Calling all Prayer Warriors

Friday, September 9, North Park, Colorado

Hello Friends.....apparently between work and recreation travel over the past two months, I've overdone it - or maybe it's just a random weakness in my immune system - but I have contracted pneumonia and I am in Rex hospital.  The short story is that I was feeling feverish and having some discomfort with deep breaths before I left for a long-anticipated fishing trip over Labor Day weekend.  After consulting with my medical team in both Houston and Raleigh, I was given the green light to go on the fishing trip after receiving a Neulasta shot on Sunday night, Sept 4.  The trip went well (see above!) and I felt good....however after returning home, seeing my doctor on Monday, and getting a chest x-ray, I began to feel badly Monday evening - and worse Tuesday morning.  The x-ray revealed an infection in my lung and Dr. Kritz checked me into the hospital Tuesday afternoon at about 5 pm.  I'm getting powerful IV antibiotics now that will hopefully knock out the infection.  There is another concern that was revealed by a CT scan that I received here at the hospital - a smaller, tighter concentration of opacity (spot) that is near my upper bronchial tube - this could anything from a related but different infection, to a tumor....I had a bronchoscopy yesterday and we are awaiting the results sometime in the next 24 hours. 

I am feeling better than I did Tuesday morning so we are thankful that the antibiotics appear to be working and we're praying that they will not only knock out the general infection but (please God) the spot near my bronchus.  If you would please pray that this entire event would be dealt with by these antibiotics, Renee and I and my entire family will be very grateful.  I had a beloved friend visit me just a while ago and during the course of our conversation he mentioned the story of Jesus and His disciples walking by a man blind from birth - the disciples asked Jesus, "tell us Master, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?  Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but that this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."  This verse and many others have shaped my thinking and renewed my mind and allowed me to see this trial for what it really is - a mission, an assignment.  Whatever comes, I know the Lord will give me the strength and grace to overcome.  Thanks for all your care and concern.  Dan