Carol Poston Update, Day 9, AWAKE

Day 9.  The Doctors said "prepare for long term coma. After a person has been in coma this long, she will not come out."
^{Chronicles 16:3Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"}
This morning Carol awoke from her coma!!!  One eye is open and Carol was looking me in the eye very alert and just squeezing my hand (and her brother Martin's hand) as she looked.  Carol can respond to questions: Are you hot?  (she nodded) and she can move her toes and feet.
I have never cried so hard or violently as my sorrow was cast off.
Yesterday Martin's flight to England was canceled b/c of snow in London. God wanted Martin to share this joy!
Yesterday I preached from Luke 15, the Prodigal Son.  My wife was lost and now she is found.  My wife was dead and now SHE IS ALIVE. Thank you Lord Jesus!!  Thank you all for praying.  Celebrating with tears and much joy, Pastor Craig

 

Carol Poston update, Sunday night, Feb 5

(Sunday eve, Day 8 of coma) Went to the hospital this morning at 6:30am. Could only fall upon my beautiful wife of 21 years and sob. The doctor came in and discussed long term coma situations that need my attention (such as tracheotomy) and the Dr was preparing to take Carol into surgery to drain more infection in her lung. 
My heart breaks to see Carol in a coma and it is like a knife in the gut to know that my precious Carol is also continuing to go through these invasive surgeries. This Scripture has sustained me today: ^{Ps 34:18} The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Rushed back to pick up my daughters and off to church. I broke down while praying with my worship team and felt totally worn out just before service started, but everyone was so caring that it strengthened me.
 
During our prayer time, I gave a brief report of how things had come to happen with Carol but broke down again while remembering that exactly that time the previous Sunday I was in ER with Carol and a few hours later Carol had stopped breathing and went into the coma.  But, I finally made it through that report.
 
Then, as I was preaching through Luke 15 my cell phone rings during my sermon and it is the Dr who needed my consent to do another procedure on Carol.  Absolute torment.  And the Dr. asked consent to do a tracheotomy today. I absolutely refused and was sick to my stomach with the direction things continue to go for my sweet wife.
 Our church family was praying while I was on the phone and I was able to somehow regroup and continue my sermon. I really needed to continue my ministry of preaching to distract me from the emotional toll of Carol's pain and to focus on the Lord and to serve the church family.  Only broke down once during the sermon.
Thank you to my sweet congregation for your patience and support. 
This afternoon I was able to have a precious time sitting on the bed with my girls and we talked about Momma, answered their questions, prayed together.  They wanted to know if Momma was going to die and if we would have to move. I let them know that we are a family and that God is good and we can trust Him with Momma whatever happens.
Tonight, Dr. just rang again for my consent for something else they need to evaluate with Carol.  My poor darling wife.  The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, Pastor Craig
 
 
 

Carol Poston update, Sat eve, Feb 4

(Saturday eve, Day 7 of Coma).  It is challenging to stay uplifted today after seeing Carol this morning in same state and Dr's call this afternoon saying they went ahead and did a spinal MRI just to try to find something to explain why Carol will not wake up. But nothing is revealed.  Another lung infection hit Carol today.
Unfortunately, every day forward minimizes expectation of Carol waking up.
God's will is being done and if God chooses to wake Carol up tonight, to God be the glory.  If not, to God be the glory.
 
At our sweet church prayer time last night we had about 50 gather and it was wonderful. Someone mentioned our church prayer theme I set this year is GLORIFYING GOD. 
Another mentioned that our Filipino daughters' hearts must be heavy to consider having lost their first mother and now their second is in hospital.  This is very hard and emotional on all the girls.
Our needs for meals and other things are being sweetly met. Thank you. This week we are taken care of.
May the Lord strengthen me and awaken my lovely Carol.  With heavy heart, Pastor Craig

Carol Poston update, Friday eve, Feb 3

Friday eve, just came from the ICU and there is no change in Carol, sadly.  The head of neurology told us that the MRI and MRV reveal dead brain cells in the part of the brain that wakes a person up. 
So, we continue to plead for mercy from Carol's God and Father for complete restoration.  I thank Jesus for the spiritual strength (grace) to continue to trust Him in all of this and to be with my daughters.
 
ICU visitation is restricted to immediate family. So, no visitors to Carol please. Pray for Carol from where you are throughout the world. Our God is Spirit, is everywhere and He hears you.
 
