Friday, May 31, 2013

Friday Afternoon Post 5/31/13

Lauren had a peaceful night and is still sedated and on pain meds plus all of her other meds. Mark and I got a good night's sleep at Bruce and Sis's house. Gio stayed all night with Wo and said he slept ok. Bruce is on call again. Sis was up early for a run and came to the hospital. Mark and I went to Denny's for breakfast and I had a crying fit. I have been so good for so long and then today has been very difficult for me. I think I scared our waiter away with my tears. He kept peeking around the corner before coming back to our table. Sis thought it would be beneficial for all of us to sit down with Lauren's ICU attending today to make sure we all understood what was going on. It was a very frank discussion. One that was very difficult to hear, but we must be prepared for anything. We wanted to be sure that Lauren is comfortable and the docs assured us that she is not in pain. She is being weaned off the nitric oxide which is a good thing and her vent settings are a little lower. She continues to need blood products which is not a good thing. This means her liver is not working very well. All we can do is hope and pray for a miracle. On a lighter note, Wo received cards from Jacqui and Bruno (Gio's brother and his fiancee'), and Bruce and Debbie (parents of Wo's friend, Christine). We got a very nice Edible Arrangement from Matt and Katie, (Wo's cousins). I am sure we will enjoy it very much. I wish Lauren was awake and could eat some. She loves canteloupe and pineapple. I feel bad for Wo's nurse. Lauren's filter on her dialysis machine gets clogged from time to time with clots and it just happened. They need to change the filter and she unhooked a hose and the pressure blew blood all over her cute t-shirt. Luckily she had another shirt in her bag and ran and changed it. I know I have said this a million times, but the doctors and nurses here are all so nice and treat all of us like family. They all care so much about Lauren and we are so grateful. We are also very grateful for all of you. Here are a couple pics from Wo's room. We have a wall for her cards and the cross is right by the entryway of her room. I will update later.

Love,
-Pam







12 comments:

  1. Pam and family;
    I am amazed you have been SO strong thru all of this....I know where Lauren gets her strength!! You hang in there...all of you, and know I pray, pray, pray for all of you and the doctors treating Lauren. I see the picture Jenn sent you on the wall. One of my favorites that I painted. Hugs, prayers, and good thoughts coming your way. Even though I have not met you and Lauren in person, my heart is aching for the troubles she is going through right now and the roller coaster of emotions your whole family must be feeling right now. HUG! Patty Corcoran

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    1. Hi Patty,

      I know you would be as strong as me if it were one of your daughters because that is the kind of mom you are and that is what moms do. I love the card that Jenn sent. You are quite the artist!! I feel a special bond with you and I really appreciate your support.

      Love,
      -Pam

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  2. I do not know Lauren but was asked to pray for her by Lisa Salem Craine. I just read your most recent post, and my heart breaks for the struggles all of you are facing. Just know that people you do not even know are praying for you and for Lauren...praying that God will carry each of you through this terrible storm and bring you safely to the other side...that you will feel His presence lifting you up. Bless you – Beth Ledbetter Chester

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    1. Thank you, Beth. Any friend of Lisa'a is a friend of mine!

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  3. Pam,
    It’s comforting to know Lauren is not in pain and I’m praying her liver starts functioning better. If I remember correctly after her first surgery her liver regrew slowly so hopefully she just needs more time. She also retained extra fluid for an extended period so Lauren’s body may take longer to respond than average.
    This has been a hard journey for all of you, but this was Lauren’s best chance. My husband and I also made the difficult decision to have our daughter’s liver resected and transplanted two years later. As parents we make the wisest choices possible to guide our grown children with the available information we have at the time. Then we hope and pray like crazy for the best outcome.
    I fully understand about having melt downs. A good cry is healthy and then you regroup and carry on. If there was a possible complication my daughter usually had it. Some weeks seemed like a blur and we coped as best we could. It helped me when people shared their similar experiences so I got an idea of what to expect. My friends were enjoying their normal lives and many couldn’t relate. It’s not that they didn’t care, but they just didn’t understand. Stress, worry, grief, gas money, missed time from work, insurance, etc. As you know there is a lot involved. To us it was a no brainer, because we loved our daughter and would do anything to help her like you are doing for your beautiful Lauren.
    I hope Lauren has a good night, which means you will have a good night. Hang in there and my prayers are with you.
    Hugs, Cathy and Heather

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    1. Thanks, Cathy. I know you are probably feeling the pain right along with me since you know first hand how it feels. Thank you for all the encouraging words. You are so sweet.

      Love,
      -Pam

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  4. Still praying for healing and recovery and blessing Lauren with an overwhelming sense of God's presence and love for her. Steve French

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    1. Thank you, Steve. We appreciate all your prayers.

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  5. Pam, I am so sorry your family is going through so much. You are all incredible and for you to think of everyone else and continue with these updates is truly amazing. We very much appreciate these updates, though. There is so many people rooting for Lauren. We are praying, sending positive thoughts and love daily. We pray that Lauren's liver starts improving and she regains consciousness soon. Hugs to all of you. Tell Lauren she has touched hearts all over the world and she is an inspiration for many. Love Nancy

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    1. Thank you, Nancy. Your words mean so much.

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  6. Hang in there mom, praying for your baby girl!

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  7. I "met" Lauren via Marta and I've been following her ever since. I hope that Lauren continues to battle every setback thrown her way. I've always kept her in my thoughts and prayers and I will continue to do so. I'll keep you all in my prayers as well. Thanks for sharing her plight. I'm listening to Gym class hero as I type this and it is very fitting for Lauren......"here comes the fighter". Thank you for the updates. I'll pray your strength in the Lord.

    Candy Moorhouse

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