PRYR RQST For a friend in critical condition - urgently needed UPDATE #118 - good news

Continuing my prayers for Lewie.

Adding my prayers.

Today Lewie is scheduled for the surgery on his leg. It was postponed because of some emergencies that required the operating room, so he was pushed back in the schedule.

He is still in pretty bad shape, but some of his labs are stabilizing. When his family is with him his BP goes up. The theory is that he wants to talk to them and isn't able to do so.

I will post as soon as I get any additional information.

Again, we so appreciate your prayers and concern.

gratefully,

GO

We'll keep at it Garry. Nothing like prayer out there.

Lewie had surgery on his other leg this afternoon. He lost some blood and needed a transfusion during surgery. Surgeon inserted a rod into his femur, and said that the tissue looked mostly good. Next week a plastic surgeon will operate to close a wound on his thigh. Sounds like a pretty nasty wound to have a specialist to close it.

His family is very tired - exhausted, rather - and his daughter who is on dialysis has had some episodes of rapidly dropping BP. She seems to be okay now, but would appreciate prayer for her as well.

Thanks to all.

GO

Thanks for the update. I'll add the daughter to my prayers. That poor family; I guess they are tired.

Yes, thank you for the update. I imagine the entire family is emotionally and physically worn to a frazzle. Prayers still ongoing and will especially include his daughter.

Continuing to pray.

Thanks for taking the time to update Gary. Your friend Lewie sounds like and amazing guy.
We'll be keeping up the prayers for him and his family.

Garry, keeping up with your updates and still praying for your friend and his family. They, as well as he are certainly going thru a lot right now. May Jesus give them strength in the coming months.

Prayers continue for Lewie, his family and the medical team caring for him.

DM

praying .......

I'll be headed upstairs about this.

Continued prayers for Lewis, his daughter and all the family.

Adding my prayers for the whole family.

Garryowen said:

Lewie had surgery on his other leg this afternoon. He lost some blood and needed a transfusion during surgery. Surgeon inserted a rod into his femur, and said that the tissue looked mostly good. Next week a plastic surgeon will operate to close a wound on his thigh. Sounds like a pretty nasty wound to have a specialist to close it.

His family is very tired - exhausted, rather - and his daughter who is on dialysis has had some episodes of rapidly dropping BP. She seems to be okay now, but would appreciate prayer for her as well.

Thanks to all.

GO

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Thanks for the update. Continued prayers for Lewie, that he improves, prayers also for his daughter that her blood pressure will not drop anymore.

Norma

Continuing Prayers...
lw

Latest update, copied from Lewie's Caringbridge page, written by his wife:

I just got off the phone with Lew's nurse. The trauma doctors had been through the unit and after spending time with Lew they made a bit of a change for him. They are desiring for him to have surgery tomorrow, Monday, to have a tracheotomy, this is to move the vent to this throat instead of going in his mouth and then down his throat. He will also have a stomach tube inserted straight to his stomach instead of going down his throat. Both of these things mean that he will have nothing in his mouth.
The nurse said when patients have been on a ventilator for 10 - 14 days doctors actually prefer to move the access to the throat. It is much easier on the patient and causes less damage in his vocal cords. And since they don't know how much longer he will be on the vent this is the best choice for him.

When i was in Rockford yesterday the nurse explained to me that when Lew was not as heavily sedated he was feeling more pain. This caused his blood pressure and heart rate to rise. The times that Lew would open his eyes and try to "interact" with us, his pressure would get worse. She explained that he really wasn't stable enough to interact with us and it was actually a little dangerous for this to happen. The nurses on the unit were great at keeping people out of his room. All of this is for his best healing...

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Just having all those operations would be hard for a healthy person, much more so on someone who has been very severely injured.

I'll update you when I have more news, and as usual, thank you all for your continued prayers.

blessings,

GO

Thank you for the update. Continuing to pray for him.

prayers still going up from here also.

Still praying.
Hope

Thanks Garry for the update. Continued prayers for Lewie. Prayers also for his family at this time.


Norma

Great update from CaringBridge site:

Written 2 hours ago

Lew is awake!!!
The delays coming to the hospital were pretty bad, so it took me longer to get here than normal. By the time i got up here, his curtain was closed because the nurses were cleaning him up. I sat outside his room and i kept hearing them talk to him. The nurse would ask him to move his arm, etc and it sounded like he would. As i sat there, Ashley walked in, she was going through town and decided she wanted to see her daddy.

When they let us in his room we discovered he was awake!! They have taken him off of all his propofol. That was the med that was keeping him in the drug induced coma.

Irritable and confused
How did he seem? Well, he did focus on me and Ashley. You could tell he recognized us. He tried to mouth some words. Any one from my sign language classes could tell you, i am a terrible lip-reader. Ashley is much much better and she was able to discern Lew asking, "How did you find me?" So she asked him, How did we find you? we sort of chuckled since Lew called 4 or 5 people after the accident.

He did behave a little irritated to be in the bed. He acted like he wanted to sit up and the nurse told him that he couldn't sit up yet. He kept raising his arms...i am not sure what he was doing that for. He was wincing and the nurse would ask if he was in pain, he would nod his head. yes.
He also would move his head and look at the monitors. Then he would turn his head and look at me. Sometimes he would furrow his brow, like he does when he is worried. Then he would look at me in confusion. I would talk to him about the kids. Tell him that Matthew wanted to see papa and that BB was doing ok, she was finding it too difficult to come everyday with me. And then i prayed for him, to calm his spirit.

