Dustin has had a sleepy and hot day out here in New Mexico. He has been fairly non-responsive today and has a temperature of 103.3. The blood cultures showed no pneumonia but now they are checking for other things. It may just be part of the whole trauma deal but it does make breathing more difficult and makes it so they can't wean him off the vent yet. They where going to try him breathing on his own but apparently there is some anxiety on Dustin's part which makes all the body chemistry go a little heywire.
The enemy would try to make us be discouraged ,but right in time our friend, the occupational therapist, whose husband is the pastor that got us out city loft, came in and said that there will be days where he is up and more responsive and then down days and that is completely normal. A lot depends on the brain and spinal swelling.
She also brought him the new testament on IPOD from a mission called "Hosanna". We will plug him in and have the Word of God renew his mind, body and spirit.
Rick called his old college friend who happens to be on the board at Craig hospital (the world renowned top hospital for spinal cord injury) who is at a board meeting in Switzerland!! He called Rick back and said that he knows the top guy for the Veterans Dept that can assist us. The big deal is that the VA will want to put him here in Albuquerque and that will be very difficult for us to be a part of all of his treatment and recovery. We were ready to call congressmen etc to try to get him transported to the east coast but now we have someone who can go to the top guy in Washington DC. Per the social worker the VA directs all of his decisions. So we pray for favor in this.
A greater call that Rick has been so on top of was to the Head of the Research dept at Shepherd hospital (sister hospital to Craig in Atlanta). She said just to go ahead and get him on the list for rehab there and at Craig Hospital and they would try to help us get payment from VA via friends and contacts. We would really like him to be at Shepherd. Please pray of an opening as they are full right now.
Dustin's favorite things have to do with being clean. He gets pretty alert after baths and continues to love the mouth sponge thing and chapstick. We should all remember how important the little things are .
Dustin's 2 school buddies came by today and are going to hook up Dustin with a DVD player and his favorite movies. They couldn't bear that he was watching all the dumb drug commercials on TV all day!! We hope to have them over for dinner in our "movie pad" at our table set for twelve!! We laugh at this big table as the whole rest of the house could not support a baked chicken!!
Nerina and her mother will be leaving tomorrow and they will be missed greatly! Dustin will miss them most. Pastor Anita left today and Rick decided to stay on with me. He has been the most valuable asset handling car insurance, tow companies, rehabs, and a million other phone calls. I don't think I could have done it without him.
We pray Dustin is taking notes in his head on all the funny things like the shampoo cap, the bed that turns him down on his head and then shakes him etc. - basically taking his tube feeding and making butter?????
You have to know Dustin- his quirky sense of humor could use that for movie material.
I love my walks to and from the hospital each day.. Yesterday on the way home there were young students out praying for people on the street (lots of homeless etc). They were carrying a poster around saying they were offering prayers. A girl caught my eye as I was reading the poster and I decided to accept prayer for Dustin. Wouldn't ya know that she prayed a prayer that sounded like she had been to Be in Health!!! I mean how may prayers have you had on the side walk as you walked the streets. God is everywhere in our lives!!
Please pray that Dustin would not be anxious, that his breathing would stabilize and he can start getting off the ventilator, that depression would not touch his mind or spirit and that his fever goes to normal.
As always we thank you for your continued support and for all the people God has put in our path.
We thank Be In Health for letting Pastor Anita bless us with her presence, love and wisdom
Rick and Mary Pat
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3 comments:
Dear Rick & Mary Pat,
I am in awe of the grace and faith that I am being sooooo encouraged with as I read your reports. WOW! It is a privilege to participate with what the Lord is doing in your midst. I am so grateful to have heard your testimony about the death of your son at PVC the Sunday before. Believing with you for Much, Much fruit to come forth from that precious seed as well as through Dustin's life.
With much love,
Susan W
Marypat and Rick, I, too, am in awe at your testimony of faith during this obviously trying time! Like Susan, I was already so blessed by what you shared that Sunday at PVC BEFORE Dustin's accident!
God is such a good God and it is so comforting to see how He is upholding you and encouraging you and strengthening you daily! And like Helena, I can just "hear" your comments, Marypat, and "see" your smiling face and upbeat demeanor thru all your posts!
Thank Him for all the ways HE has encouraged you so far and thank you for sharing this with us. Dustin IS a beautiful and awesome son! Thanks so much for the pics as well...that helps to see who we are praying for!
love, Tracy
Great news that C3 is intact. A C5or C6 they often refer to as a "super quad" able to gain a lot of independance. But we are praying for a miracle of total healing to the spinal cord. God can do it. So glad that you are connected to those in high places, both in heaven and on earth.
Marcia F.
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