Wednesday, April 30, 2008

CT & IR results

Thank you for your prayers!!!

Ron went down around 12:45 for CT scan and Interventional Radiology and has been back for about an hour! Things went well, the pocket of fluid in his lower left quadrant is virtually gone and the upper left quadrant has reduced to about half it's size. They did not find any active leaks but since there was some contrast fluid in his belly, it's obvious there must be a small tear somewhere. However, they do not need to do anything other than keep the two drainage tubes in place which will help dry things out and allow any tears to heal!

They have temporarily discontinued his clear liquids (back to just ice chips), and have returned his g-tube to gravity drain. They have also given him a low dose diuretic to get a little fluid off (his legs look like tree trunks!) but will watch carefully to make sure it doesn't drain off too much too quickly.

About thirty minutes after returning, both PT & OT arrived. They had him stand at the sink to brush his teeth and comb his hair then he walked TWO TIMES around the nurse's station without stopping! Amazing!

Wound vac change still to come; pray it will be as painless as possible! So thankful the wound care specialist is a sweet, young Christian woman who always has funny and interesting things to talk about while she's torturing Ron. Helps keep him distracted from the pain!

Again, thanks for your prayers!

"Not one of all the LORD's good promises failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 21:45"

If it's not one thing....it's another!

Around midnight, when they came to give Ron contrast through his G-tube he noticed that his lower drainage tube immediately filled up and when it was full, it caused tremendous pain in his wound site. First time this has happened! Throughout the night his drain tubes have been putting out alot more than previous days and his wound vac has also filled. The drainage has also changed colors which is not a good thing. He's already scheduled for CT sometime today and I'm sure they will take him directly to Interventional Radiology.

From our limited medical experience, we would guess he has a leak somewhere in his intestines. VERY DISCOURAGING!!! I know they can handle this through IR but....one step forward, two back! We were really thinking he would be getting tubes out today, not having to manipulate and possibly add more!

On a brighter note, Ron walked around the nurses station twice yesterday (about 150 feet each time) and sat up in a chair for 2 hours yesterday morning! He continued with clear fluids all day (really enjoyed that cup of coffee!!) but that stopped at midnight in preparation for CT.

Please pray, friends; for definitive answers and against discouragement! I'll keep you posted as the day progresses (having internet issues again so may be sporadic).

Love, Christie

PS: Dr. Shires just in...CT probably won't be 'til @3. He's not that concerned, even though he said they usually see this 5 days out, but he's an alien so of course he develops what is probably a fistula (leak) 12 days out! He doesn't feel it's at the resection site since last CT showed it looked healthy but it could possibly be a leak around a stitch.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Good stuff!

Computer and network are both up and running beautifully! Thank you, Lord!

After a rough start this morning with wound vac change first thing (always very painful); it ended up being a pretty good day!

When Dr. Shires came in (for his second time) at noon today he decided to try clamping off Ron's g-tube again which causes the stomach juices to make their way through the digestive system. This had been done a couple of times last week but each time he ended up getting sick. Today was much better so Dr. Shires decided to slowly let him try some clear liquids!!! WOO HOO!!!!! He hasn't been able to swallow anything except ice chips (ok, Maalox, too) since October! It was great! He had such a huge smile on his face after drinking a few sips of apple juice! Throughout the day he has also had a couple of bites of jello, a few sips of iced tea, broth and an orange (sherbet?) frozen kind of thing. What a miracle!

Dr. Shires also told us that when they did the CT scan Saturday, they were able to see the dye/contrast had worked it's way through his intestines, past the site where they were rejoined and all the way through his colon; just like it's supposed to! Great News!

It was very timely that Dr. Elieson (Ron's original surgeon from HEB) had called to get an update and was actually able to talk to Ron and get all the details of surgery and recovery up to this point. He's planning to play in the golf tournament in May; what a special friend he has become!

This afternoon both OT and PT worked together with Ron. They got him up and had him walk @ 35 feet and do all his exercises. Then I washed his hair and he gave himself a much-needed shave...he was beginning to look like a mountain-man! He was pretty wiped out afterwards so we waited til this evening to give him his bath. He's now tucked in for the night, and I'm headed to finish up laundry and to bed after.

Thanks for rejoicing with us over these victories!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Hiccups...

Updates may be sporadic for a while...computer problems! YIKES! I can work on my computer but the internet will not recognize our IP Address. I can periodically use the community one at Hotel Presby so...

