Wednesday Update from Debbie

Wed 9-19-07 1:30pm
From Debbie

Well the medical picture here is a bit muddy, some issues are good, which I am thankful for, and other issues are more concerning. In an effort to economize time and energy I will go system by system so all of you have a complete picture.

Heart: The output numbers are good, certainly better, for which I am thankful. He is having difficultly holding his BP stable and back on Lebofed, so that is a bit of a concern. We'll keep trying for stability there.

Lungs: We probably are not dealing with ARDS and that's great. Vent settings are low and Jerry seems "comfortable" with his breathing. The vent associated pneumonia is resolved, for which I am thankful. There is a risk of reinfection, which I am hoping will not occur. The pulmonary hemorrhage situation is not worse, for which I am thankful.

Kidney: We have had a problem keeping the dialysis going, today they have replaced and repositioned the catheter and are going to start again and I am hoping 48-72 hours from now we will see improvement. He does have some output on his own which is a good sign.

Infection: No clear signs of any current viral, bacterial or fungal infection anywhere. They will discontinue some antibiotic coverage, as the concern is resistance. This is all good and I am thankful.

GI/Nutrition: Currently, this is has moved into a "top priority" to problem solve. Nutritional status is low, as is motility. The team is strategizing on this right now. Nutrition is important in infection fighting, skin quality, as well as the obvious nutritional needs.

You can see why I say the medical picture is muddy. These complications are in the "norm" for this type of event and we are fortunate that we have not had to deal with them earlier in this journey.

Specific Prayer requests:
-Gratitude that we have come this far, and continued wisdom of the medical teams.
-Gratitude that we have all of you supporting us. It means more than you could ever know.
-Protection from further complications and positive resolution to the issues we are faced with.
-Rest. For Jerry and for me.

As for me: Thank you for your many birthday wishes. Needless to say, my birthday wish is a big one, and I still have hope that it will come true. I'm not sure if this made it to the blog last week-- When Jerry was extubated and talking, perhaps last Tuesday afternoon, he suddenly and slyly mentioned "I have bad news". To which I replied, half laughing realizing a joke was coming, "lay it on me, I've had a lot of that lately." To which he replied, "I don't think I will be able to do any shopping before your birthday!" Which of course, brought a big laugh (and a few tears) and my assurance that he had outdone himself with my birthday plans last year, so I felt comfortable skipping this year. To which he replied, "Well, there's always a belated gift and celebration", thus we struck that compromise to celebrate later.

Thank you friends and family for all you've done and continue to do for us. Continue to pray, as we need your prayer so much and know that we feel your love.

Love, Deb and Jer