Thursday, May 31, 2007

I spoke with Tami at 11:20am. Tearfully she shared with me that Kevin has not responded to them or to the occupational therapist in over a 24 hour period. They really want to talk to the neuro-surgeon as they have not been able to talk to him in quite a few days. The nurses have put in several requests for them. Another CAT scan is scheduled today. Please pray for strength for Tami and for Sarah. They are emotionally and physically exhausted. Karin

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

12pm. Kevin is off all sedation and pain meds and he is breathing on his own!!!!!! He does still have the trach in place, but that is only for precautionary measures. It should be removed within the next couple of days once they know he can be totally independant. The cervical collar has been removed. They do not know if he is feeling any pain. Even though he has not opened his eyes today, they are very encouraged because he is showing very positive signs of recognition when they ask him questions. He nods his head yes or shakes his head no when asked questions. Last night he opened his eyes as big as saucers when the nurse told him he'd been in the hospital for three weeks! Today they are giving him a stomach feeding tube. It will take a number of days for the sedation to totally be out of his body. They are also waiting to hear the results of yesterday's MRI. Prayerfully, within the next few days there will be a much better picture of Kevin's prognosis. Tami wants EVERYONE to know that they appreciate your prayers so much. Keep praying! Karin

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

10:30am. Kevin had the tracheostomy last night. The breathing tube is now routed from his throat and not his mouth. He is making more deliberate moves as he comes more and more out of the sedation. Unfortunately, he pulled out the tube from his throat so he now has to be restrained. This is expected as he will become more aggitated coming out of the sedation. A feeding tube will be surgically routed to his stomach today. Currently the feeding tube is in his mouth. Thus, more cause for his aggrevated state.

More blood work has varified that Kevin has a condition called Protein S. This was not caused by the accident, but it is a condition he has because his blood is thicker than usual. It means he is more prone to blood clotting. The cure for this condition are blood thinnners, but because ofhis brain injury they cannot use blood thinners until his brain is more healed. If they were to give him blood thinners right now his brain would begin to bleed again. Unfortunately, the filters that were put in his upper arm areas will not catch any clots if they form above that area. Tami asks that you pray that clots to do form above the areas where the filters were put. It is very hard for the family to see Kevin struggling as he comes out ofthe sedation. Please continue to pray for strength and peace for Kevin and for his family members who are caring for him by his bedside. Karin

11:30am. I forgot to mention a couple of things. Sarah's mom will be flying back home tonight. She was able to be with Sarah for the last three weeks. A friend of the family is currently creating a blog for Kevin with the permission of Sarah. It should be ready to go within the next couple of days. We'll get that info out to you as soon as it is set up and ready to go.

11:45am. Tami called to let me know that Kevin will be having his first MRI since the accident three weeks ago. He had been too unstable to have this test done. The MRI will be done on his neck and brain. Hopefully, if things look good, they will be able to remove his cervical collar and this will make him more comfortable.

Monday, May 28, 2007

10:30am. Tami and I talked about half an hour ago. Although Kevin is responding, it's very slight and they aren't always sure if he is. A tracheostomy will be done later today. Tomorrow the feeding tube will be removed from his throat and inserted into his stomach. His blood pressure is much better. Keep praying, Karin

Sunday, May 27, 2007

5pm. I just spoke with Everett. Tami was in the room with Kevin. Kevin is responding to Sarah! He has shaken his head no to one question and nodded his head 3 times in answer to three other questions. Although he is responding to Sarah's questions, he is not as cognitive as they'd like him to be. He is still under quite a bit of sedation. They had to increase the sedation last night as his blood pressure was going too high. A tracheotomy is planned for tomorrow. This is a good thing as it means he is more stable. He still needs help with breathing, but as hecomes out of the sedation more and more he will become more aware of his surroundings and will not want the tube down his throat. Keep praying, Karin.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Tami was home last night and sent this to me this morning: They had to put Kevin back up to four last night on his sedation because his blood pressure keeps going sky high. This morning they have lowered him to one. This is the lowest they have reduced it yet. Is a bit scary to me. His trauma doctor, Dr. Skinner, is on call this weekend so I am sure she will be monitoring him closely. Continue to pray he responds favorably. All of us continue to covet your prayers as we are all emotionally and physically drained. Have to run as Keith and Kim are picking me up in a few minutes to return to the hospital as I spent the night at home doing laundry and trying to get some sleep in my own bed. Everett will stay the whole weekend and return to work on Tuesday. Love to all, Tami

