Prayer requests for recovery

Grandma is doing well and her condition has remained stable in the regular room at the hospital. Since her left side is paralyzed, she needs to be moved in her bed regularly to prevent bedsores. The doctor has suggested acupuncture and physical therapy to help Grandma regain use of her left side. These are options they will make use of while she is still in the hospital. Grandma still has a lot of sputum, and she has been refusing the suctioning procedure because it is very uncomfortable and painful for her. So far, coughing up the extra sputum has been sufficient. Due to insurance, Grandma's stay at the hospital is limited to one month. The family is now entertaining options for when Grandma is discharged (the doctor said possibly next week!). Options include at-home care (under the care of someone who's trained to administer the feeding tube, oxygen, etc.), nursing home, or transfer to another hospital. Please keep this in prayer, as the next steps are considered for Grandma. Please also continue to pray for Grandma's recovery.

Grandma is still very tired and sleeps most of the time. However, today her pastor and his wife came to visit and her eyes opened right away when she heard his voice. She was very happy to see them, and was still trying to be a good hostess, even from her hospital bed. Grandma was very touched by their presence, and comforted by their prayers. Praise God for providing a church family who also cares for her!

Grandma is so blessed to be surrounded by people near and far who are covering her in prayer during this time. I know it's your prayers and encouragement who sustain her and give her hope!

We continue to wait on the Lord and pray for Grandma as she recovers and regains strength.

Psalm 33: 13-22 (NIV):

"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth- He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You."

Rejoice!

Grandma has moved successfully to the regular floor! The doctors have considered her condition stable enough to leave the ICU. Praise the Lord! I'm so grateful to hear this wonderful news. At the same time, moving out of the ICU also means less round-the-clock care and less monitoring. My mom will be staying overnight at the hospital to be there if Grandma needs a nurse, but for some reason can't contact them.

Grandma's recovery is still very slow, so please continue praying that she will improve more and more with each passing day. She still seems really tired, and continues to sleep for most of the day. She is receiving her nutrition through a feeding tube, and she is reliant on wearing diapers. Please pray that she will regain her strength to stay awake more, and that she will be able to eat solid food soon! The road to recovery still seems so long, but God is with her each step of the way.

Even with my mom staying overnight at the hospital and with the family being there as much as possible, God is the one who ultimately watches over Grandma. Even with the constant monitoring by machines and doctors when Grandma was in the ICU, God was the one who recorded her every breath. He does not tire from taking care of her, so we can be assured that Grandma is safe under His care.

One of my favorite worship songs growing up was inspired by this Psalm:

Psalm 121 (NIV):

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

The light at the end of the tunnel

If Grandma's condition continues to be stable, the doctors will move her out of the ICU to the regular floor tomorrow! Praise God!! I am so happy to hear that, since that means the doctors do not consider Grandma to be in critical condition anymore. Grandma is trying to talk more and she is asking when she can go back home. She is now slowly returning to her normal self, always considering others before herself even when she is not feeling well. These are all huge signs of improvement, from being in a coma to possibly moving out of the ICU. For me, this is my Christmas miracle =)

We all know that our days are numbered, and that one day our time on earth will come to an end. I don't know what God has planned for Grandma (or any of us), but I do know that these past two weeks have been a huge testimony to me of God's faithfulness and provision. I know many of you have been praying with perseverance and great faith- God heard everyone's cries for Grandma and answered in a way so we could see His wonders, even with our small faith.

Please continue to pray for Grandma's recovery, and for tomorrow's move to the regular floor. Being on the regular floor will also mean there are less restrictions on visiting hours, so Grandma will get to see her family more. Praise God for all that He has done, the big and small things!

These verses come to mind when I think about how wonderful God is.

Psalm 89: 5-8 (NIV):

"The heavens praise Your wonders, Lord, Your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him. Who is like You, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and Your faithfulness surrounds You."

Praise the Lord!

1 Chronicles 16: 25-27 (NIV):

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His dwelling place."

I am so happy and encouraged to report that the breathing tube has been removed successfully, without the need for a tracheotomy! Praise the Lord!! Honestly, I have to admit that I was doubtful and I thought for sure that a tracheotomy would be the next step. Even as I prayed, I felt that I already knew the outcome for the next day. But, God continues to show me again and again that my faith is so small and He does more than I expect or imagine. I always put my trust in man and my own understanding, but God reminds me that He is the ultimate provider and He is really above all other gods. I hope you are all encouraged by this great news! =)

Currently, there is a nasal cannula in place to supply the oxygen that Grandma needs. However, she looks very tired and continues to sleep a lot, so she needs to be woken up periodically. Now there is nothing in her mouth, but she still cannot talk- no sounds are coming from her vocal cords. Reading lips is difficult, so it is still not easy to communicate. Although "Amen!" is easy to read from the lips, and she seems to say that quite often =) She has a lot of sputum that needs to be suctioned out, but it is an uncomfortable procedure so she waved her hand for the nurse to stop. Waving her hand is a good sign of improvement!

