It's 10 PM as I write this at the end of today - Yohan is asleep in the front room where he sleeps with Enoch. Asha is in her room studying for her Geography finals. Enoch is behind me learning a Marathi poem... with coaching from Sheba.
And Mum is with Dad at Bethany hospital in room 512.
Dad had a good day. After last night's successful procedure, he has been on antibiotic drip all day - and now has a tube from his side which has been draining bile fluid into a bag. He is glad to be able to be drinking fluids again - and seems to be itching to get back to his 3 bottles of water start to each day which he and Mum have religiously followed for the past number of years.
Dad continues to be in good spirits, but is tired. We hoped that he may be discharged this evening, but now understand it will be tomorrow. Tomorrow he will be back on semi-solid food too.
Stefan flew back to Delhi this afternoon - to be with his dear wife Neeru and Ashish, Anjali, and Anita before he wings out of India for a week-long set of teaching that he is giving to Kingdom-seeking artists in Spain.
We had an important visit this afternoon. Two weeks ago we had gone to the welfare authorities at Bhiwandi and applied for custody of Yohan. They said they would send a social worker to us to do a 'home visit' and assess our capacity to foster him. This lady came this afternoon - along with two colleages. We are so grateful that Dad's condition has stabilised enough to have a thoroughly normal visit by these three ladies. We understand that we need to take Yohan with us to the authorities on Monday afternoon for a decision on our case. This body is set up to determine what is in the best interest for a child and find a supportive environment to make this happen. It has legal authority and the chairperson has the rank and powers of a judicial magistrate. We trust and hope that they will authorise us to be Yohan's guardians - as we strongly feel that we are the right place for him. The social workers said something that was music to our ears: "he has really found a family."
And then they asked us a heart-breaking question - they know of at least 2 HIV positive boys who no one and no institution wants to take... could we find families for them? Please join us in prayer as we seek to legal custody of our precious boy - and ask God to open up foster families for those other boys who do not have homes?
Tomorrow is a new day. We will be running the fourth and final session of our Church Volunteers training in HIV care at Jeevan Sahara Kendra (one session every alternate Saturday). We will also hopefully be bringing Dad home. And trying to deal with the flood of messages which have come our way.
We are tired. It's only been a week since we waited for the confirmatory MRI test to be done on last Saturday in Dehra Dun. And since that clearly showed the tumorous growth completely blocking Dad's biliary duct, we have seen Mum and Dad come down to Thane, been admitted at Bethany Hospital, discuss surgery, had Stefan fly down from Delhi, have one attempt at introducing a stent fail, saw another succeed last night, been overwhelmed with prayers and messages from all over... Dad is currently stable and continues to be in best spirits despite his discomforts.
And so we look forward to a time of Dad resting and regrouping for the next big step. We hope that his bilirubin levels will fall over the next few days ... and then to surgery. We know that the tumorous growth seems to be compact and linked to the top of the pancreas - and since it has apparently not spread further, we want it removed. The road ahead is not easy - as the surgery suggested is not a routine snip snip and sew back together - it is a major removal of vital parts of Dad - and a melding back in radical new ways - which we hope and pray Dad's body will respond well to.
Please pray for Dad and for each member of the family - near and far - as we all prepare for this big step.
We will be talking with Dr. Stephen Alfred about this, but at present it looks likely that Dad will go under the knife on Friday March 20th or Sat March 21st. Your prayers carry us forward in all of this!
And Mum is with Dad at Bethany hospital in room 512.
Dad had a good day. After last night's successful procedure, he has been on antibiotic drip all day - and now has a tube from his side which has been draining bile fluid into a bag. He is glad to be able to be drinking fluids again - and seems to be itching to get back to his 3 bottles of water start to each day which he and Mum have religiously followed for the past number of years.
Dad continues to be in good spirits, but is tired. We hoped that he may be discharged this evening, but now understand it will be tomorrow. Tomorrow he will be back on semi-solid food too.
Stefan flew back to Delhi this afternoon - to be with his dear wife Neeru and Ashish, Anjali, and Anita before he wings out of India for a week-long set of teaching that he is giving to Kingdom-seeking artists in Spain.
We had an important visit this afternoon. Two weeks ago we had gone to the welfare authorities at Bhiwandi and applied for custody of Yohan. They said they would send a social worker to us to do a 'home visit' and assess our capacity to foster him. This lady came this afternoon - along with two colleages. We are so grateful that Dad's condition has stabilised enough to have a thoroughly normal visit by these three ladies. We understand that we need to take Yohan with us to the authorities on Monday afternoon for a decision on our case. This body is set up to determine what is in the best interest for a child and find a supportive environment to make this happen. It has legal authority and the chairperson has the rank and powers of a judicial magistrate. We trust and hope that they will authorise us to be Yohan's guardians - as we strongly feel that we are the right place for him. The social workers said something that was music to our ears: "he has really found a family."
And then they asked us a heart-breaking question - they know of at least 2 HIV positive boys who no one and no institution wants to take... could we find families for them? Please join us in prayer as we seek to legal custody of our precious boy - and ask God to open up foster families for those other boys who do not have homes?
Tomorrow is a new day. We will be running the fourth and final session of our Church Volunteers training in HIV care at Jeevan Sahara Kendra (one session every alternate Saturday). We will also hopefully be bringing Dad home. And trying to deal with the flood of messages which have come our way.
We are tired. It's only been a week since we waited for the confirmatory MRI test to be done on last Saturday in Dehra Dun. And since that clearly showed the tumorous growth completely blocking Dad's biliary duct, we have seen Mum and Dad come down to Thane, been admitted at Bethany Hospital, discuss surgery, had Stefan fly down from Delhi, have one attempt at introducing a stent fail, saw another succeed last night, been overwhelmed with prayers and messages from all over... Dad is currently stable and continues to be in best spirits despite his discomforts.
And so we look forward to a time of Dad resting and regrouping for the next big step. We hope that his bilirubin levels will fall over the next few days ... and then to surgery. We know that the tumorous growth seems to be compact and linked to the top of the pancreas - and since it has apparently not spread further, we want it removed. The road ahead is not easy - as the surgery suggested is not a routine snip snip and sew back together - it is a major removal of vital parts of Dad - and a melding back in radical new ways - which we hope and pray Dad's body will respond well to.
Please pray for Dad and for each member of the family - near and far - as we all prepare for this big step.
We will be talking with Dr. Stephen Alfred about this, but at present it looks likely that Dad will go under the knife on Friday March 20th or Sat March 21st. Your prayers carry us forward in all of this!
 |
| Stefan and Dad on Wednesday evening |
Praying....
ReplyDeletePraying for Lord's renewed grace and strength as you go thru each moment. Luv Gibu and Alphy
ReplyDeleteIn prayer
ReplyDeleteAnd solidarity
John Dayal
Thanks for the news! Continuing to pray for a complete recovery!
ReplyDeleteContinuing to pray and trust and hope for you all!!
ReplyDeleteLove from the Sardars