Strong in the Spirit

The last few days have been rough on Daniel. He's struggled with a fever and a few other symptoms suggestive of some type of infection. One of his colleagues ordered some tests yesterday. The chest x-ray indicated a possible slight pneumonia, but it was difficult to be sure due to the nodules that are also present. To be safe, he was started on an antibiotic. The fever waned throughout the night, but Daniel never really felt better. In fact, by this morning, he felt really bad, his mouth pain was worse, and the mucus was still persistent.

We were scheduled to see Dr. Gilbert today as well as the orthopedic surgeon (for surgery follow-up and stitch removal). What we had expected to be a normal office visit with Dr. Gilbert quickly turned into something altogether different. While Daniel's vitals were being checked and just before we would have been taken to a patient room, I noticed that his right pupil was extremely dilated (the left one appeared normal). When I say extremely, I mean there was very little blue left. I told the nursing assistant that we needed to see someone right away. The nurse came quickly and looked at Daniel's eyes. She could not hide her worry. Dr. Gilbert came out next, examined his eyes, and told the nurse to set up a CT and an MRI immediately. Her fears, too, were apparent. We were then taken to a room where Dr. Gilbert explained that there could be a tumor behind Daniel's eye or perhaps a blood clot. Always positive, she said it was also possible that he had touched his scopolamine patch (used for mucus control) and then rubbed his eye. I must admit I feared this was just a glimmer of hope to help us get through the tests. Not that she's dishonest. She truly meant that was a possibility; I just didn't believe she thought that would be the case.

As soon as the tests were ordered, the nurse wheeled Daniel to radiology. Actually, she sprinted. Even with my long legs, I had trouble keeping up without jogging! Of course, her sense of urgency worried me more. Daniel made it through both tests, but his pain was moderate to severe. Lying flat on a table for a scan doesn't go well with a mouth full of mucus. We returned to the cancer clinic to hear the results. The CT results were in first and did not show any problems. Praise the Lord! While we waited for the MRI results, Dr. Gilbert sent Daniel to the infusion clinic to receive fluids and a few medications. Soon, she came by to report that the MRI was also negative. Another praise! She stated, though, that the problem was still present and she needed to find out its cause. Daniel had already told Dr. Gilbert earlier today that he needed to be admitted; she agreed and said she would have someone from neurology see him while he's inpatient.

For now, Daniel is resting. His pain is controlled at the moment. It's so good to see him sleep. On that note, I know all of you who can would like to visit Daniel while he's in the hospital, but this time, he just needs to rest. He will look forward to seeing all of you again when he has had time to recover.

Daniel hasn't been able to talk much lately, so I've had to be his voice. I knew on a couple of occasions that if he could speak he would ask some of his caregivers if they knew Christ. I can't say I've always been as bold as my brother in that regard, but I'm learning from him. Anyway, when I felt that I should, I asked for him. While Daniel was getting a chest x-ray tonight, I had a few minutes to speak to the nurse about the Lord. When I told Daniel she was a believer, he raised his hands to heaven in praise. His body is weak, but he is strong in the Spirit. If you know Daniel, you know that none of this is new for him.

God bless you for your prayers.

Doug

" . . . the joy of the Lord is your strength." -Nehemiah 8:10