Friday, May 25, 2007

11am. Tami reports that Kevin is moving quite a bit more. He was running a fever last night, but isn't today. They have taken out his ICP monitor. WOW! That is really exciting as they feel that do not need to monitor his brain pressure any longer. Even though he is opening his eyes he is still not focusing on anyone when they talk to him. Prayerfully this will change when he is totally weaned from the medication that has been keeping him in a coma. Keep praying!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

10:30am. Tami reports that Kevin is about the same as yesterday. When Sarah talks to him his eyes flutter. They had to slightly increase his sedation late yesterday. They are redoing his blood work to do follow up on the blood clots. His arms and hands are swollen. Tami’s specific prayer request is for peace for Kevin and that he will not be afraid. It may be pretty terrifying for him when he is fully weaned from the medically- induced coma. Keep praying!

1:45pm. Kevin is waking up more. He is moving his head, hands, and arms. He still has medication throughout his system. His blood pressure went up enough that they are now having to control it with medicine. His ICP is at a good level. They have been instructed to talk to him and explain where he is and why he is in the hospital. Although he is waking up, he isn't aware what is going on and he has not connected with them. Tami once again asks that you pray for Kevin not to be afraid as it's very, very hard to see him this way. Thanks, Karin

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

9:15 am. I just spoke with Tami about 10 minutes ago. They were able to do the procedure last night at 10pm, where they put the filters in to catch the blood clots in case they are released. Kevin's ICP has remained under 25 for over 24 hours. They are waiting for the doctor's okay to begin reducing the med that is keeping Kevin in a coma. This should happen today sometime. I'm going out to the hospital in just a little bit to spend some time with Tami.

9:45 pm I was able to spend some time this afternoon with Tami, Sarah, and Sarah's mom, Janet, in the waiting room outside of Kevin's room. It was so exciting to see their smiling faces. Kevin is opening his eyes to stimuli. Tami had her hand on his this afternoon and Kevin slightly moved his hand. If all goes well, in the next couple of days they should have a much better assessment of Kevin's neurological baseline. His ICP was way down to 7 or8! This is great. Even when the nurse was suctioning Kevin's mouth the ICP was staying down. Although his blood pressure was going up, so they have increased his morphene intake. They believe the more he wakes up the more pain he will feel. Thus, the increase in his blood pressure. Please keep praying!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

9am. Kevin was unable to have the procedure done yesterday to place the filtersto catch the blood clots in each arm and left leg. He was bumped twice because of other emergencies. He is scheduled to have the procedure done today at 10am. Tami wouldlike you to pray that his ICP remains stable during the procedure. The doctors are now saying that once Kevin's ICP stays at 25 or below for atleast 24 hours, they will begin once again to bring him out of the medically-induced coma. The CAT scans have shown that in Kevin's initial injury, his brain shifted. His brain has not shifted back to it's normal position yet. Please pray that it does. He is no longer running a fever and his white cell count is going down. Keep praying! Karin

Monday, May 21, 2007

It has been two weeks now since Kevin's accident. Tami called to say that things are still about the same since yesterday. Although his fever is 99 today instead of 100. His white cell count is going down too. Today they will do the procedure that will filter and catch the blood clots in his arms and left leg. T hey are less swollen today. Tami said they cannot do this procedure in his room. He will have to be moved, however moving him tends to increase his ICP, so she asks that you pray that his ICP will remain stable and not go up when they move him. As it stands now, he will be at this hospital a minimum of two more weeks. He will go to a rehab facility once he is able to leave the hospital. Keep praying, Karin

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Dear Friends of Kevin, They are really having a hard time keeping Kevin's brain pressure stable. Kevin now has a superficial blot clot in each arm and one in his left leg.T his is not deep vein thrombosis, but they do need to do a precautionary procedure tomorrow that will "catch" the clots before they can get to his lungs, brain, or heart. They cannot use blood thinners as this will cause bleeding in his brain. A tracheotomy was going to be done on Tuesday, but this is now on hold as he is too unstable. Kevin is also running a fever of 100 degrees because of the pneumonia. Please continue to keep this young man and his family in bathed in prayer.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

10am. Things are status quo with Kevin. He is back in the medically-induced coma for the next few days. His brainp ressure was fluctuating on the high side last night. He is also running a low grade fever with the pneumonia. Continue to uplift the family in prayer.

Friday, May 18, 2007

10:30am. No new news to report, but as I type this Kevin is having aCAT scan done. Tami will call me with the results. Keep praying.

