Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!

We all prayed that Keith would be out of the hospital before the year 2005. But we know that all things work together for good. May be there are some unresolved issues or matters that God needs to take care of.

I had a talk with Dr. Genova, a Rehab consultant. She was very optimistic with Keith progress.
She projects that he will be ready for Acute Rehab in 2-3 weeks. He needs to build up his endurance level so that the therapists could increase the time in each session.

We were very concerned with nursing staff in the Transitional Care Unit. Some of the nurses were taking care of Keith without any knowledge of him. Some treated his stiff neck recklessly. We mentioned the concerns to doctors and head nurses. Thank God we are seeing some changes. Please pray that nurses would be more caring when taking care of Keith.

While I was driving to the hospital, my husband called me and informed me that Keith will share a room with someone. Keith was using the room all by himself because of the infection acquired in hopital. He should not share the room with someone. I found out that the patient also had infection acquired in hospital. So they had to put two together. However, he was scheduled to discharge this afternoon.

Prayer requests
1. Please pray for Keith heart. It is very discouraging to start a new year in bed. Pray that God would strengthen his heart.
2. Pray that he would have no medical problems so that he can concentrate on therapies.
3. Pray for his swallowing. We believe that he needs to be well fed to have strength for therapies. Although his nutritional level is above the normal, he needs some real food going into his tummy. As Sandy mentioned before, one needs more than 100 muscles to swallow.
4. Pray for doctors to make sound decisions.

Today . .

Ted and Sandy left for the retreat today. So I, Elaine, will update Keith condition while Sandy is away.

Dr. Murthy came by when I was with Keith. He saw the spots and said that it is okay, nothing to worry about. Since his legs and his forearms were most deeply affected areas, it takes some times to get healed completely. Also, Dr. Murthy hasn't seen enough research on patients with 100% skin loss so he wasn't sure how Keith's skin will turn out.

Prayer requests
1. Pray for his occupational, speech, and physical therapies go well so that he can move onto Acute Rehab center.
2. Pray for doctors and nurses who are taking care of him
3. Pray for Keith's heart.

notice to visitors

Keith is technically under isolation right now. It is important that when you visit, you wash your hands thoroughly before touching/holding his hands. If you are sick, please wait to visit him. Dr. Murthy will take a look at his skin sometime today, as Keith has developed some small red bumpy spots...let's pray that it is nothing serious.

Continue to pray for the medical attention Keith is receiving. The therapists have been absolutely wonderful. They're very caring and very enthusiastic in working with Keith. However, we would like to see the nurses more proactive in their care and concern for Keith. So, continue to pray for caring nurses to be assigned to Keith.

a chicken joke

Whoever sent the chicken joke, Keith had a really good laugh...here's the joke:
Q: How come the chicken did not cross the road to the other side?
A: Because Keith ate it!

Thank you all for sending your emails of love and encouragement. Keep sending them daily...Keith loves receiving them.

Here's an update:
-Keith is improving so much. He's able to lift his leg hand/arm so much better than yesterday. He's able to lift his left leg at least 45 degrees from the bed and bend it.
-Now that he's regaining his strength, he's been constantly kicking the bedsheet off of his body. He's scratching himself also.
-His neck is regaining a lot of strength. The level of pain is going down. He's able to move his head much better. Tonight, when the nurse asked him a question, he actually responded by shaking his head slowly. He's also able to lift his head from his pillow. Tonight, my dad said "keith, let's go eat KFC". Keith responded by trying to lift his head, move his legs to get out of bed.
-I teased my brother today by letting him suck on McDonald's french fry. He was literally trying to bite it down to eat it.
-His speech therapy is improving every day. He's working his muscles to begin talking again. Tonight, we heard a pretty good sound from his mouth.

Please pray:
-We discovered some red bumpy spots on his arms and legs. My mom said this looks similar the beginning stages of SJS. Keith said parts of the affected areas (mostly his forearm) is itchy. He did say that he did not experience itchiness with SJS...please pray that the red spots will disappear and that it is not another allergic reaction to something. The only new drug he began to take was dexadrine 7 days ago. We are praying Dr. Murthy will take a look at Keith tomorrow to determine what's going on.
-Regain of strength in entire body. Only when he's able to receive 3-5 hours of therapy will he qualify for acute rehab. Pray that this will happen soon.
-Pray that Keith will refrain himself from scratching his legs. The skin on the bottom portion of his legs and left forearm are still sensitive areas. Since it's healing, it's probably very itchy, so he's been scratching alot...
-Pray for God's continuous protection over Keith's heart and mind - that he'll continue to be filled with joy and peace. We cannot wait for Keith to start talking to let us know all that God has shown him.

Send emails to Keith

Please send your emails to Keith directly to the hospital. It seems that he awaits new letters to be read to him and he thoroughly enjoys being reminded that he is loved and is prayed for. Click on the following link...

http://www.torrancememorial.org/tmmcreg.htm

Thanks again for your prayers. Your words of encouragement will keep his spirits up and keep fighting hard!

NOTE TO VISITORS when family members are not around: I left a bible, hymnal book, and several books by Keith's bedside. When you visit him, ask him if he would like things to be read to him (he responds with hand signals i.e. "do thumbs up if it's a yes", etc.). And when you leave, ask if he would like music to be left on.

taste of homemade food

Keith finally got to eat homemade rice & chicken porridge. He took 5-6 spoonful of porridge and some water. Afterwards, he got tired, but this was a wonderful accomplishment for him. The speech therapist said that it takes more than 100 muscles just to swallow! So, Keith is working many muscles just to get some food down his throat.

