Not sure I can add much more than he hasn't already said, but here is the latest update from my dad. Things are moving along nicely and as he mentions in his update, we are so thankful to be spending Thanksgiving in Jacksonville. However, as I've sat and read different things over the past few days from various friends and in the whole holiday hype, it makes me wonder why it takes Thanksgiving for us to remember all the wonderful blessings we have in our lives. Thanksgiving may be a special day to give thanks, and this year that much more b/c as also mentioned in my dad's update, I turn 21 for the 9th time, but I can't just understand why the rest of the year everyone in the world can't be grateful for what we have each and every day that we get to even simply breathe, myself included! As we have seen, breathing is not something to be taken for granted! I just know that I'm thankful that God allowed my dad to breathe again a whole new life on October 3rd with his new set of lungs giving me a whole new perspective on life. Yea, sure life gets me down sometimes, but without a doubt, there is always someone who has it worse than I do, especially if they don't have Christ in their lives. With that said, enjoy reading the update from my dad and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at "Operation Breath of Life":)
Let me start by saying Happy Thanksgiving to each one of you and your family. Debbie and I obviously have so much to be thankful for, one of which is the love and prayers that have been given on our behalf through this season of life by each one of you. In Mid-September, as a result of the tests/consultations we had at the Mayo Clinic, I remember specifically telling our family the goal would be to spend Thanksgiving in Jacksonville [after a double lung transplant surgery] and that I would be in my 3 month recovery process.......well we all know the story!! God has been so good to us and continues to bless us and protect us through this journey as it will be one day shy of 8 weeks since double lung transplant surgery on Thanksgiving Day!!!! It is all such a Miracle from God!!
To bring you up to date since last Wednesday, I started my new antibiotics on Thursday for the 2 bacteria that appeared in my lungs that I previously had mentioned. My daily breathing tests which I do at home are showing good improvement and that has been very encouraging to me. That is an answer to prayer. Thursday was a good day as I had no appointments at the hospital and that was a welcome break.
On Friday, I went to my temporary afternoon re-hab class which I was assigned to as a result of one of the bacteria being a serious concern to other fellow lung transplant patients. The bacteria I currently have is one that does not keep me away from all other people as it will not spread to others beyond fellow lung transplant recipients. This particular exercise class is for pre-lung transplant patients who are there for the purpose of trying to get them stronger so that each one can be as strong as possible in preparation for receiving their call for lung transplant surgery. Oh how it was such a shocking reminder to me to see all of these people on oxygen and struggling to function as they each make their best attempt to strenghten their bodies in hopes of receiving new lungs. It was somewhat of an awkward feeling Friday as it was my first time in this setting. As I was on the treadmill exercising, I was observing and listening to some of them talk as they were resting and they were talking about the levels of supplemental oxygen they were on for exercise and I was amazed that the ones I heard were on much less than I was at for just walking around, much less for attempting to exercise. God has just blessed me so much and I know I have said that many times, but I was so reminded again with the realization of seeing people afflicted with lung diseases that can only be cured by a lung transplant. To think that the doctors told me in Mid-September that without transplant surgery, I was not going to survive for more than 6 months......and then to be called just 3 weeks later on October 2 to receive a "Gift of Life" in the form of a double lung transplant is again such a Miracle from God.
Weekends are always welcome, as with all of us and ours was especially good as we connected along I-95 just 1 hour and 45 minutes south of Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon with our awesome friend and co-worker Barbara, who was going to visit her son and daughter-in-law in Orlando. She was kind enough to deliver a care package to us in the form of our youngest daughter Kylie. Kylie will get to spend the week with us and return home after Thanksgiving. As is our tradition here in Jacksonville, on Sunday morning we worshiped on-line at the 10:15 am service as Pastor Clay and Joey led in the Praise and Worship time and then as Pastor Bob taught the Bible Study time. Debbie and I so look forward to that time each week and as well look forward to returning home to South Florida, all in due time.
