Monday, April 22, 2013

Monday, April 22

Our son Michael shared a thought from Elder Packer from conference in April 2013:

The Lord has a way of pouring pure intelligence into our minds to prompt us, to guide us, to teach us, and to warn us. Each son or daughter of God can know the things they need to know instantly.

The context was counsel to stay in condition to receive inspiration and to act on it.

Elder Babcock was awake this morning. They didn’t want him to sleep so much and wanted to increase exercise. They said he could have a nap after lunch. I thought I needed a walk. He was more stubborn this morning. He wanted to use his own password on the computer and neither of us could remember it. Finally I got his fingerprint to work. But, all the shortcuts that I had on my side of the computer didn’t work when he used his own password.

Dr. Rivas just came in. Elder Babcock was worried about his heart as a possible cause of his weakness. The doctor said no, they had tested his heart completely. No problems.

The weakness was a result of the sepsis or blood poisoning. The infection attacks the vitamins and good things in the blood like vitamin B12. In response, the body goes into defense mode and shuts down some of its function. He said the decision about whether to just give antibiotics or do surgery would be made by all three doctors, Dr. Rivas, Dr. Concha, and a neurosurgeon.

The remaining infection was undoubtedly affecting memory. He should improve. His math was bad. 100 -7 is the test. The answer has been 3 or 30. His pajama bottoms fit better. Stomach was less swollen. Researching meningitis on the internet will not help my peace of mind, but continued prayers and faith will. Still no fever or pain. Blessings. He was still on the computer, a long time sitting up. Lunch now and then a nap.

I was ready for a nap, but I took a walk to Jumbos to eat and to buy chocolate. Outside the clinic, I bought a windup blue chick to remind him of his mother’s “bluebird of happiness” show, in the cultural hall of a Mormon church, when she dyed a live chicken blue. When I gave it to him, he said he remembered the blue chicken from 60 years ago and that he had had a blue wind up chick then, too. 

We just listened to the Elder Bednar’s talk [That We Might “Not … Shrink”] in English and read blogs family. I had lost Elder Babcock’s new glasses and he had only the glasses from of our previous mission. No problem because he couldn’t remember having the new glasses anyway.

Good news. The neurosurgeon said no surgery. Elder Babcock was doing well. The infection was small and it would be a major surgery. He expected to find Elder Babcock in bed, but he was on the couch eating dinner.