Joel, Day 6 after surgery

Joel is off the vent!! He's on the canula for oxygen and still has the NG but can drink and is now on a clear liquid diet. He sat up in a chair for a little while this morning. He's coughing a lot, is very shaky and tonight was extremely agitated. The nurse said he must've become addicted to one of the drugs he was on (Versed?) and is going through withdrawals. This is another really tough thing to have to watch our poor boy endure! He's also on steroids to help reduce throat swelling and steroids always make him act strange. Joel had me massage his left foot for a long time (not the right one because the drain tube just came out of that upper leg) and sing "You Know Better Than I" from "Joseph King of Dreams" to help him fall asleep...and he was also given some Ativan (sp?).
So, aside from the congestion and the addiction, he's doing well! What a roller coaster this is, but we're making gains, which I'm so grateful for.
He's awake again, goodnight for now.

Joel Day 5 After Surgery

I was very surprised to walk up to Joel's hospital room this evening and see him wave "hi" to me...with his foot!! What a character! I had to laugh! Mike says he waved at the surgeon that way today too.

He's better tonight. I'm SO RELIEVED to see him more awake, responding to questions with a nod or a mouthed word--and the word is mostly "water". He can only have his mouth swabbed with sponge sticks, but he quickly drinks from it like a straw.

He's being fed 5 ml of Pediasure per hour by NG since 4:00 pm and it's gone well so far. The room is cool and there is a fan on him because he still has a slight fever.

The goal is to extubate him (take the breathing vent out) within the next two days. The prayers are working everybody, keep it up!
Love,
Dolores

Day 4 after surgery, evening update

Joel had a good morning and then somehow his vent was suddenly out, almost like he'd coughed it out; Mike called the nurse from the next room and the room filled with help to put it back in. They had to sedate him again.
The chest drain tubes are now out, but the pacemaker is back on. He also has Tracheatitus with MRSA component; on antibiotics. NG feeding tube going just past his stomach for meds and possibly feedings. It's the thin one, replacing the bigger one he did have in. Good night all, we hope tomorrow brings more strength and further healing! We are keeping faith.
Love,
Dolores

Good Morning Joel! Happy Valentine's Day!

Joel's lungs are both inflated! He's currently off the pacemaker! My heart is overflowing with gratitude to the Lord!! Thank you to all who prayed as I requested, that God would blow life into his lungs and heal Joel!
Here is a smile from our boy this morning! Papa says he's a little more awake now.

What a Happy Valentine for us!


And here are the beautiful roses that my husband left for me to find when I returned home on Saturday night. He loves me. I love you too, Mike!!!

Day 2 after surgery

Our boy is still sleeping. He rouses a little now and then if he hears my voice  or if I mention Papa, so I know he's hearing me, but we don't want him too agitated so I mostly keep quiet. He had some trouble with one lung when the vent moved a little inside him this morning so they had to reposition it according to an x-ray. There's a small leak in the vent somewhere this evening.

The echocardiogram today showed that his heart and new valve are functioning well (although he's still being paced), but he's getting antibiotics now for his lungs. The surgeon said his lungs were pretty bad before the surgery so it may take a while.

He somehow scooted down till his hand could reach the vent and tried to pull it, he was drowning in fluids, the monitor and I yelled for help and the nurse came in and got him suctioned, I've never seen such purple in all my life!!! I'm telling you this is a constant life and death drama.

Mike and I are trading places tonight, thanks again everybody helping! God bless Joel and little Triston Hicks, Sherri's grandson who had brain tumor surgery the same day as Joel's heart surgery. They're both needing angels.

Day 1 After Surgery

Today Joel had many challenging moments. Many times during the last couple of days my knees have felt like buckling.

Joel's still mostly sleeping, but one eye is partially open most of the time. He's still on the vent (pulled it once during the night last night and goes for it each time he starts to wake up, so his hands are restrained.) He still coughs silently (he has no voice with a vent in) and then has to be suctioned, that's very scary!! He must be watched constantly.

He hears our voices and recognizes when we're near him. He even smiled around his tubing once, when we asked him to. The machine is still doing nearly all of the breathing for him and his heart is still being paced. But when we suggested turning on "Monsters vs. Aliens" for him, he opened BOTH eyes and turned toward the TV! We turned it on and put the remote near his head so he could listen to it as he dozed.

The goal is for Joel to be able to come off of the machines and be awake. Thankfully, he's still in there!

Goodnight for this day.
Love,
Dolores

Joel's heart

Many of you know, but to those who don't...our Joel is in the hospital. He's been sick all of February, transferred to Children's on the 4th; mitral stenosis=Congestive Heart Failure.  He had surgery to replace his artificial valve with a larger one on the 10th. The surgeon also found clotting around the valve, and said it was a miracle that Joel hadn't had a stroke! This is scary and makes us feel so completely dependent on the Lord who holds our hands and hearts, because after all we could do...even with giving Joel Coumadin regularly...this clotting still happened...but Joel was kept safe until he could have surgery and the doctor so carefully, piece by piece plucked that material from his valve and replaced it with a new larger one. Joel's heart function with the new valve is now good, but his lungs are "still pretty beat up". He's still "sleeping", on vent and pacemaker. He hears us, but we have to not let him get too agitated. Your prayers for Joel's recovery are much appreciated!!! A short picture history below...

 Papa waiting during surgery. Joel went to Operating Room at 8:00 AM and we finally got to see him again at 7:15 PM.