Friday 12 August 2016

1 AM and all is not well

It's been a very tough day.  And we are well into the night - and early morning of the next.  1 AM to be precise.

Dad was in pain and had difficulty breathing all last night.  That continued into today.  How we wish we could have a magic button to press and have everything 'turn out right.'  Well, that doesn't happen.

We do have prayers - sometimes anguished, other times joyful.  And we do sing songs of praise and hope amidst it all.  But no magic, no-pain-at-all solutions.

The day outside was sparkling.  The recent rains cleared and we had sunshine and blue skies.  And so many hues of green...




We also had a host of ladies come to the "Van's Hall" which is the HBM community health and development department's training room.  They were here for a day-long training to get our village self-help groups more active and to continue to process of grooming leaders.

Rajkamal from Dehra Dun was our main resource person - and the day just flew by.   Each of our 18 self-help groups sent their president, vice-president and treasurer.   It was wonderful to see what God can do through these women.  Self-help groups - a form of microfinance - has huge potentials for helping create new value in situations of on-going poverty.

Much as I would have liked to attend the whole day - Dad's condition kept calling me back home.

It was a very hard day for him, as he was groaning through most of it.  Groaning because it was hard to breathe and he was distressed and in pain.  We were not able to give him tablets to swallow in the morning - so we crushed the morphine and mixed it with a teaspoon of fruit juice and give it to day with prayer.  He managed to keep it down.

But Dad did not get much relief for most of the day.   We have been taking turns to be with Dad.  But it was especially distressing today to have Dad moaning.  We tried to keep assuring him of our presence.  Tried to tell him how much we love him and what a privilege it is to serve him.  We read him a special letter from Premi.  We sang a number of times - with Dad even 'joining in' on the odd occasion with what can best be called musical grunts.

We don't have easy answers.  But we do have each other.


And we have people who have come to pray with us.   And talk and help with planning the logistics for the next steps given Dad's current condition.

We also have the intrepid Palliative Care team who all came over to help out with Dad tonight.

At 11 PM we felt that he just was in too much discomfort.  And so we did another pleural tap.  Amazing to have the team come to our door step.  Amazing to have the procedure carried out on Dad's bed - with our living room coffee table serving as a support for him.

We are humbled by the expressions of love and support that we keep getting.

So many are praying.  And do we ever need those prayers right now!

Totally out of the blue we had two chaps from our child hood.  In my growing up years, I was bookended by Romy (10 years older to me and Noel (almost10 years younger).  They stopped in - totally out of the blue - from Dubai today - and spent an afternoon with Mum and us before taking the night train towards points west.

The palliative care team of HBM did their job well, and we still have 2 members of the team with us till 1.30 AM to make sure that Dad is doing better - and to give him his morphine as an sub cutaneous injection then.

And so we live to tell our tales for another day.   But how long Dad will survive is an open question.
Each day he has been deteriorating some.  Today was hard.  It's now past 1 AM and all is not well. But we do know that the King is coming!  What a blessed hope we have.

Thank you so much for joining us on this journey.   Bon nuit!

32 comments:

  1. So hard for all of you. We pray that the Lord will strengthen you and be a tangible presence in your home at this difficult time.

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  2. Keeping dad and mom very specially in Prayers. Jesus holds them close- carrying them through this season. Praying for you, Sheba and the kids that the love and peace of the Lord will continue to give you renewed strength and comfort as you pour out your lives.

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  3. Andi, we send love and prayer and wish we could be there. Christa, blessings and strength: lean on those Everlasting Arms of our Lord. We love you all across these miles.

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  4. Though, life has take a good deal from dad, but something begin by thanking Lord for all that life has left him - though his body must stay in the one place,but he can still send his mind and imagination in adventurous travel - can still pray, to uphold the hands of those he love and constantly to bear them and himself to His throne of grace. Bless the doctors and nurses and the people who care for him and look after him; and give them skill to find a cure some day and help him to smile to feel like doing - even when it is the last thing....

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  5. Dear Andi and all the family. You are on my prayer list and we will pray. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to read most of your blog's and prayer letters recently as we have been very busy. I did see this post today and so will keep your dad and all the family in prayer.
    With love from Vivienne, Derick and family in Bangalore

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  6. Dear Andi and all the family. You are on my prayer list and we will pray. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to read most of your blog's and prayer letters recently as we have been very busy. I did see this post today and so will keep your dad and all the family in prayer.
    With love from Vivienne, Derick and family in Bangalore

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  7. May His Home going be peaceful in Jesus' Name..........With you at such a time as this......
    God Bless You & Lots Of Love..............

