Cloudy Days

Our daughter, Jordan, was on the phone with her mother, Brenda.  The hospital requested she and her husband, Jared, return to the hospital.  Their son Killian was on a ventilator and would be transported to Saint Paul's Children's ICU.  Killian's appendectomy--while surgery had taken longer than expected because of perforation--had gone well, but while taking out the respirator tube in recovery, a rare thing took place:  Killian developed a pulmonary edema (his lungs filled with fluid).  He needed more care than Stillwater's Lakeview Hospital could give him.

Sedation.  Ventilator.  Transport.  ICU.  Hearing these words connected to our sweet 13-year-old grandson brought tears to Brenda's eyes while Mike researched ways to travel the 314 miles from Sturgeon Bay, WI to Saint Paul, MN.

As many who are on the Loop discover, life happens and priorities change.  We must stop what we're doing to respond and participate in the lives of those we love.  Earlier this past week, Killian was not feeling well.  By Thursday evening it was evident his fever was not to be beaten and his condition was worsening, and so an emergency room visit in the early morning hours of Friday the 13th was in order.  Surgery was scheduled for the removal of his appendix.  By Friday noon, his appendectomy became secondary to his ability to breathe on his own.

Thank you to the prayer warriors who are helping us through this scary event.  Prayer requests are being granted.  Yesterday (Saturday), after Killian was taken out of sedation and proved he could breathe on his own, the ventilator was removed from him.  Today (Sunday), more tubes were taken out of his body and he was released from ICU to a regular hospital room.  In the days ahead, Killian's breathing (lungs) and temperatures (for fevers related to his abdomen) will be closely monitored; 20-40% of patients with a perforated appendix who undergo an appendectomy develop subsequent infections.

When Brenda left his hospital room this afternoon, Killian seemed to be (finally) sleeping.  Despite sleep aids, this may be the first sleep he's had since sedation.  His exhaustion (for a time) won over his fear of falling asleep (an affect of the recovery room trauma).

We anticipate returning to Velsignet in Sturgeon Bay, WI this Thursday.  Current weather reports indicate Friday may be a good cruising day on Lake Michigan to Milwaukee or thereabout.  With luck, we may be in Chicago by late Monday night, September 23rd.