"If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believeth." Mark 9:23
Jack is having the procedure today. Just a real quick rundown: they're doing the echo cardiogram right now, and they're going to get him some more blood platelets. He's at 70k and he needs to be at 100k. They're also going to do an ultrasound on his brain to make sure there's no damage before they do the catheter. Once the platelets are in and the ultrasound is done, they will start him on a drip that will go for 6 to 12 hours, depending on how he responds. Once everything is done, I'll post an update and let you know what they think. God bless you for praying for my baby. Keep praying until he comes home, and even then it'd still be nice. :)
Don't be afraid; just believe, and (s)he will be healed." Luke 8:50
Tony and Angi
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
come quickly to my rescue
"Turn your ear to me; come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." Psalm 35:2
I'll come out with the hard stuff first today, and get it over with, so that we can praise God for the good things He is doing. We met today with our PICU floor doctor, Dr. Barton. He is the one who first recognized there was fluid in Jack's abdominal cavity and drained it out. We're pretty fond of this doctor, and he has been forthright with us. Today he was very level with us: he let us know that there's not many more safe steps, and we are about to require more aggressive action, and he thus has an idea for the next step. This step is still just a possibility, and not a definite procedure. Dr. Barton has to confer with our surgeons (Dr. Nokaidoh and Dr. Barth) before he can even be sure we can do it. There is a medicine that is commonly used in heart attack victims called TNP. TNP attacks and destroys blood clots, and it does it quite well, with a nearly 100% success rate. The procedure would entail entering the body with a catheter and shooting TNP directly onto the clot, allowing blood flow to be restored to the heart and the lymphatic ducts to drain. Now the risk and it's a huge one... The risk is that the medicine has a chance to cause hemorrhage in the brain, which would be immediately fatal.
Dr. Barton did let us know that if it were his child in the same situation, he would do it. He also allowed that in the last 15 years, it has happened once that the brain hemorrhaged. So it definitely can happen, but it is rare. He came in today at noon and shared this with us on his rounds, and he said that he'll be back before the day is up (most likely.) So far - at 3:10 p.m. - we haven't seen him yet.
Please pray for us today. Please pray that God would bless us with His wisdom, and that He would bless us with a peace about whichever way we should take this road. We believe that Jack will be healed, and we trust that God's Will will be done in either scenario. Please pray that if it's His will, another option would present itself that would allow Jack to be healed without this decision. They are still treating him today as though this option is not being discussed; they put him back on the nitric gas, and we're hoping that his fluid levels will diminish and perhaps the blood clot will dissolve on its own. Please, please pray for this. It would be absolutely terrific if the means to his healing would show up before we have to take this route.
We do praise God right, though, because Jack has done really well on the ventilator. His breathing and his gas numbers have been better even before he was put on the oscillator, and that's praiseworthy indeed! We praise God because we have now been in the hospital for 7 weeks, and our family and friends have made it possible for us to stay here and not worry about gas money or food money or even bills. God bless you all for that. And we praise God because Jack has such a wonderful extended family in everyone who is in continual prayer for him. Again, God bless you all for that. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I leave you with two more verses (and Angi's signature as well.):
"Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
"Then your light shall break forth, like the morning; your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." -Isaiah 58:8 (Thanks Amanda!)
Tony and Angi
I'll come out with the hard stuff first today, and get it over with, so that we can praise God for the good things He is doing. We met today with our PICU floor doctor, Dr. Barton. He is the one who first recognized there was fluid in Jack's abdominal cavity and drained it out. We're pretty fond of this doctor, and he has been forthright with us. Today he was very level with us: he let us know that there's not many more safe steps, and we are about to require more aggressive action, and he thus has an idea for the next step. This step is still just a possibility, and not a definite procedure. Dr. Barton has to confer with our surgeons (Dr. Nokaidoh and Dr. Barth) before he can even be sure we can do it. There is a medicine that is commonly used in heart attack victims called TNP. TNP attacks and destroys blood clots, and it does it quite well, with a nearly 100% success rate. The procedure would entail entering the body with a catheter and shooting TNP directly onto the clot, allowing blood flow to be restored to the heart and the lymphatic ducts to drain. Now the risk and it's a huge one... The risk is that the medicine has a chance to cause hemorrhage in the brain, which would be immediately fatal.
Dr. Barton did let us know that if it were his child in the same situation, he would do it. He also allowed that in the last 15 years, it has happened once that the brain hemorrhaged. So it definitely can happen, but it is rare. He came in today at noon and shared this with us on his rounds, and he said that he'll be back before the day is up (most likely.) So far - at 3:10 p.m. - we haven't seen him yet.