Psalm 34 ministered to Carol's brother Martin and to me today. Those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
We desperately want and need Carol restored to us and I miss Carol passionately, but God is good and we will lack nothing that is good for us, as God sees best in His Sovereign timing.  With aching heart, Pastor Craig
 

Carol update, Thurs eve, Feb 2

Hi Everyone, thank you for your prayers and fasting. We continue to seek God to do a mighty work to restore Carol.
As of today, Carol continues in her coma.
Carol's ICU Dr. said he had hoped for change today.  The Doctors do not understand why Carol's brain will not respond. The MRI which assesses brain tissue did not reveal much to explain her state. They scheduled Carol tonight for an MRV (assesses brain vessels) to see if there are blot clots.  The Strep Pneumonia bacteria hits hard and quickly and flooded Carol's body Sunday morning and by the time we arrived at ER about 9:30am Sunday, meningitis hit her.  The bacteria infected Carol's brain so quickly it is staggering.
 
Carol's lung and kidneys, etc that were badly affected by the bacteria but are now clearing up.  Just waiting on Carol's brain to be restored.
It is good to stand by Carol's side, pray for her and let her know I am committed to her regardless of what happens.  I thank her for being my wife and I thank God for the sweet blessing of being Carol's husband.  God will do what is good for Carol, for me, for our girls.  I trust Jesus with Carol.
 
^{Ps 84:11}
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
 
Our church family has responded so immediately and overwhelmingly with help and love and meals, that I am greatly encouraged and assisted. We have received prayers from Turkey, Bermuda, Australia, England, Canada and all across America. Thank you. 
God have mercy on my Carol, Pastor Craig

Carol update, Wed eve, Feb 1, Craig

I continue to be overwhelmed by all of your love, care,  meals, offers for help, prayers.  Thank you.  In answer to  your prayers, God has not for one second made my heart waver from Him. I committed Carol into His care Sunday night when she stopped breathing and continue strong in trusting Carol into the loving hands of her Heavenly Father.  May the Lord give me His grace to continue faithful to Jesus.
 
It is so good to have Martin, Carol's younger brother here with me. He has a strong faith in Jesus and is an elder in his church, as well as a medical Dr. 
It was heartbreaking to both fall upon Carol's bed and weep for her today, but one of my precious memories will always be Martin holding one of Carol's hands and me other other hand and taking turns praying over Carol.
Carol continues in the coma and the Intensive Care doctors still cannot say what will happen next with her or in what timing. So, we entrust Carol to the Lord continually.
As terrible and tearful as it is to see Carol in her state, in the ICU, breathing from tubes down her throat, I treasured standing by her side, holding Carol's hand and kissing her forehead and telling her how special she is to me.
I do not yet have emotional energy to read Scripture to Carol but still can only cry to the Lord, Please Have Mercy!
Those are the only words I can find to say to God.  But I trust Him. God will be glorified through this whole horrible tragedy.
 
Learning to run our home as a single parent. It is challenging. I got home from the hospital and the girls are clinging to me. No personal time possible. Then to keep their routine we went to Awana children's program at our church.  At home last night and tonight, they are acting out their pain for their mother in individual ways.  Pray for me to be patient and loving please and to hold each girl closely during this season.
Praying for my beautiful wife to come out of her coma, Pastor Craig

Carol update Wed Eve, Feb 1, Carol's brother Martin

Hello Everyone,
 
This is Carol's younger brother, Martin. I arrived in Temecula from the UK last night and it is just good to be here. For those of you who don't know, I am a doctor and so when Craig and I went to visit Carol this morning I was fully of questions, wanting to understand Carol's situation as best as I could. She continues to receive excellent medical care, and is well looked after. The big issue remains that she is in a deep coma despite being on no sedation, and this is little changed. The ventilator continues to assist her breathing, although she does have the drive to breathe for herself, and she does respond a little to pain, but not much more. She is on the right treatment and we can only hope and pray that she will start to wake up. We don't know if this will change from day to day, or if it will take much longer.
 
Other than this I was encouraged to see that the rest of her body is fighting the infection well - her lungs are coping ok despite the pneumonia, her heart and kidneys are doing fine and her fever has settled. If she were awake, she would be able to come off the ventilator without a problem. The doctors were planning to drain some fluid from the outside of the lung where she has the pneumonia, but this is not a major thing for them to do.
 
Having to look after his 5 beautiful daughter's brings a need for normal routine to life at home, and this is important both for the girls and for Craig, and is only possible with the huge response of the loving friends and family that surround Carol and Craig. The church are living out the Gospel in this place and it is humbling to bear witness to this.
 
With best wishes, continued prayers and tears, Martin