We were hoping to move to 6 west yesterday but Ron's blood pressure has been running too low to be sent to the floor. He has also had these crazy hiccups for the last 3 days, the last 24 hours they have just about been non-stop which keeps him from sleeping well. And his white blood cell count has plateaued at 25,000 and stayed there for several days instead of continuing to trend down. All that led them to do an abdominal CT scan today. They found he has two pockets of old blood, one in lower left quadrant; and a larger one in the upper left quadrant. They drained both of them but also found there was a clot that will take several days to resolve so they had to place two drainage tubes in. They plan to take him back for another CT on Wednesday to see if things have resolved and hopefully remove the tubes. They feel the pressure on the diaphragm is the cause of the hiccups, so that should clear up in a couple of days as well. They are giving him something tonight to help with the spasms in the diaphragm so hopefully he'll get a better night's sleep. He will remain in CCU/ICU at least until Wednesday.

They have moved us to a bigger room, tho. I think we were in the tiniest one they had in there but someone had moved out today and this one is much larger...actually our original room from back in Dec/January! The staff is so great, always looking for ways to make things a little easier/better for us!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Everybody Poops!

Another good day at Presby! PT came in this morning and got Ron up in a chair. He was able to sit in it for about an hour! His nurses got him up late this afternoon and he was able to make it an hour again! It's very difficult and they had to do the majority of the work, but he made it!!! WOO HOO!!! Praise God for those pain lollipops!!!

Most of his numbers look good: liver, kidney, white blood count, no fever, etc. But, they've taken him off the diuretic because he's putting out too much fluid which was causing his blood pressure to drop. It's always about chasing fluids!

And, big news; he pooped!!! And there was no indication of bleeding, which is great! Dr. Shires was so excited he finally pooped, that when he was up making rounds on 6 West he was telling all the nurses! Karen was so impressed, she came right down to congratulate him! Sorry if that's a little more than some of you wanted to know, but when you've had your intestines in two sections for 5 1/2 months, it's a huge deal!!!!

Two big items to pray for (both happening tomorrow):
wound vac change (very painful!)
they are going to clamp off his gastric tube for short periods of time to see how things go with everything draining naturally into his digestive system; first step in getting ready to introduce food

Thanks so much for your prayers!

"For the word of the Lord holds true, and everything He does is worthy of our trust...the Lord's plans stand firm forever, His intentions can never be shaken."
Psalm 33:4&11 NLT

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Breaking the cycle

Ron had a GREAT day even though he didn't sleep much last night (because of sleeping most of yesterday making up for Monday night.) I was determined to break that cycle and keep him awake today; only allowing him to take a short nap after the pain and stress of wound vac change first thing this morning!!

He's looking good, very coherent....and quite amusing now that he's back on the lollipops!

He doesn't remember much about the last couple of days but he did remember what the awful nightmare was about...but I'll save that for another day when I can get him to repeat it while I type.

Please continue to pray he will get a good night's rest and that he will get his days and nights back on schedule.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Very Good Day!

Ron began stirring around and opening his eyes some about 4:30 this afternoon! They also turned the vent all the way down and he was consistently breathing on his own so they extubated him around 6PM. He's still in and out (mostly out!) and at times his oxygen saturation drops a little too low for a while, mainly because he needs to get stuff coughed up out of his airways not due to lack of ability to move air. They were concerned that they needed to have a nurse who knew Ron well and would be especially mindful of him through the night. I had asked his nurse last night (charge nurse), who was very good, very attentive and she said she would be back tonight. She had never cared for him before but had helped other nurses when we were here previously so knew him well. But as we were leaving at 7 (they let us fudge a little since they had just extubated and he was awake), we found out she had to switch her schedule. We were praying, Jenna, a nurse he's had numerous times, would be assigned to him. Once again we were incredibly blessed! When we came in at 8:30, Ashley, one of our very favorite nurses (along with Jenna!), was in his room! YEAH! She has recently moved to 4ICU (Cardiac) but they were overstaffed tonight...3ICU had called her to see if she would take charge nurse on 3 for tonight and she agreed, as long as she had Mr. Nordell!!! She and Jenna work very closely so I know he'll be in especially good hands tonight!

Pulmonologist wants to be cautious, so they are putting him on a bi pap (?) tonight (forced oxygen through a mask). He still has a lot of the sedative in his system and needs a good amount of pain meds to keep him comfortable so they want to make sure he doesn't forget to breathe well. Won't be the most comfortable thing for him but it's better than the nasty tube down his throat!

