"a general wearing out process"

Noah Calhoun- "I don't think of it as sick. I think of it as a general wearing out process."

Did I just quote The Notebook? Yes, I did. This quote has been coming to my mind in the past week. It has been a tough past week- my sweet cousin was in the hospital because she was going into premature labor, and it took a few days to figure this out and make sure the baby was okay (she is not due until the end of July). Two of my very favorite people in the whole wide world are moving across the country (denial was happening for quite awhile, and now it is actually happening) and to top it all off Papa is back in the hospital. The quote has more been coming to my mind about Papa. I have written about him many times, and maybe it gets old that I write about him so much, but I do love him so. This time around he went in because he could not breathe very well. Come to find out he has lots of fluid around his lungs, but not because of what you might think of. All the food and drink that he is in taking has been going straight to his lungs, not his stomach. Needless to say, this is not good. They told him he must be on a feeding tube. He was not too happy about this, but when they told him what the alternative would be for him, he decided this was the only choice (which it was). He has been in a lot of time this time around. He has also been more stressed and anxious (which does not happen very often) and his feeding tube has come out about 4 or 5 times now. It stayed in all day today, so that is a praise. They must keep him on a feeding tube in order for him to digest food, and for it to go to the correct place, without it his outlook is bleak. They want to do a surgery on Wednesday to put a port in his stomach, but this will be somewhat risky due to the condition he is in. They want to keep him on a feeding tube for at least 6 weeks to see how he does with this. However, his left lung is not cooperating. His left lung has fluid surrounding it and they cannot remove it with lasiks. So, their plan is to inject a needle into the tissue around the lung and try to remove the fluid. I am gathering that if this works, then he will be able to have the surgery on Wednesday, which seems to be crucial, as well.

The quote has come to my mind, because his body is wearing out. It seems to be "a general wearing out process". He is the most precious person. The other day I came home from a trip, and even though he was feeling absolutely horrible and just needed to rest, he tried to turn around in his bed and ask me about my trip and some adventures I had partaken in in the past week. He also made a few jokes. One thing about my Pop, his humor is intact. I would like to ask you something-- please keep him and my grandmother, Norma, in your prayers. She is trying to stay strong, he is trying to do the same as well I believe he is just tired. The last thing I want is to lose him, but I desire for him to not be in pain and also just have a peace about the situation. Please pray for peace for both him and my grandmother and if they choose to do the surgery that it goes well, and that it does not put him in further pain or make him any more uncomfortable than what he is. I would really, really appreciate your prayers.

While we are at it- would you mind praying for my cousin Laura? She is at home now, but they will have to watch her now that she has gone into premature labor. Their baby Kennedy seems to be just fine, but please pray that the rest of her pregnancy is healthy and that Kennedy comes on time and when she is fully developed and that Laura is not stressed until then about the process. I can only imagine what was going through her mind last week.

I love you guys. Thanks for always listening, and more importantly, thanks for always praying.
Ash