Page created 16 Jul 2002 by pedro , last modified 14 Jan 2006 by pedro
I just thought this could be a useful Entree, rather than a passing special.
There's a young guy, around 18, named Matt and he's a good friend of the Kuhl family (sort of Emily Kuhl's boyfriend) who just got a motorcycle and apparently got into an accident with a semi truck today and there's a chance he might not make it... so please pray for him.
we do need a place where we can keep up on what to pray for in this world. Anna Wassenaar's mom is in the hospital. its pretty serious. pray for her too.
i talked to my sister this afternoon and she said that they were putting matt in to a coma so that he would move around and do more damage to himself. alot of the info i have second or third hand but, i guess he broke his arm, pelvis, and leg. his leg is real bad and did surgery on it today, they were afraid that he might loose it. i guess he had his helmet on but, em said that he was bleeding from his head so, i'm not sure if he is bleeding inside or out. it's king of up in the air. the doctors gave us one of those " well if he makes it through the night...." so, i have no idea. but, there is a good chance he might not make it.
this is horrible only more because emily who has dated matt for a couple years. they have broken up just to hang out just as much, if not more than when they were "dateing." but, with them going to college, em just broke up with matt again. i'm just afraid that she will blame herself. also her and her classmates have had a hard year with deaths in school or parents deaths. honestly her school and class are the closest group of friends i've ever seen. no real clicks, everyone likes everyone. which is realy rare these days.
so, please pray for em, my family, matts family and for matt. he really is a great kid.
i talked to my mom today. mat made it through last night. he seems to be out of danger but, has along way to go. he has alot of pins, rods, and plates in him. his leg seems to be ok but, he is still not getting blood to his foot so they are still worried it. he lossed his tounge and i think most of his teeth. they woke him up for a little while to check his responces. he was holding his dads hand and seemed to know they where there. so, that is good. he has alot of surgury's to go but, so far so good.
thanks for the prayers. i will update you when i get anymore info.
she made it through her surgery, and so far it looks like the lump/thing was benign. apparently there are a few more tests to go, but its looking up for her. thanks a lot for your prayers.
I am looking for a new job, so that's one thing. But that all comes with a need for faith and strength because right now I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel. Plus we can't seem to get approved for the provate loans we need for this fall for Karna' school, so things are a little crazy right now. So I don't know what I'm requesting, mainly, I think we just need faith and strength and some calmness and perspective. If you want some more details or whatever feel free to email me. (I just proofed that post, it doesn't make much sense, but that's kind of how I feel right now. So it gets posted anyway.)
Jay's grandmother is in her 90s and had a heart attack yesterday. She seems to be stable but because she was already in a nursing home and frail, they're not sure if she'll make it. Please pray that she's not in pain (the nursing home, drat them, noticed her shortness of breath a full 24 hours before they took her to the hospital) and that Jay's family has strength to deal with her passing, if it happens. She's lived a good long life, and isn't afraid, but Jay has never experienced death of someone close to him before and HE is frightened and having a hard time.Thanks.
well, i talked to my mom yesterday and it seems like matt isn't doing as well as thought. i guess his nose is a big problem. he broke almost everyone of his nasal bones and were pushed all the way back into his head. well, i guess he has three infections from that. the doctors can't tell what the infetions are and haven't ever seen three at the same time. this is the first time that his parent are really preparing that matt might not make it. i guess that inless they find out what these infections are and can get him the right drugs for them, they will start to spred to his bloodstream and then his major organs and then he will not have much of a chance. they don't it to be long after it speads.
please pray for matt, but also my sister she isn't handling it very well at all.
pray for matt.
Please pray for my friend Kim who just lost her baby - his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck at 6 months and he strangled himself. Such things are rare but tragic, and she's not doing well at all. Thanks.
Miss Sundholm is venturing to Hungary tomorrow, to begin a year of teaching English. She has been prepping for that task out here, in Pasadena, and it has been fun seeing her about once a week, rescuing her from what she called Adult Jesus Bible Camp, though she feels very glad indeed to have had this time to prepare. So, remember her throughout the year, if you may, for the days are long and her work full.
My associate, Zhiwen, is very worried about her mother (80) back in Beijing. She has been suffering with complications from diabetes for some time and now has a serious kidney infection. Naturally Zhiwen is very concerned and is considering hopping the next plane back there. Please keep the two of them in mind.
Some of you may have read about (or even experienced some power loss) the young man who was electrocuted last night in Chicago. It turns out he was Eric White, who I know from my home church in Colorado Springs. Some of you might even know him as he spent a couple semesters at North Park. It's sad to see someone so young die so abruptly so please pray for his family and friends.
i am really horrified to hear this news/i am sick about this...is this true? what...? can anyone please give me some information about this? i can't believe this.
Authorities identify electrocuted man
Published September 30, 2002, 8:58 AM CDT
NORTH SIDE -- A man who was electrocuted on an electrical pole Sunday night, knocking out power to hundreds on the North Side, was identified this morning as a 24-year-old neighborhood resident.
Eric White, of the 5500 block of North Winthrop Avenue, was found dead by police about 7:50 p.m. Sunday on a pole behind his home, authorities said.
The man had apparently come into contact with an electrical source, said Chicago police spokeswoman Jo Ann Taylor.
It was unclear why the victim was on the pole. He was not a ComEd employee, said Meg Amato, a company spokeswoman.
About 625 customers lost power in an area bounded by Bryn Mawr and Leland Avenues on the north and south, and Winthrop Avenue and Broadway on the east and west, Amato said.
The trib published a slightly modified story today, but it doesn't have any new information. I haven't heard anything new from people back home either. I am going to dig up the White's address in CO if anyone would like to send a card or condolences.
If you want, please say a prayer for my grandfather, who hasn't been feeling well lately.
I was over at a friend's apartment earlier this evening (Margo, for those who know her... I live about four blocks from her place). About an hour after I got home I got a call from her to make sure that it wasn't me who got shot five or six times on her street. It wasn't, but please pray for the unlucky soul who was, his/her friends, family, and that the situation that brought about the shooting might someday go away.
The Collins (Greg and Emily) welcomed their new daughter, Elena Joy (Ellie) into the world yesterday. she and Emily are both healthy and are going home today. If you want on the schedule to bring them a meal email me at bbeckstrom@rphonthego.comword.
Many of you know that Larry Martin passed away on Friday morning around 5:30am from a malignant brain tumor. It is sad to see such a brilliant man have his life cut off so short. Pray for his wife Susan and their families. There will be a memorial service this saturday in Chapel Hill and I will likely be making the drive if anyone near the DC area is interested. Larry was my favorite professor at NPC. He was the only professor who told us to call him up in the middle of the night if we ever had problems when we were studying late at night. He really had a heart for his students and it's a huge loss and I am really going to miss him. So if you can't make it to NC this weekend, go get some Carolina pulled pork bbq and put on some Bruce Cockburn and celebrate the wonderful life Larry led.
Buddy, my father in law whose real name is Julian, got out of the hospital after being in there 10 days - he had massive blood clotting in the bladder post-cardioversion, and was unable to go to the bathroom on his own so he needed catherterization, and they finally had regulated his blood thinner to the point where it needed to be and the blood clotting in the bladder had stopped, so he could go home on strict orders to rest (Jay's dad, a former fitness advisor to the president, never ever rests). Well, sure enough, first day home, 3 days ago, he stood up in the AM to go to the bathroom and fainted. Yesterday evening he began bleeding intermittently from the bladder again, and it is continuing today. He's seeing the cardiologist now and the urologist later today, and may require further hospitalization.Please pray that he'll be ok and that they resolve the problem soon. He's got an enlarged prostate - which is really common in men over 50 - but it's causing problems with the bladder and bleeding, in conjuntion with the blood thinner, but he HAS to be on the blood thinner because patients post-cardioversion (which he had about 2 weeks ago now) are really suceptible to blood clots in the heart and in the brain which cause major problems, so he needs to be on the blood thinners for 30 days and he's got 25 days left (they had to take him off the blood thinners to figure out why he had blood clotting in the bladder)....
