Isaiah's turn to hold Luke in Luke's Crib.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Home At Last!!!!
Well, we are finally home. It has been a very busy day with Luke's home coming. We left the hospital at around 2:00 after getting two grocery bags full of medications. Once we arrived home, we received to very large cylinders of oxygen, along with a lot of supplies and equipment to care for Luke. Luke has more alarms then a bank vault to monitor his breathing, heart and oxygen levels. There was a bit of a mix up with his feeding equipment and we were not able to get him started right away. All that said, he is now finally receiving his food, has his meds, his trach cared for and is now beginning to fall asleep. Courtney the night nurse is here and will be watching him tonight. Hmmm....Maybe all the activity will begin to slow down and we can find some kind of routine amongst all of the equipment. Mom, Dad and all the kids with the exception of Daniel will be sleeping here at home tonight...Thank You Lord for bringing us back home together again as a family...We Love You Lord!
I just want to acknowledge all of the people that have taken care of Luke over the past 4 weeks. My family who rescued Luke from the pool, Angel Jim who gave CPR, the medics who ran with Luke to the hospital, the ER staff who revived my little Luke, the PICU doctors for helping Luke get better, RNs & RTs for caring for Luke and us, admins for their warm welcoming smiles, to each and everyone of you a BIG THANK YOU, from the Searles family, each of you are the best and I thank God for each and everyone one.
I also want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of the people who have supported my family over the past 4 weeks, all the meals at the house and lunch at the hospital, the cards and well wishes, the gift baskets and teddy bears, the help with building the shed, and remodeling my garage, all of the words of encouragement, WOW!!!! To say that the Searles family is Blessed beyond belief is an understatement. Thank You!!!
Finally, I want to acknowledge each and everyone of you that has prayed for Luke and our family over the past 4 weeks. I want you to know that your prayers have made a big difference! We have felt God's presence and encouragement in this trial. We know and are confident in God's ability to heal and we will persistently pursue him on Luke's behalf for complete healing. I want to say Thank You for every prayer that has been spoken, I cannot imagine how different it would all be without God and without prayer....hopeless is the word that comes to mind. I realize there are many people in this world each and every day that face similar trials and do it on their own and are drowning in a vast sea of hopelessness. We have hope and His name is Yahweh, Jesus our Savior.
I just want to acknowledge all of the people that have taken care of Luke over the past 4 weeks. My family who rescued Luke from the pool, Angel Jim who gave CPR, the medics who ran with Luke to the hospital, the ER staff who revived my little Luke, the PICU doctors for helping Luke get better, RNs & RTs for caring for Luke and us, admins for their warm welcoming smiles, to each and everyone of you a BIG THANK YOU, from the Searles family, each of you are the best and I thank God for each and everyone one.
I also want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of the people who have supported my family over the past 4 weeks, all the meals at the house and lunch at the hospital, the cards and well wishes, the gift baskets and teddy bears, the help with building the shed, and remodeling my garage, all of the words of encouragement, WOW!!!! To say that the Searles family is Blessed beyond belief is an understatement. Thank You!!!
Finally, I want to acknowledge each and everyone of you that has prayed for Luke and our family over the past 4 weeks. I want you to know that your prayers have made a big difference! We have felt God's presence and encouragement in this trial. We know and are confident in God's ability to heal and we will persistently pursue him on Luke's behalf for complete healing. I want to say Thank You for every prayer that has been spoken, I cannot imagine how different it would all be without God and without prayer....hopeless is the word that comes to mind. I realize there are many people in this world each and every day that face similar trials and do it on their own and are drowning in a vast sea of hopelessness. We have hope and His name is Yahweh, Jesus our Savior.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
An update and "A Brother's Cry"
Between taking care of Luke in the hospital and getting ready for his home coming on Tuesday, we have been very busy. We praise God as each day we see new indications of the healing process taking place in Luke's body. A couple of examples, Luke is starting to blink as we put eye drops into his eyes. Also, Luke will look for voices he recognizes. His breathing is improved and needs oxygen only once in a while. Thank You Lord for Your healing process for Luke.
On Friday night Luke was hooked up to a CPAP for the first time. The CPAP is a device that pushes air into Luke's lungs to help him breath while he sleeps. The CPAP was connected incorrectly to his trach and it pulled the trach out in the middle of the night. Needless to say, this was a bit scary for Sue who worked with the RT to get it back in place quickly. They were able to get it back in and this showed us that Luke can breath without his trach. Please pray that Luke will cough and swallow and then he will be able to have the trach removed for good. We continue to pray each and every day that God will completely restore Luke's body.
There was a question regarding the prognosis for Luke. At this point the Doctors are not very optimistic regarding Luke's recovery, however we will continue to pray for his complete healing. The doctors have said that on a scale of 1-10 for brain damage, he is at a level 5. They say that we will most likely be able to communicate with Luke, but that he probably will never walk. I understand the doctors not wanting to give you false hope by telling us that he will be okay, because they cannot do anything for his condition. That said, my hope is not in doctors, but in God. We will continue to seek God persistently on Luke's behalf for his complete healing. Lord heal my son Luke.
My oldest son Daniel wrote the song "A Brother's Cry" for Luke. Saturday evening he sang the song to me for the first time. The song touched me deeply and I told him that he needed to record it so that others could hear it. Our friend Chuck helped us record it late last night and then we were able to host it on soundclick.com this evening. To hear the song, click on the link and it will take you to Daniel's page on Soundclick.com, here you will need to click on the music link and then click on lo-fi next to "A Brother's Cry". Below are the words to the song:
"A Brother's Cry"
Verse 1
Is this the day the LORD will,
Luke my little brother heal.
Every day I cry out louder,
To the LORD God my Father.
Chorus
Luke come back to me,
The LORD has something for you to be.
Verse 2
I pray that he'll recover,
So I can teach my brother.
How God sent His son,
To die for everyone.
Chorus
Verse 3
I look long into your eyes,
Hoping for a surprise.
Waiting for you to see,
All of me clearly.
Chorus
Bridge
I'd run a thousand miles,
to see your precious smile.
But I can't do anything,
That's why to the LORD I sing.
Heal my brother Luke,
I give him wholly to you.
Heal my brother Luke,
I give him wholly to you.
On Friday night Luke was hooked up to a CPAP for the first time. The CPAP is a device that pushes air into Luke's lungs to help him breath while he sleeps. The CPAP was connected incorrectly to his trach and it pulled the trach out in the middle of the night. Needless to say, this was a bit scary for Sue who worked with the RT to get it back in place quickly. They were able to get it back in and this showed us that Luke can breath without his trach. Please pray that Luke will cough and swallow and then he will be able to have the trach removed for good. We continue to pray each and every day that God will completely restore Luke's body.
There was a question regarding the prognosis for Luke. At this point the Doctors are not very optimistic regarding Luke's recovery, however we will continue to pray for his complete healing. The doctors have said that on a scale of 1-10 for brain damage, he is at a level 5. They say that we will most likely be able to communicate with Luke, but that he probably will never walk. I understand the doctors not wanting to give you false hope by telling us that he will be okay, because they cannot do anything for his condition. That said, my hope is not in doctors, but in God. We will continue to seek God persistently on Luke's behalf for his complete healing. Lord heal my son Luke.
My oldest son Daniel wrote the song "A Brother's Cry" for Luke. Saturday evening he sang the song to me for the first time. The song touched me deeply and I told him that he needed to record it so that others could hear it. Our friend Chuck helped us record it late last night and then we were able to host it on soundclick.com this evening. To hear the song, click on the link and it will take you to Daniel's page on Soundclick.com, here you will need to click on the music link and then click on lo-fi next to "A Brother's Cry". Below are the words to the song:
"A Brother's Cry"
Verse 1
Is this the day the LORD will,
Luke my little brother heal.
Every day I cry out louder,
To the LORD God my Father.
Chorus
Luke come back to me,
The LORD has something for you to be.
Verse 2
I pray that he'll recover,
So I can teach my brother.
How God sent His son,
To die for everyone.
Chorus
Verse 3
I look long into your eyes,
Hoping for a surprise.
Waiting for you to see,
All of me clearly.
Chorus
Bridge
I'd run a thousand miles,
to see your precious smile.
But I can't do anything,
That's why to the LORD I sing.
Heal my brother Luke,
I give him wholly to you.
Heal my brother Luke,
I give him wholly to you.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Physical Therapy
Tim Wild in Kansas pointed out that in the photos Luke's hands are always in fists. Because of Luke's injury there is a tendency for his muscles to contract and this results in arms pulled in by the biceps and fists. Also the calf contracting causes the toes to point. To counteract this, we are doing a few different things for Luke.
