Symanzik Family Update

Beth and I brought Jerard home from the hospital today. We are very happy that he is home. This latest hospital stay was for 8 days, with the latter half of the stay trying to get his progressive pneumonia under control.

He still has a bunch of medications (10 in all) that he has to take, including one through IV (through the use of a heparin lock), and the rest through a feeding tube. He is still NPO (meaning nothing by mouth) so he gets a milk formula every three hours along with whatever medicine he is due for.

Thank you all for your prayers. We really appreciate them and still need them very much.

Well, Jerard had no fever all day until late afternoon.
He even smiled about 4 times today!
There is talk of sending him home tomorrow or Friday. Pray it happens!

But we grapple now with the care of a boy who is very weak, unable to eat except by feeding tube, very limited movement of his limbs. Pray with us for wisdom and guidance in how best to meet his needs.

Well, Jerard had been seeming to make progress and there had been talk of sending him home today; BUT
over night he developed high fever again, trouble breathing, much congestion.
He has what is known as progressive pneumonia. They will be starting him on a different antibiotic today.
Needless to say, he's not being discharged today.
Keep him in your prayers!
Thanks!!!!

Every hospital stay of Jerard's has been a teaching time of my Abba to me.
Life is hard.
It is hard to be a Christian, but it is too dull to be anything else! (B. Manning)

"Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

I need to have Open Hands
Giving Thanks In All Things
Hard things befall
Giving Thanks
In the Eating
In the Breaking
In the Unknown
In the Hard
Giving Thanks
Breaking Bread
He Sustains

"When Jesus comes into our lives with his scandalous cross in the form of mental anguish, physical suffering, and wounds of the spirit that will not close, we pray for the courage to "stand fast a little" against the insidious realism of the world, the flesh, and the devil." (B. Manning)

Open hands....letting go of all control....to rest safely in His hands...Ahh the joy of knowing He knows my name, He rejoices over me with joy

Jerard was transferred to a regular room today.
He has a feeding tube and has had three 'meals' of PediaSure so far.
He is very sleepy due to the keppra and phenobarbital being given for anti-seizure medicines.

Pray he will be discharged from the hospital soon!