Todd Bentley Crusade

Rick and I went to Concord to the Todd Bentley (This is the evangelist holding the Lakeland,FL Revival.) meeting there last night with Kristin Paarsons and Alicia Kalaczuk. It was a good meeting and I was glad to hear his testimony. It brought a little more credibility to his ministry.

We has trouble getting into the arena due to all the traffic and they were telling us they were turning people away. We finally parked our car on the side of the road and walked the rest of the way.

When we got there they wouldn’t let us in. Erin was already inside and had seats saved for us. So she came and was able to get Rick and I in. They would not let Kristin and Alicia in. That was hard because Kristin had had been so good to drive us down. I felt really bad that they couldn’t get in.

Rick was prayed for several times. Once Todd B”ently laidhandsonhim and prayed for him.This was in the prayer line and wasn’t concerted prayer for Rick. There wasn’t any definite outward sign that Rick was healed.

It was 12:30 am when we left there and 2:20 before I got in bed. A very late night. Those from Columbia, SC were going to be even later.

Not much sleep

Last night Rick was great. Very responsive. Making jokes, laughing. He ate his peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the car without a problem. We went to a meeting and he interacted with the people there. We came home and ate a better supper. He went to bed without difficulty.

But he was up in about an hour. Then he was up at 1, 2, and 3 am. So I decided to give him a Xanax. I kept putting it off because I thought he would go on to sleep and stay there. But finally I decided I needed to sleep so I gave him one. He slept the rest of the night.

He woke up this morning with the alarm at 6 am. He isn’t as alert today as yesterday. He seems to be out of it. A blank stare, not responding much. I got him dressed without difficulty and he ate his breakfast well. Just no laughing and joking or actual recognition in his eyes. I’m not sure if the Xanax did that? If that is the case, I don’t want to give it to him again. Maybe I need to c\decrease it also. I can break the pill in half. It is a 1 mg tablet.

I got a note from Lynn, RN at the center today:

Hello Joyce,

Wanted to let you know Rick had a very good day! He ate 75% of his lunch and has been smiling and talkative.

Thanks,

Lynn.

Improving

Rick seemed to be better last night. He ate well. He smiled at me. He slept most of the night with getting up only once to go to the BR. He slept until almost 7 am. I had gotten up, washed my hair, gotten dressed and was drying my hair when he got up. I said “Good Morning” and he said, “Good Morning” to me. After he finished on the toilet I told him I loved him and kissed him. He kissed me back and put his arms around me.

He was very compliant through washing, getting dressed and eating breakfast. After we prayed before eating I kissed him like I usually do. He again put his arms around my neck and hugged me.

This morning when I took him to the center, he walked in without any problems. I was told that he didn’t get his beard trimmed yesterday because he wouldn’t let them.

I spoke to Lynn, RN at the center. She said she has not given him any more Xanax since that one time she had called me about. That is good! She said Rick had a very good day yesterday and is doing good today also. She said she asked him this morning, “How are you today?” He answered, “I’m here, aren’t I?” and then laughed.

I’m glad to see this improvement. Yesterday and today he only had 50mg of Zoloft. Could that be the difference? Is God healing him?

Resistant

061608

Rick has been getting very resistant to my direction lately. After coming home from the hospice home, Friday, 060608, Rick seemed to be the best he’d been in a long time. He is walking upright and more alert. He ate everything on his plate without assistance. He was like this all weekend. He ate well Saturday and Sunday.

Monday, 060908, when I got him dressed to go to the center he did fine until after I was dressed. When it was time for us to go eat breakfast, he wouldn’t sit down in the chair. I couldn’t force him down and he wouldn’t eat his breakfast. Once he grabbed my arms and wouldn’t let me move. I asked him, “Rick, why are you acting like this?” He said, “Because you!” And that is all he could get out.

When we went down the stairs to get into the car, he wouldn’t get in. He finally got one leg in but held on to the top of the car and the door to keep from sitting down. I tried closing the door some to give him the suggestion that he needed to get in but it didn’t work. After much pushing and shoving he finally got in and I shut the door. Then I got in and leaned over him to get the seatbelt. He grabbed it and wouldn’t let me hook it. Little by little I was able to pull it long enough to hook. Then he grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t get the keys in the ignition to start the car. I gave him my water bottle in place of my arm and that worked. We were able to get on the road. But every time I tried to get my bottle to get a drink he wouldn’t give it to me. Finally, when we were about 5 minutes from the center, he let me have the bottle. That was when I knew he was relaxing. He walked in to the center without a problem. I couldn’t believe it.

I got a call from Lynn, RN, at the center, mid afternoon saying he’d been restless and agitated most of the day. Wouldn’t eat lunch. She gave him a Xanax and he calmed down.

So he has been like that ever since. If I give him a Xanax he gets manageable. I really don’t understand what is happening.

I have been cutting back on the Xanax these last couple of days. He was down to 2 on Friday. Saturday he had one mid day. (We were at Fairy Stone) Sunday I can’t remember giving him one. He did pretty well. We went to Don Juan’s for lunch and he ate very well. He started getting agitated in the afternoon about 3:30. We took about a half hour walk. He was exhausted when we got back. I gave him some tea and then he lay on the couch and went to sleep. When he woke up he got up and started roaming the house. He sat beside me trying to talk to me.” I’m a dorf.” He said. I told him he wasn’t, of course. I told him I loved him. He said, “No, you don’t’.” I couldn’t’ get him to kiss me.

He finally got tired about 8:30 pm and I put him to bed. He woke up before I got to bed. I put him back in bed a couple of times before I finally crawled in about 10:30 pm.

I didn’t sleep too well. I must have had too much tea, not necessarily due to Rick being up. He was up several times. This morning he did fairly well. I did not give him a Xanax.

While I was praying last night I started thinking that maybe there could be a relationship to the increase in his Zoloft and this resistance. The first recording I have about his resistance was the end of April. We increased the Zoloft from 50mg to 75 mg the first part of April. So now I’m thinking about reducing it to the 50 mg again and maybe even going off it. (I read about the side effects of Zoloft and aggressiveness, irritability and hostility are listed.)

I tried to contact Dr. Pearce this morning but he is on vacation. I want to run it by Rich but haven’t been able to get up with him yet. I only gave Rick 50 mg this morning. We will see what happens.

Hospice Respite

We were able to use the hospice home for respite for Rick, while I went on vacation with Cheryl and Jeremy and kids to Massanutten. He was there May 30 through June 6. This was a real blessing. Bev came down and stayed there with him for the first few days. It was such a nice place it was almost like a vacation.

But since we had gone down on the amount of Dilantin he was getting, the doctor there saw his improvement and decided that Rick didn't qualify for hospice anymore. So the next week, 061208, the nurse came out for the discharge visit.

I'm glad Rick is better, just miss the wonderful services of hospice.