Monthly Archive

Greetings to all from Hartford, Connecticut!

Lea has had another good day today! So good, in fact, her
every-other-day surgery was cancelled! Another day of rest is going to
be a welcome change. Her next surgery may be tomorrow, the surgeons
will decide during morning rounds tomorrow. In any case, they will do
surgery Tuesday, if not tomorrow.

She had a little bit of a fever again today, and still has the swollen
legs and redness that usually accompanies the medications she is
allergic to. She had the fan blowing on her all day today again. I
have to smile, because she has never liked having a fan blowing
directly on her. All you have to do is knock her out, and she doesn’t
seem to mind at all.

She is making good progress currently, and we pray for each little
baby step of recovery that we can get. The treatment is still going to
take another four to six months, and rehabilitation will last a few
months after that. Hopefully, we will be able to transfer home some
time between recovery and rehabilitation. We’ll see.

Lea is still sedated to the point that she can’t respond much at all.
There are moments, but usually she is too far under to be able to do
anything but doze. She is likely to receive numerous surgeries before
she is closed up, and will be sedated for at least two weeks after the
final surgery, allowing the incision in her stomach to start healing.
What a long time it is going to be before she can communicate with me!

And, when she wakes up, she will have a “sounder” in her throat to
talk with for some months while her voice box recovers from having the
tube in her throat for so long. We will have a lot of adjustments to
make, and we will need your support through prayer as we take on this
challenge.

What a wonderful experience it has been to receive your well wishes
and continuing prayers on Lea’s behalf. I read every single email and
eGreeting to her, and I can’t help but be deeply touched by your love
and affection formy favorite girl.

I would like to share with you just some of the thoughts that have
been special to me, as I read to Lea each day. These are excerpts from
some of the emails sent to us, and I hope no one is offended that I am
sharing this . . . it’s just that these are SO touching, and helps us
all understand how this wonderful woman has touched so many lives. I
also have eGreetings from many others, and will try to get those
posted in the near future so you can see those as well.

For now, here are just a few of the notes that I would like to share,
so you can see how she has touched so many:

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

It’s funny I have a TON of memories with your family, but the one I have
found most comforting in the past few days is one from the day of my
grandpa’s funeral. Your mom saw how much I was hurting, and came over to
give me a hug & assure me that grandpa loved me. It meant the world to me
then, and still does. Everytime I think about it I get tears. She gave me
one great thing to hold onto on what was probably the worst day of my
life, and I could never thank her enough for that. So please let her know
I am thinking about her, praying for her & that I love her for the kind
wonderful person she is.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

You are so right when you say that many of us will receive lessons
from this ordeal with Lea and all will be different. I know in talking
with her sister, Kathy, yesterday that lessons are being taught. The
two of us talked about God’s beautiful world that surrounds us each
day and how much we need to show those we care about that we love them
and to take nothing for granted. Life is uncertain, but the power of
God and His love is always certain. Each day all of us touch lives at
work, at home, at church, all around. We all need to do that with
God’s love in our heart.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Janie and I only met you and Lea the one time in Hawaii, but we
absolutely fell in love with the whole family. Lea, Janie and Dottie
spent a lot of time together, while the guys did the fishing (sort of)
thing. Lea is one of the most tender and kind people we have had the
pleasure to meet, although I do personally blame her for Janie’s
extraneous spending while in Hawaii. We continue to pray for Lea’s
full recovery, and for the continued strength of the whole family.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Dearest Lea,

You are constantly on my mind and in my prayers. You are a strong,
vital part of our family and we need you to continue to fight to get
well. God is awesome and is helping you to endure all that you must
go through at this time and will always be by your side.

I love you so very much and see your bright smiling face as I think of
you when you visited in Florida with us on a Sunday afternoon a couple
of months ago. You have such a wealth of stories and the best sense
of humor and I loved having lunch with you that day.
I love being your cousin but have always felt a little bit closer than
that– you are the almost “big sister” that I never had. I remember
so many great and funny times that we have shared through the years.
I still hear you telling about one of my not so great moments when you
said I got mad playing “spoons”!! I also remember a time when my mom
was very sick and in the hospital and you made candy cane cookies with
me. What a precious memory that is that comes to light when I think
of you. Remember the crazy days that we have had at camp–swimming in
the river, cooking that huge skillet of fried potatoes, walking to the
spring, trying to find just the “right spot” to potty so as not to get
poison ivy in the wrong spot!!, riding in the old Model T and the time
we painted it and all signed our names to it——-so many memories
that you are part of!

