Tumble Bumble

"Tumble Bumble" by Felecia Bond was one of our favorite books while the kids were growing up, and tumble bumble was what I did on Sunday!  I was working at Sand Creek Adventures and had just removed a guest from the high ropes zip line when she bumped the ladder and I fell down six feet!  I have no idea what happened next and much of the rest of the night is hit or miss - I do remember some things, but not much!  I do remember some of the ambulance ride to St. Francis and I do remember some of the tests they ran and I definitely remember throwing up all over my IV, but most of that night is a blurry haze!  Over six hours later, around 11 p.m., Sam was finally allowed to take me, my concussion and my bruised tailbone home.  

How am I doing?  Well, while I was talking with my boss from the Y today, I must have sounded pretty loopy as she said, "Margo, I'm going to get you a sub for tomorrow!"  

Here are Matt's pictures from Sunday . . . 

At one point, there were two sheriff cars, two ambulances, two fire trucks - and they canceled the flight for life!  it must have been a slow Sunday in Jordan . . .

     

Dad's Home!

On Friday, April 10, my dad had a cancerous mass removed from his colon, along with four inches of colon on either side of the mass!  Unfortunately, on his 83rd birthday - April 16 - he got extremely ill and the doctors decided NOT to allow him to go home alone, but to send him to the Lake Park Care Center.  On Wednesday, April 22, he arrived at the care center and tried to make the best of a situation he hoped would never happen!  The good news is - after his 3:45 p.m. doctor's appointment today, he was dismissed to go home.  He currently has driving restrictions - he can only drive in town - but he's home and he's happy!  For all of you who prayed for him, thank you!  He'll see the "cancer doctor" on May 13 to see if he needs chemo or radiation, but his primary care physician thought things were looking very good!  To God be the glory! 

Miracle on Tuesday!

If you thought Monday's miracle was good, wait until you hear Tuesday's - I think it's better!  Sam has a student in his classroom who is struggling with her vision.  English is not her first language, money is not growing on trees at her house, and she has not yet been to see the eye doctor!  But maybe she will now - because our eye doctor just opened a clinic MINUTES from Sam's school and he offered to give her a free examination along with assistance in purchasing glasses.  We're just praying her parents will pursue it.  Feel free to pray with us!

Miracle on Monday!

It happened!  And to all who prayed, thank you!  As I sat in the dental chair, Dr. Karl said, "If I were to send you to an oral surgeon today, he would be wondering why!  The swelling is gone, the gum looks good . . ."  So we're in a holding pattern.  The bone is still sticking out, but it's more of an occasional annoyance than anything else, so unless it flares up or gets worse, I'm going to live with it!  

Wanted: Miracle by Monday!

As I sat in the dentist chair this afternoon, my dentist - whom I really like and trust! - said, "I've only seen three other cases like this in thirty years of dentistry!  It's definitely gotten worse since last week.  Can you come in on Monday and I'll check it again?  If it hasn't improved, I'm sending you to an oral surgeon."  What is it?  I have a bone growing out of my jaw bone and into my mouth.  At first I thought it was a random tooth in a very weird place, but it's not and if I don't get a miracle by Monday, I'm going to meet an oral surgeon who will go in and sand off the bone!

An Angel Named "Torrion" . . .

Matt and I were running late for an appointment at Normandale Community College this afternoon due to some unexpected road construction and a total lack of available parking spaces on campus - but we did have 8 full minutes to find where we needed to be when who should appear in the parking lot just ahead of us?  An angel named Torrion!  We knew Torrion from livingWATERS and when he saw us, he escorted us to our meeting, bless his heart!  Not only for escorting us, but for taking time out of his day - he's the Director of Advising and Counseling! 

"MMMMMOOOOOOMMMMMMM! What's for supper?"

Those were the first words out of Matt's mouth as he came home from work tonight.  And as I type, he's eaten 

a pear

two bowls of chicken chili
potato salad

croutons with Caesar dressing

Chex Mix

with

 TimTams (an Australian cookie) for dessert!

