Warning! This Is Not A Solicitation!
But...there has been much interest expressed for submitting donations toward Rachel's recovery. Even though Rachel has no insurance, the Lord has provided much throughout this process, and we have full faith that all needs will be met. That being said, all donations would be received with gratitude, and if you would like to directly impact her recovery process, you can make checks out to:
Heal Rachel Fund
It goes without saying that all proceeds would go directly towards incurred recovery expenses. That's it.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Donation Information
I C U Later.....
Did you get the headline? ;-)
YES, Rachel moved out of the ICU and into the 'Neuro General' floor. To be specific, she is on the 6 floor, JCP -east wing. She is sharing a room, we haven't met the other patient yet. I think it is a elderly women. We got Rachel all settled in around 5:30pm and then went and grabbed some supper. We just got back and Ryan headed back to be with her for awhile this evening and the rest of us (Mom, Josh and I) will go visit in a bit.
I will have to get her new address and post it on here for you all. I'm sure that any mail that is already in the mail will get forwarded up to Rachel.
Since Josh and I have been gone a couple days, it was very good to see her again today. We were able to see improvements. Rachel has definitely gained some mobility in her right arm. When we left on Wednesday, she could hardly engage any muscles in her right arm. So that is great. Her neck and upper back have definitely strengthened as well. She definitely has a ways to go to control specific muscle movement. The areas that she seems to be working on by herself is her mouth and hands.
She still has some secretions, but is able to cough anything up when needed to.
Let's pray that Madonna will be able to take Rachel soon and begin their intense rehab soon. We should now more about this tomorrow and let you all know.
~RuthAnne
YES, Rachel moved out of the ICU and into the 'Neuro General' floor. To be specific, she is on the 6 floor, JCP -east wing. She is sharing a room, we haven't met the other patient yet. I think it is a elderly women. We got Rachel all settled in around 5:30pm and then went and grabbed some supper. We just got back and Ryan headed back to be with her for awhile this evening and the rest of us (Mom, Josh and I) will go visit in a bit.
I will have to get her new address and post it on here for you all. I'm sure that any mail that is already in the mail will get forwarded up to Rachel.
Since Josh and I have been gone a couple days, it was very good to see her again today. We were able to see improvements. Rachel has definitely gained some mobility in her right arm. When we left on Wednesday, she could hardly engage any muscles in her right arm. So that is great. Her neck and upper back have definitely strengthened as well. She definitely has a ways to go to control specific muscle movement. The areas that she seems to be working on by herself is her mouth and hands.
She still has some secretions, but is able to cough anything up when needed to.
Let's pray that Madonna will be able to take Rachel soon and begin their intense rehab soon. We should now more about this tomorrow and let you all know.
~RuthAnne
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Ryan's Back!
Rachel's nurse, Lisa, helped Rachel get ready for Ryan's visit this weekend. Lisa shaved her legs, armpits, brushed her teeth and did her hair. I'm sure Rachel is very thankful for such a thoughtful nurse. Ryan got in at 9:30am, he left early if he has a 4 1/2 drive :-)
Yesterday, the doctors put in a smaller trach. They went from a size 8 to a 6. I guess when she no longer needs a size 6, there is a good chance they will take the trach out and let it heal. Rachel made it through the night without having to have her secretion manually removed. So she must either be having less of them or is doing a better job coughing them out on her own. (probably a combinaion). Thanks for the continued prayers in this area.
Rachel got another hour of sunshine today, she LOVES being outside. She has had a several visitors today.
At 1pm on Monday, Madonna is coming to assess Rachel. This is the Rehabilitaion Center in Lincoln, NE that we have heard great things about. We will be very curious to what their prognosis is and when they think she will be ready for their rehab facilities.
Rachel has been working at controlling her lips, mouth, tongue...all her facial muscles. The speech therapist said that doing those movements all throughout the day will definitely help her. With a smaller trach in, it should be easier for Rachel to have more control with her swallowing. The sooner this is accomplished and she regains all the necessary movements to make what she swallows go down her esophogas to her stomach (and not her lungs) the sooner she will be able to take out the feeding tube.
~RuthAnne
Yesterday, the doctors put in a smaller trach. They went from a size 8 to a 6. I guess when she no longer needs a size 6, there is a good chance they will take the trach out and let it heal. Rachel made it through the night without having to have her secretion manually removed. So she must either be having less of them or is doing a better job coughing them out on her own. (probably a combinaion). Thanks for the continued prayers in this area.
Rachel got another hour of sunshine today, she LOVES being outside. She has had a several visitors today.
At 1pm on Monday, Madonna is coming to assess Rachel. This is the Rehabilitaion Center in Lincoln, NE that we have heard great things about. We will be very curious to what their prognosis is and when they think she will be ready for their rehab facilities.
Rachel has been working at controlling her lips, mouth, tongue...all her facial muscles. The speech therapist said that doing those movements all throughout the day will definitely help her. With a smaller trach in, it should be easier for Rachel to have more control with her swallowing. The sooner this is accomplished and she regains all the necessary movements to make what she swallows go down her esophogas to her stomach (and not her lungs) the sooner she will be able to take out the feeding tube.
~RuthAnne
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sunshine! You Make Me Happy, When...
Skies are gray!
We've all heard that song, right? Well, we are all pretty happy today, as Rachel got her first exposure to sunshine in over 3 weeks this afternoon. The nursing staff, as well as the physical therapist, wheeled Rachel out on a top-floor solarium (fancy name for a 'balcony') where Rachel was able to soak up some sun for about an hour. This was undoubtedly good for her, both in disposition as well as physical health. The girl was finally able to get some fresh air.
Additionally, we are receiving intel that she is getting assessed for rehabilitation purposes over the next few days. The hospital does have a 'pre-rehab' program, which is set up to get patients to the point where they can physically cope with the challenges of a full rehab program. Right now, the family is considering a variety of options, from a state-of-the-art rehab center in Lincoln (about 45 minutes from Ryan) called the 'Madonna Rehabilitation Center'. There has also been talk of a top-secret program that is held over in China, that has purportedly been getting phenomenal results for stroke victims. These are all being discussed, and much will depend upon her baseline of physical ability and lung health.
She will be getting some new visitors tomorrow, so we are sure she is looking forward to that. RuthAnne and I will be heading back up there on Sunday.
Bye for now.
- Josh
Thursday, September 27, 2007
A Few Details
I have heard through the 'grapevine' that there is a desire to get more details on Rachel, her personality while in ICU, Ryan, how he is handling this, her nurses, etc. I'll do my best to answer questions you might be asking and filling in some of those details.
Rachel really enjoys laughing. Some of you know her humor and the things that she thinks are funny. It has been really fun to communicate with her, share stories, and her others share things that make her laugh. Because of the breathing involved, the laughing seems to make Rachel cough better. Coughing and clearing her lungs is a good thing. Besides laughing being good medicine, I am thinking that it is strengthening her body.
Rachel has had a couple wonderful nurses. One of her nurses, Lisa, treats her patients the way she would like to be treated if she was laying there. So, not only did she upgrade Rachel's toothbrush to a 'real' one, she washed Rachel's socks and then she shaved Rachel's legs! Now, that is amazing. Lisa definitely gets lots of points for the time she took with Rachel.
Nurse Erica takes over on the night shift. She and Rachel are friends. I think they stay up 'talking' after Rachel should be asleep ;-) Erica is the one that discovered that Rachel will spell words or sentences out using an alphabet chart and finding the correct letters. Erica always makes sure Rachel gets bathed and has her hair done in the morning. Bonnie (another good nurse) is really good about encouraging Rachel to do things for herself, but at the same time making sure she is comfy. We love these girls!
Not only does Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy come once a day, but most of us that have spent the last 2 1/2 weeks with her do lots of 'therapy'. Being a massage therapist, I do my best to think about the muscles that I would want massaged and worked on if I was laying there. Josh and I read to her late at night. Josh also enjoys doing range of motion with her, especially her feet, ankles, and legs. Mom does a little bit of everything from being verbally encouraging, massaging, range of motion, researching options for rehab, keeping the doctors on their toes, and keeping in touch with everyone who calls.
