I have been blessed many times by the writings of Henri Nouwen.  I receive e-mails from the Society continuing to circulate his writings after his death.  I have read this one several times in recent days as God has been using my medical journey of recent weeks to expose and entice me to bring my weakness into the his peace filled presence of grace and truth.

Enjoy this short post and then below I give an update on my health.

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To help you prepare for Christmas, we will be sending you weekly meditations for Advent. 
Join us in quiet times of reflection. 

Where Peace is Hidden – Third Sunday of Advent—December 11 

Keep your eyes on the prince of peace, the one who doesn't cling to his divine power; the one who refuses to turn stones into bread, jump from great heights and rule with great power; the one who says, "Blessed are the poor, the gentle, those who mourn, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness" (see Matt. 5:3-11); the one who touches the lame, the crippled, and the blind; the one who speaks words of forgiveness and encouragement; the one who dies alone, rejected and despised. Keep your eyes on him who becomes poor with the poor, weak with the weak, and who is rejected with the rejected. He is the source of all peace. 

Where is this peace to be found? The answer is clear. In weakness. First of all, in our own weakness, in those places of our hearts where we feel most broken, most insecure, most in agony, most afraid. Why there? Because there our familiar ways of controlling our world are being stripped away; there we are called to let go from doing much, thinking much, and relying on our self-sufficiency. Right there where we are weakest the peace which is not of this world is hidden. 

In Adam's name I say to you, "Claim that peace that remains unknown to so many and make it your own. Because with that peace in your heart you will have new eyes to see and new ears to hear and gradually recognize that same peace in places you would have least expected." 

Adam's Story: The Peace That Is Not Of This World, Henri J.M. Nouwen. ©The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust. First published in Weavings, March- April 1988. Also published in Seeds of Hope, ed. Robert Durback, Doubleday Religion, a division of Random House, Inc

I am continuing with physical therapy three times a week in the gym and pool at Total Rehab Services.  It has been excellent.  On the days I do not have therapy I can do a couple of hours of exercises here at home or at Gold’s Gym.  I am now in the cycle of visiting many of the doctors who saw me during my time in ICU and getting any follow-up with them that will help my doctor direct my care from this point forward.  Pandora and I have been very encouraged by the cards and notes and hope to share plans for the next steps in my recovery after the holidays. 

I deeply value your prayers and encouragement.

Roy King
www.royking.org

VersesCardsAndNotesDec2011.pdf Download this file

I have received a large stack of cards and notes from friends and family.  Thank you for each one.  

Over the past few days I have struggled some with discouragement as I sense how slowly recovery seems to be progressing.  All of my doctors, therapists and even my dear wife remind me of how much progress I have made since coming out of the hospital just over two weeks ago; and I can see that at times.  But I tend to compare myself to what I was in the past before the twenty two days in ICU, the Hospital and Health South Rehab and it feels like such a large gulf. The more I attempt "normal" things like picking up a basket of clothes, or pushing a cart through the grocery store for twenty minutes — the more I sense the losses that only the daily grace of God plus my responsibility to show up and work hard can begin to restore new life.

 I have been told that the Physical Therapy I had in the hospital and Health South Rehab simply got me walking and moving again and did not really count toward restoring strength and endurance.  I have been told to plan on six weeks of two to three hours a day of exercises before I begin to see the fruit of restored strength.  I can date the start of the six weeks from November 30 after completing two days of assessment by my therapists and actually beginning the restoration process.  I have also picked up a head cold that seems to be turning into a sinus infection which has slowed me down as well.  

So to be two weeks into a six week journey I feel like there is still such a long way to go.

So today I went back through every card and note I have received, and with the help of my Bible Software, lifted out every Scripture mentioned or printed in them.  I hope it encourages you as it has me.  (see attached)

Blessings

 Roy – Wed December 14, 2011  www.royking.org

Dr. Roy King – Intensive Care & Rehab Medical Experience
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.  What happened to Roy?
Friday, November 4, 2011, I got up a little before 5:00 a.m. to get ready for the second day of Homecoming. I took my morning medications and then, as I walked backed to the bedroom with my cup of coffee, I began to feel very strange.  (Most likely I developed an allergic reaction to the blood pressure medicine Benicar.) My tongue began swelling. Since I have an allergy to bee stings I recognized this as an allergic reaction – Finding no Benadryl on hand,   I ran out to the drugstore but it would not open until 8:00 a.m.  I knew I could not wait, so I returned home, quickly dressed and told my wife Pandora that I was going to drive to the Emergency Room at the nearby Providence Hospital Northeast.  I anticipated being treated and returning that morning to work.  

Right away, the doctors saw that my situation was serious. They immediately started me on medications but my tongue and entire gastro-intestinal tract continued to swell. My body was not responding.  I signed for treatment of being put on a ventilator if necessary. They gave me more drugs and at higher levels. But even that failed to reduce the swelling. By the time Pandora arrived at the hospital I was on the ventilator and was then moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Providence Hospital downtown location.

