It's a great Monday

Good Monday to all,

This is the text message my sister sent my Sunday morning: Daddy/Papa update. Had a great night. stats r - HR 77; Oxygen 96%; BP 126/57. Versed is turned 2 low dose & he opened eyes & turned towards me when I spoke 2 him. Vent settings changed. Breathing on his own with 40% oxygen support. He was at 60% support yesterday. WOOHOO!

Dr C then came in to see him and said it was time to move along. By evening the Versed had been stopped and the vent was removed. Yes, removed! He did have oxygen attached to the trach but he was doing all the breathing on his own. Cindy put her phone on speaker and he responded to my voice. I cannot tell you the joy that brought to my heart. The plan is to get him moved to a rehab facility in about a week where they can teach him to swallow, eat, and walk again. After all, he's been a slug-a-bear for the last 3 weeks. My hope is to come home once he has been moved to rehab and I see how he does for a day or two.

And that brings us to today. Daddy was taken to radiology this morning to have the feeding tube inserted into his stomach. He was awake and oriented enough to be, as nurse Alex puts it, "pissed off". He has tubes coming out of everywhere, it hurts when then move him, and he can't talk. Unfortunately the tube could not be moved. The radiologist could not get to his stomach around his ribs. We are waiting to discuss the next step with Dr C. Cindy and I did have a long talk with 2 of his nurses and his respiratory therapist. We did find out that rehab will not take him unless his feeding tube is into his stomach. 

Dr C was just in. Daddy was off the vent for too long yesterday. His blood oxygen levels were low this morning. He was put back on the vent for the procedure this morning and will be kept at the machine breathing 6 with 50% oxygen for now. The weaning process is very slow with lots of ups and downs. As for the feeding tube, Dr C says rehab will take him with it in his nose but would be much better to have in directly into his stomach. This now must be done in surgery by Dr Hartigan. That means daddy will have to recoup from a surgery again which means slowing down on the vent weaning. 

So right now I am a little sad...that the feeding tube is not in, that he is back on the vent, that he will need another surgery. But the sadness goes away when I think of how far we have come. I continue to hold tightly to my Heavenly Father as he heals my earthly father. I can't worry about tomorrow, or even an hour from now. My God is in control and I trust Him completely.

Please pray that Dr Hartigan will be able to move the feeding tube with no complications. Also for his lungs to continue to heal. And as always, for the awesome nurses, techs, and physicians that are caring for him.

Standing in the gap for my daddy.

Quick update

Good afternoon,

Just got a call from Cindy with some great news. Infectious disease doc says there is nothing new growing on any cultures. Dr C has been in and daddy is really in weaning mode. In fact, he is doing all the breathing on his own right now. Praise God! The oxygen level is still at 60% and they will probably have the machine doing some of the breathing for him at night, but this is a big step in the right direction.

On a different note, I may have a sinus infection. Yes, I am taking care of myself and no I am not going to the hospital to be with daddy. I have been home since last night. 

Will update more later when I am feeling better.

Your sister in Christ.

It's Friday

Good Friday morning my friends,

Yesterday was a good day for us. Daddy had the tracheotomy done without event. The oxygen rate was lowered to 60% last night and his blood gases were almost normal this morning. The respirator has been turned down to 6 (machine takes 6 breaths a minute and he does the rest). He is still having times of restlessness so we hold his hands and love on him until the meds do their thing. Today he will have the feeding tube inserted directly into his stomach. Dr Hameed tried to do it at bedside earlier this morning but couldn't see to his satisfaction so we are waiting for him to be taken to radiology to have it done. Kidney doc was in earlier. He has decreased the Lasix to see how he does over the weekend. Dr Dean, cardiology, came late yesterday and said all was well there.  

The nurses, respiratory therapists, aids and doctors are all wonderful here at St Lukes. We have been very blessed. So many of them treat daddy as if he was their family. I pray daily for their wisdom and strength.

Our biggest hurdle is getting daddy off the respirator. Because he has COPD and emphysema, his lungs have come to "depend" on the machine for help. Dr C is going very slowly in the weaning process. I believe he will come off the respirator and the feeding tube will be removed.

Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement. I miss our Friday night dinner and a movie and look forward to see you all again very soon.

