Update Wednesday July 4

Update July 4

Hi this will be a very brief update as I am writing it very late. Today was positive- no morphine virtually all day. Slept most of the day, which may be because of some medication to help her sleep last night, and or simply the prayers that went out after the morning update for healing sleep. Whatever it was, she was knocked out much of the day.

Went for some walks including down the hall to see Nico. Also had visitors for twenty min or so, but that really tired her out.

The main thing is the ent doctor doesn't expect the esophagus to be healed, and expects to have to go in and sew up the tear, once they determine if and where it is on Friday. That isn't an outcome any of us want- another surgery- but if that's what heals her, then we do. They couldn't do this earlier because the tissue was inflamed. I think the thoracic surgeon may be a bit more hopeful.

While she was sleeping today, well let us just pray her body was working overtime to heal her esophagus. Similar to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego- our God is able to save us from this, but even if He does not, we will still praise Him.

Prayers for sleep and the quietness of the hallway were answered
The lady who was screaming is gone. I don't know where, but hopefully that is an answer to our prayers as well.
Please pray for her throat to be fully healed by the time of the swallow test, thurs or Friday.

Russell

Sent from my iPad

Update Tuesday July 3

Update from Russell about Tuesday:

More good news as I write this today.  I will keep it short though as it is late and it is important to keep healthy on our side (Diana, myself). 

My Mom went for 2 walks today.  First walks (other than to the bathroom) for one week.  Tired her out a bit.  She will also be moved from the morphine "pump" to the morphine upon request this evening.  These are both positive steps.  We have a plan for getting her to walk more tomorrow - baby Nico can't come into the unit that she's in, but she usually sits in a little room at the entrance to the unit with my sister or my Mom's cousin Karen if I'm in with my Mom.  So, we can encourage my Mom to walk to the end of the hall, so that she can see little baby Nico.  That will be a long walk for her, but a great reward as well.  

My Mom apparently had a real hard time sleeping last night, with the beeps from the machine, other patients making noise, etc.  Tonight her cousin is staying in the room, to make sure she has everything she needs, and she will have some anti-anxiety medication at night.  We hope that this will really help her rest fully, as we know how important that is.  

She was a bit disoriented today, not nearly as much as yesterday and mostly in the morning only.  I don't know if that is the morphine, effect of being off her medication, etc.  Its a bit disconcerting when it happens, but I try to keep the big picture of improvement in mind, which is still good.  When she called Diana last night, she asked something to the effect of - if I don't pass the swallow test on Friday, am I going to die?  We think that's she is putting together pieces of information such as - how serious it is; what test will be done in the future; etc - but she, especially when we're not there in person and at night - can't quite put it all together in a logical manner.  We reassure her and she seems to understand the reassurance.  That question did not come up again today and we explained in person that she would be ok.  In any event, it is not the kind of pain or mental anguish or confusion that you want your mother to be in.  

The ENT team and the thoracic surgery team differ a little bit on things such as whether to add medication to reduce saliva flow (attempting to improve throat healing), etc.  But what I think it good here is that there are 2 teams of really smart people trying to get my Mom better.  Great.  

Please pray her:
Healing sleep for my Mom
A calm and strong mind - we know our God is one of a sound mind
Any infection to be fought off, and for God's hand to move specifically to remove any infection
Her throat to heal 
Wisdom for the doctors
There is a lady on her floor, apparently in a lot of pain (screaming out at night).  Please pray for this woman. 

I continue to share pictures and letters that you send me, with her.  Please send them to me direct at russellbjorkman@hotmail.com.  

Thank you 

Russell

11 Weeks Old

Update Monday July 2

No wonder my mom has her days and nights confused. So do I! Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day but good progress overall.

Update Monday July 2

Overall good news today, though it came in such an up and down manner it almost didn't feel like it.  My sister received two voicemails overnight from my Mom; in one she sounded extremely clear and in the other, a bit more "out of it" as she has been.  We think that what's happening is she was confused about whether it was morning or evening.  So, we didn't know what to expect when we went in this morning.

She was disoriented quite a bit this morning, it kind of spooked me and probably Diana a bit.  We don't know the cause, whether physical, coming off medications, withdrawal from medications that she stopped taking when she went to the ER one week ago, spiritual, etc.  We prayed for power over whatever it was that was affecting her, and she was not disoriented the rest of the day (but was a bit "out of it" still, as she has been).  Praise God. We know that whichever cause it may be - that God has power and dominion over any and all causes.

She was moved to a "progressive care" room in the late morning.  This is good news, as the doctors would only do this if she is stable/improving.  She has her own room, as she did before, but there is less noise and beeping and it should be quieter for her.  The trade-off is that the nurses are less attentive (more on that below).