We are also looking forward to being joined by our son Ricky on this Wednesday for several days and then making the family complete by our other daughter Christy, her husband Eric [who loves to trash talk with me and now that I am feeling better, I tend to enjoy it and have been known to encourage it] and their 2 daughters Nichole and Emily, coming to Jacksonville on Wednesday night. As I stated above, the goal would be to spend Thanksgiving as a family in Jacksonville and it is going to happen!!! Praise God!!! We will travel in a convoy on Thanksgiving morning with our kids and grand-kids, along with Debbie`s brother Steve, his wife Marie and sons Tyler and Alex, who will arrive from Georgia Wednesday night. We will all then head west on Thanksgiving morning to Debbie`s parent`s house just outside Live Oak, Fl for Thanksgiving day. The doctors have released me for the day and said it was OK to go and celebrate everything that we are so thankful for. We will also be joined by my bother Steve and his son Mike, Uncle Bill, Aunt Phyliss and whoever else might just show up. [As an added bonus, we will get to celebrate Christy`s 30th birthday, which is actually the same day as Thanksgiving day]. We will then return to our home away from home that evening. Don`t be alarmed, only Kylie and Ricky will be staying with us. It is still a very critical time in my recovery process to be very cautious as to the surroundings that I place myself in.
On Monday, I again attended the alternate re-hab class away from my fellow lung transplant recipients and many of the same pre-lung transplant individuals were there that I had seen on Friday for the first time and it was like some appeared to have declined in health just since Friday. It is such a reminder to me to be thankful and grateful for the "Gift of Life" that I have received.
In my prayer time for the past 2 weeks, as I pray for my donor family and their loss, I have been desiring to refer to them as more than just "my donor family" and as I prayed on last Friday morning, it came to my mind to refer to them as my "Gift of Life" family. As I researched the meaning of "Gift of Life", the name closest to it would be "Mathew", which means "Gift of God". I have given my donor family the name of "The Mathews Family", which in my mind makes it even more personal to me. Wouldn`t it be be something if their son`s name was Mathew. However, again I just wanted to make it even more personal to me as I travel through this new season of life.
Before sharing a few prayer requests and praises with you, I want to encourage each of you to go to the blog site listed below and to listen to the song entitled "Testify to Love". As you click on the site, the same updates you have been reading are there along with some other tidbits from Christy our daughter and this particular song "Testify to Love" will automatically begin to play. Listen to the words....they are so fitting. It has become my like one of my favorite songs as the words are so fitting and appropriate for my new season in life. I first heard it about 3 weeks ago and each time I hear it and it gets to the part where they sing "Every breath I take... I will give thanks to God above ...for as long as I shall live ...I will testify to love", it just sums up so many of my feelings of just how blessed I am and how grateful I am to God for how He has given me new life through "The Mathews Family".
Prayer Requests:
1] "The Mathews Family" as they continue to deal with the loss of their loved one who in turn was used by God to give me new life.
2] Please remember my brother Steve`s family as they will go through this their first Holiday season since the tragic loss of their daughter Danielle this past May. As many of our families and friends have lost loved ones this past year, please pray for our daughter Christy`s friend Leigh, who lost her husband in a mid-air accident during a night-time flight exercise off the coast of South Carolina just last month. Her husband was a F-16 Fighter pilot and in the same squadron as our son-in-law Eric. Even with her recent loss, she is still showing she has a lot to be thankful for in life and continuing the tradition her and her husband started by hosting Thanksgiving for any families from the squadron that are staying in town.
3] For the 2 bacteria in my lungs to respond to treatments and be cleared up.
4] That my recovery process and re-hab to continue going well.
5] For continued strength for Debbie as she is the "Best Care Giver" one could ask for.
6] That each one of us be thankful for our blessings in life and to be sensitive to the hurts and needs of those around us and that God would use us all to reach out to and make a diference in someone`s life.
Praises:
1] My daily breathing tests improvement over the past week
2] I am so grateful and blessed to have so many continuing to pray for us.
3] Even today at re-hab, they continue to challenge me as they increase the weights on the machines, the speed and incline of the treadmill and the speed and resistance on the bike, it is just so amazing what I am able to do in such a short period of time.
4] Being in Jacksonville for Thanksgiving. As Christy would say.. God Rocks
5] How God provides daily for each need
6] I have so much to be thankful for...family, friends, health,.....the list is really endless, but most of all I am thankful for my God in Heaven.
Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. Don`t forget to click on the blog listed below.
http://rickhornsby.blogspot.com/
Love in Christ,
Rick and Debbie
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