He has not spoken as yet but has responded by squeezing a hand at times and even gave a couple of very forced smiles! It's great to see his heart rate in the double digits tonight; all afternoon it was in the 100-135 range caused by agitation from coming off the meds. It was really up there when they were trying to get him to cough. And his blood pressure is back down after having gone up considerably during the afternoon (while they were working towards extubating). It's good to see he is maintaining it even though he is totally off Levophed (BP med).

They are also decreasing his fluid level; he's pretty swollen but that should get better over the next few days.

To recap today: he's gone from being on 8 IV drips down to just 2; been removed from ventilator; and had a good report during wound care!!

Thank you, Father!! It's been a very good day!!!

Dressing change

Dr. Shires was in when I arrived at 8:30 and was waiting on wound care nurse, Heather, to arrive so they could change out wound vac. They allowed me to stay and watch (as well as a couple of nursing students). It was pretty gory so I won't go into details, (if you are interested, let me know) but fascinating. Suffice it to say Dr. Shires was pleased with the progress made in the incision and feels comfortable enough to allow the weaning process to begin. As of noon they had taken him off the paralytic and the anesthetic and continue to bring down the sedative. Thankfully, they will keep the narcotic at the same rate. We may not see much reaction from him until late this afternoon or evening; possibly not until the next day or two. They are also weaning him from the ventilator.

Amazing to watch Dr. Shires in action; he is not only a gifted surgeon but it is obvious he loves teaching and sharing his passion for medicine.

His white blood count is slowly coming down and Dr. Liddell (infectious disease) says nothing is growing, which is good; along with the fact he has not had a fever since right after surgery. She will probably discontinue antibiotics after tomorrow.

Hemoglobin was lower today so they have given him one unit of blood and are in the process of running another right now.

After watching all they did during wound vac change, I'm sure he is going to be one sore puppy! Please pray they will be able to manage his pain well.

Will keep you posted!

Christie

If you have never used Streams in the Desert as a devotional, you are missing out! God uses these devotionals to strengthen me, encourage me and remind me of His faithfulness. The writings of these men and women who have gone before me through times of trials, are a great reminder God never changes!

"He did not waver...regarding the promise...being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised." Romans 4:20-21

Scripture tells us that Abraham, "without weakening in his faith, ...faced the fact that his body was as good as dead." v. 19. He was not discouraged, because he was not looking at himself but at Almighty God. "He did not waver...regarding the promise". Instead of growing weak, his faith grew stronger, exhibiting more power, even as more difficulties became apparent. Abraham glorified God for His complete sufficiency and was "fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."

God is not merely able but abundantly able, bountifully and generously able, with an infinite surplus of resources, and eternally able "to do what He had promised."

He is the God of limitless resources--the only limit comes from us. Our requests, our thoughts, and our prayers are too small, and our expectations are too low. God is trying to raise our vision to a higher level, call us to have greater expectations...

There is no limit to what we may ask and expect...And there is no way for us to measure His blessing, for He is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20

selected writing from A.B. Simpson

Please join me in asking God to heal, strengthen, restore and bless Ron beyond any expectation we can imagine!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Lollipop, lollipop, oooh, lolli......

Quiet day. They are keeping Ron completely out on a cocktail of sedatives, pain med, paralytic and mild anesthetic. He will remain on all of these as well as the ventilator at least until tomorrow when Dr. Shires will change the wound vac. He will be able to tell after that if they are ready to start weaning him which could take a couple of days. They have been able to wean him off the Levophed (blood pressure med) and so far his blood pressure is a little low but stable.

His white blood count has jumped up to 30,000's which is high but not alarming since he is not running a temp. Creatinine (kidney function) remains at 1.6; Hemoglobin level is a little low so they are watching closely and may need to give him blood. They continue to pump him full of lots of fluids so he's getting pretty puffed up again, which he hates.

Please continue to pray for a complete and speedy recovery, with minimal pain.

Christie

Forgot to mention: yesterday before they got the right combination of meds and Ron was finger spelling to me, he kept spelling out lollipop! Pretty funny!! He was obviously letting me know he was in pain and knew that even if the lollipop didn't take away the pain it would at least get him to a point where he didn't care!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Sedation anyone?

So, I think they should not only sedate the patients, but their family member as well! Ron won't remember all this but it's forever etched on my heart!