Please pray for us today. Please pray that God would bless us with His wisdom, and that He would bless us with a peace about whichever way we should take this road. We believe that Jack will be healed, and we trust that God's Will will be done in either scenario. Please pray that if it's His will, another option would present itself that would allow Jack to be healed without this decision. They are still treating him today as though this option is not being discussed; they put him back on the nitric gas, and we're hoping that his fluid levels will diminish and perhaps the blood clot will dissolve on its own. Please, please pray for this. It would be absolutely terrific if the means to his healing would show up before we have to take this route.
We do praise God right, though, because Jack has done really well on the ventilator. His breathing and his gas numbers have been better even before he was put on the oscillator, and that's praiseworthy indeed! We praise God because we have now been in the hospital for 7 weeks, and our family and friends have made it possible for us to stay here and not worry about gas money or food money or even bills. God bless you all for that. And we praise God because Jack has such a wonderful extended family in everyone who is in continual prayer for him. Again, God bless you all for that. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! I leave you with two more verses (and Angi's signature as well.):
"Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
"Then your light shall break forth, like the morning; your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you. The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." -Isaiah 58:8 (Thanks Amanda!)
Tony and Angi
Sunday, March 22, 2009
we owe it all to God
Just a quick update today. Yesterday we pulled Jack off the oscillator, and today he has had consistently good stats. His blood gases have been good, and he has been weaned down on the oxygen percent a good bit. Even his fluid has been draining out of his abdominal cavity. So today is a really good day, and we owe it all to God. We have been pouring over the Word and finding all the different possible verses we can that speak of healing and delivered promises. (If you have any good ones, let us know! We've been writing the ones we find on post-its and sticking them to the walls and doors. Thank you all for your consistent prayer and your dedication to our child. We're sorry that you can't come back and see him now, but I promise that when we bring him home, we'll show him off like crazy.
Today our specific prayers that you can aid us in are that his catheter for his abdomen will continue to drain, and that he will continue to resist infection or sickness. Also pray that his blood pressure would be maintained so that they can continue to aggressively pull the fluid from his blood and wean him further on his medicines.
-Angi, Tony, Gaige, and Jack
Today our specific prayers that you can aid us in are that his catheter for his abdomen will continue to drain, and that he will continue to resist infection or sickness. Also pray that his blood pressure would be maintained so that they can continue to aggressively pull the fluid from his blood and wean him further on his medicines.
-Angi, Tony, Gaige, and Jack
Saturday, March 21, 2009
jack is a child of the Most High God
Today, Tony and I had a conference with the doctors. Jack had been on a machine called an oscillator, which is a breathing pump that handles all of his breathing for him via little puffs of oxygen. This means that Jack could be sustained indefinitely on this machine whether he is able to breathe on his own or not. We feel like this is man's way of intervening in God's process. If Jack is to get better and be able to breathe on his own (which we 100% believe is God's will,) than he needs to be off this machine. We asked the doctors to put him back on the ventilator. The doctors were very supportive, and agreed that this was an acceptable step in a good direction. The best part is that the doctors with which we spoke do believe in God, and they vaguely suggested that if he is to get better, it will be because God willed it so. So now we are back on the ventilator, and Jack has accepted it well. He is breathing what the machine supports, plus most of the time he will breathe 2-10 breaths a minute in addition to it.
Jack is going to get better; we believe it, and so should you. Please pray for his continued progress. We are specifically praying that the fluid in his tissue would come out, so that there would be less pressure on the lungs and kidneys. Once the fluid comes out, we also need to pray for that clot in his SVC. The clot is the core of everything that is wrong. We know God can and will destroy that clot, and we need that prayed for as well. (This is Tony typing.. I'm a robot.. I like to type eloquently and Angi is making fun of me for it.) Seriously, please pray for these things specifically. We love Jack and want him to be healed, as we know you do as well. We're intent and focused on bringing him home. We know it's going to happen. We accept and expect it. Thank you for all the support you've given. We appreciate it more than we can say. Do also say a prayer for us as well. We are positive God is bringing him home, but there are a lot of ways in which the enemy is trying to distract us.
Jack is a child of the Most High God. No weapon formed against him will prosper!
Angi and Tony
Jack is going to get better; we believe it, and so should you. Please pray for his continued progress. We are specifically praying that the fluid in his tissue would come out, so that there would be less pressure on the lungs and kidneys. Once the fluid comes out, we also need to pray for that clot in his SVC. The clot is the core of everything that is wrong. We know God can and will destroy that clot, and we need that prayed for as well. (This is Tony typing.. I'm a robot.. I like to type eloquently and Angi is making fun of me for it.) Seriously, please pray for these things specifically. We love Jack and want him to be healed, as we know you do as well. We're intent and focused on bringing him home. We know it's going to happen. We accept and expect it. Thank you for all the support you've given. We appreciate it more than we can say. Do also say a prayer for us as well. We are positive God is bringing him home, but there are a lot of ways in which the enemy is trying to distract us.
