On Their Way

I was in Halifax with my family and Mom and Leslie and her two children doing some back-to-school shopping and having a last minute get-together with family.  Leslie was amazed to see this fresh vegitable display / sale in the middle of the Halifax Shopping Centre ... something she says she wouldn't see in Albuquerque. 

Today (Friday) they are all flying back to New Mexico.  Mom was looking great and acting like new, so we are very thankful for your prayers and thoughts.  God bless you!

Mom had a big celebration party with family at Halls Harbour today after church before heading back to Halifax for the rest of this week.

Mom attended church this morning at New Minas Baptist and had the opportunity to connect with a few good, lifelong friends, like Mrs. Wilma Merrill.

Little Red Canoe

A dream come true ... after the thunder clouds rolled away and the drenching rain subsided, a perfect evening revealed a perfect ending to a surprisingly different vacation Mom had here in Nova Scotia this year ... She had always said she wanted to ride in the red canoe on the lake ... so special thanks to our friends the LaPierre's for sharing their cottage water front and helping Mom's dream come true. Tomorrow she plans to visit friends and end her time in the Valley with a special time with family before heading back to her brother Karl's place until returning home to Albuquerque on Friday with Leslie and her kids.  See the rest of the photos here: http://servantproductions.org/redcanoe/

She's Fine!

After a night in the hospital again, the new doctor in the morning said Mom's fine ... so she's back at her brother Karl's place with Leslie and her two grandies, Josiah and Anna.  Looking ahead, Mom plans to be in the Valley on Wednesday evening and heading home to Albuquerque on August 26th.

One Step Forward ...

Well, Mom went for a nice car ride with her brother Karl and I today down to Hubbards, NS.  We came home, had a nice lunch ... ... ... and Mom's heart wouldn't stop acting up ... her heart was skipping beats, she was feeling light headed and it wouldn't go away, so off to the hospital we went.  The doctor, who was finally able to see her five hours after we arrived, said it was a very good choice to come in.  She was suffering from atrial fibrillation - but they are concerned it is being caused either by one side of her heart being weak or that the wires in her pacemaker have moved ... so she's in overnight tonight.  In the morning, they plan to "interrogate" her pacemaker, look at the x-ray to see about the wires, and take it from there.  Thank you for your prayers!

Looking Good

Mom's been getting better by the day here at her brother Karl's place ... So much so that she's planning a trip to the Annapolis Valley this week to stay at our place with Leslie and the kids.  Mom is planning to add her own note here to you all soon.  Thank you for all your prayers.

Graduation Day!

Mom was released Friday afternoon and is now staying at her brother Karl's place in Halifax as she continues to heal and grow stronger.
My sister, Leslie, and two of her children arrived safely in Halifax Friday night.  They plan to stay here until Mom is ready to travel home.
Thank you again for all your continued prayers.

Wednesday, August 3

Mom is really doing well now and they say she may be released from hospital Thursday or Friday. That's great news. Leslie and two of her children are planning to arrive Friday night.

Tuesday, August 2

Mom was up walking a bit with a walker today a couple of times and had her catheter removed, so those are two good steps forward! She does have a rash that is bothering her, which may simply be from something the hospital uses. She just needs to get up and moving more and feel strong on her legs and then we'll be celebrating her graduation from the hospital!