You are in my heart and soul and I love you!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I was deeply saddened to learn of her illness and pray most earnestly
and sincerely for her full recovery. I always considered Lea one of
our finest employees and one of the loveliest persons I have ever
known. She was always kind and friendly not only to me but also to all
the other folks with whom she worked. It was a joy to see her at the
office and be the recipient of her glowing and affectionate smile.
When she regains consciousness, please give her my love and best
wishes. Meanwhile, I want you to know I greatly admire your courage
and positive attitude during this difficult time and that my prayers
are for you and your family as well.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I have been praying for you, and asking others to pray for you as
well. I put you on the prayer chain at our church. Believe me, there
is power in prayer – and you are living proof of it! We love you -
and are thinking of you constantly.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Remember I love you and will keep writing and keeping you informed
about our family and what’s going on. You keep working hard to get
well. You are so strong and I admire you so much!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I know a soul I never met. Her lovely spirit touches me . . . yet,
She is a soul I never met

Many the times I’ve heard of her ways,
the way she treats others with special days

Her zest for life and just for being that lovely
someone who’s well worth meeting

Does she know she’s loved by many?
Her gifts unlimited she slights not any.

Yes, my heart’s been touched, my soul’s been blessed,
by the loveliness of Lea, though we’ve never met.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Thank you, each and every one. I’ve attached a picture of my “lobster
girl” taken just a couple of days before she became deathly ill.

Ya gotta love that smile!!

Larry

Hello, everyone,

Another good day for Lea today. She has been quite stable since her most recent surgery, with only a few little bumps in the road. The bleeding from her nostrils seems to have subsided, as has the sinus drainage. She has developed a little bit of a rash, or hot spot, on her lower left leg above the knee, and her knees feel quite hot. The nurses have given her a little antibiotics to counteract the rash, and have actually drawn lines on her leg outlining the rash, to see whether it spreads.

She has been running a temperature ever since the surgery. It was about 101-102 initially, but dropped to about 99 degrees by this morning, and remained about there all day today. The nurses put an oscillating fan near her bed, to cool her from head to toe, and occasionally put cool wash cloths on her forehead. The cultures so no signs of any infection, so it must simply be a reaction to being bound up tighter, and they try to get her incision to return to normal.

There is still some swelling in the abdomen, but it is much less than we initially saw. The swelling, generally, is less than we had seen earlier, and it may come down even more as they attempt to take off 50 cc an hour over night. If her blood pressure stays stable, they could take as much as 500 cc before her next surgery. That will reduce her swelling significantly, too.

Her next (5th) surgery is scheduled for Sunday, sometime around noon or so. The hope is that it will be just irrigation and repacking . . . no infection, no more dead tissue on the pancreas. Dr. Pepe will be doing her surgery tomorrow. She is quite a good surgeon according to the nurses, and I am beginning to respect the nurses’ opinions. They have been really up front and helpful, and they don’t mind telling you when something is not up to snuff.

It appears that Lea’s lungs are doing okay, and that she is absorbing oxygen okay while on the ventilator. We will probably hear something next week about the tracheotomy to be scheduled, and when that will take place. According to the nurses, it usually helps the patient a lot, and speeds recovery as well.

Meanwhile, our friend Joe Stroup, who is upstairs in Cardiac ICU on the 10th floor has suffered a serious setback, after having made such good progress this past week. He has been bleeding into his catheter for several days now, and the intention was to take him to surgery today and cauterize the bladder where the bleeding is believed to be occurring.

Today, however, he began “bleeding out” or bleeding faster than they could replace the blood. The surgery was cancelled, he is being given double doses of blood now, and since his blood count is too low to do surgery, they will have to keep giving him more blood than he is losing until the bladder heals itself. (Thank you, blood donors!).

We ask for a prayer for our friend Joe tonight, as he needs a special blessing. Please also ask the Lord for the miracle of faith for Joe, and that he will come to the cross as a result of God’s healing grace.

One has to wonder . . . if Joe hadn’t gotten sick and had to be admitted to the hospital, would we have continued our travels and allowed Lea to die in her sleep in the back seat? I think Joe may have just played a very important role, and he now needs our help to come to salvation.

