Monday, Jan. 15 - From Eileen on MLK Day

Dear hearts,

What a good day we've had! Last night, while we were doing the rosary, I just kept asking for, "Help. Help." This morning it came in the form of a phone call to Harry from Dr. Fehring in Charlotte (who put Harry's knee in). Harry told Tom everything, and it turns out Tom is the one who came up with the "gold standard" (in Dr. Bowers' words) of the dual-surgery approach to infection in an artificial joint. BUT! He told Harry he thought there were a couple of other approaches he might try (I say he, because he said, "My rule is if I put it in, I take it out.") that are not nearly as invasive or traumatic. You can imagine the uplifting effect this had on us (probably the same effect it's having on you). Then Dr. Jennings came in and said he'd been thinking about Harry's knee all weekend and thought it was best to keep managing it with antibiotics for awhile. Harry told Jennings about his conversation with Tom, and Jennings was very enthusiastic about working/consulting with Tom any way they could. So Jennings is going to call Fehring and work this out with him. We are tremendously relieved. I don't know what Fehring will come up with, but I feel sure it will be something much easier than what we've been told up to now.

So we went outside to the garden to get some fresh air and decided that tomorrow we'll have a little picnic out there at lunchtime. What is it about the smell of the air that makes you feel so alive? Harry really basked in the sunlight. Our hero has not been out of this room since a couple days after we got here, but has somehow managed to keep his sanity - and even his sense of humor.

So we're still in our 7 1/2' x 8 1/2' cubicle, but feeling much better about things. Harry may have to start building some bookshelves pretty soon, though, or the nurses aren't going to be able to get into the room. I was cleaning up the everpresent clutter on my side of the room when I looked at the clock and surprised myself by thinking, "Oh good! It's only 7:30." I was happy to have gotten a little housekeeping done and still have plenty of time to read a new book I picked up for $3.00 today - E.L. Doctorow's "The March." Like the old Roger Miller song says, "You can't rollerskate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to."

God gave me another bit of help in the form of our sweet nurse Margaret last night. She knew we'd had a rough day, and so when she came in about 10:00, I saw her writing something on a paper towel that I thought was just medical notetaking. Instead, she handed the paper towel to me as she went out. Here's what she wrote -

The light of God surrounds us
The love of God enfolds us
The power of God protects us
The presence of God watches over us
Wherever we are
God is.

Amen to that. I love you all.