Birthday and Baptismal Birthday Updates from Facebook

As I sit in my study at home and hear word from Gina about John's condition this morning I can't help but thank the Lord for the wondrous work He continues to do. I do not understand His thoughts and ways and yet I cannot but see His love and faithfulness that surrounds John, Gina, and even me.

There were few updates on Monday as we wanted to spend as much time holding John's hand talking to him and being together.

8:30am Doing the first update on John as Gina is at his bedside giving birthday cuddles. He is now receiving regular breathing treatments and "beatings", the percussive chest message to break up congestion. He tolerates it, but it wakes him up more than has been usual. Right now he is blinking his eyes and moving hands and feet and seems to be fighting his way out of the snow and fog that he has been in and under since transplant.

John Did well through the day, it was uneventful and we received lots of encouragement and Happy Birthdays via Facebook.

Tuesday was a longer day, both in number of updates and it seemed in the challenges that are ever present in John's course to what we pray is recovery.

8am Today we celebrate John's Baptismal birthday, 7 years ago tonight from a styrofoam cup with shaking hand and voice Mark spoke the Words and administered the Sacrament that gives peace to us each day. John is getting weaned on the vent rather quickly heading to extubation again, we're of course hoping that he makes it this time around. He will probably need dialysis today and who know what else. But for the moment we are rejoicing in his Baptism and that he's awake enough to wiggle his toes for the nurses when they ask.

10am A talk with the PICU doc and we know that John is being very easy to vent and is very close to being extubated from a Lung standpoint. We also know that his heart and vascular system have recovered quite well and they are no longer concerned about that. Dialysis again today, his urine output slowed and is now picking up again, but he still needs this help. The thing which is of most concern at the moment is that he had a bit of blood out of his g-tube last night and then today during dressing change gushed blood out around his g-tube and threw up some too. It may very well be that his ulcer is bleeding again, could just be because his platelets got too low but we won't know for a while. They did put his NG tube back in, as a rule I am very anti-ng tube, but for John's g-tube to handle letting stomach contents out he needs to be up, at least sitting up, it's always been that way for formula to go through to and while there was some hope that a new intestine would resolve that it is indeed still the old stomach so we wait to see. We hope that John is stable enough that Mark can return home, that too we should know in the next few hours.

Noon Rounds have come and rounds have gone and I will readily admit that after all the days of rounds where it was grave discussions of what blood pressure Meds to try next or when to head back into surgery that today's rounds were a bit amusing. Mostly a discussion of the merits of carafate to help John's ulcer and what kind of bed would be best for him to be on. We continue to wait on news of blood and when dialysis will start etc but for the moment we are able to sit in John's peaceful room recalling the words of Pastor Schmitt who brought us the Lord's Supper and news of his congregations desire to help us as well. Every day we see God's hand of mercy, John's improvements, staff who share their faith with us, other believers who provide comfort and support even at the darkest moments we see the glimmers of God's Love and hope for this life and the next.

2pm John has been transferred to a new bed, smaller with less air so it makes him work a little more to support himself. Dialysis is running now and going well. He has gotten platelets and carafate and now is getting blood to see if they have control of this ulcer yet. Mark is still here, waiting until things are a bit more stable but hoping to go before evening.

5pm Dialysis total 1700+ mls off the little boy :) A new med to make his platelets extra sticky and try to clot off the ulcer and now a nice nap.

9pm Mark is driving home, John is sleeping. His white count has climbed some today and now his temperature is hovering a little higher, not yet febrile, and I'm ready for him to be awake and excited to see all the mail that is here. I will probably spend the evening looking up hymns and verses that I've received over the last almost a month since we started this.

11pm Mark is nearly home, John is sleeping rather peacefully with some of the best numbers I've seen and I am soon headed to bed. Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement and here's hoping tomorrow brings another day of slow forward steps.

Each day for us is a brand new day, another day past that we have lived with and loved our son, and another day to do the same, knowing that at some point to come we shall share in the everlasting day to live with and love all those who have received and rejoice in the Love of Christ Jesus our Savior.