Where did November go? Preparing for home leave!

October was terrific with Mike’s 10-day visit here, as well as Pastor Tom’s visit and my trip to Spain. Where has November gone? Happy Thanksgiving, by the way! During this month I have been unable to write because of illness and feeling extremely tired because of it. It turns out that I had a double-whammy of a sinus infection that started 3 weeks ago, and then pneumonia. The pneumonia was not going away, so yesterday they started me on my 3rd antibiotic – this time by IV complete with an IV port – I have had to go to the hospital twice a day as an outpatient. The doctor said it was his birthday gift to me! Yes, 52nd birthday yesterday. Thanks a lot, buddy!

Somehow, with the Lord’s power, I will get everything done before leaving December 14th for home leave/furlough. 2+ weeks is not a long time. I will be staying at Linda Bonsall’s house (number at the bottom of this email). Christmas and New Year’s will be spent in Virginia with my mom and sisters. Email address will remain the same. I will keep you informed as things progress.

So what is the purpose of my trip home?? Besides recovering my health, seeing your faces and going to doctors to get some answers regarding my thyroid nodules and thyroid condition, I believe the Lord wants me to use the time for continuing education. Please pray along with me that I am being sensible – I will need strength and energy to do this. So, health permitting I hope to not only travel to my annual audiology convention in April but also start the first course of my professional doctorate. The professional doctorate in my field is obtained by completing approximately 10 web-based, six-week courses. Yes, everything is on the web. Only until 2007 can we, as audiologists, have the opportunity to “grandfather” into this doctorate. After 2007 I would have to go to the university. In my two years here, I needed to assess whether this was a necessary step. I can now say that the caliber of the program at the hospital that we want to maintain requires me to be up-to-date with diagnostic skills and abilities to teach and pass on knowledge to others. Freshening up my skills can only help.

So, asking you to pray along with me for rapid health recovery and decisions regarding time spent over furlough.

More as things progress.