Happy New Year!!

We are spending New Year's Eve at TCH! WooHOO! Jake is thrilled as you can imagine-but we cannot go home with the fever. He doesn't have any during the day now, but it does happen every night. It's still low-grade, so that's an improvement, but nonetheless still comes back. Today we found out a little more. It seems that it is definitely NOT post-peri-cardiotomy syndrome (fluid around the heart after surgery). This is the good news. The Dr.'s believe that it is most likely something they've seen on catscan-inflammation around the top of the sternum. It seems to be a very tender spot and on the catscan looks like it's under the sternum area. There is no infection in the blood, but there is some infection somewhere. The blood cultures only show inflammation, and these markers seem to be slowly going down everyday. Hopefully this means it is responding to the antibiotics.  They changed one of the antibiotics today. It is alot stronger. Every night when we go to bed, I pray this will be the last night of fever-maybe tonight is the night.

We will be here at least until Monday, January 5, when school starts. That's the bad news. They want to do an MRI on Monday. Pray that will be the day we get to go home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Happy New Year! 

May God bless your family with Good Health and Peace as you ring in 2009!

"We know nothing"

In the words of Inspector Clousseau in Pink Panther, "Here's an update- We know nothing,  you are now updated." It is most frustrating and such a relief at the same time. We had a visit with "OUR" cardiologist (finally, but still not "OUR" surgeon) this morning. It was good to see his face-he is like a grandfather and quite a comfort to my soul! He really feels like this whole fever thing is cause by post peri-cardiotomy syndrome, which is fluid around the heart or sternum after surgery. It not totally conclusive, but it's pointing to that. They took blood again today to make sure there is no infection with the cow valve they put in. Jake has no veins left. The catscan showed some fluid this morning, so maybe we are getting somewhere. They said it's not very much, but could be the cause of the fever since they can't find anything else brewing.  Jake has no energy after fever for 9 days. At 4 this morning it was 99.9, so that's good it hasn't spiked above 100 since we've been here, but it's still low-grade which just makes him feel lousy, not to mention low-spirited! 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers for answers and a course of treatment.

FEVER!

We are back at TCH for the 3rd time this week. Jake has had a low grade fever (between 100-101.8) for 7 days.  He feels lousy and can't even begin to start getting stronger everyday because he just can't get a break. He felt better the day he came home from the hospital than he does now, so please keep him close in your prayers. He has had bloodwork and x-ray's. Today he will have an echocardiogram and more labs. Hopefully we will go home with answers today. He is very discouraged, as we all are.  

Thank you for all your prayers, visits, calls and delicious food! We feel very taken care of!

Hope you have a Happy New Year!

NOEL

NOEL

"Noise of everyone laughing!"

It is a good thing to be home and to hear laughter!  It has been hard, though!  I didn't realize how hard it would be.  No nurses, Dr.'s, monitors, pca's bedside-I mean, I've always wanted to finish my nursing degree.....

We are good, though. We've just been silent because we're exhausted-the adrenaline ran out when we got home.

While we go through times when life is hard,  we do know though, the goodness of God all the time.  Jake is doing well, aside from a few complications with medicine and just feeling like he was mugged and beaten to a pulp. He said it's not so much a pain feeling as just being sore all over. I'm amazed at the way he is getting around.  We went today to have his stitches removed. Yay! That meant a shower when we got home after a week of very minimal sponge baths. He is truly a new guy! The nurses were great today-said he looked so good and all vitals are right where they need to be. I mean you can't get any better than 100% oxygen saturation. BP is good but will be on medicine for that for a while to "remodel" his heart! He is also on a diuretic to keep the fluid down around the heart and an aspirin a day. He should just be on that for a time.  That's the update on Jake-we are praising God for his progress! 

I just can't let this blog go by without sharing my inadequate thank you's! 

To Bordo, Jess Terry and Travis Wisely! Words cannot express the emotion I feel for you for the Prayer Vigil you organized for Jake on his surgery day. And for the way all 3 of you loved, supported, walked beside and prayed for him before and after. I owe a debt of gratitude I cannot repay.  To all of you who stood in prayer for us that day-I heard it was a beautiful thing!

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. I will never know who prayed that day, but I do know God heard.

