Friday, July 9, 2010

Update on Vivian - 7/9

Today has been a mixed day for Vivian, though I would venture to say that the positive aspects have far outweighed the negative.

The best news I have to report is that this afternoon Vivian acted very much like I would expect Vivian to act if she awakened in a strange place, with tubes in her nose, with her arms restrained and with much pain in her left arm and throat, i.e., she was NOT happy. I've never been so glad to see Vivian unhappy, however, because it was the strongest sign I've seen yet of her regular self.

Robert, my mom and I met with Dr. Matson for a long update today. Vivian's latest chest x-ray, while not optimal, was much improved, especially factoring in her removal from the ventilator. Vivian's fluid levels were largely balanced again, with most of her labwork numbers approaching normal levels. Dr. Matson plans to aggressively begin removing Vivian from the various medications she has been receiving while hospitalized. All of this is in anticipation of discharging Vivian to a children's rehabilitation hospital, hopefully early next week. Dr. Matson does not see any reason to perform an MRI or EEG on Vivian right now because he thinks the best measure of her capabilities will be to see what can be accomplished in intensive rehabilative therapy.

Dr. Sandell, the wonderful compassionate doctor who admitted Vivian to the PICU two weeks ago, returned today after a week's vacation. She was clearly delighted to see that Vivian was off the ventilator and in such better health. Her reaction was a welcome reminder of how far Vivian has come.

The most difficult part of the day came in the late afternoon and evening when Vivian became quite restless and agitated. It was not clear whether this was due to pain or to withdrawal from her medications, as they can present similarly. Vivian's left arm, however, became increasingly swollen and hot, likely due to her thrashing around, and when I pressed Vivian about what was hurting, she was able to say "arm." Vivian also ran a fever of about 101. Dr. Fanning ordered a dose of morphine in addition to some Toradol, and he restarted her antibiotics. Vivian is now resting very quietly. She has an exceptional nurse named Susan caring for her tonight which enables me to go home feeling confident that Vivian will be in good hands.

I don't pretend to understand the efficacy of prayer, but clearly your petitions to our Heavenly Father are yielding results. Please offer praise that we are seeing positive signs that Vivian will recover. Kindly ask God to provide Vivian with relief from her pain, to heal her left arm, and to enable her to come off of as many medications as necessary so that she can be transferred to a rehabiliation facility. Continue to pray for the health and recovery of Vivian's brain.

I am humbled and amazed at the outpouring of support our family has received. Your prayers and your love have sustained us through this difficult time. Thank you.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Continued prayers...and I have added her to our Order of St. Luke (Christian Healing Ministry) prayer list. Lots of folks all over the country/world are praying for her (and all of you)! Blessings for a peaceful weekend! Liz

Sandra said...

Have been thinking of you all day. So glad to see this update. I know you are exhausted and probably don't feel like blogging every evening, but thank you for keeping us informed. Vivian has loads of prayer going to God in her behalf. And we know God is good, so he will take care of Vivian and you, your husband, and family. xoxo

Tami said...

God is good. I'm thankful for all of the good things that are happening for Vivian. She has come a long way in two weeks. She has had good doctors and nurses. Praying for more good.
take care-

Ruby's Fairy Godmother said...

I was hoping for an update tonight....thank you for taking the time to update us.
Praise God for the healing going on in Sweet Vivian's body. I pray that she continues to feel better and to have her medications lowered even more. I am praying that the fever stays low and that her arm won't bother her so much. I am thrilled that you are seeing bits and pieces of the Vivian you know and love.
I am praying for rest and peace for Vivian's Mom and Dad and other family members.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you. Just know you are being lifted by many -how awesome! The power of prayer is amazing!
Norah

lmk said...

WONDERFUL UPDATE!!! YAY VIVIAN!!!

Jenny said...

I'm so thankful that you are seeing positive signs-- she has come a long way, and we praise God with you. We're continuing to pray for her recovery and peace and rest for all of you. Love and hugs, jenny

crusher said...

Eloise,
I'm reserved on what I can really say - Kim has been mentioning and including Vivian and family at dinner prayer, and after a few days of checking the updates I guess it's time to actually tell you I am with you all, too.

Peace and Hope to all of you.
David S.

Janet said...

I am so pleased with the good news about precious Vivian. It won't be long now till she will be her self again. I am still praying for your faith to stay strong during her recovery. I am so glad that you have peace, God is good and he will not let you down. I hope that maybe you and Robert can relax, memtally and physically a little more now. Prayers are still going strong until our precious Vivian is back to her normal self.

Love and prayers,
Janet Melton

emcr1229 said...

Thank you for the update. It was good to read that Vivian is acting more like herself. Your family continues in my thoughts and prayers.

Maggie said...

Continuing to pray, for Vivian's healing and for you all for the journey ahead.

Sherrie said...

I am so glad to hear that you are seeing Vivian's spunky personality. What a great sign! You all continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

Jan M said...

I am elated that you saw signs of "your" Vivian. What a blessing and joy that must have been for you! Prayers continue.

Dianne said...

It sounds like things are getting better with baby steps...praise God! I hope this weekend is one of peace for dear Vivian and for your family. She is in my heart and in my prayers daily.

Sharon said...

Thank you for the updates. Seems like it's two steps forward and one step backward in terms of the medical aspect of pain and discomfort. Here's hoping and praying that Vivian make a resounding recovery over the weekend and you have some really good news come Monday. Praying, praying, praying.....Sharon