Anna’s recovery

 Hi friends,

Thank you for all of the emails and messages you’ve sent. We feel surrounded and lifted up. It’s been pretty hard. 

Generally every day the doctors are saying that I look like I’m working less to breath and stronger. But I’ve continued to have pretty continuous fevers, which make me feel weak and like I’m going back instead of forward. I continue to not have an appetite, which doesn’t help my strength levels. 

Yesterday and this morning I was pretty low. When will I improve? When will we get to the bottom of all the actors in this disease? Will I get better?  I’m done with being hot and in a hospital bed. 

We have been so blessed by good doctors. The ONE doctor we have connections to- head of Infectious Disease- just ‘happened’ to be rounding this week. His years of experience are such gifts to us. Our pulmonologist/critical care doctor is energetic, full of creative ideas, and encouraging. In my low moment this morning they both stopped by to evaluate me and independent of each other they said that I am definitely looking better every day. My oxygen requirements are slowly going down, I look stronger, and my white blood cells are decreasing (sign of infection). Thus, neither of them are that worried about the fever. The state of my lungs themselves could warrant this lingering fever. 

I was so encouraged by their assessment. They also both reiterate often that I won’t be fully well for a very long time. It’s sobering to hear, but for this present moment I’m just incredibly grateful to be alive. 

Miriam and Luke are heading to the Kenyan coast tomorrow for the Serge East/Central Africa Retreat. We are so thankful that we can release them into the hands of trusted friends and know that they will be surrounded by love. Patrick and Isaiah will stay back with me for a bit, but if I continue to improve, they hope to join Luke and Miriam at the Serge Retreat. A dear friend reached out to me and offered to come and be with me as I recover, and help with Isaiah so Patrick can be with me too. I took her up on it, so grateful for this gift, and she will arrive Tuesday. 

This has been a really really hard time, but at any second we can think of dozens of things we are thankful in the midst of this storm. We give thanks for you and work you are doing to pray me to health! Don’t stop. 

Love from all of us, Anna