The whole story so far....

Here are all the updates so far from my sister's email. This should bring everyone up to date on where things stand right now. All new posts will be new information as I get it.

12/28/2008
Well, two steps forward, one step backward…

Last night, Mom was the best I’ve seen her in a long time. The doctors had removed her monitors, her pain pump, her “leg squeezers” and were getting ready to move her back upstairs to the regular surgical recovery floor: all excellent news. She’d had her hair washed (yay!), was watching an NCIS marathon (sweet!) and was looking forward to maybe getting some real food. I went home about 7:30 feeling pretty good about how things were going.

My Dad got a call from her nurse about 10 pm; apparently Mom had a seizure of some sort, and was continuing to have mini-seizures. Her blood sugar was down to 33 at that time, so they began to manufacture a chemical rebalance for her. She had a CT scan around midnight, but results wouldn’t be available until morning. They had Mom in some sort of a medicinal slumber, so they sent Glenn and Dad home to get some rest. They also moved her back into the ICU so she could have constant monitoring.

My Dad went down to the hospital early this morning. Results from the CT scan are positive: there wasn’t a stroke, or a loose blood clot, and there is no bleeding on the brain. However, her blood sugar was down to an alarming 10! The current train of thought is that she is having seizures due to extreme low blood sugar, so they are monitoring her hourly at this point. They are bringing in a neurologist to bounce ideas off of to see if they’re missing anything. Dad will stay with her today, and I’ll go down this afternoon once Alex goes down for a nap. Sara will fly here from Norfolk tomorrow.

Please, please, please continue the prayers! I am hopeful that if this is just a blood sugar issue that it can be easily treated. I am so ready to write an email that contains nothing but good news! Thank you all for sticking with us through this whole ordeal, and for supporting the whole family in prayer. It means so much to all of us…

Anticipating some GOOD NEWS,

Dana

PS: Pastor Lee – please forward to the Prayer Chain. Thank you!

12/27/2008:

Sorry there hasn’t been an update for a few days; things have been a little crazy!

Mom has been moved out of the ICU, and into the Intermediate Care area. This has been a good move in more ways than one – not only does it mean that she’s improving little by little, but since it’s quieter, she’s finding it easier to sleep and rest. The healing process is progressing, albeit slowly. After being down so much after knee surgery and now being flat on her back for the last three weeks, Mom is very weak. Getting up and out of bed to sit in a chair is a huge accomplishment, but it absolutely wipes her out. I keep trying to remind her that she’s getting stronger with every day that passes… J

GOOD NEWS:

1. Her white blood cell count has gone from a staggering 33 down to a nearly normal 11. (Optimal range is 5-10.) This is the indicator the doctors are watching to gauge her infection, so numbers this low are very encouraging.

2. The section of intestine that was removed was tested, and is cancer free!

3. The physical therapists who come in to work with her are thrilled with her knee replacement.

4. Her color is good, and she even cracked a few jokes yesterday. (At my expense, I might add!) She hasn’t done that for some time, and it was wonderful to hear.

It looks like she’ll be needing 24 hour care for some time to come, so even if she is released from the hospital she unfortunately can’t quite come home. (I guess we’ll be looking at some sort of rehab facility, but I’m sure we’ll know more soon.) There is still a significant amount of pain to deal with as well; hopefully that will begin to subside further as she continues to heal. I’m hoping that as soon as she’s able to sit up for an extended length of time (and gets some of the numerous IVs and monitor cables removed) that we’ll be able to wheel her outside for a short change of venue… those four hospital walls are closing in, and the view never changes.

We are all so incredibly thankful for the outpouring of love and support we’re received. God is SO good, and we’ve been so blessed by all of your prayers! Please keep them coming, as THEY ARE HELPING!

Thankfully ~

Dana



12/23/2008:

Mom did have surgery last night, about 7 pm. She was in tremendous pain right before, and very nervous. So were we! We all held hands and prayed together before she left, which at the very least made me feel better…

The procedure was a “technical success” according to her (slightly stingy with details) doctor. They ended up removing a sizeable section of large intestine, which was very badly infected. She came through surgery well, especially considering how weak she is. We are so hopeful that this will kick-off her road to recovery!

