Dear Friends,

Praise be to our gracious and merciful Lord!  Our Alison’s condition continues to improve each day.  As we shared with you last week, Alison’s doctors were hoping to make an attempt at removing her from the ventilator. 

Tuesday night, her attending neonatologist ordered a 24-hour burst of steroids to help reduce the inflammation in Alison’s trachea and lungs (which has been caused by the ventilator tube being in her trachea for ten weeks) in preparation. 

He also ordered that Alison’s ventilator pressure support be reduced (each time she tries to take a breath on her own, the ventilator sends a predetermined burst of oxygen to assist her lungs since it is hard to breathe through such a small tube).  This was a precursor to see if Alison’s lungs were indeed ready.  During the night, Alison’s lungs were not able to keep her blood gasses in the necessary range to enable the trial removal.  Alison’s doctors then adapted their plan to slightly wean her pressure support, her rate of breaths and her oxygen support each day to prepare for the trial removal.  Our little girl is handling this slow wean wonderfully.  Her oxygen saturation is staying in the high 90th percentile.  The Lord continues to be merciful in His preparation of Alison’s lungs for the next phase in her journey.  How wonderful and marvelous is our Lord!

The neonatologists continue to warn that Alison will probably fail the first attempt and have to be put back on the ventilator; yet, it is our prayer that the Lord would bless her with His strength and His healing to enable a successful first attempt. 

If the attempt is successful, Alison will probably still need some form of additional lung support—possibly a high-pressure canula (which will give her lungs additional oxygen).

Alison’s neonatologists plan to attempt the removal sometime this week—probably Wednesday or Thursday.  Praise be to our Lord!

Please pray that the Lord would bless Alison’s doctors with His wisdom and His insight.  Please pray that Alison’s doctors would look to the Lord for their direction and understanding in treating our daughter.  Please pray that the Lord would bless Alison with His strength, His mercy and His healing as we prepare for our big day.  Please pray that the Lord would bind the evil one and not let him interfere with her care.

Our Alison received some of the initial results from her EGD lab tests.  The results showed that Alison has gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining probably due to the stomach tube), but insufficient evidence of a lymphatic disorder.  Thank You, merciful Lord!  Some of Alison’s doctors were concerned that she might have a lymphatic disorder, so the tests were ordered to definitively answer that concern.  In addition, Alison continues to break-up the mucus in her lungs.  She continues to need her ventilator tube suctioned several times daily.  This is a constant reminder that Alison’s lungs are indeed gaining strength.  Thank You, mighty Lord!

Alison’s lymphatic system is beginning to function at complete strength.  Thank you, Lord!  The fluid in her body is declining daily.  Alison looks healthy and her tissues are getting softer to our touch.  The proportions of her body are almost perfect now. 

Her medical team continues to comment on how good Alison looks and acts.  Alison has not had a chest x-ray since Tuesday.  Thank You, Lord!  She has not had a need for an IV since Wednesday.  Thank You, Lord!  She has not had any form of pain killer or sedative since early Thursday morning.  Thank You, Lord! 

The only medicine Alison is currently taking is for the gastritis and her thyroid and they are given orally through her stomach tube.  Thank You, Lord!  Alison received her baby immunizations Thursday.  She will have her eyes checked sometime this week.  In addition, Alison’s continuous feedings will stop soon after the ventilator tube is successful removed and she will then begin to receive her feedings every three hours (though still by a feeding tube).

With Alison’s continuing improvement, Stephanie and I are now able to hold our daughter almost daily.  Thank You, Lord!  Not only is our little princess looking more and more like a healthy baby, she is acting like a healthy baby.  Thank You, Lord!  She gets real fussy whenever her stomach is gassy, when she spits up, when she creates a dirty diaper, and when she is getting a bath.  Alison’s doctors have cleared her for daily sponge baths, and Stephanie thoroughly enjoys bathing her daughter.  I would try, but I might get in trouble.  J  Yet, when Alison gets fussy, I put my hand over her small hands and hold them tight against her chest and gently stroke her forehead and she quickly calms down.  Alison and I are able to mercifully gaze into each other’s eyes with love and anticipation for the days that lie ahead.  How wonderful our Lord and Savior is!

Alison was able to be held by both of her grandmothers Saturday.  What a wonderful day it was for our family.  Stephanie’s dad will get to hold his granddaughter for the first time tonight. 

My dad’s loving desire is to wait until the ventilator tube comes out.  Please pray that the Lord would continue to grant His strength and His peace to Alison’s grandparents.  How they love their little princess and wait for the day that they can begin to spoil her!  Stephanie and I are truly thankful that we are able to share such a miraculous blessing from our Lord with our parents and siblings.  Thank You, Lord!

Dear friends, Stephanie and I are deeply grateful to our Lord for your eagerness to pray for our family throughout this storm.  Your sweet prayers of incense to our Heavenly Father on Alison’s behalf have been a tremendous encouragement to us in our daily walk with Him.  Your sweet words of encouragement, your gifts of love and assistance, your prayers seeking the Lord’s mercy and healing to surround our Alison, and your prayers seeking the Lord’s protection and strength for our family have been such a tremendous blessing.  We love and appreciate you for all you have done on our behalf.  It is our prayer that the Lord would richly bless you on our behalf!

This week has the potential to be a giant step for our daughter.  We request that you continue to stand in the gap for our Alison and pray that the Lord would provide His mercy, His healing, His strength and His protection to her little body.  Please bathe her lungs and trachea with special prayer until she is able to come off the ventilator. 

May our Lord’s presence and shelter be strong with Alison and may His name be glorified for all that He has done!  We continue to stand in our Lord’s merciful shadow!  Praise be to our Heavenly Father!

Blessings to you,

Langston and Stephanie

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