An ENT team doctor (her main doctor is a thoracic surgeon) came to see her and said that they usually wouldn't do a swallow test (to see if there is still a tear in the esophagus) one week after the surgery.  She also said that the yellow liquid coming from the drain in my mom's neck could be problematic, and needed to be watched.  When I later spoke with the thoracic surgeon, he confirmed that they would do the swallow test on this Friday, and that he thought the liquid was probably  from the past abscess and still draining, and that she was not running a fever and her white cell count was lowered (which is good), so he isn't that concerned about that.  This paragraph though took place over several hours, so there is a lot of up and down emotionally during the day.

What the surgeon emphasized, is that she needs to be up and walking around (I imagine as her strength improves, not 24 hours a day).  She was very tired today and sleeping each time I checked in on her this afternoon, over a 3-4 hour period she was asleep each time.  But, tomorrow - our task begins.  Making sure my Mom is up and walking around when possible.  She also has a plastic thingy that measures her lung capacity and its her job to suck in on that too, which helps the lungs re: their concern about potential pneumonia.  We need to make sure the nurse comes to show us how, but we don't necessarily need the nurse there while we walk with her.  We need to start taking a bit of control/proactivity to make sure she is doing this, as the nurses etc are all busy, as you can imagine...

I don't know if this comes across in the email, but the day was quite up and down, making it really tiring emotionally on me personally.  The discussion with the thoracic surgeon at the end of the day was reassuring and so the day started (listening to my Mom's voicemail) and ended on a positive note, with much up and down between.

Please pray for:
My Mom to fight off any infection, and for God's hand to specifically move and remove any infection from her body
My Mom's state of mind to improve, that she understand what day it is and start to come to, and be "with it"
That her state of mind be positive, and that God protect her mind
Her esophagus to heal fully - specifically by this Friday
Receptive and helpful nurses as we start to walk with my Mom, and my Mom's body to start to rework fully (she is apparently going to the
bathroom ok on her own, which is an answer to prayer that her bodily functions start to work well on their own again)
Health and peace for Diana, Nico and me

With Love,

Russell

ps - After dinner at our hotel, I heard some music coming from a small conference room the hotel has around the corner.  It sounded like church
music.  I went to have a look - and about 8 people were there finishing up a meeting, listening to praise music, clapping their hands, and
singing Hallelujah.  They invited me to join them, and I did.  Why does God keep showing up ?

Update Sunday July 1

I'm delayed in posting the updates, will catch up today. They are all written by my brother.

Update July 1

More good news today, I am happy to share. My Mom continues her upward trend.  We have now seen her more than 48 hours after her surgery, and the "getting worse before she gets better" has not happened - thank God. All of our hopes and prayers are that the surgeons removed this infection that was affecting her ability to heal, and that she has now been given the green light to continue to get better.  I do have a bit of trepidation and each morning want to have faith that she will continue to improve, but there is still fear there too.

I spoke with the head of the ICU this morning as she was making her rounds with her residents.  She told me that the update was basically that my Mom was doing better.  Her white cell count had been high and
dropped back down to about 13,000 which was good.  They hoped that it would drop a little bit more, but it has stabilized, and it may stay there, as she just underwent surgery (she also continues to not run a
fever).  I understand from when she was in Vero that 11,000 is normal (it had gone up to 22,000 and then 31,000 then back to 22,000), but I'm not sure if that's correct.  They discussed whether to move her to a normal hospital room today, and decided to give it one more day - so again, that is a step in the right direction, moving to a regular
hospital room.

There appears to be a bit of uncertainty about whether the esophagus can indeed be sewn up if it doesn't heal, as it wasn't sewn up immediately after the injury, and whether the right time to have her do the "swallow
test" which shows if there is still a tear is this Friday or a bit later.  In any event, let's keep praying that this won't be an issue- that whenever she does the test, her esophagus and body will be fully healed.

My Mom is now breathing on room air, which again is another good sign of moving in the right direction.  The nurses are having her sit in a chair for short periods of time and start to use her muscles again.  They will
also need to help her do basic things like go to the bathroom - basically, get the bodily functions working again.  The doctors will
need to assess putting in a feeding tube as well, and how her body reacts when they stop/ decrease antibiotics will also be important items.

Diana and I also had the chance to go to church at Riverside Baptist Church, our church when we lived in Miami.  The sermon message was on the Holy Spirit and how when Jesus went away, he said that he would send "one like" him, a comforter.  The comforter that Diana and I want and
that we all want to have, to feel and know things are going to be ok. We met with old family friends from Miami at church, the Jakoby family, and had the privilege of having lunch with them.  Bob Jakoby is head of the chaplain services for the Baptist Hospital system here; the point of mentioning his profession is simply to say that God seems to be putting the appropriate people in our paths, to comfort and reassure us. Sometimes holding on to fear can be comforting, and actually the scary part is releasing your fear, ironically.