My Dad and I really felt the need to see her face afterwards, which meant waiting until she came out of recovery just before midnight. She was very “ouchy”, but they gave her one of those self-medicating clickers – I hope she uses it! My Dad stayed with her after I left; he may have even spent the night. I’ll have to wait until he calls me this morning, as I accidentally took his cell phone home with me… doh!

They kept her in ICU last night, and may be moving her to an intermediate care room today. I will keep you posted. Christmas will be most definitely spent in the hospital, so we will do our level best to make it a happy one for her. Dad and I bought her a (very) small live tree that we can add to her room, and we’ll just find a way to celebrate all around her.

THANK YOU ALL for your phone calls, your emails, and you unending prayers. I know my Mom could feel the love yesterday, and it was a huge comfort to her. We’d like to ask for your continued support, as she now faces yet another recovery period. May there be no further infection, good gut healing and a general restoration of health!

One thing I know I’ve forgotten to mention is the state of my Mom’s knee replacement. Her doctor for that kept warning us that if the infection travelled down into the new knee, the WHOLE THING would have to be redone/replaced. The fact that this has not yet happened with all the infection running through her body is a miracle in itself, but we will ask God to continue keeping that area safe and free from danger.

The next few days are sure to be rough. I am just so thankful to have my Mom here with us for Christmas…thank you Jesus!

Dana



12/22/2008:

I just talked to my Mom this morning… the intestinal drains aren’t working as well as the doctors would like. She is back to having intense pain, and her white blood cell count is again much too high. She is frustrated and understandably a little frightened, as are the rest of us. We are so wanting some *GOOD* news for her, for some relief from the pain she is in, and for some sort of permanent solution to this malady. Today they will send her for another scan. Depending on the results, they may pull out her drains and send her in for emergency surgery to remove the affected portions of intestine.

So again, we ask you to stand with us in prayer, asking for her health to improve. It is so uplifting to Mom to know that she has the best Prayer Warriors behind her! Our entire family continues to be thankful for the incredible support you have shown to her, and to us…

It only seems fitting at this time of year to list at least one positive item against the negative. The love that I have witnessed between my parents throughout this ordeal has overwhelmed me; my Dad truly adores my Mom, and that is a tremendous comfort to her. Sara and I are so blessed to have their example…

Thank you again! I will update tomorrow as we find out more.

Dana

PS: Pastor Lee, can you please forward this to the SeaCoast prayer chain? Thank you!



12/17/2008:

I am THANKFUL! J

I just got off the phone with my mom… she sounds SO much better! Yesterday the surgeon went in and placed three drains inside of three abscesses. (From what I understand, this should have been three separate procedures, but her surgeon is extremely skilled. Yes!) The relief was almost immediate; by last night both my dad and two of her doctors commented on how much better she looked. She still has the drains in place, and they will reassess her condition on Friday.

While all of this is wonderful news, there will still be some trials ahead. The surgeon told her that the abscesses will refill of the own volition in about six months, so the affected intestines will need to be removed. They want mom to be stronger physically first, so that surgery will be delayed until sometime in January.

I am so incredibly thankful to all of you for the unending prayer, supportive emails and phone calls! I have seen the power of your collective action, and I am humbled by it. Many thanks from the deepest parts of my heart… please keep up the wonderful work!

With a joyful heart,

Dana and family



12/16/2008:

I wanted to try to get online this morning, and write in individual groups, but I’m running out of time… J

My mom Candy has not been doing well since her knee surgery back in early October. Last Friday she finally went to the doctor after two months worth of intense pain, and they ran a blood work panel. The results came in yesterday, and they were less than stellar. They sent her for an MRI yesterday and then admitted her to the hospital last night. She has some sort of infected intestinal abscess that is going to have to be repaired; we won’t know the extent of the surgery until this morning when the surgeon comes in. My mom hates doctors & hospitals (hence her waiting over two months to get in there), so this is pretty close to complete torture for her. My entire family and I would be very appreciative of any prayers said on her behalf. She's scared, and so are we.

Please stand together with us and ask God for a successful surgery, a complete recovery and a relief from the pain that Mom has been having. Our most fervent Christmas wish is to have our Mom/Wife/Grandma restored to good health and happiness!

Dana ~ on behalf of all of the Nolan, Jennings & Flaherty Families