In God's Hands

The doctors are continuing to carefully monitor Grandma Foreman's blood. This morning, her blood count was very low. Three units of blood were ordered. The doctors have stated that an important factor is whether or not the bone marrow resumes production of the blood cells. If the bone marrow fails to resume production, Grandma Foreman faces more serious health complications.

The respirator continues to do the majority of the breathing for her due to her having very short and shallow breaths when an attempt to reduce that work is made.

Medications continue to be administered for sedation to help her be as comfortable as possible while experiencing ICU psychosis.

As more information is made available, I will share it with you.

Psalm 18:30 "He is a shield to all who trust in Him."

The last few days have been ones that have been very difficult for Grandma Foreman. Due to her increasing in aggravation and struggles, the doctor is helping her along with medication that sedates her and has increased the work of the respirator. This is allowing her the rest that is needed by her body at this time.

The coming days will be a wait and see period. During this time, the fungal medications will be working themselves out of her body. She was on that medication for approximately 12 days, so it will take approximately 6 days for her body to be completely rid of it. Once this time passes, the doctors will do testing to determine if her bone marrow resumes production of the white and red blood cells. In the meantime, she will be given the blood products necessary as determined through blood work.

Dr. Broussard has stated that he will be seriously considering the option of a tracheotomy so that the tube from the respirator can be removed from the mouth. This would possibly allow her to speak, to take in some foods and liquids by mouth, and would be more comfortable than tube she now has. I have inserted a link that you can review to learn more about tracheotomy to the right of this web page.

Some clinical information:

• X-rays were not pleasing to the doctor yesterday.
• A bacterial infection has been detected in the intestines.
• The hospital stay will be an extended one.

Dr. Broussard stated that the "fighter" in Grandma Foreman is very evident. He says that she has really done a great job at staying positive through this lengthy, traumatic illness. He also stated that there is a slight concern about permanent damage due to that trauma. That damage, if any, cannot be determined at this time.

Matthew 6:10 "Thy will be done."

Dr. Broussard spoke with Lester around 8:15 this morning. He said:

• The hematologist is giving her hemoglobin to help her bone marrow to produce red and white blood cells.
• The anti-fungal medication attacked her bone marrow. He has halted this medication. He thinks that if it was strong enough to attack her bone marrow it may have been strong enough to attack the fungus. Testing will be done to see if the fungus is still present in her lungs. The results from these tests will not be ready for a few days. In the meantime, she will be administered medication which is used to treat bacterial infections. If the test results show that fungus is still evident, he will then treat her with a less aggressive anti-fungal medication that will not attack the bone marrow.
• Clinically, Dr. Broussard says, she looks good, her white blood cells are up, her vital signs are good, and her sugar is good. They are concentrating on the blood at this time.
• Her doctors continue to research for the best treatment possible with their ultimate goal being to get her better.

May these doctors be granted divine knowledge and wisdom on how to treat Grandma Foreman so that God's perfect plans and will for her may be fulfilled. An excerpt from Proverbs Chapter 2: "For the Lord gives wisdom".

Mom and I visited with Grandma Foreman late in the afternoon. When we left the hospital, the hematologist and the oncologist had not yet arrived. We were told that it may be in the morning hours of Wednesday that would hear from them.

The symptoms of ICU psychosis were noticable as we visited with Grandma Foreman. You can find a link that explains this in the lower right area of this web page under Links.

This difficult journey is taking its toll on Grandma Foreman. Her levels of frustration are obvious. As we gave her our loving touches and soothing words, I prayed. I asked our Lord to pour out His peace upon her heart, upon her mind, and upon her soul. I asked our Lord to be with her, to comfort her, and to soothe her at all times. I asked the Lord to emit from our faces expressions of the love that we have in our hearts for her and make invisible the pain in those same hearts which often makes it difficult for us to breathe.

Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Due to Grandma Foreman's abnormal white and red blood cell counts and an abnormal platelet count, a hematologist and an oncologist will be called in.