Ryan does a great job encouraging her to focus on the movements that needs to be done without being frustrated. Rachel and Ryan do resistance training with her arms, shoulders and wrists. It is really neat to see how patient and persistent he is with her. I don't know who adores the other one more, it is fun to watch them interact. If there are several of us in the room, Rachel spends 95% of her time looking at him. When Ryan is here at the hospital, he spends from 8am to 10pm with her. He takes a hour for lunch, a hour or two in the late afternoon and makes himself leave during the shift change around 7pm to leave the hospital to get some fresh air and eat supper. Ryan left this week late afternoon on Tuesday and comes back Friday night late or early Saturday morning.
It must be so frustrating to have your mind work so well, but then to look at your body and see that it does not move when told to or like she wants it to. Not hearing her voice when she is dying to communicate and longing for that taste of food. Rachel was able to sign the alphabet when she first got to the hospital, but for some reason (probably lying in bed for 3 weeks) she is not able to make her fingers move like she needs to to sign. I have no doubt this will come back. The Occupational Therapist said that the first movements to return are large movements, like shoulders, arms, head, and bending the knees, then comes finer motor skills like fingers, balance, etc.
The life-flight nurse that was with her stopped by to visit Rachel. I guess she looked Rachel up on the 'registry' and came and found her. She said she would never forget that Thursday night with Rachel... My mom got to chat with her. Maybe when I return to the hospital, I'll get to see her. I would love to give her a big hug, she is forever imprinted in my mind.
I'll try to write more 'details' later. Hopefully this gives you somewhat of an idea what it is like...
- RuthAnne
Rachel really enjoys laughing. Some of you know her humor and the things that she thinks are funny. It has been really fun to communicate with her, share stories, and her others share things that make her laugh. Because of the breathing involved, the laughing seems to make Rachel cough better. Coughing and clearing her lungs is a good thing. Besides laughing being good medicine, I am thinking that it is strengthening her body.
Rachel has had a couple wonderful nurses. One of her nurses, Lisa, treats her patients the way she would like to be treated if she was laying there. So, not only did she upgrade Rachel's toothbrush to a 'real' one, she washed Rachel's socks and then she shaved Rachel's legs! Now, that is amazing. Lisa definitely gets lots of points for the time she took with Rachel.
Nurse Erica takes over on the night shift. She and Rachel are friends. I think they stay up 'talking' after Rachel should be asleep ;-) Erica is the one that discovered that Rachel will spell words or sentences out using an alphabet chart and finding the correct letters. Erica always makes sure Rachel gets bathed and has her hair done in the morning. Bonnie (another good nurse) is really good about encouraging Rachel to do things for herself, but at the same time making sure she is comfy. We love these girls!
Not only does Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy come once a day, but most of us that have spent the last 2 1/2 weeks with her do lots of 'therapy'. Being a massage therapist, I do my best to think about the muscles that I would want massaged and worked on if I was laying there. Josh and I read to her late at night. Josh also enjoys doing range of motion with her, especially her feet, ankles, and legs. Mom does a little bit of everything from being verbally encouraging, massaging, range of motion, researching options for rehab, keeping the doctors on their toes, and keeping in touch with everyone who calls.
Ryan does a great job encouraging her to focus on the movements that needs to be done without being frustrated. Rachel and Ryan do resistance training with her arms, shoulders and wrists. It is really neat to see how patient and persistent he is with her. I don't know who adores the other one more, it is fun to watch them interact. If there are several of us in the room, Rachel spends 95% of her time looking at him. When Ryan is here at the hospital, he spends from 8am to 10pm with her. He takes a hour for lunch, a hour or two in the late afternoon and makes himself leave during the shift change around 7pm to leave the hospital to get some fresh air and eat supper. Ryan left this week late afternoon on Tuesday and comes back Friday night late or early Saturday morning.
It must be so frustrating to have your mind work so well, but then to look at your body and see that it does not move when told to or like she wants it to. Not hearing her voice when she is dying to communicate and longing for that taste of food. Rachel was able to sign the alphabet when she first got to the hospital, but for some reason (probably lying in bed for 3 weeks) she is not able to make her fingers move like she needs to to sign. I have no doubt this will come back. The Occupational Therapist said that the first movements to return are large movements, like shoulders, arms, head, and bending the knees, then comes finer motor skills like fingers, balance, etc.
The life-flight nurse that was with her stopped by to visit Rachel. I guess she looked Rachel up on the 'registry' and came and found her. She said she would never forget that Thursday night with Rachel... My mom got to chat with her. Maybe when I return to the hospital, I'll get to see her. I would love to give her a big hug, she is forever imprinted in my mind.
I'll try to write more 'details' later. Hopefully this gives you somewhat of an idea what it is like...
- RuthAnne
A Note From Mom
While Josh and I are at home for a couple days, Mom and Dad are doing a great job with Rachel, nurses and doctors. Here is what mom wrote:
We must pray for Rachel's secretions from throat area to BE GONE....these secretions keep her in ICU because they just complicate things. We need to pray too, for her swallowing. The swallow test person came by and gave the test.....Rachel does swallow, a little bit did down her trachea (to her lungs) vs. her esophagus (to her stomach) though the majority did go down her esophagus.....those are the two prayer concerns for Rachel at the moment -secretion to be gone and swallowing correctly. The more she practices swallowing her saliva, moving her lips and tongue, the better it will be for swallowing food and begin talking.
We must pray for Rachel's secretions from throat area to BE GONE....these secretions keep her in ICU because they just complicate things. We need to pray too, for her swallowing. The swallow test person came by and gave the test.....Rachel does swallow, a little bit did down her trachea (to her lungs) vs. her esophagus (to her stomach) though the majority did go down her esophagus.....those are the two prayer concerns for Rachel at the moment -secretion to be gone and swallowing correctly. The more she practices swallowing her saliva, moving her lips and tongue, the better it will be for swallowing food and begin talking.
The physical therapist sat her up in a chair.....they were going to take her for a stroll but she had a coughing fit and her heart rate did not come down soon enough for the nurse to feel confident about the stroll. I asked Rachel if she thought she could do more than what they were doing with her and she nodded yes. So, we can pray that more is done with her. The more she moves, the better, of course.
More to come later, I am working on a post of 'details' for those of you who want more specifics :-)
~RuthAnne
It would be great if more people would comment so I can pass those comments on to Rachel....they can tell how they heard Rachel's story, how they are praying, or how Rachel's story has affected them. We encourage comments!
-Crystal
-Crystal
More to come later, I am working on a post of 'details' for those of you who want more specifics :-)
~RuthAnne
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Sept. 26th
Greetings all,
Today was another quiet day with Rachel. She has been consistently making progress with coughing, sitting up for short periods of time with some assistance, and gross (versus minor) motor movement. She has been sitting in bed for a very long time now, so she has lost some weight, and is starting to become a little stiff. We routinely move her legs, arms and the rest of her body to try and provide some relief. She seems to really appreciate this ;)
RuthAnne and I came home today, for the first time in 3 weeks. Rachel's parents are with her now. We are getting different reports as to how long Rachel will be in Iowa City, anywhere from 1 - 3 months. She has a long road ahead of her to regain back her ability to walk, talk, eat, function normally, etc. But we'll all be there with her.
She is just starting to become more and more aware that she can't really move the way she wants right now. She will look at her hand, and get frustrated when it doesn't work the way she is trying to make it work. Obviously, the most important element in her recovery will be her attitude throughout the process, so please continue praying that she maintains a positive disposition, as well as the faith that she will recover fully.
- Josh
Today was another quiet day with Rachel. She has been consistently making progress with coughing, sitting up for short periods of time with some assistance, and gross (versus minor) motor movement. She has been sitting in bed for a very long time now, so she has lost some weight, and is starting to become a little stiff. We routinely move her legs, arms and the rest of her body to try and provide some relief. She seems to really appreciate this ;)
RuthAnne and I came home today, for the first time in 3 weeks. Rachel's parents are with her now. We are getting different reports as to how long Rachel will be in Iowa City, anywhere from 1 - 3 months. She has a long road ahead of her to regain back her ability to walk, talk, eat, function normally, etc. But we'll all be there with her.
She is just starting to become more and more aware that she can't really move the way she wants right now. She will look at her hand, and get frustrated when it doesn't work the way she is trying to make it work. Obviously, the most important element in her recovery will be her attitude throughout the process, so please continue praying that she maintains a positive disposition, as well as the faith that she will recover fully.
