Some have wondered how the patients I’ve written about previously are doing. Unfortunately, we generally don’t hear back from them until there’s another health problem that they need treated. So, in general, we assume that if we haven’t heard from them they’re doing well! Not always a safe assumption but under the circumstances, the best one we have.
However, we have heard back from a few of them. The baby with seizures from the story “Out of the mouth of babes and suckling” is doing really well and has not had any more seizures. He remains a fat and happy baby! The parents of the child with severe abdominal pain talked about in “Three for Three” texted to say that he had surgery as soon as he arrived in Australia for a ruptured appendix and is doing fine. By this time, he and his family will be back in PNG. The older gentleman with back and leg pain also written about in “Three for Three” made it to Australia and, last we heard, is in stable condition. The missionary who cut off the tip of his thumb as told about in “Thumbs up!”was just about healed completely the last time he sent pictures (about a month ago) so he should be fully healed by now. He and his family are back in the bush beginning language and culture study in a tribe that is waiting for the Gospel. The missionary from “We’re coming in!” has also been back in the bush with his family for about 3 months now, sharing the Gospel in their village and training men to lead the church there.
From the stories in “Praise the Lord for Doctors”, the two boys with high fevers and no other symptoms recovered fully within the next week; the woman who dropped the heavy curtain rod on her toe healed fine and survived her summer of 18-hour days on her feet; the woman in the bush unable to deliver the placenta was able to deliver it soon after the missionaries’ radio call and is doing well now; the little boy who got into the ant-killing solution is alive and well without any adverse effects; the little 6 year old we treated for diarrhea was soon happy and healthy again; and the boy who fell and broke his arm is now out of his cast, pins in his arm removed, and able to use his arm again though it still has a noticeable hump that should resolve over the next year or so.
So these are all of the“story” patients that we’ve heard back from. The rest you and I are left to wander about. Thank you for being such an important part of their recovery! And thank you for your prayers for us as we continue to be channels for God’s healing work!