Monday, August 1, 2011

As I walked into Mom's room this morning, she was sound asleep, so I just sat in the chair next to her bed and spent some time praying for her.  When her roommate came in, she informed me that they had just had Mom up sitting in a chair for an hour or so, so she was very tired. 
Time passed and Mom woke up and we talked together.  She said that she was thankful that she could see the sky out her window (I took a picture of it for you), and that last evening, even though she couldn't see the sun, she could tell that the sun was getting lower in the sky because the sky was turning a deep, dark, rich blue.  As she lay in her bed looking at the sky, she wondered what it might be like when she first got to heaven ... as she got close ... would it be something like what she saw out her window?  That at first, she may be coming around a corner  and not yet able to see the brilliance of the face of God, but instead, see a bright radiance like the sky outside her window, and then to be able to draw closer and round that final corner and to finally see the radiance of His face ... face to face ... as she was reflecting on that scene, she said that she could see in her mind's eye, that she was standing in church with many, many people, raising their hands and singing hymns of praise to God like, "When by His grace I will look on His face, that will be glory, be glory for me!" 
We talked some more about the things that go through her mind ... conversations she would like to have with people ... and then she told me that last night, she felt everything around her just seem to close in on her and felt like it was an evil darkness ... but she just "rebuked that in Jesus' name" and she sensed a real closeness and warmth and peace of Jesus with her ... that Jesus has right there beside her ... Then I told her that that was such a beautiful answer to prayer, because that was exactly what I had been praying for her to sense ... and many, many people were lifting her up in prayer.
A doctor came in to see her, and she commented on the amazing care she was receiving from everyone in the hospital. The doctor said she was doing well and that she could leave as soon as she was strong enough to walk.  He said they would have physiology work with her also.  Later, a nurse came in to wash her up, so I took this time to share with you this encouraging update.  Grace and peace to you!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Mom has moved to the "step-down" unit! Hurray! They had her up a bit today and Mom says she could have done more. The only thing left is for her to be up more, and once they feel she is ready, they will take the last catheter out (I'm not sure what this last one is for). She now has her own telephone, but I'm not sure if I should pass it out here :)

God bless you!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Well, your prayers are being heard! Everything we were praying for yesterday has been dealt with! Her back x-ray turned out fine and the nurses had Mom up and sitting in a chair for an hour! They are now thinking that she could be moved to the "step-down" unit today! That's wonderful news!

Now, Mom is very sore and stiff for being beat up (read: CPR) and poked full of holes and lying down for 7 days, so she is feeling quite cautious about venturing forward and becoming active again. So thank you for praying for everything, including her renewed resolve and spunk to get up and moving as she is directed and that she will be well enough as soon as possible to get her out of the hospital.

Saturday evening, July 30th

Mom had a good day today. She is now off her blood pressure meds! Her nurse says that she will need to stay in intensive care for a few more days while they introduce the heart medication she will need to be on. Also, Mom has been complaining of pain in her back. Not only did Mom have trouble with her back for many years, but she fell on her back when she had her heart attack a week ago. So the nurse has ordered an x-ray to make sure that there is nothing that would be hurt even worse if she were to sit up and try walking, but the x-ray is slow in coming today.

Thank you again for all your prayers. It's awesome how God stirs hearts to turn to Him so He can show how much He loves us in times of trouble!

Friday, July 29, 1:40 pm

My wife, Joanne, and my daughter, Breanna, were with me this afternoon along with Mom's brother Karl.

Mom's eating and drinking well now but still struggling with disorientation and dizziness but looking great and talking well. Her blood pressure meds are off now! The next steps are to wean her off her IV and remove the other monitors. Still no word on how long she will be in this ward before stepping down out of intensive care, but she is progressing well.

The big news is that my sister Leslie and two of her children, Anna & Josiah have made plans to come up to visit Mom. Mom moved in with Leslie late last year, and Leslie is coming up to offer Mom support and be with her when the time comes for Mom to head back home. So we are looking forward to seeing the three of them next Friday.

Your prayers are being heard. God bless you!

hursday, July 28, noon

Mom had a good night last night, but is feeling a bit nauseous this morning.

Uncle Karl and I were in and had a great chat over lunch. Yesterday, it was great to help her with her first few sips, but now she's drinking tea on her own with a few spoons of soup and jello (but she says she really wants some cottage cheese!).

It was great to hear her brother Karl (who counsels heart patients in the hospital) give Mom two good words of advice: 1. You are not ill / you do not have a sickness and 2. Return to your childhood - do as you're told. :D

Wednesday, July 27, 6:30 pm

Mom was sitting up and had two spoons of .... hmmm, I'm not sure what it was, but it was yellow.  She also had six sips of tea ... without the tea bag being used.  She is quite bright now and even funny.  When I told her that I was staying with her until I knew she was out of the woods, and that I thought she was at the edge of the clearing, she added, "with the deer!" 
Joanne was in to see her about that time and I told them that I had thought that a "hospital portrait" just isn't a good idea, Joanne thought that Mom's smile was definitely punishable, so I took this photo where she is waving to all of you.  After taking this photo as a testimony to the answer to prayers, we paused together to thank God for his love, healing and the peace that comes from knowing we can trust Him no matter what the circumstances are.
Mom is saying that her back is hurting, and her upper back by her neck. 

