Update on Asher and the Bond Family.

So what we have today is some good news on Asher. He is getting 1 mil of breast milk an hour and he is absorbing it just fine. So praise God for that. It's HUGE!!!! Now pray that his body would know where to put the fat from the milk and that he would be able to stay on the milk. His chest tube drainage is minimal which means that if this trend continues a little longer, he will have them out very soon, possibly even tomorrow. So keep hitting the chest tubes in prayer. Pray that his body would continue to mobilize the fluid around his lungs and in his chest cavity. He is also reacting favorably to the weening of the ventilator which is also good. The sooner this happens the sooner we can hold him and the sooner he can come home to us. So pray that his lungs begin to take in air and that they would be strong and that he would be able to breathe on his own very soon.

Asher is recovering favorably. This is a good thing, however, things on the home front are quite challenging to say the very least. Erika is quite overwhelmed by the fact that she must pump every 2-3 hours, in addition to running a household, caring for a 2 year old AND making daily hospital visits. This has been very exhausting to her and last night she slept through her alarm and slept for 6 hours. Though she felt rested it resulted in a number of plugged milk ducts which are very painful and she is frankly just very tired and in need of rest that her body just doesn't want to give her. To add to all that she is experiencing yeast overgrowth in her breasts which multiplies the pain. The only way to remedy this is to go on a ridiculously strict diet that takes time and preparation to go on, not to mention discipline.

As a husband that wants to help, it is quite frustrating. I still really don't know how to feel in the midst of all this. I feel like I want to weep and just let this hurricane of emotions out but there is never time for that so the pressure builds and builds and is still building. To add to the building pressure. Our car today decided that it is time to "ding". Yep it dings and dings and dings and dings and dings for the ENTIRE TIME THE CAR IS ON. I'm running out of something and it feels like it's important but I don't know what it is or how to get more of it whatever it is. Maybe I'll go to target and see if I can find it.

We are going to make it through this. The fight is to keep our eyes on God and His Christ. I will be waking up early tomorrow to do just that. I've got to sneak up on the day and steal some time if I want time with God these days but it's well worth it as the days where I can get that time seem to provide at least a little bit of perspective. That being the case, I've got to go to bed now as it is 1:10am.


A number of people have asked me to let them know if we need anything. First and foremost, we need you all to go to the Father in prayer for our family. He knows what we need better than we do. On the practical side of things, we could really use some dinners. By the time we are heading back from the hospital, it's usually around 5pm and time for dinner...exactly when Erika has to pump again. It would be a tremendous blessing for our family that I would like to make known to the church body. Also, maybe a small microwave oven to borrow so that Erika can put heat to her breasts before, during and after pumping. This helps A LOT. (but seriously, only to borrow as we don't use a microwave for our food...only for Erika's buckwheat cozy heat thingy). Last, but not least, there is a small list of herbs and goodies that will help Erika's body fight the yeast: Grapefruit seed extract, Garlic oil, Oregano oil, Caprylic acid, Beta carotene, probiotics and Coconut oil from Garden of Life (brand). These can most likely be found at Whole foods or The Vitamin Shoppe or at vitacost.com if you order online it will be here in a few days. Erika fought hard to have me not list all that stuff...she seems to think that we can just muddle through on our own...but I know that the entire body is most effective when all parts are in communication with and helping each other.

You are all amazing and I am humbled by the fact that you all are here to support us through this spiritually, physically and financially (and nutritionally) trying time. I can honestly say that we have encountered little to no lack during this period of crisis (well besides our son being home that is but you all are even doing what you can to help remedy that too.) Thank you all. Keep up the prayers. They are working and we appreciate them. Hopefully we can have Asher come home soon and we can maybe have a huge welcome home party or something. Who knows these things but The Lord?


Blessings
M@