First Luke has hand splints that keep his fingers and thumb open to loosen the joints and muscles to help maintain the flexibility. Luke also has splints for his arms to keep his elbows flexible and he has splints for his feet to keep his ankles flexible. Luke has a regimen of 2 hours on 2 hours off for the splints. After the splints come off, he will gradually tighten and the fists return.
Secondly, the physical therapy/occupational therapy team come in a couple of times each day and work with Luke on his range of motion. They flex each of his limbs and work it through a series of stretching exercises to keep him flexible. We are learning to be able to do this ourselves. As we transition to home he will have in home PT a few days each week and then his nurses and family will fill in the gaps.
I guess I had not thought to ask specifically about Luke's range of motion and tightness, but here goes. Would you pray that God would restore Luke's ability to remain loose and not tighten up.
Tim, thank you for pointing this out, we are learning all about Luke's condition and this could have easily been something we would overlook. If you see things in the pictures or have questions about Luke's condition, feel free to ask, you may be helping us recognize a potential problem earlier.
I want to take a moment and acknowledge the Awesome staff at Mary Bridge children's Hospital. The staff here at MBCH are the best, it is the only level 2 pediatric trauma hospital in the state of Washington. We are fortunate and blessed to have such a fine hospital less then 20 minutes from our home. I am convinced that at the vast majority of hospitals Luke would not have been revived and this blog and all the love and support we have seen would not have happened. I am eternally grateful to the MBCH staff, as well as everyone that played a part in saving my little Luke's life. Thanks just doesn't seem to be enough, but it will have to do.
Thanks!!!!
First Luke has hand splints that keep his fingers and thumb open to loosen the joints and muscles to help maintain the flexibility. Luke also has splints for his arms to keep his elbows flexible and he has splints for his feet to keep his ankles flexible. Luke has a regimen of 2 hours on 2 hours off for the splints. After the splints come off, he will gradually tighten and the fists return.
Secondly, the physical therapy/occupational therapy team come in a couple of times each day and work with Luke on his range of motion. They flex each of his limbs and work it through a series of stretching exercises to keep him flexible. We are learning to be able to do this ourselves. As we transition to home he will have in home PT a few days each week and then his nurses and family will fill in the gaps.
I guess I had not thought to ask specifically about Luke's range of motion and tightness, but here goes. Would you pray that God would restore Luke's ability to remain loose and not tighten up.
Tim, thank you for pointing this out, we are learning all about Luke's condition and this could have easily been something we would overlook. If you see things in the pictures or have questions about Luke's condition, feel free to ask, you may be helping us recognize a potential problem earlier.
I want to take a moment and acknowledge the Awesome staff at Mary Bridge children's Hospital. The staff here at MBCH are the best, it is the only level 2 pediatric trauma hospital in the state of Washington. We are fortunate and blessed to have such a fine hospital less then 20 minutes from our home. I am convinced that at the vast majority of hospitals Luke would not have been revived and this blog and all the love and support we have seen would not have happened. I am eternally grateful to the MBCH staff, as well as everyone that played a part in saving my little Luke's life. Thanks just doesn't seem to be enough, but it will have to do.
Thanks!!!!
Pictures and an update
First, I would like to apologize for not posting earlier (Wed/Thu), I know there are a lot of you out there that are checking this blog regularly. I posted a few pictures of Luke, yesterday he got dressed for the first time and then today he sat in his custom stroller for a little while.
Since the accident, Sue has spent the night in Luke's room sleeping in a chair. Last night for the first time Sue slept at home, while Dad substituted. This is why I didn't post last night and while I am playing catch up tonight.
We are still on target to go home next Tuesday afternoon. We will have 24 hr nursing for at least the first few weeks. The interviews with the nurses has gone well and we can see God's hand in bringing them to us. Our training is wrapping up and we are doing most of the trach care and suctioning in the hospital, so the transition to home should be smooth.
Luke had a swallowgram yesterday that determines where his saliva goes, lungs or stomach. Unfortunately it is going into both places. Please continue to pray that God will restore Luke's ability to swallow and maintain his airway.
As I was leaving this evening, they were taking Luke down to get a x-ray to determine if the pneumonia is gone and how his partially collapsed lung is doing. He was also going to get an MRI to help in determining his prognosis.
Many have asked what we are going to our little girl and at this point we have talked about a couple of different names, but we have not landed on a specific one. One person from our church suggested we begin spelling our last name Searles, so the little girls name would begin with S and they suggested "Seven" and then "E" could be "Eight"....hmmm....I don't think we are going to start counting nor are we going to continue spelling. I will say that we are open to any letter of the alphabet, as we are finished spelling :)
Thank you for your prayers, support and words of encouragement, they mean so much to each of us. I know they mean a lot to many of you as well, as you have been encouraged by watching the Lord strengthen us in our time of need.
Since the accident, Sue has spent the night in Luke's room sleeping in a chair. Last night for the first time Sue slept at home, while Dad substituted. This is why I didn't post last night and while I am playing catch up tonight.
We are still on target to go home next Tuesday afternoon. We will have 24 hr nursing for at least the first few weeks. The interviews with the nurses has gone well and we can see God's hand in bringing them to us. Our training is wrapping up and we are doing most of the trach care and suctioning in the hospital, so the transition to home should be smooth.
Luke had a swallowgram yesterday that determines where his saliva goes, lungs or stomach. Unfortunately it is going into both places. Please continue to pray that God will restore Luke's ability to swallow and maintain his airway.
As I was leaving this evening, they were taking Luke down to get a x-ray to determine if the pneumonia is gone and how his partially collapsed lung is doing. He was also going to get an MRI to help in determining his prognosis.
Many have asked what we are going to our little girl and at this point we have talked about a couple of different names, but we have not landed on a specific one. One person from our church suggested we begin spelling our last name Searles, so the little girls name would begin with S and they suggested "Seven" and then "E" could be "Eight"....hmmm....I don't think we are going to start counting nor are we going to continue spelling. I will say that we are open to any letter of the alphabet, as we are finished spelling :)
Thank you for your prayers, support and words of encouragement, they mean so much to each of us. I know they mean a lot to many of you as well, as you have been encouraged by watching the Lord strengthen us in our time of need.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Monday, September 20, 2004
Pictures and an update
I posted some pictures of various people holding Luke over the past couple days. A few things I would like to point out from the pictures to help you understand his condition. In the picture with Amy you will notice Luke's eyes wide open. He does wake up, however he is not able to track movement with his eyes. He does move his head side to side and some movement of his eyes side to side in response to voices, in particular familiar voices (Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters). In the picture with Amy, Daniel and Natalie, Luke has a device on his trach that is called an artificial nose. The artificial nose warms, filters and moisturizes the air before it enters the lungs, much like our nose and mouth do for us. In the picture with Aunt Cindy you will notice a big white tube that is attached to Luke's trach. This tube delivers warm, moist air to Luke's trach with similar benefit as the artificial nose.
We interviewed nurses today and it went well. We will continue to work with the hospital and nursing toward taking Luke home, sometime in the next week or so.
Luke was moved from the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) to the main Pediatric floor. This is an indication of Luke's progress and stability.
Thank you for all of the words of encouragement and support, We so greatly appreciate each and every one of them.
We interviewed nurses today and it went well. We will continue to work with the hospital and nursing toward taking Luke home, sometime in the next week or so.
Luke was moved from the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) to the main Pediatric floor. This is an indication of Luke's progress and stability.
Thank you for all of the words of encouragement and support, We so greatly appreciate each and every one of them.
Odds and ends
Today we have a few odds and ends we are dealing with.
We have a person coming to look at the two car seats to see if either of them will work for Luke. If not, we will need to get a different one.
Later we will be interviewing nurses and I am sure that we will find a few that will fit nicely into our home.
This afternoon Sue has an ultrasound to check on the babys condition.
And we will continue our training with a video on CPR as well as continueing to perform trach care and suctioning.
Sunday was a quiet day with a few more people getting to hold Luke. I was hoping to publish a few pictures, but I forgot the cable to connect my camera at the hospital, I will publish them this evening.
We have a person coming to look at the two car seats to see if either of them will work for Luke. If not, we will need to get a different one.
Later we will be interviewing nurses and I am sure that we will find a few that will fit nicely into our home.
This afternoon Sue has an ultrasound to check on the babys condition.
And we will continue our training with a video on CPR as well as continueing to perform trach care and suctioning.
Sunday was a quiet day with a few more people getting to hold Luke. I was hoping to publish a few pictures, but I forgot the cable to connect my camera at the hospital, I will publish them this evening.
