Rest for the Weary: Update on Mom

To say Mom has gone through a lot this week would be an understatement. My sister, a physician, says Mom was snatched from the grave. Thankfully, Mom made a faster-than-expected recovery and also tested negative for COVID-19.

Though each day seems to have gone by quickly, the entire week has been painfully slow. When your emotions are heightened, each day is seared into memory. It’s exhausting. And if its exhausting for me I can’t imagine what Mom is going through. Typically Mom can tolerate 20-30 minutes on our daily family FaceTime. This morning she texted requesting we only meet for 5 minutes because she could barely keep her eyes open. 

Because of her vomiting yesterday they suspect she may have aspirated, ie got some unwanted fluid in her lungs due to throwing up. Her oxygen requirement went from an FiO2 of 45% to 55%. C Difficile DNA was found in her stool but the toxin was negative. They’re treating her C Difficile colitis with oral vancomycin anyway. Because she’s not quite stable, they’re opting not to remove the breathing tube until this stabilizes. Her doctors anticipate she will need a few days to recover before they consider extubation.

During our FaceTime I encouraged Mom to look to Jesus. After all the Savior had experienced difficulty in the final week of his life. So much happened. In fact much of the gospels cover that final week alone. The book of John devotes 9 of its 21 chapters to that final week. We know that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, contended with the Pharisees, comforted his disciples, experienced isolation from his Heavenly Father in Gethsemane, was betrayed by Judas, was abandoned by his disciples, tried in court, whipped with 39 lashes, carried a Cross and finally died. The story doesn’t end there because we know an empty grave would prove he rose again. It was the only time Jesus’ absence would give us hope.

However, even the Savior of the Universe, who accomplished so much in that final week rested on the Sabbath. He rested from all he had achieved and done on the Seventh Day.

I don’t think this is Mom’s last week of life. But she has accomplished a lot in the last few days. She came off the sedative mediations. Mom came off the pressers that kept her blood pressure artificially high. She came off of ventilator support and is breathing on her own though she still needs some oxygen. Mom has interacted with her family and told us how much she loves us.

More to the point, she accomplished more significant matters. She showed us the power of prayer. Mom demonstrated miracles can still happen. She showed us that she’s still a fighter. Mom reminded us how special her life is to each of us who know her.

So today my prayer is that she will experience the rest promised in Matthew 11:28:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Thirty minutes before we met on FaceTime I received a text from Mom:

I am feeling better. I can open my eyes now. Less cough and so less diarrhea. We can FaceTime for 20 minutes. I miss you guys. I thought Sabbath was yesterday. I was really down. I rested some and wanted to see you. Thanks Yahweh!!!!

Thankful again for answered prayer. Continue to pray for Mom.