His left hand, fingers, and legs are functioning better everyday. He's able to signal "okay", thumbs up, and count with his left fingers. He's doing better sitting up by himself, although it really strains his neck. So, we're very proud of him...every day is another day of strong fighting and moving forward.

He's now off of antibiotics and everything has been pretty stable. Please pray for NO bladdar/urinary infection, which diabetic patients are more prone to get.

favor from God

The speech therapist Lisa who's working with Keith this week said that Keith truly has the favor from God. There are only 2 very skilled speech therapist in the Torrance Hospital. Lisa and the other speech therapist who has been assigned to Keith. As the other therapist went on a short vacation, she gave her list of patients to Lisa giving her the freedom to choose whom she wants to see, then give the remaining patients to the less experienced/skilled speech therapists. However, when the list was given to Lisa, the other therapist said "you must see Keith while I'm away". Lisa said those type of requests rarely occur. If Keith was assigned to other therapists, he would not be given the professional care that Lisa can give. In sharing all this, she concluded that Keith truly has the favor of God. We praise God that Lisa is a committed Christian who prayerfully works with her patients and can testify of God's hand upon Keith.

Keith is slowly getting his sensation back in his body. It seems that as parts of his body is waking up, he's becoming more aware of the stiffness/pain/numbness. Whenever we went into his room today, we saw him exercising his right arm by himself. His right shoulder area is in pain. We're so proud that he's utilizing his time exercising and not just laying there so still...he's really fighting hard to full recovery.

Some of you have been wondering why Keith is not fully waking up...why it's taking so long. This is a result of the sodium imbalance when Keith became dehydrated during his stay at his previous hospital. The imbalance caused swelling in his body and his brain. The swelling in his brain caused some damage to the #3 nerve which is recovering slowly...

Items of Prayer:
-Speech therapy - we're going to try to give him some homemade porridge tomorrow. Hopefully with some yummy Korean food, he will be interested in eating and become skilled in the art of swallowing. Pray that he will continue to work his diaphram, which allows sound to be released to speak.
-Physical & occupational therapy - continue to regain strength.
-Stable sugar level.

Lord I offer my life to you...

Funny moments of the day:
-Keith sneezed so hard that his upper body ascended at least 45 degrees from the bed. We quickly asked if he was in pain and he calmly responded no....then started to laugh.
-Tonight, as Ted was exercising Keith's left leg, my mom held his foot and we asked him to push against mom's hand. He was trying to hard that a huge fart just came out...and again, he laughed so hard.
-We noticed Keith's right leg still has a lot of muscles, where as his left leg only has hanging skin...when we told him, he started to laugh again...

Updates:
-Keith continues to experience a lot of neck pain. Luckily, after we spoke with the head nurse yesterday, they put a written schedule of how to rotate his body from left, back, to right every 2 hours. And today, the doctor prescribed Keith to receive tylenol around the clock.
-His left leg and arm is slowly improving...we're hoping that in just a matter of a few days, he'll regain his strength and eventually open his right eye.

Keep praying:
-Regain strength - especially on left side, neck/head and right eye
-Able to get good rest.
-No pain in his stiff neck, no more headaches...
-His sugar level has been quite high, pray that it will go down and remain stable

Prayer for Keith from one of my favorite songs sung at ANC this morning:

Lord I Offer My Life to you

All that I am, all that I have
I lay then down before you O Lord
All my regrets, all my acclaims
The joy and the pain
I'm making them yours

Things in the past
Things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my hopes
All of my plans
My heart and my hands are lifted to you

Chorus:
Lord I offer my life to you
Everything I've been through
Use it for your glory
Lord I offer my days to you
Lifting my praise to you
As a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer you my life.

You are my son Keith

You are my son
Even through hardship and struggles...
when you find no strength to get up...

He comes in silence and holds my hand.
And he speaks to me

You are my son
I gave birth to you
You are my son
My beloved son

This song (roughly translated from Korean) sung by Keith's good friend Kwan Bum ministered to my brother on this Christmas day. Many tears flowed down all of our faces as we saw Keith crying so much. We can only imagine what his heart is going through. Many of his previous LACPC youth came to visit and made him laugh so much. Many of them couldn't hold back their tears as they saw their pastor sick on the hospital bed.

Today was a day full of laughter and tears. Keith laughed so much today that he got a headache! Thank God for tylenol! Too many visitors and too much stimulation - but we are so happy that he still has a beautiful smile to share with others. He was even more beautiful today because my husband shaved his beard and moustache (finally!).

Please continue to pray:
-Through therapy and time, he's improving everyday. Pray that Keith will regain his strength
-Pray for the nursing staff to be more proactive in taking care of Keith. Since the nurses rotate shifts regularly, many of them are not fully aware of Keith's situation - not being able to move and speak.
-Pray that the swelling of the brain will go away quickly so he can start to use his right eye and left side of his body.

FOR VISITORS:
If you are coming in a large group, please contact us (408-476-6858/626-533-2655). Keith is technically considered a patient in isolation. We asked for a private room because he got a MRSA (hospital acquired infection) at the burn center. The nurses are trying to create an environment where that will not happen again. Also, he was hosting visitors all day long today which really tired him out. For his sake and yours, we will once again monitor visitors. He needs to get good rest during the day and night to prevent aches in his body.

