Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas eve

Hi friends, (all 65 of you!) thankyou all for your prayers this year!
Many ups and downs and too many close shaves to even remember them all.
Many times of despair and times we have also known divine peace.
Praying God will bless you as you earnestly seek Him.
With much love
Greg, Ange, Em, James and Georgie.
PS Georgie not too bad at present, been taking her out for walks in the afternoons.
Anyone passing through Dubbo please come and see us.
ph 68850072

Monday, December 21, 2009

Monday pls pray re pneumonia.

Still battling. Georgie is at home but the pneumonia is unrelenting.
All very tired up for about 4 hrs each night lately so only getting a couple of hours sleep.
Have had a lot of difficulty getting a GP for Georgie as I suspect most drs just don't want to know about her.
This was initially at the paediatricians prompting as he considered his time too important to spend on Georgie.
Had a bit of a breakthrough there when I met a friends sister at Christmas carols on saturday night - she phoned a dr friend of hers who has even been praying for Georgie on a prayer chain. She will take her on in the new year and can do home visits.
The main issue is that she get through the pneumonia now. Hospital drs are so hard now about antibiotics etc.
Funny thing happened to day. Georgie needed some decent chest physio. I prayed at lunch time that a certain nurse would come out today- and she did! She said "I'm not actually meant to be here today in fact I was out on another job but they rang me at about 12.45 and said leave that job and go out to Georgina". (I didn't tell her about the prayer......)

Yesterday our dogs strayed off and didn't come back which they don't normally do. Got a phone call and they were at a farm up the rd. Went to get them and met a lovely family with ten kids. we got talking and basically they have a daughter whom they care for at home much like Georgina. They were at westmead under the same drs etc and in the same ward. There were some awful similarities. Their little girl has maybe a kind of autism which causes bad seizures. The mum said she used to see Georgie in Dubbo hospital when she was in with her girl - yet we never saw her in there. She said every time she walked past Georgie's room she just wanted to go in and cuddle her and talk with her as she looked so beautiful.
Anyway it was mutually beneficial talking.
Wow - what can happen when your dogs go walkabout.

Had a visit today from Hooleys at Murrumbatemen who have laboured long in prayer for Georgina. They testified that each time they were despairing for Georgina they were told "pray for life" so this is what they have been doing ever since.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Tuesday

Not too bad the last couple of days. Seems to be getting a bit of strength back to cough and overcome the pneumonia.
Last day of school today!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Saturday

Well Georgie got through the night OK.
I got up at about 2am til 4am and she was very peaceful but it seemed scarcely breathing. I just sat with her reading and put her on some oxygen which the Lourdes hospital nurses brought out. These times are so special and it is not a strain to be up at that hour when she is so restful and peaceful. Just speaking the word over her and praying.

Fortunately the reflux she had so much over winter has left her alone for the past few weeks.Praying it stays away.
Ange thinks the UTI has now pretty much cleared up. Thankyou Lord.

Yesterday afternoon Barb Malcolm brought her two daughters out and two young sisters who were very good friends of Georgie. They have made a habit of coming every Friday afternoon since Georgie got back. It is wonderful to see them come in and hold her little hands and talk with her. They all pray for her. They left a card for her which was beautiful telling of their love for her and her friendship. They are such a blessing.
The Lourdes hospital nurses who came out were a welcome relief. No arguing or haggling over what should or shouldn't be done, no opinions etc just helpful. They brought out an oxygen unit which will help her when she has times of breathing difficulty.
They are going to try to find her a GP who can come to the home as we have had no luck ourselves. If this can be done and she has oxygen at home then there is little need for her to go to hospital esp as we find ourselves exhausted by the time she comes out of hospital again.
They have also undertaken to look into some minor things for her which will make some things better for her. They also wanted to get some blood samples done and see what she really still does or doesn't need in terms of things like liver function test etc. This is important to know for even simple things like how much panadol we can give. The reality is that nothing has been altered since she left Westmead almost a year ago and little has been investigated on any basis to see whether she does or doesn't need it. Not talking in terms of seizure meds here just the extra things she gets.
Also going to investigate the necessity for the central line which has an infection in it and is quite likely the culprit for the high temps etc. It has really only been used a few times this year and last time she went to hospital they didn't even put her on a drip.
Well it is a great relief to know we can do most things at home now and with a bit of extra back up and support.
She is in God's hands. Safe.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Things gone pear shaped again

Hi after Georgie's rapid recovery (Sunday Monday) she has now been battling for the last two days and nights with a chest infection which flared up in hospital and was partly overcome by the treatment for the UTI. It has been pretty constant for the last 48 hrs so none of us has had much sleep.
We have let palliative care know and they will come out in the morning to see what help they can be eg provide some oxygen etc and giving some advice on pain relief. Just having to play it all by ear and seeing what she and God want to do.
If she deteriorates we will probably have to take her to hospital tonight.
The strain on Ange particularly is awful and she is on her own most of the day with Georgie.
So again we value your prayers.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tuesday

Georgie came home again this morning.
Hard to believe she recovered so rapidly.
Yet on only Saturday night the dr asked Ange several times between about 2am and 4am to call me to come in as he did not think she would last.
Looked very very comfy this morning.
Hot as up here today.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Monday

Georgie had a settled night last night and was mostly off oxygen.
The nurse remarked "she is so tough!" The same nurse had been very concerned with the breathing on Friday night. She will still need to battle off the chest infection completely. The dr said the other night she did not know that the anti biotics could catch it.

The UTI she had is being treated but she developed another complication with a chest infection.
On Friday night her breathing was so rapid and so shallow and at times there were even pauses in the breathing and she just was not keeping her oxygen sats up enough.
I rang two other hospitals to speak with palliative care staff and also the palliative care nurse at the hospital (who has never been brought in before as nobody lets her know when Georgie is there- I did not even know there was one) They all gave useful advice. The staff worker at the hospital seemed very helpful and said she could be a go between to stop all the pressure from drs etc. This we have found has become worse than dealing with the sickness itself.
I rang my old dr from Nyngan who is a very good GP who passes through Dubbo fortnightly about possibility of home visits. This would be something good to pray about as Ange and I have had it with the hospital and the stipulations they are putting on us.

Yesterday afternoon we had a lovely time where Em, her school friend Helen and our pastor's son Tim were all baptised at the river. About 80 people came down from various churches and some school friends.
The kids all went swimming afterwards.
I will put some photos up some time.
It was a very moving ceremony and Em shared some of her faith journey of going through some valleys esp when she was separated from us when they were forced to stay at Dubbo when we were with Georgie in Sydney in 2007. She said the Psalms became a real comfort to her during the loneliness and worry.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Georgie had a peaceful night ange stayed in with her last night.

"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?"
Isaiah 2 v22

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Georgie gone to hospital today

Georgie gone back into hospital this afternoon as she is battling infections and hospital made us bring her in there for treatment.
Ange fighting off drs etc.
Nurses helpful.
Have contacted an old dr friend who will try to get some help with home visits rather than have to keep going through the hospital who only slow things down.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

wednesday

Had a phone call from a friend today who said they still pray daily. Jesus said we should not give up in prayer.
Last night Georgie just looked so frail, small, pale and tired and still so beautiful. Covered her in prayer and went to bed about midnight or so. She was still there this morning.
Thought to give her some spinach for iron last night but was too late to go and get any. Ange said don't worry Peggy Lovell came to visit today and brought a bunch. Reminded me of the verse "before you call I will answer you".