Friday, March 22, 2013

Family Medical Emergency

Sorry for not posting, but this week has been pretty rough on my wife.

Her 9-year old grandson is in the ICU, and not expected to come home.

When he was about 6 months old, he started going into convulsions, and having seizures. They ran test after test, and all they were able to figure out was that it wasn't epilepsy or chemical exposure.

At the time, the Doctors said that in 95% of cases like this, they never do find out.

So, his development came to a halt, and over the intervening time he's developed a host of other medical problems.

He's had to be fed with a tube almost all of his life, and because
 he couldn't run around like other children, his skeletal and muscle development have been extremely abnormal.

Last week his parents noticed he wasn't breathing normally, and by the time they got him to the ER, he was gasping for breath.

Turns out he had a collapsed lung, and a massive respiratory infection, most likely caused by aspirating some of his food into his lungs.

They put him on a ventilator, and into a medically-induced coma, as he was thrashing around so much trying to pull out the breathing tube that they were afraid he'd severely injure himself.

Earlier this week they drained his lungs, and took him off the ventilator to see how he was breathing.

His oxygen uptake dropped to 30% as soon as the ventilator was switched off, so they put him back on it.

Thursday they drained his lungs again, and took him off the ventilator to see how he was doing. He didn't start breathing on his own, so they used the bag/valve unit to get his breathing started.

His oxygen uptake dropped to 5% this time, so they immediately put him back on the ventilator.

My wife went to see the little guy this morning, and they'd moved him into an isolation room. With all the antibiotics they've given him, his immune system is compromised, and they're afraid he'll get something really bad from all the microbes floating around in the hospital.

This afternoon we got word his kidneys are starting to shut down, and his blood chemistry is all out of balance, and they're not sure what, if anything, more than can do for him.

At this point I think it's out of the doctor's hands, and in God's hands.
.
.

17 comments:

  1. Oh Jim, I'm so sorry. Please know that I'll keep your family in my thoughts and prayers and if there's ANYTHING I can do, please let me know.
    -Kenny

    ReplyDelete
  2. I surely hate to hear this. Poor little guy. Know that he is now in my thoughts and prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My thoughts and prayers sir.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So sorry. I'm not a terribly frequent visitor, but I can't imagine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm so very sorry, my friend. You and your family are in our prayers. God bless the little fella.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh no. This is the worst nightmare anybody can imagine. My thoughts and prayers are with the little guy and his loved ones at this time. Hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sorry to hear. You and your family are in my prayers

    ReplyDelete
  8. this breaks our hearts, sir. I'm so sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is sad and you have my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So sad. Thoughts and prayers with him and the family.
    Terry
    Fla.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks, everybody.

    Latest info we have is they're going to drain his lungs again, and try to see if he can breathe on his own.

    Still haven't heard if the antibiotics and the isolation are doing any good yet.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Heartfelt prayers for the little guy, for you and your family. I have said a prayer for you all. God does love him best and we are all in His hands.
    Pamela
    (Followed your link from Hope 'N Change Cartoons)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thoughts and prayers for him and all the family. Losing a child is hard, and when they've worked so hard it hurts even more.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Really sorry to hear this, Jim. I try to remind myself it's always in His hands, even when things are going well. But it's a terrible situation, and tough consolation, I know.

    Our prayers for the little guy and all the families, you included.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh man. I'm so sorry. You and your family will be in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete

Keep it civil, please....

Gloomy, Gritty, Grey Day

 At 1700 local it's as described in the headline; 30*F, 88% RH, completely overcast, snowing like crazy (small flakes, but lots of them)...