Hi
The events of this past year have been so poignant, that memories from a year ago cross my mind as if it happened yesterday. Therefore it feels particularly hard to write about the past year. Instead of going into details, I will keep it brief.
Just after I wrote last year's newsletter, Rod came down with lower back infection that caused his body to reject the spinal cord stimulator implant. By the end of May after 4 hospital stays and two major back surgeries, the implant was removed and Rod remained in bed for 2 more months. I can not begin to reconstruct how traumatic this experience was for all of us as we saw so many of our hopes and dreams crumble into days and nights of uncontrolled pain for Rod. Family and friends rotated through our home to help. School counsellors provided support for Anika and Joya. Throughout, there were many who prayed...
Rod came home from hospital on June 24. By the 27th, the pain would not allow him to close his eyes and there was no position that was comfortable. In desperation we called a dear friend of ours who is a pastor to come with two of his parishioners who have the gift of healing prayer. As they prayed for Rod, the wind moved through our home in a way that had not occured before and has not occurred since. Rod was not healed instantly but we are amazed at what has transpired.
By July 26, we were able to join Rod's family in the mountains for a family reunion. In the month of August, the girls went to camp after which we went back to the mountains to go camping. By the time school started, Rod was more comfortable sitting, than laying down and started to focus his days on finishing his PhD dissertation.
(In October of 1997, we had to leave Penn State because of Rod's health. Rod had completed his coursework and his research and hoped that he would be able to finish writing his dissertation within the following year. However, between work and health, that got pushed until last year when Rod hoped to finish and be able to have graduated in May of 2006).
On December 18, Rod will be sending his completed dissertation to his advisor!! He hopes to graduate in May of 2007 and we will all go back down to Penn State tosee him receive his diploma!! He has truly been able to do incredible things given that he takes massive amounts of MS Contin (morphine) a day to control his pain. As I write this, he is taking the girls to down twon to pick a few Christmas gifts for friends at school. Rod enjoys cooking and makes supper twice a week. He works with the kids on their homework and makes sure the laundry stays folded and our bills are paid... Everything he does becomes a gift to me... I do not have any expectation of him. We hold the activitites of life in an open hand and recognize the healing that is truly amazing.
Against this backdrop, our girls have been resilient as the pictures show. They both are as different as their looks are. Anika (12) is a figure skater, flute and piano player and an avid reader. She holds her thoughts very close. Joya (9) is very social, a soccer player, enjoys violin and piano and still loves to get lost in her polly pocket world. Our faithful dog Shaggy, rambunctious cockatoo Max, grumpy cockatiel Jojo, and the fish fill our home with their activity as well. A college student rents our basement.
I work one day a week as the administrative assistant for our church. Teaching Sunday School and serving on the decorating committee (visual focus' for workship) at church as well as working in our garden gives me a creative outlet. I swim once a week with a friend and get out for a run with Shaggy almost every day. I let all of these things drop for 3 of the hard months this spring... as I was barely hanging on emotionally. I was unable to cope with the realities of Rosella's death in the midst of what we were dealingn with... I am now finally able to think about it.
Although Mom is still with us physically, much of who she is as a person is already in heaven. She spends most of her day in bed, doesn't communicate much with words anymore, doesn't walk or feed herself. She has had pneumonia 3 times since September and I am surprised when she pulls through. Because of Mom's fragile condition, we will stay home over Christmas. Rod's parents and sister will come. One of the benefits of having an accessible home is that I can bring Mom home from the Care Centre to be with us for a few hours.
I look forward to reading your letters. Are we having a reunion next summer ?
Take Care,
Susan
|