Sorry this is so long. Jay and I are both under a lot of stress right now and we're very concerned about Buddy's health and wellbeing. Thanks for listening...
My grandpa Irv is ill, and they're not really sure what the problem is. Could be old age, could be arthritis flare up... but it's scary because he can hardly walk. He's 87... pray for him and for my grandma too, that she won't stress out too much, or pester my grandpa too much. I really do believe that God is in control, but it's still hard to not know what's going to happen.
My grandfather was taken to the hospital and the doctors thing it's renal failure... please pray for he and my grandma. "Coincidentally," this is also the night that my aunt from California is coming for Thanksgiving, so she, my aunt, and my dad (all three kids) will all be home tonight.
They've moved grandpa to hospice care as he's not improving and hates all the tubes and stuff. Everyone has peace about it and all, but it's still hard. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
I was glad to see this feature...Pete, I am sorry about your grandpa-- grandpas are special people. I will pray for him & your family.Last week, my cousin Jeff was in a terrible van accident. He is 19 & a cadet at the Air Force academy in Colorado Springs. He was thrown out of the vehicle and his spinal cord was severed. They operated on him but the doctors all agree he will be paralyzed from the waist down for life. We are all going out to Colorado for Thanksgiving to be with him. I know a few of you like MercMouth & Raskol know about this...please keep him in your thoughts & prayers for a miracle to happen and Jeff to recover the use of his legs.
My dad is in a bit of trouble at work. I don't really know what's going on yet. But I know he could use some prayers today.
some of you know or have meet my friend juan from work. he's the crazy little metalica, mexican dude. well, this little man has had a rough holiday season. about a little more than a month ago his family founf out that his sister had a tumor in her brain. it was too far gone, and a week before thanksgiving she passed away. she was 27-28? had a few kids and a husband. she was a mother to juan after his mother died some years ago as well as a brother who shot himself when juan was in high school. this guy has gone through alot and i'm not sure how he goes on like he does. after his sister went into the hospital they desided to send her back to mexico and her husband and kids. juan's dad who has worked at ruby tuesday for years and everyone calls papa loco, moved to n. carolina with some othe family. so, juan is here alone now for the first time.
yesterday, he got a call from mexico, that his grandma died. if you think of juan please pray for him. he might seem like he's doing fine but, there is alot of sadness going on.
i talked to erik this morning and his gradfather passed away early today. so, please think and pray for erik and his family.
I have both much love for Erik and Juanito, and know how hard it is to lose a loved one, phil tell juanito that he is in my prayers, I always wondered where his rage came from. And Erik I will have to call. I think we all need to say a prayer for each other, times have been tough for a lot of people recently, and a lot of my friends are going through some shit, and I'd like them all to know they are in my thoughts and prayers. There are too many to list, but the prayers are there. love you all
erik and his mom will be driving up tomarrow to pick up his sister at cov. point. then, to minnesota from there. the services are on friday. please keep them in your thoughts and prayers, for safe travels and for peace in the passing of erik's grandfather.
I don't know exactly what's up, but I'm praying for Kelsey after her last diary post.
My grandma is in the hospital as of last night. It appears her body is longer generating blood cells... She is eighty five and has had a long, active, and elegant life. But, I know that she doesn't want to be in the hospital right now. She would rather die at home... And, my uncle is having a horrible time... Please just keep the whole family in your thoughts and prayers.
My grandma left the hospital today. Not because she is better, but because there is nothing they can do to make her better. It was sad to visit her today- she looked so small and frail, and she hardly knew or understood me. I am so very sad. I almost think that the only truly fair deaths are sudden (though I know this isn't true either...)
My mom has had a very hard year, and i hope that some of you can keep her in your prayers. We found out this weekend that she has thyroid cancer. The prognosis is good right now, its one of the more cureable cancers, but never a fun thing to find out. last spring my grandmother died and then my mom spent three weeks in the hospital over the summer with another cancer scare. It is a strange thing to me still to see my mother getting sick...I dont think i ever really digest things like this very well, not sure how exactly i feel, or if i go through phases like people are supposed to when facing grief. My mom is so brave with these things...she is a strong woman, and a very strong believer, God has been her source of strength through all of this...prayers for her well-being are appreciated.
Nunnybun, I am certainly praying for you & your mother and family. It is really hard to see a a loved one, especially a parent, dealing with such a diagnosis.Blvdgirl, I am also praying for you. Grandmothers are so special, and losing one is awful.
As well as Inkblot. Losing a job is one of the major stressors in life. The good thing is, you will now find something you truly enjoy since your options are open.
Ulysses, you are going through a hard time if your recent posts and Morrissey references are any inidication. The good thing about Morrissey is that he is overtly depressing, but not truly depressing. Even the miserable music makes me happy...so I hope you are doing things right now that make you happy, like enjoying the new job.
and praying for you, too. That was the first mention in my mind when I last posted, which of course meant I forgot to write it. I hope you have found what you can do to alleviate this new diagnosis.
im not sick, but i did lose my job today. i woke up late due to my alarm not going off. it was set correctly. i don't know what happened. anyway, i hadn't been late in 6 months, but before that i was having a hard time getting to work on time. it screwed some things up kinda bad, as i was going to be the only one working, and somebody didn't get to rent a car. im not really worried yet, as i have only been thinking of which options i should exercise now that i don't have this job. but i will need another one, and soon. also, just pray that it all works out that i will be able to earn a living and make the move out of my P's place when they move in early summer.
That stinks, man... I'm really super sorry to hear that.And the rest of you are all in my prayers, too.
my mother has had a breathing problem for a few months now. she had asthma as a kid, and she says it feels a lot like a low-intensity asthma attack, but her doctor has confirmed that it's not that, and also that it's not cancer, pneumonia, or any kind of inflamation that would produce a lot of phlegm. however, no one's been able to confirm what it is. the main symptom is that she gets tired easily due to a decreased blood oxygen level. x-rays show what my mom describes as blockage that looks like "webbing" spread around her lungs. steroids have helped her breathe easier, but haven't made the webbing decrease. she's going in for a biopsy soon. please pray that it will provide an answer, and that the answer isn't too bad.
And also that you and the rest of her family will be able to support her and get what you need in scary times. It's not been the greatest week you've ever had... eh?
it's been a rough month.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I'll totally pray for her and your whole family.
My little baby's been really sick these past three days. We're about to leave for the hospital as soon as everything's ready to go, as she's got a 104 fever and is too dehydrated to move... please keep her in your prayers
nothing is worse than your child being sick. Not that I would know, as I'm not a mom, but I do have a little brother and freak out if he has so much as a sniffle. I'll be praying for Anna. And you and Jay.
Dex, I don't really even know you, but I'll light a candle this afternoon for your Anna. Hope things are OK.
you guys are in our prayers. Hope Anna is OK.
my grandpa is having a double bypass surgery on wednesday. he has 99% and 90% blockage in two of the four arteries of the heart. i'm not so concerned about him... he's in good hands and has as more willpower than anyone i know. i'm worried about grandma. she's never really had a chance to cope with the deaths of her brother or my dad, which occurred decades ago and decades apart, and now her husband of 60 years is in emergency care. i'm going over there now to help her make calls to my aunts and uncles and help her help herself. please think of her.
you may know a similarly named girl from the NP. She was biking down kedzie in the bike lane, and she got doored. Over the handlebars. Trip to the ER. Staples in her head and a limp. She seems ok, but pray for her that she have a speedy recovery and no permanent effects (I'm thiking tendons and stuff... her noggin is okey-dokey). She'll be at the show tonight singing with the meek and lowly.
