Update on Dad and Justin (Friday Night)

I have heard many Christians say that it is difficult for them to meet people who don’t know about Jesus and build a relationship with them. Let me just say that I have solved this problem forever! If you want to find someone who needs Jesus and is at the end of their rope, visit the ICU waiting room at OU Medical.

There are so many people who are hurting. I never realized. You think this kind of tragedy would hit others, but never you. Then it happens. The unthinkable. The unpredictable. And you realize that so many people are walking through this same type of situation without the hope that comes in knowing Jesus. It really is… sad. It hurts my heart.

This situation with Dad hurts my heart too. Tomorrow is the Character Focus volunteer preparation day. Dad has helped me with this event every year since our first conference. He would be there sharing a devotion, leading the registration team, and just supporting me with any needs I have. It really will be strange without him. I miss you, Dad.

On top of this emotion, we found out today that Amy’s baby has a rare heart disease which will require surgery shortly after the baby is born. The baby could have lifelong affects from this condition. We are lifting baby Ella up in prayer. Would you say a prayer for Amy (Rachael’s sister), Jon (Amy’s husband), and baby Ella this evening?

Here are Dad’s Medical Updates:

As I shared earlier, Dad has a small bruise on his brain. It is very minor, but visible. The bruise did not show up on the first CAT scan because it did not have time to manifest. Picture falling and hurting your wrist; the pain is always instant, but bruising often happens later on. This was the same with Dad’s brain injury.

The trauma doctor told us that if one bruise shows up on the CAT scan then there are normally others that we cannot see. These small bruises need time to heal. The brain knows that it needs to rest and recover, so Dad checks out for a while. When it recovers, Lord willing, Dad will regain consciousness.

The results from the EEG did not make it back to our family today. However, we did hear that the neurosurgeon signed off on Dad’s case, stating that he did not feel that the injuries needed surgery or medical intervention. That is a good sign!

Dad’s sedated state is likely caused by his head injuries as well as the amount of sedatives he has received since he was admitted. They are administering lower amounts of sedatives and a good balance of pain medication.

They are also administering antibiotics to help fight against pneumonia and infection. Dad already has some pneumonia. The doctors ran cultures on the fluid on his lungs to determine the exact type of antibiotics they need to give him to fight his pneumonia. We should have results by Sunday. Please continue to pray against damage from pneumonia or infection. Dad is a great candidate for both, but things are stable right now.

Dad’s vitals look pretty good. He seems to be in less pain and resting comfortably.

The last injury we are still looking at is Dad’s pelvis bone. I told you that doctors would make more decisions about the external fixator today. They are considering their options and hope to let us know a plan of action soon. Surgery is still not out of the question. Please pray for wisdom.

All that to say that these are the big prayer requests:
• Protection and healing for Dad’s brain
• Continued healing from the pneumonia
• Wisdom for direction on Dad’s pelvis injuries
• Protection against infection

Please lift Dad up in prayer often… we know your prayers are working.

Justin is doing well tonight. He is enjoying his second night in rehab. I plan to visit him tomorrow during or after the training. Terry, Cyndi and Luke (and the whole Myers’ family) have been such an incredible blessing to our family by watching out for Justin while we focus on Dad’s critical injuries. They have been so flexible and available. Thank you, Myers’ family! And we love you, Justin!

Tomorrow is a new day that will bring new information, new developments, new surprises, and new challenges. We want to thank all of our family and friends for the prayer and support you have offered to our family. We are so blessed to have you as part of our lives.

Over the weekend, things will really be up in the air. In order to create a peaceful atmosphere for our family (and the other families with loved ones in ICU), we would like to ask all of our friends and extended family to use the main waiting room downstairs and reserve the upstairs waiting room for family. We welcome you to come at any time. Thank you for serving us in this way.

When you come during the weekend, there may not always be someone from the family downstairs. However, on Sunday afternoon from 12pm-3pm, the family plans to be in the downstairs waiting room to visit with all our family and friends. We would love for you to come visit us and support us during this time. Obviously if things change with Dad this could change. Of course we will keep you updated via the blog. We hope to see you then!

I will try to keep you updated tomorrow. We will be at the training all morning and into the afternoon. I hope to give you an update after that.  Pray for Dad, Justin, Mom, family, and Ella. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. Add Mexico and England (and more people in Germany) to the list of international places where prayer is being offered on Dad’s behalf! Praise the Lord for His continued faithfulness.