Prayer Requests for Joey: A Call For Intercessors

Daniel finally had his counts high enough today for us to get started on the long, final phase of his Chemo treatment (Lord willing!)  Phase 5 or "Maintenance".  This is planned to take us to mid-April of 2015 with monthly (instead of weekly) clinic visits.  Still a very long road ahead, but it's very nice to be past the most intensive parts of the therapy barring a (God forbid) relapse or other set-back of any type.

As Daniel came out of the anesthesia from the spinal tap procedure and we prepared to leave, we discussed stopping over at the Simon Tower to see if we could possibly get in to see the Kellers before leaving.  I was kind of skeptical that we'd be able to get into the ICU at all since we aren't family and hadn't even contacted them about it ahead of time.  But it was worth a shot.  Something I've learned about hospitals in general is, it's usually best to just pretend like you know what you're doing and are supposed to be there - don't ask if it's OK, just tell them what you've come to do. :)  Well, despite a few "looks", I basically walked right in - got a nurse to show me to their room, got suited up (gown, mask, gloves, etc. - we know this drill already) and walked into a room FILLED with people.

The first thing I noticed (other than the unexpectedly large number of people in the room) was that Joey noticed me and looked right at me. I gave him a big smile and said, "hello!" and then moved over to where Nick and Elizabeth were conferring with someone.  We spoke for a few moments but then decided to move out of the room to a small conference room across the hall.  This gave me a chance to let Andrea in but Daniel had to wait outside the ward in the waiting room.  However, between his "healies" (shoes with wheels) and the wheel chair I'd gotten for him, he found plenty to keep himself occupied.

We talked with Nick and Eliz for quite awhile - I'm thinking it was about 45 minutes or more - I was SO happy to have the opportunity to really hear from them what was happening and to relay to them what everyone was doing with the prayer vigils.  They were really encouraged to hear about the round-the-clock coverage and emphasized that, by far, prayer is the most coveted gift they needed right now.  Believe me, I know the feeling exactly!!  It's difficult to put into words just how precious is the knowledge that others are praying for you when you're in such a dark and helpless place as they've been in for the last 5 days or so.

As I write this, Nick has just put out another post which also helps to tell the story that he's titled "Mixed Bag".  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeykeller

It's increasingly apparent from his writing just how tired he really is - so obviously that's a huge prayer request by itself.  Elizabeth is not far behind though I think she shows it less ... she is a rock! :)

As we all began to talk, Nick unfolded the past 48hrs or so of events, discussions, conundrums, differing ideas between doctors as to the causes (and possible solutions), and the unimaginable saga they've been living through for nearly a week of watching, literally, every breath their precious son takes ... or doesn't.  Praying for hours at a time, coaching him like a prize fighter to initiate every breath when they put him through their daily "breathing tests" and searching fervently for any sign of improvement, hope, and the spark "Joey" still inside the mass of tubes, wires, monitors, and all the nightmare that is a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

I won't take the space to go through all the different conversations and test results and opinions and options here, but I think I can summarize the whole thing into two vitally important points:

1. The medical staff doesn't have a clue as to what's going on.  Those who know me at all aren't surprised to hear me say that anyway - but in this case, it's literally true.  Nobody really has any idea what caused these episodes or how to fix it (medically).  The ideas being offered, as Nick has communicated a couple times now) are as different and varied as night and day.  And for something this big, that is nothing short of astounding.  To date, as best I understand it, no test result has shown ANYTHING that could be causing this.  And consequently, no clear path forward is available either.

2. What I'm about to write is MY opinion, but based on what I heard and saw today - in my opinion, the medical staff working Joey's case is, itself, a big problem.  Many of the ICU doctors are not cancer doctors and quite simply don't even understand Joey's background, his case history, much less the nature of what is happening now.  But they seem very quick to offer their opinions to Nick and Elizabeth about their need to prepare for the worst.  As Nick's latest CaringBridge entry highlighted, they seem to be in a hurry for some reason to bring about a resolution - which to them looks very dark - and seem to even be setting deadlines for Joey's recovery.  Admittedly, I have only bits and pieces of information and likely have some of this wrong, but I can tell you - and this is the main point - there appears to be a very important, very dark, and very powerful spiritual dimension to what is going on here.  It is weighing heavily on all 3 of the Kellers, and could (and I emphasize "could") be just as important, if not more so, a part of the problem as any of the physical problems (which, again, have yet to be identified).

What follows is really targeted for those readers who have some experience or at least knowledge of what the Bible calls "spiritual warfare" (yes, I'm talking Eph 6 "principalities, ... powers, ... rulers of the darkness of this age, ... spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.").  So if that's not your bag, this may be a good stopping point.  Thank you so VERY much for your continued thoughts and prayers for the Kellers. Please keep up the great work!!