Best part of the day
After Ashley left and the nurse was still in the room. Lew looked at me and mouthed, "i love you". True i can't normally read lips, but i read that one loud and clear!! I told him i loved him and the nurse chuckled that she understood that sentence too.

Off to CT scan and Vent info
A nurse came in to transport him to CT scan. They want to make sure he has no swelling on his brain. The vent is still in, at his throat. It is so nice to see his face looking normal. I asked how soon before he would be taken off the vent. She said since today was his first time to breath on his own, that tonight they would put him on the vent again. Sometimes when patients have been on the vent for as many days as he has been, they forget how to breathe. Then in the morning he will be off again, even if still hooked up to it.

I am pretty excited about the possibility of him getting off the vent within the next couple of days. If they can keep his pressures stable off the coma, off the vent, they should be able to move him out of CCU. But i don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I will rejoice in the progress of today!!

Wow, excellent news! Keep praying!

Firedance,

Thanks for posting the information. I just got in and was going to do an update. This is really good news, although he is still in a lot of discomfort and it will take awhile to wean him from the vent.

Again, thanks for continued prayers on his behalf.

From Lewie's Caringbridge page today:

He's ready to leave
You heard me right. Lew is definitely awake. heehee. He is ready to leave the hospital. I'm still working on reading lips, but i did understand him to say..."i want to go home".

I told the nurse he was ready to go home and she told me he caused them a little problem earlier in the day. He tried to get out of bed. I guess he wasn't joking, he's ready to be home.

Holding stable
His blood results show that everything is holding stable. They think he has done really really well with his lungs too. When i was leaving last night they were reconnecting him to the vent but i guess he didn't do so well on it. They actually had him on the CPAP which works like the sleep apnea machines. If he forgets or doesn't breathe the machine will breathe for him. He handled this quite well and it gives him less of a work out than breathing on his own.

Today he was not on either, he was breathing on his own. They had him connecting to the oxygen, but his lungs were doing all the work. This became a bit difficult for him and he was having chest pains. They did an EKG and tested his blood for enzymes to check for a heart attack. BUT, they think the chest pains were from him using his chest muscles so much more today. He seemed quite distressed about this so they connected him back to the CPAP.

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This isn't the entire posting today, but it's very encouraging. God is good! Thank you for your continued prayers.

PRAISE GOD, give him the glory. this is wondrful news, we will just keep paying for him.

praying

Lewie had another surgery this afternoon. They shortened the stump on his amputated leg and closed the wound completely. The surgeon is confident that he will easily be able to fit a prosthesis for him.

He is still in the process of being weaned from the vent. They have installed a bar with a trapeze so he can move himself a bit. Still in the ICU. His wife didn't say whether any more surgeries are planned at this point, but all the stress is taking a toll on her.

Thanks again to all of you!

Things sound encouraging. Continued prayers for Lewie and his family.


Norma

Adding my prayers for the entire family.

Heavenly Father, who knows when even a sparrow falls, who is so aware of each of us he tells us He knows how many hairs are on our head, who knows our hearts and unspoken prayers, who invites us to bring our requests to Him in prayer, be praised.

Oh God who created us and who sustains each of us, I bring Lewie and his family to your throne for special blessings and healing. Good Father grant the doctors the wisdom, will and ability to administer the treatments necessary to facilitate the healing you bestow upon them. Grant Lewie and his daughter the strength and ability to fully heal from their injuries and illnesses. Intervene to relieve their pain and suffering, I pray. Defend them from all infections and complications according to your power and love. Draw them near to you, encourage them and fill them with hope and confidence in the blessings and future you have reserved in love for them.
Work your will in the hearts of those playing key roles in the blessings you will for them and show them your plan for their greatest good and happiness.
In Jesus name, righteousness, authority and power I ask,
Amen

Great news today! Lewie is being moved out of the ICU. This is happening sooner than I had expected, and I take it as a sign his vital signs are all, or mostly, stable.

God is so gracious to us. And I do not doubt that this is in answer to the prayers of very many persons. His body is still very beat up, but this is a definite move toward recovery.

Words fail me in thanking all of you for your prayers and support.

GO

Very encouraging news. Will continue to pray

Praise God that he's out of ICU. Forgive my ignorance, but does that mean the vent has been removed too? Thank you for the updates.
praying...

Reborn said:

Praise God that he's out of ICU. Forgive my ignorance, but does that mean the vent has been removed too? Thank you for the updates.
praying...

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He still has the trach, but I think he is only having something like a CPAP machine part of the time. Mostly he is breathing on his own. I'm looking to have another update sometime today.

Thanks Gary for the latest update!

Here's the latest:

The trach is out. The catheter is out. The feeding tube is out. He has a phone in his room and is able to call out and receive calls. He is also able to sit in a chair. He will probably be transferred to a rehab facility next week.

I will print out this thread and give it to him.

Words fail me in thanking you all for your prayers.

blessings,

GO

Such wonderful news! Miracles continue to happen through the Lord!

That is such wonderful news Gary.

God is so good.