PICU

Removing Anne’s ventilator

This morning the nurses are working to remove the ventilator.
Right after the ventilator came out of her, the words i heard on the praise music CD playing in Anne’s room: “This is the air I breath – your holy spirit living in me”. God supplies all we need!

God has answered the following specific prayers:

  1. Anne is alive! The first night we did not know whether she would make it.
  2.  Anne woke up! The doctors did not know if she would ever regain consciousness.
  3. The swelling in Anne’s brain has dramtically reduced
  4. Anne’s sedation continues to be reduced and she is responded well to it.
  5. Because of your guestbook entries, those scriptures help Kathryn and me know what to pray.

It is hard to tell if little Anne recognizes us yet. I think she may respond to Kathryn’s voice at times. She opens her eyes, but she doesn’t seem to be able to focus on us. This is very hard to see. I so want my little girl to be able to run and play and dance. . . . but i most want God’s plan for her, whatever that may be.

We pray that her brain will heal. I know God will take care of my little girl in His way, and in his timing.

Still reading through and praying over Mark 5 and Luke 8.

-eric

Thank you!

I simply cannot express the joy, hope, and encouragement that your “guestbook” entries mean to Kathryn and me. I often read them multiple times and the scripture really helps me know what to pray.

The docs have a goal to wean Anne totally from the sedation and the ventilator by tomorrow evening. We should pray that will go well. Also pray that she will tolerate her nutrition because she so needs it. Today marks 11 days of heavy sedation. Pray she is able to come off the narcotics with minimal withdrawal.

Anne still has so much healing she needs to do; it is hard to see her opening her eyes, but not being sure if she is recognizing us. Pray God will heal Anne’s brain so that she may know God’s joy!

-eric

Evidence of God’s grace…

Today was a difficult day for me personally. It’s painful to watch her tremor. She tremors when she’s agitated… either from her breathing tube or being moved – just anything that might over-stimulate her.

Even though the day was painful, God’s grace was evident…

Anne’s neurologist held a bright red Elmo doll close to Anne’s face and moved it. Anne tracked the doll with her eyes. That was very encouraging.

I was also able to calm her enough to stop her tremors a few times – just by being close and talking gently to her. Her eyes would lock onto mine and slowly, she would still. Though her eyes are dull and distant – she’s still my precious Anne.

God has bolstered Eric up, for he was amazing today – encouraging me with God’s sovereignty and mercy, assuring me that Anne was in His good hand. Eric is helping me hang on to the promise that God will work everything out for good. I love that man!

Please continue to pray for Anne. Pray that she would progress enough to remove her breathing tube – soon! (It causes her so much angst.) Pray for God to work out his good plan for Anne and our family – and most of all – that Anne would experience the fullness of God’s joy on this earth.

Gratefully, kathryn

Difficult day

Little Anne’s day was very active, but also difficult for her. Her sedation meds are now down to 1 med which caused her to awake a little more today. Anne’s muscle tremors and spasms were a little scary, but suggested that she is moving forward. She probably became a little too stimulated and it caused her to vomit twice. LORD, please be close to our little Anne and heal her.

-eric

“Things too wonderful for me”

It is difficult not to fear trials even though God can provide great blessing to flow from them…

Can God’s good plan be thwarted through negative events? I still don’t understand it, but He is the great “I am”. Job’s answer was God himself. God can somehow work the best out of the worst this fallen world can throw at us!! I know God has wonderful things in store for Anne and is holding her so close . . . . we are not always able to understand God’s ways: “things too wonderful for me”

Job 42: 2-3: I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
-eric

More active

Anne is much more active this morning. Even without reducing the sedation meds, she was opening her eyes about 1/4 instead of 1/8 yesterday. She is also tensing her muscles in her arms and legs and shivering. The movement could be a reaction from the meds and from the brain trauma. The docs say these are good signs and they plan to reduce her sedation meds again today to see how things go. I am not sure that the movements are purposeful. We should keep praying that God will heal her brain.

-eric

Rough morning

Anne’s morning was rough. The doctors have re-intoduced her sedation meds – at a much lower rate than before. She just wasn’t quite ready to wake up yet. But she’s almost there. They’ll let her rest a few more days and then try again – probably weaning her yet again over the weekend sometime.

We covet your prayers for Anne’s brain to heal and the swelling to go down completely. We continue to trust in God’s faithfulness and goodness as we wait for Anne to let us know when she is ready to wake up.

-kathryn

Anne is working hard…

Little Anne is working hard this AM – she is coughing due to the vent and some of the mucus in her lungs, and she is visibly uncomfortable, but then she relaxes as she gets tired. She may have had a couple of seizures, but we really won’t know until the neuorologist reviews her recorded EEG.

-eric

Slowly waking up

With the slow reduction of the sedation meds, Anne continues the slow process of waking up. She is opening her eyelids just a little bit when spoken to or agitated. She is also over-breathing the ventilator at times, especially when they do something she doesn’t like. They have cut her last sedation med in half from where it was a few days ago. We pray and we wait. Today will likely be an eventful day, and a new chapter in this journey as she continues to wake and as we can talk and interact with her more.

-eric

It is true!

Yep, that must be a tall tale. Nothing so wonderful could be true. . . . . . it is true! Anne opened one eye a tiny bit for me! Praise God! He is in the restoration, revival, and renewal business!! We still have a looooog way to go, but we shall be joyful for all that God supplies.

-eric