June 23, 2004

Dear praying Friends,

I am home tonight (missing doctrine class!) from church. I never miss church. Since the kids were little we had a family joke. Whenever someone asked, "Do I have to go to church tonight?" The answer was always, "Are you still breathing?" Well, our family joke has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I am just barely breathing.

Well, for at least five years I have been getting short of breath when I walk up stairs. On home assignment a couple of years ago the doctors in Austin were sure I had cardiac blockage and did a cauterization, but found no blocked arteries.

Recently, the condition has gotten worse, so I went for a check up and this is what they found. My heart is fine; my blood chemistry is great; nothing on the lung X-rays; blood sugar fine. However, I actually have two problems in trying to breathe. First, my left vocal cord has been paralyzed in the "mid position" since my thyroid surgery in 1991. This is thickening and causing the area of the larynx to be partially closed and limiting entry of air. I am to see a specialist next week. He has seen my video and my physician says he will probably recommend surgery to correct this situation. This should/could provide about 50 percent improvemnt in my breathing.

Second, my trachea and the two main bronchial tubes are flaccid or soft. When I breathe in they collapse and if I breathe in hard, as when going up stairs or lifting a suitcase or even using my voice in a classroom to teach, they close up even more. That is why I have to stop and "catch my breath" I or get dizzy.

My physcian, Dr. Nadine, was present for the procedure done by Drs. Sergio and Marcos last week. They made a video of it. Dr. Nadine says I am definitely a candidate for an academy award. She took a copy of it to a medical convention in Rio de Janeiro last week and debated my case with a specialist there. Also, a particular surgeon who specializes in trachea took a copy to an international convention on trachea surgery in Spain this week. I will be seeing him also.

They will being doing a tomogram of my lung, to see what damage, if any, this is causing there. My X-ray showed nothing. My lungs looked "great" according to Dr. Nadine and Dr. Sergio. But this flaccidity is not really good for my lungs, obviously.

They have given me no reasons why they got flaccid. As Daniel would say, Ï guess I'm just lucky!" But of course that is just an old family joke. We are Calvinists! God is in control and it is His Spirit that breathed into us human types and we became living souls! So I know God knows what is going on and I will be able to breathe as much and as long as he desires.

I asked what treatment would be appropriate and they said the most invasive would be the placing of three shunts inside the trachea. (I have no plans to do that anytime soon!) Dr. Sergio said it is still controversial. He said a more conservative approach would be to learn to manage it; whatever that means. Well, I'll find out in due time.

Finally, to make matters interesting, I developed an old fashioned case of gripe. (I felt it coming on the morning of my exam, but I went ahead.) Well, I am now past the high fever, ache-all-over stage and now in the sneezing and coughing stage. But my physician began a vigorous intervention with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and something else to help me not cough so much at night. I saw her again yesterday. I am taking care of myself.

I am grateful that we have access to fine, well-trained physicians and a wonderful world-class hospital founded by the Lutherans. God is good!

I know with General Assembly in the wings you are probably too busy to write to me. Not to worry! We are all in a battle for the life of the PC(USA). Here in Brazil, we pray that she will return to biblical and constitutional integrity.

And like the Mother Owl, I must add that we were proud of our son Daniel being able to translate for the Reverend Roberto Brasileiro, moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Brasil, when he spoke Sunday at the Brazilian congregation in Plano, Texas. We look forward to Daniel's trip to visit us! He will be leaving on July 8. What a joy to be with him again! We miss both our boys all the time, as I am sure our parents missed us during our years of service in Brazil.

How wonderful to know we will be together again, if not here, there. Oh, glory!

That's all for now.

Lottie

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 146