What A Difference A Day Makes

It has been quite a week...lots of unusual activity....ups and downs....turn-arounds....Isn't life just full of surprises!
Let me give you a brief explanation before I begin. I went to live with my brother-in-law, oldest sister(15 yrs older than me) and their 4 children.... first when I was 10 and then from age 12 until I married at age 20. Their children have been my siblings in all ways that are important. My brother-in-law has been like a father to me and he is "Gramps" to my children. He and my sister eventually divorced and he remarried a woman with two boys. Together they had a son. We are definitely a "blended family". Not everyone understands or even approves of the "his kids and me.....her kids...their kids".... family. Speaking for myself, I just know that I am eternally grateful for having him in my life. I am one of the extra-blessed individuals who has more than one family. My parents and two sisters and eventually my "second" family are strongly interwoven threads connected in my life, and I believe God has had a plan for me according to His purpose.

About 6 weeks ago D. was diagnosed with acute leukemia and told he had 3 months to a year to live. It was a huge shock to everyone. Only 3 weeks later he ended up in the hospital, and then when his organs starting to shut down, his heart was working at only 50%, and he was on 100% oxygen, everyone started gathering at the hospital from many different destinations....8 kids and their spouses, his wife, others who love and care about him. The first day, due to all my reactions to exposures and my illnesses, I stayed in the van while Joel spent several hours with everyone in ICU. We did not know if he had a viral infection which could put him and me at risk for other problems if I went in. We were told it was like his body was a big ocean liner and everyone was trying to turn it around...but it was not happening, so we expected he would not live....but just overnight.....slowly ...very slowly the "ship" started to turn and by Tuesday morning they were saying there was a tiny bit of hope. What a difference one day made! Joel and I decided to drive the two hrs back to see him along with everyone else and this time I was able to spend 1/2 hr with him. I asked him if he was getting enough rest with all the people around and he replied "I will not go there, look at all the love around me!" I said, "There are so many of us, if you were a preacher, you could give a good sermon!" He replied, "I would just tell everyone to love one another." He has been saying the same thing to everyone up there.....so much love.....so much love.... This past Wed. the AML doctor told him his organs were turning around and functioning better and that they had no explanation for it. One of my sisters said to me later, "We KNOW the explanation..all the love and prayers that have surrounded him." Will he ever leave the hospital? We don't know but we do know that he is no longer critical, and realistically we also know the AML is still on its destructive path...but for now he has had the blessing of seeing how many love and care about him...people have gathered in prayer and fellowship, and good has already come from this terrible situation.