, thirty would be even better!

Even though it's rainy and dreary here, the day appeared glorious to me with spring blooms everywhere. To my delight, the ultrasound appointment was all the way on the opposite side of town so I had miles of opportunity to take in every Redbud, Bradford Pear, Cherry, and Forsythia bloom on the way.

The chance to see our sweet, healthy, and now chubby boy again was priceless. He's clearly gained some meat on his bones. He has lots of hair and eye lashes too! He seems to suck on anything within reach. And the girls say he has his dad's nose. I have to admit I see the resemblance too, don't you?


I know this isn't the most flattering picture I could have posted of August but it exemplifies well his life of the past few weeks. He runs all day, serving all of us so faithfully and tirelessly. Then he collapses on the couch where he's asleep in seconds. He was actually supposed to return to see his surgeon today but my appointments trumped his. Instead, he will follow-up on the phone later this week and hopefully be out of his collar soon.
I'll check in tomorrow with what will hopefully be an impressive lab report!!

Couch Chronicles - Vol. 3

What NOT to say to a woman who is confined to a couch all day:

"Mom, what can I do, I'm soooooooooooo bored."
(She says after trotting in from the balmy spring weather.)

So sorry to hear that your afternoon has been so rough, my dear.

32 WEEKS!!

You can bet we're celebrating around here. Our little guy has stayed tucked in one more week and continues to grow and swim happily! Woo Hoo! Just 6 (six?!) more weeks to go!!

A few respite reflections from the past week:

• When your confined to one spot, surrounded by your most essential things, and experiencing periods of solitude throughout the day, the people in your world become all the more precious. When they walk into the room, you put aside what you're doing and engage with them- not because you know you should but because they really are more important than your agenda. In fact, they have become your agenda and you're aware of how much you need them. From the time our girls were little, we've always told them people are more important than things. What was a family motto has become more of a heart reality for me. We need each other. We really do. We need to connect with our eyes, with our hearts, and with our touch. When other things are stripped away, the magnitude of our need for one another becomes starkly clear.
• I desperately need my friends' encouragement and help. I don't like to admit this because it's much more comfortable for me to be self-sufficient and in control. I don't like to ask for help and I don't like to be a burden. (That's my pride speaking in case it's not glaringly obvious!) Yet my friends are right there driving my kids to and fro, doing my shopping, feeding my family, being voices of hope, and praying incessantly. I couldn't "do" this without them.
• I used to pooh-pooh virtual friendships. And while I believe friendship is meant to thrive primarily in our tangible, local circles, God is showing me that there is much wisdom, encouragement, and care to be found in virtual relationships. For that, I'm very grateful.
• I miss Mass terribly. I have my bible, other wonderful reading and music at my disposal but it's not the Mass and I feel the void. Oh, how I look forward to being there again in that sacred place.
  
• My girls are GOLD. I always knew they were pretty special but I'm seeing them rise to the occasion in ways that I never would have expected. They can whip of the clutter in the kitchen faster than me now. They are growing in servanthood - recognizing needs and moving to meet them, often without being prompted.
  
• If my girls are gold, then my man is PLATINUM. I can't even put into words how much my admiration for August has grown. His faith-filled response to the increased burdens and needs on him leaves me in awe. And as he serves us faithfully and cheerfully, despite his own fatigue (I've never seen anyone fall asleep so fast - anywhere, anytime!), he is constantly encouraging me to keep my eyes on heaven throughout this ordeal.
  

"Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.." Eph. 5:25

That's my man.