Update #51 on Kevin

“Do you like that show?” Kevin would say upon arriving 15 minutes into Lost, one of our favorite shows. I would pause it and reply with a simple yes. I would unpause it and less than a minute later, we would hear….”What’s it about?” I would repause it…..and then ask him, “Are you serious? You want me to go over the past several years’ worth of episodes for one of the most complex and intriguing shows on television?” He would reply with something like, “No, I just want to know what that guy is doing right now.” This would ensue and I would end up pausing and unpausing several times, that is until I would either stop pausing and just say something like, “It’s hard to watch this when you keep asking questions about it,” and he would say, “Oh.” Or someone would call him and he would lay on the couch on the phone the rest of the time the show was on.


The past several days, we have seen ups and downs. There was also some conflicting statements made to the family this weekend about the course of Kevin’s treatment. However, it looks like that is better and the family has been through discussions about it. It seems like when you are going through a situation like this, every little thing can feel like ‘the final straw’ and then it too lands on the camel’s back and you find out it didn’t break. Apparently, God means it when he says, “No temptation has seized you, except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” I remember learning this verse. It was in High School. I was attending a guys Bible Study. I was the only one in High School, the others were young and starting out in their careers. We went through a Navigator’s Bible Study. That verse has been so potent in my life.

Kevin’s heart rate has been great today. Right now, it is fluctuating between 88-89 beats per minute. Throughout the last week it has been between 100-111 bpm. He did expel many secretions today, but that is good and part of the process of getting off a vent and having a trach. Kevin is on two antibiotics for the pseudomonas, which is apparently a very common infection in hospitalized environments and as a result of having a trach.

Kevin’s main doctor returned today and was impressed with Kevin’s progress. He said we should continue stimulating Kevin as we have been. The doctor ordered some new eye drops for Kevin’s right eye, in case he has an infection in it like ‘pink eye’. It already looks better from the ointment and patch that is covering it.

On another note, the missions agency that Angie and I work with has graciously allowed us to take a ninety day medical furlough. As we approach the end of that ninety days, we will determine if another medical furlough is needed. We are so very thankful that we work with an organization that has the foresight and wisdom to include protocol such as this. This does not mean that I will not be working. I will remain Team Leader, and continue to guide our team as they are in various preparatory stages. If you would like to follow the ministry that God has led myself and Angie, just email us back and tell us you want to receive our general email updates.

We also have housing straightened out for now. Taylor and Kohl and staying with a relative, while Angie and I are staying with a family from church. Jacob can stay at either when he is not at his mom’s.

Thanks for reading and thanks for praying,
Matt, Angie and family
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http://www.prayforkevin.com/ (how to find the way to Oz)
http://prayforkevin.blogspot.com/ (just another way to get to the site listed above)