Short Update For Hospitalization Starting 3.17.25

I just wanted to hop on real quick and give a few details about tomorrow so people can be praying. How it works with a planned "direct admission" is they put in an order for you to get admitted and when a bed is available they call and say, "your room is available and will be 'xyz'" and then I have 24 hours to get there. Typically if it's planned farther out in the past I usually get a call around mid-day when they discharge people. This time of year it can get trickier depending on how busy the hospital is since the floor I'm going to is the pulmonary specialty floor so to speak people with lung issues ranging from Cystic Fibrosis, fellow PCD patients, Covid patients, or any number of other issues and it's also a med/surg floor I'm pretty sure...I may be mixing up my hospitals lol.........anyway, I also still haven't figured out the formatting issue so it still won't do paragraphs so that's a little annoying so that's why I'm using periods to space things out so it's not one big run on page of words lol.........Once I get there and admitted, they'll access my port, order CT scans for my lungs and sinuses and probably a chest x-ray as well, but since they are doing a CT they might skip that. I've been in a fair amount of pain but I've been in "must function mode" especially with everything with Jord this week, so I've just been pushing through it but it's one of those things that you don't realize how much pain you are in until it's not there and when I'm looking forward to getting checked in so I can get some pain meds you know it's pretty bad because I avoid them like the plague because all of them make me dizzy and nauseous almost immediately. I may have already said that but so much has happened the last few days I can't keep it all straight.....Speaking of Jord, he is doing a little better--he's still on meds and on the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Apples, Toast) which he is not used to so it's been hard for him. He's pretty weak and tired but we were able to make it to church today for which I was very thankful. It was sweet to worship with my church family knowing what's coming--we sang songs about God's holiness and majesty and it was just a wonderful time and encouragement to my heart. The sermon and Sunday School was on parenting, which in all honesty, is hard as infertility is THE hardest part of PCD and my health journey and Jord and I's story, but it's God's perfect plan for our lives. As Paul started the message, he adressed those that might "check out" for any number of reasons and then he spoke to those of us who are infertile, have walked through infertility, have had miscarriages or lost children--as a Pastor he's walked with people in our church body with all of those trials and I was brought to tears--not only because it IS hard, but also tears of thanks that he acknowledged the hard and encouraged us to remember that our lives intersect with children and parenting in many ways every single day. As a lot of you know, I LOVE being "Aunt Shel" to all the kiddos God has placed in my life that call me that--and those that call me "Miss Rachelle" and even "Mister Shel" because saying "Miss Shel" is a bit difficult--and yes more than one kids has coined that term for me LOL! Anyway, I'm getting off on a tangent, but it's what God providentially decided the sermon would be on today and I couldn't help but think once more of all the blessings of all the kiddos God has put in my life, not only currently, but over the years, to love on when my heart felt so empty. And I know I never would have had the energy to love on all those kiddos if God had given me even just one of my own....He truly knows what's BEST for our lives, even when it's hard. I also love how He uses the body to encourage one another--I left church and picked up my phone and had a sweet text from a dear sister in Christ who also walked the infertility journey saying she was praying for me during the sermon--so sweet!.........Anyways, back to hospital details. Sarah is setting up a Sign up for people to come visit and help as the antibiotics they are planning on starting out with will make me dizzy--IV colisitin is what they call a "drug of last resort" because of all it's nasty side effects while taking it, but they typically resolve once you stop. I'm on the inhaled version of this all the time, but because it's straight to the lungs, it doesn't have all the same side effects because it's not systemic. Being dizzy, I'm a fall risk, so then I can't walk or go to the restroom on my own and when a nurse has 5 patients and gets busy, it is just easier if someone is there to help. Obviously Jordan can't take off work to be there the entire time and we have two trips already planned in May and July that we would prefer he accrue his vacation time for--obviously if I really need him or want him there for a particularly hard day or night, he will drop everything and come. I will also for sure be having a minor sinus surgery and then potentially a bronchoscopy and the sinus recovery is never fun. I have someone that will be there for that recovery period, even though we aren't exactly sure on timing until I get down there and get the initial tests, consult with Pulmonary, ENT, Neurology, and Psych--pretty much getting to see all the teams while I'm there so that if serious neurological or psych side effects come up from medications that we have to use to kick this infection and whatever is going on with my lungs since the Swine flu and Covid, they are already on board and have kind of a premptive plan of attack so to speak because we all want me to stay far far away from another psychosis.......I am almost done with evening treatments and want to go spend time with my hubby so I'm going to sign off for now, but I'll write more tomorrow before things get going and Faith and Addy have agreed to do blog posts for me when/if I'm unable so you should all be able to get regular updates to know how best to pray for us. And though much of the updates are specific to what's going on with me, please remember Jord--seeing him in so much pain and feeling that helpless feeling that I felt when he had his heart attack in 2012 was a fresh reminder of what he goes through watching me suffer--you want to take the pain away from your beloved and it's not possible--all you can do is pray to the One who can help and He answers--He is our refuge and strength but on top of me being in the hospital and a lot going on at work right now, our move got delayed due to the severe weather here in AL--(thankfully all the tornadoes steered to the south of us but there were at least 10 tornadoes Saturday and several fatalities so be praying for all those affected by the storms!) so he and Mom and Dad have to organize getting things packed up and moved with the help of our church family this week as we also prepare to close on the house. We also have to try and determine by the end of the week if we think I'm going to be able to be discharged in time for closing or if we have to get a POA for someone else to sign for me at closing, on top of actually moving and caring for me all while being extremely weak and unable to eat normally at the moment. In times like these we can be tempted to say, "God this is way too much!" but He knows exactly how much, exactly how long, and is never wrong and is using all of it to conform both of us to be more like Christ and to love each other through much more sickness than health and honor God in our thoughts, actions, and words. It's a lot, but in HIS strength, we can continue to run the race He has set before us, one step at a time. Thank you for all your prayers--we definitely could NOT do this alone!!! In His Mighty Grip and Everlasting Arms, Rachelle (and Jord) :)