Monday, December 21, 2009

UPS AND DOWNS

In the midst of writing this post Mel called from Witt's room. I just left the post as is to give you all a little glimpse into the ups and downs that Melanie and Austan go through!

Things are pretty uneventful here for Witt which is good! You can tell that the extra fluid is coming off his little body. The lung x-ray showed that the right side is about the same but the left is definitely better. Witt is really not happy on the ventilator. They are giving him sedation pretty frequently to keep him from getting upset. Honestly, this is a hard time but just when I need it God sends me encouragement! Today, it comes from the mom of a patient that I wrote about way back this summer when Witt was here in the PICU. Chase is a 19 year old boy who has been waiting for a lung transplant. His whole life he has dealt with lung issues. His mom (Carol)is such an good example of persevering and doing it with steadfast joy. Yesterday I saw her in the PICU waiting room and she told me that Chase had the transplant the night before. Today he is off the ventilator!! She is placing the glory right with God. This summer I shared a few steps of hert "valley" and now I am getting to share in her "mountaintop" and the view is wonderful!!! As for Witt, there is no talk at all about going home. Not even the doctors could give that a guess but each day now he is moving slowly towards that. The big hurdle is to get off the ventilator.
UPDATE!! I am resting in the recliner and Mel just called with the news that Witt now has a fever...101. They will do some cultures. It could be the central line. One of the risks with a central line is infection. This is the way it is for Witt, Mel and Austan. So many ups and downs to handle. Mel's and Austan's emotions have got to be raw. Please pray that God completely takes over and "hides them in the secret place of His presence". Pray that through God's wisdom the doctors determine the cause of Witt's fever. And still in the midst of all this please join me in praising our God who is Mighty, Mighty to Save because as I learned this summer...NEVERTHELESS I will praise Him!

4 comments:

Raley Family Blog said...

Praying and Love you all so much

Mindy said...

Nevertheless, I will praise Him. Karen, you and your family are such a witness to me and to so many others, I am sure. Thank you for these updates and know that I hold you and your family in my prayers throughout the day. I pray for healing and peace and knowledge. And I am filled with joy for the lady whose son recieved the transplant. Glory! ~Mindy

jholcomb said...

Wow... you are certainly can uplift others as the storm around you closes in. I'm amazed by your strength through Christ and I know that God's will is something you can embrace. Praying for you and yours.

Gayle said...

God is so big! He can cover us, hold us, carry us, protect us, guide us, love us, and thank you, Lord, forgive us! Bob and I were talking about Mel and Austan. Through their eyes and hearts, we have been allowed a glimpse into their journey. We have watched how they, with maturity way beyond their years through GOD's strength,have handled situations. We have witnessed the power of prayer. We have seen God's handprints all over them and Witt as well as the rest of the family. We can't imagine how anyone could go through life without God to hold on to and to celebrate with, yet we know that some have never experienced the love of our Heavenly Father. Our prayer is for all to come to Christ and experience the love, grace, freedom, peace, and JOY of having Him first in your life. He will carry you through the valleys and raise you high in the mountaintops of life!
We continue to pray for precious Witt, Mel, Austan, and the rest of the family. We pray for the other families in the PICU. We thank God for being there. We celebrate with Chase and his family and continue to pray for God's healing touch. Praise be to God!
We love you all so very much.
Bobby and Gayle