Thanks.

improving everyday!

We are proud that Keith is improving everyday.
The neurologist said that the #3 nerve in the brain which controls the opening of the right eyelid is recovering slowly. The damage was due to the sodium imbalance which seems to be causing the slowness of his motor skills, in particular the left side. The neurologist is very hopeful that in time, Keith will fully recovery.

The physical therapist also said that Keith performs better each day. We're truly thankful that the therapy he's receiving is slowly bringing a hopeful full recovery!

Today, the entire Park clan hung out together at the hospital. Keith finally got to hug his youngest niece Isabel. He held her hand and caressed her small cheeks. All the kids sang songs to Uncle Keith and gave him kisses. It was hard to leave him alone tonight, the eve of Christmas, but we trust the Lord continues to be His comfort and peace.

NEW ROOM 137

Praise God that Keith has his own room now. IT is a double occupancy room, so hopefully another patient will not be admitted to the same room.

A new speech therapist is working with Keith this upcoming week. Praise God that she is a Christian who has a genuine interest in serving Keith. She even came today, held his hand and prayed for him. The speech therapist said we can give Keith some home made porridge, but she has to feed him herself. He's only been fed pudding, which he has never been fond of. Hopefully with some home-cooked meal, he'll be able to receive the food better.

He can move his left leg much better also. Continue to pray:
-right eye be open
-left side motor skills to be fine tuned
-able to speak
-that Keith will continue to be at peace, especially as Christmas is here. I'm sure he's wanting to celebrate it with everyone else.

neck pains

Keith has neck pains on his right and left side. Since he hasn't moved his neck around in a long time, it's all tensed up, so he's taking tylenol to relieve the pain.

My family came down from San Jose last night. When I saw my brother, I was so pleased to see him so handsome. My cousin who is an ER nurse visited yesterday and shaved his moustache and beard. His hair was nicely combed and he looked great. He has yet to open his right eye, but just from 2 weeks ago, his body seems more at peace and rested.

The therapists say that Keith is doing pretty well...so continue to pray that through therapy he will get back into shape, that he will open his right eye, start to speak and eat.

We're hoping he can transfer to a private room. We are planning to put a request for that...please pray that he can be transfered for his sake and for his roommate's sake....especially as Keith has many visitors.

We praise God that Keith has not forgotten how to write. My brother-in-law asked Keith to write something...and he wrote "thanks". That's the first thing he thought of...we want to extend that same appreciation to all of you who are supporting him through your prayers and visits.

guess how much Keith weighs???

As of today, Keith weighs 160 pounds. I remember when he was well over 200 pounds...he has become quite weak and skinny.

Please pray for Keith as he has now been admitted to the TCU. His grandfather roommate tends to watch TV all day, so the environment does not give Keith the ability to rest well. Most of the patients in TCU are older and moving around. Unfortunately, the nurses at TCU did not know the condition of Keith when he was admitted and told my sister that dinner is served at the dining hall. They did not know he couldn't speak nor eat nor walk. We need to pray that the nursing staff will be mindful of his condition and be proactive in taking care of him. Pray for Keith that he will be filled with the peace of God in his heart, mind, and body. As he's been moved around to two different beds within a few days, receiving less attention from nurses, I can only imagine how frustrated he can grow not being able to communicate and function like all the other patients. Continue to pray for God to protect his heart from growing anxious and frustrated...that God would continue to give him strength to fight with absolute peace.

And continue to pray that Keith will open his right eye, start to speak, and eat soon...once he can receive 3-5 hours of therapy/day, he will be transfered to a rehab program closer to LA.

ROOM CHANGE to 130A

Keith is being transferred to a new room 130A.
He is now sharing the room with another patient and the room is much smaller now. So, if you do visit, please be mindful of Keith's new roommate, as well as the space limitation. Also, if you have pictures of familiar faces, I would encourage you to bring them.

speech therapy going well...

I got an update that Keith is doing pretty well on speech therapy. He's able to read simple questions and answer the multiple choice answers. The speech therapist recommends that we do things with Keith that does not require too much thinking, but comes naturally i.e. saying "amen" to a prayer, singing his favorite songs, etc. So, when you visit, I recommend you do these things with him. Also, have Keith continue to move his tongue and lips around...However, please don't try to wake him up if he's in deep sleep or seems tired or irritated. Since three therapists come to see him on a daily basis, he needs to rest when he can.

Thanks again for your prayers...we are still waiting for him to be transfered to the TCU.

keep fighting Keith!

A new bed is getting ready for Keith at the TCU. We praise Jesus that a bed has opened up. He will be transfered sometime tomorrow. This afternoon, our niece and nephews went to see Uncle Keith after many weeks of just staying outside the hospital room. They sang a favorite family song to him, held his hand and prayed for him. My sister had to keep the visit short because they kept asking why Uncle Keith couldn't open his right eye, etc.

Let's keep praying that Keith will continue to fight hard...that his right eye will open and that he will receive therapy at the TCU well, so that he will eventually qualify for the acute rehab program. You need to be able to receive therapy for 3-5 hours/per day in order to qualify for this rehab. Hopefully we can transfer him to a hospital closer to the LA area.

Keith is finally watching TV now. He's able to watch with his left eye and change channels with his right hand...so, he's making a lot of improvement and is fighting hard. Keep praying.

Request for visitors in the early mornings...