11:38am. Today's CAT scan shows that Kevin needs more time to let his brain rest. He is being put back into the full medically-induced coma for three more days. Continue to pray for peace and strength for Everett, Tami, and Sarah. This was hard news for them to hear.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

9:45 am. Kevin has been totally weaned from the paralytic medicine. The medicationto keep him in a coma is continuing to be reduced very slowing. If this medication is reduced to quickly Kevin's ICP (intercrainial brainpressure) will go back up. The ICP is remaining stable at this point in time. As reported a couple of days ago, he would wake up aggrevated if hewas awakened too quickly. The doctors are telling the family it will be days before Kevin wakes up as the medicine will linger in his body. Unfortunately, Kevin has developed an infection and the source is unknown. He had a fever last night. That is gone, but his white cell count iscontinuing to rise. Sarah is too sick to be at the hospital this morning. She may be suffering side affects from the antibiotics she is taking forher cold. Tami is in a great deal of pain with her fibro myalgia. Tami would like you to specifically pray for these things:1. for the infection to subside; 2. for Sarah to get well and 3. for Tami to be relieved of pain. Keep praying.

1:15 pm. The infection Kevin has is due to pneumonia. This is par for the coursewith what is going on and they are not alarmed.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

9:30am Tami reports that things are status quo with Kevin. The medicine to keep him in a coma has been reduced and the pressure in his brain did not goup. Praise the Lord!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

10am. There is no change in Kevin's condition. He is still critical. His brain pressure did not go up upon slightly reducing the medicine that is keeping him in a coma. Today they will begin to slightly reduce the medicine that is keeping the brain pressure down and see how he responds. Sarah is very sick. She may need to be seen by urgent care. They are goingto see if one of Kevin's doctors can prescribe something as her cold has gotten much worse. Tami's fibro myalgia is reeking havoc on her body. Please pray for strength for these too. Needless to say, the family is emotionally and physically exhausted and very discouraged. I think notes of encouragement would be great. Please keep praying.

Monday, May 14, 2007

11:30am. A CAT scan was taken on Kevin at 1am last night. Slight improvement was seen. This afternoon they will once again try reducing the medicine that is keeping Kevin in a coma. The hospital is allowing the family to talk very quietly to Kevin and even hold his hand. If it shows any stress on his brain they will have to stop. Although Kevin is still critical, they are seeing very, very, very slow progress. Please keep praying!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

6:00 pm. We decided that we would do one update a day unlessthere is significant news to report. In Tami's words, "Kevin is working like a horse to get out of the coma." This is a good thing and a bad thing. The brain pressure has to be stable in order to bring him out of the medically-induced coma. Tomorrow they will do a CAT scan to see if it is safe to start weaning him off the medicine that is keeping him in a coma. He is still at 12 on the respirator -16 being the highest in which the machine is doing all the breathing for him. Keep praying!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

10:00 am. Tami just called. When they back off on the ventilator, Kevin's brain pressure goes up. Instead of increasing him back onto the ventilator they are increasing the medicine that controls the intercrainial pressure(ICP). The medicine that is used to control the ICP can possibly "blow-out" Kevin's kidneys. Tami explained there is a very delicate balance between the two. This is why Kevin is still in critical condition. They need to get him off of the ventilator, but they have to keep the brain swelling down. They were told that Kevin is not a candidate for the surgery that removes part of the skull at the base of his neck if they cannot control the ICP. Sarah's cold has gotten worse so she does not feel well at all. Tami asked that we all pray that the others do not get sick as well. The doctor said Kevin will be in this hospital at least a minimum of three weeks. Please continue to pray for Kevin's recovery. They are all emotionally and physically exhausted. Continue to pray for strength and peace for Sarah, Sarah's mom Janet, Everett and Tami (Kevin's parents), and Keith and Kim (Kevin's brother and sister-in-law).

10:04 am. Tami just called again. A small amount of blood is being seen in the tube that goes from Kevin's throat to his stomach. They are not alarmed at this point, but tests will be done to see why.

6:09 pm. Tami just called. The bleeding has stopped. They did not have to do the scope that they thought they would need to do. They decreased the respirator a little more. The highest point is 16. They brought it down to14 and then to 12. The pressure in his brain went way up, but they nowhave it back under control. The intercrainial pressure is higher than they'd like, but they were able to keep the respirator at 12. Tami reportsthat Kevin is still critical, but baby steps are being made. She said shewould give me a morning call and an evening call. They are so very thankful they have such a network of prayer partners. Keep praying!

