update on Chris Temple

from the Temple's friend Ameilia Hendricks:

Roberta and I come to you tonight weary and burdened. We are both striving
to walk by faith and not by sight. Chris has held his own today -- no
backsliding, but no real improvements either. He has come so far from where
he was when at death's door, but he is still so far from where we want him
to be. There is still so much to praise the Almighty for -- we are thankful
for each day that God allow Chris to be with us; we praise Him for the
expertise of the doctors, nurses and others that work continuously to care
for his physical needs; we rest in the faithfulness of our God and claim the
confidence we have from Romans 8:28; we have His peace which surpasses all
understanding; we are experiencing His abundant provision; we have hope
that will not be disappointed regardless of the outcome. We continue to be
thankful for the hemofiltration working well to remove fluid, for the
absence of bleeding in spite of a low platelet count (it was 32,000 today
and he will receive more platelets this evening), for a normal heart rhythm
and rate and good blood pressure, for no evidence of infection.

Specific praises for today:
1. Chris's kidneys have put out 5 cc in 12 hours, double what they did
yesterday!
2. The doctor wants the nurses to begin weaning the breathing machine
tonight -- a sign that he believes Chris will be able to breathe on his own.

Please pray for:
1. Chris to be weaned successfully from the breathing machine, that his
oxygen and blood pH (acid level) will remain normal during and after the
weaning process, and that his respiratory muscles will be strong enough.
2. his liver. He is still jaundiced with elevated liver function tests.
Some of the medicines he is receiving (in particular, an antibiotic) are
"hard" on his liver. Pray for its continued recovery. His jaundiced
appearance is one of those particularly hard "walk by faith and not by
sight" issues.
3. his face pain. Roberta and I feel that Chris has been experiencing
unrelieved pain from the trigeminal neuralgia. We learned this evening that
they took Chris off Neurontin (the medicine for it) today because it is so
hard on the liver. Oh, if God would see fit to heal Chris completely of
this condition today!
4. his kidneys. They plan to continue the hemofiltration for several more
days. (They had talked about switching to hemodialysis today.) The
hemofiltration is more gradual and gentle to Chris's system, so I am pleased
with this decision. We are so encouraged by his output today and believe we
will see great progress in this area over the next several days.
5. his eyes.
6. Roberta's stamina. She is so strong and her faith has never wavered,
but the days, and especially the nights, are hard.

Roberta wants me to try to express her gratitude for your prayers, cards,
and other expressions of love and encouragement. There really are not words.
She is overwhelmed by the outpouring from family, friends old and new, and
those who are even strangers to her. She marvels at the unity of Christ's
body of believers. She gives God the glory!