Continue to pray for an opening in the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) at Torrance Hospital. This is a transitional rehab unit Keith will go to until he is ready for intensive rehab. Right now, there is availability in rooms with 4 patients, but the doctor is waiting for a bed to open up in a 2-person room. Unfortunately, there is no single rooms...

If you have time to visit Keith in the mornings, we really encourage that. Since the nursing care is no longer 1 on 1 in his new room, he is not getting the medical attention he needs. Since he cannot call the nurse or even speak, this has become quite a challenge. Since my sister's family cannot arrive to the hospital first thing in the morning (8am), we would like to encourage anyone who has time to be next to Keith in the mornings, to keep him company and to speak with the nurses for assistance. Thank YOU!

Keith's faith loudly spoken in his silence...

Below is an excerpt of a letter from a good friend to my brother...we thank you Jesus that Keith is ministering to so many people even as he lays so still in the hospital bed...

"The past two times that I have seen you bound in your bed at the hospital, you have spoken to my heart more clearly then you ever had in all these years about God’s power, love, and faithfulness. And I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way. You have touched countless lives without knowing it. If you are worried that you can’t serve God because of your condition, be of good cheer because you are doing that this very moment.

God knows best and in His infinite wisdom, He thought it would be best to call my mother home early. I am at peace with that and I can’t wait until I see her again in heaven. However, there is a reason that He chose to preserve you here on earth a little while longer. It’s hard to imagine exactly what His plan is with our limited minds, but whatever it is, I know we’ll all be amazed. You will continuously be in my prayers and I look forward to the day when you are up and about. But in the meantime, Thank you Keith for showing us what true courage is and living out your faith loudly even through your silence."

pray for transfer of room/hospital

Please pray that Keith will be transfered to a good rehab program soon. The subacute rehab center at Torrance is full right now, so we are considering moving to another rehab center. We have been quite disappointed in the medical attention of the new unit he has been transfered to. The nurses are not a strong team as the one at the burn center. Many of them seem very stressed...we do not want to create an environment of stress to our brother. So, please pray that his time at his current room will be short and he'll start therapy soon. Please continue to pray that there is absolutely no damage to his body as we are continuing to wait for him to fully wake up.

Please pray that wherever he goes, the medical team will be able to give my brother the attention, love, and encouragement he needs. Pray that Keith will not undergo any stress in his body. He had problems emptying out his full bladdar today. Pray that he will continue to experience God's divine peace and rest in his body and soul.

high fever/high white blood cell

Keith was transfered to another room yesterday b/c he had a high fever and high white blood cell count. Unfortunately, the nursing staff in this new section of the hospital is not as personal or attentive to Keith as were the nurses at the burn center. Let's continue to pray that he can be transferred to the rehab center soon...we are still waiting for availability of a room/bed.

Continue to pray that Keith's health will continue to stabilize - good body temperature, good sugar/sodium level, etc.

New Room!!!

Keith has been transferred to a new room at the Torrance Medical Center - ROOM 442. Visiting hours are 8 am - 8pm. Flowers are now allowed...feel free to keep him company.

christmas at the hospital...

This morning, as our church worshipped with many Christmas hymns, I grew very sad thinking my brother cannot celebrate Christmas as everyone else will, as he did all these past years...

...I do want to share one song that strengthened me when I first arrived to see my brother 4 weeks ago lying so still in the hospital, with the imitation skin all covering his bruised body...this was sung during worship at my parents' church...

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives

I praise Jesus today that JESUS LIVES!!! I praise Jesus that my brother's faith is not wavering even through all that he's gone...even through this period of silence when not even one word can be spoken. I thank God for the gift of Jesus. There is nothing to fear because Jesus holds the future of my brother and the resurrected Jesus is my brother's Savior and Sustainer and Deliverer.

Please continue to pray:
-An MRI will be performed sometime this upcoming week. We're praying there is absolutely no neurological damage as we are eagerly awaiting to hear words from my brother's mouth. Pray that he will speak soon.
-Pray for availability of space in the subacute rehab at Torrance Hospital. As of today, there is no room for him...the longer he stays in the burn unit, the longer he must wait to get started on more intensive physical/speech/occupational therapy.

Keith's love for his youth

Today, Keith really started to cry as he saw some of his youth from ANC. Although his ministry there just began late this summer, he truly has a heart for them as their pastor. I cannot imagine how much he longs to return and hang out with his kids...

ANC youth (and other students of Keith) - when you get a chance during this Christmas break, please come and visit him. I know many of you are speechless as you see your pastor in the hospital...I encourage you to come and talk about the good old days and even things you are dreaming of for the future. Please sing Christmas carols to him, read Scripture to him, and make him laugh. He cannot respond to you verbally, but he hears you and knows you love him...so continue to encourage him so he can keep fighting for full recovery.

Please pray that he will be transfered to the subacute therapy program downstairs of Torrance Hospital by the beginning of the week, hopefully Monday.

preparing for rehab

We praise God that Keith is ready to begin rehab. Since he is not fully alert, he will be moved to a subacute rehab program early next week. This is located in the same hospital. Once he is moved, we will let people know. Once he becomes more alert and able to receive therapy 3-5 hours/day, he will be transferred to an acute rehab program. The location for this is still to be determined...we are considering moving to a closer hospital near our parents work/home.

