taking away samson's strength
I considered it a privilege to fly up for a weekend visit and have certainly enjoyed experiencing the ups and downs that are normal for Tim right now. I was then offered the opportunity to write to Tim’s fans and knew that I had to take advantage of that. This is Tim’s brother Benjy and I thank you all for your prayers, posts, and care for Tim through this process.
In Nehemiah we see where God used Nehemiah to lead the people in the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Through this process there was intense opposition from other people in the land and disunity within Jerusalem. Despite this opposition Nehemiah and people rebuilt the walls. Nehemiah overcame these threats by taking wise defensive measures, by personal example, and by his obvious courage that he had because he trusted in God’s provision and faithfully followed His instructions. Nehemiah did what God had put in his heart (2:12, 7:5) and found that the joy of the Lord was his strength (8:10). Whenever the people began to fall or question what they were doing, Nehemiah would have Ezra read to them the Law to remind them to focus on what is Truth.
Tim’s body is going through a “rebuilding” phase right now. There is a lot of opposition to this construction process, but God is using a team of “builders” to help Tim complete this project. Let me get into a few specifics from the past few days. The weather has remained very pleasant so Saturday and Sunday I walked with Tim to and from the clinic for his blood draws and checkups. Both days Tim’s blood pressure was high and heart rate low which indicates dehydration. Tim has continued to fight against the many things that are attacking his body, but his throat has gotten increasingly painful. His throat is extremely swollen and filled with sores so it is difficult to eat or drink anything; though, he somehow manages to put down the 10-12 “horse” pill that he has to take every day.
Well, at the clinic the wonderful team of nurses and doctors went to work to hydrate Tim and give him some stronger pain medication for his throat. He really was on the verge of being sent to the hospital, but you know Tim is a fighter. We all appreciated the “boost” that these fluids and medicine provided, but it really just showed how tough this dose of chemo and radiation has been on Tim’s body. While at clinic, multiple times the nurse and PA referred to the intense regiment that Tim received and how surprised they were at how hard Tim was fighting back.
We have always known the danger of Tim being exposed to any sickness or infection because, as his blood counts confirmed, his immune system is zero. This means that Tim has to monitor his temperature so he can know right away of any potential infection. Well, Sunday night about 9:30 his temperature was 100.4. He knew that this was potentially dangerous so we packed up and headed to the hospital. Tim had hoped to avoid this, but he knew that he had to go in. One nice perk about being in the hospital is that he is receiving his daily pills and fluids through IV instead of through his sore throat. The staff got him all set up and they were able to get his temperature down within a few hours. I stayed the night with Tim while my mom went back to the apartment for a much needed night of rest. Tim didn’t sleep well last night, but I think he will be able to settle down better as they figure out the best mix of meds and fluids to give Tim. We know that God has had Tim in the best places for care along the way and for the next few days the hospital will be that place. Just like Nehemiah had to take wise defensive measures, Tim has needed to make wise decision for his care and now we can continue to watch God use the team of builders to complete this project. Don’t forget, each of you is a part of this team because your encouragement plays a big part.
Right now my breakfast contains about 10 pills, and my dinner about 7 pills, and during the day I’m hooked up to a portable IV pump which keeps me hydrated. 