It was a very rough afternoon. Even though he was on enough drugs to knock out a horse, Ron was struggling. He was in alot of pain and started thrashing about, heart rate was staying in the 150's....it was awful! Finally, around 6:30 (just as visiting hours were over, he gave in to double doses of each of the drugs...sedative, paralytic, mild anesthesia, and narcotic. Poor guy. I was just about ready to throw in the towel....my heart was breaking for him! Seeing him so agitated with that wild, confused look in his eyes reminded me of when Aaron was coming out of the coma. When I left, I called my good friend Marcie to get a reminder that yes there really is a normal world out there; not just a mirage. And no, even though it feels like it at times, I'm not in hell with Satan using visions of a normal life to torture me.

When I went back for 8:30 visit, he was resting well. Heart rate in upper 90's to low 100's; blood pressure looking good and they have even been able to wean him from 8 mg to 2 of bp medication. Pray he will continue to rest well through the night.

Thanks so much for all your words and notes of encouragement! But mostly for your prayers!
Love, Christie

"Be strong and brave...Don't be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God is with you. He will not fail you or leave you." I Chronicles 28:20 New Century Version
God loves us and protects us. In times of trouble, He comforts us; in times of sorrow, He dries our tears. Sometimes we may feel lost or afraid, but we're never alone; the face of God is always toward us. The Lord sees everything you do, and He watches where you go."
Prov 5:21 NCV

Remember, that God is as near as your next breath. So trust Him and turn to Him for solace and security.

He goes before us, follows behind us, and hems us safe inside the realm of His protection.
Beth Moore

Shock therapy?

Things are going as well as can be expected. They have decided to put Ron on a stronger sedation/paralytic since he is wakeful at times and trying to communicate thus tensing his belly which they do not want at all!

They just did a really cool test on him to test the level of sedation...they hook up this little electrode thing to his temple area that sends a shock and they watch the muscle response; docs wanted his to twitch 3 out of 4 times....they up the amp each time they get no response. No response means too much sedation (or not high enough amp to elicit response)...4 out of 4 means not enough sedation...They started at 30 amps and maxed out at 80 with no response, so they switched to his wrist, finally getting 3 out of 4 at 60 amps; tried temple area again...still no response. I suggested we do it on the nurse to make sure it was working properly but...she was not to keen on that. I know Ron would applaud my efforts on his behalf, though!

Good to know he did not require any blood products throughout the night. His white cell count jumped up to 22,000 so they have brought Dr. Liddell (Infectious disease doc) back in and are putting him on big gun antibiotics as a precaution. His creatinine (kidney function) is 1.6, little high but not to bad for what he's just gone through; Albumin (has to do with protein in system) has dropped some.

When he was wakeful, he asked lots of questions--fingerspelling to me, which is quite frustrating to both of us, but we work it out. Wanted to know: if Dr. Shires was pleased with surgery, what they did, how long it took, if there were any bad moments, if we knew anything about his pancreas yet, if he needed blood, telling me that his belly hurts, the tube hurts his throat, his nose itches, his head itches, wanting to know how long he'll be intubated (can you tell he really hates that thing in his throat!); who had I called (specifically wanting to make sure the Cronies had been contacted), and on and on...bad thing is, he shouldn't remember any of this(actually that's a good thing) and will probably ask the same questions numerous times.
Even with all the drugs he's on he's still thinking of others...wanted to know if someone talked to his Mom & Dad, if the boys are ok, what time it was, whether the boys had been able to see him yet.. And the last thing he spelled out was PRAISE GOD! Indeed...PRAISE GOD!

Please add this to your list of things to pray for Ron:

against nightmares...these paralytics/sedatives are known to cause some pretty disturbing nightmares I would love for him to bypass these!
against tension/ pulling in belly area...would not be good for healing process
Albumin level will increase
that he will not fight the rest he needs
against blood clots (since he's had the two during the course of all this, he's at higher risk to get more)

I almost forgot, when I first arrived this morning, they had just changed the wound vac AND REMOVED DRAIN TUBE!!!! He is down to having only the tube from wound vac and Gastric tube (counting belly area only...not counting NG tube, vent or catheter).

Thanks faithful ones!

Standing firm by leaning hard!

God's word is always so appropriate and timely! My devotional reading this morning was from Exodus 14:13

"Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today."

God's command to me as a believer for those times when I am faced with dire circumstances and extraordinary difficulties is to "stand firm"....Even in the worst of times God would have me be cheerful and courageous, rejoicing in His love and faithfulness...ready for action, expecting further orders....cheerfully and patiently waiting.