Thank you for your continued prayers, emails and eGreetings. I can’t tell you what a wonderful uplifting it is for me to see the love and prayers that are being showered on Lea. I have been very humbled by your devotion to her, and can’t thank you enough. She and I are both going to owe you one of those special hugs. As one of our very special extended family members said, “An embarrassingly long hug!”

Love to all,

Larry

Dear Loved Ones,

I am SO overjoyed as I begin this update because I just experienced the first reaction from Lea since she went under sedation two weeks ago tomorrow. One of the practices surgical nurses employ in the healing process is to watch for signs that the patient can be brought a little closer to consciousness by administering less sedatives. Lea recovered quite well from her surgery today, showed good signs of stability, and all of her vital signs were well within expectations.

So her nurse, Renee, brought her up out of her deep, deep sleep, while still keeping her sedated enough that she couldn’t really move much more than her eyelids. While she couldn’t open her eyes, she could squint in response to questions. I got to talk to her for about fifteen minutes, and got so excited I kept forgetting to ask questions so she could “wink” for me. It was such an awesome feeling to know that I was connecting with her again! Praise God!

I had spent time with her early this morning before going for my stress test, and was saddened when I got back to learn that she had gone early to surgery. A doctor Ivy performed the surgery today, since Dr. Mah had to be away. Dr. Ivy had attended a previous surgery with Dr, Mah and knew the case well enough to perform the procedure. He stated that a little more of the pancreas had to be removed, but that it was only a very small amount. She returns for surgery Sunday and Tuesday. We don’t know about any future scheduling at this point, but are hopeful that she is nearing the end of this surgical phase of her recovery.

Lea had a nose bleed that developed right after the surgery, likely due to the heparin being given her to prevent blood clots in her legs, but it had subsided by early evening. She continues to receive replacement blood, as she is still bleeding into her abdomen due to the repetitive surgeries, is nearly off blood pressure medication, and the Sudafed seems to be controlling her runny nose sufficiently.

She looks better to me tonight. She is losing some of the fluid build up, and starting to get some of her features back. If she were awake I would kid her by saying that if you squint your eyes real tight, and get just the right angle, you can still see her in there. Her hands, feet and face aren’t quite as puffy, and she has real good color. I realize that this is probably just one of those good days, but I’ll take all of them I can get. Tomorrow will be a rest day, with no surgery, so I am hopeful that she will rebound greatly overnight, and be ready to fly through the next surgery without any complications.

I keep wondering: What would I do if I should lose her? She is the center of my world. She is my strength. She has been my reason for living for most of my life. She has always been my best friend, my most trusted confidant, my partner, my buddy, playmate and lover. I can’t imagine life without her at my side. Her smile lights up my life. Our lives are so intertwined I don’t think one part is much of anything without the other.

I enjoyed reading your greeting cards, emails and eGreetings to her today, and am very touched by the thoughts and expressions of love you have shared with her. Thank you for your concern, and your expressions of affection, and especially for your prayers. They are definitely working! Please keep lifting her full recovery up to God.

My sincerest appreciation,

Larry

Hi, friends, family, loved ones all,

Today was a better day for Lea as regards her blood pressure, heart rate, etc. Even her temperature came down a little from what it was last night. Dialysis was restarted last night, after unsuccessful attempts to get the machine to work on the port in her right groin that had been used previously. Apparently the area of the port collasped, or sselling caused by being bound up tighter, or for some reason unknown, the port would no longer work. The dialysis machine was hooked up to an already installed port on the left aortic artery. This is one of those ports that is so big, I’ve been calling it an Intergalatic Docking Station. It is able to handle large numbers of ports, and can handle large volumes of fluids when IVs are strung trogether through a manifold system. I told the nurse tonight that Lea would be impressed with all the “gizmos” and tubing and connections around her. She is one of those persons who can go into a near panic just looking at the wires hanging off a computer table. She’d be amazed at what she has strapped to her now!