.. has some bad juju going on in her kidneys. Hopefully nothing major, but you never know.
i feel myself completely losing it real soon here. pray that it doesn't happen. i'm dead serious.
I wish I knew how to help you. I'm thinking about you.
a young woman was struck by a car while riding a bicycle down montrose avenue. she and the car were both going about 20 to 25 miles per hour, the car turned into her. i saw everything except the actual impact. she's in really bad shape. please pray for her.
I know too many people who bike in the city and that would be way too easy to happen to them, I think auto drivers need to pay way more attention to what's going on around them. My prayers go out to her.
The cantor at the church where I used to sing is in the ICU at Northwestern... please pray for him.Also, captain's boss is in the hospital and was not expected to live through last night...
Man, I'm sorry to hear that. What's going on?
He has a bad gall bladder, but they couldn't operate on it until they had stabilized his heart -- but he got infections from the gall bladder before they could do anything...
Captain's boss is a pretty young guy, too, isn't he? I will be praying.
I am really sorry to hear that, and I will be praying for W.'s boss & the family (and the cantor as well). It is very terible for something so serious to happen so unexpectedly.I hope this is not a petty thing and worth a few words of prayer. My cat, Oscar, got out yesterday and is gone. REALLY gone. I have looked everywhere on foot and my sister has driven all over the neighborhood & surrounding area looking for him, to no avail. He has gone outside a few times but always comes back within an hour or so, and just sticks in the yard. He has been gone almost 24 hours now, and I know something is wrong. As he is not really an outisde cat, he does not have tags. I am frantic about this; I love that cat even though he can be bad sometimes. He is great cat and has so much personality. He is really like a member of our family. I couldn't bear the thought of him being hit by a car or hurt by a dog or something. Maybe someone has trapped him in their home. It is awful not knowing where he is or what's going on. Please pray for his safe return.
My boss, Harry Cullins, is currently in ICU. He's in his forties. He'd been hospitalized about two weeks ago because of his gall bladder. Unfortunately he has problems with an irregular heart and could not operate until the heart was stabalized. The doctors have apparently stopped and restarted his heart several times to set it right. They have been able to correct the irregularity, so his heart is now strong and with his lungs in good condition. Apparently his gall stones have begun an infection that has moved to his pancreas, where they have discovered a cyst, and is now spreading to other organs. Both his kidneys and liver are trying to shut down. There is also considerable internal hemmoraging, having received 8 units of blood so far. The doctors are discussing ways of relieving the built up fluid. They did not expect him to live through last night, although he did to their surprise and had an easier night than the previous. However, he is heavily sedated and unconsiuos. His family is with him as well as clergy from Headquarters.I appreciate your prayers for him, his family, and his coworkers. I planned on going and seeing him this evening, but this morning when I recieved news of his worsening condition and transfer to ICU that has now become impossible for me. I'm doing fine although I'm angry for having waited so long to visit. Once again, thank you for your prayers.
Cap--Did you go and see Harry?
I went and saw him briefly this evening. At first I was told only family and clergy had access, but later I learned that anyone could go see him, my impression was that it was time to make peace. He is heavily sedated and unconscious but I spoke with him for awhile and then briefly visited with his family. Contrary to expectations he still keeps holding on. His kidneys quit and he started dialysis today. I don't know quite what else to say at the moment. Thank you all for your prayers, he desperately needs them.
Please pray for her -- she fell and broke her shoulder (humerus) tuesday and needs to have surgery, but today when she was being prepped for surgery, a doctor came in and diagnosed her as having pneumonia (from an xray taken the night before). Please pray for speedy healing for her, for the pneumonia so that she can get the surgery she needs... It was especially frustrating that she hasn't been able to eat because we have been waiting to find out if she'd have surgery, meanwhile she couldn't eat because of possible surgery, then she had the xray, but was prepped for surgery but at the last minute was stopped because of the pneumonia. Maybe that was a miracle... but it was frustrating from this side of understanding.Anyway, she is a great lady. I know taht God is in control, and so I'mt rying not to worry.
Anyway, thanks.
will do.
It wasn't pneumonia, or a clot (as they later thought), but fluid around the heart, which she is taking medicine for. Pray that she will have the energy to get healed -- the hospital can really take the wind out of a person, and grandma needs to get better enough so that she can get surgery and out of the hospital... so far so good, but we are definitely not out of the woods. SO your continued prayers are appreciated.
Pray for the people in my 'hood whose house was badly burned last night.
asking a prayer for myself...but I have had this awful thing for over two weeks now. I can't seem to shake it. First it was cough, sore throat, fever, waking up every morning with my eyes crusted shut (gross, but true). Now it is just pure pain, in my throat and ears, when I swallow. Today I almost had tears in my eyes it is hurting so bad. No amount of medications seems to help. I had open-heart surgery at the age of five--this desensitized me at a very young age to medical horrors and pain, or so I thought. But this is just...wow. Ouch. Living in constant pain is no fun. It makes doing my job, daily things, anything, difficult. If you could put in a quick thought for the return of my health, it would be most appreciated.Thank you.
first, H, i hope you are feeling better and that you went to the doctor and got some antibiotics because that sounds like a nasty sinus infection.second, if you could pray for me and karna i would appreciate it. the whole car thing wouldn't be a problem if we could afford it. The volvo decided to break down at precisely the wrong time what with school starting in a few weeks and books to be bought and fees to be paid and rent due and loans in limbo. We'll make it, but it's just stressful and at times I get wrapped up in the despair so I just need strength to perservere.
third, pray for my grandfather who took a nasty fall the other day. He's all right and is joking about but he's just getting old (90 this past february). his words were, 'I wonder what it will be like when i get old <GRIN> Guess I better start acting my age.' And also I guess for karna's grandfather who is in really poor health these days. Karna is flying out the second week of August to visit.
sorry, that's much more than I planned on writing, but also thanks because I know you people read this and pray.
Yeah H, go get some antibiotics... sinus infections can be serious if left untreated.You guys are all in my prayers.
One of the girls in my youth group is having major surgery on Friday to remove a benign tumor from her lower spinal cord. Obviously a tricky procedure...Her name is Elaine. She's 14.
The other request is for Tammy. Tammy's sister was murdered this past weekend- domestic violence- and her husband/killer then committed suicide. Their five-year-old son, Tammy's nephew, found the bodies. Pray for him and for the whole family... How does one even hope for peace & forgiveness at such times?
...Daniel and Andrea Kaiser (some of you might remember her as Andrea Sheldahl) were expecting their first child in a few weeks, but yesterday it was revealed to the worship team at our church that she lost her child through miscarriage. Obviously, she's devastated. A good portion of the New Community Covenant Church fam is grieving with her.So please, if you can and so desire, pray for God's peace to be upon them. I always pray for peace first, because I believe understanding can come in time, but it doesn't always. Some stuff, even years and years later, still doesn't make sense.
But God is still sovereign.
I can't imagine. I'll keep them in my prayers - it's an extreme nightmare of any mother to lose a child, even one you've only carried and never held.blvd - how did the surgery go?
My great aunt passed away last night. My mother and I were planning on visiting her and another aunt over Columbus day, but obviously God's plans are different than ours. My mom flew up this morning- she is very very upset. She died suddenly, though she was very old and led a fabulous and full life. Please keep my family in your prayers.
