Hello from a night guardian

Most of you probably don't know me, so let me explain first what I'm doing on this blog!  My name is Kathryn Streeter, and I am officially David's respite care worker.  I got to know the Nematis while they were attending St. Luke's a while back, and was drawn to the family's warmth and courage.  So now I am still a seminary student by day, but whenever David is in the hospital, I become a respite care worker by night.

This time around, I have been at the hospital every other night--David's brother Sam stays there on the alternate nights when I'm not there.  It's important for someone to stay overnight whenever possible, since David has historically often had seizures in the early morning.  So the night guardian's job is to sleep on a cot in David's room, and to be ready to wake up and take action if anything happens.

Most often, what happens at night is that David's pulse and blood oxygen levels vary enough to cause the monitoring machine to start beeping.  So sometimes the nurses give him oxygen, and other times we just need to adjust his eyeshades if they are partially covering his nose.  Another common nighttime occurrence is the tendency for him to scratch his head--so sometimes the nurses have to put his hands in restraints, uncomfortable for him though they may be, in order to keep him safe.

I have witnessed exactly zero of David's seizures over the past two weeks--they seem to be happening in the daytime now!--but what I have witnessed is even more of the Nemati spirit.  David remains astoundingly positive, even with probes in his brain.  The State of California pays me to be a night guardian, but Sam cheerfully does the same thing on alternate nights for no pay.  And one morning I woke up to find Beth also in the room--she had driven to the hospital at 5 am because she was worried about David and couldn't sleep.  And at that hour, she had packed some breakfast for me, too.  I am amazed by the strength and the care of this family.

So here's your behind-the-scenes glimpse into another aspect of David's hospital experience!  And bless you all for your prayers, which keep him safe by day and by night.