In the meantime, let's continue to pray:
-that Keith will become more and fully alert to receive the occupational/physical/speech therapy he needs. Pray that he will get back into shape quickly and that there would no absolutely NO damage in any part of his body. I spoke with the therapy consultant/doctor today. She said that she's very hopeful for Keith's full recovery b/c he is still young and has been healthy.
-Continue to pray for full recovery on his heels and his back which is suffering from effects of lying around for such a long time.
-No more diabetes!!!
-also, pray that Keith will get the needed rest he needs at night and throughout the day. That he will be alert when the therapists come to work with him, and he'll be able to get good rest and be refreshed.

beautiful creation of God - my brother!

Around this time last year, the entire Park family was getting ready for a big trip to Colorado Springs. Yes, we were out of our minds. We drove two cars, with four little kids, and a pregnant me...through the rain, hail, and snow to Colorado Springs. I ONLY have wonderful memories of my family, especially my brother who is one of the MOST dependable people I know on this earth. He never said "no" to me...even when I asked him for allowance money when he was a poor seminary student. We were hoping to take another mini-vacation (more local) since we'll all reunite in December, then celebrate my brother's ordination in January...unfortunately, we won't need to travel far to be all together...just down the 110 South fwy to Torrance Hospital. We're just glad we'll all be together once again.

therapies...

Physical Therapy...
I am so thankful my sister Elaine is there with my brother. As she was training to be a nurse herself, she has become my brother's personal physical therapist. The physical therapist came by today and really challenged my brother to do certain things. We are so proud that Keith was able to stand up. He balanced himself by placing his hand on the therapist's shoulders...but he did not tremble, but stood still for a few seconds. Elaine has been challenging my brother's mind i.e. asking what is 1+1, then asking him to respond with his fingers. Continue to pray that his motor skills will be fine tuned, especially on the left side of his body. Pray that he will open his right eye.

Speech Therapy...
This is the main prayer request...that my brother will speak. Unfortunately, the timing of the speech therapist's visit today coincided with when Keith was in the operating room placing the tube into his stomach. Pray that there is no neurological damage that is causing the slowness of speech...

Feeding...
Pray that Keith will master the art of eating - good reflexes in swallowing and drinking, stomach to retain food, to digest well so that the feeding tube in his stomach will come out. Pray that there is no side effects of having the tube in his stomach.

We thank God that Dr. Murthy has been proactive in treating my brother to full recovery. He knows that the burn center is limited in their practice now, so he is planning to move Keith to another place for intensive physical/speech therapy.

When you visit...go beyond just massaging Keith. Challenge his mind to think, make him practice performing detailed movements with his arms/legs/hands/feet. Massage his eyes, make him practice sticking out his tongue...

doctor talked with Keith in his dreams

Dr. Murthy had a dream yesterday that Keith and he were having a conversation about baseball. He said maybe this is fate and Santa Claus is giving the family a gift for Christmas...the gift of Keith getting up and about. We know this cannot be simply fate, but the powerful working of our awesome God.

Here's a few updates and prayer requests:
-Keith now has a tube directly into his stomach. The procedure took place this morning. Please pray that there would be NO side effects to this. Pray that he will continue to practice his swallowing so he can eat by himself soon and get the tube off.
-His right eye is slowly opening. His left eye pupil is more focused and functioning better.
-THe left side of his body is getting more fine-tuned...he is able to bend his left leg and move his left arm around.
-PRAY that Keith can be transferred to another hospital room soon. The burn unit is limited in their practice now. Since Keith is recovered as a "burn" patient, the transfer to another room will give him more medical attention he needs...the most important being physical therapy. Some training in physical therapy will be given to family members and other regular visitors, so that he can be receiving therapy all day long.
-Another MRI will be performed next week to make sure everything continues to be okay in his brain. Pray that the MRI results will no longer have swelling and spots in his brain.

Continue to pray that Keith will come home soon...and that he will be rid of diabetes forever.

don't take it for granted

As I spoke with my mom today, she reminded me how we MUST be thankful for the things we take for granted - breathing, eating, drinking, opening your eyes, touching...
As we see our brother struggling to drink/eat well, in opening his eyes...we are reminded to thank God for the simplest things we take for granted.

What I shared at our church prayer meeting tonight...make this a prayer for Keith as he recovers. I shared that the last things in Keith's body that have not been healed/restored are: right eye, tongue/mouth (cannot speak yet), heel of his feet. It's no coincidence that these are the very things that the enemy is using to hinder Keith from full recovery...these are the essential things God wants to use for Keith to be an ambassador to the nations. Feet to go. Tongue to declare. Continue to intercede that God would raise up Keith - full regeneration of body, full regeneration of soul/spirit. That he will come out of this a stronger man of God.

Keep praying...

Prayer points:
-Right eye - be open! Tongue - be loosed so that he can talk and eat. God has called Keith to be His mouthpiece to the nations...pray that his tongue will once again speak...and only speak boldly to proclaim Christ and to worship Him!
-Pray that all attacks from the enemy will be defeated. Pray for God's protection over Keith's body and his spirit.

PS - when you visit Keith, I would like to request you keep the worship CD playing...we want to fill Keith's hospital room with worship. Thanks.

This morning, we praise God that Keith was alert to work with the speech therapist. He was able to take in pudding and other soft foods. They are considering putting the feeding tube directly into his stomach today or tomorrow.

feeding tube straight into stomach

Keith was a lot more alert today. He was supposed to be given dexadrine twice, but the nurses only gave it to him once today. However, he was quite alert for a longer period of time. He is laughing and smiling a lot more (without any sounds yet). One of his visitors tested his visual abilities by having him point to different things on a huge poster his youth group kids made him...and yes, he passed the test. He has yet to open his right eye...