The surgery went well. Elaine seems to be well on her way to recovery and is moving about fairly well. Thanks for your concern.
I don't know why there are people who are so keen on soap operas when real life can be much more enthralling. I've been going to the same church since I moved to this area and quickly graduated towards the same service time and standing in much the same place each Sunday. After a couple of years I am familiar with the other creatures of habit in my immediate environment, even if I don't know their names or anything about them. One example is a middle-aged couple who are usually a few rows ahead of me. They stood out at first as the woman dresses quite strikingly and seems to pretty much order the man where to stand and when to leave and so on. They appear to sit and stand and kneel almost without any acknowledgement of each other. After a while I was touched to see that, even though when they stand there's a good three to six inches between them, they have their hand on the pew in front of them so that their little fingers are intertwined. Fast forward to a few short months ago. They had been missing for some weeks so I had thought that they were on vacation or had switched service times or had moved away. When they came back I noticed that they now sat and stood shoulder to shoulder. The mild "henpecking" had also stopped. For the last couple of weeks they've even occasionally put their arms around each other. Maybe (I hope) I have the situation completely wrong but some instinct/empathic feeling makes me worried and I feel the urge to pray for them. It feels somewhat silly and almost intrusive but the urge is quite strong.
and I suggest you just tell them that you mised seeing them in church for those few weeks, just a little support and love but not intruding on their life, and for whatever happened to them they will be prayed for.
for my friend Heather and her mom Jean. They found out Jean has cancer today. They are both really special people, and I am so upset for them.
my aunt died last night. she had cancer. she was only 49. now my cousin, who is 16, is essentially without parents because my uncle left them a few years ago. this week after her mom's funeral she has to move away from all her friends and school and everything. i feel awful. it's all i can think about.
My best friend, Pedro you'll probably remember her, Renee. Her sister died yesterday from a heroin overdose. She'd gone to meet a guy in Toronto that she met over the internet. Please pray for their family... her sister was so smart, and I just can't believe it. We'll be going to the funeral to be there for Renee next week.
I will pray for her and her family. That's terrible...
A friend of mine has a very sick little boy. He's been in the hospital for about a week now, and he's just not getting better. He was born at 24 weeks gestation (did you even know they could save them that young?) and was a healthy 2.5 year old until the past week. Both of his lungs have collapsed, he can't keep oxygen in his blood and has been in and out of critical condition all day today. They keep putting him on nitrous oxide as a vasciodiolator (sp?) which helps for a little while. He's obviously completely sedated and intubated. His parents are devastated - he was on equipment like this when he was a preemie but now he's a child they know and have fully bonded with. I just can't imagine.Please pray as hard as you can that he pulls through, and soon.
that makes me so sad for that little boy and his family. If he survived being that premature he must be made of strong stuff, and God will watch out for him. I read about your going to a funeral, but somehow I missed the circumstances on this entree. What a tragic waste of life. I will pray for Renee's family, too. They must be devastated.
(But don't worry about it.)
He's been intubated about a month now. Yesterday they tried extubating him - he was ok for a few minutes, then coulnd't get his o2 above 58% on 100% o2 in the cannula, so they bagged him, nothng. They had to re-intubate.Please pray he lives and recovers. His name is Jake.
I realize it's easy for me to say this being a complete outsider, but even as a parent who has watched her children endure some dreadful medical procedures, my knee jerk reaction to your posts about your friend's son is "Thy will be done"I will continute to pray for all of them.
Karna's grandfather is in the hospital. He went in on friday night and was throwing up blood and had lost a ton of fluid and blood. They are running some tests to find out why he's losing so much blood, but the doctors fear that it cancer of some type. His brother-in-law died on tuesday so the whole family is already emotional.
I am so exhausted right now and I could use some help supporting my sister in prayer. My sister (Robin) is okay, but she is having to deal with our cousin who is a junkie prostitute, at best. This cousin is being evicted from her apartment (which my sister worked hard to find for her so Mack could go to a good school), was recently arrested for God knows what, and has a 12 year old son (Mack) who DCYF is looking to take. My sister is trying to intervene for Mack and either get custody or bring him back to CA to his aunt (our other cousin) while at the same time trying to maintain her own life, which is a job and a half in and of itself.of course, this is only a small piece of the whole story, but here I am 1,000 miles away feeling like a jerk because all I can do is pray for all of them, so will you please join me?
Please pray for my cousin Julie in California. She has leukemia and has just received a bone marrow transplant from her brother Jeff (a perfect match!) -- the process of dealing with a marrow transplant is very difficult -- she has tons of blister and mucous and feels like she can hardly breath. What's more is that she just had a baby about a month ago... the baby is healthy, but Julie is literally in the fight of her life.
an eighth grade girl from my church is in the hospital because she slit her wrists today. she is doing ok, physically, but... obviously not doing ok... i am good friends with her older sister.please pray.
without fail, our car decided to have problems when i'm gone. so pray for my lovely wife because she's got about a million other things to worry about and i'm stuck in dallas and there's not a lot i can do from here.
I'm not the praying type, but I figured since many of you were, that I'd ask you to do a little praying for my sister, Diane, who was just in a car smash a little while ago. She's at the hospital, and I think she's going to be okay, but I won't know for awhile yet. Thanks.
my dad is having surgery this morning.
i am just wondering if time freezed, stopped ticking on all time machines that we seek our references and perceptions on the time passing and hence our own decaying, all our prayers shall be answered naturally. And if time still passes us by, but if we freeze the time machine that operates in our memory only, all shall be as well as we remembered or prayed for. So praying is to hold the time frame in all prayers minds and its work is apparent for whatever happens, the mirror in our minds only records what we prayed for.btw, my reference of time is Apr 22 13:07 EDT 2004. for a second, i doubt if elise and pedro are for real with their timestamp in the future of my time. Or maybe i went to some other lala land for a couple of days?
I don't know if you guys knew John (j0n?) Kv3rn3n from NPU or not, but he is battling cancer and is at a very precarious point right now... he has been married for a few years and is in (or just finished) med school, has a 4 year old and a 3mo. old baby... scary.Also my cousin Jul1e who is in a similar situation but with leukemia (and a young baby) in california.
my dad is out of surgery. all is well. he is recovering remarkably well. thanks for your prayers.
I just found out my cousin attempted suicide on Sunday, she is out of the ICU and is doing much better, but things were touch and go there for a while. She seemed to be a happy little 17 year old and this came as a bit of a shock to everyone, and my family could use some prayers.Glad to hear your dad is doing well Wags, and sorry for the delayed post on that.
I hope your cousin finds some hope. and i'll be praying for her.
My cousin is out of the hospital, and being told to limit contact with her boyfriend (he's not a good poster child for mental health) and things are much better. And on the bright side of it my two uncles who haven't talked since my dad's death are now talking again. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for my cousin, and she will be stronger for it, but damn did she ever scare us!
that Eugene's going to get an interview with EMC and wet his own appetite for coming out again...
for one of my favorite students. I have come to know her well over the year and she is the sweetest, kindest, most intelligent and wonderful young woman imaginable. She has an eating disorder and because of this doesn't know if she'll be able to make it back to North Park next year. Yet if she can't come back she will have to live with her father, who is extremely physically abusive towards her. She says she would rather die than go back to him. It is such an awful situation. Please pray for her.I'm glad your cousin is recovering, BigJ.
Please pray for my friend Kate's sister. She gave birth to a baby about a week ago who has a rare condition that causes her to have cysts all over her skin, bleeding from some internal organs, and has developed serious pneumonia. At full term the poor baby was only about 4 lbs. Mortality rate on it is 75% - please pray that the baby pulls through, and that her parents have peace.
