Guest Post from Marla

Thank you to everyone who continues to love and support Mel, Jason, and their kiddos. Mel asked me to write a guest blog post regarding her most recent appointments. As you know, she has been having progressive muscle weakness with some rapid changes recently. This has affected her significantly in the areas of walking, driving, daily living, and most recently swallowing and breathing. She finally got into the MD clinic she was hoping for.  At her last appointments, she heard a lot of information about the progression of her disease and some of the hard realities that will likely come - in her words - sooner rather than later. Sooner than we hoped. Sooner than we expected. The doctor recommended that she start wearing a Bi-pap machine (which pretty much blows air into your lungs from a mask) to give her diaphragm a break from the constant work of breathing. Unfortunately they learned that this will not improve her numbers or respiratory muscles.  They hoped that this would help increase her energy and give her more strength for the day to day. The Bi-pap machine arrived last week, and Mel has had a challenging time adjusting to it. Not just the machine itself, but everything that comes along with it - the grief that comes from a growing dependence on machines to do "normal" activities, less control of her circumstances, fear of the future and the progression of this disease, greater need for extra help from other people...it is taking a toll on her emotional and mental health. Sadness, fear, helplessness. It is overwhelming.

Please continue to battle with our dear friends as they face the daily realities of this disease along with so many other challenges. Pray that they would taste and see that The Lord is good. Pray that they would rely not on their self-sufficiency but on the abundant grace that is sufficient for them in their weakness. Pray for moments of light and hope in the midst of a dark time. And pray that they would be strengthened to continue to look to Jesus and honor him with each breath and moment they are given.

Thank you, friends.

Marla