Believing with you.

Yes, it's still Wednesday

Good evening,

Just want to give a quick update. Dr C came in this afternoon and said it was time to do the tracheotomy. The respirator will then be attached to the trach and it should be easier to wean daddy off of. Dr Hartigan will be taking him to surgery tomorrow hopefully between 12 and 2. Otherwise it will be after office hours tomorrow. Dr Hameed will then change the feeding tube to go directly into his stomach probably on Friday. That will be done at bedside. 

I am sleeping in ICU-8 tonight. 

Praying for a quiet night.

How did it get to be Wednesday already?

Good afternoon everyone,

How is it that time is passing and I can't keep up?! Last night when I talked to Wayne I thought it was Wednesday, then Thursday, then he told me it was only Tuesday. And now it's Wednesday.

Here's a little recap of my Twitters from Monday: 

7:21am Morning from ICU-8. Dad resting. Michelle giving report to Kenny. Busy day. New PICC line and bronchoscopy. Gonna be a good day

8:16am Daddy's lung procedure should be done about 9. Plz pray for Dr C and Peggy who will assist.

9:36am Ok. I'm finished with my coffee and Dr C still isn't here. Let's get this show on the road. I've been up since 5:30 and ready for my nap.

9:49am Procedure about to start on dad. Please pray for oxygen saturation to stay high so entire procedure can be done.

10:38am Dad update-Lung procedure done. Tolerated well. Dr C thinks inflammation now from pneumonia. Steroids ordered. Very restless now.

11:14am Daddy settling down. Pain med on board. Heart rate and BP back down. Thank you God.

11:49am Ok. I lied. Daddy not calming down. More drugs given. Still very active and strong. Plz pray NOW for him to relax and let meds work.

12:43pm Daddy finally resting easier. Cindy and I now having lunch.

6:18pm Picking up forgotten stuff from home for step mom then getting them dinner. Then home for nite.

I then went home and slept for almost 12 hours. If I talked to you yesterday and sounded funny, that's why. 

The weaning process off the ventilator is going very slow. Since the bronchoscopy his oxygen has only been reduced to 70% (he had been as low as 45%). He does do some breaths on his own which is good. We did not see Dr C (critical care) yesterday. No news is good news, right?! Daddy continues to have periods of restlessness but his heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugars are doing well. Occasionally his heart rate goes up when he's resting and we don't know why. The nurse adjusts the meds until it comes back down. He is getting 2 more units of blood today for low hemoglobin. His body is too weak to produce enough red blood cells on its own. All of his docs come in and say "We have to get him of this ventilator now". We know that, but daddy's body just isn't ready yet. Waiting to see how much longer Dr C will let him continue as he is before he starts talking tracheotomy again. When that happens, his feeding tube will be put directly into his stomach. Trying not to think beyond today.

We, as a family, have grown weary, but I still believe God has me right where I am suppose to be. Please continue to pray for my earthly father's lungs to heal as his body is resting. Please also pray for me to have focus as I try to get some work done.

Well, his pain meds are wearing off and he's getting active again. Time to go love on him until he calms back down.

Thank you all my dear friends. I covet your prayers and support. 

Praising God for another day.

Father's Day update

Good Sunday evening and Happy Father's Day,

I hope all the dads have had a great day. Wayne came down for the weekend again which was much needed by us both. We enjoyed some down time together and helped celebrate me niece Elizabeth's 21st birthday yesterday. We enjoyed the breakfast party, not the Wildhorse with all her friends last night. 

