susan fitch

Emma had her birthday this week, and Aiden's face is healing.  But I will blog about those things later.  I've got something else weighing on my mind tonight.

I got a call from my nephew Saturday evening, saying that my brother's doctors didn't believe he would make it through the night.  If we wanted to see him, this was our chance.  We dropped everything and went.  Thank heavens for Bub's parents who were so willing to take the kids.  We spent several hours at the hospital.  Mostly in the waiting room with a big group of family.  We were able to go in and see him for a few minutes.  He was awake, after nearly 2 weeks in a drug induced coma, but couldn't speak as he now has a tracheotomy.  He smiled a big happy smile to each of us.  And when I told him that we were praying for him, he huffed out the word 'thankful' in two labored breaths.....we got home last night and went to bed around 3:00 a.m.  We woke up again at 6:30 with no news and tried to decide how to handle the day.  I called the Sunday School president and told him I wouldn't be at church to teach gospel doctrine today.  Then, we gathered clothes together for the kids and stopped off to visit them for a few minutes at Bub's parent's house on our way back to the hospital.  When we got there, we found that he had been taken into surgery.  Which means there was a miracle in the night.  There are many many problems his body is dealing with.  I won't go into those details right now.  Suffice it to say, that it took a lot for him to be well enough for the doctors to be able to find that he needed another surgery. It was truly a blessing, as the doctors were able to find and stop some internal bleeding.  This may make it possible for some of the other issues to get under control, so he can start to heal a little bit.  He's still critical, but this tiny scratch in the surface is very encouraging.  I was able to stay with him a little bit after the surgery.  The nurse left the room, and I was all alone with him for just a few short minutes.  Again, I won't go into details, but I will treasure those moments forever.  He was still asleep from the anesthesia when we left, but smiled a little as we talked to him.  I've heard now that he is awake and says he feels 'so much better' than he did last night.  He is fighting hard.  and we are praying hard.  

I realize that this is not a very articulate post.  But, there are so many thoughts and feelings swimming around in my head right now.  I not really able to sort them out into words or complete thoughts yet.  

So many of you have expressed your love, and faith in our behalf.  And I wanted to thank you.  I am certainly not in the center of this.  Though I'm tender hearted, and sad, and hopeful, and a million other things, I'm certain that I'm not feeling the same kind of intensity and trauma and heart ache that his wife and children are feeling.  Please continue to pray for them.  Speaking only for myself, I can feel the love of our Savior wrapped around me, and our family right now.  We are truly blessed.  I know we are all being strengthened and comforted, and I know that it's possible not only from our own faith and prayers, but largely through your combined efforts.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Most of you don't even know my brother.  It means a lot to me, that you would take the time, even just a second out of your life, to turn to the Lord in our behalf.  There is no greater form of friendship and no greater love, and it's working.  So, thank you again.  You are angels on earth.

I will post more as things progress.  In the meantime, let's try to keep the miracles coming.