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  8. Thank you Andy, Sheeba, the children and Christa for taking care of Ray. May he live well before meeting the Lord Jesus Christ. Praying for you all.

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  9. Praying for you guys as you serve your dad. It must be hard, may God's grace and peace be with you all. Love you dear family.

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  10. Praying Brother. I was in tears when I read about Dad condition. Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ".

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  11. Christa, Andi and Sheba, praying with you all. We had Raju Christi, Rob Sinclair and now, Narayan Bhagat spent a few days with us over the last two weeks which united us together to pray for Ray and all of you. How we praise God for you all. We love you. Judith

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  12. Thanks for updating. Praying regularly and how I wish our good Lord will do a miracle and heal him. However, His will be done

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  13. Praying for all of you for special strength and especially for Ray. You are all deeply loved.

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  14. Praying for all of you especially for uncle Ray.

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  15. Praying for all of you especially for uncle Ray.

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  16. So hard to read of Ray's suffering. And so glad that we share with you in all this. Know that the family of God is pulling with you.

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  17. Praying for His peace to fold down over you all. Sent a blog link to Drena Verwer as she hadn't seen one lately. Many many praying and sending love from the old OM days. Your 1973 picture looked oh so familiar!

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  18. I join my prayers to hundreds if not thousands of others knowing that the Lord can be trusted to bring Ray and all of you through this. Still, my heart aches when I think of my brother moaning. How hard it must be for you.

    With our love,

    Clarke & Rita Holtsberry

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  19. Praying for you Christa....and Andi and all the family!! I just came from the memorial service for Dr. Tim LaHaye in San Diego. What a celebration! ...though I know the family is going through ups and downs in their loss, and in knowing he is with Jesus after having served him as pastor (sending out many missionaries including my folks) author, and defender of the faith. I think he will be there to welcome Ray though he may have not known him! I CAN ONLY IMAGINE (great words in that song too!) What a wonderful day that will be!! Love from California, my brother! Praying for you! Pat Major (III)

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  20. Besides praying for your Dad, I am also praying for you Andi as you share in your Dad's pain. I send my strength to your Dad and pray for relief from pain. Many strong hugs to Mrs. Eicher. What a difficult time. Praying for God's peace as a physical gift to all of you, not just spiritual. From Dana, Woodstock '92 and remembering many afternoons at your parents place.

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  21. Hi Andy so sorry to hear, was just talking with my Mother about your Dad this morning, praying for your Mom and all of you

    Sam Franks

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  22. Hi Andy so sorry to hear, was just talking with my Mother about your Dad this morning, praying for your Mom and all of you

    Sam Franks

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  23. Thank you, Andi, for sharing and blessing all of us as we give thanks for Ray who is with the Lord Jesus he lived to serve. We will be much in prayer for the funeral on Monday in Myssoorie and for Christa and all of you. Much love from Hugh and Ruth and Robin

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  24. Thank you, Andi, for sharing and blessing all of us as we give thanks for Ray who is with the Lord Jesus he lived to serve. We will be much in prayer for the funeral on Monday in Myssoorie and for Christa and all of you. Much love from Hugh and Ruth and Robin

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  25. Christa, Andi, Sheba and all the family. We stand with you all. Hugh and Ruth's comment seems to indicate that Ray has now been 'promoted to glory', as the old Salvationists used to say. Blessed release for him but profound sadness for all the rest of us. Our love in the Lord Jesus, Dave & Val

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  26. Andi brother, heard about uncle from CAN. May the Lord peace be on you and the family. Atleast uncle is pain free now in the Lords glory. Will be praying for the arrangements on Monday at mussorie

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  27. Andi, Sheba, Christa and family,
    You are in our prayers. Ray was an incredible man of prayer and faith. We are so thankful for the opportunity to know him and you, Christa. Sending our love.
    David and Lisa Ritchie

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  28. I am praying for you all from Taylor U. May God's peace surround and sustain you. I'm so very sorry for your loss and this world's loss of someone so special. Love and prayers,
    Jenny Collins

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