We were also able to visit our mother together this afternoon, as friends from Vero came by to watch baby Nico while we went in to talk with our Mom.  She is certainly alert enough to ask about Nico- Diana
has joked that she won't be able to get Nico out of her arms when she recovers!  And then we were able to enjoy a Cuban-themed meal and walk around Bayside (a close mall from here, in downtown Miami) and just get
some sun and fresh air, which is important for us as we will be here until at least Friday.

To read of the impact that one woman can have on the lives of children and their families is humbling and inspiring, as I read the emails wishing her well from people that knew her as a Sunday School and preschool teacher in Miami 30 years ago, to those that know her as a Sunday school teacher today. It certainly helps me appreciate what a
special woman that she is, and why everyone cares for her so much.  The stories of the encouragement that she has shown others are very special to me.  I know that is in her blood, it is a part of who she is.

Please continue to pray regarding:
Praise God for the healing that has taken place so far and the skill of
the doctors and surgeons
Continued fighting off of infection and protection from any infection,
through my mom's efforts and God's hand moving specifically
Full healing of the tear in her esophagus
Her body to start working again as the nurses and doctors help her -
muscles, breathing without oxygen, going to the bathroom, etc
Baby Nico, Diana and I to stay healthy as we are in the hospital a lot
Peace for Diana and I - for the Comforter

Thank you

Russell

Pics from the past few days

Update Saturday June 30

Update from my brother about yesterday:

Good news today.  The doctor had told me that we should expect her to get worse before she gets better.  However, Diana and I have now seen my Mom three times since her surgery - Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.  Each time, she has looked a little bit more alert and in better shape.

The nurse went in to take her temperature this morning while I was in the room, and I kind of held my breath.  A temperature obviously may show the body fighting off an infection.  But no temperature- great. Her neck is less swollen; I wouldn't say back to normal, but definitely a lot better.  You can see a little bag where fluid is, that is being drained from her neck, and there is a line draining fluid from her chest.

Several of her friends that Diana and I have reached out to recently have remarked- I didn't even know she was going in for surgery.  Yes, her sleep apnea surgery was supposed to be short and sweet, on an outpatient basis, and she was even expected to fly to Greece this coming Tuesday, July 3, with the Indian River Charter High School's chorus. She serves on the board there and is very proud of the excellent education that they provide, and this trip would have been a highlight for her.

She has asked Diana several times when she is going home to Vero Beach, and each of us today what day it was.  She is still a bit "out of it", but she is on morphine for pain and also the nurse said that her medication makes her drowsy.  So, Diana and I want to make sure that she knows she's not alone, but we also want to let her rest.  We can each go in for about 5-10 minutes and then she starts to get sleepy and we let her rest.  Today, the nurse also moved her to the chair - this is to help her body and muscles keep working.  The nurse said it went fine, it just tired her out- but being able to do that is a good step.

Today was also a first in that Diana and I were able to visit with her together.  She was able to hold my hand in her right hand, and Diana's hand in her left hand. This was very meaningful for Diana and I, and we hope for her.  We were able to do this due to the kindness of a friend who came to give Diana and I some company over a meal and watch baby Nico while Diana and I visited with our mom.  We understand that a few more people from Vero will be able to do this and are very thankful for that. (Pam has offered to coordinate that, so if you'd like to help us in that way, please email Pam Schwartz.)

Even more of Mom's kind personality, that so many of you appreciate, comes out with the morphine.  In Vero Beach, she was telling me it was going to be ok and winking at me.  Here in Miami, she is always thanking the nurses and trying to remember their names.  She told Diana that the doctor asked her to be his date this weekend : )

In the midst of what has provided us with more hope and promise, we are surrounded by families walking through difficult situations of their own and dealing with difficult news.  One man had a hole in his skull to remove pressure on his brain, and over 10 of his family members had come to visit him.  On his way to the hospital, the wheel fell off the ambulance bed and the bed tipped over.  Another family heard the difficult news that there were many issues with their loved one, and even if he got better at this time, he didn't have more than a few months left.  Why does God move in the ways He moves - or perhaps, another way - how do we know God is not moving when he allows people to leave the pain they have in this life. These are questions that I walked through (though I do not think you ever complete the walk) three years ago when my father died.  I do not think there is an answer other than surrendering to God's majesty and will and plan.

Thank you for the notes and pictures you have sent to me at russellbjorkman@hotmail.com.  We read several of them to my Mom today, and will continue to read and share when they come in.  She smiles and understands them and I am confident they lift up her spirit.  I do understand your desire to come and visit her as several have expressed, and Diana and I have asked her several times, and she does not want visitors (and you know her- she will want to smile and talk, and she just needs to rest).

Please pray for:
-her body to fight off any infection and God's hand to remove any infection
-her body to recover quickly and fully from the surgery her esophagus to heal fully-
-wisdom for the doctors and nurses
-little baby Nico to be healthy, as we're in the hospital a lot
-peace for Diana and I

With love,
Russell and Diana