November 2009~

Judy Reichart here.  Thought I would update you on my family and what is going on in our lives.

First of all, we are getting ready for Thanksgiving, which is only in a few weeks.  Seems like only yesterday when it was July 4th; now we just celebrated Hallowe'en and Veteran's Day is in just a few days; after that, Turkey Day with all the trimmin's!  Then the Christmas shopping season will start in earnest.

Busy times around the Reichart place!  :)

The kids are doing well, especially Missi (11) and Erich (12).  School continues to keep them grounded in their studies as does church:  between Missionettes/Royal Ranger meetings on Wednesdays, choir practice on Thursdays, and practicing for the kid's Christmas pageant (that's on Tuesdays), plus attending services on Sundays, church finds them extremely busy.

Meanwhile, our youngest child, nine-year-old Ethan Raymond, who has special needs, continues to exist as only he can.  It's a day to day thing with him.  Some days he is feeling pretty good; on others, not so hotso.  Yesterday was a prime example of that.  He had caught some sort of bug (probably at his school, no doubt); I was worried it was the swine flu.  I immediately took him to the ER at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital here in Nashville; it was only a minor bug, much to my relief. 

It was not the swine flu.

He had the "throw ups" and diarrhea.  It was very messy, not to mention, disgusting.  He got it all over himself, all over me, all over the van ...  Yuck!!  I was so glad when the medicine the ER doctors gave him finally kicked in; he slept for the rest of the day, all that night, and today, when he awoke, he was feeling much better, much to our relief.

He's now lying in his hospital bed, singing in his tuneless way, his sightless eyes bright with renewed health.  He no longer looks like warmed-over death.  He looks more like himself when he's feeling good. 

I am in the process of getting his "food" ready.  Have the stuff in the IV bag, have to hook it to the pole, so it can slide down the tubing and into his belly tube, where the food can go directly where it needs to go, without risk of him choking.  I also do his meds the same way; I do this every four hours for the meds, and five hours for his "feedings".  Day and night; there's no let up. 

Hopefully this time he will be able to keep it down--or in him.  :)  Lord, I hope so!!

Needless to say, I don't get much sleep, especially when he is sick.  When Ethan gets sick, we all suffer, not just him.  It is very hard when he gets sick.

Ethan didn't go to school today because he is not quite over the bug yet; don't want to take any chances, especially with all of this swine flu going around.  His school has been hit hard by the swine flu; there's talk that if any more kids at his school get it, they might have to shut the school down for a week, so they can disinfect it from top to bottom, stem to stern.

Thank God Erich and Missi didn't get the flu/bug, but poor Ethan sure did!

Because of Ethan being sick yesterday we didn't even make it to church.  I am sure Pastor Bilkey and company are wondering where we were yesterday that we didn't make it to church.  I expect him to call anytime; he always does that when any member of his congregation fails to show up for church. 

It's just part of the many things he does as a pastor.

Whoops!  The phone's ringing; it must be Pastor Bilkey (or Pastors Delahoussaye, Jones, or Gaddes) calling; gotta answer it before it bothers Ethan, who just fell asleep; don't hear him singing anymore.  Take care, and may God bless you; pray that Ethan or Missi or Erich don't get the swine flu!  I'd appreciate it!  Thanks in advance!

~Love, your friend in Nashville, TN., Judy Reichart.  :)