The baby's name is Grace.
sounds like Harry Potter - but real, and worse.I'll keep them in my prayers.
I think we should either post in here or have another entree where we post Praise for the things that God has done for us, the prayers He's answered, etc.
Her liver has failed now and she's on the list for a transplant. Her odds of survival are going down. Keep praying for the baby...
I can only imagine the kind of pain it must cause to see such a little helpless creature in total pain, and then to think of it as someone's child only hurts more. The baby and her family are in my prayers.
...is currently dying from leukemia. She is "being made comfortable." Please pray for her family, especially her husband K1rk and very new baby Br3tt... it has been a long and painful journey for them. Julie has had tons of people praying for her, and the situation has been a blessing... but it's still hard to see her go.
She died this morning at 6:02 with her family. It's hard to understand how a thing can go from being a person to not being a person so fast... that is part of the mystery of life, and the further mystery of personhood, I guess.
I will pray for your family, and especially her husband and little boy. What a sad loss. May she rest in peace.
I'm so sorry. I'll keep you all in my prayers.
I really did not know her personally -- they live in California. So I'm sad, but really for her family, especially her husband and little boy. It's sad because she had two miscarriages... or mabye they were born and then died... and then to have a healthy child and then die of leukemia... so my heart really goes out to all of them.
She was 90 and after her big 90th birthday party she went down hill fast. I think she was holding on for that. She lived a long and fiesty life, and she will be dearly missed. My mom, aunts and uncle are all heading to California, and I am thinking I won't go since I saw her at her birthday and that is the memory I want to hold on to.
I meant to say I'm sorry to hear about your grandma... it's hard to see someone go, even if they've had a long life. I'll be praying for your family.
it's tough being so far from family, but it's better for her, she was getting pretty delussional. (which I can't spell)
....and heart is really struggling. Please help me pray for him (Ross), his family and my sister (Robin)....
Poor kid's got a blood intection/UTI and ear infection. They're letting me keep her out of the hospital and go in once a day for antibiotic injections with a broad spectrum antibiotic that'll kill them all.
SHe's been sick for about three weeks now and they are sending her to an infectious disease specialist who won't return calls. She needs to get better soon as she's losing clients. Plus being self-employed her insurance is pretty crappy. Things are looking bleak for them right now and they could use a break.
So the specialist dr is pretty convinced she has valley fever which is a nto so nice lung infection somewhat common in the southwest I guess. Plus she's got high glucose so they think the combinatino of the valley fever and the stress have made her diabetic, which is hopefully temporary. Pray that her case of VF doesn't get lots worse and that the diabetes is just temporary.
but just having diagnosis and an idea of what your fighting helps I'm sure. She's in my prayers.
for MercuryMouth. She got in a car accident and is not in the best of shape. She was in the ER overnight and has been released, but is pretty banged up. Please keep her in your prayers.
Any further word on LL?
She is still in a lot of pain--she had to get a neck brace and stuff. She is off work and on meds and such, healing. It happened from a guy going the wrong way on the freeway who slammed right into the driver's side of the car (I hope I'm getting the details right). If he had hit her just a bit closer to the driver's door it very well could have been fatal, the paramedics said...really scary to think about. I thank God she is in as good condition as she is. It is always a wake-up call when someone you love dearly has such a close brush with something like this. Anyway, please keep her in your prayers and, friends of LL--call her if you'd like to let her know you are thinking of her, because she is dealing with a lot of mental worry besides the pain--insurance, legal stuff, and of course the car is totaled. Thanks for your prayers.
I didn't think it was that bad. I'm very glad it wasn't worse though. Man, that's scary.
Please pray. For Allie
the pregnant wife of a friend of mine went to the hospital when her water had broken recently and was then discharged abruptly, after the doctor refused to induce labor. she's now running a temperature... probably due to a uterine infection... putting both her and the baby in danger. this is a premature delivery, and so the navy hospital (my friend is a chaplain in the navy) is out of the question because they won't handle abnormal cases. regardless of whether the baby survives or not, she will most likely need a hysterectomy. please keep the three of them in your thoughts.
Still praying for them inkblot....
her fever went away pretty quickly and she was admitted to some kind of hospital/clinic where she's in pretty good hands. last i knew the baby hasn't been born yet, but that was a few days ago. i'm not likely to get any updates until after the hurricane (they live in pensacola). it sounded like things were improving quickly, though.
the baby's born. 5 lbs 6 oz, 19".father: "perfect size for rack mounting"
mother: "he's so pretty but i'm not sure i want to do this again"everyone is apparently in good health and the hurricane is passed.
A friend of ours who we will call J works fo an unamed DC agency and will be travelling to an unamed middle-eastern country for the next three months. He seems a little nervous so just pray for his safe return. I was asking him about the trip last night and the word from co-workers is that it's a very hostile place to be right now.
My aunt Bonnie a.k.a. (bones) has cancer -- you guys probably all know that. She is also on dialysis because her kidneys are no longer working. Recently there has been some bad news about the cancer spreading which is definitely not good news but could be relatively ok depending on how fast it spreads, etc. But specifically and immediately, Bonnie is having serious blood issues -- not enough red blood cells, not enough platelets, etc. which make everything more dangerous, including dialysis and everyday treatments.Recently she has been having serious lung congestion and we aren't sure what is causing it. Please pray for her -- that she would be sustained or healed, that her lungs would be ok, that her blood would straighten out, that she would have more energy, that she would continue to not be in pain, and that she would keep her great attitude... any or all of the above. Thank you.
Karna's grandmother has cancer in her breasts and lymph nodes. not sure if she's going to do the chemo or not as she is fast approaching 90. pray for the family because karna's mom and grandfather are taking it pretty hard. pray for us too since now her mom and her grandmother have both had breast cancer so the increased risk from family history is a litle scary.
my aunt, bones is in the hospital and things are looking very dire. I surely hope I am wrong, but she will probably not leave the hospital. Please pray that God's will would be done in her life, that she would not be in pain, and that she would have peace about the decisions that need to be made about how much to try and prolong the situation. You can pray for a miracle too -- but I don't think that's part of the plan. I think the family is basically at peace about it, but it's still incredibly hard. She's the youngest of my dad's family and was very active in all us kids lives. Thanks.
My prayers are always with you, Mr. Peterson. In these times I will especially lift bones and your blessed family up to heaven. You are right, the Lord's will shall always be done. I am praying that you and your family find more strength and peace in His will, and also that bones hears heaven's soothing music of hope here on earth throughout the days to come.
praying for ya bones. always looking forward...
dear pete... i am praying for you and your family. thank you for letting us know about bonnie. i loved what you wrote. i wish i would have had the privilege to meet her. it is beautiful to think of her released from all of her pain and her suffering. what a noble and lovely person she was/ we are able to see that through your stories and talks. please know i am praying as you mourn and also celebrate her wonderful life on this earth.
today off the coast of the indonesian island of sumatra, in the indian ocean, there was a moment magnitude 8.9 earthquake on the surface of an undersea trench, causing a tsunami which has affected most of the eastern indian ocean and some african coasts. the combined death toll in indonesia, thailand, malaysia, bangladesh, india, sri lanka, the maldives, somalia, and the seycheles is near 12,000 and rising, including possibly a friend of mine from high school who had just arrived in sri lanka where approximately one million people have been displaced by the devastation.please keep them in your thoughts.
A coworker Kelsey and her fiance (Chris) had a vacation planned to Thailand starting this past weekend. Folks who knew their plans figured that their planned arrival time in Bangkok should have put them out of harm's way, but no one at work has heard anything. As you pray for those affected by this disaster, please remember them.