Daddy had a little improvement over the past few days. He is still critical and on the respirator, but the fever is gone, heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar are all holding steady. Some time he appears more restless than others but the nurses are learning what helps to relieve that. And then there is today. About 11 this morning his oxygen saturation began to drop, getting as low as 70%. Respiratory was on it immediately and began working their magic. Seems daddy had quite a bit of gunk in his left lung. A call was placed to Dr C who decided a bronchoscopy (looking at and cleaning out the lungs with a scope) was the order of the day. After respiratory worked on him for a while his saturation level did come back into the upper 90s. Then we waited for Dr C to come do the procedure. While we waited Mary and Peggy shaved his scruffy face again. Daddy was quiet restless, uncomfortable almost, all day. Unfortunately our 7am-7pm nurse today was pulled from another floor and is not an ICU nurse so it was not until I got here early afternoon and asked why he was this way that anything was done. Dr C was not able to make it here to us until about 7:30pm. He said it was too late to do the procedure and plans to do it in the morning. Dr C says this episode today is a setback and continues to think daddy is only about 10% improved. I thought he was doing better. So now we wait again...until morning. Michelle, our night nurse who has had him the last 2 nights, has worked diligently to get and keep him comfortable. He continues to be restless, moving his shoulders up and down, trying to raise his hands, and scrunching his forehead. And he opens his eyes about halfway. He looks so distant. Kinda tough to see my daddy this way, especially on Father's Day. It's now 1am and I think he has settled down for a while.  

My step mother has gone home for the night as she is going to work in the morning. I am spending the night again in his room and am playing music to try and help him relax. It Is Well With My Soul, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Rock Of Ages and Amazing Grace are just a few of the songs I have been singing over him. Truth be told, they are as much for me as they are for him. I am weary but very sure I'm right where I'm suppose to be. 

Please join me in praying for his lungs to heal, for the nurses, techs and doctors to make wise decisions, and for my family. We all have other issues we are facing, besides daddy being sick, that need prayer. God knows those needs and I believe He will answer in His perfect timing. 

I hope you all have a great Monday. 

Standing strong in the storm. 

Life Support

Thursday night I had the pleasure of sleeping in ICU-8 with my daddy. Settling into the dimness of the room, I found myself relaxing to the gentle rhythm of the respirator. Respirator....the machine attached to the tube going into his lungs, breathing for him. I  began to think about all the things Dr C has said to us over the last 2 weeks. It wasn't until just recently, Wednesday night I think, that I remember him using the term "life support". I know the respirator is breathing for him. But "life support"? I know he is critical. But "life support"? Yes, life support. The machine is supporting his life. It is breathing for him because he is so ill. Because his lungs are full of pneumonia and can't do it on their own. 

I then began to think about my life support which is my relationship with God. Were it not for the connection I have to Him, I'm not sure how I would have handled the events of the past 2 weeks. Four years ago when I lost my job, I made the decision to stay connected, rooted in my faith, rather than listen to Satan and his lies. If I break that connection, even for a short time, I still have to come back to my relationship with God. It was a good choice then. God taught me more about having faith and trust in Him regardless of my circumstances. And it is a great choice now. As I watch my earthy father attached to "life support" I need all the support I can get. What better life support than my Heavenly Father. 

Are you connected to life support?

Where we've been

Hello from the rainy south,

The past few days have been about the same. Daddy is still in critical condition. The change to Versed for sedation is working well. His blood pressure and heart rate still have a mind of their own. He continues to have fever and we don't know why. The blood cultures from Sunday night still have not grown anything and new blood was drawn today for more cultures to see if there is anything there now. Another antibiotic, Bactrim, has been added as there is a new organism growing on the sputum culture. The infection at the incision site is looking better I am told. Gonna get a look for myself when Alex changes the dressing and packing later today.

We had a long talk with Dr C (critical care) last night. He says daddy has only improved about 10%. Before he can remove the respirator, he has to be fever free, the pneumonia has to be gone, stable heart rate and BP, and able to respond to verbal commands. He is not considering a tracheotomy at this time because daddy is too sick. Dr C is still thinking about a bronchoscopy to clean the lungs out but no definite decision yet. His chest x-ray today shows one lung is completely clear with some clearing at the very bottom on the other. 

As for the colon cancer, Dr Patel, oncologist, says daddy will need to have more chemotherapy but will have to wait until we get through all the current problems before he can determine if he is strong enough to go through it again.

I am a firm believer in trends (thanks Dr Silverboard). Daddy is 10% better, 1 lung is clear and there is some clearing in the other, his blood sugar is normal more often that not, and there is not constant adjusting of meds for heart rate and BP. 

We are blessed to have Alex as our nurse again today. He spent the first few hours this morning tweaking things. Daddy seems to be resting more comfortably and his breathing not as hard. 