The testing of the intestinal area revealed that there continues to be bleeding, but the doctor feels that providing treatment in an aggressive way would only create more danger to her already critical condition.

Monday was not a good day for Grandma Foreman. Arline found that she was less coherent than she had been in the recent days. When the nurse was asked about this, she explained that Grandma Foreman is experiencing ICU psychosis. She said that this is temporary.

Early Tuesday morning, further testing will be done because of the concern for the bleeding in the intestinal area.

"Hear my cry, O God: Attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Mom and Dad visited with Grandma Foreman during the late afternoon and evening visiting times. Dad had a brief conversation with the nurse that was on duty at that time. Dad's question was, "Are we seeing progress?" The nurse's reply was, "Yes, medically, we are seeing progress, but it is a very slow one and it may take a long time."

The nurse also explained that each day they would attempt to reduce the work of the respirator and have her do more of her own breathing. This is part of her therapy to keep the lungs in normal function and to discourage them from becoming totally dependent on assistance.

Dad had not seen her since last Sunday. I asked him what his thoughts were in comparing her condition from the past Sunday to this one. He said that although it continues to be very difficult to see her in that condition, he found her to be more alert, more excited to see them, and in better spirits.

This journey is an extraordinarily difficult one for Grandma Foreman. It is also a very difficult one for her children and grandchildren as well as all those who know and love her. I ask that you continue to lift everyone in your prayers.

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Saturday:

When the doctor made his morning rounds, he attempted to reduce the work of the respirator and to have Grandma Foreman do more of the breathing on her own. That was not successful. She began to struggle with the breathing, so he set it back the way it was.

While that doctor was there, the doctor in charge of her intestinal bleeding also made his rounds. He ordered another unit of blood as well as more plasma.

Sunday (AM):

Arline reported to Judy that:

• Grandma Foreman is feeling some aches in the arms and legs.
• She has developed a bed sore in the thigh area.
• They have given her Vitamin K for blood clotting.
• They have given her medication for the fluid retention.
• Fungi and bacteria are still evident in the lungs.
• Again, they tried to set the respirator in a way that would allow her to breathe more on her own. That was not successful. She began to struggle, so he left it as it was.
• Her protein levels are low.

Psalm 2:12 "Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."

Mom and I spent the afternoon and evening at the hospital today. For each of the visiting times, Grandma Foreman was awake and alert. Although the respirator and feeding tube prevent her from speaking to us, she continues to communicate with us. She does so by way of her facial expressions, simple hand gestures, and writing simple words to let us know of her thoughts.

I thought that you might enjoy reading what some of those thoughts are:

• On her legs, they have placed splint type massagers. She let us know that she remembered Grandpa Foreman having those after his heart surgery to prevent blood clotting.
• Judy asked if she was feeling better. She nodded yes.
• She let us know that she wants us to be careful when driving.
• Judy told her of the beautiful rose that she saw at her house when she and Dad stopped by to check on her place. That brought a lovely sigh and a smile of contentment.
• We spoke of how she was feeling and the improvements that have been seen. She made a circular motion with her index finger and then a quick point with that same finger. Those gestures took a while for us to interpret, but we did come to understand that she was trying to tell us that "It is coming…..I'll be outta here!" When we spoke those words, she nodded with a YES.

The chaplain had visited with her earlier and left a card with a printed prayer. I asked her if he had read that prayer to her. She nodded,. "No." I asked her if she'd like me to read it to her. She nodded, "Yes." When I finished with that one, she pointed toward the window. At the window, there is a flower arrangement with a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the centerpiece. In that arrangement, there were other prayers. I asked her if she'd like me to read more prayers. She nodded, "Yes," and indicated that she wanted me to read the HOLY CROSS OF CHRIST prayer. As I did so, I could tell that she was saying it along with me. This is one of her favorite prayers, so I thought that I might share it with you.

O God Almighty! You have suffered death upon the cross for all our sins.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, be my light.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, have pity on me.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, be hope.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, protect me from a deadly weapon.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, turn everything good to me.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, may I never do any harm.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, lead me to right paths.
O Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, keep me away from all accidents, that I may adore the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ forever.
O Jesus Christ of Nazareth, crucified, have pity on me, and preserve me from all evil spirits, from all centuries that claim anything from my belief. Amen.