To all of you who came to the hospital and sat with us, you carried us through that day and the week. Talk about the loving arms of God!!!! After they took Jake from us to go to surgery-it was definitely not a shining moment for us (as you can imagine)- we turned the corner to the waiting room and there was Renae Schummann.  Renea, I'm endeared to you forever for being there and holding me up. Then we walked to the waiting room where my Dad, Matt's parents and Ann Fregia (angel on earth) were there. Throughout the day, my sister, Lori, Matt's sisters, Laurie and family, Gary and Caroline, and other sister, Mindy and Kady came. Darlene Stauffer, Stacy and Robert Beasley, Bob and Cheryl Gowens, Mike and Nancy Calvert, Nancy Howald and Kimberley Wilks, Cassie Brimberry, Erin Leeser, Ben Dawson, Melissa Anderson,  Wes Kennedy, Don and Karen Anderson, Amy Lary, Don and Helen Bryan, Gretchen Ware, Patty Dishman, Keith Perry, Dana Wright, Katie Hooper, Vanessa Foster, Chandler Lengefeld, Amy Pyer, Jess Terry, Brian Clark. Then throughout the week, Alan Dawson, Carol Goforth, Ernell and Nick Veraldi, Wes Speights, Andrew Leeser and Lincoln, Bordo, Gina and Bryce Borden, Clint Askins, John Hamilton, Shank, Bryan Davis, Cheri Pyer, Ryan Pyer, Kevin Zilinski, Tim Dunn, Kyle Pencak, David Williamson, Alex Boshart, Ryan Minter, The Parks6, Berkley Wilks and last but not least Travis Wisely (who visited everyday)!!!! I'm sure I've left someone out. If I have left you off this list, I want to know.  

Wow! This has been such a testament to our beloved church and Jake's school, by the way you responded to us. We love you so much and thank you for being in our lives. We do not take your friendship for granted. I'm sorry if this is gushy. I'm feeling very gushy towards each one of you for loving us through this and for "LIFTING UP JAKE!!

It is going to be a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Going Home!

We are going home today!!

Perspective

There's nothing like perspective to remind us to be thankful for all the blessings we have in life-especially our health. Being in the hospital has certainly reminded me to count my blessings. There are children here that will not get to home for Christmas and children that have been here for weeks. There was a child in ICU that probably weighed 2 pounds, and another one right beside us that coded twice while we were there (pray for that family). There are children that don't know the joys of having a loving family and a church family that go above and beyond. 

Jake is doing so well today and had a very restful night. He slept from 12-9, with a few nurses taking his vital signs and giving meds. Other than that he didn't move. He is smiling and -we had some great laughs this morning with Bordo, Gina, Brycee and Clint and I'm sure we're in for some more with the Park's on their way. We are so thankful for the visits. Jake has taken three laps around the halls this mornig. Xray came back today with the news of a fully expanded lung, (sing praise)!

Overall, he is great! His pulse-ox machine says he has 100% saturation and his heart  rate is staying in the 60's, which is so great compared to yesterday when his bpm was in the high 90's (another praise)!  His heart is working very effeciently!

Continue to pray for Jake when you think of him-that he will continue in a smooth recovery and be restored to complete health.

My prayer for each of you is that you celebrate the holidays with a healthy perspective on what our Lord and Savior has done for you.

"Peace on Earth"

Visitors Today

To all his wonderful friends that came by today right when we were going into the OR, I'm so sorry the lady at the front desk made you leave!! Jake loved knowing you were here - it meant so much to him, I can't even describe it. He read your notes, loved the gifts and can't wait to see you all again. He was at his worst when you were here-it was just a bad time. So thank you for showing your love for him by coming all the way down here to visit him. You will never know how that made him feel!

Blessings!!

Rough day over!

Praise God, this day is over! Jake has been in so much pain since they tried to take the tube out, not to mention the anxiety he had knowing he was going back into the OR. They came and got him around 3:15. They were able to remove the tube with a hard yank! Thankfully he was out! I really don't know why they just don't knock 'em out in the first place! I guess they try to avoid excess anesthesia. We met in recovery around 6:00 and he said, "Oh man, I feel so much better!"  He just looked better. It was very stressful, but it is over!

His lung is better-answered prayer!

He has been up walking a bit, sitting on a couch and he ate for the first time! YAY! 

Grace and Mercy!

Rough Night, Rough Morning!

Jake had a pretty rough night. He was up every hour with beeping, nurses and stomach aches. Not sure what the stomach ache was about-maybe all the meds, but it was not very restful. 

Then we were awakened around 5 by the nurse and Jake was given more morphine with the good news that his chest tubes would be removed between 6-7.  We saw new Dr.s this morning who are on Dr. Morales' team. They proceeded to take out the chest tubes. The first one came out fine with a little pinching and pain. The second chest tube, not so easy! It's stuck in there. We had 2 strapping Dr.'s pulling on his tube and it wouldn't budge! So this is a little setback! They called Dr. Morales. He was about to go into another 8 hour surgery, but came down and tried to pull. Again, nothing, so Jake is going back to the OR tonight around 6pm when Dr. Morales gets out of surgery. It should be quick-maybe 15 minutes, but Jake will have to be sedated again.  He said it could be that the tube is either tangled or caught on a stitch. UGGGGHHH! Poor guy! He's got the best attitude, though and Dr. Morales said it would probably take about an hour total.

