Week 2 Update

Hello friends.  Well, Sarah is two weeks into her stay at Sanoviv, and she has only one more to go!  She will be home one week from today, and I cannot wait to go pick her up at the airport.  :)  It's been too long.  There have again been so many people who have been asking me about Sarah, so its time for another update.  

This week's update is one of intense pain, yet new friends, renewed hope, and God's faithfulness.  Throughout this week Sarah has been undergoing several different kinds of treatments.  One treatment involves being injected by IVs that pump high doses of vitamins and other things to boost her immune system.  She has also had more pool therapy in the various pools and hot tubs.  She also has had ozone treatments added to her blood.  Those are the more calming treatments that don't appear too strenuous, but there are other treatments that have put Sarah in some of the most painful and uncomfortable experiences of her life.  One of these treatments is called Hyperbaric treatment.  Essentially, to my understanding, she sits in this capsule of sorts where the air pressure is compressed so she can breath in pure oxygen.  She has to just lie in the capsule for a couple of hours while the pressure is quite intense.  Thankfully she can bring books
in there with her.  :)  The other treatment is called Hyperthermia. After undergoing this treatment for the first time Sarah said that it was the worst two and a half hours of her life.  Essentially she is put in a box of sorts that heats up her body to induce a fever.  This activates her immune system to kill off infections in her body.  Transverse Myelitis, her auto-immune disease, causes those who have it to feel hot very easily, and because of this factor, Hyperthermia is even more exhausting to Sarah as she has to lie still with a fever while in extreme heat for several hours.  Please pray for my little sister.  I cannot imagine how difficult that must be.    

People keep asking me if its helping her and if she is feeling better.  Yes, it certainly is helping her, but no she is not feeling better yet.  Her doctors told her that because of her specific condition she will not start feeling better until several weeks after being home.  I wanted to let everyone know that so that when Sarah returns and she is not feeling better yet, that its ok.  She isn't really supposed to.  It takes time.  So thank you so much for asking, friends.  Yes, it is helping, but it can be hard to receive treatments and still not feel better right away.  Sarah knows what its like to wait and wait and wait to feel better again.
 
In the midst of the treatments, God has surrounded Sarah and my mother with some really wonderful people.  The amount of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that they have met is astounding.  People just keep saying how beautiful Sarah is and how she just radiates.  This morning Sarah had a worship jam session with a new friend out on one of the balconies.  The two of them sang together and played guitar for a while.  That makes my heart happy.  :)  She recorded a video of their singing and put it on her Facebook.  Go check it out.  :)  There have been so many good conversations and hopeful, encouraging people cheering Sarah on and praying for her there.  Sarah posted a picture on Facebook today of her new friends and how God is showing her that He is still faithful and is under control even in the midst of the pain.  How so very true.  

One last sweet story.  One afternoon while Sarah was discouraged she was sitting in the cafeteria and had been crying.  Frankie, who is the chef there, when he saw Sarah crying came out and asked her if she was ok and if he could do anything for her.  She sheepishly asked if she could have some berries.  Frankie came out with an enormous bowl of blueberries just for her to cheer her up.  I love random acts of kindness like that where people just show they care about you.
Just one more week.  I'll be honest that I can't wait for them to come home.  I miss my mamma and little sister.  But I just wanted to thank you all so much again for all of the love and kindness that you have shown my whole family throughout this summer.  I'm constantly being texted, hunted down at church, and even asked while I'm at the front counter at my job at the bakery by random customers how Sarah is doing.  They always remember to tell me that they have been praying for her.  Wow.  How blessed we are to live in a community that is so caring for its members.  Its times like this that I'm even more thankful for sweet little Oostburg, for the many churches that dot the streets and the kind strangers who tell me that they are praying for my family.

You know, God hasn't completely answered my prayers this summer the way that I would have chosen them to be answered.  If I had my way, I would have Sarah running and dancing with me again just like when we were little girls climbing trees in the backyard.  I would have her free of all her headaches and leg pains.  I would have her eating ice cream and donuts whenever she wants rather than having to stay away from certain foods.  And I would have us together rather than in separate countries.  But, although the answers haven't been exactly what I would have chosen, my God has still answered.  And I know that His choices are always the best.  His plan IS the best.  He IS kind.  He IS merciful.  He IS good.

So when you ask how Sarah is doing, no she's not doing great physically.  She's not even well yet, but she is confident in the love of her Savior and in the goodness of her God.  She watches for God.  She seeks Him, and she loves Him amidst her pain.