My Week --a Battle with MRSA

What a crazy time the last week has been. During my routine OB appointment last Wednesday, I very FYI ishly asked about a couple of boils (staph infections) I had beneath my arm. I knew that with the baby coming soon, it could perhaps be of concern and I wanted to be as informative and forthcoming as possible. Dr. Wang told me to consult the doctor who normally handles these affairs of mine. (I have had a total of 3 episodes this year) So I very casually texted our good friend Jackson to see what he thought. It was, of course, MRSA (Methicillan resistant Staphylococcus aureus) a nasty bacterium that doesn't respond to most of the antibiotics once used to treat staph infections. One of the boils was serious enough to drain and because I am pregnant, our arsenal of available antibiotics was quite limited. To make a long story a little shorter, the antibiotic we tried did not prove effective and my infection worsened causing me to suffer chills and a slight fever. I ended up in the hospital for the weekend to receive intravenous antibiotics which were safe for the baby and more effective than the oral ones we were limited to.
I am so not used to being confined to a tiny cubicle of a room so by the second day, I was getting a bit stir crazy. Sunday night, I was fortunate to have several guests which was very refreshing to my spirit. I banked with a bag of my favorite candy--Heath bars-- from James and Mary and a Cheddar's Cookie dessert from Thad and Mendy. I had thought I would have been home by then, but some questionable bloodwork kept me in another day.
While I was in the hospital, Clint decided to nest. (He will confess to having an uncontrollable urge to keep working on the garage) We got new garage doors on Tuesday and there was sooo much to do before they could actually put up the doors. He worked until 3 or 4 in the morning every day of the weekend to get the project completed. They are very nice and now we can drive into the garage when the baby arrives.
A couple of things that did bless me during this ordeal:
When I was waiting to get my hospital admission papers, I was blessed by hearing how Jackson related to some of the other patients he was overseeing. Let's admit it, most doctors don't give a flip about the person; it's just a job and most of the the time you get treated condescendingly. I could tell that Jackson's portion of Christ was being manifest in the way he related to patients at his job, which by the number of patients at the clinic, could easily cause one to rush and forget about the "person" being treated.
Another encounter that blessed me involved a cleaning lady at the hospital. Here she was scrubbing the floors in my restroom and I could hear her singing. I think it was a type of hymn but I couldn't be for sure. There was something about the way she was singing that made me think she was completely fulfilled in life and I instantly thought to myself, "I wonder if she is a believer?" After all, cleaning disgusting surfaces and collecting trash in a place where you are surrounded by mostly arrogant professionals would not be conducive to worker satisfaction. A few moments later, we struck up a conversation about kids (she obviously noting my pending condition) and she shared how the Lord had blessed her with a baby granddaughter just a week earlier) My suspicions were confirmed. I was most blessed by her joy in the Lord amidst such humbling circumstances as well as how she referred often to the Lord blessing her. I appreciated her boldness in giving Him credit for her blessings.
So despite my weekend trials, I can look back on the time and be thankful for the pictures the Lord showed me of His people at work. I am now over the hump with the MRSA infection and am awaiting labor. If nothing happens between now and Tuesday, I am scheduled to be induced Tuesday morning. If the baby comes then, it will be on Clint's and my anniversary, as well as the day that the US is expecting the 300,000,000 baby to be born. Wouldn't that be a trip? My hunch is that Malcolm will come sooner than that. We can't wait to meet him.