He's still after us!

Just in case by some unforeseen reason that you didn't read last week's column, I wrote about knowing the devil hadn't gotten us, cause he is still after us.

My first wife, not only the love of my life, but my main help mate is still in an Albany hospital in bad shape. She has c-diff. caused by too many and too much antibiotics doing too good a job on her pneumonia. The antibiotics didn't only kill the bad bacteria, but killed the good bacteria also.

As one of the many doctors, surgeon, physician's assistants stated, "This c-diff was a rarity several years ago. It's getting to be more and more prevalent today."

I'm not sure if they want a layman's view, but it may be they are using too many antibiotics. Sometimes the medicines that we take will/could/does cause more problems than what they are treating.

As a number of doctors have stated, you have to weigh if the treatment is worse than the problem.

They all assure us that they are doing everything they can medically to treat Betty Jo. One said that if the c-diff isn't stopped, it can eat through the colon, and that means surgery. One surgeon said that she will have to be dying to operate on her; we are standing by.

This stuff makes you deathly sick. The treatment makes you even sicker. Not to have eaten any food to speak of in almost two weeks makes you very weak. Just to look at any food makes her nauseous, not to mention diarrhea 18 to 20 times a day and then into the night.

Speaking of nights in the hospital, this is no place for those who need rest. Up here, they are doing something to you every hour on the hour, day and night.

The doctors are very attentive, and the nurses and attendants are top notch. Even with that, if you have a loved one that is sick enough to be in a hospital, if possible, a family member needs to stay with them. This is not just our local hospital, but any hospital. This is the opinion page, and that is my opinion.

Dr. Dorsey, her Albany doctor, came by to see Betty Jo. He reminds me of some of our doctors of the past who were also our friends. He set up the transfer to Albany but is not on Betty Jo's case. I hadn't seen him in years. I called him the "rear admiral." He remembered that Betty Jo's gynecologist made my appointment with him.

Tammy and Joanna have helped sit with Betty Jo in the hospitals. They are both angels if they are mine. Granny Uva seems to be holding up all right as long as I can get someone to play cards with her, have her a job at the office and chauffeur her. For a girl almost 96, she is a trooper.

I'll tell you the truth, I wasn't sure Betty Jo would make it. This is some bad, bad stuff. One doctor said her colon is like a third degree burn.

I've always said that something good comes from everything that happens. Right now, Betty Jo or I can't see what that might be except finding out that we have more people interested in her than we ever thought possible. She has no doubt that her family will take care of her the best they can.

Hospitals are no place for visitors.

I've been up here several days and nights, and about the only thing she says to me is, "I've gotta go." You know she is sick when she doesn't want to talk to anyone. I told her she has got to get well and find something else to kill her. To die from diarrhea would be embarrassing.

Sunday night late - my baby daughter, Donna, called to tell me she was in a hospital in Cherokee County and being transferred to Piedmont HeartInstitute. Her heart is giving her trouble, along with her blood pressure.

I went back to read the Book of Job. I never did understand why God allowed Satan to do what he did. Still don’t! When I think I’m having trouble, I read Job.

Looks like some of us will be heading to Atlanta if Donna doesn’t get some relief quick.

There is a lot of sickness in this community. Prayer works. When you are in need, you can feel it. Don’t know how people get along without prayer, family and friends and the love of our Lord. Keep Betty Jo and Donna in your prayers.

God is good, all the time.