Saturday, September 18, 2004
A quiet day with a lots of arms of love
Today was a quiet day for Luke. Aunt Pam came to the hospital to watch Luke while Mom attended a bridal shower for our niece Naomi and Dad worked on building a shed in the backyard. This eveing Daniel, Natalie and I went to the hospital to visit. When we arrived Sue was sitting in the rocking chair holding Luke. Daniel was up next and held Lukers for a while and then Natalie held Luke for a few minutes while Dad suctioned his trach. We are getting the process of caring for Luke down. We have a long ways to go and God has been faithful to provide every step of the way.
One prayer request, we will be interviewing nurses sometime on Monday and I would ask you pray that God will provide just the right people for the Searles' family in particular Luke.
I pray that God will bless your Sunday.
One prayer request, we will be interviewing nurses sometime on Monday and I would ask you pray that God will provide just the right people for the Searles' family in particular Luke.
I pray that God will bless your Sunday.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Luke gets a new trach
Luke had his trach changed today for the first time. The surgeon that performed the tracheostomy came and removed the old trach and put in a new trach. At which point he turned to me and said "now it is your turn". I looked at him with some surprise and said okay. I must admit I was a bit nervous and at first it didnt want to go in, however I was successful. We are being trained to suction Luke's trach along with cleaning it and being able to care for it.
Love you guys and always remember whatever the circumstances of life, God is good. God has been faithful to my family and I pray that each and every person that is reading this will come to a full understanding of God's mercy and love. He is a faithful friend and no greater love then this to lay down a life for another.
Love you guys and always remember whatever the circumstances of life, God is good. God has been faithful to my family and I pray that each and every person that is reading this will come to a full understanding of God's mercy and love. He is a faithful friend and no greater love then this to lay down a life for another.
Changes to the blog
Words cannot begin to express my disgust in a comment that someone posted early this morning. I have removed the offensive comment and have changed the blog settings to require a blog account in order to post comments. If this doesnt work, I will make comments by invitation only.
To the person who posted the comment, I cannot believe the insenitivity of the question you asked and it just goes to show you have no idea of what my family has been through. My only hope is that God will speak to your heart and you will repent for such a stupid and insenitive question that does not even deserve being answered.
To all of you that have shown such great support, I can only say I am sorry for having to make this kind of change, but I will do whatever I have to protect my family and their feelings.
Luke's Dad
To the person who posted the comment, I cannot believe the insenitivity of the question you asked and it just goes to show you have no idea of what my family has been through. My only hope is that God will speak to your heart and you will repent for such a stupid and insenitive question that does not even deserve being answered.
To all of you that have shown such great support, I can only say I am sorry for having to make this kind of change, but I will do whatever I have to protect my family and their feelings.
Luke's Dad
Thursday, September 16, 2004
The fever is gone!
Praise God, the fever is gone! They have run tests looking for an infection and they cannot find one. Thank you for your prayers, they do count.
As we continuing to prepare for Luke's homecoming, there are many decisions and Sue and I need Godly wisdom to make these choices. In James we are told to ask for wisdom, so Lord, I am asking. Please agree with us in prayer for wisdom from above.
As we continuing to prepare for Luke's homecoming, there are many decisions and Sue and I need Godly wisdom to make these choices. In James we are told to ask for wisdom, so Lord, I am asking. Please agree with us in prayer for wisdom from above.
Luke is running a fever
Luke is running a fever this morning and the doctors think he has an infection. They are running tests to determine where the infection is located. Please pray that God will heal Luke of this infection and that we will be able to continue preparing to take Luke home.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Latest status on Luke
I thought I would take a moment and try to recap Luke's condition and hopefully fill in any gaps everyone might have in their understanding of his conditions.
First, Luke does wake up and open his eyes, mostly during the day time. He does respond to voices, in particular Mom and to some degree Dad. He does respond to the tickling of his feet by pulling back on them. He does move his arms and hands, although he does not really reach for anything. He does move his head from side to side at times, although he does favor his right side. His eyes do move some, although here again he favors his right side.
He has had seizures and they are in the process of switching anti-seizure meds and he has had a few during this time. This should be completed on Friday some time.
Luke is not on a ventilator and does not require oxygen. He is breathing on his own via his trach. He does require suctioning of his trach to maintain his airway and until God heals his coughing and swallowing this will continue. He requires more suctioning when he is awake and very little when he sleeps. He is sleeping during normal nighttime hours 10pm - 7am type of hours. Mom, Dad, Aunt Cindy, Sister Amy and Friend Yoli are all learning how to take care of Luke's trach along with how to suction his airway.
Luke has a GJ tube for feeding and is receiving the food over a 20 hour period each day as the feeding machine drips it into the feeding tube.
Luke may get to go home next week, but it may be the following week. The biggest thing right now is the need to line up nursing care.
A friend asked me about my post the other day that said "Thank You Lord for giving us Luke for a little while longer." This was just a dad being grateful to God for what he had already given me and was not meant to indicate that Luke is near to death. On the contrary, Luke is doing quite well under the circumstances. That said each day is a gift from God. Luke has lots of challenges to overcome, much of it is related to the lack of oxygen to the brain. To a large extent we don't know all of the damage that was caused to his brain from the lack of oxygen, nor does medical science really understand the complexity of the brain nor how to treat it.
Luke has splints for his hands and will be getting the splints for his feet tomorrow. The splints help keep the muscles and joints flexible. Physical Therapy comes in each day and works each arm and leg to stretch the muscles and joints.
There was a question regarding HyperBaric Oxygenation Therapy (HBOT) with a link to a website http://cincinnatihyperbarics.com/. We have heard of HBOT and from what I have read this is one of the more promising forms of treatment for children like Luke. As the post says, it is not a cure, but can help bring to life brain cells that are not fully functioning. We do plan on exploring this form of therapy.
Friend at REI, thanks for the song by Mark Schultz "He's My Son". This song has new meaning to me and I am richer for it. Luke's Dad
Just a few more Searles' updates:
Daniel is off at ministry school and I spoke to him tonight on the way home and he says it is awesome! He has lots of homework and said he would be working on it until curfew and then getting up early to finish. My prayer is he will be done before going to bed. Daniel, I am proud of you for earning all of the money to attend school and I know God will bless you abundantly. Daniel's Dad.
Amy and Natalie my two teen girls are doing an awesome job taking care of things at home. As most of you know we homeschool and this past few weeks has been a huge lesson in reality for both of my girls. I have been blown away by how they have risen up to the challenge and taken on responsibility. Just one example, each day we have been receiving meals delivered to the home and lunch at the hospital. My girls have taken it upon themselves to write thank you cards to each person/family that brought a meal. I am sure you can guess who trained them to be so thankful. Girls, you rock and I am so proud to be Amy's and Natalie's Dad.
Isaiah and Ezekiel seem to be taking everything in stride. They are a very busy 5 and 3. At times I have been tired only to be lifted up by the simple life of two little boys. There are moments when they miss Mom and I agree with them, I miss Mom also, but for the most part they are doing great. Isaiah and Ezekiel, I am a blessed man to have two little boys like you. Isaiah and Ezekiel's Dad.
Sue is holding up remarkably well. She does not leave the hospital very often, although she did leave for about 8 hours today. She watches over Luke like a mama bear watching her cub. So far so good for child number 7 that is due the beginning of the year, although we expect it just before the end of the year. Sue, I am awed by your faith in Christ and you are an inspiration to me and I am proud to be your husband. Love you, Gordy.
I just want to say a big THANKS to everyone for every prayer that you have prayed for Luke thus far. I know that you are praying, because God continues to strengthen us through this storm. Phil 4:13 "I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Love you all, Gordy
First, Luke does wake up and open his eyes, mostly during the day time. He does respond to voices, in particular Mom and to some degree Dad. He does respond to the tickling of his feet by pulling back on them. He does move his arms and hands, although he does not really reach for anything. He does move his head from side to side at times, although he does favor his right side. His eyes do move some, although here again he favors his right side.
He has had seizures and they are in the process of switching anti-seizure meds and he has had a few during this time. This should be completed on Friday some time.
Luke is not on a ventilator and does not require oxygen. He is breathing on his own via his trach. He does require suctioning of his trach to maintain his airway and until God heals his coughing and swallowing this will continue. He requires more suctioning when he is awake and very little when he sleeps. He is sleeping during normal nighttime hours 10pm - 7am type of hours. Mom, Dad, Aunt Cindy, Sister Amy and Friend Yoli are all learning how to take care of Luke's trach along with how to suction his airway.
Luke has a GJ tube for feeding and is receiving the food over a 20 hour period each day as the feeding machine drips it into the feeding tube.
Luke may get to go home next week, but it may be the following week. The biggest thing right now is the need to line up nursing care.
