I received an e-mail asking a couple questions and I thought I would answer them here for everyone's benefit.
Does Luke cry when he's awake or just seem uncomfortable?
First, Luke doesn't make any noise with his voice. This is due to the trach bypassing his vocal cords. However we have noticed a few times that he has had tears in his eyes, usually when he is stressed.
You said Sue was the only one who could calm him and I was just wondering how he expresses his needs?
Luke isn't able to express his needs in terms of "I am hungry" or "I need my diaper changed". That said, we do watch Luke's body language to understand is he relaxing or is he tense and tight. When he becomes stressed we notice a couple of things. First his heart rate will rise when he is stressed. We watch the oximeter that measures heart rate and oxygen saturation to determine is he stressed. Something else we have noticed is when he gets stressed, his face will have little red patches, this is probably an indication his BP is rising, although we don't have any way to really know.
I hope these answers help, and please feel free to ask other questions relative to Luke's condition.
4 comments:
I was actually wondering some of those same things. Thanks for letting us know. I was also wondering, if Luke doesn't cry out loud, then how do you know when he wakes up at night? Also, can you take Luke out much, or do you have to keep him at home most of the time? Thanks, and God bless, and I'll be praying for you.
Amie
Dear Searles family- Since your journey has begun with Luke I have been following the story. You are all so special. Remember God does not give us all that he believes we can't take on. I truly know that times are not easy and at most are always stressful. Take care of each other, take time to breathe deep and be calm. That is important to do around Luke. Even if he may not show how he feels he can feel how you are all doing. My prayers are always with you all and God bless. Always Mary :)
Thank you for answering those questions. It means so much to hear how things are going. We too, talk often about Luke... my children and I talked on the way to church tonight.... how much all of you PRAY... I mean really cry out to the LORD on Luke's behalf. It touched us all. I appreciate so much you sharing with all of us.
I guess I should let you know that the one who is posting is Teena! *Smile* I usually sign all our names and you might wonder which one of us is actually writing! I know you hear this a lot but we feel so connected with your family and you are in our daily conversations and prayer. May the Lord give you HIS peace and strength daily as you need it!
your GA friends,
Billy, Teena (ME), Michael 19 (at college), Mandi 15 (my wonderful helper and friend), Dakota 11 (who loves to read anything), Alyssa 7 (our happy child), Wyatt 2 1/2 (our preemie baby who loves to scream!) Wesley 15 months (already!)
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that our family has been praying contnuously for Luke's recovery everyday since someone in our homeschooling group emailed a link to your site several weeks ago. We know how powerful prayers are. Our (then 16 year old), neice broke her neck in a freak diving accident several years ago during swim practice. Her doctors said she would never walk again. She is now walking with the assistance of a walker. She was crowned homecoming queen, finished highschool and is now attending college. Her recovery has been truly miraculous. She is not back 100%--she may never get back to where she once was physically, but she has made more progress than any of her doctors ever thought possible. We will continue to pray for a miracle for Luke and for strength for your family.
Charlene, Mark, Allie, Tori, Emilie, and Max Schlager
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