If you are interested and would like to participate in our local Life Chain, it will be held in Gallatin, TN starting at 2PM (until 3:30) in the parking lot of the old Goody’s store (next to Tractor Supply). For more information, please visit LifeChain.net or email the coordinator, Robby Kirkham, or call 615-504-6082.

From our congregation directly, you can contact Sheila Anderson for more information.

If you cannot participate in the Life Chain for whatever reason, please take some time this Sunday to bow down in prayer to God and lift up your heart and voice to Him that the hearts and minds of the world will be changed!

For more information on the TN Right to Life, visit their website at http://www.tennesseerighttolife.org/.

Please continue to call or visit when you can and always keep them in your prayers.

Also, if you have any pertinent information you would like to see posted on the site, just email me at rich@rockbridgechurchofchrist.org.

Thanks!
Rich

As of this writing, Robert has been moved from the 10th floor ICU to the 9th floor at Vanderbilt, room 10. This means he’s out of critical care but is still being monitored closely (i.e. – one step down from critical care).

Please continue to keep the Lancaster’s in your prayers and I’ll continue to give you updates as I receive new information.

UPDATE 9/20: Robert came home today and, thanks to some adjustment of his medication, there was no need to shock his heart after all – it seems to have corrected itself. At this time, it sounds as if instead of him having to go to a rehab/therapy facility regularly for a while that they will come out to him at his house. This is good news for both he and Laura. As always, please keep them both in your prayers as they continue down this road of recovery.

Today consisted of getting his medication brought down to more reasonable levels and getting him up to walk around a bit – which Miss Laura said he did quite well, considering the break in his pelvic bone. She also said his heart situation from yesterday seemed to be improving, but that they still were monitoring it because the heart rhythms are still periodically not what they would like. The hope is still to move him to a rehab facility (I believe in Gallatin) as soon as they feel he is ready and they have properly addressed the situation with his heart.

Miss Laura herself seemed to be in much better spirits and hopefully both of them will rest much better tonight knowing that the day brought some positive progress.

Please continue to keep them in your prayers. They are both so thankful to everyone for the visits, calls, and prayers…keep them coming as much as you can!

Today was not a great day at all, unfortunately. While the initial injuries he experience have not worsened, it seems a problem with his heart has developed and they’ve been trying to regulate it since yesterday or even day before. Right now his heartbeat is out of rhythm and irregular and they’ve been monitoring it closely to see if it would correct itself. So far it has not and they are definitely concerned at this point. Miss Laura stated that if it will not self-correct that they may have to shock his heart in an attempt to get it corrected. Needless to say Miss Laura is quite concerned and seemed stressed when I talked with her. She is very grateful for all the prayers and asks they continue.

Also, after re-evaluating Robert’s broken hip, it appears it’s not his hip after all but his pelvic bone instead. While still not pleasant, it sounds like it means that he won’t necessarily need surgery to fix it, but therapy is definitely going to be needed. Problem is that he cannot be moved to a rehab facility until the heart situation gets resolved.

Overall, she says he doesn’t seem to be in a lot of pain, is still sore, but is resting well and sleeping well when he does rest. Please continue to lift them up in prayer as they continue there at the hospital and with all those working with them. Pray fervently that tomorrow will be a better day for them and that Robert’s heartbeat will be corrected. Please also continue to pray for Miss Laura and the stress she is enduring as she waits patiently and watches over Robert.

Well, I’m very happy to bring you what I can only describe as God-be-praised news! Robert is doing very well and seems to be recovering quite nicely. As of about an hour or two ago, he had already been moved to a room there on the ICU floor (10th floor, room 30) at Vanderbilt where he has been since yesterday. Essentially he is out of critical care and his status has been categorized as being one level down from that. Overall he is stable. According to Miss Laura, the doctors and nurses are impressed with how rapidly he seems to be making improvement and have even talked of Robert going home tomorrow if no complications or further problems come up overnight and into tomorrow morning. Although, based on what she told me, it is not a matter of fact that he will be going home tomorrow, only that the possibility is there if he continues to improve and do well. Robert has some therapy to work through between now and then so I’m sure the next 12-24 hours are going to be rough. He still has the break in his hip that will need to be cared for properly as well – but at this time they are not discussing surgery being needed to fix it.