A friend asked me about my post the other day that said "Thank You Lord for giving us Luke for a little while longer." This was just a dad being grateful to God for what he had already given me and was not meant to indicate that Luke is near to death. On the contrary, Luke is doing quite well under the circumstances. That said each day is a gift from God. Luke has lots of challenges to overcome, much of it is related to the lack of oxygen to the brain. To a large extent we don't know all of the damage that was caused to his brain from the lack of oxygen, nor does medical science really understand the complexity of the brain nor how to treat it.
Luke has splints for his hands and will be getting the splints for his feet tomorrow. The splints help keep the muscles and joints flexible. Physical Therapy comes in each day and works each arm and leg to stretch the muscles and joints.
There was a question regarding HyperBaric Oxygenation Therapy (HBOT) with a link to a website http://cincinnatihyperbarics.com/. We have heard of HBOT and from what I have read this is one of the more promising forms of treatment for children like Luke. As the post says, it is not a cure, but can help bring to life brain cells that are not fully functioning. We do plan on exploring this form of therapy.
Friend at REI, thanks for the song by Mark Schultz "He's My Son". This song has new meaning to me and I am richer for it. Luke's Dad
Just a few more Searles' updates:
Daniel is off at ministry school and I spoke to him tonight on the way home and he says it is awesome! He has lots of homework and said he would be working on it until curfew and then getting up early to finish. My prayer is he will be done before going to bed. Daniel, I am proud of you for earning all of the money to attend school and I know God will bless you abundantly. Daniel's Dad.
Amy and Natalie my two teen girls are doing an awesome job taking care of things at home. As most of you know we homeschool and this past few weeks has been a huge lesson in reality for both of my girls. I have been blown away by how they have risen up to the challenge and taken on responsibility. Just one example, each day we have been receiving meals delivered to the home and lunch at the hospital. My girls have taken it upon themselves to write thank you cards to each person/family that brought a meal. I am sure you can guess who trained them to be so thankful. Girls, you rock and I am so proud to be Amy's and Natalie's Dad.
Isaiah and Ezekiel seem to be taking everything in stride. They are a very busy 5 and 3. At times I have been tired only to be lifted up by the simple life of two little boys. There are moments when they miss Mom and I agree with them, I miss Mom also, but for the most part they are doing great. Isaiah and Ezekiel, I am a blessed man to have two little boys like you. Isaiah and Ezekiel's Dad.
Sue is holding up remarkably well. She does not leave the hospital very often, although she did leave for about 8 hours today. She watches over Luke like a mama bear watching her cub. So far so good for child number 7 that is due the beginning of the year, although we expect it just before the end of the year. Sue, I am awed by your faith in Christ and you are an inspiration to me and I am proud to be your husband. Love you, Gordy.
I just want to say a big THANKS to everyone for every prayer that you have prayed for Luke thus far. I know that you are praying, because God continues to strengthen us through this storm. Phil 4:13 "I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Love you all, Gordy
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Luke had more seizures this afternoon
The doctors are trying to switch Luke's anti seizure medication from one to another and this afternoon he had a few seizures. Please pray that God would give the doctors wisdom on how to best manage the seizures. Also, pray that God would heal Luke of these seizures and that he would not need the medication.
Splints
Luke is getting casted for splints this morning. The purpose of the splints is to be able to stretch his muscles and to keep his joints flexible. So Luke will wear the splints for periods of time.
Also, Please pray in just a few minutes at 11:00 we have a meeting to discuss discharge planning. This meeting will talk about what we need to do to take Luke home. Please pray that God will guide us and give us wisdom in all of the decisions we have to make.
Also, Please pray in just a few minutes at 11:00 we have a meeting to discuss discharge planning. This meeting will talk about what we need to do to take Luke home. Please pray that God will guide us and give us wisdom in all of the decisions we have to make.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Off the ventilator
Luke has remained off of the ventilator since yesterday evening and is doing well. He is able to breath on his own without the need for oxygen. He still requires suctioning to maintain his airway. Please continue to pray that God will heal his ability to cough and swallow.
Daniel is off to school this evening. Sue and I will be attending a dinner and orientation at GTC in Centrailia where Daniel will be going to a school of ministry. Please pray that we will all be able to take this change (our oldest leaving home) with stride and that God will provide peace to all of us.
Love you all,
Gordy AKA Daniel's, Amy's, Natalie's, Isaiah's, Ezekiel's and Luke's Dad!!!
Daniel is off to school this evening. Sue and I will be attending a dinner and orientation at GTC in Centrailia where Daniel will be going to a school of ministry. Please pray that we will all be able to take this change (our oldest leaving home) with stride and that God will provide peace to all of us.
Love you all,
Gordy AKA Daniel's, Amy's, Natalie's, Isaiah's, Ezekiel's and Luke's Dad!!!
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Off the ventilator for a while
They took Luke off the ventilator for a little while today to test his ability to breath on his own. He did really well and they will try this a little more each day to ween him off the ventilator.
Luke had a really good nap during the Seahawks win in New Orleans.
I (Luke's Dad) performed my first sterile suctioning of his Trach. Wow, that was wild. Mom performed her first bagging. This is a procedure you do during suctioning to allow Luke to breath.
Luke had a really good nap during the Seahawks win in New Orleans.
I (Luke's Dad) performed my first sterile suctioning of his Trach. Wow, that was wild. Mom performed her first bagging. This is a procedure you do during suctioning to allow Luke to breath.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Resting and more resting on the Rock
Luke is being sedated so that he will rest and not turn his head allowing the trach to heal. Today will be a day of quiet in Luke's room as his rest is most important. I will more blog later this evening when they start to allow him to wake up.
Some have said to me that they have been inspired by our faith and how could it remain strong during such a difficult storm in our life. As a result, I have done a lot of thinking regarding the scripture in Mattew 7:24-27 (below), it tells the parable of two people, one who built there house on the rock, and one who built it on the sand.
Matt 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
As I have thought about this, I realize the strength that many have seen in us is because my life and the life of my family is built on the rock Christ Jesus. You see, there is no way to hype or fake the peace that God has provided, eventually the house will fall in the midst of the storm. Its not to say that there aren't moments when you have strong emotions that feel so overwhelming, but it is to say that it all comes back to the Rock and standing firm in his unchangeable love and character. The book of Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." meaning that God does not change. The hymn Great is thy faithfulness puts it this way in the first verse:
Great is thy faithfulness, oh God my father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
You see as we stand on the Rock, he pours out His love, mercy and compassion, allowing us to stand strong. Let me ask you a question, what is your life built on? Is it built on the sand (changeable) of life, your health, wealth, friends or job, things that can change in a moment and leave you in great turmoil with no where to turn? Or is it built on the Rock Christ Jesus, who will never leave you nor forsake you? I hope if you have learned nothing else from all of this, that the Searles' have built on the Rock and that is a really good thing. Will you build on the rock today?
Love you guy so much,
Gordy AKA Luke's Dad
Some have said to me that they have been inspired by our faith and how could it remain strong during such a difficult storm in our life. As a result, I have done a lot of thinking regarding the scripture in Mattew 7:24-27 (below), it tells the parable of two people, one who built there house on the rock, and one who built it on the sand.
Matt 7:24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
As I have thought about this, I realize the strength that many have seen in us is because my life and the life of my family is built on the rock Christ Jesus. You see, there is no way to hype or fake the peace that God has provided, eventually the house will fall in the midst of the storm. Its not to say that there aren't moments when you have strong emotions that feel so overwhelming, but it is to say that it all comes back to the Rock and standing firm in his unchangeable love and character. The book of Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." meaning that God does not change. The hymn Great is thy faithfulness puts it this way in the first verse:
Great is thy faithfulness, oh God my father,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
You see as we stand on the Rock, he pours out His love, mercy and compassion, allowing us to stand strong. Let me ask you a question, what is your life built on? Is it built on the sand (changeable) of life, your health, wealth, friends or job, things that can change in a moment and leave you in great turmoil with no where to turn? Or is it built on the Rock Christ Jesus, who will never leave you nor forsake you? I hope if you have learned nothing else from all of this, that the Searles' have built on the Rock and that is a really good thing. Will you build on the rock today?
Love you guy so much,
Gordy AKA Luke's Dad
Friday, September 10, 2004
Surgery complete
The surgery (Tracheostomy) was just completed and Luke is sleeping in his room. The doctor said the surgery went fine and the antithestic should wear off before long. Once he wakes, they should be able to take him off of the ventilator. Luke will need to remain in the hospital for at least 7 days, this is time for the trach to heal and then have his first trach tube change. I will blog more later.
Thank you Lord for surgeons and tracheostomys. Lord, thank you for little Luke's life. Thank you for nurses and RTs that care for Luke.
Thank you Lord for surgeons and tracheostomys. Lord, thank you for little Luke's life. Thank you for nurses and RTs that care for Luke.