Wednesday, July 27, 5:30 pm

Mom's brother George and his wife, Gladys popped in after quiet time, and compared to yesterday they were so happy to see her improvement.

They are having a bit of difficulty with her IV in her right wrist. It's been in for a while and is acting up.

The nurse reminded me that the doctor had said that Mom's heart health is about a 45 or 50 out of 60. That could just be due to her age, etc. Their next goal is to reduce her dependence on meds to keep her blood pressure up.

Wednesday, July 27, 2:30 pm

The nurse said Mom needed some rest before they do some more work on her, so we left her, but when I came back about 2:00, her breathing tube was gone. I'll have to take a picture of her smile for you.

She asked me where she was and she said she thought she was in trouble. She also said she had been feeling very, very dizzy. I assured her she wasn't in trouble, but that she had been on some pretty strong meds that would take some time to wear off. She does have a mask on so that her air is moist to help the healing in her throat from having the breathing tube in her throat for a few days.

So we just sat there quietly together for a while, resting, until the technicians came to "interrogate" her pacemaker, so I left and have time to update you with this note. Thank you for your prayers. God bless you!

Visual update

A nurse checks some settings in Mom's room. Hopes this aides your prayers.

Wednesday, July 27, 11:45 am

I shared another note from the blog with Mom just now ... she smiled and nodded slowly.

Mom's brother Karl was in to see Mom just now and Mom's eyes were bright and connecting well with him. He was delighted to see how well she is responding. The breathing tube is still her greatest complaint and that's the next project - to get that removed. Since, when she tries to talk, the tube hurts a great deal, we are keeping our visits short so her blood pressure, etc. can settle down. At this point we are still waiting for the tests to be done on her new pacemaker.

Wednesday, July 27, 10:15 am

Mom's back from surgery and the pacemaker's in. Now they are doing an X-ray to make sure it's in the right place ,then they'll put it through some tests, remove the temporary one, work on reducing the meds and hopefully remove the intibation tubes. Her eyes were much brighter just now ... I told her you were all cheering and praying for her ... and she squeezed my hand real tight.

Wednesday, July 27, 7:45 am

At 6:30 this morning Mom was quite awake, and even though she couldn't move very well, she gave me a big hug (as big as can be expected) when I hugged her from all her family and friends who are praying for her. I told her that she was precious to us and that we loved her and were praying for her and that she had a big job: her job was to not fight her situation, but for now, until they got this tube out, her job is to accept her condition and accept the discomfort she may be feeling and to trust that God is walking her through all of this and that she can trust Him. I said that my vision / my prayer for her was that in her mind's eye she would see herself walking down a path with Jesus, and that she would sense that she was safe with Him, and that He knew the way and that she could trust where He was leading her ... and that even in the pain, she could sense Him carrying her and feel His strong arms under her and that she could lay her head on His shoulder and rest in Him, and see in His eyes His delight in Her, and His deep love for her, and know she is secure in Him ... knowing He has taken all our pain on Himself, that He has gone before us and experienced the pain Himself because of His great love for us ... her nods indicating she understood and agreed ...

I read her a comment from the blog. She smiled. The nurse said that she is on medication that makes it hard to remember things. Mom motioned that she wanted to write. So I got a pen and paper and told her that she should think of one word she wanted to say, and one short phrase. When she indicated she had her word, I began going through the letters until she nodded. Her word was "what" and she wanted to know what happened to her. So I reminded her of what happened. You should have seen how big her eyes got when I told her she had a heart attack. But the nurse said she'd told Mom a few times this morning, but that the meds really do a job on the memory. But she knew she lived in New Mexico and not California, so that's a good sign.

The surgeon came in and told mom she'd be going in early for the pacemaker. She just went in, so I'll put this online so you can pray.

