Home again

Hey everyone,

The procedure went off without a hitch. I’m back home with a limp and a fever, but otherwise I’m all right. My leg should be back to normal soon enough and I hope the fever gets going too. If those abnormal vessels were the cause of bleeding, then I should have no further problems because they were sealed during the procedure.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayer.

Procedure tomorrow

Hey everyone,

Tomorrow I’ll be undergoing a cardiac catheterization. For those of you familiar with it, you know there is some small percentage of risk that goes with the procedure. I’d appreciate your prayers for my safety during the surgery, and also your prayers for the procedure’s efficacy: I’m told sometimes it help stop bleeding, and sometimes it makes no difference, or can even make it worse. I wouldn’t want to undergo risk and then have my condition worsen.

Thank you all for your care and concern. God bless!

It’s getting hard not to be frustrated

If I were David, I would write a psalm right now about how I understand why God is allowing me to go back in the hospital two weeks after I got out and when I have so much planned and coming up in what looks like an exciting July.

In the meanwhile I will try not to think I know more about what’s best for me, and just pray.

I’d appreciate your prayers as well.

Everything is Harry Potter

So I’ve recently become obsessed with Harry Potter. I began re-reading the novels in anticipation of the movie release of book 5 and the arrival the final book in the series. I love them all. I’ve also been reading “Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts.” Surprisingly, some of the essays are very sympathetic to Christian theism, and one very blatanly so. Regardless, it’s tons of good fun learning philosophy and seeing some of the things Rowling has weaved into her tale.

What gives me all this reading time? Well, I’m jobless, and I’m currently in the hospital. The reasons are the same as always: hemoptysis. I hope to be out by Tuesday.

Hope you’re all well.

Update on my mom

My mom was able to leave the hospital last night. They think the pain is muscular (not sure if I’m convinced). I mean, do you give morphine to people with muscular aches? Eh, whatever. Thank you all for your prayers, and may God bless you for them.

My mom

Last night my mom had to go into the hospital. She’s been having some serious pain for the past few days. Say a prayer for her if you can remember; I’d greatly appreciate it.

Back off

Well, Tuesday night (or Wednesday morning?) I awoke with a horrible back pain. It felt like someone was pushing on my back, as if some ball were resting on it. I took some tylenol and then went back to sleep. Anyway, the pain consisted during the day and I went to get an x-ray at the hospital. I got to stop by the nurses at the respiratory floor and say hi. It was nice. Well, the x-ray showed nothing in the area where I was having pain (it's probably muscular like my primary doctor thinks), but they did find something in my lower back. Since it's not major, I just need to see a doctor sometime. I hope we get it settled before it gets worse. 

I'm hoping my back feels better by tomorrow – sand volleyball youth activity! 

Home at Last

I am home at last. Got out of the hospital yesterday. It's very nice to be home. Don't take sleeping in your own bed or showering in your own bathroom for granted – they are definitely great commodities! I'm going on a trip tomorrow to visit a college, so posts will be slow, I think. I could be wrong though. I tend to find a way to get online.

Hospital Life

Let me preface this post by expressing my thanks for all those at home and abroad who have me in their thoughts and prayers. May our Lord and God bless you richly. I also want to say that though my state of health may sound bleak, it is not really that bad at all.

I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when I was six months old. Until I was sixteen, I led a pretty regular life. Most "regular" CFers spend much of their time in the hospital – i spent none. Then in May/June of 2005, I started coughing up blood. This is my fourth hospitalization for the same problem. I really am a very healthy CF kid, so I hope it doesn't seem that I am too gravely ill from my posts.

What's frustrating is that I'm not quite sure what's causing this, and I don't know if the doctors know either. Today we complained a bit 'cause of miscommunication. I was just told that the blood is coming from my nose, not my lungs. But the ear/nose/throat doctor said he didn't think it was coming from there! What's the deal? Is it my lungs, my nose, my pre-trib eschatology class? Anyway.

On to hospital life. I have had several visitors. My girlfriend has come the past three days, and she might come tomorrow. I definitely smile a lot more when she's around. I've also had other visitors. I hope those people realize how much of a blessing and encouragement they are when they visit people in the hospital. When I get better, I am going to try to make it to my church visitation and encourage others who are trapped in these places. Okay, maybe I shouldn't say trapped. It really is important to get help when you need it. But it's just frustrating.

I've also been watching some movies on the movie channel. Tonight I'll hopefully catch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I saw it in theatres, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it again. I saw some of National Treasure and Spiderman-2 today as well.

That's all for now.  

Missing It

I am unfortunately going to miss my girlfriend's graduation tonight. I don't quite understand why this is happening. She, of course, understands that it is not my fault, but it pains me that I am not able to share such a momentous occasion in her life with her. But God is wise, and he has seen fit for me to be here tonight.

While I'm here, I'll be spending plenty of time reading blogs, checking theologyweb, and reading the books I ordered. Delivered today were "The Face of New Testament Studies edited by McKnight and someone else, and also "New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel" or something like that. I hope I will find them interesting and illuminating.

Arriving tomorrow should be the first two volumes of "Death Note," a manga about which I have heard nothing but good things. The basic details of the plot are as follows: A boy finds a book, and discovers that whomever's name he writes in there dies. So he decides to start using it to kill criminals, and all sorts of chaos ensues, I think. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

I was also hoping to get my tv and ps2 in the hospital room so I could finish up Kingdom Hearts 2 in pride mode and get that special ending, or maybe finish up Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, which my friend lent me.

As for the medical things which are ensuing: I am on IV antibiotics and doing aerosols. I am going to have a special head scan tomorrow to see if anything's wrong in my sinuses or whatever, but the ear, nose, and throat doctor thinks everything is fine. I am really hoping they find out what is causing this bleeding, and that they will eliminate it. The pulmonologist also told me that a fungus is growing in my lungs. They know this by the sputum culture they did yesterday. She says they're not going to treat it until they know which it is for sure. I had one of these in August, and the medicine they gave me for it gave me the most terrible joint aches. I hope I don't have to endure that one again.

Anyway, my few and faithful readers, be blessed, and….

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2006!