More resting and waiting
Luke is resting nicely and we are just waiting for the surgery this afternoon. I dont know exactly what time it will be, just sometime this afternoon. Please pray that God would guide the hand of the surgeon and that the surgery would be successful. Also, pray that God would restore Luke's ability to swallow and cough better so he can maintain his own airway.
I will blog a little more this afternoon when we know more about the surgery. The surgery takes about an hour and a half.
I will blog a little more this afternoon when we know more about the surgery. The surgery takes about an hour and a half.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
So much to be thankful for
I am pleased to let you know about a new blog that Triton's Dad has created called All4corners. The purpose of the blog is to create awareness of the needs of childeren around the world. Triton's Dad has been inspired to create this blog as a result of the outpouring of love that he has seen here and on his on blog for Triton and the blog for Cass. Please visit All4corners and support him in its mission of raising awareness for childeren from all 4 corners of the world. Thank you Lord for Triton's Dad.
Today has been a fairly quiet day, with Luke resting peacefully. His brothers Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel came for a visit and a walk to the park. Thank you Lord for peaceful sleep and parks.
We are beginning the preparation for Luke coming home, we are learning how to care for his trach and how to feed him via the g-tube. Sometime in the next week we will need to interview nursing agencies that will provide 24 hour nursing for Luke for at least the first few weeks. Please pray that God will provide the right nurses for the Searles family, as they will be coming into our home every day, all day (24 hrs) and it is important that they mesh with our household. Also, please pray that God will help us get everything situated and that we will be able to learn all that we need to learn to take care of Luke. Thank you Lord that we can learn and that there are nurses who care.
I read a post the other day that reminded me to be thankful and I just want to tell God publically of a few more things I am thankful for. Thank you Lord for saving Luke's life and allowing us to have him for a little while longer. I thank you Lord for what you are going to do for Luke as you restore his body. I thank you for family and friends that have poured love on us. I thank you for each of my childeren Daniel, Amy, Natalie, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Luke and yet to be born or named baby Searles. I thank you for my wife Sue and her undying love for you. I thank you for the lives that have been touched by all of this and the lives that will be touched by this. There is a song that comes to mind, "Count your many blessings" There are so many things to be thankful for, why not stop what you are doing and take a moment and count your many blessings, name them one by one and then thank God for them.
Today has been a fairly quiet day, with Luke resting peacefully. His brothers Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel came for a visit and a walk to the park. Thank you Lord for peaceful sleep and parks.
We are beginning the preparation for Luke coming home, we are learning how to care for his trach and how to feed him via the g-tube. Sometime in the next week we will need to interview nursing agencies that will provide 24 hour nursing for Luke for at least the first few weeks. Please pray that God will provide the right nurses for the Searles family, as they will be coming into our home every day, all day (24 hrs) and it is important that they mesh with our household. Also, please pray that God will help us get everything situated and that we will be able to learn all that we need to learn to take care of Luke. Thank you Lord that we can learn and that there are nurses who care.
I read a post the other day that reminded me to be thankful and I just want to tell God publically of a few more things I am thankful for. Thank you Lord for saving Luke's life and allowing us to have him for a little while longer. I thank you Lord for what you are going to do for Luke as you restore his body. I thank you for family and friends that have poured love on us. I thank you for each of my childeren Daniel, Amy, Natalie, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Luke and yet to be born or named baby Searles. I thank you for my wife Sue and her undying love for you. I thank you for the lives that have been touched by all of this and the lives that will be touched by this. There is a song that comes to mind, "Count your many blessings" There are so many things to be thankful for, why not stop what you are doing and take a moment and count your many blessings, name them one by one and then thank God for them.
Resting well
Luke has been resting well for the past day since the G-Tube was installed. Both Mom and I were able to hold him today for a while. He is scheduled for the Tracheostomy for Friday afternoon. The surgery will allow him to breath, however we will need to continue to maintain his airway for him. Please continue to pray that he will be able to swallow and cough and that the Trach will be temporary.
We have been blessed with a different room in the PICU with a little more room, this is especially helpful with all of the family visiting. The other blessing is that we now have computer access in Luke's room, so I can blog from here.
Love you all.
We have been blessed with a different room in the PICU with a little more room, this is especially helpful with all of the family visiting. The other blessing is that we now have computer access in Luke's room, so I can blog from here.
Love you all.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
A few new friends
Luke has a couple new friends. The first is Triton, he is a little boy that was born two months early to a couple in our church, you can visit their blog at Triton Michael Vitale. He needs your prayers to gain strength and develop.
The second new friend is Cass an 8 week old baby boy here in the PICU that needs your prayers. I meet Cass' Mom this evening and it was a blessing to be able to help her setup a blog to keep people up to date on Cass. You can visit her blog at Cass Update and be able to pray for this little boy and his family.
Luke is resting well after a busy day of getting a new feeding tube and changing rooms (still in the PICU). Thank you for your prayers. Luke is scheduled for the Trach operation on Friday along with his new buddy Cass, please remember both of them.
I will blog some more tomorrow, I love you all.
The second new friend is Cass an 8 week old baby boy here in the PICU that needs your prayers. I meet Cass' Mom this evening and it was a blessing to be able to help her setup a blog to keep people up to date on Cass. You can visit her blog at Cass Update and be able to pray for this little boy and his family.
Luke is resting well after a busy day of getting a new feeding tube and changing rooms (still in the PICU). Thank you for your prayers. Luke is scheduled for the Trach operation on Friday along with his new buddy Cass, please remember both of them.
I will blog some more tomorrow, I love you all.
Finally, an update!
There has been a problem with posting to the blog since yesterday evening. I had posted an entry in the guestbook hoping to communicate with everyone. If you havent taken the time to sign the guest book, please do, it is at the bottom of each page.
Luke is still not able to maintain his airway and as a result he has developed pneumonia in the right lung which is the lung that was partially collasped. Because of the Pneumonia, it was decided to put him back on the ventilator with the breathing tube, this was done this morning. Also, it was decided to insert a feeding tube to give him nutrients and this operation was performed this morning. Later this week they will perform a tracheostomy, this will allow him to breath without the need to maintain his own airway. The doctor thinks we may be able to take Luke home in about 2 weeks.
Thank you for your prayers they are making a difference. A praise and another request. A couple Jodie and Lyle stopped by today to encourage us. They had never meet us, and just found out about Luke yesterday. They have a little boy that drowned and was in a similar situation to Luke and they came and encouraged us to not loose hope. We will stand firm.
My request, last night my heart was very heavy and I was very bummed that I could not blog my request. My new friend (3 week old) Emily had open heart surgery a week ago and last night I saw her father and asked how she was doing and he told me that she would be having open heart surgery again this morning at 7:00am. The surgery is over and she is in her room again. Please pray for little Emily that she would recover and that her family would be encouraged.
Love Gordy, Sue, Daniel, Amy, Natalie, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Luke.
Luke is still not able to maintain his airway and as a result he has developed pneumonia in the right lung which is the lung that was partially collasped. Because of the Pneumonia, it was decided to put him back on the ventilator with the breathing tube, this was done this morning. Also, it was decided to insert a feeding tube to give him nutrients and this operation was performed this morning. Later this week they will perform a tracheostomy, this will allow him to breath without the need to maintain his own airway. The doctor thinks we may be able to take Luke home in about 2 weeks.
Thank you for your prayers they are making a difference. A praise and another request. A couple Jodie and Lyle stopped by today to encourage us. They had never meet us, and just found out about Luke yesterday. They have a little boy that drowned and was in a similar situation to Luke and they came and encouraged us to not loose hope. We will stand firm.
My request, last night my heart was very heavy and I was very bummed that I could not blog my request. My new friend (3 week old) Emily had open heart surgery a week ago and last night I saw her father and asked how she was doing and he told me that she would be having open heart surgery again this morning at 7:00am. The surgery is over and she is in her room again. Please pray for little Emily that she would recover and that her family would be encouraged.
Love Gordy, Sue, Daniel, Amy, Natalie, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Luke.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Continue to pray
I want to give you an update on Luke. Luke's Mom Sue held Luke most of the night last night in a rocking chair and just poured out the love and prayers that only a mother can provide. Sue went to the apartment and is resting right now, pray that she will get some much needed deep restful sleep.
Luke's temprature is normal, this is good, as a fever would be an indication of pneumonia. There is a great deal of fluid still building in the throat and nasal passages. Luke still needs to cough and swallow. He coughs some and it helps, but he needs to cough more and then swallow to get rid of the secretions.
I appreciate each and every one of you that has agreed to fast and pray for Luke this day. He is a fighter and at this moment, he is hanging in there strong. I dont know where we will be at the end of this day, and I will most likely be coming again to ask for more prayer for Luke. This I do know, we serve the one true God that created this universe, he is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. My faith in God and His love for me is more stronger now then it ever has been.