Tuesday, July 26, 5:45 pm

When I went in to see Mom just now, she had both her eyes open a bit. The nurse had to restrain her arm because she had reached up trying to pull her air tube out. She's got to be feeling better to be able to do that. Since she was awake and responding to my voice with nods, I took the opportunity to share about the visitors she had today and to read her the notes people have sent her via email and on her blog. The nurse said that she was low on magnesium so they are giving her some. The nurse said that the surgeon said that he could call for Mom in as little as 20 minutes or as long as tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, July 26, 4:25 pm

Mom's third brother George and his wife, Glades (who were up here already from Baltimore on a visit), came in to see Mom. I know she is encouraged to have all of her brothers so close at this time.

The heart surgeon just came in to go over their plans to have the pacemaker put in either this evening or tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, July 26, 2:30 pm

Mom is still on the meds that make it hard to communicate through, so she is not responding well this morning, but at one point she did move her arm up and put her hand on my hand and when I took her hand she squeezed my hand, so that was really nice. I am trying to walk the line between inviting her to respond and yet thanking her for trying, and encouraging her when I cannot perceive her responses by telling her that the medication must be still too strong for her to allow her to respond physically. I think it's important that she try to communicate, but yet at the same time that she not be frustrated or discouraged when we don't perceive her attempts.

Mom's nurse (who is with her 24/7) was doing some paperwork out by the door, and didn't need to be right there doing stuff with Mom, and so I began reading the Pslams for Mom like I told her I would ... I reminded her about he first Psalm ... how when I was 10 and we lived in Alameda, I was running through a friend's house and broke something. The friend's mother was Mom's friend and in response to this accident, she told me she wanted me to memorize Psalms, beginning with Psalm 1. So I told Mom this morning that this Psalm often came to mind for me, and the first part of it actually reminded me of her and her love for God's Word. The first few verses read:
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

Then we kept reading and came to Psalm 3, with the title, "Morning Prayer" and I told her how appropriate it was since it was morning ... and one of the verses reads, "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me." ... and so I remarked at how relevant that was for her this morning after her heart had stopped last night. We kept reading ...
Then, in Psalm 4, it says, "The LORD hears when I call to Him. Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still." I had to laugh with Mom at this one! I encouraged her and said, "Look! You're obeying God right now, right where you are! You are meditating in your heart upon your bed and being still! How cool is that?!" At the end of Psalm 4 it says, "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." Again, I remarked at how perfect His Word is, and how fitting in this situation she finds herself in.

About that time, we got word that the doctor would be coming in to do his rounds. He came in with his trainees and tried to get Mom to respond, but she didn't this time. He checked her over and said that overnight her heart had paused and they had to crank up the temporary pacemaker at that point and so now, the next step is to put in a permanent pacemaker some time today (the latest word is that it will be this evening). The next step would be to get her off the blood pressure meds that are keeping her blood pressure up. He said that their sense is that it is best for them to get her to the point of being up on her feet before transporting her to another facility (i.e. the States).

He explained that there were four grafts put in her heart when she had her quad bypass a number of years ago. Their dye test showed one was open, one had a new blockage (which received two stints to re-open it), a third one was totally and permanently blocked (but the heart was getting blood from elsewhere) and a fourth one was from the chest wall.

He also said that due to the medication, it was impossible to tell how much, if any, physiological damage there had been. We would have to wait and see after the medication was taken off.

I sat downtown write this note and soon the people came with the ultrasound machine for her heart. I had to leave at that point. The ultrasound will be able to determine if the heart itself is damaged. Her brothers, Karl and George just arrived at that time, but couldn't go in, so we just visited. Later, Sandy came in to talk to me about the pacemaker and the paperwork for that. Shortly after that, Mom's other brother, Stuart, and his wife, Pearl, came in and visited Mom. Now it is quiet time (2:30) ... and I realized I have not posted much of this, so I'll do that now.

Tuesday, July 26, 6:45 am

"She had a good night." The nurse said to me as she explained that I would not be able to see her now because they were both changing nurses and working with Mom. When they change shifts, since there are two nurses there for a while as one updates the other on what has happened over the previous shift, they take the opportunity to work together and do things like change dressings, etc.

This is day three. The last of the critical three days the doctor spoke of the first morning we were here. He said the first 72 hours after a heart attack are the most critical because that is usually when the patient can experience "toxic rhythms" with their heart (perhaps like Mom experienced last night). So today is the last of those critical days.