Friday, May 11, 2007

8:45 am. Tami called me and asked me to add that they do know for sure that Kevin did not have an aneurism. That is a very, very good thing.

5:00 pm. Tami called and reports that Kevin is holding his own. In other words, nothing has really changed. They are going to begin weaning himvery gradually from the ventilator to see what happens. He still needs tobe in a drug-induced coma. The next few days are crucial. He is still very critical and in intensive care. Please keep praying.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

9:15am. The brain swelling is remaining down with medication. The goal is to get it stabilized without meds. Her specific prayer requests are as follows: 1. Pray for the swelling to subside without medication. Until that happens he cannot be taken out of the medically induced coma to see how he responds. 2. Kevin has been on a ventilator long enough to risk developing pneumonia. Pray that he does not develop pneumonia. 3. Sarah, his wife, is now sick with a virus (coughing). She will not beallowed into the room now which makes things emotionally more difficultfor her. 4. Tami has fibro myalgia and the stress is contributing to her pain. 5. Pray for peace for all of them. Tami wanted me to communicate to all of you that they really, really appreciate all of your prayers. It means the world to them that so many are praying. Continue praying. They are "feeling" your prayers.

11:45 am. Tami just called. The neuro surgeon wants to start taking Kevin off of the respirator. It will be done in very, very small steps. They want to see how Kevin will respond. If the pressure in his brain increases they will back off doing this. Any stimulus can increase the brain pressure. This is why the family has not been able to talk to or to touch Kevin. The meds he is on can also cause kidney damage. Keep praying.

8:00 pm. (From Tami) I came home to do some laundry, etc.,and will return to the hospital tomorrow. I just talked to Everett a little while ago. They were unsuccessful in reducing the medication keeping Kevinin a coma as it put too much stress on him and raised the pressure in his brain. They hope to be able to try again in a day or two. They are also running some kind of a scan on his left arm as he has had a lot ofswelling there. They are looking to see if there are any blood clots. Karen, you may forward this email to everyone.
On behalf of Everett, myself, Sarah and her mother, and Keith and Kim, we are extremely gratefulto each one of you who has upheld Kevin and all of us in your prayers. We can feel your love and support as you pray. We cannot begin to express how much we love and appreciate each one of you. We have a long haul ahead of us but are looking forward to rejoicing with you as God answers our prayers. Love,Tami

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Tami called me at 9:15 am this morning. She specifically asked for everyoneto pray for this: The swelling in Kevin’s brain subsided at about 2am last night. Today is the critical day because it has been 48 hours. If the swelling and pressure increases again surgery will have to be done to remove a small part of Kevin’s skull at the base of his neck to relieve the pressure. Please pray that he remains stable so surgery will not be needed. She also asked to you would pray for peace for all of them. Understandably, they are all struggling with their emotions. Please forward to your contact people and prayer chains.
Thank you, Karin

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Dear Friends,

Tami called me at about 9am this morning. Another CAT scan was done on Kevin in the wee hours of the morning. The swelling has gone down a little more. The doctors say that the swelling is reducing more quickly than they had expected with Kevin’s type of injury. (We have a very big God.) Kevin is still on life support. One of his eyes is now more dilated than the other. They do not know if this is because of a fracture or swelling. They will try to figure that out today. If it is swelling they will need to do a procedure to reduce the swelling. Tami is doing okay and so is Sarah. Sarah’s mom is arriving tonight. Tami said that Kevin is not out of the woods yet. Once 72 hours has passed they will take him out of the medically-induced coma and see how he responds.

Kevin is learning to do industrial plumbing. He was at a school up ona ladder cutting pipe. A co-worker was nearby, but did not actually see what happened. When the cutting noise stopped and the co-worker heard a funny noise he called out Kevin’s name. When Kevin did not respond he went to see why. Kevin was wearing a hard hat. Please continue to pray for the family.

Thanks, Karin

Monday, May 7, 2007

Dear Friends,

Kevin fell off of a ladder this morning at work. (He recentlybegan an apprenticship in plumbing.) No one saw him fall. His skull isfractured in several places. There is bleeding and swelling on his brain.He asperated vomit so now he has pneumonia. They are keeping him in a drug-induced coma. The heart breaking news is they could lose him within the next 48 to 72 hours. The company that Kevin works for will put immediate family up in a motel (for the week.) I know you all will pray. Tami and Everett were to leave for Hawaii on Saturday. I will send you any information as I get it.

Karin