An update on Marion Davenport's progress after her heart attack July 24th in Nova Scotia. This is written by her son because Mom has so many friends from lots of different places and we want you all to be able to have the most recent news on how she is doing and to help your prayers on her behalf. ** Just for your information, this blog is listed with the most recent posting at the top. Each time you visit here, just go to the last post you read and work your way up ...
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
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.
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