Monday, July 25, 11:15 pm

The nurse said I could come in now. She said that the x-ray did't show anything as to why Mom had gone into cardio arrest this evening, so another test they are planning to do tomorrow might help shed some light on it.

So I went in and said hi to Mom. These new meds don't let her respond the way she had been earlier. But I told her the things I was just writing and shared with her what I was praying for her in light of the feelings of isolation and frustration she may be feeling for not being able to communicate. Then I recapped for her how long she's been here and the plans for tomorrow and how I was planning to use some of her down time tomorrow when the doctors were not busy with her to begin quietly reading through the Psalms with her ... Mom taught me the concept of praying the Scriptures and I told her that as I read the Psalms quietly to her, that she could use them as comfort for herself or launching pads for her own prayers ...

Then my most favorite bible passage came to mind ... Isaiah 54 ... and I asked her if I could read it to her from the Bible in my pocket (on my phone) ... and since she did't say no, I told her that I took that to mean yes :) Here's what I read to her (God is speaking to Israel ... and it applies perfectly to all who repent and believe the good news of Jesus):

“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth. “For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,” Says your God. “For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather you. “In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,” Says the LORD your Redeemer. “For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you. “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you. “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony [white healing powder], And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones. “All your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great. “In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you. “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. “Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals And brings out a weapon for its work; And I have created the destroyer to ruin. “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Your Comments

I just realized that the comment section of these posts was not set to accept everyone ... I've changed it so it does now. Your comments can now be posted. They will be sent for verification first, just to avoid spam.

Monday, July 25, 10:00 pm part II

It has been an uneventful afternoon with everything quite stable with Mom's condition. So this evening I was sitting next to Mom praying for her ... I have heard of how isolated people can feel when they are in her condition ... able to perceive what is going on around you, but unable to express yourself ... so I had planned to read the Psalms to her ... she loves the Scriptures and they are her constant companion ... but the nurse said she was sleeping, so I decided to wait for that until she was more awake.

So I began praying for her ... that in her heart and thoughts and dreams Mom would experience the warmth and light and friendship of the presence of Jesus ... that she would sense Him walking with her and interpreting her life and circumstances for her that she might gain a deep, deep peace in knowing how He had designed everything from the beginning until this very moment and that she would be filled with delight and joy in Him as she grew in the understanding and assurance of His love ... and that's when the alarms I had not heard before began going off, and looking up at the monitor I saw the red flashing lights and the big "0" where her pulse rate should be. The nurse came in and started talking to Mom and said that she was going to ask me to step out for now. As I was walking away, I found it a bit strange how my prayers for her were uninterrupted ... even in the face of this cardio arrest, I was still praying the same thing as I was before it happened. For me, this faith that came to me primarily through my Mom and was surprisingly sustained through the darkest nights of my life by her prayers for me ... this faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ is such a precious gift that keeps on giving and deepening and becomes more precious in every circumstance of life. I thank You, Lord, for the precious gift of Mom and her faith in You.

10:30 pm. The nurse just popped her head in the waiting room door and said that they were going to take an x-ray to make sure the pacemaker wire was in the right place.

Monday, July 25, 10:00 pm

Mom slipped into cardio arrest and I was asked to leave. I'll post this for those who check it so you can pray.

Monday, July 25, 2:30

They removed the balloon/blood pump that was helping pump her blood. Everything seems to be holding its own after the pump was removed so that's good. In other words, the pump was removed, her heart had to carry the full load of pumping and was able to handle it. The pump was put up from her groin area, but the wire for her pacemaker is still going up from there. They had tried to put that wire in from her neck, but couldn't, so they had to go up from her groin.

They did increase the sedation meds for that procedure, so she was not as responsive when I saw her this time.

They are now saying that they will probably not take the air tube out until tomorrow because of the hours they have to wait after removing the pump before they can elevate her head just a little, and then they have to wait again to elevator her head more, etc. So it looks like that will be tomorrow.

I overheard one of the doctors saying something I had heard before but had not understood, so I asked someone listening to him what it meant. He was saying that they can only find one of the three vein graft. Years ago, when they did the bypass surgery, they would have taken veins from somewhere (like her leg) and connected them to her heart. One of those they could not find (I think that would have been during the dye test they did the first night). Not being able to find it may mean that it is not functioning. I'm not sure what implications that has, so I'll try to ask someone.