Grandma seems afraid, so she is in need of encouragement to strengthen her faith. If there are any verses from the Bible that you would like to share with her, or any words of support and love, please let me know and I will be sure to forward it on to the family in Taipei! She may not be able to respond, but she definitely understands and is aware of everything going on around her.

Lamentations 3: 21-26 (NIV):

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

Sunday worship

Since Grandma is not able to go to church, her children joined her in her hospital room for a special Sunday worship service. They read Scripture from Psalm and Isaiah, and sang worship songs together. Grandma seemed pleased and said "Amen"! Praise God that they were able to have a special time of worship together, even though they were not able to go to church. I know God was with them, in the hospital room.

Grandma was able to open her left eye (the side affected by the minor stroke) for only a few minutes today. She also yawned once, which is a huge deal because she has been expressionless since her coma-like state from her fall. Praise God for these small signs of improvement, especially since recovery has been so slow her hospitalization!

Tomorrow is a big day for Grandma, please continue to pray for her health. The doctors will be removing the breathing tube, and providing options for the family to decide, based on how Grandma's condition is. Please pray specifically for wisdom for the family that is in Taipei right now, that they will be able to make the best decision on what to do next. Pray for clarity of mind and also that they will all be able to make a unified decision. Pray for the doctors that they will know how to continue to give Grandma the best care possible.

God hears all our prayers, even the ones in our heart that we are not able to put into words. He is near to all who call on Him, as these verses promise:

Psalm 145: 15-20 (NIV):

"The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him..."

Merry Christmas!

Matthew 1:23 (NIV):

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Grandma's recovery is slow, and there is not much improvement. Through our human eyes and mind, she is not improving as quick as we would like to see. We are learning to trust God in His timing and persevering in prayer for Grandma.

This Christmas, I am reminded of God's gift to mankind. Jesus, our Immanuel, God with us.

Merry Christmas, Grandma. God is with you, He is holding you in His arms. Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy this time and God bless you and your families! =)

First update

This blog will be dedicated to updates and prayer requests for our beloved mom/grandma. I will try to update it as often as possible, as soon as I hear anything.

Grandma is still in the ICU and still weak, but very much aware. She is responsive when people talk to her, and knows what's going on around her. She is surrounded by many family members, though the visits are limited to twice a day, 30 minutes at a time. Due to the risk of infection, visitors are required to suit up before entering the ICU. Her eyes seem heavy and she sleeps a lot. The doctors suspect she most likely suffered a mild stroke after her fall, so she does not have much use of her whole left side right now. Her right side is normal, so she is able to write what she cannot say (since she has a tube inserted in her throat to help her breathe). She is on a blood thinner to prevent further blood clots.

Right now, the most pressing prayer request is for Grandma to breathe on her own. Currently, she is dependent on the tube to breathe and cannot do it on her own. On Monday, December 27th (which will probably be sometime during the evening of December 26th in the US), the doctors are planning to remove the tube to see if Grandma can breathe on her own. If she is still dependent on mechanical ventilation, then a tracheotomy will be performed and a tube will be surgically placed through a hole in her throat.

A few days ago, she wrote on a piece of paper "Pray for me." Grandma is a strong woman of great faith, who made an impression on me from when I was very little and continues today. In difficult and trying times, she always leaned on God for strength and comfort, and I know she wants us all to do the same. Please join me in praying for her with faith, to our God who has been there with her from the beginning.

Prayer requests:

1) Pray that Grandma will be able to breathe on her own, so the tracheotomy will not be necessary.

2) Pray that Grandma will gain strength everyday, so that she can be awake longer and open her eyes easily on her own.

3) Pray for the doctors and nurses, that God will give them wisdom to provide the best medical care for Grandma.

God's Word is true and unfailing, and I would like to share these verses with you. I would love it if someone in Taipei could read this to Grandma in Chinese, to encourage her:

~ from Isaiah 41:10, 13 (NIV) ~

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand...For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you 'Do not fear; I will help you.' "