Phil,

I just saw this message, and I'm praying right now for Carol and Mike.

I do also believe that she will make it through this with God's help and
with our prayers.

I pray for a complete healing on her body right now.

Please let her know that I'm praying for her and always will be. The love
and prayers never stop.

Love and Blessings,
Pat Ferguson
At 07:31 PM 10/11/04, you wrote:
>We need to be really praying for Carol right now.  I talked to her this
>morning and she is not well at all.  Some of the problem may be due to the
>medications she is on.  One of the medications is used with people who have
>seizures but that same drug is also used for people who have chronic back
>pain.  It deadens the nerve endings to assist them in coping with the
>chronic pain.  Carol is taking it for her back pain.  Well, this drug is
>taken in rather large doses each day and you have to build up to the high
>level over a period of months.  This is also true when coming off of it.
>About half way through this treatment, Carol was sounding and feeling the
>best since I've known her.  I was hoping they would stop there but they
>cranked her all the way up to the highest levels.  She began getting colds
>and illnesses that would hang on for weeks at a time.  She no sooner would
>get rid of one but another one would begin.  She isn't resting well, has
>very little strength to do anything, and no energy.  At times, she even has
>problems forming words.  She has seen her doctors and requested she come off
>all medications because she no longer wants to be on anything.  She is
>starting with the drug for her back that requires such a high dosage each
>day.  The doctor told her to go ahead and back the medicine down little by
>little just like she did when starting it and to keep him informed.  I am
>very concerned about Carol and have been for many months.  The situation she
>is in right now is serious.  If she lived in the states, she would likely be
>admitted to the hospital for observation and to monitor what the drugs were
>doing.  I do get emails from her but not on a regular bases because she
>simply cannot concentrate long enough to type a long message and when she
>forces herself, she is very tired afterward.  She probably would not like me
>telling you this much but if you knew as much as I do about Carol's life and
>how the Lord has brought some tremendous emotional healing to her life in
>the past year and a half, you would understand how serious this prayer
>request is.  Carol could easily die from this situation and she told me in
>her last email that she has prayed and asked the Lord to take her home.  Not
>because she is suicidal but because she is so weary of being ill and weak
>and unable to function even half a life.  I am asking each of you to please
>pray for life and not death.  Her husband, Mike, is also having some
>difficulties at work that isn't helping either one of them.  I personally
>believe, and have told Carol this more than once, that her physical healing
>is the will of God for her life.  This is not a guess on my part; it is what
>I truly believe.  It is not, I repeat, it is not God's will for her to die
>at this time.  Yet, suffering physically is no picnic for anyone.  I believe
>she will improve as the medications are removed slowly so pray for strength
>of will and strength of mind for Carol and Mike both right now.
>
>Phil.