By the way, I just want to say Hi to a 5th grade class in Highland, CA that heard about Luke and are following on the web. As Luke's Dad, I want to say Thank You for caring about little Luke and I hope and pray that some day you will get a chance to meet the little boy that has changed us all.
Luke's temprature is normal, this is good, as a fever would be an indication of pneumonia. There is a great deal of fluid still building in the throat and nasal passages. Luke still needs to cough and swallow. He coughs some and it helps, but he needs to cough more and then swallow to get rid of the secretions.
I appreciate each and every one of you that has agreed to fast and pray for Luke this day. He is a fighter and at this moment, he is hanging in there strong. I dont know where we will be at the end of this day, and I will most likely be coming again to ask for more prayer for Luke. This I do know, we serve the one true God that created this universe, he is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. My faith in God and His love for me is more stronger now then it ever has been.
By the way, I just want to say Hi to a 5th grade class in Highland, CA that heard about Luke and are following on the web. As Luke's Dad, I want to say Thank You for caring about little Luke and I hope and pray that some day you will get a chance to meet the little boy that has changed us all.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Luke needs another miracle
Friends, I wish the news was good, but its not. The doctor talked with us and let us know that Luke's left lung has collapsed and is in danger of developing pneumonia. They performed a CT scan and there is evidence of brain damage. The doctor told us that there is nothing that medically can be done for Luke and the only hope for him now is divine intervention.
As his father, I will contend for Luke's complete healing until either he is healed, I stop breathing or he stops breathing. That said, I am asking that you would join me and fast and pray for the next 24 hours and see what God will do. And while I am fighting for my son in the spirit, I also know that God is sovereign and that Luke is in his hands, it all comes down to God's sovereign will for a little boy named Luke that has touched so many, so deeply. I don't ask you to do this just out of religious ritual, I truly believe that God is able to heal, if we will seek him with all our hearts. I would ask that we as the body of Christ would spend focused prayer on behalf of Luke, in particular, pray hard and fast at the top of each hour for Luke from now until the end of Tuesday (9/7).
Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."
Father, I now place Luke into your hands and ask that you would divinely intervene and heal his little body of all the damage, that your name might be known and that you would receive glory. Your word says that by your stripes we are healed and Lord I ask that your Holy Spirit would enter his body and completely heal him. I pray this in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ my Lord and my Savior.
As his father, I will contend for Luke's complete healing until either he is healed, I stop breathing or he stops breathing. That said, I am asking that you would join me and fast and pray for the next 24 hours and see what God will do. And while I am fighting for my son in the spirit, I also know that God is sovereign and that Luke is in his hands, it all comes down to God's sovereign will for a little boy named Luke that has touched so many, so deeply. I don't ask you to do this just out of religious ritual, I truly believe that God is able to heal, if we will seek him with all our hearts. I would ask that we as the body of Christ would spend focused prayer on behalf of Luke, in particular, pray hard and fast at the top of each hour for Luke from now until the end of Tuesday (9/7).
Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."
Father, I now place Luke into your hands and ask that you would divinely intervene and heal his little body of all the damage, that your name might be known and that you would receive glory. Your word says that by your stripes we are healed and Lord I ask that your Holy Spirit would enter his body and completely heal him. I pray this in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ my Lord and my Savior.
Great Love
It has been nearly a week since Luke's accident and I had no idea when I created this site, that it would turn into this, an incredible outpouring of Love. The other morning, I was praying and thinking about the blog and I said to the Lord, "Lord, I am not worthy of this kind of Love, there are others out there in this world hurting too, like Emily and her parents, I dont deserve this expression of Love". Then I heard the Lord gently speak to me, "Gordy, the love you are seeing on this blog pales in comparison to the love I have for each and every person" WOW, I was blown away. There are so many people that are coming to this site to see how Luke is doing and they are thinking about Luke and my family several times each day. Some have said that they are not religious, guess what, neither am I. This may surprise some of you, as I do have a deep faith in my God, but it comes down to relationship and His great love for me. If you find your self drawn to this site on a frequent basis, it may be one of the first times in your life you that you have witnessed geniune love. Please know that there is a source to this love and his name is Yahweh, Yeshua, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Friends, if you find yourself drawn to this love, you too can expierence it first hand.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Will you run to the Him (the love) today? Turn to him, he is there. He is why Sue and I can stand strong in the face of uncertainty.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Will you run to the Him (the love) today? Turn to him, he is there. He is why Sue and I can stand strong in the face of uncertainty.
Monday morning update
It has been a little more then 16 hours sense the breathing tube was removed and Luke is doing okay. He is still struggling to maintain his airway, in particular his nerves are not sensing the need to cough and the secretions build in the back of the throat. In addition, he doesn't swallow and the secretions just pool, this requires the nurses to suction it out. The result is that if he doesn't begin to maintain the airway, he would most likely develop pneumonia. The doctor just stopped by and he said that it is looking like we will need to do something about Luke's breathing and that this afternoon we would talk about options. From what I have picked up, I am guessing it is either reinserting the breathing tube or another procedure a tracheostomy (sp?), this is a more permanent option.
I have heard the Lord several times over the last few days say to me to trust in him and to just stand firm. The enemy is a roaring Lion, but greater is he who lives in me then he who is in the world. Late last night we came under great spiritual attack, would you stand firm with us? Stand firm that God is sovereign and the enemy has no power over Luke's life. Stand firm that Luke belongs to God, Sue and I prayed a prayer of surrender of our little Luke to God, this was to reconfirm one more time that Luke belongs to God. Stand firm the God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We serve the living God who created this universe and he is the God of the impossible.
Luke 1:37 says "For with God nothing will be impossible."
Stand firm as you pray that Luke will begin to sense the need to cough and he will cough a very productive cough. Also, that Luke will sense the need to swallow and will swallow the secretions instead of letting them pool. Do not loose heart, nor grow weary, but stand firm and watch the hand of the Lord.
I have heard the Lord several times over the last few days say to me to trust in him and to just stand firm. The enemy is a roaring Lion, but greater is he who lives in me then he who is in the world. Late last night we came under great spiritual attack, would you stand firm with us? Stand firm that God is sovereign and the enemy has no power over Luke's life. Stand firm that Luke belongs to God, Sue and I prayed a prayer of surrender of our little Luke to God, this was to reconfirm one more time that Luke belongs to God. Stand firm the God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We serve the living God who created this universe and he is the God of the impossible.
Luke 1:37 says "For with God nothing will be impossible."
Stand firm as you pray that Luke will begin to sense the need to cough and he will cough a very productive cough. Also, that Luke will sense the need to swallow and will swallow the secretions instead of letting them pool. Do not loose heart, nor grow weary, but stand firm and watch the hand of the Lord.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Luke's Mom Finds Encouragement
This is Luke's Mom, Sue. WOW! I just learned how to blog! I just wanted to say how encouraged I am by your outpouring of love and prayers. To be honest with you this has been the worst nightmare of my life and yet throughout this whole ordeal I'm finding at times amazing peace and receiving a ministering touch from the Lord himself.I'm awed at how much our heavenly Father loves me, just to show a quick example I'd like to share some of the blessings I've received throughout this whole ordeal. The other day I was thinking to myself how fun it would be for my little 3 & 5 year olds to ride on a bus, they love buses. Not more than 5 minutes later I was talking to my Sister Jill and she mentioned to me that she was thinking about taking the boys on a short bus ride into the Lakewood Towne Center, I was amazed. Then the next day I thinking to myself how good some of my Mom's home made soup would be and later that afternoon, Mom informed me, that she was going to make up a pot of her delicious soup the next day. Once again, on that same day I was thinking how nice it would be to have a taller chair to sit on by Luke's bedside. This is where I spend most of my days and my feet have been swelling a bit from all the standing on the hard floor. That evening the cleaning lady saw me standing and said that she thought she could find a taller chair and sure enough within 5 minutes I was sitting on a wonderful chair, so that now when I sing with Luke and tell him how much I love him, I am so much more comfortable.I could go on and on with thanks to all those that are continually pouring out their love through meals, helping with the boys and most importantly the prayers.I consider myself to be in one of the deepest spiritual battles of my life and their are times when I can feel definite warfare and I have to cry out to God for help and He always comes through.You're all wonderful and I love you, keep on praying God is hearing you!!
The Tube is Out!
The breathing tube has been removed! This is great news. The news is tempered a bit in that, Luke is not doing as good a job of maintaining his airway. He coughs, but the cough isn't as productive as it needs to be and the secretions build in the back of his throat. The nurses then have to suction the secretions from his throat so that he doesn't choke or inhale the secretions. If he doesn't improve in the next 12-24 hours, he may need to have the breathing to put back in. Each step of the way is a miracle in that it is progress that was not expected, so we thank the Lord for this new step of progress.