Her temperature had reached about 102 degrees after the surgery yesterday, which is a benchmark for the Infectious Disease folks. They immediately had blood drawn to create a culture, and the results will be in Saturday afternoon. We hope that it isn’t anything, but are glad they are on top of early indications. Her body remains quite swollen, although much less than after the first surgery. They continue giving her lots of fluids, which causes the swelling, in order to dilute the effect of any systemic infection that may get started. After they are able to let her abdomen start healing, they will be able to draw off the excess fluid, and allow her to return to normal. They keep cautioning me that it will likely be quite a while before we reach that point.

She has pressure cuffs on her shins, ankle to knee, that continuously inflate and deflate to massage her legs, cirulate the blood, and hopefully prevent any blood clots from forming. The technicians did an ultrasound on her legs today, and so far there is no indication of any clot causing activity. I asked about arranging for a massage therapist, but because she has so much fluid in her body, she has tiny blisters all over her skin. Any rubbing, like in a massage, could actually rupture these blisters and open more avenues for infection. So, we’ll stay with the automated cuffs and trust that they will do the job.

Lea has also been receiving replacement blood all along, and as I look at the labels on the blood packages, I notice that they are all marked, “Donated by Volunteer.” If you are a blood donor, let me take a moment to thank you for this outstanding act of kindness. You are truly saving lives when you donate blood, and I hope and pray that you will receive a true blessing at some point that gives you the satisfaction of knowing just what a wonderful thing you have done.

Thank you for your emails and egreetings. I read these to Lea every day, and am printing them out to put in a notebook for her to read when she rejoins us. I would like to share the messages we have received with each of you, because so many are extraordinary, and will working with Lance to get them posted up to the prayer page in the near future. As I mentioned in an earlier note, I just haven’t had the desire to update the prayer page, preferring to spend time at Lea’s bedside. But, we have some wonderful notes from folks, and some delightful insights into what this lovely woman means to those who have the privilege of knowing her. I think you will be pleased to see them. We have notes from some of “our kids” as far away as Iraq and Quatar that will warm your heart. I’ll let you know when we get that site updated.

I knew I married better than she did, but am awed and humbled by your affection for the one I love so deeply. Please keep her in your prayers as we still have many tough days ahead of us.

In deep apreciation,

Larry

Hi, everyone,

What a wonderful experience it has been to receive your well wishes and continuing prayers on Lea’s behalf. I read every single email and egreeting to her, and can’t help but include the love and passion, interlaced with tears, that you include in your notes. I have made up a 3-ring notebook binder for her, and am keeping all your messages in it so she can read them when she awakens again next month. I feel a little silly reading the messages to her, because I can’t help weeping at the wonderful expressions of love and tenderness. It woudln’t be so bad if the nurses didn’t get teary eyed too. They know your love for Lea, and that Lea is a very special lady, and believe me, it makes a difference in the way they care for her.

She had, overall, a pretty good day. She had surgery again this afternoon, during which a few more small areas of dead tissue were removed from the pancreas. The surgeon said, “Not much, really.” He also said that the internal swelling had gone done enough that he was able to tighten her up . . . meaning that she had much less packing, and a smaller hump on her tummy after the surgery. Her blood pressure dropped a little low after the procedure, so she had to go back on a wee bit of medication to increase it. The nurses also could not get the dialysis machine hooked back up to her after the surgery, and were planning to replace the port in her right groin with a new one, so they could get her hooked up. The surgeon also told me earlier today that they would be taking more fluid off of her, which will reduce her bloating.

Although she remains very, very sick, she continues to be in stable condition. Her temperature was just a little high tonight when I left the hospital (100.9) and the nurse was watching it to see how high it would go. There is usually no infection until it reaches 102 degrees. If it got that high tonight, they would take a blood culture to determine where and what it is so they can get after it right now. It could also simply be a reaction to being moved to and from the operating room, and shuffling of her internal organs during the surgical procedure. The nurse, Lynn, also promised to update the voice mail late tonight, because everyone has been so busy keeping up with her 20 drips, dialysis, drawing blood every two hours, turning (shifting) her every two hours to prevent bed sores, and all the other things they have to do, the updates have not gotten recorded.

One of the fun things we did today was play a DVD recording of our 2004 Christmas video for her, along with Lance’s Christmas song and Christmas story. It was a wonderful Christmas at the Walton House in Atlanta, with all the family gathered around. The recording started with the Birthday Party for Jesus, which we do on Christmas eve. The dinner table was resplendent in candlelit silver and blue decorations and snacks and treats to consume by the warm fireside. The evening included reading of the Christmas story from the bible, and other holiday traditions, including new pajamas for the granddaughters just before bed.