Leslie and Brenda asked me to give Mom a big hug for each of them, so I did that before I left for the quiet time break they have at 2:30.

Monday, July 25, 12:00 noon

Right now, they are taking out the heart/balloon pump. This is a dangerous procedure. It will both put strain on the heart and it is being removed from a major artery in her groin so the whole clotting thing is possible. The medication they stopped at 7:00 this morning was the blood thinner so that when the pump is taken out it can heal. As I left, I gave Mom a hug and she hugged me back big and opened her eyes a bit ... and I saw that twinkle in her eyes when she wants to say, "I love you." During our time together just now I reminded her of the year we moved from California to Nova Scotia. That was a year filled with fear for me. I was deeply afraid, and Mom would write me Bible verses that spoke of being afraid and how we can turn and trust in God when we are afraid. Over my Tim Horton's coffee this morning, I searched the Scriptures for those "do not fear" verses (some of which which I'll leave with you after this post) and one stood out to me for Mom above the rest which I shared with her. It is from the book of Ruth and says, "Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence." It's like what God says to Mom ... and her excellence is found in Christ alone.

Here are some more "Do not fear" verses for all who trust in Christ:

Do not fear ... for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.

The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.

Then David said to his son Solomon, “ Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.

Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, ‘ Do not fear, I will help you.’

But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!

Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, ‘ Do not fear, O Jacob My servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.

“Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more."

Monday morning, July 25, 9:30 am

I was waiting to hear from a doctor, but they are just beginning their rounds, so that may take some time. Wonderful news! Mom was communicating with me. She's nodding and shaking her head ... very weakly, but doing it. I filled her in on what had happened to her and how long she had been here. She indicated that she was in pain, so I told her the different things she was hooked up to and she moved her hand up to her mouth and indicated the breathing tube was hurting. I told her that the nurse had said that the breathing tube is often the most uncomfortable thing but couldn't be adjusted yet. Mom made a writing motion with her hand and wanted to write, so we gave her a pencil and clip board also saying not to be frustrated if it didn't work quite right yet since she was still medicated and not in full control of her body. So she did try, but we couldn't make out letters. She looked tired so I told her I'd get some breakfast and when I came back I would have her indicate to me what letters she wanted to write and I'd write them for her.

Medication for her heart pump has been stopped since 7:00 and has to be off for four hours minimum before the pump can be removed. The breathing tube needs to stay in until the heart pump is out safely (as a backup). They hope to sit her up today and do that.

As I was talking with her today, I reminded her of when I was six years old and how she had me sit at her bedside and led me to accept Jesus as my Savior. Now, I told her, I was given the honor of caring for her at her bedside ... I told her how thankful I was for her example of faith and how she had been, and continues to be an inspiration to me - even as I talked to thse Mormons last night. It was so good to be able to communicate with her. If you have a message for Mom, you can email me or add a comment here on one of these posts and I'll share it with her.

Monday morning, July 25, 6:30 am

Well, yesterday about this time, the doctor said that if we made it through the day it would be a good sign ... and we made it through the day! So that's a good sign :) Thank you so much for your love and prayer support. Many have written us saying they are praying, and we praise God for your encouragement. By the way, if you're reading along and come to a word that doesn't make any sense ... just make as much sense as you can out of it or ask me for clarity ... my spell checker sometimes puts in its own hints for what it thinks I'm trying to say ... often helpful, but when my proofreading doesn't catch a mistake, it can be confusing. I'm entering these logs from my phone, and I'm not yet adept in texting ... so thank you for your patience.

Mom was sleeping when I went in this morning. Her nurse said that through the night her heart kept going back and both from being fully dependent on the pacemaker and trying to establish its own rhythm so that situation with a consistent heartbeat is not established yet. She said it could be due to the damage from the heart attack. This is important because as I mentioned earlier, her blood pressure drops when the pacemaker kicks in and they are trying to regulate her blood pressure through medication and this is proving difficult.

Mom has a large sore bruise on her neck which is from an attempt to put in a line. Her right leg, the one her blood pump has been in (and the leg where they still can't find a pulse) is getting sore now. From what I understand, her blood pump (which is helping to relieve some of the workload of her heart) operates through a cath in her right groin area and is causing weak circulation in that leg. The nurse would like to see that pump removed, but doesn't know if they will do that.

