Update on David and Jackie - The Power of Prayer

Hello everybody - A few friends had inquired about the current status for my friend David and my mother-in-law Jackie, so I thought another post would be in order, especially since there is some news to report.  If you are not aware of what I am referring to here, and you want to get up to speed on each of them, you can read these previous posts of mine:

A Day of Clarity for my Family

My Friend David

Update on my mother-in-law Jackie and my friend David

Another update on Jackie and David  

David went home from the hospital Monday, and they are working on figuring out the best method of communication for him.  I know that he is writing mainly, and they are getting a device that will allow him to type and have his words projected onto the TV, so he can be a part of the conversation easier.  He and his wife have learned some sign language so that he will have some basic means of speaking, and they also do some lip reading.  In addition to all of that, they were given a device that vibrates his throat and allows for some sounds, and he did quite well with it, but since he has no tongue it is much more difficult to form words. 

Overall, I have no doubt that he will find a suitable means of communicating soon, since they are exploring every avenue.  The photo at left was taken on Tuesday.

As you can see, his spirits are good and Jan has been a rock throughout all of this. 

She mentioned that his hearing seems to be affected for some reason, so she asked for prayer that this is a temporary effect of his highly invasive surgery and the accompanying swelling.

I am hoping to see him very soon, perhaps tomorrow. 

As for Jackie, her mental clarity remains at 100%, which is still a huge blessing.  Physically, she is slowly improving, and we are hoping that she will eventually walk again, even if it is with the assistance of a walker.  One hurdle in this arena is the fact that her feet are mostly numb, which is a longstanding side effect of chemotherapy that she got in 1999.  At this point, she doesn't seem to be in pain with her back or legs, but her leg muscles are quite weak.  She is in good spirits and spends much of her day reading, watching TV, or interacting with us and the kids.  The physical therapist was able to get Jackie in a standing position for about 45 seconds the other day, which is a dramatic improvement for her.  She can also use a specially designed board to move to the wheelchair, which would have seemed impossible back in October. 

I want to thank all of you who have faithfully prayed for my mother-in-law and my good friend.  Clearly, our prayers have been heard and answered.  Please pray for continued improvement for both of these very special people in my life.  Thanks for reading!