And as before, please continue to pray for: the fever to go away completely, lungs to heal, heart rate and BP to remain stable, and infections to be cleared. Thank you all very much for your continued prays during this difficult time. God bless you.

Praying with you.

Midday update

Good Tuesday afternoon,

Just wanted to give a quick update. Dr Hartigan, surgeon, was in a short time ago. The lower end of daddy's incision has become infected. He took some of the staples out and opened the incision which then drained a good bit. He cultured the drainage and put packing in which will be changed daily. So now we wait to see what this will grow. Still waiting for blood and sputum cultures from Sunday night. 

I hope you are all having a good day. I am resting in the arms of my Heavenly Father as I take this one day at a time. 

Continuing to pray with you.

Uneventful Monday

Greetings my friends,

I ended my note last night that I would be happy if today was uneventful. God smiled on us....it was! Daddy is resting much more comfortably on the Versed for sedation. His heart rate, BP, blood sugars and urine output have all be good today. No chest x-ray done this morning because Dr C forgot to order. Nurses, respiratory therapy and docs say lungs sound "OK". I'm happy with that. 

Daddy looks more like my daddy tonight. They shaved his scruffy face. He was really looking shabby. Mary from respiratory held all the tubes going into his mouth and the nursing assistant did a great job on the shaving. They even shaved just above and around his ears so the tape would better stick to hold all the tubes in place. He even started yawning today. And yes, it was contiguous.

We sent my step mom home to sleep tonight. She didn't sleep well last night and by early evening she was beyond exhausted. My sister Cindy is staying with me.

I can't thank you all enough for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for his lungs to heal and for the medical staff to make good decisions.

Praising Him with you.

Update on daddy

Good evening all,

It is Sunday evening and I am sitting in daddy's room listening to alarms going off on several of his IV's. Shawn, our night nurse, is trying to figure out who is beeping and why. I count 9 different bottles/bags hanging with tubes going everywhere. So it's no small task to determine which goes through which regulator and when one beeps why it does. Continue to pray for the ICU staff. They all work very hard.

My day today was sunny and restful. I won't lie, I was sad when Wayne left this morning. It is difficult to be apart. But as soon as he left I went in, put my bathing suit on and headed to the beach. Within 30 minutes I was on the sand at Mickler's Landing just south of Ponte Vedra. The tide was high but the walk and time with God was great. It was much needed "me" time after the last week. And God knew I needed it, too. With that said, now the update...

Daddy has been agitated quite often today, moving his head, hands and legs quite a bit, especially when anything is done to him. There was some concern still that he was building up a resistance to the sedation. He continues to open his eyes a little and only occasionally responds to commands. Dr C, pulmonary/critical care, came in early this evening. He did not like that daddy was breathing so hard (this was because he was going all the work, vent only did about 2 breaths a minute for support). After reviewing his chart he told us he has been running fever and the pneumonia in the left lung is getting worse despite being on antibiotics. (This was news to us because earlier in the week someone told us he never had pneumonia. That was incorrect. We have been fighting pneumonia all along.) Because of that he called in the infectious disease specialist who is concerned about MRSA (methocylin resistant staph aureous) because daddy had that 7 years ago following his quad bypass. So the changes made this evening are: won't even consider weaning off vent for a few more days, vent is back to breathing about half the time for him, gradually switching his sedation from Propofal to Versed, adding the antibiotic Vancomycin (already started) and switching the other antibiotic to Zosyn (being hung as I type), blood cultures have been drawn, and a new sputum culture. His temp was a little over 100 a short time ago and was given some Tylenol with his evening meds.

It is now after 10 and I am growing weary. All the family has gone home for the evening except for me and my step mom, Barbara. Daddy is getting his night care and of course isn't happy. 

Please continue to pray as before, especially for his lungs.

Good night my friends. I hope you all have a great day tomorrow. I'll be happy if ours is uneventful.

Praying for healing.

Saturday night update

Good Saturday evening my friends,

Let me start by saying I have THE BEST husband. Having him here, even for such a short time, has done wonders for us. Neither one of us does well when the other is gone. And dealing with illness makes it even harder. I am very grateful for his sacrifice, the long lonely ride down and back, to be with me. We spent 9 hours together at the hospital today. When I asked him what his plans were for today, he said "I came to be with you." Kudos also to my sister, Cindy, who swapped days for nights at the hospital so I could stay with my hubby at night.