Please continue to pray:
-Tomorrow, they will put the feeding tube straight into his stomach. The tube will come out of his nose. Pray that everything will go well.
-Continue to pray for his speech therapy. Pray that he will be awake when the therapist comes. Pray he will continue to exercise his swallowing abilities so that he can gradually start eating solid foods and be weaned from the feeding tube.
-Pray that he will fully wake up - especially for his right eye to open.
-Pray for his future physical therapy so he can get back into shape soon.
-Lastly, diabetes be gone in Jesus' Name!!!

eating baby foods...

Today, the speech therapist came and had Keith try different soft foods - i.e. pudding. He ate very well and even drank water without aspirating. So, we praise God that he is able to swallow and take in food. Let's continue to pray that he can continue to receive food well, so that the feeding tube can come out.

We are constantly amazed how every single prayer item has been answered so quickly.
Just yesterday, we called for prayer that Keith will be awake when the speech therapist came today, and surely he was awake. ...so, don't forget to keep praying for God is definitely answering all of our cries. What an amazing God we have!

laughing...

Tonight, many of Keith's visitors were sharing how they know EVERYTHING about Keith now, since the start of this website. They talked and laughed about many things...and what a wonderful sight to see Keith laughing, with such a big smile...only wishing we can hear his chuckles of heh, heh, heh...we are so thankful he has not lost his sense of humor through all he's gone through. We rejoice with him as we see these glimpses of laughter arising from our "sleeping" brother.

So let's continue to pray that he will wake up with great testimonies of how God has been speaking to him. When you get a chance, continue to send your love to him through emails/phone calls/personal visits. Continue to make him laugh...perhaps one of your funny jokes can wake him from a big laughter.

Please refer to the December 12 entry regarding visitation.

speech therapy

Praise Jesus for:
-Keith rarely shakes anymore. The cause of his shaking was unknown, but due to YOUR prayers, he no longer shakes as he did.
-being able to do funny things. Today, my sister asked him to touch her nose. He reached over and grabbed her nose with his thumb & index finger, squeezed her nose so hard and for the longest time!
-he expressed happiness when my daughter sang a song just for him over the phone. We're getting his nieces and nephews to talk to him over the phone to get his spirits up and to keep fighting.

Please pray:
-The speech therapist came to visit Keith today, but he was asleep. Pray that the timing of their meeting would coincide when Keith is awake, so that he can begin speech therapy. Since he can follow directions, the therapist is planning to check Keith's swallowing ability. Pray that he can swallow water and eventually food, so that the feeding tube can come off and he can start eating real food - especially chicken, one of his favorites!
-Pray that he will open his right eye. He can open his left eye, so we praise Jesus for that.
-Pray that he will fully wake up and get moving with physical therapy...

Last week, when I spoke with the doctor, he said "we're hoping Keith will go home soon so he can start preaching again." We pray that Keith is a wonderful witness of Jesus to the staff there...

stool test was negative

Keith's stool test result was negative. He is probably having diarrhea due to the continuous intake of antibiotics and possibly too much tube feeding.

He's making continuous improvement in his motor skills...but we are still waiting for him to fully wake up. Starting today, he started to take dexatrine, which is a stronger stimulant to wake him up. Let's continue to lift him up in our prayers so that he can get out of the hospital soon.

we are encouraging visitors

Dear all - we would like to now REQUEST you come and visit Keith when you get a chance. Since he's responding a lot more and is slowly becoming a bit more interactive, he would be encouraged to see people coming to keep him company. Today, he was actually able to hold the cell phone, listen, then close his flip phone afterwards...his motor skills are getting fine-tuned...

Here's some info if you would like to visit:
-Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Burn Center (2nd floor)
-Come between 1-8pm. The nurses have been flexible with the post 8pm visits, but we need to be mindful of other patients.
-Try to limit gifts. If you would like to bring gifts, we would suggest you get something practical for the nursing staff (i.e. chocolate, fruit basket, etc)
-While you're there - wash your hands, and continue to massage Keith's hands, arms, legs, toes...just be careful of the IV line which is now on his right hand. His left hand/arms/legs have been quite stiff and needs alot of massaging/stimulation.
-Read scripture to him, sing songs to him, joke around with him, pray with him

Finding other practical ways to help???
-Since I'm back in San Jose, I would really appreciate if anyone can help provide dinner meals for my parents, sister, and her two sons. Since my parents go straight to the hospital after work, they haven't had good meals, since we always packed a simple dinner to the hospital. If you would like to help in this way, you can contact me or call my sister Elaine at 213-448-3335.
-My sister needs help with her sons - ages 4 & 5 during M,W,F of this week only. Her husband and daughter will arrive to LA from Mexico this Friday evening.

Thank you thank you thank you for your support and prayers!

Dexedrine

Keith will be given dexedrine twice/day starting tomorrow. This is another stimulant to try to wake him up.
A tube has been inserted to collect his runny stools...a culture test is in to make sure the diarrhea is the effect of the continuous input of antibiotics.

So, continue to pray that Keith will not become dependent on drugs to wake him/keep him awake and that he will have good bowel movements.

It's all about Jesus

It's all about you, Jesus
And all this is for you
For your glory and your fame
It's not about me
As if you should do things my way
You alone are God and I surrender to your ways

I spoke with the nurse earlier today. There's not much going on at this point. Keith had a humungous bowel movement this morning...good sign that his body is functioning properly. So, continue to pray that he will wake up!

