There’s one thing I hate about the coronavirus pandemic: it robs you of future plans.
I hadn’t seriously touched my violin in 15 years. This year I started taking lessons again and began preparing works by Ravel, Brahms, Bach and Sarasate. With my sister Deborah accompanying me, we were going to put on a recital for Mom and friends on Mother’s Day.
Then the pandemic hit.
The recital was canceled.
In my mind, I was hoping to just make it through this current crisis and hopefully when normal life resumed, I could just put on the recital.
Now I’m not so sure.
This past week, Mom began to develop cough and fatigue. Deborah had left her work as a physician and has been caring for Mom for the last 4 weeks. Yesterday afternoon, she was found to have desaturations into the 60s and 70s and an elevated heart rate of 106 beats per minute. She presented to MD Anderson in Houston. The CT scan was significant for bilateral ground glass opacities – “classic for COVID-19.” Upon her first negative test for COVID-19, she was promptly moved from the Suspect COVID-19 floor to the regular floor. My family breathed a sigh of relief. However, I remained apprehensive.
Last night she spiked a fever of 102 that responded to Tylenol. After the Infectious Disease doctors rounded on her this morning, she was moved back to the Suspect COVID-19 floor. She will be getting another test for COVID-19. If that’s negative, the team will recommend a bronchoscopy. In other words, they have a high suspicion for COVID-19.
Mom’s O2 requirements seems to have steadily increased. In the ER she was on 2 liters nasal cannula. On the floor, they had increased it to 4 liters. This afternoon, she was on 100% non-rebreather mask. Due to aerosol spread, they will not do BiPAP. The next step will be going on a ventilator.
David is in California while Dad and I remain in Florida. We talk about going to see Mom right away. But what’s the point? We wouldn’t even be able to be by her bedside due to COVID-19.
Yesterday, our family met together over FaceTime. I read from Psalm 34. We sang songs. We prayed. David played and sang, “The Blessing” by Kari Jobe.
I wept openly in front of the camera. Dad didn’t even point the camera at his face. I knew he was in pain. The lyrics are beautiful.
The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace
Amen
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family
And your children
And their children
And their children
May His presence go before you
And behind you
And beside you
All around you
And within you
He is with you
He is with you
In the morning
In the evening
In your coming
And your going
In your weeping
And rejoicing
He is for you
He is for you
Mom’s going through a tough time. Our family is going through a tough time. It feels COVID-19 or something might rob my one last chance of performing my violin for Mom.
Pray for Mom. Pray for our family. Pray for her healing and recovery according to the will of our Heavenly Father Yahweh.
While healing is the most obvious endpoint we all want for Mom, there’s an even more important endpoint to pray for: trust.
Pray that none of us will not lose trust in our Heavenly Father.
Pray that Mom never loses trust in the Almighty while in the hospital.
Pray that when everything is said and done, we can say we have trusted in the Power that is stronger than death.
Because one day, no matter what, I’m going to play my violin for Mom again.
17 Comments
Earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal.
Our bodies may be taken at any moment, but for our Spirit, it cannot be touched.
God holds all time in eternity and nothing exists without His love and everlasting care. Everything seen and unseen, known and unknown is supervised by His Power. Let our hope rest in His Peace. God cannot fail nor has He ever lost a battle or warrior, nor a loving patient. May God’s choicest Blessings attend to your family in this time of need. ❤️
Thank you, Bernie, for those words of encouragement. Mom loved you. You were always such great company to have at the house. Let’s keep praying.
My heart hurts for you and all your dear family. All I do know is that this world is not our home. We truly believe Christ is right there ready to return for us and yes you will get to play your violin for your mom again. Love to all of you. John and Jan
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Palsgrove. Melanie and I miss Idaho but are happy here in Florida. And yes, I look forward to the day when I get to play the violin for her again.
What I hate about illness is that it ravages even the most innocent, least deserving, and most loved people. What I like like about you Andrew is that you no doubt love your mom and have a special ability to express your sentiments in writing. What I love about your mom is her wide reaching positive influence on those she touches and that she certainly loves you like no other. Thanks for sharing. Prayers earnestly sent to the Almighty God to take care of your mom and to provide for your every need.
Hi Uncle Sam. You always seemed to know what to say and at the right time. I appreciate the times when you and Mary Ann went out and visited Mom and gave her all the fruit! It means so much to me and Mom. Thank you for your prayers.
Ate Nida, Thank you for everything, your kind-hearted person, I am missing your video call and words of wisdom. Hope you get well soon. 😭💔 I love you.
Keeping Auntie Nida in our earnest prayers and the rest of your family. You may not directly know me, but I’m one of the blessed “inaanak” of your mom. I’m one of Auntie Judy Niere’s nieces. Please send our love and prayers to your mom. Rest assured that God is holding your mom in the palm of His loving Hands.
Andrew, we’re so sorry to hear about your mom, she is a wonderful person and we always enjoyed seeing her in Berrien Springs. You might want to consider giving her plasma from someone who’s recuperated from the virus, if you haven’t done that already. Our own Dr. Hamel here in Berrien is on a ventilator but seems to be improving since he was given the plasma on Friday. He’s also on hydroxychloroquine and antibiotic. We’ll be praying for your mom and your entire family.
I was crying the whole time I was reading your blog., anak. Your uncle Fred and I pray for our friends Nida and Placido and all you kids and your families each and everyday! Our Heavenly Father knows what’s best for us and He answers our prayers according to His divine will. So hang on, dear family, hang on to Jesus! Our God is merciful and gracious and He loves you too much and we do too!
We are just passing of this World, We are hoping to live a place that no more sickness or pain or bills…We are born to live not to die but due to our iniquities,sin,hard to understand, death come in…In the Bible, Methuselah live, 969 years old, Adan 966, Eve 934, In this years, they have no Aircon in there house, nor refrigerators, no gasol,no rice cooker like any electronics for foods…No cell phones due to radiation , no computers, and they live long longer…No medications, they just using Herbal and sunshine and cooks food every time…no raw in the table , because the Bible say’s ,,,Because you Sins against The Lord, Your food must be cook…….This including fruits cook……
Pray 7Times a day like. ELIJAH. For I’m God nothing is impossible. And God no sickness can not be Healed by Gods. Mercy and. Power God Can. Heal And ask Forgiveness of. All our sins and. Cleanse from all our UNRIGHTEOUSNESS and God will Forgive. Us TRUST. In. God More. Prayer. More. Power for PRAYER. Is Talking to God
Thank you for sharing what your family is enduring. I’ll be praying for each of you.
Praying for you and your precious family Andrew… Let us all be faithful and finish this work where we know that the reward is found in my favorite verse. Rev. 21:4. perfect peace, perfect health, perfect happiness and face to face communion with GOD.
Dear Andrew, Deborah and family and especially mom: You are in our prayers and best of all in God’s loving hands. May you remain in the WORD of life! “Your words were found! And I ate them. And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart! For I am called by your name, O Lord God of Hosts!” Jeremiah 15:16 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on the, because he trusteth in thee.” Jeremiah 26:3. We love you!
On behalf of your church family and friends here in Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, Washington, we want to let you know that your mom, dad , you and your entire family will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Our Prayer Warriors will be in our blended knees to ask God for His blessings of healing for your mom most especially at this time.
God be with you all❣️
So sorry to hear about this! Prayers for your family!