Aug. 31,'09

Nichole is in a tremendous amount of pain due to a large blood clot in her leg.

News and Needs

The news about Nichole is all good. She is stronger and more alert each day, she is walking better and farther (150 feet!), and she is now on a soft food diet so that she has actual food for the first time in 3 weeks. Nichole's breathing is better, and she is able to sit up for longer periods of time. All this good news does not mean she is in any less pain, though.
A concern and prayer request from Nichole is that there would be more people volunteering with childcare at her house. If you have some free hours to serve in this way, please e-mail Patti (hal19229@yahoo.com), or just sign up on her calendar. Thank you.

Recovery.

Nichole is still in the hospital recovering. She's had yet another surgery in addition to the major surgery for which she was admitted. She is able to walk some, and she looks better. Future treatments are as of yet undecided; the main desire of the Greenes and their loved ones is just to get Nichole through this recovery smoothly, and to have her at home as soon as possible. There is no need to worry about tomorrow, as each day has enough trouble of its own.

I would like to reiterate my offer to help anyone else to help Nichole. The hospital is farther than I should be driving, so if someone needs me to watch their kids while they go to help Nichole, I would be happy to do that. Please write to me at juniperzoo@hotmail.com if I can in any way facilitate your helping Nichole. Thank you.

Spiritual Acts of Worship

1 Corinthians 12 teaches us that each member of the Body of Christ has special abilities that only they can do, and that we must all use our unique gifts towards accomplishing one goal. I can write, and so that will be my way of serving Nichole and her family and all who read the blog. I can not be of much help at the hospital, nor am I good with domestic chores at the Greene's. Some of you are, though, and could put your gifts to great use in either of those ways. I want to spur you on and encourage you to love the family, this family specifically, and the Family of God as a whole, in this way, by doing these good deeds. I know some of you are very far away, and your prayers on behalf of Nichole and her family will rise to God as a sweet incense. He is particularly pleased with our prayers when we come to Him having our hearts cleansed by Jesus' blood, and when we come before Him with boldness and faith. Please consider well how YOU might serve the family, and encourage others to do the same. Blessings to you.

Tuesday update

Nichole's recovery is going really well. She was able to walk about 100 ft or so and she sat up for about 1 hour in the chair. She also has been doing some physical therapy. Each day she looks better but of coarse she is still in a lot of pain. When I say the recover is going well that means just the basic protocol for a surgery of this magnitude. She is doing above average which is good. She still has the NG tube which causes a lot of discomfort and sometimes pain when someone moves it. We hope to remove it on wednesday. We have 24 care for Nichole which really helps physically and mentally.

As far as the surgery goes the operation went well. The doctors felt they did a good job as far as some of the technical aspects and we hope and pray there will be no infections and everything works properly. Many have ask about if they found more cancer. Yes they did. They found little ones about the size of a grain of rice around the area of the surgery. They also found more in the lymph nodes and higher near the sternum. People have also asked what is our next, chemo? Right now we are just working on surgery recovery, the next step will be decided weeks if not months from now. Pray for wisdom from our Lord. As far as Nicholes release date that is also to be determined on her recovery rate. If she continues to heal well we are looking at 10 days but if for some reason it is slow it could be three weeks.

Thank you for all the ladies who have come by our side in the very difficult time. And also the husbands who have supported there wives and even the sitters who have watched there kids so the moms could be with Nichole. Nichole and I pray that your hearts would rejoice and that you would have a serving heart to the Lord like in ephesians,
Eph 6:7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, we love you...
norm

update

Nichole's breathing tube was removed 12pm on Friday. It made her a lot more comfortable but she is still in pain as of yesterday.
Today they removed two more tubes and Nichole is able to talk. She still is in ICU and there is no word when she will be out. Maybe Sunday? Her pain level has gone down some and she feels well enough to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, she must be feeling better.
Norm

"How is it going Norm?"
" Good."
" Are you doing O.K.? "
"I'm fine"
"No, How are you really doing?"

Well if you really want to know keep on reading.

First of all forgive me if you have had this familiar conversation with me before. I know there are a lot of brothers and sisters out there who love Nichole and I very much and are concerned about not only the temporal things that we are going through but also the eternal. We both have practiced James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trails. This verse is all to familiar with most christians and needs to be put into practice whether your going through a great trail or a really small trail. The question that comes to mind is how can we have joy in such a unjoyful time. First of all christians are commanded to look upon them with all joy. Our Lord provides His children with the fullness of joy when they are willing and uncomplainingly enduring troubles while trusting in Him. He will always use them for our benefit and His glory and we can trust the Lords promises and His goodness to us. Our joy is knowing the Lord more, who is the source of joy, by becoming more sensitive to His presence,His goodness, His love, and His grace.
Nichole and I are full of joy and the only thing that stops that joy is our own sin. Whether it be a big trail like cancer or a small little trail like when you come home from work and you noticed four little tornadoes just came through your house and knocked every object to the floor. Remember your joy in in our Lord.
norm

Thursday, Aug. 13, '09

Nichole's surgery went as well as it could have, and she is now recovering in the hospital.

Surgery update

Nichole began her surgery about 2:30 pm wednesday . 7 1/2 hours later the surgeons finished and came to talk with us. Nichole is in ICU stabilized still under antithesis for probably most of thursday but that is uncertain right now. Absolutely no visitors and we will keep you posted on post care for everyone who has signed up. Please continue to pray for her recovery and His glory through this trail. I will post further details of the surgery later this week. Thank you everyone for your prayers, your gifts of love to our family, and your obedience to the King as the body of Christ has come together and taken care of us in so many different ways. May God be given all the glory!
Norm

Surgery

The surgery is scheduled for this week. I cannot say for sure when exactly it will take place, but the tentative plan is for later this week. One prayer request from Nichole comes from Romans 12:12, that she will not be overcome by this evil, the evil being the constant pain she has, but that she would instead overcome that evil with good.

The latest

I don't know much, but the surgery was postponed again. There is a large blood clot in Nichole's leg, but I don't know if that has anything to do with the postponing of the surgery. In the meantime, Nichole remains in horrendous pain. Please plead to the Father of all on her behalf.