Lynn's status - COVID 19

As of 1/4 9:30 PM

Life is returning to normal.  While Lynn is still on the oxygen at times, she can come off of it to work in the kitchen and can do other tasks with the oxygen.  She still gets tired more quickly than before, but it seems just a matter of time before her energy level returns to normal.  I'm going to stop updates here, as I don't think that there's anything more that needs special attention.  If things change, I'll get word out.  Thanks to everyone who has been tracking Lynn's health, praying for her, and offering assistance; you all have been a great encouragement to us.

As of 1/4 9:00 AM

Lynn got good sleep without the oxygen concentrator and woke with blood oxygen at about 93.  After resuming use of the concentrator, it's back up to 97.  She ate breakfast at our normal place and seems to be doing well overall.

As of 1/3 10:00 PM

Lynn's blood oxygen got up to 98% briefly, even at setting 2 of the oxygen concentrator.  I expect that we'll try removing the oxygen tomorrow and see how she does.  She's started to get a little stir crazy and has begun doing a few things around the house, which is excellent.

As of 1/3 11:00 AM

Lynn woke up somewhat draggy, with lower blood oxygen, but within an hour it was up to a good level.  She's able to eat normally at this point, and feels like her progress is slow, but discernable.

As of 1/2 7:25 PM:

Lynn's blood oxygen was up to 97%, so we turned down the oxygen concentrator from 2.5 to 2.0.  She is eating normally, but food tastes "off" (not surprisingly).  Otherwise, she's doing well.  Thanks to Paula Clevenger, who delivered a large El Pollo Loco meal, which will give us a few days of leftovers.  She, Dana Chisholm and family members have kept us well supplied.

Another note from some friends of ours:

We got our test results back last night and we too are Covid positive. Bob is struggling the most on account of his other diagnoses, and while not seriously in trouble, as in shortness of breath, pain, etc...his pulse ox is also not keeping up. So this morning we came to ER on the recommendation of the Kaiser nurse...and we’re here now. He’s on O2 at the moment and being worked up for all other things as they usually do. His other main symptoms are achiness when the fever rises, but none higher than 100.8 so far and his asthmatic cough...truly he feels he has the flu with asthma exacerbation.  But the numbers say otherwise. We do hope to get some treatment help before leaving today but will keep you posted.

Sorry to lay this on you when you are concerned for Lynn...but Bob wanted to reach out for prayer support from the group as well.

PS for Grace group...Bob is now in hospital. They found patchy double pneumonia and a blood clot in one lung. He is being moved to Kaiser Irvine tonight as there were no beds in Anaheim. He feels pretty well, and is glad to be able to sleep in a proper bed tonight, once in Irvine. Thanks so much for your prayers.

Lillian

As of 1/2 9:15 AM:

Lynn had a decent night's sleep on oxygen, woke refreshed, had a normal breakfast.  Temperature of 98.4, blood oxygen 96.  All in all, looking quite good (except that the dog didn't want to come home from his walk).

As of 1/1 4:30 PM:

Lynn is home with home oxygen, antibiotics and steroids.

As of 1/1 12:10 PM:

St. Jude's is working on setting up home oxygen for Lynn.  It is possible that she will be discharged today, but that isn't certain at the moment.

As of 1/1 7:45 AM:

Lynn had a decent night's sleep (with some help from a painkiller).  Her fever seems to be gone and the headache with it, which is really nice.  During the night her blood oxygen went low and she was put on oxygen support but that was removed before morning.  It is painful for her to inhale too deeply.

As of 12/31 7:00 PM:

Pneumonia seems to be responding to a round of steroids and antibiotics, now she's being monitored.

As of 12/31 6:30 PM:

Hospitals are not known for being great places for a good night's sleep; pray that she sleeps well anyhow and is really rested in the morning - this has been difficult for her lately even at home.

As of 12/31 5:00 PM:

Lynn is in her room and feels better after having eaten something.  Her blood oxygen was measured at 94, which is considerably higher than it was this morning.

As of 12/31 2:30 PM:

A room has been designated for Lynn and they're preparing to move her into it.

As of 12/31 12:00 PM:

The doctor reports that x-rays indicate that Lynn may have some pneumonia.

As of 12/31 11:00 AM:

Lynn will be admitted to St. Jude's when they can get a room for her.  The ER is very crowded. 