Please Pray that the muscles used to cough would strengthen and Luke would be able to maintain his airway without the need for suctioning. He needs to have productive coughs. Also, pray that Luke would become more awake.
I thank the Lord for helping Luke with controlling the seizures and getting the breathing tube removed. We serve an amazing God that loves each of us so much.
This morning Pastor Tom shared psalm 46, a portion of it is below. Friends, know this that God is the same, yesterday, today and forever and we are firmly standing on the rock of our salvation. As Psalm 46 says, God is our refuge and strength, we are resting and trusting in his sovereign power.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Please Pray that the muscles used to cough would strengthen and Luke would be able to maintain his airway without the need for suctioning. He needs to have productive coughs. Also, pray that Luke would become more awake.
I thank the Lord for helping Luke with controlling the seizures and getting the breathing tube removed. We serve an amazing God that loves each of us so much.
This morning Pastor Tom shared psalm 46, a portion of it is below. Friends, know this that God is the same, yesterday, today and forever and we are firmly standing on the rock of our salvation. As Psalm 46 says, God is our refuge and strength, we are resting and trusting in his sovereign power.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Sunday update
Sorry for not sending an update sooner. I went home this morning and took the kids to church, and then spent some time holding and loving on my kids.
The PCs are being used a lot, so I need to keep it short.
Bottomline, they are going to take out the breathing tube and there is a risk they will have to put it back if his throat swells. Pray that Luke will respond positively to its removal. It should be at in the next few hours. I will let you know as soon as I know more.
BTW, church was awesome.
Love you,
Gordy AKA Luke's Dad
The PCs are being used a lot, so I need to keep it short.
Bottomline, they are going to take out the breathing tube and there is a risk they will have to put it back if his throat swells. Pray that Luke will respond positively to its removal. It should be at in the next few hours. I will let you know as soon as I know more.
BTW, church was awesome.
Love you,
Gordy AKA Luke's Dad
Saturday, September 04, 2004
More seizures
Luke had two more small seizures just a few minutes ago. Needless to say, this is not good news. It had been a little over 24 hours since his last seizure. The doctor is increasing the dosage of the anti seizure medicine in hopes of finding a level that will work. If this doesnt work, they would need to go to a more powerful drug, which would probably sedate Luke as well as control the seizures. They will not remove the breathing tube until they can control the seizures. Please pray with us that the seizures would stop for good.
No removal today
They are not going to remove the breathing tube today, this is due to the swelling. Please pray the swelling will go down so they can proceed with the removal. Luke did a good job on a 2.5 hour breathing test. The test involves putting the machine into a mode where Luke does the breathing and it only kicks in if he fails to breath. Luke passed with flying colors. He is coughing well, so it is just a matter of the swelling going down and they are giving him steroids to help.
A beautiful wedding
Well, we now have a new niece in our family. Our nephew Joseph was married this afternoon to Gina. Sue and I took a brief respite from the hospital to go and join in the celebration while my sister and husband watched Luke. It was a beautiful wedding and we rejoice with Joseph and Gina. I was going to post a picture, unfortunately, my camera isnt recognized by the PC here at the hospital.
We are still waiting to see if they are going to be able to remove the breathing tube. I will send an update later this evening.
We are still waiting to see if they are going to be able to remove the breathing tube. I will send an update later this evening.
Restful night
Luke had a restful night of sleep, praise the Lord.
They have increased his anti seizure medicine and it seems to be working, as he hasnt had a seizure since. We pray that this continues and there are no more seizures.
Luke is doing great with his coughing and they think he might be able to have the breathing tube removed today. Right now the biggest issue with removing the tube is there is swelling in the throat from the tube. They are going to give Luke steroids to help with the swelling and once it goes down, they will proceed with removal. Please pray they are able to remove the tube this afternoon or evening. It may be as late as 9:00 pm this evening, otherwise it will be tomorrow.
We are doing well and were able to get some good sleep last night.
Today our nephew is getting married and so we are going to take a brief break away to join in this celebration. Lord I pray a blessing over Joseph and Gina today, pour out your Holy Spirit on them, may they glorify you in their marriage. I ask that today would be a great celebration of the hope and future you have for them. In Jesus Name, Amen.
I love you all so much, I look forward to sharing more of my heart with each of you face to face.
Gordy AKA Luke's Dad
They have increased his anti seizure medicine and it seems to be working, as he hasnt had a seizure since. We pray that this continues and there are no more seizures.
Luke is doing great with his coughing and they think he might be able to have the breathing tube removed today. Right now the biggest issue with removing the tube is there is swelling in the throat from the tube. They are going to give Luke steroids to help with the swelling and once it goes down, they will proceed with removal. Please pray they are able to remove the tube this afternoon or evening. It may be as late as 9:00 pm this evening, otherwise it will be tomorrow.
We are doing well and were able to get some good sleep last night.
Today our nephew is getting married and so we are going to take a brief break away to join in this celebration. Lord I pray a blessing over Joseph and Gina today, pour out your Holy Spirit on them, may they glorify you in their marriage. I ask that today would be a great celebration of the hope and future you have for them. In Jesus Name, Amen.
I love you all so much, I look forward to sharing more of my heart with each of you face to face.
Gordy AKA Luke's Dad
Friday, September 03, 2004
More seizures
Luke had a few more seizures this evening. They have increased the anti seizure medication in hopes of stopping the seizures. Some good news, they were able to take Luke off of the BP medicine. Also, Luke is coughing much better, so hopefully he may be able to get off of the ventilator soon. They putting a tube into Luke's tummy to be able to feed him, so hopefully this will provide him the nutrients he needs to get stronger.
I am amazed at this blog! It is different then a prayer chain, in that you dont have to wait for the news to travel from one person to the next, it is more of a giant prayer circle and all are welcome to participate. It has the power of being able to keep all the frontline prayer warriors informed. I believe that this technology has incredible potential of impacting the way we share our lives with one another. If you have never blogged before, like me before this accident, I would encourage you to visit www.blogger.com it is as easy as 1-2-3 to setup a blog and just a matter of inviting others to participate. Do you know someone that is hurting and needs some encouragement, then blog. There is great healing in blogging, I for one will never be the same again.
I am amazed at this blog! It is different then a prayer chain, in that you dont have to wait for the news to travel from one person to the next, it is more of a giant prayer circle and all are welcome to participate. It has the power of being able to keep all the frontline prayer warriors informed. I believe that this technology has incredible potential of impacting the way we share our lives with one another. If you have never blogged before, like me before this accident, I would encourage you to visit www.blogger.com it is as easy as 1-2-3 to setup a blog and just a matter of inviting others to participate. Do you know someone that is hurting and needs some encouragement, then blog. There is great healing in blogging, I for one will never be the same again.
EEG results
The results of the EEG indicate that there is no focus to the seizures and brain activity is slowed as compared to normal. These results are what is to be expected for a child that has gone through what Luke has gone through. He had another seizure this afternoon and they gave him more medication to sedate him. God is able to deliver Luke from these seizures, so please pray that the seizures would stop.
Please Pray!
Luke had a few seizures this morning, this is not good news. They had to give him some medicine to stop him from having more and unfortunately, the medication will sedate him.
The plans to remove the ventilator have been postponed for the time being. The plans now are to perform another EEG to better understand the cause of the seizures. The seizures can be caused by either an infection or damage to Luke's brain. The prayer request would be that it is infection based as this can be treated as compared to brain damage.
I must admit that being here in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is gut wrenching. Luke is one of several kids. Emily is a 2 week old little girl that had to have heart surgery. Another family lost their child last night. Please remember these people also when you pray for Luke.
One final prayer request, We (Luke's Mom and I) are doing pretty good, we are getting a few hours of sleep each night, that said, we could really use a touch from God to lift our spirits, especially in light of this bad news of seizures. Thank You all for praying and I dont know how I will every be able to tell each of you how much I appreciate and love you.
Just in case you didnt know, I am not just Luke's Dad, I am
Daniel's, Amy's, Natalie's, Isaiah's, Ezekiel's and Luke's Dad
The plans to remove the ventilator have been postponed for the time being. The plans now are to perform another EEG to better understand the cause of the seizures. The seizures can be caused by either an infection or damage to Luke's brain. The prayer request would be that it is infection based as this can be treated as compared to brain damage.
I must admit that being here in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is gut wrenching. Luke is one of several kids. Emily is a 2 week old little girl that had to have heart surgery. Another family lost their child last night. Please remember these people also when you pray for Luke.
