… On Friday Zach was admitted to the hospital because his platelet count was dropping, and fast. From Wednesday to Friday the count went from 114,000 to 93,000 and he was a very sick young man. On Saturday it had dropped to 76,000 and today they dropped again to 54,000. His fever keeps spiking up to 103 to 104 during the night. He is feeling so much better today tho’, and that is WONDERFUL even if the numbers aren’t going the way we had hoped. Katelyn Dye, our nurse at IGo told me that the juice of papaya leaves supposedly helps boost the platelets, so after some research online, and since we have several papaya trees in our yard, we decided to try it! It yielded some VERY potent juice and Gaylord and Zach both drank several tablespoons of the horrible smelling stuff. Gaylord tho’t it tasted like burnt rubber, and Zach tho’t it much worse than even that 🙂 Now we wait and pray and hope that tomorrow will bring good news! Zach’s appetite came back suddenly today, and he happily ate some chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy that his friend, Austin, picked up at KFC.
Zach is in a room just down the hall from the one Gaylord was in a little over a week ago. The nurses were happy to see us back – more so than I was to be back, but I can’t say enough about their kindness and the excellent care they’ve given us!
Austin has been a wonderful help to us… he’s stayed with Zach every night so i can go home and take care of Gaylord and things at home. Here they are – tonite as we were leaving to come home
Tomorrow is a big day – we HAVE to make a border run to renew our visas. Gaylord is still so weak and dizzy at times that I’m concerned that the trip will be too tiring for him. It’s a 4 hr drive to the border and then back. Please pray that God will give him strength for the day tomorrow and for protection as we travel. Austin will be spending the day with Zach so we can go.
Tho’ we are weary physically and emotionally, we keep trusting God for His purpose to be accomplished in all this…. HE IS GOOD!
Thank you for your faithful prayers! ~ Celesta
The Barkman Family's Journey 
Great post. Safe travels!
Sent from my iPad Loren Miller, DPM
Praying for you all! you guys are troopers. Hope the border run goes great!
Praying for you! I agree with the above comment about being great troopers through all of this. God is your strength, He will go before you. Praying that your border run will be successful!
Praying for a speedy recovery for Zach as well as continued for Gaylord…. Keep looking up!