Daddy remains in critical condition. Everyday he is just a little better. His heart rate and BP are doing well, his lungs still have fluid but are sounding better, his blood sugar looks good, but his weight today was 141. He was 101 just the other day. His internist said his kidneys were not functioning as they should so he asked a kidney specialist to see him. He believes this is all retained water. Since daddy has had congestive heart failure before, my step mom became worried. Lasix, to make him "go" was ordered and the doc ordered the extra sodium to be stopped. About that time daddy's BP went down and they couldn't give him the Lasix because it will make your BP go down. Finally this evening all was where it should be and the Lasix was hung. We believe he is building up a tolerance to the Propofol, his sedation, as he gets very agitated when anything is done to him. They have started giving him pain medicine which does calm him back down. When agitated, he tries to pull his hands up to his face, moves his legs and rocks his head back and forth (think Stevie Wonder) and opens and closes his mouth. I'm sure the breathing and feeding tubes are not comfortable. But he did start opening his eyes today when agitated. Sometimes wider that others.  He does not respond to our gentle coaching to calm down and relax.

Please pray for: healing for daddy, strength for the family, wisdom and discernment for the nurses, support staff and doctors, and safe travel for Wayne.

Good night all, rest well.

Standing on the solid rock with you.

Another prayer request

Dear friends,

Have a request...while you are lifting my dad up in prayer, please also pray for the patients in room 1 and 11. God has blessed me with the opportunity to pray for and minister to these 2 families that are really hurting today. I don't know any details on these 2 ladies, just that they are loved and their families are very concerned.

Thanks.

Praying with you.

Update from sunny and hot Florida

Good morning from sunny and hot Florida,

Sorry I didn't update last night. I was very tired and passed out early then slept like a baby till 8:30 this morning.

Yesterday was another day filled with ups and downs, mostly with his heart rate and BP, but also a temp spike. Daddy was also alot more restless resulting is the sedation being adjusted often. His temp spike was the result of giving him some blood. The temp was not unusual but resulted in the stopping of the blood until they could get his temp back down. Durring that time I stayed in his room and had praise and worship music playing. He ultimately got both units of ordered blood. His urine output color concerned me and the nurses didn't seem to think anything was wrong. But I brought this to the attention of his internist and he ordered an analysis. The chest x-ray and blood gases were much better. He was put on Lasix yesterday which pulled a great deal of fluid from his little body. I did meet Dr C, critical care doc. He was concered daddy was breathing too hard but didn't make any vent changes. He did order antibiotics for "bacteria" in the lung secreations. Dr Hartigan ordered a rectal tube as his bowels are working. This way he will stay clean, no changing the sheets often, and help keep the skin on his back side from breaking down. There is some drainage from the lower end of the incision but Dr Hartigan expected this. No redness or swelling which is good. The restraints had to be put back on because when he was restless his hands went straight toward his face.

My step sister's best friend, Brenda, brought homemade lasagna for dinner last night. OMG was that ever good. Thanks Brenda!

He had a quiet, uneventful, night. His breathing looks much more natural today. Our nurses are Janet and Melanie. They turned the sedation off while assessing him and doing morning meds, mouth care, repositioning, and all that good kind of stuff. Dr B (Dr C's partner) came in early. He said the chest x-ray and blood gases looked ok today. He reduced the oxygen to 40% of the vent. The vent helps with breathing about half the time. Tomorrow they are going to try weaning him more off the vent but will keep him sedated.

Please keep praying my dear friends. This has been a long week and I have grown weary. But my faith is strong. Your prayers and words of encouragement are very precious to me. I am excited that Wayne will be here tonight. My sister is going to stay at the hospital so I can stay at home with him.

Your sister in Christ.


Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Daddy spikes a temp

Just talked to Elaine for a minute.  She's on her way back to her mother's house to shower and change for the day.

Her dad spiked a fever while receiving a unit of blood (for low hemoglobin level - a common occurrence after two surgeries!).

Please pray for the fever to be reduced so that the transfusion can be done.

