September 22, 2006
Dear sweet friends and family,
Today is Alison’s official due date. It is amazing to look at our little angel and think of everything we have been through over the last 6 ½ weeks – and realize she was not expected to arrive until now. Her life is such a little miracle. We praise God for the mercy and grace He has bestowed upon our family. Please pause with us today to thank the precious Heavenly Father for the gift of Alison’s amazing life. His love astounds us.
Our little Alison has had quite a week. As we told you in the earlier updates, the chest tube on Ali’s right side was removed last Saturday and the one on her left side was removed on Sunday. After their removal, we watched our little girl begin to swell again. She soon required more ventilator support to maintain proper oxygenation. After all the positive progress, this was very difficult for us as parents to watch – we knew our little girl was struggling. Despite our worries, we had an inner peace that she would be okay. We felt your many prayers and for that we are very grateful.
The neonatologists continued to watch her x-rays closely and on Tuesday they saw that the fluid was re-accumulating in her right pleural space. Very little fluid was seen on the left side. That afternoon the right chest tube was reinserted in a slightly different location than before. Immediately Alison showed improvement and her ventilator settings were able to be decreased. Since insertion, the nurses have recorded almost 700mL of fluid removed from her little body. Over the last few days, the vent settings have been reduced to a rate of 20 and an oxygen support of 30%. The respiratory therapists report that her oxygen blood gases are very good. Praise God, our little lungs are healing! Thank you Lord for answered prayers!
The nurses have been diligent in treating Alison’s little sores and the extra attention has helped speed their healing. Her bedsore on the back of her head was caught soon enough to not become too serious. It is now crusting over and healing beautifully. The burn on her hand from the IV drugs infiltrating is looking much better than expected. The neonatologists and surgeons will continue to watch it to see if they need to intervene with more aggressive treatments. Please pray for continued healing of her sores. Pray that no infection will be allowed to settle in her wounds. Please pray for the Lord to drape a blanket of protection over Alison’s little body to prevent further harm.
Wednesday afternoon Alison got her first true BATH! She is finally stable enough that the doctors feel she could handle a complete head-to-toe scrubbing. As you can imagine, she was mad as a hornet the entire time and turned herself beet red. After her bath she was put on the scales and weighed in at 7lbs, 9oz. Alison was then dressed and wrapped up in warm blankets and she cuddled down to sleep the soundest we have ever seen. She will continue to get baths and weigh-ins on Sunday and Wednesdays as long as she is well enough.
Alison is now being seen by the physical therapists every day for a little workout. She is tolerating the stimulation well and seems to enjoy the gentle stretches. We try to massage her little arms and legs every chance we get – it has to feel good after lying there so still for so long. We are now seeing Ali squirm around more when she is awake and stretch her stiff joints. It is wonderful to see her little body moving because we know it will help her continue to remove fluid from her tissues. Every day she emerges more from her puffy exterior and begins to look like our little princess.
Alison continues to baffle the neonatologists and nurses. The origin of her pleural effusions continues to be unclear and the type of fluid continues to change. For some unknown reason (we strongly believe it is answered prayer), her left side is no longer building up fluid, but her right side continues to drain. This makes it very difficult for the doctors to decide the best course of treatment. Please continue to pray for the doctors as they research and try to understand what is happening in her little body. Pray that they would not depend on their own understanding but would seek the counsel of the Great Physician.
Currently, Alison is on IV nourishment and on a special drug that should help clear up the fluid buildup in her pleural space. Monday the doctors will have to decide if it is time to remove her from the treatment and when to start allowing her to feed again. Please pray for wisdom as they decide how to proceed. Pray for Alison’s digestive system as she begins to eat again. Pray that the source of the fluid leak will be healed and it will not re-accumulate.
We have a long way to go before Alison will be well enough to come home; we have come so far already. This is not the path we would have chosen, but the Lord knew before time it was the path we would be traveling. He has given us traveling provisions. You, our sweet friends and family, are the nourishment he has provided for our endurance. Whenever we are feeling the weight of the journey is too great, or the road too long, God has sent one of His special messengers to give us a little lift. I think Paul expressed the gratitude we feel best in Philippians. It is with his sweet words we leave you until next time.
Blessings to you,
Stephanie and Langston
“Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God whenever I remember you, always in every request of mine on behalf of you all making my requests with joy, for your partnership in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.
This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the gospel; so that it became evident to the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ; and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.”
Philippians 1:2-14
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