- Josh
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
hint - hint
When you leave a comment/note (by the way, we love hearing from you)... please 'sign' your name at the end of the note. (especially if you click the anonymous) Otherwise we do not know who it is who left it. If you want to be anonymous, that's cool too. Just thought you would like to know that Rachel or the rest of us don't know who is commenting unless you tell us.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Holding Pattern?
Good Afternoon,
You are all SO faithful to check this daily, what a blessing you are to Rachel and her family. Many thanks.
Today was another day of progress...we continue to make these baby steps towards full recovery. Full recovery is what we are praying for! Rachel spent all day yesterday and today off of oxygen. She was on a little bit in the middle of the night, but she has mostly been breathing room air for the last 36 hours. She still has secretions in her lungs that is a pain for Rachel to get out, but everyday her lungs and chest get stronger. Both Physical and Occupation Therapists were with her today. Ryan was there during both sessions. Rachel is getting stronger with her ability to hold her head up on her own and strengthening her core. I am sure she would love to be able to sit up by herself. There are SO many things to work on when you start from ground zero (or pretty close). I still don't think Speech Therapy has made it back around for an assessment, I think it has been about 1 1/2 weeks since there last visit....and I know her tongue and swallowing have improved since their last visit.
From what I can gather, Rachel's eyesight is getting stronger. She seems to be able to see objects well that are close to her, but she agreed that I was blurry if I stand at the end of her bed.
We talked to a couple of nurses and it seems like Rachel has no need to stay in the ICU, but because the hospital is so full right now, it seems like we are kinda waiting for a place to open up in either IPCU (Intensive Pulmonary Care Unit) or the general Neurology Floor.
It's my prayer that Rachel's lungs completely clear up (no need to go to IPCU), her eyesight becomes 100% and that Rachel is able to move to the Neurology Floor where she will be able to start more intense rehab.
Be blessed,
RuthAnne
You are all SO faithful to check this daily, what a blessing you are to Rachel and her family. Many thanks.
Today was another day of progress...we continue to make these baby steps towards full recovery. Full recovery is what we are praying for! Rachel spent all day yesterday and today off of oxygen. She was on a little bit in the middle of the night, but she has mostly been breathing room air for the last 36 hours. She still has secretions in her lungs that is a pain for Rachel to get out, but everyday her lungs and chest get stronger. Both Physical and Occupation Therapists were with her today. Ryan was there during both sessions. Rachel is getting stronger with her ability to hold her head up on her own and strengthening her core. I am sure she would love to be able to sit up by herself. There are SO many things to work on when you start from ground zero (or pretty close). I still don't think Speech Therapy has made it back around for an assessment, I think it has been about 1 1/2 weeks since there last visit....and I know her tongue and swallowing have improved since their last visit.
From what I can gather, Rachel's eyesight is getting stronger. She seems to be able to see objects well that are close to her, but she agreed that I was blurry if I stand at the end of her bed.
We talked to a couple of nurses and it seems like Rachel has no need to stay in the ICU, but because the hospital is so full right now, it seems like we are kinda waiting for a place to open up in either IPCU (Intensive Pulmonary Care Unit) or the general Neurology Floor.
It's my prayer that Rachel's lungs completely clear up (no need to go to IPCU), her eyesight becomes 100% and that Rachel is able to move to the Neurology Floor where she will be able to start more intense rehab.
Be blessed,
RuthAnne
Monday, September 24, 2007
The New Office Space
Here is Josh's 'office'. It seems to be working quite well....who said you needed fancy to get business done? Another Day In This Journey
Rachel and Ryan got to spend another day together in the ICU. He leaves tomorrow for a couple days and will return Friday or Saturday.
We are not sure why she is still in the ICU, all her cultures have come back negative - so she has no infection that we know of at this point. Yeah! Rachel is continuing to do very well with her 'trach' and had a good time with her Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist this afternoon. I don't think Speech Therapy came to see her today...maybe tomorrow? I know that Rachel has been working on her swallowing on her own and is looking forward to tasting food again. It has been over a week since Speech Therapy has seen her.
Rachel had many family visitors today, she enjoyed them. Even her little neice and nephews stopped by. We all had some good laughs at her bed-side. I am sure that when she can talk again, she will have many stories to tell us about her experience in the ICU :-)
Hopefully the doctors will see no need to keep her in the ICU and she will be able to transfer tomorrow to a more 'general' floor. I know that when she does transfer, they will start more specific rehab and get her rockin' and rollin' as quickly as her body will allow her too.
May all of you be blessed.
~RuthAnne
P.S. I'll try to sneak in a picture later tonight, of this office that Josh has rigged in the hospital room where we are staying -I think he mentioned a couple days ago....
We are not sure why she is still in the ICU, all her cultures have come back negative - so she has no infection that we know of at this point. Yeah! Rachel is continuing to do very well with her 'trach' and had a good time with her Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapist this afternoon. I don't think Speech Therapy came to see her today...maybe tomorrow? I know that Rachel has been working on her swallowing on her own and is looking forward to tasting food again. It has been over a week since Speech Therapy has seen her.
Rachel had many family visitors today, she enjoyed them. Even her little neice and nephews stopped by. We all had some good laughs at her bed-side. I am sure that when she can talk again, she will have many stories to tell us about her experience in the ICU :-)
Hopefully the doctors will see no need to keep her in the ICU and she will be able to transfer tomorrow to a more 'general' floor. I know that when she does transfer, they will start more specific rehab and get her rockin' and rollin' as quickly as her body will allow her too.
May all of you be blessed.
~RuthAnne
P.S. I'll try to sneak in a picture later tonight, of this office that Josh has rigged in the hospital room where we are staying -I think he mentioned a couple days ago....
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Good Times
Julia, Beth, Rachel and I. She LOVES having her hair brushed and braided. She is listening to her music and enjoying her company.Russell Moved
Good Afternoon,
Rachel is having another good day. She has had a several visitors today, which is fun. Rachel is adapting to her 'trach' very well. Oh, and she was able to get a private room in ICU...Russell moved to another floor and they gave Rachel her own room -yeah.
Let's pray she gets out of the ICU in a day or two!
~RuthAnne
p.s. Josh and Ryan are at Rachel's side
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Laughter Is Good Medicene
Today was an improvement!
Rachel woke up this morning feeling much better. Dad and Mom were the first to go and spend time with her. The Doctor and my parents had a lengthy conversation at Rachel's bed side, discussing her progress and random questions. Rachel was very alert during this time, listening to every word. I am sure it was comforting to her to hear first hand how she is doing and the next steps in her recovery.
Ryan got in this morning around 10am. Rachel was very excited to see him. (he had to go home Tuesday afternoon for a few days of work) They spent many hours together today. A friend of Rachel's, Beth, is here for the weekend. So between Beth and Ryan's entertainment at bedside, they kept Rachel laughing for a couple hours -so she was able to take a good nap. If Rachel wasn't laughing, she was contently smiling at Ryan.
The doctors are waiting to see if the blood, saliva and urine cultures come back negative. If so, she should be cleared to move to the 'general' floor. There she will start more specific rehab. Rachel seems to be adapting to her 'trach' very well, I'm curious if they will take her off supplemental oxygen soon.
You guys are awesome!
~RuthAnne (Josh's wife and Rachel's sister)
Rachel woke up this morning feeling much better. Dad and Mom were the first to go and spend time with her. The Doctor and my parents had a lengthy conversation at Rachel's bed side, discussing her progress and random questions. Rachel was very alert during this time, listening to every word. I am sure it was comforting to her to hear first hand how she is doing and the next steps in her recovery.
Ryan got in this morning around 10am. Rachel was very excited to see him. (he had to go home Tuesday afternoon for a few days of work) They spent many hours together today. A friend of Rachel's, Beth, is here for the weekend. So between Beth and Ryan's entertainment at bedside, they kept Rachel laughing for a couple hours -so she was able to take a good nap. If Rachel wasn't laughing, she was contently smiling at Ryan.
The doctors are waiting to see if the blood, saliva and urine cultures come back negative. If so, she should be cleared to move to the 'general' floor. There she will start more specific rehab. Rachel seems to be adapting to her 'trach' very well, I'm curious if they will take her off supplemental oxygen soon.
You guys are awesome!
~RuthAnne (Josh's wife and Rachel's sister)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Tears In Iowa City
Well, it's official:
Rachel is upset.
She's been crying for most of the day. When asked, she says she's not really in any physical pain. The best guess that we have is that she's probably upset that she is laying in a hospital bed with a bunch of tubes stuck in her.
