Running With Hope (Hebrews 12:1-3): Hospital Update: Farmers Market and Gift Shop, Oh My!

I'm definitely starting to feel better, praise the Lord! It only took 12 days of two heavy duty IV antibiotics every 8 hours...my body seems to be taking longer and longer to respond to treatment, but I'm thankful I still respond! Several of my PCD friends are going through some really difficult times--one of them is on the transplant list and has been in ICU for 23 days with a collapsed lung and a chest tube due to a leak in her lung which they had to surgically repair yesterday. Another friend is battling a really serious Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas infections--she's on 6 different IV antibiotics around the clock and if that doesn't work, she has a very low % chance qualifying for a transplant because both of the bacteria she is fighting are super antibiotic resistant. My first friend is my age and my second friend is about 10 years older than me. Some days the reality of PCD hits hard as I watch my friends that I have come to know and love fiercely through our facebook group literally fight for each breath. Please be praying for these dear friends as they are literally fighting for their lives. When I get discouraged about how I'm doing, I just think of these and other fellow PCD warriors who have gone before me and walked through much darker valleys and come through the other side and they inspire me to keep on keeping on.

Today was a fun day--I walked downstairs this morning and the weather is beautiful today! The high is only in the high 60's, but it was sunny with a cool breeze and there is a Farmer's Market every Friday outside the Medical school that is connected to the hospital. I discovered Vegan magic and pecan bars--SO yummy! Rafael, who was selling them, had a Bears jersey on, so that's why I went to his booth first and we started talking about the Bears. He just moved here to help his cousin with this baking business last year from Chicago...so of course I had to trek back up to my room and get some cash and get some bars because I could actually eat them and I'm actually hungry again, which is always a sign that I'm starting to get better. :) Then Grandma got here and I had to show her the booths and there were some organic teas and the lady was super sweet and not only gave me samples, but after I shared my blog card with her, she gave me a box of Earl Grey tea, which is one of my favorites! Then we discovered seafood rice at another booth and split that for lunch--oh so good!

Before Grandma got there I went to the gift shop to "look around"...they have so much cute stuff and it's always changing. There are two gift shops--one on the children's wing and another at the main entrance. The main entrance one has a million butterfly things and the kid one just has so much fun adorable stuff. They have a little horse that says to press his ear and I just thought it'd make noise like most of them do but it started moving and thankfully I caught it off the shelf--it gallops! My nephew, Hunter, would love it! (And honestly--so do I LOL). Gift shops at hospitals are so dangerous but they have fun stuff to take your mind off the fact that you are at the hospital.

My Father-in-law flew into town today from Alabama, got the Uhaul truck and trailer and he and my sister-in-law, Kerstin, drive out early tomorrow morning. It's crazy how fast time flies...this move for her has been months in the planning so it's gone slow and fast, and I will miss her but I'm excited to see what the next chapter holds for her. Even though he had to be exhausted, Dad still made time to get us Pei-wei and visit for a couple of hours and it was fun to see him and catch up. I read the updates on Matt Dodd to him and we both cried...Matt and Cameron's testimony of faith during an incredibly dark time is so inspiring! For those of you that are newer to the blog, Matt and Cameron are missionary friends from a church we used to attend in Phoenix, Grace Bible Church. I did a blog post sharing his story a little while ago, but long story short, he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in January and had a stroke and almost died. He is now walking with a walker and was recently released from rehab and is home with his family--I cried tears of joy knowing the sweetness of reunion as Cameron shared that she would "Lord willing, get to sleep next to her husband and her kids could have breakfast with their Dad." Things that we often take for granted but aren't promised--Matt will be going to Grace on Sunday in Phoenix for the first time since the stroke and will be speaking--if you live in the Phoenix area, I say go! You can also livestream their services from their website, which I am planning on doing, Lord willing. I'm so blessed to call them friends and can't wait to hear what Matt has to say on Sunday!

Momma stayed the night last night and endured a night of "Ivy", my IV machine, not cooperating and blaring an alarm, "air-in-line" a ridiculous amount of times so she had to get replaced, so now I have "Ivy 2" lol. Mom's been the only one to brave spending the night so far--life circumstances for so many of my friends have changed over the last few years as precious little ones have graced their lives and Mom has been gracious enough to stay and be with me when they desensitized me in the ICU and she's going to stay for my surgery on Monday so that Jordan doesn't have to use up vacation days to be at the hospital but can actually save them for some actual vacation time this summer--what a concept!

I also got to facetime my sister which is always fun--I'm so grateful for technology to let me "be" with her and others when we are apart. I could still be a big sister tonight when she was at the end of a rough day with little ones and her husband, Kyle, was at work as a firefighter on a 24 hour shift. He's also in paramedic school, so sometimes she goes 36 hours without seeing him with a 3 and 1 year old. She loves being a Momma, but it's also hard, as all Moms know.

It's also my Mom-in-laws birthday today so I called and talked to her this morning. Her sister, Aunt Bindy, flew to AL to keep her company since Dad flew out here to drive Kerstin home on Mom's birthday. Now that I'm writing all that happened--in between breathing treatments, IV antibiotics, vitals, and all the other stuff, no wonder I'm tired tonight! It's truly been a fun day--it's funny that I can say that even though I'm away from my hubby and puppies, and my "normal" life, but right now this is right where God has me. I've been able to continue to make new friends and catch up with old ones and make some even deeper connections--it's amazing what God does when you are squarely in His will and how He sustains you and makes the time go by quickly. Lord willing, surgery will go well on Monday and I'll get to go home the following Monday, the 10th.

Thanks for the continued prayers, love, and support! God is faithful and continues to sustain Jord and I--he stopped by Wednesday after work and I was fine until he had to say goodbye...that's absolutely the hardest part of these stays. Lord willing, I am more than half way through this stay and we can start counting down the days! As always, here are some pictures to enjoy!

In the Love of the Lamb,
Rachelle