Friday, June 15, 2012

Transplant Day

the bulletin

the liturgy

anointing

blessing

Chppie, empowered by the anointing

Jacob, last giggle of the day

this is not much fun

even Batman balloons didn't bring him much cheer

on a brighter note, he and Susan were indoors during the massive hailstorm



Jacob and Chippie, asleep at last


It has been a long day for Jacob Shuixiang Thompson. He was doing well earlier this morning when the chaplain at the Amplatz Children's Hospital conducting a beautiful blessing service for his transplant day, with some of our favorite passages of Scripture, prayers of healing, and anointing with oil, a symbol of God's Holy Spirit poured out on him to strengthen him for the days ahead. The chaplain also anointed Chippie, who will accompany Jacob through the valley of the shadows. I attended the service virtually on my iPad. Before it was over Susan and I both needed Kleenex, in a good way. Jacob seemed in good spirits during the blessing but his day quickly turned unpleasant with many aches and pains and gastrointestinal maladies. He did receive the umbilical cord blood transplant in the midst of feeling very poorly. He has pretty much felt terrible for the rest of the day and has been trying to sleep, with occasional success. All of this medical drama was superimposed on some particularly severe weather in Minneapolis, including severe thunderstorms and hail large enough to break windows. The metaphors are so limitless it seemed less like real life and more like a Coen brothers movie.

1 comment:

  1. Prayers are still coming....hope all is going well today.

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