“…as your days your strength shall be.”

Dear friends,

Mom has successfully transitioned to a new facility, and we are so thankful! But, as you can imagine, transitions are hard, and we have been slow to communicate.

I thought I might take a minute to briefly review where we have been, before updating you on where we are today. 

This most recent medical crises began all the way back on January 15 when Mom was admitted to the hospital, where she spent three weeks battling complicated pneumonia and undergoing and recovering from massive lung surgery. She was then transferred to a skilled nursing facility, where she spent the last two months focusing on rehabilitation. But, due to her lack of significant progress, insurance denied further coverage. Last week, Mom was moved to an assisted living facility as a respite (short-term) resident, where she will continue to undergo physical therapy and work diligently to regain her baseline mobility. Ultimately, the goal is to go home!  

At the moment, Mom’s physical and mental health are stable and good! We do not take this lightly. But the length and intensity of what she has suffered has led to significant regression in mobility and strength. It is not safe or wise for her to go home yet. She is courageously partnering with her therapists to regain her ability to stand and pivot (with assistance) in and out of her wheelchair, recliner, bed, etc. And although she still has a long way to go, we have begun to see some steps in the right direction. We continue to believe, pray, and cheer her on in this hard work.

In the meantime, we thank God for a good facility, with good care, only two miles from their home! We also praise God for Mom’s good physical and mental health, and her perseverance, grace, and courage. 

I recently have been reminded of the verse in Deuteronomy 35:25 that says, “…and as your days, so shall your strength be.” Or another translation, “your strength will equal your days.” God has chosen to give Mom more days, and we are SO thankful! And now we cling to the promise that He will give her, and my Dad, the strength they need for each one.

This song states it beautifully…

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near,
Your Savior’s gracious promise hear;
His faithful Word you can believe:
That as your days your strength shall be.

Your faith is weak, your foes are strong,
And if the conflict should be long,
The Lord will make the tempter flee
That as your days your strength shall be.

So, sing with joy, afflicted one;
The battle’s fierce, but the victory’s won!
God shall supply all that you need;
Yes, as your days your strength shall be.

Should persecution rage and flame,
Still trust in your Redeemer’s name.
In fiery trials you shall see
That as your days your strength shall be.

When called to bear your weighty cross
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress or poverty,
Still as your days your strength shall be.

Your prayers, comments, notes, and encouragement are also being used to give my parents, and all of us, strength! Thank you! 

Waiting and believing,

Liz Lind (for the whole Key family)

Mom’s new location: 

Cartel Inns

3905 Lorraine Path
St. Joseph, MI 49085

Good Friday, March 29, 2024

By Stan Key

Yesterday morning in my quiet time I read the hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way (1774).  Because I was alone, I actually sang it out loud!  Today is Good Friday, and the words seem so appropriate.  I suppose they are especially poignant for me personally because this week we are making decisions about Katy’s future.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

This past Wednesday, a special meeting was held to discuss plans for Katy’s discharge from the Rehabilitation Center.  She has been a patient for seven weeks (three weeks in the hospital before that) and her progress has “plateaued”.  In other words, her rehab program is ending.  And yet Katy is still unable to stand and pivot.  The therapy team cannot assure us that she will ever recover this ability again.  This means that Katy can be moved from her bed to a chair only with the help of a lift and she is unable to care for her personal needs without help.  The plan is that she will be discharged in a week.  We must now determine the next step.

As a family, we have decided that it is not a good idea for Katy to return home quite yet.  The challenges involved in preparing for in-home care (the equipment, the care-givers, the new responsibilities for me, the finances, etc.) seem overwhelming.  We are uneasy making such decisions too quickly.  And we still haven’t given up hope that Katy will regain the ability she had before all this drama began: to stand and pivot.  Katy too believes that this is possible!  But we all realize this will take a miracle.

Our plan now is to find a short-term solution.  We are looking at possibilities in the area for Assisted Living where Katy can be cared for as we consider long-term options (whether at home or something else).  The decisions before us are weighty and consequential.  We need divine guidance.  

But it’s Good Friday!  It’s interesting that we call it good because nearly everything associated with this day is dark, frightening, depressing, and agonizingly painful.  And yet….  Well, you know the rest of the story!

You can pray with us that:

• An Easter miracle will occur so that Katy regains the ability to stand and pivot.
• The next step will be clear.  
• The Lord will be lifted up and glorified on both Sunday and Friday!

