Thomas' fever continues. He has redness, soreness, and what feels like fluid under his skin at his trach which indicated possible infection. They began antibiotics first thing in the morning and a topical treatment to help bring down the swelling. Around 6:30pm he had a CTscan with contrast which confirmed infection. This infection explains Thom's fever and the feeling of exhaustion he has had over the last few days.
Because Thomas was so tired today, and trach so sore, the respiratory team thought he should take a day off and not have his scheduled time off the ventilator. He did sit in his chair for 4.5 hours and loved it!
His friend Fr. Joseph came again (he was here last Sunday) and anointed him with Padre Pio holy oil and relic while we prayed Divine Mercy. Later a priest from their parish, Fr. Greg, came and said Mass in Thomas' room, which was fantastic!
During the CTscan the doctors noticed that it appeared Thomas' vertebrae had shifted. Around midnight he had a MRI to further investigate stability and the effects of the HALO. The MRI showed that indeed his C5 fractured vertebrae is being further crushed and isn't strong enough to fuse itself (which is the reason they had opted for HALO). It looks like surgery will be necessary and options are, once again, being discussed. No operation can take place until the infection at the trach heals. In the meantime, the C5 vertebrae and his spine are stable and emergency surgery is not necessary.
While options are being discussed, we ask you to continue to pray for Natalie, Thom, their families and all those who have to make challenging medical decisions! Also, join the prayer group on facebook for daily prayers and reminders.
Join us in prayer!
Monday, July 29, 2013
9 comments:
We are happy to forward along all well wishes!
Comment moderation is on; all comments will be screened; no uncharitable comments will posted. We are hopeful in people's generosity, and consideration, but may disable comments in the future, as necessary.
Thank you for your prayers and understanding.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dear Lord Jesus, we pray fervently for your divine mercy and healing upon Thom. Please cure and purify him from this infection and give him the rest he needs to heal. We pray for your divine wisdom to guide the doctors and all who care for him... And we pray especially for Natalie Lord -- to give her strength and perseverance.. and we pray this through Christ our Lord, through the loving intercession of Mary, +AMEN.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Thom and Natalie,
ReplyDeleteWe are all praying here at the Cridland household for you. I am so sorry you had a rough day yesterday and hope today will be better with improvement on the trach and fever so you can undergo the surgery on your vertabre. Many hugs, lots of love and prayers coming your way.
Cc
Ps. Thank you to whomever takes time out of your day to keep us updated!!!!
ReplyDeleteOur Father, we thank you for your grace and your mercy. Dearest Lord Jesus, thank you for suffering for us. Blessed Holy Spirit, please fill Thom's hospital room and his body with the glory of Your Presence; let it surge into his body with the power of Your healing and restoration. Please fill the medical professionals with Your knowledge, and the wisdom to use it. May your encouragement, comfort and peace be with Thom, Natalie, and the entire family. + Amen ~ Rosemary in Ohio
ReplyDeleteI will continue to pray for Thom every day. I hope that this is the crisis and things will get better soon.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the surgery. I do hope the infection will soon be gone and the surgery can take place. Praying even harder now.
ReplyDeletePraying.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the infection, as it sounds quite painful. Hope you get a good night's rest.
ReplyDeleteHi. My name is Denise Miller. I'm Meg Whetstone's sister-in-law, which is how I heard about your accident. I just had spinal fusion surgery for a grade 5 spondylolisthesis (one of my vertebrae broke off and slid over the other). If you have any questions or want to talk about it, you can find me on Facebook or get my email address/phone number from Meg or Trevor. https://www.facebook.com/denise.miller.560272
ReplyDelete