Losing tubes

Each day sees a bit of progress for Dad.

When Dad woke up today he had 4 tubes in him - 2 of them draining into bags that he carried around.



Today he celebrated having 2 tubes less.  The nasogastric tube was removed, as was the catheder.  So now Dad only has one bag draining - an abdominal drain to check whether the stitches are holding (and they seem to be) and the jujenal tube which is still being used so far. 

Dad had some fruit juice today and soup.  Tomorrow sees him get more liquids and the beginnings of some formula food. 

So far, so very good.  We are now on day 8 since the surgery, and Dr. Stephen Alfred had said that the 5th to 8th day were the crucial ones - the ones when there was danger of leakage taking place post-operatively.   I looks like Dad is on the mend.  The prayers of the saints are being felt.

As are the prayers of the saints go up - the saints also come wandering over.  Today Dad was blessed with a visit by Ashok Kulkarni - an old friend of Dad's - a very old friend of Dad's.  Ashok and Dad used to play together as school boys in the mission compound in Akola.  Another boyhood friend of Dad - Vishwas Thorat - called up the other day to express his love and prayers.

And over the weekend we were touched to have a visit by one of Mum and Dad's sons - Narendra Kumar.  An email informed us on Thursday that Narendra was taking the train from Varanasi and would be in Thane on Saturday.  And so here he was this weekend - large as life and full of the amazing gentleness and love that this man gives to so many as he and his wife Pramila serve those in jail and living on the streets of Varanasi.

We are especially grateful as Narendra's being here made my lightning 1.5 day trip to Delhi so much more possible for Sheba and Mum.

In all of Dad's healing, we must not forget his most faithful friend: Mum.  These two have walked 47 years together.  And they are still walking.  We see them going for walks along the hospital corridor, with Mum carrying Dad's bags (he lovingly called her his 'bag lady') and cheerily greeting all and sundry.

Mum and Dad are such a lesson to us in love.  Faithful, living-for-the-other, giving love.

We have seen how over the years, when one is down, the other is caring.  We have seen it again over this past month.

Mum continues to care for him in so many ways.  Reading scripture to him, scratching him in the high bilirubin days, giving him his beloved head-massages, praying with him.   The look on Dad's face when Mum walks into his hospital room in the morning is priceless.  You would have thought another sun has risen...

We are blessed to see two people who have grown old gracefully, lives intertwined and still moving forward in love and care for each other.

Would that each one of us would have this heritage ahead of us...

Mum has been spending most of the days with Dad at the hospital - partly to free Sheba and me to do the work and home-building activities we need to - and partly because of the blessed coolness of an AC room in the Thane heat.  But tonight we should all be sleeping especially peacefully as we have just installed ACs in our home.

And so we come to the end of another day. 

Yesterday was hard for Sheba and myself because we did not get the hoped-for and expected order regarding Yohan from the authorities in Bhiwandi.  But instead of getting angry we are looking to the Lord in prayer.  It is also good for us to get a small insight into the utter helplessness that so many feel when they are trapped into a system with very few avenues of justice.  It is also good for us to keep trusting the Lord - and sobering to see that for all the 'things in our favour' - we still are so much at the apparent mercy of others, esp. those who have positions of authority.

After our Tuesday night Bible study (and supper) at Shanti's home, Sheba and I dropped in to see Dad.  Anil Edwards has very kindly taken on night duty with Dad tonight.  It was a joy to see Dad with fewer tubes than at the beginning of the day - and with his same big smile.  We brought Mum home - and dropped off Sheba to see the very sick woman who has been admitted at JSK. 

Life goes on.  We are hoping to bring Dad back home on Thursday... or maybe on Good Friday.  Blessings upon blessings.