Tony’s Blog

We have been home 12 days and progress is slow.  We are thankful for the success of the surgery and there are signs of positive benefit, but the doctors tell us that it will be 2 to 3 months before we know what the benefits will be.  SO, please continue bringing us to Jesus for his mercy and compassion to be poured out upon us.

One of the reasons that the recovery is slow going is because before the surgery took place Rhonda was weak.  The surgery would be a challenge for a physically strong person but the recovery seems to be more difficult for Rhonda since she was not in peak physical condition going into it.

Thanks you for your care and prayer,

Tony

As many of you know we were brought home on Saturday by private jet…and yes, it was incredible.  I could really get used to flying that way.  Ten passenger plane flying at 40,000 feet.  When I think of the alternative I shudder to think how much trauma was actually averted by this provision.  On a regular day of travel (before surgery) Rhonda would need 2 to 4 days of recovery.  Our heavenly Father did more than we could have ever imagined.  Thank you for praying and caring for us through this time.

Now we are looking forward to each day Rhonda getting stronger and stronger.  There are some signs of success from the surgery.  On a scale of 1-10 Rhonda typically would have headaches from 7-10.  Now her headaches are 4-6’s, which is very encouraging.  We are obviously praying that they would continue to diminish.  There are several other areas physically that could be affected by this surgery but those will take longer to see results.  Please continue to pray that Rhonda would have full and complete healing from this surgery.
Yesterday we had the stitches removed…I volunteered but everyone told me they thought a doctor should do it…reluctantly I agreed.  It really didn’t look that hard. Smile.

Thank you again for loving us through prayer and action.  We have felt your love in bringing us to Jesus.

Tony

It is 1:10am and I couldn’t wait to tell the world the good news.  God has done it again.  A friend of mine was in a board meeting at 8pm earlier this evening and at the end he shared our situation and they spent some time in prayer and then one man said…we should know someone with a plane. Well they did and he is having his pilots fly to New York in the morning and pick us up. That is the short version.  This good gift shortens our day by 5 hours and Rhonda’s stress and pain by…only God knows. Thank all of you for praying. I am weak with God’s goodness in this gift. You know the kind of weakness where you just sit and stare and wonder if this is really happening.  Well it is and it is a great provision on a number of fronts.  I am especially humbled because God is teaching me that he is my Father and he loves me. Yes, I know I should know this, but I’m a slow learner. Anyway I have been reading the Gospel of Matthew and I was struck by the beauty of God’s love in Matthew 7:7-11 about prayer. The key for me was verse 11…if you, then, though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.

My heavenly Father does know how to give good gifts and he does give them when we ask. In this case there have been so many asking OUR Heavenly Father that we can all rejoice in this great gift.

Well I need to get some sleep even if my days stress has been reduced 100 fold.

Thank you all for bringing us to Jesus. He has seen your faith and is pouring out his compassion on us.

Tony

Well here we are with one day before we travel home.  Terrorist plots have airport security ramped up.  To tell the truth I am a little nervous about the travel.

We have seen God go before us each step of the way and we are very excited about coming home to be with friends and family.  Areas to pray for us are:

• Stamina: Tomorrow’s trip will be an eight hour venture if there are no problems.  Rhonda’s stamina is low and this will be a long day.
• Pray that God would continue go before us and provide the right people to assist us along the way.  ie. rental car return, baggage check-in,
• Pray we can get Rhonda a seat upgraded to first class so she can lean further back and have some wiggle room…not that she wiggles much.  This is very important.

We are extremely thankful for your prayers and support as we have made this trip.  We are hopeful that God will bring complete and full healing.

I will spend some time in the near future to share some of the things we have learned so far.
Love Tony and Rhonda

Rhonda was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon and they were able to stop to pick up Rhonda’s perscriptions before heading to their hotel, Homewood Suites. They have settled into the hotel, and Tony said it is working out well for them. Rhonda is still in quite a bit of pain, so they are trying to stay on top of that with the perscriptions.

