Sunday Morning Medical Update

It has been one week since TJ was pulled off the plane. Chip reviewed some of the story for DaveR and me last evening. The plane was taxiing for take off and Chip, who was sitting a few rows behind TJ, noticed some passengers pointing at TJ and calling for the flight attendant. Chip went up to check on things. TJ was sort of jerking, not conscious, then puked and came around. Chip checked his blood sugar (OK) and then things started moving fast to get him off the plane. Chip did an amazing job in those first critical moments and hours.

In talking to the Infectious Disease Doc today I was pressing him for why he was ruling out MRSA based on negative cultures and not every other bacteria. He said that if it were MRSA it would have caused some inflammation of the heart and been circulating throughout TJs blood stream. The cultures have shown "normal throat flora"- or the normal critters that live in all of our throats, which would be consistant with aspiration pneumonia- or choking on puke which would pick up the normal flora on it's way down the wrong pipe. The ID doc is satisfied with his progress.

I did a little reading today on ARDS and found an article from NIH (National Institute of Health) in the US and they are following all the recommended protocols as well as being on the top of the curve for recent recommendations. For you medical types this includes ventilator settings of peep and tidal volume, acid base balance in blood, albumin for pulling fluid off the lung and back into the blood vessels, and enteral nutrition support (formula via NG tube).

TJ observed today that once you get on a ventilator it seems hard to get off. Indeed. Please pray for patience and stamina for him- it is a very taxing position to be in.

Last evening DaveR (a good friend from a creative access country) took Chip and I to an Outback Steakhouse for dinner. It was good to get out of the hospital for a bit and have a change from the cafeteria selections.

That is all the news from Lake Wobegon for now.

MA

Ponderings..

I have not been over to TJ's room as yet- moving kinda slow this morning-so I do not have any medical updates. I wanted to put some things out there that have been stirring in my mind since Chip's first phone call, but between jet lag and the challenges of the situation it has been hard to articulate these thoughts.

This is a spiritual battle. Please continue to keep up praying in that mode. I think that I have sort of a warped view of things because it has not been as terrifying as last year and TJ is awake- so he just seems a lot better. However, he is still on a vent and not out of danger by a long stretch. During the conference that TJ and Chip were a part of here there were prayer teams and they felt like they did " a lot of damage". The enemy is fighting back. The following is from an email I received today:

" I went over to get more stuff from my old house a few days ago and was talking to my old landlord who is a Christ follower. I told her about my dream. She said, "I had a dream too. There was a man in a hospital in a foreign place. There was evil and people going throughout the hospital releasing flies (infection/illness) everywhere and draining blood of patients." I told her about TJ and asked her to pray."

Bangkok is one of the darkest cities one earth with the highest concentration of the sweetest and kindest people on earth. A word that has come to several peoples minds is illumination. Please pray that God's light emanates from TJ's room and our lives to the staff here. It would be quite a coup if the enemy was trying to take TJ out of commission and we gained some family members instead!

Finally, it has been impressed upon me that God will not share His glory with anyone else. Last time we said that if TJ had not been at United Hospital, if Dr. Corbett had not been around, if I had not been around, if TJ's dad had not been around things easily could have turned out differently. I think God is proving that He can do miracles in our lives without our help.

Now I am going to finish the way too strong coffee i made in a press mug I bought at Starbucks in the Tokyo airport, shower, and head over to his room.

May God bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you and give you peace.

MA

on a side note (main post below)

k so i have adopted a unofficial theme song (kinda) for this whole little skirmish check it out its "between the cherubim" by misty edwards. it seems to speak to what where dealing with extremely well)

download it its an awesome song (if you really want ill spot you the buck later for your itunes purchase) (ok that was a lie... to many people check this blog for me to say that)

We will awaken the dawn with a song in the night
For a new day will come just as sure as the sun will rise
Though deep darkness prevail for the night weeping endures
Yet the light will not fail He won't rest until His righteousness shines

You who dwell between the cherubim to You we cry
O Shepherd of Israel restore and cause Your face to shine
Don't remember our former sin Let Your mercy speedily come
O Shepherd of Israel restore and cause Your face to shine

Though we're feasting on the bread of affliction
And the water of tears is our wine
We won't draw back but we'll run to
You for we know it's just a matter of time
You will answer the cry of Your people and
Your ear is attentive to their sighs
So we lift up our voice to You and we sing in the dawning light

For the glory of Your name for Your glory and your fame
Though the earth be removed we lift our hands to only You
For the glory of Your name for Your glory and Your fame
Though the nations rage toward You let our love remain true

immmmmmmmprooooving (slowly)

Ok so we just talked to the infectious disease doc, and looked at today's chest xray. the news is good the xray is considerably more clear, but still shows some infiltrate.This is an improvement. In addition TJ has not been running a fever, so everything continues to improve.

they attempted to begin to ween him of the vent yesterday, but staff observed this caused a drop in his blood oxygen level, which isn't serious but dose mean that they have to take it more slowly. the doc said he thought it would be "a few more days." This means a longer time with an extremely uncomfortable tube down pop's trachea, and more days of torturous suctioning.

so the prayer request for this week is that the tube would come out ASAP, and that he would be discharged on Jan 14th. (this is the day he was discharged last year and has been dubbed his second birthday.) this is highly unlikely, medically speaking. However we have all seen and been part of miracles that have been highly unlikely medically speaking, so we pray in faith. this would also be an excellent display of Gods power to the Thai staff here. for the glory of His name.

Not to mention thanking the Lord for how well this has gone, and that there hasn't been any serious complications.

Chip for all