(Wish I could do that!)

Calling Child Protection

It's always hard to know when to call Child Protection, especially when you're working with preschoolers.  But today, both my supervisor and I agreed - we needed to make the call.  Hopefully that call will make a difference in the life of this child and family.  For now, though, maybe it's enough to know that we were able to bring a smile to the intake worker's face.  As I was spelling my last name, she said, "You wouldn't be related to a Sam Zupke, would you?"  "Yes, that's my husband!"  And she proceeded to tell me three out of four sons had had him as their fifth grade teacher, they all love math because of him and she's hoping number four gets him next year!  A smile and a twist to a tough call . . . 

  

Courage and Love for Zafiline

Reblogged from "Into the Deep" . . .

It is early April and the Africa Mercy operating rooms are in their home stretch with less than six weeks of surgeries left on the calendar. The lives of hundreds of people have been changed. Limbs have become straight, tumors have been removed, years of ridicule have been washed away.

And then there’s Zafiline who actually looked younger a couple of days after her surgery. I cannot imagine how anyone can rest properly with a tumor so large growing out of their jaw.

Here’s Zafiline’s story of courage and love as I tell it for the Mercy Ships markets:

It’s all in her eyes . . . Zafiline’s triumphant story of courage and love.

But, when we first met the 26-year-old woman, her eyes told a much different story – a story of suffering, hopelessness and heartbreak.  

When Zafiline was 20 years old, her problem began as a simple abscessed tooth. She couldn’t afford dental care, and a tumor began to develop at the site of the infected tooth. She went to a local doctor and was heartbroken to find that the only answer lay in a surgery she could never afford. She sought help from traditional healers, but their medicinal oils did not help.

The tumor in Zafiline’s jaw continued to grow, becoming a mass the size of two softballs. It was not malignant, but its large size made sleeping and eating more and more difficult. If she didn’t receive help, it would eventually kill her.

The situation looked hopeless, and her dreams for the future seemed impossible. Zafiline feared that she would never have a chance to fall in love and have a family of her own.

A radio announcement changed everything. A hospital ship from Mercy Ships was in Madagascar. Volunteer surgeons could remove tumors like hers – for free! All she had to do was make the journey, which would take four agonizing days by bus. It was a journey that would require her to embrace courage in the face of fear and difficulty.

By the time Zafiline and her mother arrived in the capital city of Antananarivo, her fear made her want to turn around and go back home. But a local missionary knew about the good reputation of Mercy Ships. He reassured Zafiline that she would find the healing she was seeking.

Finally, Zafiline reached the Africa Mercy in the port of Toamasina. She was immediately admitted to the onboard hospital. But she was too frail and malnourished to withstand the complicated surgery. First, she would have to gain weight. Dr. Gary Parker, the ship’s Chief Medical Officer and maxillofacial surgeon, encouraged her to “eat everything in sight.”

So, armed with an all-you-can-eat diet and a nutrient-rich peanut butter substitute, Zafiline gained weight. Within ten days of her arrival, she had surgery – a four-hour procedure that removed the tumor she had been carrying for so long.

The first few days of recovery required Zafiline to once again rally her personal courage. She was swollen and uncomfortable. The bandage changes were tough.

But during those difficult days, Zafiline made an important discovery – she realized she was surrounded by people who loved her. The nurses offered love and affection in ways that Zafiline had never experienced. Even her fellow patients demonstrated great love by praying for her in the days following her surgery.

Once Zafiline understood that she was loved and beautiful, an amazing transformation occurred. Not only was the tumor removed, but she looked younger. She was no longer burdened by limitations imposed by the tumor. She was free to eat, sleep, and live a normal life.

Now her eyes told a much different story . . . a story of an amazing ship filled with people willing to show love in a number of ways.

Zafiline’s mother summed up her daughter’s journey to healing in one sentence:  “Thank you, God, for what you have done.”