One final prayer request, We (Luke's Mom and I) are doing pretty good, we are getting a few hours of sleep each night, that said, we could really use a touch from God to lift our spirits, especially in light of this bad news of seizures. Thank You all for praying and I dont know how I will every be able to tell each of you how much I appreciate and love you.
Just in case you didnt know, I am not just Luke's Dad, I am
Daniel's, Amy's, Natalie's, Isaiah's, Ezekiel's and Luke's Dad
Thursday, September 02, 2004
We have a cough
Luke coughed 3 or 4 times this afternoon, this is awesome news. With the coughs, they were able to extract a lot of fluid from his lungs. Luke also received a pint of blood and is doing very well. He has been resting most of the day and his vitals are very good.
He has opened his eyes a few times today and they are looking more straight ahead, this is good.
Luke's brothers and sisters (Daniel 19, Amy 16, Natalie 15, Isaiah 5, Ezekiel 3) all came and visited today. They were all very happy to see look and look forward to a day when they can hold him and play with him again.
He has opened his eyes a few times today and they are looking more straight ahead, this is good.
Luke's brothers and sisters (Daniel 19, Amy 16, Natalie 15, Isaiah 5, Ezekiel 3) all came and visited today. They were all very happy to see look and look forward to a day when they can hold him and play with him again.
What a blessing
I am so blessed! Words cannot begin to express how this blog and all of your comments are an encouragement to me and my family. We have been watching as you report where you are located, it truly is amazing. Thank You!!! We serve a loving and awesome Father and we trust in Him. Luke's Dad.
Luke is getting a transfusion
Luke will be getting some blood this afternoon, as his red blood cell count is low. Please pray that the transfusion will be enough and he wont need any more.
Where are you?
I know there are people all over this world praying for Luke and I have a request. As a testimony of how God is spreading this word, would you just add a comment to this post and let everyone know where you are located, I know this would be a great encouragement to all of the family.
Current update and request
Luke's fever has dropped to 100.5, so he is doing better. The nurses are still waiting for Luke to demonstrate a solid cough before they will remove the breating tube. You can tell he doesnt like the breathing tube and this would be a comfort to him to have it removed. The fluids in his lungs continue and they remove them from time to time, so pray that his lungs will dry out. Mom and Dad are holding up quite well given the circumstances. This is one of the hard times, where it is just a matter of waiting to see the Lord perform one more miracle.
I have no idea how many people are following this blog, but I suspect it is a significant number just from watching the comments (the comments are a huge blessing, keep them coming). That said, I have two other little babys that I would ask you pray for. First, Trident is a baby that was born 2 months early and weighed 5lb 4oz. He is doing well, pray that God will help him grow and his lungs develop. Second is a baby girl Isabelle, she is still in the womb. Her mom has high blood pressure and if it doesnt fall, they will need to take Isabelle out, she is 2 months away from full term. Mom's name is Elizabeth, pray her bp gets under control and that Isabelle will be okay when she does arrive in this world.
Being in the Pediatric intensive care, there are so many baby's here that need prayer, so just remember the staff of the PICU at Mary Bridge Childeren's Hospital. They are an awesome team and I appreciate all of them.
I have no idea how many people are following this blog, but I suspect it is a significant number just from watching the comments (the comments are a huge blessing, keep them coming). That said, I have two other little babys that I would ask you pray for. First, Trident is a baby that was born 2 months early and weighed 5lb 4oz. He is doing well, pray that God will help him grow and his lungs develop. Second is a baby girl Isabelle, she is still in the womb. Her mom has high blood pressure and if it doesnt fall, they will need to take Isabelle out, she is 2 months away from full term. Mom's name is Elizabeth, pray her bp gets under control and that Isabelle will be okay when she does arrive in this world.
Being in the Pediatric intensive care, there are so many baby's here that need prayer, so just remember the staff of the PICU at Mary Bridge Childeren's Hospital. They are an awesome team and I appreciate all of them.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
A word of encouragement
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the words of encouragement, they are like balm to my family. They are words that heal and help, so thank you.
One of our friends whose husband is a pastor shared this verse and its encourgement with us.
Psalm 112:6-8 (Living Bible)
Do not fear bad news nor live in dread of what may happen, for they are settled in their minds that Jehovah will take care of them. That is why they are not afraid, but can calmly face their foes!
It is settled in my and my wifes mind, Jehovah will take care of us and will take care of Luke. We will not fear, nor live in dread.
One of our friends whose husband is a pastor shared this verse and its encourgement with us.
Psalm 112:6-8 (Living Bible)
Do not fear bad news nor live in dread of what may happen, for they are settled in their minds that Jehovah will take care of them. That is why they are not afraid, but can calmly face their foes!
It is settled in my and my wifes mind, Jehovah will take care of us and will take care of Luke. We will not fear, nor live in dread.
The hard part...waiting
One of the doctors said its like a marathon, there is a long way to go and right now we are at one of the hard parts, we must just wait. Luke has been off of the sedatives since this morning and he continues to sleep. Occasionally he will open his eyes a little, but his eyes are looking upward, this can be due to the narcotics. Before they can remove the ventilator, Luke needs to cough, this is to prevent him from swallowing fluid and having it go into his lungs.
At this point, please pray that Luke would cough and they would be able to remove the ventilator. Also, that he would wake up and that his eyes would be looking proper, not up, nor down. Finally, pray that Luke's fever would fade and the fluids in his lungs would go away.
At this point, please pray that Luke would cough and they would be able to remove the ventilator. Also, that he would wake up and that his eyes would be looking proper, not up, nor down. Finally, pray that Luke's fever would fade and the fluids in his lungs would go away.
Honor to the team
I want to take a moment and honor some people to whom honor is due. First to my family, my daughter Amy for rescuing Luke from the pool and Daniel for beginning to extract the water. To Jim "the guardian angel" for performing CPR. To the paramedics that grabbed Luke and ran. To the ER doctors and nurses for reviving my son. To the pediatric intensive care doctors and nurses for all they have done to give Luke the best care in the world. To all of you THANK YOU for your part in saving my son's life, I am forever indebted to each of you.
Some would say that healing is all about just praying and trusting in God for healing. Others will say it is just about the quality of medical care. I have a bit of different perspective, and it is this, that when a person gets the quality care in a loving atmosphere and combine that with thousands of people praying you get incredible healing. Thank you to those that are praying and to those that are ministering to Luke's needs in the physical.
Just a note, I intend to maintain this site for as long as is needed to share the progress of my son. I find by typing it is healing to my own heart, and I hope you find encouragement from this site.
Some would say that healing is all about just praying and trusting in God for healing. Others will say it is just about the quality of medical care. I have a bit of different perspective, and it is this, that when a person gets the quality care in a loving atmosphere and combine that with thousands of people praying you get incredible healing. Thank you to those that are praying and to those that are ministering to Luke's needs in the physical.
Just a note, I intend to maintain this site for as long as is needed to share the progress of my son. I find by typing it is healing to my own heart, and I hope you find encouragement from this site.
Latest news...Wed morning
They are beginning to back off the ventilator to see if Luke is able to breath on his own. At this time, he is doing very well and is starting to stir and wake. His facial expressions show some pain and confusion, but all is going well.
One Dr said that it is a marathon and we are still in the early stages, each step reveals more and more the miracle that we are observing.
I want to thank each of you far and wide for your encouraging words, it is truly amazing to me that Luke's need has reach around the globe to soldiers in Iraq to friends in Nepal. I am truly amazed and grateful.
There are so many I have not meet and yet, I owe so much.
One Dr said that it is a marathon and we are still in the early stages, each step reveals more and more the miracle that we are observing.
I want to thank each of you far and wide for your encouraging words, it is truly amazing to me that Luke's need has reach around the globe to soldiers in Iraq to friends in Nepal. I am truly amazed and grateful.
There are so many I have not meet and yet, I owe so much.
Good Morning
Luke has had a good night and now its morning. The Dr has ordered to back down the medications to allow Luke to wake. He is still on a ventilator and they are hoping to remove it this afternoon. Once he is off the ventilator, then they can truly allow him to wake up without being agitated. Once he is awake then we will have a better understanding of his condition. Today we will keep all visitation to a minimum to limit the stimulus to Luke.
One of Luke's cousins came by this morning and she shared a song that God brought to her mind as she prayed for Luke, here is part of it.
"Breathe on me, breath of God
Immerse me in Your living stream
Awaken the song You've placed in my heart
Spirit breathe on .
One of Luke's cousins came by this morning and she shared a song that God brought to her mind as she prayed for Luke, here is part of it.
"Breathe on me, breath of God
Immerse me in Your living stream
Awaken the song You've placed in my heart
Spirit breathe on .
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