I’m sure Lea enjoyed listening, and recreating in her mind, the many scenes from the Christmas morning opening of gifts, followed that evening by what we loosely term a “talent” show. It is usually full of laughs as we poke fun at ourselves and share skits and other silliness. An example was a skit by Link and Deanna, who live in Hawaii, who did the 12 Days of Christmas in Hawaiian “pigeon,” a slangy language the Hawaiians use. It was hilarious, and I nearly expected Lea to smile when it was played.

She is scheduled to go back into surgery again Friday, again in the operating room, to check for any signs of infection, irrigate the entire area, and hopefully be able to close her up some more. What I mean by that is that after the initial incision was made, there was about an eight inch gap in between the two edges due to the swelling. I would estimate that it is down to about five inches now, and of course, we want it to go back to normal real soon, at which point they will allow it to begin healing from the inside out. I look forward to that day, because it is from that point they begin the two weeks until they will let her wake up.

We received several eGreetings from the hospital website today, and several emails from you as well. Please forgive me if I don’t respond to you right now with a personal email, but know that your thoughts and prayers are appreciated very much, and that your outpouring of love and devotion for Lea is humbling to me and her immediate family.

For those of you who have heard the whole story, and know that our neighors from Atlanta are here with us, here’s an update on Joe. He has now been diagnosed as having had a pulmonary embolism which caused him to go into aortic fibrulation, which we treated as a heart attack, which was the right thing to do. He is now breathing on his own, the ventilator having been removed three days ago. His voice is returning, color is improving, and he is getting tired of being in the hospital.

He still has a blood clot in his heart, and his heart is still in fibrulation. The doctors will “paddle” him at some point, when he is strong enough, to get his heart back into a regular rhythm. If he continues his current rate of improvement, he will likely be discharged in two weeks or so. His wife and son are here with him rotating shifts to sit with him at all times, and I have use of their truck whenever I need it to go get supplies, etc. I am staying in a room in former nursing student quarters adjacent to the hospital, and have received my office equipment, shipped from home, so I can teach my classes from here.

I am putting your notes and comments up on the bulletin board in Lea’s room so it will be inspiring when she is able to once again open her eyes. If you have a favorite photo of her, or anything of that nature that you’d like me to print out and hang up for her, just drop me an email with the graphic attached. I enjoy reading your notes to her, and holding the picture up in front of her closed eyes so she can see it. I know that somewhere, deep down in her consciousness, she knows that I’m being funny. She would expect nothing less!

Love to all, and thank you again for your love and prayers,

Larry

Hi, all,

Another difficult day for Lea, as her body had a difficult time maintaining normal blood sugar levels today. This morning the nurses had to give her lots of insulin to keep somewhere near normal, and this afternoon and evening they had to keep giving her sugar (Dextrose) to get her levels high enough to sustain minimal blood pressure.If you were one of those who noticed that the evening status recording wasn’t done on time, it was because, Laura, bless her heart, was kept so busy trying to get Lea back into bounds. When I left after 11:00 p.m ., Laura was still bedside, watching the monitors and doing practically constant blood testing for sugar levels. Laura will work through the night trying to get Lea stable, so that she can get her needed surgery at 1:15 p.m . Wednesday. These surgeries are needed to make sure she isn’t developing any infections, and delaying a single day due to a complication like this can be serious. You should be able to hear a status report by 8:00 a.m . If you do not, call to inquire about Lea’s condition at the nurses’ desk just outside her room .

Generally speaking, Lea is still in pretty much the same situation . . . . critical but stable . . . . although she wasn’t as stable as we would like yesterday or today. She developed a runny nose today as well, so Laura added a Sudafed drip to the smorgasbord Lea is getting, and by afternoon her runny nose had subsided. So, if you’re keeping count, she was getting 18 drips . . . they added steroids yesterday to stabilize her, and Sudafed today to stop her runny nose . . . 20 medications! It is just amazing what the medical field can provide in the way of healing assistance.

I am spending most of the day with Lea, reading emails and greeting cards to her, playing music on the DVD player, brushing her hair, holding her hand, and looking for any signs of response. I know she can’t respond, but I can’t help hoping that she’ll acknowledge me. I have arranged to take a treadmill stress test this Friday, to see how my heart is holding up, and to hopefully be able to get into the cardiac rehabilitation program here during my stay. I had been going to the cardiac workout center three times a week back home, and don’t want to lose the progress I have made.