Hmmm, cheerful....patient....courageous....glad I can trust Him to give me these attributes; don't think I could muster them up on my own at this point!

Devotional reading from Streams in the Desert (selected reading from Charles H. Spurgeon)

Haven't seen Ron yet this morning; and can't until 8:30. ICU is a great place for care but I hate the visiting hour restrictions at times although I know it's in the patient's best interest.. When I left last night (kicked out at 10), they had started him on Levophed (blood pressure med) because he was not being able to support a satisfactory blood pressure while on the Fentanyl drip (for pain); and obviously, at this point, pain management is critical. They also had the Bair hugger (fancy inflated warming blanket thing to bring body temp up which had decreased during surgery) removed and fan blowing on him because he had started running a temp...not unexpected. But he hates having a fan blowing on him...so I asked them to turn it to where it hits the window and then bounces back on him. Temp had gone down to 100.2 by the time I left (was right at 101 when I arrived). Heart rate was still pretty high but was going at least bouncing around between 100-130 instead of staying consistently in 120-130 range.

I hate this part of the process. It is so hard to see him in pain. I'd like to say I would gladly take this on myself but honestly, I'm too much of a chicken; don't think I could handle it! My husband is amazing and I'm so proud to be his wife!!!

Keep praying; expecting miracles!

Friday, April 18, 2008

Surgery report

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

Ron went in for surgery at 10AM. I received a call from OR nurse @ 12:30 saying things were slow but stable. Another call @ 1:45 saying he was still doing well. About 2:30 Dr. Shires called to ask where we were waiting so he could come talk to us. So he was in surgery about 4 1/2 hours (upon being asked, Dr. Shires said they did not get bored after 2 hours...things were too intense!)

Surgery was successful! They were able to resect the intestines end to end. They did find some fistulas (tears) so they removed those small sections but their were none in the colon which is very good. And kidney seemed to handle it all well.

He lost a bit of blood so they gave him a couple pints and still has some bleeding so they may need to give more over the next few days. He will remain on the ventilator at least overnight and on a paralytic drug as well as heavy duty narcotics possibly through the weekend; allowing him to rest and heal without stressing his body any more. They will also have him on antibiotics.

When we saw him in ICU he looked pretty good considering; good color, resting well, but obviously in alot of pain. They are in the process of getting him on an IV drip for pain. He also has a wound vac to help the healing process of the incision site, the area had alot of "woody" tissue and they removed scar tissue from the old drain tube sites. He does have a new drainage tube (not from intestines, just general surgical drain); Gastric tube will stay in until feeding process is successful; and he will remain on TPN for several days to allow the intestines to heal some before they try food. They also decided to place an NG tube (gastric tube down nose) for the next couple of days while he is on ventilator. He has an arterial line in his wrist (line inserted directly into artery that allows best way to monitor blood pressure, can also draw blood to test sugar levels); central line inserted in neck (allows access for more IV ports, blood draws, etc).

Blood pressure has been a little low but pretty steady; heart rate in the 120-130's; high but one way body reacts to stress so not unexpected.

Dr Shires feels good but warns us he still has a rough road ahead and that he will most likely have setbacks; though he should not have to go back in surgically at any point. He feels they should be able to handle everything along the way through Interventional Radiology.

The next couple of days are crucial, so please continue to lift him up! Hopefully he will be able to come off the paralytic drugs, ventilator and NG tube by the end of the weekend and go to a regular room Monday. I'm so thankful he is on the paralytic and heavy pain drugs! So he won't remember this phase!

No time frame given for recovery but I know he would like to be in good enough shape to make an appearance at the golf tournament May 19! Not sure how feasible that is...1 month and 1 day away...but a good goal for him to shoot for!!!!

Please pray:
against prolonged pain; it's so hard to see him crying out (but unable to make any noise due to ventilator)
good blood supply and no tension on resected bowel (actually all bowel, but especially this area)
all vitals (blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin level, blood sugar level, kidney function, etc) will stabilize and/or remain stable
AGAINST INFECTION!
any/all leaks will heal on their own, quickly!

That we will reflect Christ to all those we come in contact with; doctors, nurses, techs, other patients and their families, etc.

Praise:
for successful surgery
for Dr. Shires, Dr. Becherel and all those who care for Ron
for the blessing I have been granted to be able to "live" here at Presby...what a stress relief not having to make that drive back and forth

We love you guys and cannot begin to tell you what a blessing you are to each of us!