When I was finished reading that one, there was a small pamphlet that was left in her room with a variety of prayers. From that pamphlet, I read a prayer of healing. From Grandma's expressions, we could tell that she truly enjoyed that time of prayer.

Friday seemed to be a much better day than was Thursday. After having four consecutive days of improvement, Thursday was not such a good day for her. When they allowed her to breathe on her own, this caused her to have to work very hard therefore causing her to be very tired and to have lower spirits. On that day, further testing was done to determine where the bleed was which was causing the darkened stool. These procedures required some sedation and caused her to be more tired, but they were ones that allowed the doctor to find small tears in the duodenum (first section of the small intestines). After reviewing the blood work, they have given her platelets and two units of blood.

Although she remains on the respirator, she is breathing more on her own. According to the monitor, she is doing 65% of her own breathing and the respirator is helping with the remaining 35%. The doctor has indicated that this is an improvement. When she was first put on the respirator, it was doing most of the breathing for her.

She is also experiencing some other symptoms that go along with an extended hospital stay as well as the multiple health conditions that she is healing from:

• She has had some swelling and bruising in the arms and hands.
• She is experiencing the sensations of being very hot and sometimes being very cold. The nurses explained to Arline that this was part of the process of the body fighting and healing her conditions.
• They are monitoring her glucose levels closely. She has had to take insulin.
• She is thirsty. They allow her to have small bits of ice that she enjoys greatly.

It continues to be very difficult for us to see Grandma Foreman struggle through these illnesses, but with the recent signs of improvement we are renewed with hope that she is tough enough to recuperate from it. We also firmly believe that the power of prayer has been of great help to her. Those prayers have also been of aid to us. The emotional turbulence that goes along with seeing a loved one fight for their life is something that one understands only when one has experienced it. I know that many of you have experienced that same turbulence and are praying without ceasing for us, and with us. May you all be blessed for the moments that you have spent in prayer.

On a lighter note, I have a personal story to share.
As a youngster, my voice was extremely soft. I was also very shy. When I did muster up the courage to speak at family gatherings, I was told that I had not been heard and had to repeat what I wanted to say. Well, there came a time when I subconsciously became tired of repeating myself as well as growing out of my shyness. As time went by, I consciously spoke louder when I wanted to be heard. Spending time teaching in the classroom allowed me to establish a "teacher voice". That time spent in the classroom was as a Religion instructor therefore it is rare that I am bashful about praying aloud or verbalizing my faith. As I read the prayer of the Holy Cross of Christ, to my grandmother, the door to her room was open and Arline and Mom were with me. Arline made signals to me which I interpreted as "not so loud". My immediate thoughts were, "No way, you can't stop me now!" As I continued in prayer with the the same tone of voice, I realized that the noise that was previously heard outside of the door was no longer there. CCU was quiet!

During the drive home, Mom and I began the trip with much chatter and conversation. When that ceased, Mom asked me if I was OK. I shared with her that I was deep in thought and about to giggle about my PRAYING TOO LOUD. Imagine that! Quiet, shy, little Cindy TALKING too loud.

With that story, I am reminded of Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Lester phoned Mom with the following report for this morning.

• They allowed her to breathe on her own.
• They did not remove the respirator, but allowed her to breathe without it.
• The oxygen went down to 35% and breathing on her own was difficult.
• After a while, she was asked if she'd like to have the respirator back on and she responded with "yes".
• Due to a darkening of her stool, a test was done to see if there is bleeding in the colon. None was found. Further testing will be done.
• Lester mentioned to Mom that it still looks like the recuperating time will be a long one.
• He also mentioned that her spirits seem to be a little lower today, but assumes that is because of the sedation needed to perform the test of the colon.

Keep those prayers going for her. She had four days of improvement. We look forward to more of them.

Isaiah 40:31
"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."