Thank you *SO MUCH* for your prayers and notes of encouragement.  They are touching our hearts very deeply.

Standing with you,

Wayne 
-- 
"And how blessed all those in whom you live,
 whose lives become roads you travel;"
Ps 84:5 (MSG)

Another day in ICU

My dear friends,

Another day has come and gone but it still finds daddy in critical condition in ICU. He has more doctors than I can keep up with for all the different problems. This morning his sedation was decreased a little more and the med for blood pressure has again been stopped. His heart rate has been good all day, just an occasional A-fib. His blood sugar continues to be good despite the TPN feeding which we were told would make his sugar go up. The blood gases showed good oxygen saturation and his chest x-ray said improved. His night nurse, Adam, says his lungs sound pretty good. I questioned Adam about the urine output which is an odd redish orange color. He is going to have that checked out. Still waiting for pathology report from the original surgery last Friday. We are also concerned that he has dropped to 101 pounds. He was 109 just the other day here in ICU.

All of that being said, I am still standing firm on my foundation of faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Satan wants me to be afraid and worry. Fear comes from the father of lies and he wants me to worry so I take my focus off God. But he has already lost that battle. I continue to sing and pray over daddy every time I enter his room. I still believe God will heal his frail body, just don't know if it will be here or in heaven. I am at peace no matter the outcome.

Please pray specifically for his heart and lungs, and his weight. Also the nurses and doctors caring for him.

Resting in His peace.


Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Wednesday update on daddy

Good Wednesday morning,

As days in the ICU go, yesterday was pretty uneventful. His PICC line was inserted and his IV feeding started last night. We are now being told there is/was no pneumonia but the docs don't know the exact cause of the initial problem with his lungs. And when the lungs don't work properly it sends everything else all out of wack. His BP was holding normal so they turned off the drip to control it and his heart rate was good for most of the day. Later in the evening I noticed his heart rate was going up and down more. The night nurse explained, in detail for the medical person in me, that he was in A-fib, what that looked like on the monitor, and that he has been on meds for that the entire time. Her concern was if his rate stayed at 130 or above for 30 minutes. At that point he was only staying there for a few minutes. But while I slept it went up and stayed there so the cardiologist was called. His meds for rate and pressure have now been increased again. What a delicate dance it is to get all the meds for everything just right. They have decreased his sedation med a little today to start getting him to respond more.

Everyone went home last night except for me and Barbara. She slept in his room and our day nurse, Alex, got me a recliner. I took over one of the consult rooms off the waiting room. It was quiet and dark and I slept really good. That is until 2:30am when the cleaning person decided to empty the trash just outside my room. OMG! It sounded like they were slaying a dragon or something. It really didn't last long and I went back to sleep very quickly.

Daddy looks good this morning. He is still critical, but I am trusting God. Today please pray for his heart rate and pressure to remain stable and his lungs to improve. (the chest x-ray yesterday showed slight improvement and respirator therapy said they sound better today). Also for the nurses, support staff, and doctors who are caring for him.

Cindy, my sister, will be back up here soon. I'll go home for a while to get cleaned up, gather a few things, and come back. My plan is to set up my mobile office and work a few hours today.

Just got good news (and coffee).....daddys bowels are working. WooHoo!!!!! So we know he is healing from the surgery. And yes, we are celebrating everything up here.

Have a great day, my friends.

Praising Him with you.

Roller coasters: Update on dad

Good evening my friends,

What a roller coaster ride today has been....CT scan, surgeon just finding out he was in ICU, air in his abdomen, possibility of colon leaking air or gastric fluid into the abdomen, finding nothing out of the ordinary in his abdomen, heart rate and BP staying stable, blood sugar coming back closer to normal, no fever, oxygen reduced to 40% (was 100% 24 hrs ago), kidneys working much better, and oxygen saturation staying at 100%.