As of 12/31 9:00 AM:

I took Lynn to the Emergency Room at St. Jude's this morning.  Her blood oxygen level was too low and wasn't coming up.  She had no fever when admitted, and had been able to eat most of a breakfast of two eggs and a slice of toast.  Her cough continues to bother her and she continues to feel lousy, but she managed the preparation well.  No other symptoms we could see.

Merry Christmas 2020

 For many of us, this Christmas season has been marked by a painful loss of traditions that highlighted the season in years past.  Gatherings with family or friends are either difficult or impossible and many concerts and other community celebrations have either been cancelled, or else were livestreamed to be "celebrated" at home on one's couch with no real connection with those with whom we are purportedly celebrating.  Those of us whose jobs have been labeled "non-essential" may have found that limited finances prevent them from buying the gifts they long to give.  And some of us may have lost people we cared about to COVID-19.  Add to all this the recent spikes in COVID-19 cases and deaths and the political and social turmoil which have characterized 2020, and it can be hard to say "Merry Christmas!" with any enthusiasm, let alone look forward to a "Happy New Year" in 2021.

But if we look at the Christmas story as told in Luke 1-2 (which we have been reading this month as part of Grace's Scripture reading plan), we see a picture that resembles our situation more than we might have thought.  Chapter 2 begins with an imperious decree from a distant ruler (does this sound familiar?) that everyone was required to travel to their ancestral hometown to be counted as a part of a census.  For Mary and Joseph, this could not have been a welcome demand, with Mary being so close to term.  If they knew their Bible, they might also have remembered that God did not always approve of a king demanding a census of his people (see 2 Samuel 24).  Nevertheless Joseph and Mary did what was required of them and made the trip from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem to join the mass of people who had all been forced by Caesar's command to make the same trip.  While Mary's cousin Elizabeth had delivered her baby three months earlier at home surrounded by family and close friends (Luke 1:57-58), Mary delivered her baby in the only place they could find, an animal stall, isolated from all of their friends and family.  And when they went to Jerusalem to fulfill the requirements of the Law regarding the birth of a child, the prophet Simeon warned them that Jesus was a sign that would be rejected by many and that a sword would pierce Mary's own heart (Luke 2:34-35).  He was joined by the prophetess Anna, who spoke to those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:38), which would not turn out at all as expected for those who thought that it meant Jerusalem's liberation from Roman rule.

And yet, the message that the shepherds brought from the angels who visited them to Mary and Joseph was one of "good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10).  Under the burdensome decrees of an unjust ruler, in an animal stall in a strange town, away from family and friends, with the prospect of alienation and pain in their future, Mary and Joseph were still to know great joy, for to them (and to us) was born a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  This Lord, they would discover, would not overthrow their unjust ruler to take his throne, nor would he save them from loneliness, hostility, and persecution.  Instead he would give them joy beyond all these things; the joy of the resurrection (see Luke 24:50-53).  Mary expressed it in her song in Luke 1:46-55, the shepherds voiced it in Luke 2:20, and Simeon spoke of it in Luke 2:29-32.  God was becoming one of us in the person of His Son, who would save us from sin and all suffering by transforming them through His resurrection power into eternal life and a joy that will make all the hurt that we have ever endured seem insignificant in comparison.  Oppression, poverty, suffering and death may burden us, as they did Jesus, but if we recognize what Jesus has accomplished for us in His resurrection, they will lose their sting because through the resurrection God has promised to work all these burdens for our good and His glory (see Romans 8:28-29).

So if we find ourselves struggling with loneliness, oppression or fear, we can be assured that, far from being experiences that are alien to Christmas, they were there at its inception.  But joy was there too, a joy that God intends for us to experience as well.  God wants us to be firmly convinced, as the first disciples were, that no matter what trials we endure in this life, if we rest in the resurrection power of Jesus to transform them, they will in the end become beautiful trophies of His grace that will bring us great joy.  If this is our confidence, then we will be able to truly and sincerely wish each other a Merry Christmas, for this is the day that God gave us Jesus, who would turn all of our sin, sorrow and suffering into joy, and a Happy New Year, for this is another year in which we have an opportunity to participate in the resurrection work that Jesus is doing in and through us for His glory and our good.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.