2020 08 24

 2020 08 24 Day 18

Alex Status:

Alex is still in ICU. He cant seem to shake the fever. When his temps are lower he is able to open his eyes and begin to move his right arm and leg a little and signs of attempting to move his left.  When his temps are down he is able to gently shake the rattle that he has in his right hand to get our attention.

Most of his vital signs are still fluctuating up and down, but we are able to get closer and closer to stable with fine tuning the medicines.

Our Status:

It is very difficult to sit by and watch. We watch Alex sleep and find it difficult to not have the ability to go over wake him up and see his reaction when I say "lets go throw rocks in the water at the beach".

It is very difficult to sit by and watch the display monitor that shows all of the vital signs because our own vitals go up and down with each and every number and we are certain the nurses wont hook us up to any of the life saving iv lines.

It is difficult to leave his side. Getting Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner is a break that everyone says we all need, but to be away and not know if he is good or bad, better or worse, burns the gut from the inside and the food just doesn't have texture nor flavor. We know that we need to eat, we know that we need the nutrition to fuel and regulate ourselves so that we have the strength to watch over him.  To sit at the cafeteria with the daily special before us almost gives us a sense of guilt.  We don't want to eat our dinner until we know his is ready. We know how much he loves his eggs and ketchup, so to eat the eggs without him by our side is a pretty tough task.

We as parents stand strong by his side because we are his strength. Even though as parents we see him in a rough spot and feel so helpless, we understand how powerful we are with our prayer, our courage, and our positive attitude. We totally understand that if we cry...he cries. If we sing and shake the maracas, he follows and does same.

We thank you all for your continuous support, your continuous prayers and your positive energies sent our way.  Alex will soon be out of here and able to give you all high fives for the prayers, energies, love and support.

Hymn to St. Jude:

St. Jude the oft forgotten,

You shall remembered be,

We hail you now in glory

And have recourse to thee

For help, for the despairing,

When hopeless seems the task

And from the Heart of Jesus

Through you we favors ask

Prayer to St. Jude:

O glorious Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, true relative of Jesus and Mary, we salute you through the most sacred heart of Jesus. Through this heart we praise and thank God for all the graces he has bestowed upon you. Humbly prostrate before you, we implore you through this heart to look down upon Alex with compassion. O, despise not our poor prayer, let not our trust be confounded.  To you God has granted the privilege of aiding human kind in the most desperate cases. oh, come to Alex's aid that we may praise the mercies of God. All of our lives we will be grateful to you and will be your faithful client until we can thank you in heaven.  Blessed Apostle, with confidence we invoke you. St. Jude, help of the hopeless, aid Alex in his distress.

St. Jude thaddeus, pray for us and for all who invoke your aid.

Most holy apostle St. Jude Thaddeus, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the name of the traitor who delivered the beloved master into the hands of the enemies has caused you to be forgotten by many but the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of helpless cases and things despaired of. Pray for me who are so needy; make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege accorded to you to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive consolations and succor of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly for a strong, speedy, recovery for Alex. And that I may bless God with you and all the elect throughout eternity.  I promise you, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor you as my special and powerful patron and to do all in my power to encourage devotion to you. Amen.

Our father. Hail Mary. Glory Be to the Father.

St. Jude Thaddeus pray for us and for all who invoke your aid.

Cycling Analogy:

We lightly spin, we move a little, at the moment it seems as if we are counting on the tail wind at our backs (everyones prayers, positive energies and support).  We appreciate the tailwind but know that soon enough we need to get to pedaling.