Update:

I'm hesitant to give updates anymore because things change quickly. But as of right now (December 15) this is what we are facing...

My mom is a tough cookie. She requested to go home and the doctors agreed. They told her that she will go home on a ventilator and that she will remain there until she dies, that there is NOTHING modern medicine can do for her. The following day, a cat scan showed that the lower part of both lungs are collapsed and infected (bacterial pneumonia). She has enlarged lymph nodes around her heart and lungs which could be from chronic breathing problems but he said he cannot rule out cancer. She is too weak for a biopsy so we will not even investigate the cancer question. However, because she has a severe lung infection, she needs to stay in the hospital for IV antibiotics. I dont know that I completely understand the logic behind keeping her for antibiotics since we know that this will not cure the underlying condition and will not improve her prognosis.. But she is content to get as healthy as possible before being discharged.

Although her condition is terminal and her prognosis is inevitable death, we cannot have hospice or any other home health agency for help because no one in this area is willing to accept a ventilator patient. We will be 100% on our own when she is discharged. Beginning next week, we will get a crash course in ventilator mechanics.

In spite of all this, she continues to be cheerful. She cannot talk but writes note and uses a little sign language. She is completely aware of her condition but continues to have a strong will to live. She was offered a morphine drip so that she would not have to be so aware but she chose to spend time with the family instead of sleeping.

We know that God is able to completely heal her but we also know that no one lives forever so we take comfort in knowing that when she draws her last breath, she is healed.

Please keep us in your prayers.