I’m afraid the prayer page has not been updated recently, since Link and Lance have both been on the road . . . Link had a planned minor surgery today in Hawaii, and Lance is in Atlanta IN trying to help us get the house ready to sell. I had told them that I would update it, but haven’t wanted to do much other than be with Lea and try to comfort her as much as possible. I’ll keep you informed on progress to that page as we can get it updated.

I am attaching yesterday’s message below, since I had requests from several folks to be added to the distribution list, and I want to be sure they have a little backgrounding in the situation at hand. As always, we are very grateful for all expressions of affection and good wishes. We received a couple more greeting cards today, and several eGreetings sent from the Hartford Hospital website. I am posting those in Lea’s room, more for the nurses’ benefit, since they are all becoming so attached to Lea. I am also making a copy of each message and putting it in a three ring notebook for her, so when she wakes up she can read them at her leisure.

We have received several notes stating that Lea’s ordeal has caused many of our friends and family members to pause to tell their loved ones that they are loved . . . something we all too often neglect to do. The Lord is at work in this illness, and Lea would be happy to know that you have come closer to God and your loved ones because of her suffering. Can’t you just SEE that beautiful smile of hers?

God bless each of you with compassion for others in your lives, and appreciation for the gift of time to spend with those you love,

Larry

Hi, everyone,

This has been a stressful day. Lea had one of those “down” days the surgeon was talking about . . . the first since she started the upward recovery after her first surgery. Today was the third surgery. Although everything is looking good in the pancreas area, and there are no signs of infection as of yet, her internal swelling began causing too much pressure on her major organs, and her mucous membranes were extensively enlarged. She was put on steroids right after the surgeon completed his one hour procedure this afternoon, and by this evening she was already showing improvement.

After the surgery, which amounted only to an inspection of the abdominal area and repacking with wet towels, Dr. Mah, the surgeon, met with me to talk about Lea’s long term recovery, and some of the steps along the way. He said that he and the staff remain optimistic for her eventual, complete recovery, but that it is going to take many months to get there. One of the things that he sees in the near future is a tracheotomy, in which a tube will be inserted into Lea’s throat, so the ventilator tube can be removed from her mouth. He said the tracheotomy will have several benefits . . . reducing the risk of infection, stopping deterioration of the tissue where the tube enters her mouth, preserving the voice box, and letting Lea breathe more easily than is possible through the present tube, and promote a more speedy recovery.

He stated that Lea would then be able to mouth words while learning to communicate using an electronic “sounder” device placed in her throat at the site of the traceheotomy. Over time she would be weaned away from this device and be able to use her own voice box, but it will take some time for that to happen. Their biggest convern right now is infection, and the ventilator tube is a prime location for introduction of infections. When the ventilator is in place for 7 days the likelihood of bronchitis is increased 20%. Each day after that one week, the percentage goes up slightly. That’s why the next likely procedure will be the tracheotomy. My guess is that they will want to do it late this week or early next week.

We see the Lord’s work in all that we are going through. We have been so very blessed with prayer groups from all areas of the globe interceeding with God on Lea’s behalf. We know that His will is always done, and that this experience is part of His great plan to bring us all closer together in His name, and to minister to others in His name through what He teaches us here. We must not forget to ask ourselves what we have learned from this lesson when it is all over. As is so often the case, we will each have a different lesson, or lessons, that help us understand how to better serve Him and to minister to others in His name.

Thank you for your continuing prayers. By the way . . . we received four greetting cards today, and numerous emails and egreetings. I am putting all of them up in Lea’s room, and will read them to her numerous times. She doesn’t remember from day to day right now, so these are going to be great conversation tools for me to use to entertain her while she recovers.

Thank you, and may God bless each of you for your kindnesses and thoughfulness,

Larry

Hello everyone,

Thanks to each and every one of you for your continuing prayers for Lea’s recovery. The power of your prayers is being felt here every single day . . . even the nursing staff notices.