Other than that the night was uneventful. Mom continues to be responsive, and that's good.

Joanne is heading to Halifax this morning to take a course for work (sign language) and we have people at home watching our girls ... so please pray for Alanna & Brennan as they are home without us since I've been staying here at the hospital with Mom.

Sunday Evening, July 24, 9:25

I went out to get something to eat and got sidetracked when two Mormon missionaries stopped me and asked me some questions ... for those who know me, I can't pass up an opportunity to dialogue with the lost and share the truth of the true Jesus ... something my Mom inspired in me ... anyway, talking about Mom, while I was gone, she really put on a show for the new nurse who just came on duty. Mom was opening her eyes, nodding, and even winking appropriately! She even coughed a little cough when asked and squeezed her hand when asked.

By the time I arrived, she was all worn out and tried a couple of times to open her eyes, but just briefly. All this means that her brain is working well, which is a really positive sign.

Other news is that the pacemaker is now on full ... it is making all the beats of her heart. As mentioned before, her blood pressure drops when the pacemaker fires, so they have increased meds to bring her blood pressure back up. Her heart pump/ balloon pump has been reduced to pump on every second beat - not every beat like originally. This has also helped bring up her blood pressure.

Her sedation meds are down, but pain meds are up a bit for her chest that was pounded on last night. They may give her Tylenol 3 later for that.

Her ventilator power is down low so she is doing a lot of that on her own too, which is good. They are still having trouble finding a heartbeat in her feet.

Sunday Evening, July 24, 7:15

Mom's condition has been the same all day. She did, however, open her eyes today once with the nurse and once with Uncle Karl and I. So that was a very nice surprise.

Mom is in the cardiovascular intensive care unit under the care of a nurse who monitors her every minute.
She is still under heavy sedition and because of that, she is on a respirator and will continue to be until she is off the sedition and can sit on her own.

The temporary pacemaker is working but whenever it kicks in, her blood pressure drops, so the nurse is trying to work with her medication to balance that somehow.

The nurse gave her Plain today and she will need to stay on it for a while.

They are finding it difficult to get a pulse in her feet, be the color in her feet is not bad. I'm not sure what that means.
I asked what it implied that her condition was mostly the same all day, but the nurse said that no one knows, and that we would know more tomorrow.

Doctor's Conference

This morning I met with a doctor. He said that Mom is on blood thinners but that she wouldn't be able to stay in them because of the bleeding she has due to the procedures they had to do. He said that Mom is very ill and has a 50/50 possibility of pulling through this and if we made it through today, that would at least be a good sign.

What Happened?

About 12:30, Sunday morning, July 24, Mom was visiting her two brothers (Karl & George) and took a fall in her room landing flat on her back. Karl called 911, they came, did an KEG on her and diagnosed a heart attack and whisked her off to the QEII hospital Emergency ward where further tests concluded that she did not have a heart attack, but irregular heart beat, thus the fainting. She was fitted with an external pace maker (which contracts the entire heart and can be painful) and taken to the Cath lab in the cardiovascular unit. We were told that they would take 20 minutes to settle her in and we could wait in the waiting room.

About an hour later, we were told that she had actually been taken into the cath Lab to be fitted with a temporary Pacemaker that sits on the outside of her body with a wire that goes down into her heart. Mom's brothers went home. Shortly after that, around 4:30, a nurse came in to see me and said things had gotten considerably worse. Mom's heart was no longer beating on its own at all and that they were doing CPR and had put her on a respirator.

By 5:30, they were more hopeful after they had put the Pacemaker in, but they were going to do a dye test to see if she had suffered a heart attack. She would be very sore and may have suffered broken ribs from the CPR. By 6:30, the resident came in and went over the whole thing again and said they found a blockage in the artery on the right side of her heart. And were going to put a blood pump in and open up the artery. They said that they will not be able to tell if there has been any neurological/brain damage until they have watched her for a day or more. The critical time after a heart attack is the first 72 hours, so we will see how things go. Later, the nurse came in and said that the Pacemaker was working, but she was still seated and has a breathing tube.