Ok, I have a few prayer requests, please.
First, Casey Godfrey. Many of you may have heard this already because there something on Myspace. (I have copied and pasted this from a website updated by his sister-in-law). http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewHome.do
Casey went into the hospital on Wednesday December 26th because he had a bad headache and he said he felt like his arms and legs were "falling asleep." After several tests were run, the doctors believe that Casey has what is called Guillain-Barre (ge-YAN ba-RAY) Syndrome. The cause of the syndrome is not known. It comes on after having a cold or the flu (some type of infection) or after having surgery. GBS is a rare nervous system disorder in which the body's immune system attacks attacks it's own tissues as if they were foreign substances. (The immune system is designed to attack things in your body that aren't supposed to be there). It causes muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, and numbness or tingling of arms, legs, face or any other part of the body. This is what Casey was experiencing when he said he felt like his body was "falling asleep." Basically, the numbness moved up his body. As it did, it caused his breathing to become short and very difficult. He was put on a respirator and a feeding tube as a result.
There is no cure for GBS. However, it can be treated, and most patients have a full recovery. Because Casey came to the hospital when he did and began treatments right away, doctors are expecting him to recover almost completely. They said he may have some residual muscle weakness, even after he is well. Once he leaves the hospital, he will have to stay in a rehab facility. He will have to learn how to walk and use his muscles again. The recovery process can take anywhere from several weeks to several months. The doctors say Casey needs to stay positive and not lose hope. His positive mentality can speed up the recovery process. I know it is difficult for him to stay positive, especially right now, but we keep trying to encourage him.
Casey is going to get better, it will just take awhile. We are asking that you please keep Casey and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Pray for them to have the strength to stay positive and for a speedy recovery. Thank you so much.
Now, on a more selfish note. Our company is a vendor in hospitals. So, we work under a contract. We are also paid on a commission basis. Many times things are our of our control because of this situation. We found out as a company yesterday, that the hospitals are limiting the accounts we can work. This will probably impact our income as a company by at least 50%. Of course, an impact like this will impact many people's employment as well. Our owner and president have a meeting with the head of the hospital corporation next week, so any prayers are helpful regarding this manner.