Lea continues to make teeny little steps of progress, giving us great encouragement for her gradual recovery. The surgeons have made us feel confident that they are keeping a very close watch on Lea, and the nursing staff is just superb. The nurses are more caring and attentive than I have ever experienced. The staff here really prides themselves on professional, quality, care. We are very fortunate to have been able to transfer Lea to this hospital.

Four of Lea’s brothers and her sister were with us for most of last week, along with nieces and a nephew and his wife. Link and Lance were also here to help through the terror and trauma of the situation . . . . called to her bedside when she was deteriorating so quickly last Sunday she wasn’t expected to live another 48 hours. Through God’s grace she was stabilized enough that we could airlift her by helicopter to a bigger hospital. The airlift was only 12 minutes duration, but the doctors felt that she would not survive the longer ambulance trip. We have heard several comments this week stating that she wouldn’t be alive today if we hadn’t made the decision to take one of the steps we decided to take. Thank God for His guiding hand!

Here’s a bit of an update on her current status. She is still in “guarded” condition, which means she is critical, but stable. She has a dedicated nurse in her room 24 hours a day. Last I counted she was receiving 18 fluids by IV, is on dialysis and breathing assistance. She remains very sick. She has not been conscious since last Sunday, and probably will not be conscious again for two more weeks or so. She is being kept very heavily sedated due to the extreme pain present in pancreatitis cases.

She has a large incision in her abdomen which will be kept open for “several weeks” according to the surgeon, “three weeks” according to the attending nurse. She said that three weeks is the longest she has seen, and that the doctor is giving us the worst case scenario to avoid disappointment if recovery is delayed. The incision is open so the surgical team can check her on a daily basis for signs of infection. When they are satisfied that the pancreas is healing properly, and that there are no complications, they will let the incision heal from the inside out before closing it up.

They removed some dead tissue from the pancreas in a three hour surgery Friday, and a little more dead tissue today in a one hour surgery. But, all in all, the surgeon said things are looking really good. They caution that a lot can still go wrong, and that we will experience ups and downs in coming weeks and months. They say that we should evaluate her progress on a weekly basis, rather than a daily basis, because there are going to be bad days.

Saturday, for example, while the nurses were turning her on her side (something they do every two hours to avoid pooling of fluids and bedsores), Lea had a bad reaction to being moved, and her blood pressure dropped alarmingly low. The Intensive Care team responded immediately, inserting two needles into her chest cavity through the back, and removing a large amount of fluid, which allowed her lungs to expand properly, stimulating the heart, and raising the blood pressure again.

We are SO grateful for your continuing prayers asking God to reach out his hands of mercy to Lea, and that He will grant her a miraculous recovery, that she might grace our lives once again with that heart warming smile. She can truly light up a room, and has been a beacon of His love in so many of the lives she has touched over the years. I pray that He will forgive me my selfish prayer of mercy for Lea, and that he might grant us more time together. 43 years just isn’t enough time with someone like her.

Thank you again for your love and your prayers. We are very grateful to every one of you!

Larry

FROM: Link
July 23 @ 8:13 AM – Day 8

No change in Mom today (which is good). She is stable with no surgery scheduled again until tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers!

FROM: Lou
July 23 @ 2:51 PM

Hi everyone -

I just got back home from (their home in) Atlanta IN – and there are two boxes (of things Larry thought he would need) coming. Was glad to hear Larry’s voice when he called and gave us the update on Lea. I was able to get some pictures of their cats and will get them sent in the next day or two. We found out that some of the neighbors have been watching out for the cats too and have been around to pet them. If there is anything else back here I can help with, let me know.

REPLY FROM: Link
July 23 @ 4:05 PM

Thank you so much for all your help. You are a truly a blessing!

FROM: Carol
To: Pam Watkins

July 24 @ 11:27 AM

Sharon works with a guy that is married to one of Lea’s sisters, so I have sort of been kept up to date on what is going on. Anything new or hopeful at this point in time? Is there anything we can do other than pray? Please give my best to Larry and his boys and keep me posted on what is going on.

REPLY FROM: Pam

Carol – So sorry you haven’t been kept up to date, please don’t take it personally. I also had to ask to be added to the email list and occasional phone calls – the quickest way to update you is to refer you to a web site that Lance set up to keep everyone in the know. The link contains information for a phone number that also gives the latest updates

Mom just requested that I drive her to Hartford so that she can be with Larry – not something that I’m looking forward to, but probably something I will do. Keep the prayers coming – it’s the strongest weapon we’ve got!

