merry (happy and joy-filled) christmas

she just called me from her hotel room

she's out!

-not for good, quite yet

but for today (and tomorrow)...

IT'S CHRISTMAS!!

thank you all for what you sent her

-you know who you are

she's right now in her room (in street clothes)

opening presents and activating her new iPhone

-she's thrilled

so aren't we all

and to all

a merry christmas!!!!!

hurry, wait, get better

she's been so looking forward to...

getting outta there, just in time for christmas

but

Acacia had a setback, her lungs filled up with fluid the other night

and she was couching-up some blood

they treated her with Lasix and didn't have to go back on dialysis again

this is the third time this has happened

they say she's getting stronger and it shouldn't keep happening

so

going 'home for the holidays' (the hotel)

might not happen

they might let her and her mom out for christmas (day pass?)

so they can enjoy the holiday together


please continue to pray for our girl

no more machines

what should be (we pray)

the last of the machines

was removed today

she has been 'signed off' dialysis

her kidneys are working well enough

that the doctors feel that she doesn't need dialysis

this is so great

my mother had to endure dialysis 3 times a week

and it's a real tough process

-taking all the blood out of the body

cleaning it and them returning it

-scary

well, no more for our girl!!

please continue to ask god for his protection

and provision for acacia

and please praise and give thanks for

all this wonderful news that she's been given


the next miracle comes friday

when she's scheduled to be released from the hospital

-praise god!

"it's out!"

she just called me this morning

and yelled, 'it's out'

yes

they have taken the tube out of her throat

-no more trach tube

she's been talking for a while and talking good

but now, no tube

and they think that the hole will close-up soon


she also told me that she expects to 'be released' friday

naturally, she can't wait to get out of the hospital

and back to the hotel

she's so looking forward to that

-to spend christmas with her new pittsburgh friends

and then her birthday too, 'outta the hospital'


she's doing so good

and it's so unbelievable that this long hospitalization is nearly over

-still a long way to go

-still she's come such a long way

what a christmas gift for all of us!

it's a beautiful day

what a great day!

-just got off the phone with acacia

we had a nice, long conversation

she talked about what she's been through

and where she's going

and all the things she's looking forward to doing

can't wait to get a car and get a job and get back to school

and get to her senior year and travel and fly and come back to california

she's getting her trach-tube out of her throat monday

and hopefully be released to the 'hotel' next week

she's so excited about using her iPhone and being away

from all those other machines...

she talked about how she's not used to not being

hooked-up to her flolan pump

-she's been dragging that thing around for years

and now she's free!

she's thinking about writing a book about her experiences

we talked about a new title -"UnHooked"

because now, she'll be free from that pump

what a great conversation we had

-so full of hopes and dreams and future conquests

kinda makes you think about what's important

and how some problems and set-backs in life are just

-plain silly


she's a champion and she's (again)

made my life worthwhile and complete

anonymous comment

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "looking good":

And without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to Him must believe that

He exists and that He rewards those who earnest seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

The hard thing to understand is that faith is

the one area in our lives where growing up means we must grow

to be more like a child, trusting simply in the goodness

and complete knowledge of a Father who has our best interests at heart.


adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with god

only genuine faith can bridge the gap

looking good

she's happy to report

that her 'bronch' went well today

her lungs are clear and she's breathing good

she told me that she goes the whole night without

the help of an oxygen machine

she also got a new g-tube put in today

-the old one was leaking, -new one now in place

-that tube's there just 'in-case'

her nurse called me and said she's doing great and

looking good


they might take her trach tube out soon too

boy, will that be wonderful when that's out

so, it's all good

thank god and thank you all for your prayers