We're trying to keep her spirits up. We understand that this is a process, and we're committed to helping her get back to 100% health. However, that's not an overnight fix, and perhaps Rachel is realizing that fact.
Whatever the case, please continue praying for peace and strength for her.
- Josh
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Trached
Evening Everyone,
Well, after much consultation, prayer, reading, research, and more consultation, the family has decided today to move forward with a tracheotomy.
Why?
For 3 reasons:
1. Every member of her medical team recommended it. The respiratory therapist, the nursing staff, and 8 different doctors all agreed that doing so would be beneficial for Rachel.
2. Time. You see, after multiple strokes, it is quite apparent that Rachel has some serious physical rehab ahead of her. The longer she sits in that bed, the more challenging her rehab will become. The family (and Rachel) all agree that getting her out of the ICU and into rehab ASAP is priority right now, and her medical team assured us that this would be a step in the right direction.
3. Pneumonia. The danger is that she may get a resistant strain of pneumonia, and the fact that she's not clearing all her secretions puts her at risk of developing pneumonia, which is a very serious in the ICU.
With all these factors combined, the family has had to make a judgement call, and this is it. So she proceeded with the Trach today, it was a brief procedure, and she's in the process of coming back out of sedation right now. Nobody but her mother (Crystal) has seen her yet, but we were told that it was a smooth procedure, no problems or hiccups.
So that's the scoop. On a lighter note, I will soon post a picture of my "workstation" here in the hospital. It is without doubt the most jury-rigged, goofy setup that I have probably ever used, and while I can attempt to describe it here, a pic is worth a thousand words.
Continue praying, and thank you all for the prayers thus far.
- Josh
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Pegged
Good Evening,
Rachel received her P.E.G. today, and that procedure went A-OK. While that should help her with feeding, there seems to be an issue with Rachel's ability to clear the secretions from her mouth and upper nasal cavity. We have been in talks today with the medical staff about the appropriate actions to take, and there seem to be many options, and at this point, we are praying for guidance in making those calls.
As a precaution, the medical staff put the breathing tube back in today. I want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with Rachel's ability to breath, because she can do that just fine. It is getting rid of the secretions from saliva, mucus, etc. that are building in her nasal cavity that is the challenge, and the only reason she has a breathing tube right now is to prevent these secretions from getting into her lungs and causing further complications.
Continue praying. Rachel needs it.
- Josh
Rachel received her P.E.G. today, and that procedure went A-OK. While that should help her with feeding, there seems to be an issue with Rachel's ability to clear the secretions from her mouth and upper nasal cavity. We have been in talks today with the medical staff about the appropriate actions to take, and there seem to be many options, and at this point, we are praying for guidance in making those calls.
As a precaution, the medical staff put the breathing tube back in today. I want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with Rachel's ability to breath, because she can do that just fine. It is getting rid of the secretions from saliva, mucus, etc. that are building in her nasal cavity that is the challenge, and the only reason she has a breathing tube right now is to prevent these secretions from getting into her lungs and causing further complications.
Continue praying. Rachel needs it.
- Josh
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Patience
Good afternoon,
I guess the surgeons are busy here at the hospital. They have postponed the PEG tube procedure until tomorrow around 10:30am. (it only takes about 20 min.) So that is the latest info as of now.
Rachel is still making baby steps forward in progress. She sat on the edge of her bed with assistance this morning and this afternoon she spent awhile in a chair (I think they call it a cardiac chair) the back of the chair goes to the top of her head so she doesn't have to support it herself. She definitely nodded when we asked her if she likes sitting up. We are also going to take her a cd player and let her listen to some of her music.
She was excited to hear about that :-)
I know everyone is praying and supporting Rachel through this. I can't express how grateful I am for every one of you. Her body is healing more every day. I have been praying for her mind, the mind is SO powerful when it comes to believing whether we can or can't do something. I am curious to know if Rachel really believes she will be able to do anything (let alone everything and more) again.
One of the ICU nurses stopped into Rachel's room and told us that her sister-in-law had almost the exact same thing happen to her, just 3 days before her wedding and she walked down the isle 10 months later. Going from nothing, totally starting over, to 'walking down the isle' 10 month later. I don't know all the details of this lady, but it is encouraging to hear.
Rachel got 15 pieces of mail today, thank you to everyone who has sent an encouraging word -via blog, cards or phone calls.
Until tomorrow,
RuthAnne
Monday, September 17, 2007
Would You Like A Trach With That?
Greetings All,
First, let me start by thanking everyone for their patience in waiting for an update. We have been waiting and looking at some interesting developments in the past 48 hours. Here's how it goes:
Sunday morning, we (the family) were greeted by the medical staff, as they had a very specific request for us: they wanted to perform a "trach" (I think its proper name is tracheotomy) as well as insert a P.E.G. tube into Rachel's stomach. We were told that the benefit of the P.E.G. tube would be to give direct access to her stomach for feeding. It is a small connecting valve that pokes through her stomach, and is hooked up to a feeding device when it's meal time. Currently, Rachel has been taking nutrition from a tube through the nose into her stomach.
The benefit of the Trach was supposed speed in recovery. Initially, we were told that this procedure would help in clearing her airway, prevent pneumonia, and help in breathing. It is a small opening that is opened at the base of the neck, right above the breast plate. It is a direct opening into the trachea, and might allow better, more efficient clearing of the lungs.
We considered all options, and talked them over with Rachel. At the end of the matter, Rachel chose to go for the P.E.G. tube (which is a very simple, very routine, very 'easy to heal' procedure with little to no risk) and hold off on the trach (which is also very simple, very routine, but not necessarily 'easy to heal', and definitely higher risk).
The primary reason behind that decision is that it appears that she simply doesn't need it right now. We are all rather baffled that the medical team here even recommended it, as she has dramatically improved her breathing, cough, gag reflex dramatically in the previous 3 days. We are surprised that they wanted to move forward with a procedure that could exponentially increase her risk of infection, as well as increase her general 'risk level' as a hospital patient.
If she continues on this path, she will have no need for a trach, or any other form of aided breathing. At this point, she can get oxygen in her lungs with relatively small effort, which is cool.
Tomorrow, she should have the P.E.G. tube inserted. This will be a bedside procedure, and will be performed by a Gastrointestinal team. Yahoo.
On a lighter note, she has definitely had a shift in spirits. She has been laughing frequently, as she is surrounded by cornball joke-tellers. She knows the amount of mail (gifts, flowers, thank you cards) that has been coming in, and no doubt the many prayers have helped tremendously. Russel, her 80 year old roomie, is feeling friskier this past few days, providing a much-needed comic relief. We just have to be careful when we glance over at him ;)
Rachel has also experienced her first good night of sleep since she has been admitted here. She was out like a light last night, this morning, and multiple times throughout the day today. That's a good thing.
I'll post an update after the P.E.G. procedure tomorrow. Until then, thanks for your continued support.
- Josh
Check back in a couple hours
Good afternoon,
Sorry we did not get a post up yesterday, we WILL have one up today. Continue to keep Rachel in your prayers, she is going to have a minor surgical procedure done this afternoon. Josh will give you an update, explain, and fill you in on the last 24-36 hours of progress.
Blessings,
RuthAnne
Sorry we did not get a post up yesterday, we WILL have one up today. Continue to keep Rachel in your prayers, she is going to have a minor surgical procedure done this afternoon. Josh will give you an update, explain, and fill you in on the last 24-36 hours of progress.
Blessings,
RuthAnne
Saturday, September 15, 2007
MRI Results
Greetings All,
The results of Rachel's MRI concluded...without a shadow of a doubt...that we are just going to have to wait and see where the chips fall. You see, when the doctors went in and broke up the blood clot, they shattered it into many smaller pieces that were (supposedly) dispersed throughout other areas of the brain to be re-absorbed back into the body. It appears that there is no damage incurred from these itsy bitsy pieces of clot.
There is much speculation as to what could or might be the long term or short term effects of her strokes. We all know what opinions are like, so the responsible thing to do is sit back and let the results speak for themselves, and from a results standpoint, she can breathe and move on her own. However, she has a weak swallow, and she hasn't spoken yet.
She is taking a 'swallow test' on Monday, which will give us a baseline of her ability to swallow and speak.