FROM: Barb
July 22 @ 6:56 AM – Day 7

Just wanted to let you know you are in all our prayers. Hope you will be able to read this soon as that will mean you are getting lots better. We love you.

FROM: Barb
July 22 @ 10:15 AM

Hi! News has it you are doing much better! Great! Know the recovery will be a long one but know you are one strong lady and will make a complete one. Love ya and thinking about you. Your in all our prayers

FROM: Link
July 22 @ 10:59 AM

God is good! We were blessed many times and many ways through the night last night. Your prayers are working and very much felt (even by the nursing staff) – Please keep them up! We had a crazy day yesterday, but in the end have a deeper understanding of our faith and our love for Mom.

Mom was moved to the 9th floor late yesterday afternoon to begin her renal dialysis. The fluid in her body was increasing to the point it was pooling on the exterior of her skin at her joints. The 9th floor is one of the surgery floors and they wanted her around the surgeons in case there were any complications with the procedure because the fluid swelling was not only external, but also internal. Mom had a CT scan in the morning as well to determine the level of damage to her pancreas.

We did not know it, but the chief surgeon had been keeping his eye on Mom. When he inspected her and the CT scan results before the dialysis was started, he recommended surgery immediately to relieve the pressure on her vital organs along with the removal of some dead tissue surrounding her pancreas. We were told at the time the survival rate was 40% and the surgery could last up to 4 hours… The prayers and tears began to unfold. We had eleven in the family together and spent the evening together laughing, crying, and praying. It was a time of great reflection and sharing.

Mom’s surgeon and the chief surgeon met with us around 10:30 or 11:00 pm to let us know that Mom had successfully made it through the surgery and that her survival chances from here are good. However, he did iterate that she is still very, very sick and has a condition called SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) which can negatively affect all her vital organs. I don’t think they anticipated the group hug, but we laid it on them. Mom’s incision will be left open for the next couple of days and they will continue to inspect her vital organs and repack her abdominal area to help remove the fluid.

We visited Mom this morning and her color is very good and the dialysis is hooked up and running. Dad saw the chief surgeon who told him that if we had not agreed to the surgery when we did, Mom probably would not have made it through the night. She is scheduled back into surgery in the next couple of hours. We will keep everyone posted as we know more and appreciate your continued prayers.

With the move to the 9th floor, Mom’s voice mail update information has changed. This information is updated twice per day, with the first update done this morning. Thank you all again for your prayers and kind words. We are very grateful for each of you!

FROM: Barb
July 22 @ 12:56 PM

Just wanted to let you know you are in all our prayers. Hope you will be able to read this soon as that will mean you are getting lots better. We love you.

FROM: April
July 22 @ 12:20 PM

Link,

Thanks again for all the updates. We have been constantly thinking and praying for Lea and the family. We are not only Lea’s employees, but we have come to love her as a friend. We miss her smile and laughter. We will continue to pray and hope for the best. I also wanted to let Larry know if there is anything we could do to let us know.

FROM: Karen
July 22 @ 2:23 PM

Hi, Link. Thanks so much for the update, these ups and downs are very difficult to go thru, but the good Lord does give us unbeliveable strength. I have passed all of this information on to my friends and family here in Illinois and they are keeping the prayer chain going and I tell them it’s working for everyone. How is Dad doing? You boys to? Take time to relax the best you can and just enjoy all of the good memories you have made over the years and you will be able to laugh thru the tears also. You have a super mom there and she is a fighter, so I know that she won’t let anybody down one way or the other. Take Care and Love you guys lots.

FROM: Shana
July 22 @ 3:50 PM

Hi Link,

I just want you to know that all of us in Payment Processing are keeping Lea in our prayers. Several of us have worked with Lea for many years, and I have had the pleasure of working along side her for over 10 years. We are all very close and think of Lea as part of our family. We have wanted to call and let you all know we are thinking of you, but realize this is a critical time and don’t want to bother you. Please know we are thinking of you all and keeping all of you in our prayers. We love Lea and hope she will be able to come bouncing back in here soon! God is great and definitely believe in His healing powers. Please let Larry know we have everything covered here at work and he just needs to concentrate on Lea and his family. We will all continue to keep Lea and your family in our prayers! God Bless you all!