William Cowper (1731-1800), the author of the hymn quoted at the beginning of this post, was a tortured soul.  One of the greatest English poets of the 18^th century, his life was marked by periods of deep depression and mental illness.  However, his conversion to Christ enabled him to find hope even in the most desperate situations.  On this Good Friday, I invite you to join Cowper in singing:  

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

“I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of living.  Wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Ps. 27:13-14, NLT).

In the Name,

Stan

De Profundis

From Katy (with much assistance from Stan)

Like the psalmist in Psalm 130, I want to write about (no, sing about) my most recent pit experience.  Although we don’t know who wrote it or the specific adversity that prompted it, I identify immediately with this psalm of lament.  The plaintive melody rises “out of the depths” (v. 1).  Stan tells me that in the Old Testament, “the depths” is often a metaphor for darkness, silence, destruction, mirey clay, pits, the grave, and Sheol!  As I lie here week after week in my hospital bed at the rehab facility, surrounded by dozens of elderly people struggling with debilitating infirmities of every imaginable kind, I don’t often hear people singing.  For me, frankly, I normally do what the psalmist did: cry out to God!  

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
² O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!….

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
⁶ my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning….

From the time I first entered the hospital (January 15) until two weeks ago, I was trapped in a downward spiral of despair and doom.  My physical condition (pneumonia, etc.) accounted for much of this, of course.  But the real battle was not physical, but spiritual.  Like the psalmist, it seemed that this pit was so deep, dark, and God-forsaken that all I could do was listen to the silence and cry into the void.  Like the watchman, I waited and hoped for morning – not really sure that the sun would rise again.      

What I like most about Psalm 130 is that it was written while the psalmist was still in the pit – not after he had been delivered from it.  He prayed even when he wasn’t sure God was listening.  And grace came into his pit of despair enabling him to sing a song of hope.  Even though the music was in a minor key, he found himself able to sing.  You might say that he was singing the Blues!  And this bold act of hope made the demons flee and brought the assurance that morning would surely come.

Earlier this week, a couple from our small group came to visit me.  Stan and I know them well and consider them good friends.  They walked in my room holding an old Methodist hymnal and singing what they knew was one of my favorite hymns.  Charles Wesley had written these words for the first generation of Methodist preachers.  In those days, the death rate for circuit riders was high and life expectancy was short.  So when the preachers gathered for Annual Conference, Wesley wanted them to begin by singing these words together!  As my friends sang all four verses (to the tune “Blest Be the Tie that Binds”), I tried to join in, but my tears made it difficult:  

And are we yet alive, 

And see each other’s face?

Glory and thanks to Jesus give

For his almighty grace!

What troubles have we seen,

What mighty conflicts past,

Fightings without, and fears within,

Since we assembled last!

Yet out of all the Lord

Hath brought us by his love;

And still he doth his help afford,

And hides our life above.

Let us take up the cross

Till we the crown obtain;

And gladly reckon all things loss

So we may Jesus gain.

Twice a day, a nurse comes in my room to check my vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen, etc.).  When she has finished, she always smiles and sweetly says, “Miss Katy, you’re still alive.”

Indeed I am!

Katy (with Stan)

From Stan

Dear Friends,

This is Stan writing.  Our daughter Liz has done an outstanding job of keeping you informed of Katy’s status during the past five weeks but I feel it is time for you to hear from me.  First of all, you have no idea how meaningful it is to connect like this.  Your comments, prayers, and letters have been a means of grace to the whole family.  Thank you!

Katy went into the hospital on January 15 where she was treated for a number of different issues, most notably pneumonia.  Major surgery on January 25 removed the ‘debris’ from her left lung.  Although this helped with her respiratory issues and began the process of treating the infection, she did not bounce back as we had hoped.  Her recovery has been painfully slow.  

On February 8, Katy was finally released from the hospital and transferred to a skilled nursing facility here in Saint Joseph about ten minutes from where we live.  At Pine Ridge, Katy not only receives medical care but also has a daily regime of physical and occupational therapy.  Yesterday, a Care Conference was held to prepare a plan.  The therapists, nurses, social workers, and insurance people were all represented to assess Katy’s status and anticipate what needs to happen next.  

