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.

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

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

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".

Monday 30th Oct

Some up and down days - the weekend was pretty good really.
On Saturday night Georgie just seemed to be more "there" than normal and so I stayed up until 1am reading to her when she went off to sleep. I think I've probably said before that as time has gone on we are more sure that Georgie can hear and probably even understand some of what we are saying. She often wakes up just from little touches now and sometimes from speaking to her she will open her eyes.

Been stinking hot up here lately but on Thursday we put down some turf so we now have a back lawn and James and I finished it IN THE RAIN - drizzled on and off during the night and we got 9mm of rain which helped no end. It cheered us up no end esp Ange.

Georgie has had episodes of rigors shaking lately maybe every few days her temp will suddenly flare up and she will shake. At the most recent blood test (that we were able to get a copy of that is) she still had a bacterial infection which she picked up in ICU at Westmead in 2007.

James enjoying the cricket season.

Em in Sydney on an art/history excursion overnight. Em and a friend and another fellow all getting baptised on Sunday.

This verse got me today.

Psalm 50 v 23
"Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honours me, and I will surely save all who obey me"

A few pics

Thought I'd put a few pics in for interest.

One is of Ange and Georgie at home going for a walk.

Another is of a mate praying for Georgie back at Westmead last year. (he had a son who is fine now who also had a trip to Westmead with hydro encephalytis and was in a coma for several days but was granted a miracle. The drs went in 3 times to take him to theatre for an operation and each time he sat up in bed. This unnerved the drs....)

The other is of one of the nurses at Westmead lovingly caring for Georgie.

Dear friends we thank you most sincerely for your continued support. We really value your continued prayer. I've been asked for a few specifics etc.
Dad said the other day God gives us grace one day at a time. Sometimes it is hard to feel it and other times there is a sudden peace which takes you beyond yourself.
We are asked "how are you bearing up" to be honest only just at times - there is no solution at hand really. People ask is it time consuming? Yesterday although we have lived in our house for nearly a year i said to Em "can we get TV out here?"-made me realise how infrequently we sit down.
It is hard and often continuous work with little respite. The respite we do get is from the Dubbo base hospital when Georgie is sick enough to warrant going in there and even then it is very stressful because it is always another case of life and death and talks of quality of life and suffering etc. and all of the worrying that comes with that always wanting to do what is right and not just what is easy or convenient for drs however nicely they try to put it all.
These times and talks are very demoralising and so we hang on at home until it is either completely beyond us or just plain unfair to Georgie. She escaped dying again last week when she was in there-against all expectations from medicos really. Nurses were very relieved to see her rally again and re-stabilise.
It is a cruel process and ange and i have been pondering lately the fact that we have not become nervous wrecks. esp as it was our 3rd night and day continuously with little rest. Georgie has just been so sick. Up at 3am the other morning I said to Ange "Now we are having fun!!!" Thank God for a sense of humour.
We have prayed all manner of ways and fasted and whatever else yet her life hangs by a thread it seems.
One thing we have become more certain of is her ability to be aware of what is going on so that she can be woken by touch or even sound and i think she can understand as well yet just cannot communicate back to us.
It tears our hearts out continually.
The strain is hard on Emily and James as well who have to watch her suffer sometimes. Yet Georgie must still be very determined to live. Drs say the whole medical world believe she has"superior genes" which we don't know about that, but sustained by prayer and by God for reasons not known to us we can only press on, believing that he who has begun a good work will see it through until the day of completion....To God be all praise.
The UnitingCare home help are a great help and reprieve to Ange and a real God-send. The head lady is always very positive and encouraging.