I got an e-mail response back from Kelsey this evening. Good news:
Hi Brian,Thank you. Chris and I are fine. We were boarding our flight when the news hit and at that point no one knew how devistation [sic] the situation was. We are in Bangkok now and are on our way in a few minutes to the American Embassy to see if we can do anything by way of help, cleanup, first aid, etc. We were supposed to be diving at Phi Phi island next week so we are a little freaked out, but we are fine which is more that so many here can say.
Again, thank you.
Kelsey
The scary thing is that the looming threat of disease in the affected regions could be as damaging as the tsunami itself...
any word on your friends?
my friend in sri lanka is alive. i only just found out earlier today.
I am so shocked by this whole thing. The news this morning... the national news on ABC followed the tsunami story in Asia with a piece about the "annoying flooding in los angeles" complete with man on the street interviews about how annoying all the water was. Talk about insensitivity.
This is the year mother earth went mad. Hurricanes galore, snow in south Texas, the tsunami, flooding, earthquakes... the reports from tsunami survivors that said it was like armageddon... breaks my heart.
before and after sattelite photos of the tsunami
My sister is nearing the 5 month mark. She is 5", 90 lbs, and 16 years old. This is a very high-risk pregnancy which adds to the already stressful "teen pregnancy" situation. When she initially went to the doctor he said that she was at over 90% risk of not carrying to term. So far she has gained one pound. We've been concerned about her health since day one, of course; she is doing fine. We grow more and more concerned about her lack of weight gain because if she delivers prematurely, the size of the baby will directly influence its chance of survival....At this time, she is strongly considering an open adoption. She was adopted herself, and so knows that adoption can work. And, she's received contact info about perspective parents from multiple sources. However, her boyfriend (aka-the guy I want to punch in the face everytime that I see him) and his family are pressuring her to keep the baby. His parents are being especially pushy... It's an ugly situation.
Obviously, in addition to physical concerns for mother and baby, there are emotional concerns to consider... Nearly everyone in my family (and I dare say his) is struggling with the situation.
Please pray for God's will and guidance for all of us.
Thanks for the update.
Care to say why you want to punch this guy in the face? What's his story?
...is a horrific thing to endure. I went through two high stress pregnancies and now by the grace of God, have two healthy children. During my first (or I should say second, my first was a horrible miscarriage) I gained only 16lbs and really did not begin gaining until my 3rd trimester. I was lucky if I weighed 100lbs when I got pregnant and walked out of the hospital with a healthy 6lb15oz baby boy weighing about 95lbs myself....scary times, but anything is possible.I can honestly say that I didn't have any idea of the danger I was placing myself and my unborn son in and what torture that was for my family and everone who loved us....all this to say that good can come from this, no matter the outcome.
You are all in my prayers!
Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't blame him completely--my sister is a fool and an idiot (and I've also wanted to smack her around often in the past year or so) In fact, I've disliked him as long as she's known him--he's immature, possessive, and going nowhere with his life. Of course, in her mind, they are happy and in love and destined to get married.... BUT back to the pregnancy/sex issue- he is 19. In any other state but NM (where the age of consent is 14), he would have been breaking the law. By law, he is an adult, and he should have been able to make an adult decision...
Clearly, I have anger issues, but if you knew me better Coney, you'd know that I don't anger easily and that he deserves my wrath... I am polite to him, however, and don't lash out in my rage so as to be supportive/sensitive/not difficult in this preposterous time.
dear amy/ i would want to punch the guy in the face, and more! you have every right to have anger issues, sadness, pain, anxiety, frustration. what a difficult situation. i'm glad you are there for your sister and are helping her through this, with love and support. i wish you could get her away from that guy, but unfortunately, that would make her want him more, etc. i pray that she gains a lot of wisdom through this, and the respect for herself to make the right decisions. i'm praying for your family. i'm sorry that this happened, and hope for many good things to come from something so painful, that goodness will persevere.
just received a weak voiced message on the phone from l.l. our little indie actress may have pneumonia. she's trying to figure out if she can afford a doctor; she needs one because the symptoms aren't good. so keep her and her health in your prayers, please.
make sure she gets tro the dr., p.c. pnuemonia is nothing to fool with. thanks for the news.
pneumonia bites the big one, as ll might say.i lost 20 pounds when i had it. i could afford it. i hope it doesn't have the same effect on our beloved ll. i hope she doesn't have it at all.
just got a text message about L.L. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with pnuemonia. So remember her in your prayers please. It's a tough blow when trying to get things together for a new year - like job hunting and thoughts of moving - to be sidelined like this.
l.l. is on anitbiotics but they've yet to help. the doctor was very concerned because her poor heart is continually racing. hopefully the medicine will calm the heart and aid her breathing. please continue the prayers.
I hope she doesn't need hospitalization. My sister has pneumonia right now too, has for a few weeks, and they may have to hospitalize her. I can't imagine needing hospitalization without insurance. I'm praying for her. If you talk to her again, tell her that something that helps is being in a hot shower room, and then putting your head in the freezer. That constricts the swelling in the lungs and helps you cough everything up, fast. It's what they do with croupy babies.
heard a little from l.l. tonight. the medicine started to work last weekend, slowly though. she started a two week work engagement last monday that may lead to permanent employment at this crazy place that puts together EPK's for DVD's and a bunch of other things. so she's trying to heal and rest though she works at least 11 hours a day giving presentations and story editing and reading scripts and other insane things. It's good work, real work, and could really be a life-situation-changing thing if it leads to full time stuff, but it hampers the healing, negating rest and proper mealtimes. drop her a line and remember her in prayers. pneumonia doesn't fade away easily, but neither do bills.
for the update... we love you ll!
please pray for Jackie's family as her Grandmother passed yesterday.
both for Jackie--that is really hard--and L.L.
But I wanted to ask for some prayers for my sister and sister-in-law. my sister is having trouble with her boyfriend and seeing that he is an alcoholic and the relationship is not good for her, and he gets nasty drunk sometimes. We saw a little bit of it recently, and the whole family is scared for her, but can't just tell her what to do. Meagan's sister is a whole other can of beans, she's pregnant, 5 months, and found out 1 month ago that her boyfriend of one year is MARRIED! She's not the best with relationships, and always chooses losers and abusers, for a variety of reasons. But, this is really hard, she's trying to decide what to do, adoption or keep it, and where to live and how she's going to survive. It's hard to sit and watch, and harder to be so far away where it's hard just to talk to people. And pray for us too, this is just a taste of the family hardships we've been faced with since coming to Hungary. Thanks
i love neale's baby song:Dear baby,God bless the child, her father and her mother.``Hello'' from your soon-to-be dad! I hope you come out soon, I sure will be glad When I get to meet you, and when you meet me, And mom can sit down without having to pee.
We'll bring you back home, you'll be met by the Dink. We're not really sure what the Dink's gonna think; I'm sure that he'll sniff you a whole lot that day, He'll merf and he'll try hard to get you to play.
Your grandma and grandpa will be at home too! They'll cuddle and love, and admire your poo, They'll tell mom and dad everything that they know And shortly thereafter we'll ask them to go.
We'll have lots of fun, as a dad and his tyke. I'll take you for rides on the back of the bike. I'll give you warm baths in the tub and the sink. I'll hold you up high and we'll both chase the Dink.
I guess there will be lots of un-fun stuff too, Like when you get sick with a cold or the flu, Or when your have filled up your diaper with goo, Especially if all your diaper goo's blue.
But anyway, we're all just dying to see ya! I bet that you're just as excited to be ya. Your mom and I think you've been in long enough. Get outta there soon, and we'll start doing stuff!