During the past two weeks especially, Katy has been very weak and lethargic.  She has had no appetite.  As you can imagine, she has battled discouragement and depression.  At times it seemed like she was on the point of giving up.  Finding the courage to keep on keeping on has been a big challenge.  But yesterday, at the Care Conference, she voiced her commitment to both do better at eating and to work with the therapists.  This may sound like a small thing but it was actually quite huge! 

It is too early to know whether or not we have truly turned the corner in her path to recovery but we wanted you to be aware of her current status.  Specifically, you can pray that Katy’s will to fight is strengthened day by day; that she will eat (gain weight, energy) and work with her therapists.  (Just sitting on the edge of the bed and standing up are huge mountains at the moment.)

This week, I’ve been rereading Madame Guyon’s Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ.  Guyon is one of Katy’s favorite people and I suppose that triggered the thought that she might have something to say to me in times like this.  Here are three nuggets that I’ve been contemplating:

• You must utterly believe that everything that has happened to you is from God and is exactly what you need.
• You must learn to love the cross.  He who does not love the cross does not love the things of God.  
• God gives us the cross, and then the cross gives us God. 

Amen!

Stan

P.S.  We continue to learn that people whom we assumed were receiving these updates are not subscribed. In order to be notified of blog updates you must “follow” or “subscribe” to the blog. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested in these updates on Katy.

Transition

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” (Isaiah 40:29)

Thank you for praying for the specific requests listed in the previous post. The chest tubes have been removed, finally! And, after 24 days in the hospital, Mom has been moved to a skilled nursing facility in the area to continue the long journey of healing.

Over the last 24 days, Mom has battled through a complicated lung infection and pneumonia that required lung surgery, chest tubes, and round after round of antibiotics. Though she is nowhere near her baseline, we do see improvement. Moving to a rehab facility is certainly a big step forward, though these types of transitions are very jarring.

As most of you know, at baseline, Mom is significantly disabled, wheel-chair bound, and physically dependent on caregivers to accomplish nearly every task. But, despite all that, she is able to communicate, invest in relationships, and socially engage. Since this infection, that part of her has weakened significantly. At this point, she is still too weak to even use her phone. Her verbal communication is minimal, and her cognitive function is often “foggy”. On top of that, she has been bed-bound since her hospitalization, and is nowhere near her physical baseline. Since the initial stroke, we have never seen mom this weak. 

So would you join us in praying for STRENGTH? 

1. Strengthening of her body. That she would be completely clear of all infection, be able to sit up, transfer to a wheelchair again, have an appetite, and feed herself…
2. Strengthening of her mind. That she would have mental clarity, social stamina, and the strength and motivation to communicate again.
3. Strengthening of her spirit. That the joy of the Lord would be her strength. And that God would be “the strength of her heart and her portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

We are so thankful for all the prayers, comments, cards, voicemails, texts, and correspondence. My dad reads them to my mom, and they are a source of great encouragement to them both. 

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

In His strength,

Liz – for the whole Key family

Mom’s current address:

Corewell Health Rehabilitation & Nursing Center – Pine Ridge

4368 Cleveland Ave
Stevensville, MI 49127

Room 106

“…patient in affliction”

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful prayer.” Romans 12:12

Mom has now been in the hospital for three whole weeks. And we have yet to hear a plan for discharge. As you can imagine, we are all facing some pretty significant discouragement. Especially mom.

Though there has been much medical and clinical improvement (for which we praise God), Mom continues to fight pneumonia. In addition to that, she remains very weak. And although we know the next step is a rehab facility, she has yet to be strong and healthy enough to take that step.

Here are some very specific ways you can be praying..

1. Pray that her chest tube could finally be removed and that the drainage from her lungs would stop!!
2. Pray for the antibiotics to do their job and kill the infection in the lungs (she has gone through round after round after round, yet infection remains). 
3. Pray for wisdom for all of us in how to best care for mom in these delicate days.
4. Pray for wisdom, provision, and God’s best timing, for an eventual transition to a rehab facility.
5. Pray for perseverance, peace, and hope for Mom. These are really hard days for her. And it’s hard to get perspective.

Thank you all for being on the journey with us.

Liz – for the whole Key family 

Steady and stable

Hello friends,

I am writing you today from my mom’s side at the hospital. I was able to spend this weekend with her. This time, my whole family joined me. This means my Dad got some grandkid time, and a much-needed break from the hospital too!

Let me see what I can do to give a little update on mom. 