So....pray today that it will be quick and simple. Best thing would be for Jake to be sedated, and for Dr. Morales just to yank it out, but he said they may have to make another incision.

The good news is that Jake has been up walking to a chair and sitting for 30 minutes at a time, so that is progress. 

Oh-he also had an xray this morning, so we are waiting to see how his lung is doing.

Thanks for your prayers! 

Blessings for the Holidays!

 

Room 1534!!!

We're in a room! Praise God!!!! It has been a great day of progress. We had the most amazing male nurse again today in ICU. His name was Nick and I just believe it was totally the hand of God providing for Jake. He is a Christian. He even played football for ACU. Nick gave Jake pep talks all day long and was so encouraging. He was such a blessing and such an answer to our prayers for Jake's care. Just more joy along this hard road!

Before they moved him into his room, all his tubes, IV's, blood pressure meds and oxygen were removed. When we got to the room they made him WALK and SIT UP for a while. Unbelievable! It was so hard, but he did so good. He has not complained one time! He's just been so tough! 

Hopefully there won't be as much activity tonight, so he can rest a little better.

Thanks for all the visits, food, phone calls and love! 

No complications

We are praising God that there have been no complications.  He is in alot of pain, naturally, but had a pretty good night. They are changing his meds today to take more of the edge off the pain. He rested comfortably when the heart monitor, medicine machines, bp cuff and leg massage machines were'nt beeping. Then there were nurses and Dr.'s coming in between all that taking blood and xrays. He's very nauseated and having a tough time keeping liquids down from the anesthesia and morphine-not fun! 

He had a great nurse, Gill last night. He was so attentive and just really took care of things before they happened. His shift was over at 11 and then Percy came on.  Jake told me I was a better nurse than she was. Matt and I had the privilege of having a suite in the hospital last night. They gave us a room at the Ronald McDonald House.  It was private. I stayed with Jake until 3 a.m. and Matt slept. Matt took over at 5 so Jake was with Percy for 2 hours, but she said he slept the whole time. 

We saw Dr. Morales at 9:30 this morning. He was pleased with all his vital signs. Even though his blood pressure is up, he still feels really good about his progress. He said it's probably just from being in pain. His left lung is still not expanding, but the Dr. said it's common at this stage, and will just have to be faithful in doing breathing therapy. He's resting comfortably right now.

Our prayers remain the same for now. Thank you for continuing to bathe him in prayer. Our God is faithful and we are grateful.

Romans 5:3, " Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance,  perserverance, character and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love in our hearts by the holy spirit whom the Lord is given us."

Jake went into surgery around 8:15. The OR nurse said he entertained them until he was out. They asked him to relax and think about something he would like to do or be someday. He told them he wanted to be James Bond. They also asked questions about Jenni, and he said, "who?"

She said he was a very funny guy. 

Our first report was around 10:30. His sternum was opened and they were working on all the scar tissue from the previous surgery. At around 1:00 they reported that he was on the bypass machine and the valve was being sewn in.  At around 2:45 she reported that his sternum was being wired shut and then his chest. He should be going into CVICU around 4:00. 

For all of you who gave blood-Wow-How can we say thank you. It's such an amazing gift. I can't think of a better gift at Christmas.  The nurses were amazed at the amount of donations (10 units). They said they never see this much given for one person. We told them about our incredible church family. What a testimony to our God. Every volunteer commented on how loved he is by the outpouring of friends and family today. We are overwhelmed by your love and concern for him. 

4:00

He's out of surgery and he did great! Dr. Morales said, "Everything went as planned. He was very happy." It took 8 hours. Jake was on bypass for 2 hours and intubated, but that tube came out after surgery, so he is breathing on his own. He is pretty uncomfortable, but is being given morphine every 4 hours. His left lung is deflated a little, not collapsed, but the nurses are trying to make him cough. They are not worried about this, but please pray that his lung does not collapse and that it does not become a problem.

We will spend the night here with him. He very uncomfortable, but the nurses have been great and they are definitely making him as comfortable as possible! Good drugs and a lot of TLC. He wanted a cold rag on his hand. The nurse said that was a first request. 

We love you for the way you have loved us today and truly carried us through.

Lyrics from John Waller's song "While I'm Waiting"

We are waiting on you Lord, and we are hopeful-

We are waiting on you Lord, though it is painful!

But patiently we will wait.

We will move ahead bold and  confident, taking every step in obedience,

We will serve you while we are waiting

We will worship while we wait

We will not faint

We will run the race

Even while we wait.

We are waiting on you Lord

We are Peaceful

We are waiting on you Lord, but it's not easy

but faithfully we will wait.

"Lifting Up Jake"

We've been so overwhelmed by the love and concern for Jake as he approaches his surgery date, so we thought a blog would be the best way for you to follow his progress.