I woke up on Thursday, November 10, to discover that I had been on the ventilator for almost a week! While I have no memory of that time, I later learned that it took a whole group of doctors from a range of specialties to finally get the swelling inside my whole upper body to subside.

I started taking liquids and going through the process of steps to get out of Intensive Care but on Friday night, November 11, I suffered a severe setback with extreme nausea and vomiting, which did not stop until they inserted a nasogastric (NG) tube to suction my stomach. Saturday and Sunday, November 11-12, they researched my whole body for causes for the nausea and vomiting. I was conscious for most of those x-rays, CT scans, and ultra sounds. Doctors administered very aggressive drug therapy for bronchial infections and blood thinners to address blood clots and perhaps possible stroke — all resulting from being on the ventilator for so many days.  

No underlying medical cause for the vomiting could be found. In the end, they decided that I had been awakened too fast from a week of sedation.  I left the ICU on Sunday, November 13, with the NG tube keeping vomiting at bay while my systems were brought along much more slowly.  On Wednesday, November 16, I left the hospital to enter a rehab facility – from which I am writing this on November 20. 

2.  What is the “Patient Recovery Process” in rehabilitation (Rehab)?
For at least several weeks I will be taking intensive Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, and Speech Therapy. It takes all of my focus and effort. I am taking it one day at a time with my body “waking up” and seeking to rebuild physically in four main areas:  balance, strength, endurance and flexibility. I can tell you that the time invested in therapy these last few days is already producing results — that I can type this on my Netbook – feels like real progress!

3.  How can we help?  
To express your care and support until further notice, please send cards or notes to:

 Roy & Pandora King, 317 South Shields Road, Columbia, SC 29923
Please NO phone messages, text messages, e-mails, or pop-in visits.
VISITS – Please let me control the number of people we keep in the inner loop which changes daily sometimes.  Once you converse there is pressure to keep giving more information.  Please let me contact you to have a good phone or visit or if there might be a gift you could offer of driving me to rehab, or financial advice.  I have been humbled and will make some asks — have already made two in last two days that have been great  gifts.

FUTURE UPDATES:  Watch www.royking.org  or for CIU employees we will use CIUOnline for updates.

4.  How can we get update or assistance on the work you were handling?

1.     A WORK FLOW PLAN FOR CIU, COACHING, CONSULTING AND WRITING PROJECTS
For now follow these guidelines carefully to protect Morgan Jones, Alumni Associate Director.

1) Email to mjones@ciu.edu.  DO NOT COPY ME AT THIS TIME.

2) State the project or need clearly in the subject line.

3) DO NOT SEND ENCOURAGEMENT BY EMAIL. – (SEE NOTE ABOVE.)

4) In a clear summary or bullet list tell us exactly what information, problem or question you have.

5) Allow 7 to 10 working days for a working response. NOTE:  Morgan will acknowledge of your e-mail in the first 2 or so business days – acknowledging receipt and asking any clarifying information he may need.

6) Morgan will prepare a report of items received (grouped by categories and with any support documents he knows we may need).  I will need a few days to process and then will knock out several items with Morgan at one time.  NOTE: Only contact me if Morgan asks you to.  I may look at the request and know that a 2-minute call with me could complete the request and take it off Morgan’s plate.

7) This work flow plan will be updated as my therapy progresses.  I have been told that most of 2012 will be impacted in some ways because I went into this medical experience at 234 lbs and now I am at 220 lbs.  Most of the loss is muscle, which rebuilds slowly.  And what about speech and executive functions? No one knows how fast these will take to be back to normal.  All indication is that I will fully recover but no one knows the mind except the One who created it and He has just told me to take it one day at a time.  He is with me every moment.

8) OUTLOOK: The next six weeks of very intense therapy should get be close on many levels to my pre-event status.  Join us in prayer for that restoration.

—
Roy King
www.royking.org

God is on the move!

And he let me see and be a part of what he is doing at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at Barefoot Church.  You can go to www.barefootchurch.com to find out more.  Every weekend they live stream services and you can also view or download messages by our graduate, Clay Nesmith.  A church that is only six years old but averaging over 2,000 people a week being connected and touched with God’s grace and truth.  They have baptized over 300 new believers a year for the past few years!

In June I preached at the four weekend services. I preached on what is essential to finish well from Hebrews 3:12-13.   It is essential for a Christ follower to have COURAGE; to give and receive encouragement frequently; he says, “daily”.  Do you have two people you could call at 3:00 AM with any need and know they would do their best to be there for you?  I call it 3@3. 

If we do NOT have a flow of encouragement our hearts are in danger.  The Christ following journey is very powerful, and is what God has designed for us to be really alive.  But most things that are powerful are also dangerous.  And Hebrews is the “warning label” for Christ followers.

You can view the message by clicking here.