Eight!

Digging into the Easter stash, I found a Reese's peanut butter cup!  Unfortunately, when I opened the wrapper, I did not find eight Reese's peanut butter cups!  No, I found eight - count them!  eight! - paper liners on ONE peanut butter cup!  

No wonder it was so small!

The Correct Response!

When your eighteen year old son and his nineteen year old best friend ask if you want to play dominoes with them on a Saturday afternoon, the correct response is always, "Yes!  And I'm going to win!"

Which I did!

Beauty from Ashes

Reblogged from "Into the Deep" . . .

Posted on April 5, 2015 by tanyasierra

There are some patients that hit a little closer to home than others. Patients that remind us of our own journey. For me, Clerette was one of those patients. I’ve shared before how others investing in my life, literally saved me. Clerette was also saved by strangers who invested in her life. Here is her remarkable story as I share it for the Mercy Ships markets:

Clerette is a survivor.

At the age of four, she was struck by a deadly flesh-eating bacteria called noma. The relentless disease largely affects young children. In Clerette’s case, it began as a small abscess in her gum. Within days, a large chunk of her left face was gone.

Nearly 90 percent of all children afflicted with noma do not survive. Those that do – like Clerette – are left horribly disfigured. When people saw Clerette, they didn’t see a cute little girl with braids. They only saw the massive hole on the left side of her face.

The results were devastating. Her father abandoned her. Her mother remarried. Her stepfather left them because he could not tolerate the insults and abuses hurled their way. Clerette’s mother believed that her daughter was cursed, so she stopped caring for her. Clerette was wasting away into physical, spiritual and emotional nothingness.

And at the moment of seemingly impenetrable hopelessness, a man named Zara and his wife came into Clerette’s life. They didn’t see the unsightly hole. They didn’t see a cursed child. They saw beauty amidst the ashes.

Zara and his wife loved Clerette as if she were their own child. They prayed that God would send a cure for her. Zara feared he had missed the one opportunity to provide Clerette with healing. In 1996 the Mercy Ships vessel, Anastasis, was docked in Madagascar. By the time Zara convinced Clerette’s mother to allow Clerette to be seen by the doctors, it was too late – all the appointments were filled. He asked God to provide a miracle.

Almost on cue, Zara saw two Anastasis crew members walking the beach. Clinging to the last bit of hope, Zara convinced the crew members to allow him to bring Clerette to the dock. Then he convinced Dr. Gary Parker, maxillofacial surgeon, to add Clerette to the already full surgery schedule. Upon hearing that Clerette would have surgery, Zara burst into tears of joy. Years of contempt and ridicule were washed away by mercy and compassion.

Over 18 years later, that same little girl – now a young woman, whole and happy – would once again stand in front of Dr. Gary. He performed a revision to the reconstruction he had done in 1996. And Clerette was again reminded of what her “adoptive parents” had seen in her so many years earlier . . .

“You have reminded that I am beautiful. I feel beautiful again,” she said.

On this Easter Sunday, Clerette is a beautiful reminder that:

“You make beautiful things out of the dust.” – Gungor

Wow!

Reblogged from nurse Heather aboard the good ship . . .

To the terror of a 5-year-old in Bed D9 . . .

You have changed my life. 

When you first arrived on the ward I saw your face..How your lip was pulled up and made your face look like you had a permanent scowl. How your left eye was missing, and your face was distorted. How you played, but were very aggressive, as if you’d spent your whole life fighting... 

 

I read through your chart and found out that when you were a week old, your mother left you at home with your older siblings, so she could go work for a few hours to bring home money to support you, and when she came home she found that you had been attacked by some sort of animal..A rat or something similar, although no one ever knew. Whatever it was, it left a hole in your face that got infected with probable noma ,which ate away your nose and ruined your eye. She took you to a local doctor where they sewed your eye shut and advised your mom to pour hot water on your eye every day for the next 5 years. Your mom didn’t know what else to do.

