Thursday Morning, Day 7

It's crazy to think that it has almost been a week since Jerry's accident.  When we consider all that could have happened, there is much to be exceedingly grateful for.  First, Jerry is alive.  Second, Jerry's brain was uninjured.  Third, Jerry has made it safely through two major surgeries and is recovering on a good course.  So, before I tell you about his night, I wanted us to consider all that we have to be grateful for as this story continues to unfold.

Last night was a tough one.  

For all six nights of this ordeal, the MacCallister family has met together for dinner, stayed with Jerry and just spent some good time together as a family.  Usually, around 10 or 11pm, Jerry has been administered some sleeping medications and is usually conked out almost immediately.  Obviously, for Dennis and Katie, knowing that he is deeply asleep is one of the only ways that it is even possible for them to comfortably leave him.  So, last night, when no one had come to give him the sleeping medication and it was nearing midnight, Katie found a nurse and asked when it was coming?

Because they had taken out Jerry's stomach tube earlier in the day (he is now fed by IV only), it turned out that there was not a way to administer the prescribed sleeping medications.  As Jerry was a bit restless yesterday, Katie knew that there was no way that Jerry would get to sleep on his own, so she asked the nurse to call a doctor and get something to ease him into sleep.   The on call doctor prescribed some heavy IV Benedryl to make him sleepy, but it was soon clear that the Benedryl was having absolutely no effect at all.

Prior to this, Jerry had been pretty uncomfortable for much of the day.  He continually wanted his pillow adjusted, or the "coughilator", or something adjusted with this tubing.  It was clear that he was just restless and exceedingly uncomfortable, and as he was completely unable to clearly ask for what he needed, the panic in his eyes was clear.  This panic had continued into the evening, and without the ability to soothe himself to get to sleep, the panic and anxiety was very much intensifying.

Dennis and Katie clearly saw this, so Katie asked Jerry if he would feel better if she stayed the night with him, rather then returning to the hotel.  He furiously nodded yes, so Katie stayed while Dennis went to the hotel to get some rest.  

Over the course of the night, Jerry got literally no sleep.  He would just about drift off, and then as his mouth relaxed he would bite down on his intubation tube, which would cause alarms to go off, which, of course, woke him right back up.  

Finally, around 5am, when it was clear that sleep was not coming, Jerry's fantastic nurse decided to go ahead with her morning routine of vitals and tests and this and that.  As Jerry was kept busy and engaged by the nurse, Katie grabbed her only hour of sleep.

It is now around 9:35am as I type this, and Jerry is likely continuing on in his morning of being poked and prodded.  It was originally planned that his intubation would be removed today, but given the likely fatigue of his body after such a long stretch without deep sleep, his doctors are reassessing his condition, as well as doing a chest xray, prior to making a final determination.  We are hoping and praying that Jerry's chest xray will come through clear, and that despite his tough night, that his intubation could be removed.  Katie feels like his anxiety and panic will be greatly minimized simply by being able to talk and interact.

So, for today, please pray for Jerry.  Specifically pray that he will be overwhelmed with peace and calm, and that regardless of what the doctors determine in regards to removing the intubation, that he would be content and patient.  Pray also that he would experience some deep, regenerative sleep.  For any of us that have had stays in hospitals, we know how hard that is to achieve!  So, pray that in whatever short pockets of uninterrupted time Jerry can find, that he would sleep.  Pray also that the medical staff would come up with a suitable solution for tonight, so that another bad night like this could be avoided.

Probably, it would also be good to keep calls and visits to an absolute minimum today.  Dennis and Katie are extremely tired, and they also would benefit from some uninterrupted time to just rest and clear their minds a bit.  If you are thinking of them or need to contact them, use their email address or these comment boards--that way, they can access them as they are able as the day progresses.  

Pray specifically today for Dennis and Katie as they partner with the medical staff in determining the right path for Jerry.  Right now, they are his advocates and his lifeline, and this is hard stuff to get through when you are beyond tired physically, and exhausted emotionally too.

Katie also gave me some additional clarifications on Jerry's status in terms of movement and sensation.  Since the accident, he has always had feeling and sensation from roughly 4-5 inches below his neck into his chest and arms.  He can feel pressure on his head, shoulders, and upper arms.  He does have use of his diaphragm, he can shrug his shoulders and shake his head.  But as you get below that shoulder and chest area, the sensations cease.   

The doctors also do test the attempted movement of his muscles, and yesterday there was some debating amongst them that there might have been more movement in some areas then there had been before as they instructed Jerry to try to move various muscles in his body.

So, let's just continue praying, with great faith, that God has a miracle in store for Jerry.  It's going to happen any day now, I just know it.  Join us in believing, and thank you for continuing to pray and comment liberally on this blog.

Katie also wanted me to pass on once again their genuine thank you for all that everyone is doing, especially to all of the people that are praying without ceasing for Jerry.

Until later,

Marci

marci@redwoodchristianpark.com