Well, I'm back home but Shelbae called and said that when she went to visit mom in the hospital she was peacefully sleeping.  And she ran into the respiritory therepist who said they are going to begin weening mom off of the breathing machine to see how she does.  Hopefully she'll do great and continue to improve.

 
 

Tonight was my last night to see mom before I head back.  I can't decide if it was a good visit or sad visit.  It was good in the aspect that she was very aware of things and could understand me.  But because of that awareness, she realized that Casey was here and she was in the hospital, that Grandad wasn't there, that she is really sick, and that she can't talk.  She kept trying to talk and sit up.  She also cried and cried, but not because of physical pain.  When I told her what everyone was doing (that wasn't there), I told her that Grandad was at home with the goats.  She cried.  In my gut, I think that she knows.  I also know that one of the medications they have her on acts as a type of amnesia medication, where she won't remember anything that is going on right now, including pain.

It kills me to leave her, but I know that she is surrounded by family, friends and angels that care not only for her, but her family.  That (and the fact that she is a daughter of The Most High) is the only comforting thing to me.  I know she'll have plenty of visits, plenty of prayers, and those close by to watch over her most beloved things...her family. 

Please, continue to keep her in your prayers.  While she is alert, it's not because she has gotten much better, but because they are easing up on the sedation medication.  Please keep praying for and interceeding on her behalf.  Please.

Dr. Craig & Craig Herndon & Anyone else who visits or calls and gets any info, please update us on what is going on and what you see...good and not-so-good.  And when anyone does visit her, be sure to mention my name and tell her that I love her and that she better be fighting because three little granddaughters want to come and see her.

I'll be back in January. 

 
 

Mom is still the same.  Some days her oxygen is good and some days it isn't.  Today it was at 45% but her temp ranged from 100-101.3.  They are only giving her morphine when she looks as though she's in pain.  She didn't open her eyes today.  The nurse said her lungs looked a little worse today.  Who knows.

 
 

Went to go see mom again and things are still the same.  Her oxygen was moved down to 50%, which is good.  Her temperature was normal, so she's not running a fever.  Also, the nurse who has been with her the last three nights, Lisa, said that her lungs did not look any better but sounded a tad bit better.  I told her about what the Dr.s said about her slim chance of living and she said that it was about a 20% chance.  I again told her to open her eyes and she did.  She didn't squeeze my hand like I told her to, but she did open her eyes.  I know she enjoys hearing what's going on with everything and wants to talk soooo bad.  I bet her not being able to talk is driving her crazy.  I miss hearing her voice.

 
 

Things are about the same.  I got to see her open her eyes finally.  Casey, Zach, and I all walked in and started talking to her and she opened her eyes.  She didn't focus on us but I know that she knew we were there.  I could tell she was trying her hardest to talk, trying to form words with her mouth and I could see her move her tounge.  I also know she was trying to smile.  The Lung Dr. moved her oxygen down from 70 to 60, which is good.  When mom origionally came in, they had her on 55% oxygen, then went down to 50 and 45.  However, the past couple of days it went all the way up to 70% and he moved it down to 60% to see how she would do.

Keep praying, please.  The Dr.s told me that if she makes it through this it would not be because of medicine.  And if you go see her, talk sternly to her and tell her to fight.  She's stubborn sometimes.  I want her recovery to be a miracle and testimony to the power of our awesome God. 

 
 

I just spoke with my grandmother who was leaving the hospital.  I asked how mom was doing.  Keep in mind that she doesn't know about the ARDS.  She said that she wasn't very satisfied, that the Dr. seemed to have no hope for her.  She spoke with another Dr. that drops by occasionaly, one that goes to church with my mom and grandmother, and he said that things were basically the same, though he hadn't read all her charts.

 
 

Grandad's funeral went very well.  It was nice and simple, just the way he would have wanted it.  It was video taped so that if mom decides she wants to view it, the option exists.

Speaking of mom.  Not good.  Well, the treach and feeding tube they put in this afternoon went well.  She looks much more comfortable.  As I was walking in to see her, the lung specialist was just finishing up.  In a nutshell, he showed me the picture of her lungs the day she came in and the picture of them today.  Drastic difference, for the worse.  Most of all of her lungs are white and we are wanting them to be black.  I informed the Lung Dr. of what her Dr. said, about her surviving being very slim.  He strongly agreed.  He said in the unlikely event she makes it, it won't be because of medicine, although they are doing everything possible.

 
 

Thank you sooooo much Craig for your continuous updates.  Please continue to do so as you understand the terminology and stuff better than I do.

I am back in Odessa for another week or so.  This is what I have found out: Mom is getting a treachea, feeding tube, and having fluid extracted from her lungs tomorrow.  I spoke with her Dr. who said she has what is called ARDS.  This is not good.  I did some internet research and from what I can tell, anywhere between 30-70% of people who develop ARDS die.  The average seemed to be about 40%.  Those who do survive are more likely to do so if the ARDS is caused by trauma to the lungs rather than sepsis (which she has) or pnemonia (which she has).  So there you go.  That's all I know at this point.

I did speak with a lovely lady named Ruth who is the Patient Advocate right under the Director of the hospital.  I went to her for several reasons, the main one being that I really feel like there is a huge lack of communication from nurse to nurse, Dr. to Dr.  I felt as though things were just kind of, "well, we'll see, we don't know, yadda yadda".  Once she got on top of things I quickly received a call from the surgeon doing the treach and from her Dr. two times who gave me three numbers to reach him at if I have any questions.  This is when the Dr. informed me that she is critically ill with ARDS and that her chances of survival are slim.

 
 

I am home now so the posts will probably go down to 1 or maybe 2 a day.  Larry called last night and told Jake that mom's feeding tube got infected and they had to change it out.  That's all I know at this point.  If any of you there in Odessa go to see her and talk to the Dr. or nurses (or you Aunt Jan) and have any new information, please either post it here, email me at amanda.guinn@gmail.com, or call my house at 936.788.2154 or cell at 936.828.7571.

 
 

As of about 3:00 today her blood pressure was really really high.  They called the Dr. who said to give her some sort of medicine.  Her temp was the same tonight but her blood pressure came down a little.  Everything else remains the same.

I am heading back home for a week tomorrow morning.  I will be coming back next Tuesday, November 18th.  Hopefully she'll be doing better by then.

Please continue to pray for her.  Thank you again to all who have helped out during this time.  I am forever grateful.

 
Create a free website with Weebly