The chorus of the song above ministered to me this morning in our church service. All the suffering my brother went through is about Jesus, it's for Jesus, for His glory and His fame. Once again, we surrender our dear brother to the Lord and His ways, for we have a God who indeed loves us and has perfect plans for us. He never slumbers nor sleeps, but works all things for the good for those who love Him.

As a reminder, if you want to receive updates via email, let me know sandy@fisherofmen.net.

slowly waking up...preparing...

This afternoon, we saw Keith a lot more responsive. He was able to keep his left eye open for quite some time. His motor skills are improving. He's able to point pretty well to different parts of his body and he even waved "bye" to us. The eye doctor checked his eyes again - praise God that there is NO damage! This is truly a miracle since most SJS patients suffer from some form of eye damage. He also tried to speak...I'm sure he's frustrated that he cannot...

Let's continue to pray:
-that he will fully wake up. If he's not more alert, another stronger drug will be given to him.
-for his physical therapy - he moves he right arm/hands pretty well, but his left hand still remains very tense in a fist. If you visit him, please continue to massage his hands/fingers/arms/toes/legs.
-no more diabetes!

Another interesting fact:
My sister mentioned that it is interesting that all this happened right before Keith's planned ordination in the early part of January. We are reminded that Christ was in the wilderness for 40 days before entering full time ministry...as we see Keith's suffering in the larger scheme of God's plan, we have peace and confidence that God is definitely preparing him for a special ministry that many people could never experience or imagine for themselves. Dr. Murthy originally estimated that Keith would be able to go home around Christmas time. As we counted 40 days from the date of his allergic breakout (11/10), the 40th day falls on 12/26. All this said, we trust God is preparing Keith for something UNIMAGINABLE! And we are so excited that we can be part of what God is doing in his life...so, continue to partner with him, not only during this time, but as he enters a new era of ministry with wonderful testimonies of God's saving grace.

please continue to send your love

Dear friends,
Please continue to send letters of love, encouragement, and prayers for Keith. We want him to continue to keep fighting....you can leave comments or send them to sandy@fisherofmen.net.

As a reminder, visitation is allowed from 1-8pm.

Bless the Lord, O my soul

This morning, as you think of Keith, let's pray for his soul to BLESS the Lord. Let's pray Psalm 103 for our dear brother. We can only imagine how frustrated he may be not being able to wake up...let's pray peace for him, that his soul will continue to bless the Lord in all situations, that he will not be downcast or discouraged, but as he feels the very presence of Jesus, he could only respond in praising Him.

Praise the Lord, o my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, o my soul,
and forget not all his benefits -
who forgives all your sins,
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

For as high as the heavens are above the erath,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our trangressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust...

But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord's love is with those who fear him
and his righteousness with their children's children
with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts

Praise the Lord, O my soul

catching up on lost sleep

Keith is enjoying his sleep a little too much. Tonight, we joked around that he's catching up on all the lost sleep from his 33 years of life. Since entering full time ministry several years ago, he's been faithfully attending early morning prayer, staying up late, and missing many hours of sleep. So, although we tried to do everything possible to wake him up tonight (even gently slapping his face), we just told him to wake up after he catches up on ALL his lost sleep. Only our humurous God can allow us to joke around during this difficult time.

I spoke with Dr. Murthy tonight. Here's a few updates:
-The MRI and lumbar puncture findings had no significant results, except for the swelling and spots. There were a few other findings, but not significant to mention or worry about.
-The echocardiogram results have not come in yet, but it will probably be negative.
-The cause of his sleepiness is not known. There may be too many factors, so the doctor cannot pinpoint what is causing this.
-The provigil will be given for 4 days before a stronger drug will be used. The first one was given yesterday, so if Keith does not wake up before Sunday, he will be given another drug.
-If he does not wake up before early next week, the feeding tube in his nose will be taken off and they are considering feeding him straight to his stomach. Since the feeding tube has been in for a long time, they want to prevent any sinus infection or problems in the future. This will happen after consultation with the GI doctor.
-Because of his delay of waking up, the doctor has said his recovery will take longer than expected. He was hoping to send my brother home by Christmas time, but it seems unlikely at this point.
-He is becoming better at following directions everyday. He can point to different parts of his body pretty well.

So, let's continue to fight for Keith on our knees:
-WAKE UP Keith!!!!
-No future sinus problems since the feeding tube has been in for the past 3 weeks.
-Once he wakes up, for his physical and speech therapy to be quick so he can come home.
-The entire family will be gone by early January (Lee's to Mexico, Kang's to San Jose), so we are really praying Keith will come home before we all leave. This will lessen the burden for my parents to travel to the hospital and in communication with the medical staff.
-And always pray that Keith will be totally rid of all diabetes.

Wake up Keith!!! - our battle cry today

Psalm 3
O Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him"
But you are a shield around me, O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up again me on every side.
Arise, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
From the Lord comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.

Keith will be given provigil sometime today. This is NOT guaranteed to wake up him. [Edit: the nurse said that provigil was given last night. It will be given once/day. It will be given for the next 5-7 days to see if provigil will work for him or not. Let's pray that he wakes up]. Let's continue to pray fervently. Use Scripture to declare who God is over Keith. We declare that God is his sustainer and deliverer. God is Keith's protector and shield, especially from all the enemy's attacks...let the Lord arise today...let Keith arise today, so that we can claim victory in our King. This is our battle cry for today.

will he wake up???