Christie

"In times of trouble, may the Lord respond to your cry. May the God of Israel keep you safe from all harm. May He send you help from His sanctuary and strengthen you...May He grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans...May the Lord answer all your prayers."
Psalm 20:1-2, 4, 5b NLT

Thank you, Father!!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Pre-Surgery

Dr. Shires was in today and said "We're on the launch pad". His kidney and liver functions are stable, there have been no indications of infection, or any problems with blood pressure or heart rate.

We've had several questions about the upcoming surgery (as I'm sure many of you have) so I'll give you our Q&A with Dr. Shires. Keep in mind these are answered in typical Dr. Shires form, along with the customary shrug of his shoulders...

What can we expect? I don't know. We'll find out when we get in there. There is always the possibility we'll get in there and find it's too early and have to close up and try again later down the road. (He's told us this happens very rarely; and once again reminded us Ron's an alien!)

What time will surgery take place? Not sure, you know how it goes around here. You're second on the schedule so should be around 9, unless the person in front of you chicken's out, then you'll be moved up to 7. If the first takes longer then it could be later!

How long do you anticipate surgery to take. I don't know...could be anywhere from 2-5 hours. We get bored after about 2....

Will he go to ICU? Yes, for a couple days or so

How long will recovery be? It all depends; he'll have to learn how to eat again.

Where will the incision site be: starting at midline to existing drainage tubes (basically left side, belly button straight across just below ribs)

We did find out that he has adrenal failure..part of the function of the adrenals is to produce adrenaline which helps you deal with stress (and his body has been under ALOT of stress!); it produces steroids as well and it has something to do with how your body handles water/salt balances in the body thus the reason he has been getting dehydrated and having blood pressure issues. Treatment is steroid shots twice a day. They do not know at this point if this is a permanent condition...won't know until after recovery and they begin to wean him off the steroid.

I think there's more I wanted to tell everyone, but I'm tired; so my brain isn't functioning. If you have any questions about the surgery, e-mail them to me...if I have the answer I'll include in my next update; if not I'll ask Dr. Shires.

Good night! PLEASE KEEP PRAYING DILIGENTLY FOR BEST CASE SCENARIO!!

Love, Christie

From my devotional today:

"By faith Abraham...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8

Abraham didn't know where he was going; it was enough for him to know he went with God. He did not look at the difficulty of his circumstances but looked to his King!

We must be willing to take our ideas of what this journey of life will be like and tear them up! Nothing will happen as we expect. He will lead us through ways we would never have dreamed. He knows no fear, and He expects us to fear nothing while He is with us!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

OOPS...schedule change!

Dr. Shires called up to Ron's room this afternoon to tell us that he had to move Ron's surgery to Friday, April 18. He is on standby for consult on another surgery on Thursday and is not allowed to schedule a surgery at the same time. So...the wait continues! He also told us earlier today that Ron's creatinine (kidney function) is fluctuating a little and is back up to 1.5 (was 1.4 yesterday). His creatinine must stay at 1.5 or lower for several days before they will do the surgery.

We try not to get our heart's too set on a particular day. As always, we know God's timing is perfect. And are choosing to wait on Him.

Love, Christie

PS: Ryan and Stacee made it back to Texas safe & sound. Thanks for lifting them up. They (along with Aaron & Kristin) were able to spend the afternoon with Ron watching the Master's and playing games

Saturday, April 12, 2008

BIG surgery scheduled for 4-17

Good morning!

I'm so thankful it is Saturday! It's been a l-o-n-g week. Work has been exceptionally busy and then add in Ron's little episode landing us back at Presby...praise God we have Him to lean on during tough times.

Found out yesterday afternoon that Ron's BIG surgery has been schedule for THIS THURSDAY, April 17 (happy birthday, Shar!). It's amazing, since November Ron has always told people surgery would be sometime in April (though no doctors had actually given a date). Then, because of the wound complications, they thought they'd need to move it up to March. Once that cleared up, they decided to wait until June which really bummed him out! And now...it really is scheduled for April! As always, this is dependent on everything staying on an even keel. Today, his creatinine is down to 1.4 which is virtually normal, liver function is normal, white blood count is normal, temperature is normal, heart rate is normal, blood pressure fluctuates somewhat but nothing to be concerned about. Dr. Shires believes it's obvious things are not going to get much better than this...even tho they had hoped to get him home and allow him to get stronger, etc; there are just too many negative things he's dealing with having to stay only on TPN. They are constantly having to monitor and tweak which defeats the purpose of delaying.

