January 26

Many of you will be glad to know that I'm actually at home for much of today. My sister came up from Indy to sit with Barbara, so I am here concentrating on getting some things accomplished. That means laundry, finishing up for Sunday, and playing with the poor, neglected dog a bit! As for the latter, Max is quite thrilled to have my company. Aren't dogs great?! I once read somewhere that the finest Christian example someone had ever met... was their dog! Their capacity for perfect love and devotion is amazing!

Believe it or not, we are still awaiting Barbara's surgical procedure. It keeps getting put off, and we haven't even met the doc yet. Supposedly, it will happen today at 5:30, but I'm not holding my breath. I believe the procedure is called a "debridement", which is not at all pleasant sounding. Why can't they ever come up with pleasant sounding names for these things like a "cherrylollipopment" or "betterdayectomy"? It seems that they will give Barbara her choice of anesthesia, and she prefers a sedative and a local as opposed to being completely knocked out.

Thank you to all who have visited. Your words and encouragement have been a great healing balm to her. In fact, I will give it a name: your visits are a "pickeruptomy".

Well, if you'll pardon me, I have "laundryfolditis" and need a bid dose of "getupoffmyposteriorose".

Before I go, though, keep this in your prayers: Barbara's case worker is trying to get her approved to go to a rehab facility in Chicago once she is released from acute care. We've been told that this place is the top rehab unit in the country, and that they specialize in helping arthritis patients. Despite the fact that this next stop would make it impossible for me to visit her every day (Chicago is close, but thanks to traffic, it still takes an hour+ to get there), Barbara has said that she wants to go to the best place possible. She tells us over and over again that she just wants to walk and crochet again!

Also pray for today's procedure, should it actually happen,

And pray that Barbara will stay happy and non-anxiety-ridden.

By the way, she now has some student nurses who will be caring for her from time to time, and because of all the care she will be getting, as agreed that I don't have to be there for the whole day. That will be a tremendous relief for me. While many of you have counseled me about taking time off, you need to realize how unreceptive that Barbara has been to that idea. It's always easier to know how someone else should respond than to put it into action for one's own self! I think she also understands that I do indeed want to be with her, but that I need some time away for both rest, and constructive work. So, things are looking up a bit there as well.