Jack is a child of the Most High God. No weapon formed against him will prosper!
Angi and Tony
God is bringing him home
Today, Tony and I had a conference with the doctors. Jack had been on a machine called an oscillator, which is a breathing pump that handles all of his breathing for him via little puffs of oxygen. This means that Jack could be sustained indefinitely on this machine whether he is able to breathe on his own or not. We feel like this is man's way of intervening in God's process. If Jack is to get better and be able to breathe on his own (which we 100% believe is God's will,) than he needs to be off this machine. We asked the doctors to put him back on the ventilator. The doctors were very supportive, and agreed that this was an acceptable step in a good direction. The best part is that the doctors with which we spoke do believe in God, and they vaguely suggested that if he is to get better, it will be because God willed it so. So now we are back on the ventilator, and Jack has accepted it well. He is breathing what the machine supports, plus most of the time he will breathe 2-10 breaths a minute in addition to it.
Jack is going to get better; we believe it, and so should you. Please pray for his continued progress. We are specifically praying that the fluid in his tissue would come out, so that there would be less pressure on the lungs and kidneys. Once the fluid comes out, we also need to pray for that clot in his SVC. The clot is the core of everything that is wrong. We know God can and will destroy that clot, and we need that prayed for as well. Please pray for these things specifically. We love Jack and want him to be healed, as we know you do as well. We're intent and focused on bringing him home. We know it's going to happen. We accept and expect it. Thank you for all the support you've given. We appreciate it more than we can say. Do also say a prayer for us as well. We are positive God is bringing him home, but there are a lot of ways in which the enemy is trying to distract us.
Jack is a child of the Most High God. No weapon formed against him will prosper!
Angi and Tony
Jack is going to get better; we believe it, and so should you. Please pray for his continued progress. We are specifically praying that the fluid in his tissue would come out, so that there would be less pressure on the lungs and kidneys. Once the fluid comes out, we also need to pray for that clot in his SVC. The clot is the core of everything that is wrong. We know God can and will destroy that clot, and we need that prayed for as well. Please pray for these things specifically. We love Jack and want him to be healed, as we know you do as well. We're intent and focused on bringing him home. We know it's going to happen. We accept and expect it. Thank you for all the support you've given. We appreciate it more than we can say. Do also say a prayer for us as well. We are positive God is bringing him home, but there are a lot of ways in which the enemy is trying to distract us.
Jack is a child of the Most High God. No weapon formed against him will prosper!
Angi and Tony
Sunday, March 15, 2009
fighting to live
This morning, Jack was put on a different breathing machine called an oscillator. It does all the breathing for him. He was put on it because his CO2 levels were rising higher than the doctors would like. We have been praying for Jack to live, of course, but also for God's will to be done. The doctors give a very disconcerting prognosis; our surgeon came in this morning and told us that some of the cardiologists are still optimistic, however it is very grim. But we trust in God. We trust that if it is in God's will for Jack to come home, that he will come home as healthy as he can, and that God's healing power is limitless. If it is not His will, then I pray that we can accept that with grace. We just don't want Jack to suffer.
Pray for us, please. I know and appreciate that you have been praying; we appreciate it more than we can say. Pray for us that God's will would be done to his glory, whether it be for Jack to make his miraculous recovery we all accept and expect, or if it would be that Jack would be taken home to God's glory. Also, pray for Tony and I that we would be able to weather this storm and come out on the other side. And for Gaige, that he would understand what is going on and not be bitter or angry with God. And especially pray for Jack. Pray that this new oscillator would restore his CO2 to the levels it needs to be (and that he can be put back on the ventilator soon), and that his fluid would continue to drain from the machine he was put on yesterday. Pray that he wouldn't suffer. Thank you for your prayerful support and your friendship. It means a lot.
Tony and Angi
Pray for us, please. I know and appreciate that you have been praying; we appreciate it more than we can say. Pray for us that God's will would be done to his glory, whether it be for Jack to make his miraculous recovery we all accept and expect, or if it would be that Jack would be taken home to God's glory. Also, pray for Tony and I that we would be able to weather this storm and come out on the other side. And for Gaige, that he would understand what is going on and not be bitter or angry with God. And especially pray for Jack. Pray that this new oscillator would restore his CO2 to the levels it needs to be (and that he can be put back on the ventilator soon), and that his fluid would continue to drain from the machine he was put on yesterday. Pray that he wouldn't suffer. Thank you for your prayerful support and your friendship. It means a lot.
Tony and Angi
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
our anniversary
It's our first year, I have been staying in Tulsa with Jack. Tony drives back and forth from work and to keep tabs on our older son Gaige. It's not what we had expected.
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