Prayers

I am in several minds about continuing this blog but there has been one good reason for it and that is asking for prayers. I am glad to see that Birdie no longer needs to post about her cancer treatments (although we still continue to pray) but now has time to post funny comments which are generally lost on me due to our differing cultural backgrounds.

My major concern now is a good friend of my sister.  Bruce was best man at her wedding and is now 80 years old. He had many weeks of sinus headaches requiring hospitalisation but about 2 weeks ago we learned he was back in hospital as the sinus fungus had progressed to his eyes and he was blind. That was bad enough but it has now attacked his brain and he needs a 24 hour nurse. When my sister and her close friend (her bridesmaid all those years ago) visited yesterday he was hallucinating, and wearing mittens to prevent his hands doing damage and he now has a blood clot on the lung. They were able to calm him a little by holding his hands but both left in tears, He only has one older brother, Malcolm,  neither married.

There is no point in praying for recovery but rather a quick and peaceful end to his suffering.  Prayers for Malcolm and for Bruce's friends.

Another friend of mine had a much happier end a few weeks ago. Bill led our Monday walking group and although 86 years old was much fitter than me at least until the last year.  He regularly avoided Dunedin winters by returning to Scotland where he was born for 5 to 6 months of the year.  He and his partner were in Malaga, Spain and had walked around the city in the morning. He then swam 4 lengths of the hotel pool, went to have a shower and collapsed and died.  Prayers for his partner and his family back here in NZ but thanks for such a good death.

Finally please pray again for my sister who is to have a 2nd thyroid operation next Friday. Her first was in 2002 and I remember her being quite ill afterwards and staying in hospital. Now it is day surgery but still worrying at age 78.