Blessings,

- Tim -

For the Intercessors & Prayer Warriors 
(And those willing to learn!)

For the "initiated", I'll pass on a bit more info that Nick and Elizabeth shared from a non-medical perspective.  First, it's easy to get angry at what I heard some of the doctors have been doing, saying, implying, and worst of all, saying right in front of Joey.  They described more than one occasion when these statements about "end of life" had a visible effect on Joey as well as on his breathing.  Personally, if it were my son, I'd probably have these doctors removed from the room and from the case.  As far as I'm concerned, that's not just a lack of courtesy and even decency, it's actually malpractice.  But OK, I'm not gonna get started on that.  I don't even want to focus on that because I think this has Eph 6:12 written all over it ... "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD..." but against all those bad guys I mentioned earlier.  That applies to Joey's physical body as well as to the doctors.  I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I believe something much bigger is in play here.  Nick and Elizabeth didn't come right out and state this, so recognize you're hearing MY assessment here and any disagreement / criticism can be leveled at me. But they DID describe enough details and specific examples for me to come away pretty certain that there is, at the very least, a strong spiritual dimension to this that requires direct intercession and FASTING (but I'll come back to that part.)

Nick and Eliz described frequently feeling a darkness, heaviness, a sense of "depression" and "giving up" atmosphere within the room and sometimes specifically associated with certain of the doctors.  They described some of the conversations I described earlier being held in front of Joey (which the Kellers are now trying very hard to enforce that they happen OUTSIDE the room).  Nick physically illustrated to me Joey curling up into a ball, and used the word "withering" when a particular doctor began talking about "pulling the plug" or designing "end of life" care.  He stated that there are certain doctors that, when they just come into the room, Joey has a reaction - sometimes with physical movement, sometimes setting off the respirator alarm because he suddenly has trouble breathing - but it's associated with specific people.  Conversely, he described how, a day or two ago, they played praise music and remained in prayer for 4hrs straight, uninterrupted and Joey didn't have a single alarm the entire 4hrs ... and he was asleep at that!  i.e. It's easier for him to breathe consistently when he's awake and people are encouraging him & coaching him. To go 4hrs asleep, with no alarms, is a really positive thing.  And it happened while there was worship music and prayer going on for him.

So again, not focusing on the doctors or any other "flesh and blood" - I have enough experience in this realm to be convinced that it is well worth our while to be focusing on the spiritual side of this battle.  Those who have followed Joey's story for any length of time know what an extraordinary little boy his is.  God CLEARLY has a special call on his life and I have no doubt that the enemy knows good and well that this is a threat that he wants "taken out"!  The darkness, depression, heaviness, talk of death, and mysterious illnesses with no medical explanations are ALL the enemy's calling cards.  And the fact that things improve ... dramatically ... when an atmosphere of praise and worship fills the room is also a powerful indicator of what's happening here.

Nick and Elizabeth, having these kinds of thoughts as well, are trying desperately to fight this battle on their own ... providing their own round-the-clock prayer coverage and intercession on their son's behalf.  Clearly, that's not humanly possible and they're running on fumes as it is.  Those of you who expressed to me that you'd been feeling a similar burden to mine about doing round-the-clock "organized" prayer over the past few days should be recognizing that God has been calling us together to battle this along side Joey's parents ... to "hold up their arms" if you're familiar with that story from Moses' life (Ex 17).

So those of you who understand the concept of "Intercessory Prayer", and know how to use the authority given to believers in the name of Jesus Christ, need to be focusing your prayers in this regard ... coming against and tearing down the schemes and strongholds of the enemy, setting up perimeters of protection, and binding / casting out foul spirits wherever they may be attempting to affect the Kellers, the medical staff, or even the equipment & facilities of the room and ward where Joey is.  Let the Holy Spirit guide your prayers, and if you're familiar what I mean when I say "let the Holy Spirit pray through you", then get on that too! :-)

My last point here is something I believe the Lord led me to specifically this evening during my own prayer time.  I don't yet know exactly how this will play out, but He is also calling apart a certain delegation of "fasters" to add some extra firepower to this battle.  If you're familiar with fasting and you feel God's touch on your shoulder to participate in that, please do so as soon as you're directed.  I think God will be touching a lot of "shoulders" in that regard in the near future. I just need to figure out a way to kinda pull that effort together as well (pray for me too! haha).

Thank you for your steadfastness, your self-sacrifice, and for all the interceding you're about to do on behalf of Joey and the Kellers.  I don't know exactly what's in store for us in the next few days, but I do believe that God is moving in His people and will be bringing this battle to a climax soon.  Keep your spiritual "ears" open to how He leads, and I'll try to figure out a kind of "forum" for the "prayer warriors" / intercessors to keep in better touch with in the very near future.

Grace and Peace to all,

- Tim -