Today was the first real day that I've seen Rachel really laugh! We told her a few jokes to lighten the very somber mood of the ICU, and she laughed hard enough it knocked her Oxygen mask off. It was pretty sweet.
More than her physical ability, I would have to say that Rachel's attitude needs the bulk of prayer right now. Now, you can't blame the girl for feeling blue...she should be on her honeymoon, and instead, she's sharing a hospital room with an 80 yr old man named Russell that keeps trying to climb out of his hospital gown.
None the less, I am convinced that Rachel's attitude throughout the process ahead will have a drastic impact on the results that are achieved.
All The Best,
- Josh
Rachel's Neck
Just clearing up a rumor we have heard.
Rachel's neck was never broken. Her spinal cord and her spinal column (vertebrae) are in great condition. The injury was to an artery in her neck.
Rachel's neck was never broken. Her spinal cord and her spinal column (vertebrae) are in great condition. The injury was to an artery in her neck.
a little notice
Dear Friends,
I unlocked the comment link. So anyone may now leave a comment. (before, I think you had to be a 'subscriber' or sign-in).
If inspired, please leave a note for Rachel.
~RuthAnne
I unlocked the comment link. So anyone may now leave a comment. (before, I think you had to be a 'subscriber' or sign-in).
If inspired, please leave a note for Rachel.
~RuthAnne
Friday, September 14, 2007
So What Is My Story?
Hi! I'm in the hospital right now, so I sent a telepathic message to my brother-in-law Joshua about what I want written about me ;)
So here's my story...
I'm the second-born daughter of Phil and Crystal Garrison. They have been farmers and ranchers for most of their lives, and for most of my life, I have spent my time traveling, working, and spending time at home with my younger siblings. I've lived in
In fact, it was in
We were engaged in July of this year, and were scheduled to marry on September 8th. I never thought that I could be so happy! However, something very dramatic was about to happen...
On September 6th, I suffered an injury and ruptured my verteberal artery (it's a major artery located in the spinal column). I was life-flighted into the University of Iowa Hospital. The ruptured artery began to clot, and from that blood clot, I had 2 strokes and a seizure. That same night, I underwent an emergency operation to remove the VERY LARGE clot in my brain stem.
I came out of that surgery at 3:00 AM Friday morning. I was acting just fine, when all of the sudden, I stopped responding. My eye wouldn't respond to light, which is a pretty good indicator of someone who is brain dead. But I fooled them! They wheeled me in for an emergency CAT scan, which indicated that I still had brain activity.
Now, a mere week after nearly dying, I am still in Iowa City Hosptital, and attempting to put all the pieces back together. My fiance' Ryan has been amazing throughout this process, he really hasn't left my side this entire last week. So many people are rooting for me, and I fully intend on focusing all of my efforts on rebuilding all my abilities.
My lungs and heart have worked fine from the beginning. Now, I need to work on the motor skills, physical movement, and the process of speaking and swallowing.
So what can I do to help you? Well, to be honest, probably not a lot right now. Hopefully, my story will provide you with the inspiration that comes when we read an amazing story of 'beating the odds'.
What can you do for me? Well, to be honest, probably not a lot. In fact, there are only 2 things that I can think of:
1. Pray for me. For strength. For courage. For perseverance. I'm going to need a lot of each!
2. Send this story to someone that you care about. Someone that you trust. I'm learning that every moment is a gift. And the greatest gift I can give at this point is to help someone else realize that as well. So by passing this on, you allow my story to impact others. And it's good to know that I can impact others...even if I'm just sitting in a bed in a hospital in
- Rachel (as told by Josh)
Another Day of Progress
Good afternoon everyone,
This morning when Josh and I went down to visit with Rachel, Ryan and my dad had already been with her for awhile. My dad had a good talk with her. She was very responsive to him, kept her eyes open the whole time they 'chatted'. Josh and I got there around 9:30. Ryan, Josh and I worked with her on her signing. We did some of the alphabet and our names. She seemed to sigh when Josh told her to sign my name because it is 8 letters instead of 4 :-) I am SO thankful she already new the alphabet in sign language, the only way for her to communicate until her speaking comes back. Last night when I went to visit her, she signed the word 'up'. We realized she wanted something behind her head to support and hold it up a bit.
Shortly after we were there, Becky (speech pathologist) came in to work with her. Becky said that Rachel seems very well oriented -knew what year it is, what month, and nodded or shook her head correctly to some harder (reasoning type) questions. Becky asked her to smile and pucker her lips, she was able to do both to some extent. It looked like the muscle contraction was equal on both sides of her face. Rachel really seemed to enjoy the ice chips that were given to her for the swallowing test. She was able to chew them, but if she did swallow, it was a really weak attempt. Becky did ask if she had talked at all, to our knowledge she hasn't. Today was the first attemt. When asked to say one, two, three, Rachel was able to say something that resembled a one, but was unable to continue. With the breatheing tube in for 3+ days and a feeding tube in for 8 days, her throat is trying to readjust and regain sensation and control. From what I understand, the part of the brain that the two strokes affected is where the control is for lungs, heart, and throat. Her lungs and heart work great, we are praying that her swallowing and speaking will soon return.
Shortly after the Speech Therapist came in, the Occupational Therapist and then the Physical Therapist came. Rachel should be good and tired from this morning's work out and have a good nap. She also had a couple of visitors today, I'm sure she enjoys seeing new faces.
And, the nurse said that as soon as she is able to sit up, we will be able to take her outside. I sure do hope so. I know the sunshine will feel great!
Thanks to everyone lifting her up in prayer. Her cough is getting stronger every day, which clears out her lungs very well.
Thanks to everyone who has sent card and words of encouragement. She will very soon be out of the ICU and in a regular room, so she will be able to receive more than just cards and emails.
May each of you be blessed!
RuthAnne
This morning when Josh and I went down to visit with Rachel, Ryan and my dad had already been with her for awhile. My dad had a good talk with her. She was very responsive to him, kept her eyes open the whole time they 'chatted'. Josh and I got there around 9:30. Ryan, Josh and I worked with her on her signing. We did some of the alphabet and our names. She seemed to sigh when Josh told her to sign my name because it is 8 letters instead of 4 :-) I am SO thankful she already new the alphabet in sign language, the only way for her to communicate until her speaking comes back. Last night when I went to visit her, she signed the word 'up'. We realized she wanted something behind her head to support and hold it up a bit.
Shortly after we were there, Becky (speech pathologist) came in to work with her. Becky said that Rachel seems very well oriented -knew what year it is, what month, and nodded or shook her head correctly to some harder (reasoning type) questions. Becky asked her to smile and pucker her lips, she was able to do both to some extent. It looked like the muscle contraction was equal on both sides of her face. Rachel really seemed to enjoy the ice chips that were given to her for the swallowing test. She was able to chew them, but if she did swallow, it was a really weak attempt. Becky did ask if she had talked at all, to our knowledge she hasn't. Today was the first attemt. When asked to say one, two, three, Rachel was able to say something that resembled a one, but was unable to continue. With the breatheing tube in for 3+ days and a feeding tube in for 8 days, her throat is trying to readjust and regain sensation and control. From what I understand, the part of the brain that the two strokes affected is where the control is for lungs, heart, and throat. Her lungs and heart work great, we are praying that her swallowing and speaking will soon return.
Shortly after the Speech Therapist came in, the Occupational Therapist and then the Physical Therapist came. Rachel should be good and tired from this morning's work out and have a good nap. She also had a couple of visitors today, I'm sure she enjoys seeing new faces.
And, the nurse said that as soon as she is able to sit up, we will be able to take her outside. I sure do hope so. I know the sunshine will feel great!
Thanks to everyone lifting her up in prayer. Her cough is getting stronger every day, which clears out her lungs very well.
Thanks to everyone who has sent card and words of encouragement. She will very soon be out of the ICU and in a regular room, so she will be able to receive more than just cards and emails.
May each of you be blessed!
RuthAnne
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Sitting Up
Good afternoon to everyone,
I apologize that this post is later in the day than usual. Today, I (RuthAnne) am attempting to write this :-)
The picture here to the left is from today, she has a oxygen mask. She doesn't seem to need the extra oxygen, but has it there for support if for a moment she does need it. Her hair is in a pony and braided (the nurse last night brushed it and braided it :-)
The picture here to the left is from today, she has a oxygen mask. She doesn't seem to need the extra oxygen, but has it there for support if for a moment she does need it. Her hair is in a pony and braided (the nurse last night brushed it and braided it :-)
Rachel is still making daily progress, I am so blessed to be able to be here with her. With Ryan's dedication of being with her whenever someone isn't, Rachel has someone there with her almost continuosly from 7-8am to 10-11pm.
