News from February 2008 Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 10:30 a.m. Since I last wrote we have had more illness in the Patchin house. Probably not a surprise to you all at this point for it seems like that is typically what I am reporting these last couple months. I am doing much better, but it was two weeks of being quite weak and unable to do much. I did make a trip to the doctor a second time, and she was very thorough with blood tests and x-rays to make sure there wasn't something more serious going on. The results were that I tested positive for type A influenza (the flu). I knew I had the flu, but the doctor assured me that it isn’t just the flu but a serious strain that more than 30,000 in the U.S. die from each year. In a weird way that made me feel better. At least I didn't feel like a big baby for not being able to get over it quicker. I did have bronchitis, and I developed thrush in my mouth and down my throat (yuck!). I still have some lingering symptoms to get over before I am completely well, but I am so thankful to be back on my feet and able to care for my family. Blake, Isabel and Micah all got colds with respiratory issues last week. They all are doing much better with that. Micah still has lingering cough and raspy breathing. Blake has been home the last two days with upset stomach and low grade fever. He has a croupy cough and sore throat. I joke about needing to fumigate our home or have "germ busters" come in and identify where the illness is coming from, but there is some seriousness behind that. Even with our extra attempts at hand washing, cleaning, air purifying system, we still are getting sick more often than anyone else I know. This leads me to wonder if this is a spiritual battle. If so please pray for God to put a hedge of protection around our family and to destroy the attempts of the enemy to bring us down. If there is something we need to learn or change, I pray that I will learn what God wants me to learn and that we would be faithful to lean on Him for strength and understanding. I also am reminded as I read about the other precious children with the same disease as Micah (MPEI) that many of them struggle with serious illness constantly. Three of those precious children have pneumonia right now and are in the hospital or on oxygen. So even with all the illness that goes through our home Micah has been protected from pneumonia and hospitalization. That is truly the hand of God, and maybe He is using illness in our family to show His power and hand on Micah. I don't need to figure out the "why", I just want to make sure we are doing our part in protecting and caring for our family. We so appreciate your concern and prayers for us and we know that God is faithful.