Flu

The title pretty much says it all.

After another day of Titus labored breathing and up-and-down fever, they ran several labs/cultures to see if there was anything else going on. And sure enough, Titus has the flu.

In some ways, he's in the best place he can be. We would have had a difficult time managing this at home. But in other ways, it's just so hard to see him struggling. Tonight, they were giving him several different meds which should have knocked him out - and instead, my little "Samson" is fighting it. He's waving his arms even with his splints on, kicking those legs, and refusing to sleep. He even gets his hand around his oxygen cord and pulls it off his face.

As with the flu, his fever is going up and down. You can tell he just feels miserable. And because of the IVs, we aren't able to hold him. And, I know that frustrates him as well since he doesn't know where he is. At home, when we put Titus in his bed, he reaches out, feels his bumper pads, and laughs because he knows he is in his bed, his safe place. And it's when he is in his bed that he just laughs and plays. He was doing it Sunday night when we put him to bed - laughing and playing instead of going to sleep. And to see him in the hospital bed tonight, with multiple IVs, a big oxygen mask, and propped up in bed, I know he is trying to figure out where he is. I just want him to rest and to know that his is safe.

The doctor stated she vacillated all day on whether to put him on the ventilator or not. She chose not to, and his breathing has shown improvement. But again, we are just concerned he is going to wear himself out.

As far as his mouth/palate goes, it seems to be fine after surgery. The bleeding has stopped and for the first time in his life, I had to wipe his nose tonight. The swelling of his tongue has gone down and they removed the thread that pierced his tongue.

Please pray specifically for these things:

• Titus will rest and his body will heal from this flu.
• His mouth/palate will continue to heal after surgery.
• His fever will go down and the meds they will treat with him will provide comfort.
• Becky will rest. She is still up at the hospital and will spend the night again tonight. She won't admit it, but she's getting weary.
• Peace and comfort for the rest of us.

And, many thanks for the prayers for my dad. He is off the respirator, his chest tube has been removed, he's eating real food, and able to talk. He should be moved out of ICU tomorrow or the next day.

As odd as it seems, I still have to give thanks. As we have stated before, none of this catches God by surprise. We are thankful for the doctors and nurses at Medical City. It's very familiar territory for us and they are the best at what they do. Their tender-loving care for Titus and for us is amazing. And, we look around on the PICU floor and there are some families in a world of hurt with circumstances much more severe than us. For many families, it's there first time to be in a situation like this. Becky has had the chance to talk and pray with several of the families. Although I am a zombie at work, when people ask about Titus, it's still a chance to share about God's faithfulness - even through the tears.

So tonight (or whenever you read this), give thanks. God is not a God of chance, life is not a random series of events, things don't just happen. There is an incredible master plan - and this is just one small, minute piece of it all. God will make it a way.