Evening update

9:35 pm: Chip is spending the night and I am home to catch a bit of sleep. TJ is continuing to inch along in the right direction. Less respiratory support during the day and sat up for about an hour without his O2 sats diving- he was pretty exhausted after that. One of the best internists in the country saw him tonight for a diabetes consult-it is nearly impossible to get in with this doc but he indicated that he will be seeing Tim as an outpatient as well as following him while he is in the hospital. The pain in his side is lessening, but he is feeling more uncomfortable generally. I think his body is responding to the physiological assault he is going through. Hopefully he will get at least a little good rest tonight. The next steps that are needed are for the pneumonia and pleural effusion to start to clear up and for his gut to cooperate so they can pull the nasal gastric tube which really hurts his nose- especially with an sealed CPAP mask. We cannot tell you how grateful we are for all the prayer. While I am exhausted I really the Lord has really given me confidence that he is in control! So you all rest well and keep praying!

Love, Mary Ann

Condition Improving

TJ's condition is slowly improving. He is still in the ICU and SA is spending the night with him. Lord willing he'll be out of the ICU tomorrow and move closer to a regular hospital bed.

On the Path, Still in the Woods

We just spoke to the doctor of infectious control, he said that TJ’s lungs are looking better, and that TJ is looking better all around (which, after having seen him over the last 72 hours is very true).

The doctors’ round this morning was more encouraging than not. His vitals (pulse [heart rate], blood pressure oxygen saturation in the blood, and other blood gasses) have improved and continue to do so.

He does have significant pneumonia in his left lung (technically pneumonia simply means fluid in the lungs, it says nothing of the cause), as well as plural effusion (excess fluid around the lungs) on the same side.

They are running some blood cultures which have been initially negative but take two days to know for sure. They are also testing for legionnaires disease (which can cause pneumonia), or other pneumonia causes.

TJ will be in the ICU for at least one more day and (somewhat sadly) still requests no visitors. TJ and the rest of the family simply don’t have the energy to deal with people at this point. See the first post of this blog for contact information.

A quick background could help put things in perspective. About two weeks ago TJ had a pinched nerve in his lower neck due to a slipped disk. Last Thursday he went to the doctor with a tooth ache which they found to be infected, and then pulled it. Between those two things TJ has been on quite a bit of vicodin.

This had two results, first, symptoms that usually would lead one to suspect pneumonia were suppressed by the vicodin, pain, fever, etc. Second, vicodin acts like lomotil. That is, it stops you up, bad. This is probably why he needed the sigmoidoscopy done.

On Tuesday morning he was admitted into the ER, you can see this post for more information on that. Tuesday afternoon he was on the verge of turning towards the dark side of things, but by Tuesday evening he was doing better. That is, things were not quite as dangerous, but enough that the doctors put him in the ICU.

We get a lot of questions such as, “How is TJ doing?” or “Is he doing better?” They are difficult to answer inasmuch as compared to Tuesday he is walking on water. Compared to normal life he is still on the way out of the woods.

We do truly, truly, truly, appreciate all the prayer support and letters of encouragement. JMA makes sure that they all make it through quickly. As a family we believe in medicine (MA is a nurse, TJ’s father the former chief surgeon at United [we keep running into people that still know him, after a decade plus]), but believe more deeply in the power of God and intercessory prayer. It is never comfortable to be in a bad situation and simply hear, “It’s all for the best,” or “Don’t worry, God will take care of you,” to the extent that it is obviously not a good situation and most people don’t like the idea of God “taking care of them” by nearly striking them dead.

And yet, we believe in a God with a father’s heart who has always been faithful, and so we believe in God’s healing hand. At least one of us is praying something along the lines of, “Yeah God, give the doctors wisdom, etc. etc., but what I would really like – and know that you can do – is just heal him on his bed, miraculously.” He hasn’t picked up his mat yet, but we believe that it can happen, that He can do it. And so the author of this part of the post asks for prayer beyond “God’s will,” but simply for miraculous healing. We are supposed to petition for what we want, right?

We love you all,

The Addington Family

Night Nurse's Notes; Current Status

The fantastic nurse we had overnight is on her way back home so I quizzed her before she left for the same of my mother, but thought I'd pass on the info:

• His hemoglobin is low, but not so low it's worth treating
• His white count is good
• All of his overnight labs looked good

We are currently waiting for the results of another chest X-Ray, taken around 05:30 CST, took look at his lungs.

I (Jonathan) spoke to him this morning after the X-Ray and before the pain meds made him loopy. He was looking much better, and his breathing was sounding better. He said he felt much better. More importantly, he finally found his manly-anti-hospital streak saying, "I hope everybody else thinks I look better too and sends me home!"

Sorry dad, not yet. But he is looking better, and after a bunch of pain meds in him (he has one of those clicker things, but I hit it when he is sleeping to keep him sleeping) he said is not in any pain at all (as of 07:30 CST).

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, emails, and phone calls!

On behalf of the Addington Family, Jonathan

Overnight Update

I've been asleep half the night, but TJ has been looking better and says he is feeling better, whenever he must be concious. For the most part he has slept well and all his vitals have remained in a good range, or at least so says the nurse for the hours I wasn't all the way here.

Post Test

The lower abadonmen tests didn't show anything that we didn't already know, which is a good thing in this case. TJ's gut is still acting a little funny but this is likely due to the painkillers he has been on for unrelated causes.

Most of his vitals are still looking good, blood pressure is a little low at the moment, but this is a recent change (last five minutes). I can see the monitors so I kinda know what is happening there. Pulse, oxygen saturation (sats) are both looking pretty good (all things considered).

With the pain meds and iPod he is pretty comfortable right now (well, compared to barely being able to breathe earliar today and yesterday night) and is finally getting some rest. Pray that he does well over the night, for those of you who are still up.

Jonathan is spending the night and will be checking email, texts, and voicemails periodically, although this blog should continue to have up to date information.

Again, thank you all for your prayers,

-The Addington Family