Last night, Rachel's cough started becoming much stronger. Yeah! The nurse this morning said that her sleep was interrupted alot with her coughing (on her own, which is good) -they hardly had to suction her out at all. Rachel is clearing and moving the secretions out of her lungs much more effectively on her own. Her cough was strong all day today as well. Thank you all for praying specifically for this.
Lori, the nurse that is with her today, has worked in ICU for about 20 years and before that worked on the floor where Rachel goes next. Lori said that Rachel's improvements are SUPER. Two nurses and Ryan helped her sit up with her legs dangling over the edge of her bed at around 2pm this afternoon. Rachel is able to lift her head up, but not strong enough yet to keep her head held up. I was able to be with her when they sat her up at 4pm and Lori said she did even better with her head. She was able to hold her head up and move it from side to side. All of these movements are labored and slow, but she can do it. :-) We asked her if she was tired of sitting up, and she said no. I thought that was a good sign -she must have enjoyed it some. She then said she was tired and ready to lay back down. Lori said to think about how tough it is to move after just one or two days laying in bed when you are sick, let alone being in bed and not moving much at all for 6 days.
Right now she is getting a MRI, not sure if we will get the results back tonight. We'll update you tomorrow if there is anything to report on her MRI.
Oh, one of the nurses and I were signing through through the alphabet - she was refreshing her memory and I look down and Rachel is doing the whole alphabet with us. Lori said that it is really good that Rachel seems to sign correctly because the same part of her braing that effects talking and swallowing, can impact her ability to be able to communicate. So it seems like she is able to not only understand everything we are saying but able to have the desire and ability to communictate back to us.
All of you who are praying, continue to be bold in your prayers. Specific requests are for continued improvement in muscle control, the ability to swallow (the sooner she can swallow, the sooner she can be off her feeding tube!) and that the infection in her lungs totally clears up.
I am unsure what we would do without all of you!
~RuthAnne
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Sign Language
Good Afternoon,
Today or tomorrow, we should be receiving Rachel's long-term care report. This report will be the "game-plan" that we will follow as go through the recovery process.
We now have a base-line of ability to work at. She has demonstrated that she can see, can move her legs, arms, hands, feet, and breathe on her own. She isn't speaking right now, and we don't know when the speech pathologist will begin working with her.
RuthAnne and I read aloud to Rachel for about 1/2 hour late last night, which she seemed to enjoy. Every time I stopped reading, she would open her eyes until I began reading again. We then did some exercises, and ended the evening with her tearfully hand signing that she loved us.
Ryan is holding up well, as are Phil and Crystal (her parents). Now that we seem to be out of 'crisis mode', we are all focusing our energy towards the coming weeks and months, as Rachel literally re-builds her life. I would advise everyone reading this note to take full confidence in the fact that Rachel has nearly an "unfair advantage" over others in a similar situation, namely:
1. One of the most competent medical teams in the nation overseeing her recovery.
2. Unmatched support from friends and family.
3. A uncommonly healthy background, leading up to this incident.
4. A strong, stubborn mind ;)
For prayer, focus on her ability to speak and swallow, as well as the right side of her body, as it seems weaker than her left side.
More updates are soon to come.
- Josh
Today or tomorrow, we should be receiving Rachel's long-term care report. This report will be the "game-plan" that we will follow as go through the recovery process.
We now have a base-line of ability to work at. She has demonstrated that she can see, can move her legs, arms, hands, feet, and breathe on her own. She isn't speaking right now, and we don't know when the speech pathologist will begin working with her.
RuthAnne and I read aloud to Rachel for about 1/2 hour late last night, which she seemed to enjoy. Every time I stopped reading, she would open her eyes until I began reading again. We then did some exercises, and ended the evening with her tearfully hand signing that she loved us.
Ryan is holding up well, as are Phil and Crystal (her parents). Now that we seem to be out of 'crisis mode', we are all focusing our energy towards the coming weeks and months, as Rachel literally re-builds her life. I would advise everyone reading this note to take full confidence in the fact that Rachel has nearly an "unfair advantage" over others in a similar situation, namely:
1. One of the most competent medical teams in the nation overseeing her recovery.
2. Unmatched support from friends and family.
3. A uncommonly healthy background, leading up to this incident.
4. A strong, stubborn mind ;)
For prayer, focus on her ability to speak and swallow, as well as the right side of her body, as it seems weaker than her left side.
More updates are soon to come.
- Josh
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Rachel's Breathing
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Well, Rachel is definitely improving. She no longer has the breathing tube in her mouth, which is a huge step in the right direction. At this point, it can be said that she is not on any type of life-support at all, other than feeding.
She can open her eyes and make eye contact. She hasn't spoken yet, but has good control over her body.
As some of you may know, Rachel knows sign language. Well, Rachel's sister, RuthAnne, was in the room alone with Rachel. Rachel...all on her own...was able to sign 'I Love You' to RuthAnne. Ryan (her fiance') then entered the room, and Rachel was also able to sign 'I Love You' to him as well.
The medical staff continues to show surprise at the speed which Rachel is recuperating. All of the prayers have no doubt played a tremendous role in that, as well as the many family and friends that have actually shown up to visit Rachel.
We will be posting more pictures very soon now. Also, you may post your own comments below.
All The Best,
- Josh
Well, Rachel is definitely improving. She no longer has the breathing tube in her mouth, which is a huge step in the right direction. At this point, it can be said that she is not on any type of life-support at all, other than feeding.
She can open her eyes and make eye contact. She hasn't spoken yet, but has good control over her body.
As some of you may know, Rachel knows sign language. Well, Rachel's sister, RuthAnne, was in the room alone with Rachel. Rachel...all on her own...was able to sign 'I Love You' to RuthAnne. Ryan (her fiance') then entered the room, and Rachel was also able to sign 'I Love You' to him as well.
The medical staff continues to show surprise at the speed which Rachel is recuperating. All of the prayers have no doubt played a tremendous role in that, as well as the many family and friends that have actually shown up to visit Rachel.
We will be posting more pictures very soon now. Also, you may post your own comments below.
All The Best,
- Josh
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sign In!!!
Please reply to this and comment about who you are and if you or organizations you know are praying for Rachel.
There are people praying in Mongolia, Austrailia, Africa, Europe... many who have never met Rachel!
Your prayers are making a daily difference.
There are people praying in Mongolia, Austrailia, Africa, Europe... many who have never met Rachel!
Your prayers are making a daily difference.
Pregnancy Test
Saturday night I (Anja) wanted to head to Iowa City before picking up Rebekah Barnes from Des Moines Airport. I realized it's not on the way, but wanted to see Rachel and thought her sister, Julia, who was managing the phone calls and household 2.5 hrs away would like to go see her. The last time Julia saw her was when she was at the hospital in Pella.
We talked about how good Rachel was doing on the way to Iowa City. Listened to some music and enjoyed meaningful conversation. We even talked about how despite Rachel doing so well, she's still in ICU and tubes are hanging everywhere. Not a pretty site.
Julia was trying to sustain her tired body with watermelon, and her blood sugar was definitely low. I spent a little time with Rachel, Ryan and Julia and my heart was gladdened to once again see how well Rachel was progressing. I needed to head to Des Moines and wanted to leave some time for getting lost on the way. So I sort of rushed out of there to find the family and just check in with them. They were down in the cafeteria.
So I navigated my way through the maze and found Pa Garrison and Maryhorn walking back to see Rachel. Finally found the rest of the clan and was surprised that they were all wondering where Julia was. I kept insisting that she was with Rachel in ICU, but they kept asking where the Emergency Room is. Finally I got out of them that Julia had fainted. This didn't really surprise the family as Julia is known for ... well fainting.
Apparently after I left, the helpful male nurse was overly descriptive regarding the mucus removal process. Julia started feeling light headed and realized she was getting close to fainting. She had enough cognitive power to realize sitting on a chair would be helpful. Unfortunately the chair had wheels and she definitely missed it, hitting the floor with her head. Eyes fluttering, speaking in gibberish, and her body shaking all seemed indicative to the medical professionals around her of a head injury. Julia and those closest to her (not in proximity, but in her family) realized this was just typical symptoms of previous fainting spells.
