Hope: The Last Hospital Visit

I hope I visited my sister in the hospital for the last time tonight. I heard she had a craving for some Panda Express, though it's possible her daughters were really the ones craving it! I stopped at the one at the Gateway Mall on my way there and texted her that I was bringing dinner. Fortunately she noticed the text just before she headed to the dining room for her dreary hospital meal!

Brian was there with her, and we had enough food for the three of us to share a yummy dinner before their five children arrived, filling the room with their energy and excitement.

Hope had some interesting results on some testing this week.  She told me her right hand can now exert 8 1/3 pounds of pressure. I thought that sounded great until she said that the average woman her age can press 54 pounds. But she has was at 0 pounds 3 weeks ago, so that's definite progress. Her left hand had gone all the way from 0 to 1, but as of today had gone up to 3 pounds.

She showed me a hairbrush with a foam-rubber type of tube around the handle so she can grip it. But since she can't lift her arm to brush her hair, it's not exactly useful! We had to chuckle about having a hairbrush that she could only use to brush the last six inches of hair that fall below her chest! But that is today - next week could be different!

Hope is scheduled to return to her home tomorrow, armed with exercises to repeat daily and a schedule of physical therapy appointments two days a week. She said the young lady who delivers her emails told her she'll have to find a new exercise plan once Hope leaves and she doesn't have all the daily emails to deliver! Hope is officially the recipient of the most email ever up there, thanks  to all of you!

Last month when she expressed her displeasure about her leather jacket being slashed off and destroyed by paramedics after her fall, I was determined to get her a new leather jacket to wear home from the hospital. Several people gave me contributions toward this. A few shopping trips made it clear to me that this is not the season for leather jackets. So I adjusted my plan.  Tonight I told her I intend to take her shopping for a new leather jacket when they come out for next season and she told me we should wait until after Christmas when they go on clearance! So thrifty! I have no intention of waiting that long!

A few days ago, we were talking on the phone and she said she has always asked God to allow her to live long enough to see her children grow up, and now also her grandchildren. I too often prayed for that -  a very natural prayer for those of us who lost a parent before we were grown up. Hope's daughter Jenna wrote a paraphrase of Psalm 21 for her, and Hope was very touched by it. I haven't seen what Jenna wrote, but I looked up Psalm 21, and sure enough, it's about Hope! I love it. Here's my paraphrase of Psalm 21:4-7 for Hope:

"She asked You for life, and You gave it to her -

 length of days, for ever and ever.

Your victory brings her great honor;

you have honored her with grace and majesty

Surely you have granted her unending blessings

and made her glad with the joy of your presence.

For Hope trusts in the Lord;

Through the unfailing love of the Most High

she will not be shaken."

May this be true in the life of each one of you.