Norway and Iceland cruise

Finally, we get a SEA Day. Our itinerary has been extraordinary and so fascinating with 5 straight port days so this sea day was much needed.

As we were literally pulling out of port to head towards Iceland we received a phone call from Thomas. We talked for 5 minutes before the call dropped because we were leaving the cell phone tower range.

Thomas mentioned that Karen was in the hospital with heart issues. I cried and told Karen I loved her.

The ocean waters were really rough through most of the night and into all of Saturday. I didn’t sleep well for worrying over my poor Karen.

Saturday we attended a lecture on Apollo 11. Very informative and creative. I took a good long nap while Glenn went to another lecture on the Vikings.

We had a special dinner with the officers. We had a meal with the doctor on the boat and the other officer was a 3rd engineer. I sat next to Francine. We quickly remembered we were on the 2020 Covid cruise and recounted our travels snd such. Francine was in the same hot air balloon ride with us and even played LEFT CENTER RIGHT with other friends.

The waves were very fierce most of the day. People looked like drunken sailors walking the halls.

I was able to talk to my concierge to get a courtesy phone call to the states. I couldn’t reach Karen, Thomas or Ellen. I did have a 10 min conversation with Sherrie who gave me an update on Karen. Karen’s is having breathing treatments and is doing much better.

The following went out in an email blast to church members along with the service schedule and cancellations. Thomas wrote this……….

Prayer Request for Presbytera Karen

I want to sincerely thank all of you for your prayers for Presbytera Karen, and I ask your forgiveness for not being able to share what was happening with the entire community sooner.

Earlier this week, Presbytera Karen began experiencing severe chest and back pain, along with extreme difficulty breathing. After visits to two emergency rooms, one urgent care center, and now the hospital, we have learned that she has sustained damage to both her lungs and her heart. This morning, her doctor informed us that she likely suffered a heart attack and is currently experiencing congestive heart failure. While this is serious, it also seems to point to an underlying cause.

Tonight, after meeting with both her pulmonologist and her cardiologist, we were told that the leading indication is an autoimmune disorder—most likely lupus. While lupus may not be curable, it is treatable.

I ask that you continue to pray that Presbytera Karen may find relief from her pain and be granted much-needed rest. Please also pray that her doctors will be given wisdom to diagnose and treat both the underlying condition and its effects properly. Please pray for me too. It really hurts watching her suffer.

Because Presbytera Karen needs rest and time to heal, she will not be receiving visitors at this time. We are truly grateful for the love, prayers, and support of our entire community during this difficult and challenging week.

With love in Christ,
Fr. Thomas BartzRead more