In a nutshell, surgery was very invasive, but successful. She had a walled-off infection in her lung. They tried to drain it, but couldn’t. Hence, the surgery. That infection has been removed surgically. And now, with continued heavy antibiotics, and the remaining chest tube, we should begin to see this infection clear up. We are finally seeing some progress on that front.

Mom is stable and was finally moved from the ICU to a regular floor last night. She is on the road to recovery, from both a massive infection and surgery. It’s a slow road. And not a straight line. It seems like for every few steps forward, there has been a step or two back. But we believe we are moving in the right direction, steadily. With that said, she has lost a lot of strength and mobility. We anticipate she will be transferred to a medical rehab facility after discharge. But, at this point, discharge is not yet being discussed.

Thanks for continuing to pray for her FULL recovery and for perseverance. Pray also for her hemoglobin levels to stabilize. And for a clear plan for what’s next. 

Today Mom had some moments of clarity and conversation, and said out loud to God, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” It was her words of surrender to what God has allowed. She admitted that she didn’t understand what God was doing, but she was willing to surrender to it and believe He was doing something good. What a testimony. 

Sending my mom’s love to you all from her bedside. She’s so thankful for your prayers and love.

Liz – for the whole Key family

Surgery is over!

Dear friends,

Though we don’t have an extensive update, as of yet, we wanted to report that the surgery is behind us! Mom is settled in her room in the ICU and beginning to wake. The surgery went mostly as expected — which is a good thing! Due to her complicated history and medical realities, she will be very closely watched over the next 24-48 hours. Please continue to pray for her in these critical recovery hours. We will keep you posted as we have more details and clarity ourselves.

“Thank you” isn’t sufficient for the groundswell of prayers that have been lifted for my mom today. WOW! It is so evident to all of us, especially in moments like this, how much mom has touched so many lives!! We love you all!

We also wanted to say that we have seen the hand of God all over every detail of mom’s hospitalization so far. It has been really hard and confusing — yet, as we begin to see things come together, we also see that He has been ahead of us, preparing the way for each difficult step.

“The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.” Psalm 34:19

Praise God for His rescue,

Liz – for the whole Key crew

Prayers needed tomorrow

Dear friends,

The rollercoaster ride continues. Mom remains in the hospital. The situation has been very medically complex. Any lack of communication has come from a lack of clarity. We are still trying to understand it all ourselves! 

She has suffered through SO many tests and procedures over the last week, as the medical team has worked to determine the source of the problem and the safest solution. As an oversimplified summary, Mom is fighting a severe lung infection. And although the placement of the chest tube helped to drain some fluid from her lungs (and confirm infection), it has not been sufficient. We had hoped and prayed we could avoid surgery, but today we were notified that this is the only way forward.

Mom will have lung surgery tomorrow (likely from around 10-3, start to finish). As you can imagine, this is scary for all of us, considering mom’s history and current vulnerability. 

This morning I was reading in 2 Chronicles, of all places! But a verse stood out to me regarding King Asa. He had a disease that inflicted him and it says, “Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians.” (2 Chron. 16:12b). It felt like the words jumped off the page this morning. I felt convicted and reminded that our hope does not lie in any surgeon or doctor. Although we are very thankful for how God uses those professions, our hope and healing lies in God alone. May we not be like Asa and neglect asking Him for healing and help. Would you join us in doing just that for my mom?

Thank you for being our support. It means more than you know!

Liz – for the whole Key family

Update on Katy

Dear friends,

Thank you for your faithful prayers and kind notes and comments. My Dad has been reading the blog comments to my mom, as able. It is very encouraging to both of them.

We are sorry for the delay in posting an update. It has been a wild ride the last few days, full of unexpected twists and turns. We have had more questions than answers. And some pretty significant setbacks that put mom in the ICU. We praise God that, after many delays, mom was finally able to receive the chest tube to drain the fluid in her lungs last night. That procedure went smoothly and she has been moved out of the ICU back to a regular floor. We are awaiting some results from the chest tube procedure that should give us some more clarity on her situation and how to move forward. 

For now, she is stable, but remains very sick. Anna and Sarah have been by my parent’s side as much as possible through this week — despite almost constant snow storms. And today I’m driving from Illinois to Michigan to join them. The snow continues.

We remain so thankful for all of your continued prayers.

Liz – for the whole Key family