This is the wife, Meagan. I posted in the main area, but I am also posting here. Isaac is very sick and scared. The doctors here think he has gout, but the symptons are not going away and he has to go to the big hospital tomorrow for more test. THe doctors think he has (spelling?) rubetory artherits in his back, knees, ankles, fingers and hips. Please pary from him!
praying for him. That's tough. Hang in there, guys, and I hope the doctors can help out.
A friend of mine, Beth, had her baby, Leila, on Friday, and there were complications during delivery (we don't have all the details yet) - the prognosis for Leila isn't good. Can you please say a prayer that everything will turn out OK, and if not, that Beth be given the strength to cope? She had four miscarriages trying for this baby - it's her second.
I feel so heart sad right now.So Beth was set on a VBAC. She switched doctors twice after hearing "No.. I can't do a VBAC for you." At 33 weeks she found a new doc. This one doesn't do cesarians - a midwife-type but still an OB. But his philosophy is very clear on cesarians - absolute last resort ONLY. So she knew she'd get the VBAC she wanted. She was really educated about the risks involved, which really are minimal, though I feel sick to my stomach saying that now. She was giving birth in Arlington Hospital, which doesn't have much of a NICU though they COULD do surgery if they had to. It's more birthing center like - no medication.
So she was having the VBAC and going along okay. Towards the end though, the baby's heart rate wasn't doing as well I guess, so they prepped her for a cesarian, out cold - she had no bleeding on the outside at this point. When the doc cut in, blood EVERYWHERE and the baby was there. No uterus left - it was torn both vertically and horizontally - the baby was literally in her body cavity. Blood everywhere - Beth required multiple transfusions and we think, though nobody wants to ask, that she had a hysterectomy (even if not, no more kids ). So the baby was without oxygen for close to 15 minutes So Leah (I got the name wrong, Leah, not Leila), the baby, is brain dead. She was having seizures and they put her on morphine to calm the seizures, but they're taking her off it now and re-running the tests, just to confirm that she has little to no brain activity before they take her off the ventilator.
Beth blames herself entirely. I just can't imagine the pain she's going through. Please pray for her. I don't even know how to help.
i found out today that my boss' wife had an emergency cesarian today. her baby was born 2 months premature and is in intensive care. i don't know much more, but he will be gone for 2 more weeks. please pray that their family gets rest and that God will guide the doctors to assist in the recovery of this child and the mother.crazy stuff, babies.
both are in my prayers. those are heartbreaking situations.
Baby Leah passed away last night.And wags, your boss is in my prayers. Julia was 2 months preemie. She's so healthy it isn't even funny now.
Well, my sister was at the doctor yesterday. The doctor said that she'd probably deliver in a week or so which will be pretty much on targer with the due date... For those of you who have kept her in your prayers, thank you. She's had an amazingly complication free pregnancy. She's had no medical problems. Both she and the baby are healthy. And, her only physical discomfort has been swollen ankles. I am, of course, still nervous about the delivery because my sister is so small, but for a girl who only had a 10% chance of carrying to term she has done miraculously well.
Regarding what will happen to the baby after it is born, there have been complications between my family and the father's family... Some of it has been petty and ugly, I'm afraid. However, the decision has been made that my sister will keep the baby and raise it with the help of my parents. Originally, we'd wanted her to put the baby up for adoption, but when it became clear that the father's family wasn't prepared to do what was in the best interest of both kids, my family decided that we would have to do the next best thing for the baby... The doctors think that it'll be a girl--my sister has chosen the name Hope.
Please continue to keep Betsy, Hope, and both families in your prayers for the next couple weeks. I'll keep you all informed when the baby arrives.
dex, i forgot how early julia was. it was encouraging to be reminded. one of my best friends (some of you on the diner know her, i think) is about five and a half months along and had some major complications this past weekend. they think they're going to have to force delivery in the next few days and are giving her steroids to get the baby's lungs as strong as possible before s/he comes out. please keep them in your prayers...it is so hard to wait and worry like this and hope the baby is okay.
That's like, 24 weeks? Every day they can keep the baby in is important - if they're pumping her full of betamethazone, that'll help a LOT. Is the baby a girl or a boy, do you know? Girls have a MUCH better chance than boys - but my friend Marianna had her baby Jake at 24 weeks and he's fine. He does have asthma and some lung problems, but nothing modern medicine can't fix, and he's got wonderful quality of life. He's Anna's age - older, really, he should've been her age but is more than 3 months older. Amazing.If your friend wants to email / call someone who has been there, I'd be happy to talk to her. The NICU is a really scary place if you don't have a friend who has been through it - just having someone who knows all the terms and what to expect makes a major difference. My email is jen at jaxcage dot com.
current situation, they still haven't delivered the baby. baby was 24 weeks and is coming up on 25, since this began (sunday or monday). i guess what happened is the placenta leaked fluid which is not usually toxic to the mother but which is toxic in rare cases (toxemia or something)? lisa, the mom, was gravely ill, her liver functions shutting down, blood poisoned. no wonder people died during childbirth back in the "olden days" and we didn't always have a specific reason, with all of the things which can go wrong. the doctors said they would have to stabilze her within a few hours so they could start administering steroids, or else they would have to abort the baby or it would most certainly be risking lisa's life. i didn't realize until wes. how serious the situation was. well, mom is stabilized and baby should be out any day. the danger now is of such an early preemie being okay, of course. (they don't know the gender...).thanks again, dex. i'll keep you posted and offer lisa your info if she needs some advice or just someone who's gone through this to talk to.
A good NICU can work miracles. It's amazing. They can save babies as young as 22 weeks, but there's lots of argument if it SHOULD be done, because at 22 weeks there are almost always problems. At 28 weeks, the baby almost always survives just fine. And in between, it varies from baby to baby. The shots help immensely.I'll keep her in my prayers.
can you define what 'problems' the babies at 22 weeks develop as a result of their early birth?it seems like a life with asthma or some other complication like that would be quite worth living, and that all babies should be saved if possible. i find it hard to imagine that there would be arguments over whether it is worth it to save a baby that is likely to develop complications (or be born with them). isn't human life worth as much as we can put into it? isn't that what life is about? putting everything we have into not only perpetuating but enriching life as much as possible?
maybe i'm thinking about this too much. just a thought...
Severe cerebal palsy, severe musclar dystrophy, an inability for the brain to develop so they spend the rest of their lives with the mental state of a 1 month old child. An inability to live off of machines because parts of their body won't develop and survive. A condition where, if you touch their skin, it just rips like tissue paper and makes them bleed. No cognitive abilities.The survival rate for babies at 22 weeks is 2%. And there may be one or two children in history at 22 weeks who escaped sever disability, but almost every micropreemie will have severe disabilities - many being unable to ever leave the NICU. However, just two weeks later, those numbers improve dramatically. At 24 weeks, the number is 50% - 60% for survival, and many of those will be fine (meaning no severe disabilities - most will have developmental delays, asthma and eye problems - two come from being underdeveloped lungs and with oxygen given through a cannula or a cpap). Every day after 24 weeks pops that number up - a baby born at 24w4d has a much higher chance than 24w1d. And at 28 weeks - 96%, with only few unlucky babies suffering more than asthma and developmental delays.