• Tony is asking for prayer for Abby and Bethany, as they are missing their parents very much. Pray that God comforts and sustains them until Tony and Rhonda return from New York.
• Please also pray for Rhonda to get stronger and for the pain meds to do their job.
• Pray that Rhonda continues to get rest and recovers properly from the surgery.

Tony called with some more good news today: Rather than having the sutures removed on Thursday, the Dr. decided to leave them in until Monday, at which time Rhonda will have them removed here in Chattanooga.  The implications will be positive, as having the sutures remain in should make travel easier and less delicate for Rhonda.

Also, Rhonda will be released from the hospital sometime today, most likely before dinner.  They are thankful that the release is as scheduled, and are eager to settle in to the hotel for the next few days.

Pray today for:

• The release to go smoothly and early enough for Rhonda to get much rest tonight.
• For rest for Tony, as he has been busy taking care of Rhonda!
• For the Homewood Suites to be very accomodating and comfortable for Rhonda.

Rhonda began to feel much better on Saturday, and has continued to get stronger since then.  Today is Monday, and Rhonda will be released from the hospital tomorrow! She has been up and walking a few times and doing very well.
She and Tony will be checking into a Homewood Suites for the remainder of their stay, and will travel back to Chattanooga on Saturday.  Prayer points for the week are the following:

• Pray that Rhonda will continue to get stronger so that she is ready to travel by Saturday.
• Pray that the hotel works well for them, and is a very comfortable place for Rhonda to continue recouperating.
• Pray that her pain level stays low and that God has allowed the procedure to eliminate her suffering.
• PRAISE the Lord for a smooth, complication-free surgery for Rhonda!

A room opened up for Rhonda at about 4 pm yesterday, so she was situated there throughout the night. However, please continue to pray as she is dealing with intense, painful muscle spasms as a result of the surgery. She finds it painful to move or even to breathe deeply.

Tony and Rhonda are expecting a visit from the doctor sometime this morning (it is Friday at 9:45 as I write), and hope to figure out a solution for Rhonda’s pain. Once the pain subsides, she will begin some post-operative therapy.

Today’s prayer needs are as follows:

• Pray for clarity and productivity as the doctor visits this morning.
• Pray for the nausea to completely subside.
• Pray for a helpful balance of pain medicine that allows Rhonda’s pain to be manageable, while still allowing her to be cognizant.

Rhonda’s surgery went well this morning, with no complications! The doctor reported to Tony that there had clearly been tension on the spinal cord, and they were able to get some extra spinal fluid flow immediately once the tethering was released.

Rhonda is currently in the recovery room (it is Thursday afternoon at 1:30 as I write), and they are waiting on a hospital room. Once they get Rhonda situated in a room, Tony will touch base to give another update.

For now, please pray:

• That Rhonda’s pain and nausea will be very manageable.
• For a room to open up quickly so that Rhonda will be as comfortable as possible as she recovers.
• For SLEEP for both Tony and Rhonda tonight!

Again, thank you prayer warriors! Your prayers are being answered!!! Please click here if you’d like to contact Heather at the Chattanooga Youth Network.

As I type, Rhonda is in the midst of her “tethered cord” surgery at the hospital.  Tony called this morning with an update about the morning thus far.  They arrived at the hospital for pre-op procedures at 5:30 AM and Rhonda went into surgery (very tired from only a couple of hours of sleep) on time at 7:30 AM.

As for an update on the hours of pre-surgical testing yesterday, Tony said God gave much favor with the nurses and the day went very smoothly!  Praise God for that answer to prayer!

Prayer Requsts for today:

• Pray for the surgery itself; for clarity and wisdom for the doctor(s) and nurses.
• Pray that God would provide results through the surgery; that He would choose to restore Rhonda to health for His glory and for her good. Pray for alleviation of pain!
• Continue to pray for grace and peace as Tony interacts with hospital staff, and for rest for both Tony and Rhonda today.