Non-the-less, she was strapped tightly to the board (this left a mark for 45 minutes - it was painfully tight and they would not loosen it even though Julia asked several times promising to not move her head), put on a bed and rolled down to the Emergency Room. She loudly and coherently was demanding to get off this ride, but they would have none of it.
Dad and Maryhorn were at this point at the reception unit by the ICU and waiting to get permission to see Rachel. As they were waiting they see this gurnee rolling past them. Dad definitly was like, "Is that my daughter". Maryhorn thought it couldn't be RAchel, "not enough tubes". Then they heard a confirming voice, "Hey Dad". Dad didn't really know what to do ...
Just before they got to the emergency room Mom caught up with them and demanded, "Julia get off that board right now". Julia wanted to but had insistent nurses who would have no deviance from their plan. Being the obedient daughter she is, her response was, "I would Mom, but they have me strapped down."
Alone with the middle aged nurse in the emergency room she found herself in some awkward situations that you just can't write about. If you ask her, she'd probably love to tell you though. One funny thing is that they insisted on her taking a pregnancy test. They were a little skeptical regarding Julia's virginity (she in no way looks pregnant!).
Thankfully the test came back negative.
There's been much discussion about this and it has been a bit of comic relief for us.
So, the next time you are about to faint in the hospital - take care. You never know what kind of tests they are planning on performing on you.
We talked about how good Rachel was doing on the way to Iowa City. Listened to some music and enjoyed meaningful conversation. We even talked about how despite Rachel doing so well, she's still in ICU and tubes are hanging everywhere. Not a pretty site.
Julia was trying to sustain her tired body with watermelon, and her blood sugar was definitely low. I spent a little time with Rachel, Ryan and Julia and my heart was gladdened to once again see how well Rachel was progressing. I needed to head to Des Moines and wanted to leave some time for getting lost on the way. So I sort of rushed out of there to find the family and just check in with them. They were down in the cafeteria.
So I navigated my way through the maze and found Pa Garrison and Maryhorn walking back to see Rachel. Finally found the rest of the clan and was surprised that they were all wondering where Julia was. I kept insisting that she was with Rachel in ICU, but they kept asking where the Emergency Room is. Finally I got out of them that Julia had fainted. This didn't really surprise the family as Julia is known for ... well fainting.
Apparently after I left, the helpful male nurse was overly descriptive regarding the mucus removal process. Julia started feeling light headed and realized she was getting close to fainting. She had enough cognitive power to realize sitting on a chair would be helpful. Unfortunately the chair had wheels and she definitely missed it, hitting the floor with her head. Eyes fluttering, speaking in gibberish, and her body shaking all seemed indicative to the medical professionals around her of a head injury. Julia and those closest to her (not in proximity, but in her family) realized this was just typical symptoms of previous fainting spells.
Non-the-less, she was strapped tightly to the board (this left a mark for 45 minutes - it was painfully tight and they would not loosen it even though Julia asked several times promising to not move her head), put on a bed and rolled down to the Emergency Room. She loudly and coherently was demanding to get off this ride, but they would have none of it.
Dad and Maryhorn were at this point at the reception unit by the ICU and waiting to get permission to see Rachel. As they were waiting they see this gurnee rolling past them. Dad definitly was like, "Is that my daughter". Maryhorn thought it couldn't be RAchel, "not enough tubes". Then they heard a confirming voice, "Hey Dad". Dad didn't really know what to do ...
Just before they got to the emergency room Mom caught up with them and demanded, "Julia get off that board right now". Julia wanted to but had insistent nurses who would have no deviance from their plan. Being the obedient daughter she is, her response was, "I would Mom, but they have me strapped down."
Alone with the middle aged nurse in the emergency room she found herself in some awkward situations that you just can't write about. If you ask her, she'd probably love to tell you though. One funny thing is that they insisted on her taking a pregnancy test. They were a little skeptical regarding Julia's virginity (she in no way looks pregnant!).
Thankfully the test came back negative.
There's been much discussion about this and it has been a bit of comic relief for us.
So, the next time you are about to faint in the hospital - take care. You never know what kind of tests they are planning on performing on you.
Tube has been removed
Amazing how quickly things can change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. I got word that they were putting the breathing tube back in, but while they were working with Rachel they decided to try other options.
Instead of putting the ventilator tube back in (someone with more medical knowledge should be updating this), the doctor decided to try sucking the mucus out with a tube through the nose. This seemed to help. Currently she's doing better and they can use a "nose trumpet" to get the mucus out of her lungs.
They also moved the bed so she can be upright.
Currently everything is looking positive. Her vitals are stable. She's less responsive (expressive) today, but it's probably the stimulation of so many visitors over the weekend, the morning exhaustion, and she had been given food a while ago. Rachel also had a physical therapist working with her this morning. The exiting thing this morning was that Rachel was able to lift her left leg and bend her knee. She's also been able to give lateral resistance on her left leg. So good!!!
Rachel is still running a bit of a fever. Again, this is good because her body is doing it's function - trying t to get rid of the infection.
Please continue to pray for wisdom with the doctors. Mom would like the doctor to consider putting Rachel back on Magnesium. Pray for wisdom there. Also pray specifically for her lungs.
MaryAnne decided to stay the night with her mom and us in the hosptial. She's been such a light in the dimness. MaryAnne is the youngest of the 8 kids and has never met a stranger. Such a joy to hear her reaction to seeing Rachel (something like), "Rachie looks like she's sleeping". All the kids reacted well ... but you'll have to read a post about Julia's exciting visiting yesterday.
Instead of putting the ventilator tube back in (someone with more medical knowledge should be updating this), the doctor decided to try sucking the mucus out with a tube through the nose. This seemed to help. Currently she's doing better and they can use a "nose trumpet" to get the mucus out of her lungs.
They also moved the bed so she can be upright.
Currently everything is looking positive. Her vitals are stable. She's less responsive (expressive) today, but it's probably the stimulation of so many visitors over the weekend, the morning exhaustion, and she had been given food a while ago. Rachel also had a physical therapist working with her this morning. The exiting thing this morning was that Rachel was able to lift her left leg and bend her knee. She's also been able to give lateral resistance on her left leg. So good!!!
Rachel is still running a bit of a fever. Again, this is good because her body is doing it's function - trying t to get rid of the infection.
Please continue to pray for wisdom with the doctors. Mom would like the doctor to consider putting Rachel back on Magnesium. Pray for wisdom there. Also pray specifically for her lungs.
MaryAnne decided to stay the night with her mom and us in the hosptial. She's been such a light in the dimness. MaryAnne is the youngest of the 8 kids and has never met a stranger. Such a joy to hear her reaction to seeing Rachel (something like), "Rachie looks like she's sleeping". All the kids reacted well ... but you'll have to read a post about Julia's exciting visiting yesterday.
Monday Morning - breathing tube removed!
Greetings!
What joy it is to be able to report that they were able to successfully remove the breathing tube. Rachel was sedated last night to allow her a chance to really rest up. Sunday was a critical time as swelling and additional blockages often show up during the first 72 hrs.
Rachel is able to squirm and move around even more. They have her sitting up more and I'm sure she is aching to communicate even more with us.
Please continue to pray that her lungs will be strong enough to cough up the mucus in the lungs. Currently this is the only concern. If she can't then they will have to put a tube in to help her remove that junk.
We'll keep you posted, but this is amazing progress! Please keep praying.
~anja~
What joy it is to be able to report that they were able to successfully remove the breathing tube. Rachel was sedated last night to allow her a chance to really rest up. Sunday was a critical time as swelling and additional blockages often show up during the first 72 hrs.
Rachel is able to squirm and move around even more. They have her sitting up more and I'm sure she is aching to communicate even more with us.
Please continue to pray that her lungs will be strong enough to cough up the mucus in the lungs. Currently this is the only concern. If she can't then they will have to put a tube in to help her remove that junk.
We'll keep you posted, but this is amazing progress! Please keep praying.
~anja~
First Hand Accounts of How Jesus has used this in your life.
Please reply to this post with comments about how this has affected/awakened YOUR relationship with Jesus Christ. Both sides of the family are believers in a living and loving God. Both sides know that Rachel's amazing recovery is due to the kindness of Jesus Christ working in her life. We are praising His name. Though we are all extremely grateful that modern medicine has advanced and can seem to work miracles, we know there is a limit to human wisdom. I am grateful God decided to extend Rachel's life her on earth for a while longer. That doesn't always happen, and we are witnessing some of that in other patients' lives. May Jesus really bring peace and comfort to those families.
