It was decided that there are a couple of things that ought to be clarified or brought up. However, the last post really takes precedent so I start by repeating it.
Prayer Time
There will be a concentrated prayer time for TJ tomorrow, Sunday December 9th, between noon and 6pm. We ask that people pray (1) that the enemy would have no sway over TJ and (2) that the doctors would find the underlying cause of the pneumonia.
We still can't take visitors, especially after today's events. I -- we -- promise you that far more good will be done by attacking the illness at the ultimate root, the spiritual basis, through prayer. "Where two or three people gather in my name, I will be there with them," we believe that.
Contact
Feel free to contact TJ and family either through comments on the blog posts, email to Jon at madjon@gmail.com, or calling/texting Jon at 651.497.4392 or Chip at 612.695.0203. Emails and comments are printed out for TJ to read -- which he does. Texts and phone calls are quickly passed on to him and the family as well.
You can feel free to call Chip and Jon, if we are in a bad spot to take a call or don't have the energy to field it we'll let it go to voicemail and return it later, as we have time. The only hard and fast rule is that no one gets through to Mary Ann without going through Jon or Chip first.
Why the Initials?
Why do we always speak of "TJ"? Because TJ does sensitive work overseas we avoid using his full name online.
Best Source
This blog has been and will continue to be the best source of information on TJ's condition, expect for perhaps a direct word from the Lord. It is updated within minutes of anything material happening, and is often taking the words out of the doctors' mouths and putting it straight online. I promise you, there is no information you can get from anybody else that hasn't already been posted here. We are being very transparent about the whole process. Truth is truth.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Little Blog Housekeeping
Prayer Time
There will be a concentrated prayer time for TJ tomorrow, Sunday December 9th between noon and 6pm. We ask that people pray (1) that the enemy would have no sway over TJ and (2) that the doctors would find the underlying cause of the pneumonia.
We still can't take visitors, especially after today's events. I -- we -- promise you that far more good will be done by attacking the illness at the ultimate root, the spiritual basis, through prayer. "Where two or three people gather in my name, I will be there with them," we believe that.
More On the Scare, Where Things Are Now
X-Rays show that TJ has a weird bend in his windpipe, something that the pulmonologist (the lung doctor) had never even seen before. As far as we can tell, the ET tube got slightly bent on its way in but not enough to throw off any alarms. When they laid TJ down for his fourth X-Ray for the day and brought him back up the kink worsened effectively blocking off air going through the tube and going through the windpipe. E.g., there was no air getting to TJ's lungs, he was drowning in nothing.
They pulled the ET tube which brought the vitals back up almost instantly. After reintubating him (he is on his third for the day) all of his vitals are stable and he is resting peacefully.
As mentioned the initial results from the bronc wash were negative -- not what we were hoping for -- but the pathologist came in and looked at them and said there are some abnormalities consistent with blastomycosis, which would be consistent with TJ's condition and activity history (cutting down rotten trees rececntly). This is not for sure yet! But, they are going to start treating him for it anyway, as we (the family and the doctors) believe that the possible benefits outweigh the side effects of the treatment.
To actually combat this, TJ needs to be treated for the underlying cause, he can't just lay in bed with pneumonia forever. This is why it is critical that we discover the antagonist, and why we are starting treatment as if we knew it already.
THANK YOU all for your prayers, TJ was -- literally, no strong words here -- within moments of death today. I cannot imagine ever being in a worse place in my life, watching my father choking to death in front of me -- on nothing.
We are hopeful that TJ will stay stable overnight, Mary Ann, at least, is spending the night. Everyone else is still up in the air.
We'll write more as things continue to clarify, and as things or plans change. This blog truly is your best place for immediate information, as Jon can update it from his phone, the crisis was blogged on within minutes.
Bronc Results, More Bad Stuff
The initial bronc results are back and are negative. As said before, it will take 3 to 5 days to culture the sample, so the results currently are not conclusive either way, which is not what we had hoped for.
At the end of the chest X-Ray TJ's vitals took a really big hit. His breathing changed, his heart rate went from ~100 to 130, blood pressure up to ~180 over 95, and his O2 sats dropped from 95 to 65 within seconds. His temp is back up to 101.7. They vitals got a little better after a minute, BP to ~145 over 95, heart rate the same, O2 back into the 90's.
They are about to do another chest X-Ray, I am going back into the room for that.
Know that all of these vitals might have changed for better or for worse by the time I walk 50 feet back to the room.
ng tube back in
An ng tube was put back in to keep TJ's stomach from getting distended.
His fever has dropped to 99 something, the rest of his vitals are still good. The intial results from the bronc should be back soon, and another chest x-ray was just taken to check the ng tube, but will hit his lungs at the same time.
Strong Words
I (Jon) am told that 'going home' was too strong. Apparently *way* too strong, my apologies, I misunderstood a term.
It, instead, is simply 'critical' that they find the cause.
Bronc Done
They just finished the bronchoscopy, and got a good specimen. TJ is still running a fever, 101.4, and they are doing another chest X-Ray to double check the ET (the breathing tube) as it was moved during the bronchoscopy.
His vitals spiked (in a bad way) during the bronchoscopy, but are coming back down in a good way.
Visitors
Sorry, one last thing for the moment. No visitors, order of the doctors and nurses.
Edit: Unless you have already been "approved" to come down. You really will not get in without talking to us first, and practically no one can see TJ at this point, for reasons explained in the previous post.
Bad Things
As promised here is a more detailed update.
Last night TJ was doing well, breathing well, and getting some sleep up until about midnight. Then he woke up and was highly uncomfortable the rest of the night. By this morning, he was having trouble breathing again. (Edit: He also started running a fever last night that is still continuing.)
His vitals have remained good, blood gases, blood pressure, heart rate, O2 saturation, etc. However, an hour ago he was intubated and put into a shallow coma (shallow enough that we are not allowed to touch him or talk to him because he might wake up.)
The doctors decided to intubate him for two reasons, (1) To allow for a bronchoscopy, and (2) to allow him to rest his lungs.
The infectious control doctor is confident that the pneumonia is being caused by a fungus that he hypothesizes TJ contracted while cutting rotten wood at our land in WI (the yurt). Apparently, catching fungal diseases is fairly common from rotten Wisconsin wood, seriously.
A bronchoscopy will be performed in one hour (13:00 CST, half the reason they put him in a coma). The samples the doctors get will be put under a microscope to see if a fungus can be seen. If it can't, the sample will be cultured, but it will take 3-5 days to know anything from the culture.
TJ may be treated for a fungal disease whether or not they positively find anything. If it is a fungal disease it is very treatable. If not, and if they cannot figure out the cause, TJ is very likely looking at going home.
So, please, pray that the doctors figure out what is behind this.
Extremely Brief Update
Things got worse overnight, the doctors are talking about ventilating him. I'll post more within two hours after I get down to the hospital.
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