So, this Thursday at 9AM they will begin the very long process of reconnecting his intestines. Dr. Shires says the surgery may take a good 5 hours or more.

Ron is thrilled! He is so ready to get into the next phase of recovery. As yet, there has been no timetable mentioned concerning recovery time.

Please pray that between now and then: his body will be strengthened and fortified and that when they (Dr. Shires & his partner, Dr. Beecherel) get in there it will be obvious that God's miraculous healing power has been at work! That there will be more viable intestines to work with than they think, that scar tissue is not a big issue, that they will not encounter or create any more tears in the colon/intestines, that his one kidney will stay strong, that there will be no liver issues, that he will not have any problems from the anesthesia (heart rate, blood pressure, etc will handle things well)....basically that the best possible scenario will take place! God "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think"

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Ephesians 3:20 The Message

TO HIM BE ALL GLORY!!!!!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Adequate fluids = feeling better!

Happy to report Ron is already feeling better! It's amazing how much additional fluid perks you up! His creatinine level is also coming down (1.8 today) and he's not feeling lightheaded, so is more motivated to to get up and move around. Some small downsides: now that he's on TPN and IV fluids 24/7, he can't take showers and it's more difficult to get up and around but he's determined to keep pressing on to get in the best shape possible for his upcoming surgery! That is huge motivation for him, to know surgery is coming much sooner! He can finally see a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel!

Please pray
for Ryan & Stacee as they make the long drive from Florida this weekend.
for Aaron & Kristin: they had a "waterfall" coming through their living room window in their apartment at 3:45 this morning. All of their furniture and electronics had to be moved and it is a mess!
and, of course, for all of Ron's many needs!

Now for a plug, attached is the official flyer for the North Richland Hills Nordell Golf Open! New date: Monday, May 19. Please pass this on to everyone you know; it will be a lot of fun and is for a very good cause! I can say that even though I'm a little bit prejudiced on the matter, can't I??? Many thanks to all those who have worked so hard to put this together!

As always, thanks for your continued support, encouragement and most of all your prayers on our behalf!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Dehydrated

No room at the inn (Hotel Presby) last night so I went home late last night after getting Ron settled in. It was hard to be away. Since we were in the midst of major bill paying for personal as well as business and I was up to my eyeballs in work it was good that I went home and got everything squared away. Dr. Shires has been involved in a conference all week at another hospital but we were finally able to see him this evening and he said to settle in...we are here for the long haul.

Ron was definitely dehydrated and his creatnine (kidney function) is 2.0; much too high! The highest it's been since he was very critical back in November. They really need to get that down, as well as be able to watch him more closely and be able to tweak things much more quickly. They are putting him back on 24 hour a day TPN along with IV fluids which will be easier on his kidney. Being on TPN for so long isn't working well for him...he seems to have reached a plateau in gaining strength/energy and since he only has one kidney they really need to be proactive in protecting it, so Dr. Shires feel this is tipping their hand to move surgery up. It will take a a week or two to get him back on an even keel from this little set back but they will watch him closely and start looking at dates.

The increased IV fluids have already brought his heart rate down considerably. It was runnning consistently in the 100's (even while sleeping!) but is now down to 85 (resting rate).

It was disappointing to have to come back so quickly...we all had our crying spells throughout the day and as we were driving here last night, it began to rain. I told Ron, it was raining last time we came and much to our disappointment he ended up being admitted. And it seemed to me, that God was showing us His tears as He cried along with us in our moment of grief. That even though He is in control; His timing is perfect, and He knows this is for our ultimate good; it still breaks His heart when we hurt. What a compassionate Heavenly Father we have!

Don't get me wrong...we are so thankful we have great doctors who are really on top of things, who caught this before it became critical. But we are so ready for this season in our life to be over!

Late this afternoon, I was able to get settled into my room at Hotel Presby; Praise God for this wonderful service they offer...and of course, they still have me down on the frequent stay plan of $20 a night! They even apologized that my old room was not available but they were able to snag the one right next door to it for me and the people who have "my" room are leaving tomorrow or Friday and they would be happy to switch me if I want! Such sweet people!