Sunday Morning
This is Ryan and Rachel Sunday evening. The sign under the monitor is a reminder to turn the "food" off at 2 AM. They're getting ready to take Rachel off the oxygen since she's basically able to breathe without it.
Strange seeing Rachel this way. The strong woman we love. She looks beautiful with her eyebrows done, a nice tan, and other beauty things done for the wedding.
Greetings Everyone,
It has been a quiet 12 hours, but here is the latest:
1. Rachel continues to respond tremendously well. She is continuing to show improvement in recovering. She has developed a low-grade fever, which is actually a very good thing. When she had the breathing tube inserted at the emergency room, she vomited a bit, and some of that ended up in her lungs. Tests have indicated that she does have a mild lung infection, which is being treated with anti-biotics. However, the fact that she has a fever indicates that her immune system is working properly, and responding as it should. That's a good thing.
2. At this point, the plan is to remove the breathing tube tomorrow morning. This will improve Rachel's comfort here tremendously. and will allow her to communicate verbally.
3. There have been some requests for a mailing address where she could receive letters, flowers, balloons, cakes, cookies, cards, money, pets, etc. We ask that you send letters, but hold off on the other items until she is transferred out of the intensive care unit, so that she can receive them properly. That address is:
Rachel Garrison
SICU 5JPP
200 Hawkins Dr.
Iowa City, IA 52242
4. There is no indication of brain swelling as of now. The day is not over, but that is yet another positive sign.
Again, thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support. It is amazing to see how 'words are becoming flesh', right in front of our eyes. Pray and focus on continued strength, and continued healing.
All The Best,
- Josh
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Sunday Evening
Good evening everyone,
Well, as of 7:52 PM Sunday, there is no indication that Rachel has experienced any brain swelling. It was a great, productive day. She received MANY visitors today (and if you were one of them, thank you), so she got plenty of stimulation today.
Not a whole lot to report at this time, just more progress. She responded well all day, and tomorrow morning, she should have her breathing tube removed. This is going to be the first real point of evaluation, as we will see her without a breathing tube or sedation. Up to this point, we haven't really been able to see exactly where her starting point of recovery will be. Tomorrow, we get a glimpse into that, and might possibly begin physical therapy.
Right now, we ask that you pray for Dr. David Diehl, his wife Cathy, and their family. They are in need of our support. At this point, we have seen an amazing process take place as Rachel has begun the healing process. Let us help Dr. Diehl and his family begin the healing process as well.
All The Best,
- Josh
Well, as of 7:52 PM Sunday, there is no indication that Rachel has experienced any brain swelling. It was a great, productive day. She received MANY visitors today (and if you were one of them, thank you), so she got plenty of stimulation today.
Not a whole lot to report at this time, just more progress. She responded well all day, and tomorrow morning, she should have her breathing tube removed. This is going to be the first real point of evaluation, as we will see her without a breathing tube or sedation. Up to this point, we haven't really been able to see exactly where her starting point of recovery will be. Tomorrow, we get a glimpse into that, and might possibly begin physical therapy.
Right now, we ask that you pray for Dr. David Diehl, his wife Cathy, and their family. They are in need of our support. At this point, we have seen an amazing process take place as Rachel has begun the healing process. Let us help Dr. Diehl and his family begin the healing process as well.
All The Best,
- Josh
Saturday Evening
Good evening everyone,
Another highly productive day. Rachel is demonstrating progress by the hour at this point, with continued progress in motor movement and consciousness. Tomorrow will be a mile-stone, as many patients that undergo this type of trauma can experience swelling of the brain on the 3rd day from the event. Make sure to keep Rachel in your prayers tomorrow.
At this point, it should be communicated that all here have been first-hand witnesses to the power that prayer has had upon Rachel. She has surprised even her most pessimistic viewers with the phenomenal progress she has made in such a short amount of time.
This event has revealed that the people involved in Rachel's and Ryan's life have a faith and a passion that defies circumstance. For all of your support, we would all like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude, and let you know that all the prayers, all the devotions, all the phone-calls and emails to rally support...
...IS WORKING..
More to come,
- Josh
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Saturday Morning
Hey Everyone,
Progress has been made in the last several hours. The night nurse kicked us all out for the night, so as to let Rachel relax a bit. Evidently, that helped things out, as she has been making substantial progress since then. As of this posting (7:03 AM) Rachel is responding to and acknowledging questions. She is shaking her head "yes" or "no" to each question, and seems to know who is speaking to her.
Additionally, up to this point, she has been experiencing muscle spasming in the legs and feet. In the past several hours, that has ceased, the muscles in those areas are now relaxed. She is still demonstrating direct motor control of her body as well, wiggling her toes and specific limbs when asked. The staff was very pleased and excited for her progress last night...and we are too.
The staff informed us that progress won't be made on an hourly basis for some time. They confirmed our thoughts that it would be slow-going at first. She still has a respirator assisting her breathing, so she is not talking yet.
So everyone knows, she is staying at the University Hospital in Iowa City.
I'll be doing my best to update everyone every 8 or 9 hours on facebook and email. Stay Tuned.
- Josh
Friday Evening Update
Hey everybody, this is Josh Fuson (RuthAnne's husband), with an 'on-the-scene' update.
To sum, Rachel's condition has been stable for the past several hours. Last night, she underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot from below her brain stem. We are tentatively assuming that the procedure was successful. She was done with the procedure at approx. 3:30 AM, and has since been under the watchful eyes of 3 different teams of specialists.
As of this writing (9:47 PM), Rachel has been quite responsive to verbal commands. We can ask her to squeeze our hands, move her legs, flutter her eyelide, etc. Because she is on a respirator, she is not speaking.
We are waiting for 2 things right now:
1. We are waiting to see if any brain damage was incured from the brain clot, and if so, how much. We are waiting to see where the chips fall, so that we have a base-line to begin with. From there, the obvious goal is to work with her to get her back to 100% health. I've been known to be stupidly optimistic, but I think that is a very realistic target at this point ;)
2. We are waiting to see what happens on Sunday. You see, for many patients that undergo similar procedures, the 3rd day can introduce brain swelling. Today, Friday, was day # 1. Direct your prayers towards Sunday, as that will be a mile-stone in this event.
Ryan (her fiancee) and both sides of the immediate are holding up remarkably well. Be bold in your prayers, as we serve a powerful God. The doctors need wisdom, the family needs strength, and Rachel needs healing. If anyone would like to have a conversation, you can reach me at Rachel's cell phone (641-895-1881) or my cell at 641-856-7555.
- Josh
Friday, September 7, 2007
Friday Morning
Dear Friends,
Your prayers are needed. Rachel is in very critical condition. The situation the family is possibly imminently facing is deciding weather or not to take Rachel off of life support. Yesterday afternoon during a routine neck adjustment an artery (in her neck) became compromised and started to bleed, which caused bleeding in her brain & an aneurysm. She's since suffered a few small strokes & a seizure. She was life-flight-ed to Iowa City & rushed into emergency surgery to break up the very large clot in her brain. The surgery did not go well. For a while she was in a quasi stable state. Briefly after the sedation began to wear off she was responsive to voices. Then she became unresponsive, (eyes were not dilating) & was rushed into a cat-scan. We're waiting on the results. Rachel is in a life-&-death situation. The family is in crisis mode. Please pray.
Thanks, Emily Humble (friend of the family)
Your prayers are needed. Rachel is in very critical condition. The situation the family is possibly imminently facing is deciding weather or not to take Rachel off of life support. Yesterday afternoon during a routine neck adjustment an artery (in her neck) became compromised and started to bleed, which caused bleeding in her brain & an aneurysm. She's since suffered a few small strokes & a seizure. She was life-flight-ed to Iowa City & rushed into emergency surgery to break up the very large clot in her brain. The surgery did not go well. For a while she was in a quasi stable state. Briefly after the sedation began to wear off she was responsive to voices. Then she became unresponsive, (eyes were not dilating) & was rushed into a cat-scan. We're waiting on the results. Rachel is in a life-&-death situation. The family is in crisis mode. Please pray.
Thanks, Emily Humble (friend of the family)
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