Dr C (critical care doc) has seen him several times today. Daddy is still sedated and on the respirator. Taking the oxygen level down to 40% was such a great thing to hear. They are going to put in a PIC line tomorrow to give them 3 more access lines into his body. That way they won't have to use his port to put so many different meds/fluids in. He will also be started on TPN (total parenteral nutrition - administration of a nutritionally adequate solution through a catheter) feedings tomorrow night. His weight has dropped to 110 which is not real good. His is still critical but is slowly improving. Dr Hartigan said his lungs look really bad, very wet. We still don't know exactly what started the downward spiral. Dr. C said it could have been caused by aspiration of gastric fluid into his lungs. No matter. Right now the goal is to get him better.

Please continue to pray for those caring for him. His day nurse, Alex, it THE BEST, and will be ours again tomorrow.

I pray you are all resting well as I write this and that tomorrow God will fill your day with peace and joy.

Watching God's hand at work with you.

Another Twitter update from Wayne

Thanks for the prayers. @MrsGeek's dad had no leakage from bowel. Lungs w/ lots of fluid, though. Still critical. New doc treating now.

Urgent prayer needed

Elaine just called.

The original surgeon just found out about her dad's downturn
yesterday. He thinks there may be a leak in the bowel. He is taking
him back to surgery NOW.

Elaine is upset, but trusting God even more.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Standing with you,
Wayne
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Monday morning update on dad

Good Monday morning my friends,

Daddy had a good night. Still dancing to adjust meds for BP and heart rate. He has remained stable and was able to go down for the CT scan just a little while ago. Now we wait for the radiologist to review the films and discuss with Dr Hartigan. His urine output is increasing but not where it should be by a long shot.

We slept good last night. Daddy's nurse brought us recliners which were SO much more comfy than the floor. And my dear friend Jane brought us coffee and biscuits this morning.

Please continue to pray my dear friends. Your love and support is certainly being felt.

Praising our Father.

Quick update on daddy

Good evening everyone,

Daddy is still not our of danger. They are trying to balance his heart rate and blood pressure (rate is too high and pressure is too low). His oxygen saturation is normal. They have his IV's running in pretty fast but his urine out put is not where it should be and that is a major concern. The restraints are coming in handy as he is checking in and out and trying to remove the ventilator. His night nurse is Jill and we can come and go as we want. There is also a recliner in his room and one of us will be with him all night. My sister Cindy's pastor just got here and has gone back to see and pray over him.

Please continue to pray....for the doctors and nurses who are caring for him, for the family as we spend the night here in the ICU waiting room, and healing for my dad. It is hard to see him this way today when he was doing so well when I last saw him yesterday late afternoon.

Still praising our God.

Twitter update by Wayne

After making great progress from his surgery, @MrsGeek's father is headed to ICU. Unresponsive, retaining fluid. Please pray. Thanks.

Dad update

Good late Saturday evening everyone.

I hope you have all had a great weekend so far. We sure have. I stayed at the hospital with Daddy last night and it was great. We talked, slept, he gave them blood, coughed when I asked, and then we would do it all over again. He told me many times how glad he was that I was there. His words made me feel very blessed. After breakfast this morning we swapped - he sat in the chair and I layed in his bed. :) We thought it only fair since he had it all night. He has had no nausea or other problems, just belly pain from the surgery. Dr Hartigan saw him this afternoon and advanced his diet to soft liquids, cream soups pudding and the like. His heart doc says all is fine there. His blood sugar did go way high, due to IV's and other meds, so his internist has put him on insulin. But that is the norm anytime he is in the hospital. He is sleeping very well tonight....internist also gave him something for itching which really helps but also really knocks him out.  I will be staying with him again tomorrow night as my step mom has to work on Monday. We are praying he will continue to progress and we can take him home Monday. But, before he can go home, his colon has to start working again with no problems.
Please pray for healing as things start working their was through there again.

Thanks everyone for your prayers, messages and support. I am truely blessed to have you all in my life.

Praying we all have a great day tomorrow of worship and rest.

Praising Him with you.

Dad is out of surgery

Happy Friday afternoon.

My dad is out of surgery and all went very well. Dr Hardigan said he removed about another 12 inches of colon and took a "good look around". There was minimal scaring in the abdomen and his liver looked good. The plan right now is for him to go home in about 3 days. He does have heart and lung problems so those doctors have been asked to come in to see him and make sure all goes well.

Thank you all so very much for your prayers and support. I will keep you all posted.

Praising Him with you.