Keith rested well today. All his vital signs are stable. Tomorrow, the doctor will give him provigil to wake him up.

Last night, he did not urinate for 10 straight hours, so this afternoon, a catheter was inserted to empty his bladder. It was definitely a full bladder.

The nurse suggested we stimulate his olfactory senses. We have tried to touch/massage him and speak to him. Since he hasn't woken up yet, the nurse suggested we bring one of Keith's favorite foods so he would be encouraged to wake up. Can you guess the first food that came to mind??? YES - KFC! So, we might actually take KFC tomorrow or a simple orange or maybe even kimchee to arouse his smell.

The patient next door has moved down the hall. There were probably too many visitors that kept looking at him...and sadly, he doesn't received any visitors, but please remember to be quiet as you enter Keith's room during your visits. Reminder that visiting hours are between 1-8pm, since the majority of the morning is spent taking different tests and bathing.

Prayer points for tonight:
-Pray that he will wake up. Although provigil is not a harmful drug, we would like to see Keith wake up on his own initiative.
-Pray for good health - urinate regularly, good bowel movements, stable heartrate, breathing, sugar level, etc.
-Pray that the spots in his brain and the swelling would disappear quickly.
-Pray for a quick recovery as he will undergo physical therapy when he wakes up.

A funny story - I kept tickling his feet b/c he started to squirm his toes...so he's definitely still sensitive to that. Unfortunately, the tickles didn't wake him up.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Phil. 4:4-7

what the neurologist said

The neurologist found no damage to the brain from the MRI and lumbar puncture testings. He said the spots on the left side of the brain are commonly found among burn patients. The neurologist will speak with Dr. Murthy to determine if a drug should be tried that will wake up my brother.

Some improvements:
-He is able to sit by himself on the edge of the chair.
-He continues to follow directions i.e. pointing with his finger, point to his eyes, etc.
-When he tries to open his eyes, his pupils do move around

Let's pray:
-Although this drug is safe to use, let's pray that Keith will wake up on his own. Once the drug is used, he may have to depend on it to keep him awake.

Echocardiogram

The nurse informed me that nothing significant was found from the lumbar puncture and MRI. I have yet to speak with the doctor regarding more specific results, but we praise Jesus that nothing significant was found.
Today, Keith will undergo an echocardiogram to check how his heart is functioning.

Continue to pray that NOTHING abnormal will be found in his internal organs, that his shaking will stop, and that he will wake up soon.

For your information, his daily routine consists of (among other things):
-sitting up in a chair for a few hours
-bathing every other day
-the nurses try to have him brush his teeth, but his motor skills are not fine tuned yet.

One funny story:
-The nurses started to leave the TV on to stimulate Keith. The first day, the sports channel was on. The other day, they had the Christian broadcast on. It's wonderful to know the nurses are really catering to his interest and needs, but I told the nurse yesterday that Keith is probably not interested in the Christian channel - at least the one they had on for him. So, the sports channel will be left on...The nurses there are just wonderful and caring.

pray for negative test results

Tonight, the doctor administered the lumbar puncture. They will combine the MRI results with the lumbar puncture results to determine Keith's condition. There is still some swelling in his brain, which will disappear in time. Swelling occurred all over his body, and the swelling of the brain is the slowest to go away. So, we are calling out for PRAYER once again....urgent, fervent prayer that will once again shake the heavens. One pastor's wife shared with my mom today that she felt the enemy attacking my brother in so many ways. My brother seems to get weak, so she is challenged to pray all the more fervently. We have seen God miraculously regenerate Keith's skin in such amazing ways...so, we call out to the same God to wake up my brother and to reverse all possible problems in his brain and body.

We will find the results of the tests sometime tomorrow.

As I spent some time with my brother again tonight, my mom reminded me of some fond memories during our childhood. My "oppa" is 4 years older than me. Since our elementery years together, he ALWAYS transported me to school...during elementary school, I rode on the handle or the body of his cool bike. In junior high, he drove me to school in the mornings and picked me up after school. And he NEVER complained that he was always tardy for school b/c I always took my time getting ready in the morning. It never occurred to me that my brother's school was another 10-15 minutes from my junior high (that's the last child syndrome). He is indeed a man with the heart of God - a KIND heart that never complains or grumbles, but serves out of his love for Jesus. I thank God for such a wonderful brother...

Fever

Keith had a high fever this afternoon. The IV line from the neck has been transferred to his left hand. They are doing a culture test to see if there is an infection on his neck (right side) where the IV needle was. Pray that there is no infection and fever to be gone.

Lumbar Puncture test

I (Sandy) decided to start a blogspot for my brother. When I get a chance, I will post all previous entries onto this site. Thank you for faithfully reading/praying/fasting for my dear brother. We all feel your prayers - especially my mom who has been consumed with full time work and traveling back/forth from the hospital. She, along with all of us, have been healthy and strong to taking care of my brother & 4 little kids in the house. So, we know that your prayers are not just being heard for Keith, but for all of us...Thanks.

Uncle Keith was scheduled for a lumbar puncture this afternoon. However, the doctor cannot administer this until early this evening. Let's pray that the procedure will go smoothly and Keith will have no side effects from this test. Pray that all results will be negative and God will STOP the shaking Keith has in his head and arms/hands.