Home --- Town market ---Church Tour--- Cows

Selah has not stormed since she has been home!  In fact she has now gone a full day and half without a storm BUT she is still having high heart rates and is requiring more meds than normal.  We have PRN doses we can give of Valium and clondine and they've all had to be given to keep her from storming.  However in the hospital, even with the extra meds, she'd storm.  Her heart rate is not steady, it will go from say 98 to 132 to 148 to 113 in a matter of beats.  That is not good and is unusal.  She was doing that in the hospital but no one (but me) seemed worried about it.  Her alarm went off continuously for about 2 hrs last night around 3-5 am....  Thank God we had a night nurse.  It is set on 140 as the highest range for a heart rate, so any time she went over 140, it would alarm.  140 is HIGH especially for a child!  I exercise alot and sometimes check my pulse and at my highest when I am just pushing myself, I might hit 140.... and my heart is pounding when I do.   I can't imagine how it feels to her!  Another odd thing is she slept through alot of that last night, we dont' think it was induced by dreams as she wasn't making any facial expressions or movements. 

I got a few emails/comments asking if she might be in pain, she has been given pain relievers and they haven't seemed to have an affect on her.  Thankfully she does grimace and will even tear up if something hurts her.  I'm thankful for that response as it makes it easier to tell if she hurts.  I do want ot think you all for suggesting that as sometimes it's easy to look for something BIG when it might be something smaller that is the problem!  Sometimes in the heat of things, the most common sense thing is overlooked!

Please pray that this high heart rate will resolve itself.  Things could be worse but she is not in a good place.  I noticed when I gave her a bath this morning that she has several lymph nods swollen on her neck...that certainly shows there is infection!  They were quite large, I was washing under her trach ties when I found them.  She actually seemed not to mind her bath this morning.  I always am the one who gives her her baths, I feel like that is one thing I can do for her as her mommy.  Today I even gave her a bit of a facial and a foot scrub, she is nice and clean smelling:)

Please pray for Selah!

Even with everything, I just continue praying for her healing....complete healing, I miss my girl. 




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A year ago today we started out at the local out door market.   It was only opened on Tuesdays and we were pretty sure this was our last Tuesday there.  It was only opened from early until about noon which was about the time we usually got home from our visit with the girls.  So we got up early and Steve went with me.  It was a blast! 

 

just tables everywhere

 

the people of Torez

 

 

 

 

 

housecoats galore

 

 

 

 

 

you can see some more of the Soviet era apartments in the background.  this was about 3 long blocks from our apartment

 

 

 

 

 

shoes

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the clothes I bought for the girls!

 

 

and boxers with Ukraine on them

 

a shirt for me

 

Loved this picture of a son and his daddy feeding the pigeons

 

 

 

I guess I didn't take the camera again on this day to the orphanage.  you have to remember, it was so like "Ground Hog Day"  that you kinda felt like you were taking the same pictures over and over again.  Now I know how precious every picture is.......

 

So I'm sharing  the day we went to the Russian Orthodox Church in town.  for some reason I skipped these pictures, we went right after Easter for a tour.

 

At first we were there for the "service" but all the service was, was the priest chanting and two ladies singing/chanting for an hour.  There were no seats.  I didn't know that you could walk in and out so I stood for an hour LOL  ( and made Jon and George our facilitator wait too.  George didn't know either, I don't think he'd ever gone to a service in a church. )   The three of us were the only ones there and I felt sorry for the priest, I know how it is to have a small church LOL.  Evidently not many people come for the masses.

 

Afterwards we asked if we could take pictures inside and they graciously allowed us to do so.

 

 

 

See me with my scarf on...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was very cluttered with pictures and artifacts and had linoleum floors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this narrow hallway was where we stood and the priest was behind the Jesus cut out.  Then you could exit off to the left and the ladies who were singing/chanting were off to the right, so it was T shaped.

 

so many pictures

 

 

 

 

 

The area the priest would stand in and chant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus

 

Our guide...

 

on the way back, we saw a shepherd and his cows

 

COWS!!!I missed hamburgers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See the apartments in the background?  that is where we stayed, yet there were cows and shepherds across the street

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

see the apartments?

 

Every picture is such a sweet memory to me.  Thank you all for your kind comments about enjoying my walk down memory lane.  The country of Ukraine is very dear to my heart.  I've traveled quite a bit and I've never had any place on earth pull at me like Ukraine did and still does.  The area we were in, the southeast corner, very near to Russia, is where my heart is at.  I can't explain my feeling but I love that area, love those people...so many needs.  Torez is a very poor town now.  Back during the Soviet era, it exported coal to provide for Russia.  Now the coal mines are shut down, there is little work and little money.  Drug use is rampant, alcoholism is gripping many.  We saw young men, maybe 13, 14 years old, holding vodka bottles and drinking.  The town's infrastructure is lacking, schools, hospitals, doctors, road work, is lacking.  the town doesn't even have water but certain times of the day.  But I love Torez in a way I can't explain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our dear dear George.  What a wonderful facilitator, he was so much more, such a friend.  We love him so much.   George MADE our trip/adoption the wonderful memory that it is.  We thank God for him!

 

 

 

 

 

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Please remember to pray for Selah!!!!!