Please pray:
that Ron's kidney will bounce back quickly and his creatnine levels will begin to decrease dramatically...ideally, below 1.4.

that his fluids will get back in check

that God would supernaturally return more strength, energy and stamina to his weakened body in preparation for upcoming surgery; and that Ron would really be motivated to fight to do his part to get stronger by pushing through his exercises and walking even when he doesn't feel like it

for Ryan as he travels to Florida to move Stacee here (supposed to leave Thursday evening but he is scheduled on one of the M80's that American Airlines has been cancelling all flights on!) They will be driving the 20 hours back here in one stretch.

business will run smoothly

for all of us: that we would keep our focus on Christ and allow Him to be our hope, strength, peace, comfort, sufficiency....our everything!

Thanks, faithful family & friends!

Much love,
Christie

"I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Here we go again!

Well, we made it 7 days this time but they are admitting Ron to Presby tonight.

Not urgent, but doctor's are concerned that he continues to lose weight daily and his fluid output has decreased. They want to get him in to increase his TPN and fluid levels and keep an eye on him for a few days.

Will update more as I know it.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Busy Bees!

I know, I know....I haven't updated like I said I would! Sorry!!! I haven't had a chance to return phone calls, either. (I actually forget we have a home phone; I've become accustomed to being without one at the hospital, so don't think to listen to messages.) And I am WAY BEHIND on thank you notes....I'll get to them sometime. Please know that even though I haven't written or called each of you individually, you are all very much appreciated!!!

It's been very busy around here what with getting adjusted to being home again and trying to establish a routine with work and all the other things that have to be taken care of. I had to attend the National Braille Association conference for work on both Thursday and Friday in Dallas but Aaron was able to adjust his schedule so that he could work from our house therefore able to take care of Ron's TPN when it was time to disconnect and do PICC line flushes, take care of drain tube management, record all output, etc. Ryan could tell I was very tired after returning Thursday evening and volunteered to take care of Ron's shower, mix TPN & connect, do all flushes, put clean linens on his bed, etc. And Kristin has been so sweet to grocery shop and help with meal preparations since we've been home as well as stay with Ron while I was at the office. Aaron again gave me a break last night by preparing TPN and getting it hooked up! Our kids are great! I can't imagine how I'd do it if they were still living out of town. They do so much!

And then we have our sweet neighbors...Saturday morning I heard the lawn mower going and Gina was mowing our front lawn! This afternoon, Adrian mowed the back and did all the weed eating/edging! We are incredibly blessed.

Ron's doing ok. No changes in how he feels....still lacks energy and strength. Still gets nauseated and retches often. Still very tender belly from stitches where tubes are attached. His heart rate has been running higher than I'd like and he's been light-headed quite often lately which is extremely frustrating to him. Blood Pressure has been a little low but ok; we are able to check it twice a day ourselves (thanks Laura for lending us your BP monitor!) I think he's somewhat discouraged that things have not improved now that he's home. He was hoping to feel much better and be able to move about more but he goes from bed to chair and back again. Please pray he will begin to gain strength and energy; that his heart rate will stabilize to a more normal and that he'll be able to get back on track with doing his daily exercises and walking. So far, he's only managed a walk similar to ones at hospital once a day (as opposed to three times a day while at Presby). And has yet to have the energy do his exercises since he's been home. We know it will take a little while to adjust; and I confess I'm a little gun shy about any regression. I certainly don't want to repeat our last little episode.

I'm sure there is more to share, but it will have to wait until next! It's almost midnight and I need to get to bed!

Your continued prayer support is much needed and greatly appreciated!
Love, Christie

"For surely you have a future ahead of you; your hope will not be disappointed." Proverbs 23:18 NLT

PS: Date change for Golf Tournament (fundraiser). Now scheduled for Monday, May 19 at Iron Horse Golf Course. I'll send flyer when I get an updated copy!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Home again!

We're home, again!!!!! Arrived about 3PM. Much smoother transition since we did not have to worry about getting prescriptions picked up and medical supplies delivered; other than TPN which arrived right on time! Ron rested in the recliner, returned a few phone calls and had a shower before home health nurse came around 8 to do an assessment and give us a refresher on TPN administration. I've got all the charts made to record flushes, output, medications administered and posted on fridge! Ron has to have bloodwork drawn by home health nurse Monday's and Thursday's and results are faxed to doctors the next day; and I have to fax my records to docs on that day as well. Pray things go smoothly, Ron will gain strength and energy and that there will be no surprise hospital visits between now and time for surgery to reconnect his intestines in June!

Will update more in the next couple of days!

It's here!!! Ron tells his story

Love it when my hubby shares!. Though a very condensed version, Ron eloquently shared with our youth group a few weeks ago. Below are his th...