Josiah's Progress

Praise the Lord for answered prayer! Yesterday afternoon, I was rather discouraged by his lack of progress, as some of you may have noted from reading the last update. We came "home" to the Ronald McDonald House, and settled out belongings and ate dinner. After dinner, we went back over to the hospital. Mom went in to see him while I stayed with Esther in the waiting room, and when she came back, she told me that he was awake. He had tried to tell her something, but with the tubes in his mouth, she couldn't understand what it was that he wanted. I hurried in to see him before he fell asleep again. I was amazed at the difference that two hours had made! He was doing so much better! His heart rate and respirations were down, and his oxygen level was good. I talked to him for a while, and he kept trying to tell me something. I figured out that he was telling me that he was hungry! Of course, he couldn't have anything to eat until he was off the ventilator for a while. I tried to comfort him as best I could, and he actually smiled when I told him that he could have jello and Popsicles when his tubes came out! It did my heart good to see him last night.

Shortly after I arrived at the hospital this morning, they took him off the ventilator and removed the tubes. He is now on continuous albuterol treatment and 35% oxygen. He said he had stomach cramps, which could either be from hunger (His last meal was Friday evening), or from air in his stomach from having the tubes in there. He has been so brave and good through the whole thing. Mom is sitting with him now, and I will go back in a couple hours. I have told him that all of you are praying for him. Please keep praying. He has a long road back to recovery. Even after he is discharged from the hospital, it will take a few weeks to get back to "normal".

Thank you to each one who has spent time in prayer for Josiah, for me, for Paul, and the rest of the family. We have benefited greatly from your intercessions, and I know that God is healing our son. Do not underestimate the power of your prayers. We love you, and thank God for you all. I will continue to update as the situation changes.