For many people, the ethics involved in this are staggering. Two friends of friends were pregnant, about 19 weeks, and each discovered she had a very agressive form of cancer, one breast, one bladder. She had two choices - start the treatments, which would kill the baby but spare her for the sake of her other children, or try to hold out to 24 weeks, in which case she wouldn't survive. One woman chose each path. It's such a personal choice - the one who chose to hold out wound up having to give birth at 23 weeks, but the baby could't ever be touched, couldn't ever be hugged, and couldn't his plastic box. He did die, eventually, after suffering for about seven weeks. She did too. The other woman is fine - her two other sons still have a mom. Some doctors are reluctant to 'save' babies until 24 weeks because there's no quality of life, and these multi-million dollar babies die without ever acknowledging their parents, or anything. It's completely heartbreaking. If, God forbid, I would've had to deliver at 22 weeks, I would've made the choice to let the baby die naturally - if God didn't stop the delivery that early, I would've taken it as a sign that he wanted that baby back. I'd have just held my baby and let her not die alone. I can't even think of it - but I've known women who had to make that decision, one way or the other. The ethical argument comes in with playing God - when should we say enough is enough? We've been given the awesome gift of medical technology, but even that is pretty ineffectual at saving babies who, through trauma or maternal demise or prenatal compliations, have to be born so early that their chance of real living is so dim. So you see the ethical swamp of the problem? It's not necessarily in the child's best interest to save them before 24 weeks at this time because medicine can't do much - sometimes it's in the parent's best interest though - they want to try, and I can't blame them. Not even a little.
In the midst of these sorrowful thoughts, I have celebratory news. Betsy had her baby today. Hope Alyssa was born at 2:23 pm, about 7 hours after her doctor started the drip to induce labor. My sister was amazing--she did it all without pain killers. Hope was 7 lbs. 1 oz. & was 20 1/4 inches long. Both mom and baby are healthy, happy, and beautiful. By an accident of fate, I was in the delivery room when she was born. It was one of the most miraculous things I have ever witnessed- I cried. Betsy and Hope are in the hospital tonight and will either be released tomorrow evening or Monday morning. Thank you all so much for your prayers and kind thoughts.
My friend gave birth to Madeline (so yes, Dex, a girl...I hope that is a good sign as far as her survival) early this morning. She weighed in at 1 pound, 3 ounces and that's all I know right now. Please keep them in your prayers...this is a precarious and frightening situation. I feel so bad for Lisa and Mike. They suffered several miscarriages before this and were so thrilled and full of love and expectation for their baby. Lisa is a special ed teacher, Mike a high school teacher at a very rough school. They're both such good people, give so much to the world and deserve all happiness. I hope this little girl makes it. Life is strange...I lived with Lisa in college--she was one of the very first people I met at NPU and we were immediate friends--stood up in, danced and celebrated at their wedding, saw them buy a place and start their life together, exalted with her through her pregnancy, and we can never imagine the twists and turns life will take.Blvd, that's awesome, and I know Hope (great name) will bring a lot of joy to your family's life. My mother should never have had another child (from the world's and, frankly, our family's point of view) as she is drug and alcohol addicted, hasn't worked or held down a job for years, and for all intents and purposes not a fit mother. I.e., age isn't always a factor, but rather the parent/s' lifestyle and readiness for a child, and from what else I've heard of the story this wasn't ideal timing for your sister. But, just to encourage you...Jacob's life has been pretty rough as she moves him from place to place and he doesn't have a traditional "sound upbringing" excepting the time he is with other family--he stays with my sister and I for about two months each summer and is here now. Once he's old enough to declare on his own who who he'd like to live with (he's only 8 now) either my sister and her boyfriend/soon to be fiance' or Hernando and I will adopt him, most likely, but he'll make it until then I am sure unscathed. He has been the greatest and most unexpected gift we could imagine, is beautifully resilient and good-natured and has a pure heart despite what he's gone through, and none of us can imagine life without him. He is a miracle child, plain and simple, surviving some of the things my mother did through pregnancy with minimal disabilities, and I know God has special plans for him. I feel the same about Hope. Perhaps Hope will be the catalyst in bringing the maturity and stability Betsy needs to "grow up" (I don't mean that condescendingly; I hope you know what I'm saying). That's awesome you were there for the birth. What a thing to experience. Congratulations again...good to hear.
i fell today and may have broken some part of my right hand. it sucks like a mf.
I have a friend who is in the hospital having a brain aneurysm/hemmorhage looked at... they are doing ok right now, but it is very serious... your thoughts/prayers would be greatly appreciated.
i have two different friends out here that are pregnant. it's a blessed event for sure, but neither was really planned by any means, and both are going to need a lot of love and support to make things work for their future children. both are great girls, and both have good boyfriends that are excited to be dads and will be good ones.
Hey, my prayer request the other day about the friend with the brain hemorrhage -- update -- they are doing much better. There's no sign of other possible anuerysms or other vascular problems, but it is still scary. Thanks for your prayers (and your continued prayers if you want), since it's not really completely over.
Please keep Cinnamongirl's family in your prayers as she took her own life early this week in Colorado. There are no words to describe the shock and loss people are experiencing right now so I won't try to express it.She left behind many people, especially her twin sister, younger brother, dad, and mom. She will be cremated and the family is holding services this Sunday in Colorado.
Communication and support is essential in a time like this so I encourage people to seek counseling or to talk to one another privately or in person, etc. However, out of respect for her family please do not discuss this on this public forum. I am posting this meesage only because it is the family's direct wishes that her friends and community hear the news. In a few days we will create a place here where people can share their stories and memories of Cinnamongirl.
For any further information, please email me at pedro@tastytronic.net.
Peace be to her beautiful memory.
former superintendent of the northwest conference of the covenant and a pastor at FECC in colo springs when I was growing up was hit by a van yesterday while riding his bike in FL. He is still in critical condition but has stabilised. Please pray for Paul and his wife Joan and their children Scott, Lisa, and Carrie.
i am in the process of considering a career move that would take me thousands and thousands of miles away from Chicago. if it happens, it will happen very soon. i need God's guidence in a major way.
but my first reaction, instant reaction, was GO DUDE! just go. i don't know why, but it hit me strong.anyway, what is it? can you tell us? i think the more adventure Grady has in his life, the happier Grady tends to be.
hey, guys: give a prayer/hug/hello to (or for) john phillips. i got a letter from him this week and found out that his mom passed away last week. prayers and love for the one and only (and beloved) john and his family during this tough time...
merc, how sweet are you to keep in contact with john! so sad about his mother, I will keep him in my thoughts.
Tina (aka Mrs. Toastboy in Diner speak) is sick. She's in the hospital. Please keep her and their family in your prayers. Not much is known but feel free to e-mail me with questions, I'm guessing Toastboy is a little busy with kids/work/school/etc... and might not be too speedy at e-mail.
My prayers go out to John and Mrs. Toastboy. I know it's late for John, but in my experience, it seems that late is better than never!
I know how scary it is to be sick in the hospital and not know what's wrong, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My prayers are with her.
Seems to be improving a bit. She's home. They figured out what was/is going on. I feel kinda funny about posting this stuff... e-mail if you want updates.
My friend Lisa has a child Anna's age, almost five years old. He was diagnosed last week with ALL, which is a form of lukemia. Normally the survival rates for a child that young with it are good, but they've just found out he has a rare chromosomal abnormality called the Philadelphia chromosome, which decreases his survival chances to something like 20 - 30 percent unless he gets a stem cell transplant, and even then, the prognosis isn't guaranteed good. Can you please keep them in your prayers? Lisa and her husband are having an extremely hard time but are trying to remain optimistic, and hopefully, their little Blake will get the stem cell transplant he needs (if a match can be found). Thank you for praying.
my sister M3lissa was pregnant, but found out that she miscarried. pray for her and her husband, B!zo.
Baggins, my prayers are with your sister and her husband.Dex- Lisa, her husband and Blake are also in my prayers... and if I've learned on thing in the past fe