Please pray for a new believer who's struggling with bi-polar disease. She's been on a down swing for the last three days and only wants to spend the upcoming weekend with her husband and two sons in RI. Please pray for the Lord to shatter those chains that bind her good health and free her from this awful affliction. In Jesus' Name... \0/

Will do Embie, thank you.

I received an e-mail from Betsy's husband today. She has been hospitalized for the last week in a very severe manic state. So severe that he has not been allowed to visit her since last Friday. He asked that I pray for her and I'm asking that you stand in agreement with me that the devil cannot bind her with anything that Jesus cannot break. \0/ I asked that he let me know when I can go to actually pray with her. I hope I hear something soon.

Thank you friends.

Yes, will do embie.

Praying!

Thanks friends.

I received an update from her husband last night and she is doing very poorly. They have her in restraints now. I called the hospital to see if I could go there just to pray with her but they said no. I thought that praying with her might bring her peace...I am so sad for the whole situation. Please continue to pray and count your blessings.

God is Good \0/

I came home to great news from Betsy's husband. She was doing much better today, so much so that she actually phoned him at work and he was able to have a short visit with her. God is so faithful and there is nothing more powerful than prayer. Her husband says that she doesn't recall the extent of her mania, and that is just another confirmation of His amazing love for us. Thank you for continued prayer. It works!

That *is* great news embie, thanks for letting us know

I was able to visit with Betsy for a few minutes Monday night. She was better but very tired, I'm thinking it was the medication. She has made huge progress though. She is no longer under "constant" supervision. She is allowed some alone time and very limited hours of visitation, but at least it's a start. I don't know how long she will stay in the hospital. I'm trying to get back there before I leave on Monday. But I'd be happier to know that she was getting ready to go home. Please continue to pray for her. She needs a miracle in her life.

Thank You Jesus for Your unfailing love. \0/

Cool

Continuing to pray!

Praying too!!

Thanks all. I received a note from Betsy's husband tonight. She's still doing well, but still on the manic side. She'll be doing some transitioning where she will spend 4 hours each day at the hospital while getting adjusting to being back home. She is encouraged when her husband tells her that we are all praying.

Thank you.

Not to be disingenuous, but sadly I saw this quite a bit during my recent training. I attended an accelerated EMT-Paramedic course recently which compressed a year's worth of training into 3 months...which included over 800 hours of clinical time...on ambulances and in the emergency room. Many in the medical community have a rather callous view of such patients, until their symptoms are "confirmed" and they are thought not to be simply searching for drugs...the point being, don't just pray for Betsy...as deserving as she is...but pray for the many others in her situation that have no one else but silent voices praying to God on his or her behalf in anonymity...mention Betsy, and pray for all...the homeless man I cared for with seizures...the 43 y/o female with CHF, Asthma, and mild psychosis, the 89 y/o female with lung cancer on her last legs...the "regular" with lots of problems...with no one else but EMS to call a friend...a good person with problems. There are so many, and in my short 3 months it opened my eys...so many people with no one to lean on, confide in...no one else to call a friend. I, for one...NEVER took anything for granted and treated each and every patient with care and respect...even when it was relatively obvious they might have been "faking"...it's a cry for help...I wish we could all see what happens in so many cities...the forgotten, the downtrodden, the luckless...but they all deserve dignity...and prayers.

I'm still a non-believer...but I think that folks like you believers can do nothing but help...I held their hands, stuck needles with them, asked all sorts of history, administered medications, connected them with wires to our EKG, treated them, talked to them, befriended them, and tried to diagnose them, all in the short 3 - 10 min ambulance ride, or 5 min encounter in the ER. You can learn so much about a person in that short amount of time...with the truly sick, you arrive back at the same ER with another patient and ask about the them..."how's he/she doing?"...the nurses and doctors know this too...they have stories, lives, wants, needs, and even goals, and dreams...each deserving our thoughts and prayers...they're part of the human race...they're a product of our society...and though at the bottom...but they rank at the top with me...for most feel no remorse, no guilt, and want no reward, except to be treated as an equal...as a peer, and a friend...and I believe they deserve that at least...

During this season please remember those less fortunate and our military members serving in harms way away from their families...

Thanks D.A. I understand your concern here. There are so many folks in unfortunate situations. I do pray for them. And I know a boy that I had taught 5th grade Sunday School to that still ends all of his prayers praying for the homeless. He's been doing that for almost 16 years now.

As far as Betsy is concerned her mental health was under check for only a few weeks and then her depression and anxiety over being an unfit wife and mother sent her back to the hospital last week. This time the episode was so severe that they had to transfer her to an alternate facility where she could be diagnosed by another team of doctors. I know this is God's intervention and that now she will get the help that she needs, but it's across the state and will be very difficult to visit her on any kind of routine basis. Please not only pray for the loosening of the chains on her but also for strength for her husband John and their two boys David and Michael. It's taking it's toll on the entire family. Thankfully they are all believers and draw their courage and hope from Jesus.

Speaking of Jesus, I thought you became a believer DA...didn't I see a post thanking Forever for her hand in that?

Thanks friends.

Thank you for the update embie, she remains in our prayers.

Betsy is not doing well. She contracted a bacterial blood infection and she has been transported to another hospital. She is basically under constant medication so mostly incoherent. He husband is understandingly so frustrated and just does not know how long his wife has got to suffer. He knows we're all praying but I was thinking of sending him the book "How Long Oh Lord", but I don't want to overstep my bounds.

Thoughts?

hhmmm... sounds a little overkill to me, but I'm not that familiar with the situation. How's the infection going?

Yeah, maybe so...

I sent off a note just asking for any news, but I haven't gotten a reply back yet.

Thanks for asking.

I went to visit Betsy today. She is fighting off MRSA. I had to gown up with mask and gloves to sit across the room from her. I did hold her hand while we prayed together. I think God's got that covered. \0/