You came to us needing a new nose...but you are leaving with a new heart...

After your first surgery I was your nurse, and I think you hated me, or feared me so much that you hated me. You left fingernail marks in my arm as you screamed while I did your breathing treatments that were actually painless…but you were so afraid that you didn’t realize. I will never forget how strong you were as you fought to avoid your treatments and we had to restrain you while you screamed, “marare, marare” (pain, pain) over and over again throughout every treatment... every 4 hours.. for countless shifts as your nurse over the last 5 weeks. I think you scared the other patients on the ward as they watched us hold you down and listen to you scream. I tried to reason with you but you didn’t understand.

I remember how I stood at your bedside when Dr. Gary’s wife, Susan came and met you and your mom, and how your mom wept when Susan looked into her eyes and told her, “You are a good mom...You are brave,” as if she’d never heard those words in her entire life. She’d spent the last 5 years caring for you. Keeping you home so she wouldn’t have to endure the disgusted looks and comments of people when they saw you, and so you wouldn’t be mocked. She wanted to protect you, but had no support. Her eyes were so tired and so defeated. She is the most patient, loving mother I have ever met.

I remember my somewhat futile attempts to make you smile. Your whole head was bandaged and you could barely see out of your one good eye because of the bandage..I found a book and sat by your bed and read to you, placing your hands on the pictures. You’d stare unimpressed at the book and pull your hands away. My heart hurt for you. I brought you some crayons and a coloring book. You grabbed the box of colors and dumped them all in your lap as if you were afraid that someone would steal them from you...

I kept thinking that after a week or so you’d be more comfortable with us; with your treatments and taking medications. But you were relentless. At change of shift us nurses would pray over you frequently, for peace for your little mind and that you would come to trust us.  That through our love, the little girl that was inside would re-emerge.

I was frustrated and feeling defeated when the weeks were going by and you were still as angry as ever. After your treatments you would throw yourself on the ground and lie under your bed on the floor for sometimes 2 hours. You would swing your fist at me whenever I walked by and tried to say hello. Your mind was so tormented. You wouldn’t interact with anyone and you wouldn’t venture more than an arms length away from your mom.

Then this week something about you changed.

You still hate your treatments and we don’t give you any medications by mouth because you refuse them, but you’re smiling now. I heard that a few days ago someone caught you singing in your bed, and another nurse taught you how to wink.

Now today, more than 5 weeks from when you first walked through that door..I couldn’t keep the tears from my eyes as I watched you ride around the ward on your little scooter. As I felt you sneak up behind me, poke me in the side and then dart around the corner while you waited me for me to come chase you. As I winked at you in your bed, and you winked back. Today I saw your heart heal just a little. A heart that has spent it’s whole life fighting and not allowing anyone in, because no one had ever wanted in.

I was overwhelmed at the changes I saw in you. As I remembered the long road that it’s been, when I’d found myself so frustrated after a treatment where you’d thrashed around in your bed and I held you there while quietly saying “it’s ok” but you never heard me through your screams.

I cried today because you are healing. Because this journey has been so difficult. Because, as often as I wanted to request to not be your nurse, I didn't... Because there was something about you that I was drawn to. Because I knew that the Lord would be faithful in healing your body and your mind. That He had the power to return your joy. You are becoming a little girl again... Ever so slowly you are letting us love you...The torment that you’ve endured for the past 5 years is lifting.

My heart has been broken for you. I often ask the Lord that He would break my heart for His people...and you are the evidence that He has. I am honored to bear the burden of this broken heart, because it is worth it to love you.

You, Dear One, are why I am here.

You, dear one, are why He is here...why He came and lived and died and ROSE AGAIN.  He is healing your body and mind.  He has the power to return your joy.  You are becoming all that He intends you to be...the journey may be difficult at times but He is with you, believing in you, loving you, giving you all that you need.  Let Him love you.