His pain has gotten less intense and, while they have taken him off the pain medication iv, he has taken some pain pills to help continue regulating the pain as needed. Hopefully he will have a somewhat restful night as Miss Laura said he is truly exhausted – as I’m sure she is as well.

Tonight is definitely going to be a critical night for him so please continue lifting them up in prayer to God that all continues to go as well as hoped. As has been the case all along, he’s not out of the woods yet, but they are both pleased with the progress and are very thankful to God for the news in light of the severity of the accident and all the prayers going up on their behalf.

I was able to spend some time this morning/afternoon at the hospital with him, Laura and their daughter, Sara. Overall, he is stable but still very sore and they were still waiting on some test results and x-rays at the time I had to leave around 1:00/1:15. It sounds as if he does not have any internal organ damage at all -which is obviously a good thing. There was some internal bleeding but, I believe, they managed to get that under control. They have not, thankfully at this time, had to give him any blood, however. Also his blood pressure has been problematic over the course of all this — being both too high and too low at various times. I believe it still is too low for the doctors’/nurses’ satisfaction so they are working to get that to an acceptable place and keep it stable. The biggest news and of immediate concern is his broken hip. They have not yet determined if he would need surgery in order to fix the hip, but I’m sure that will be determined at some point today. According to what we were told, much of it will be based on whether the hip remains in place where it is or slips out of place. If it slips out, surgery is a definite.

Based on my time with him I can tell you he was in good spirits, sitting up and very alert. I believe they’ve managed to help regulate his pain to some degree, but it’s touch and go on that front from what I could tell as that has always been a hard thing for him.

Miss Laura is also in fairly good spirits; concerned, but hanging in there all things considered. While I was there, several of us who were there went and had a bite to eat with her to help get her strength up (she stayed there all night and didn’t sleep much, as expected). I think having those around her that she trusts and loves has a calming effect on her nerves. She did manage to smile and laugh a bit knowing that Robert was stabilized and in very good hands at Vanderbilt. She has been quite complementary of the staff there – especially in the ICU where Robert has been.

I know that the many prayers lifted up to the Father that everyone has offered on their behalf has been the biggest help. Please keep praying for Robert as he certainly isn’t out of the woods yet, but we pray for a positive end and speedy recovery. I will continue to post information as I can and as I find out more. If anyone hears more between now and the next email, please feel free to let me know and I will be sure to share it! And again, as before, if you know of anyone missed on this email list, please pass it along to them any way you can! The prayers of God’s righteous people avails much!

Some of you may already be aware of the accident Robert suffered this (Monday) evening sometime between 7PM and 8PM. It is my current understanding that at that time he was working on rolling some hay and toward the end of the job was pinched in the gate mechanism of the roller. He was taken to Sumner Regional Hospital where it was determined he has a broken, or at least fractured, pelvic bone. The folks at Sumner determined his injuries to be severe enough as to recommend sending him to Vanderbilt hospital, where he is currently at – as of this writing – in ICU. It sounds as if he has suffered some internal injuries, the extent of which are not yet known, but likely will be within the next few hours and certainly by morning. He was in a lot of pain from the injuries and has been given the proper medication to help regulate that for him as they try to determine the exact nature of Robert’s situation.

The Lancasters are dear Christians, friends and family to us all in some way. They are rock solid in their love of God and Christ and doing what is right in the eyes of the Father. My admiration for them is so deep and so I ask you to join me in lifting them up in prayer that all may go well, that Robert will be strengthened and healed and recover quickly, and that Laura will be strengthened and comforted as well. Again, as of this writing, the extent of his injuries are not fully known, so I cannot speak about his situation more than that, but let us pray fervently for them both. This past year or so has been a difficult one for them with Robert’s stroke and his continued recovery from that not to mention other pains that he often experiences as a result of the body aging as it does for us all. Overall he is a strong man both physically and in spirit and I know that he is in the best possible hands — that of God Almighty.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
2 Samuel 22:32-34