My sis and her grandbaby, Elizabeth, she is a doll!

My sis and her grandbaby, Elizabeth, she is a doll!

My nephew Will, his wife Nicole and the newest family member, my great niece Elizabeth

My nephew Will, his wife Nicole and the newest family member, my great niece Elizabeth

Mom, me, Barb and Myles (my sis and bro)

Mom, me, Barb and Myles (my sis and bro)

Missie and Uncle Myles (my brother)

Missie and Uncle Myles (my brother)

Missie and grandparents

Missie and grandparents

Missie at park in Brockville,Ont. Canada

Missie at park in Brockville,Ont. Canada

Missie and I went to Canada in October

Missie and I went to Canada in October
Mom and Jim

Part of Preston's room, he has large room, calls it his apt.

Part of Preston's room, he has large room, calls it his apt.
has a recliner and little refrig.

Missie wanted her room lime green and black

Missie wanted her room lime green and black
turned out very nice!

Left side of kitchen

Left side of kitchen

Right side of kitchen (sunflowers)

Right side of kitchen (sunflowers)

Other half of living room

Other half of living room

Part of living room

Part of living room

Part of our dining room, it is a large room

Part of our dining room, it is a large room

Our new home!

Our new home!

Jr.s shop

Jr.s shop

2 car garage

2 car garage

This is the only way it would let me post :(

Here it is December, where has time gone. I just realized this a.m. I have not posted pics of our new home, where we moved to in May. I am really bad at blogging now :( Preston is doing great! He did have a cold, but other than that, he is doing well! We are so thankful for that.Missie loves Union Bible Academy. She has moved into the dorm so she won't have to drive 1 1/2 hrs/day and during winter it would have been hard. She loves living in dorm and having her friends there. She is in choir and absolutely loves that and travels when they travel. She is maintaining a B average, and that is great! It was a big switch to switch from ACE cirriculum to textbooks, but she has done very well. We love our home, and spending our first holidays in it! Will post some pics.

Preston and Missie before surgery

Preston and Missie before surgery

Preston before surgery

Preston before surgery

Preston after his surgery

Preston after his surgery

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

May 30th update

Well, we were moved out of PICU to the 6th floor in children's hospital. The drs. and I wondered if Preston might have ICU psychosis. I don't know, but we are hoping that is true. He is having swallowing and talking issues. It is so hard to see him try to say something and cannot get the words out. And we are having problems with him taking his meds. because he is having problems swallowing. Sometimes he cannot even remember how to suck a straw. It is so heartbreaking and discouraging. He is now going to have to have speech, occupational and physical therapy. He is sooo tired of being in the hospital and people bothering him. So I don't know how it is all going to go. We are sooo tired. He didn't want Pam to stay with him tonight, so Jr. stayed. I am so exhausted. Last night was hard. I think he will get more sleep on the 6th floor. He may be able to have the shunt internalized next week. But what of all of his other problems? It is supposedly caused by the infection, and it can take weeks for him to get better. Only God knows the future. I can only take one day at a time. Junior feels like he will recover from the loss of speech, etc. Preston responds to Missie the best of all. He hugged her tonight and will squeeze her hand when she asks him questions. It is so beautiful to see her love and caring for her brother.

The little girl next door to us in PICU, pulled out her respirator and I guess she coded. All of the alarms went off and someone yelled, and everyone went running in there, and the mom came out crying, and I went and put my arms around her and held her while she cried. Then the nurse told us we could go in the room and sit for a few minutes, and they got the little girl stablized and Missie and I stayed with her. Later the mom came and thanked Missie and I both and hugged us. Outside of their room when I was holding her, Missie said, "Momma, pray with her." I did! She was so tore up. The little girl was stablized and is off the respirator and breathing on her own. She has a cancerous brain tumor on her brain stem that cannot be removed. Please pray for Dorrie, that is the mom's name, and her family. They have 2 little boys and the little girl is not quite 2.

I heard a song one time by Jeff and Sherry Easter and it is entitled, "The Unexpected Cross is Always Hard To Bear." How true that is. I didn't expect that Preston wouldn't be able to talk or eat. He drank a ice cream float today, and ate ice cream, and mashed banana, and some yogurt. So I will try and give him the same tomorrow until he can eat solid food.

Thanks for praying, and please continue to do so.



Norma Gwen

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Sunday update

Well, I don't get to update as often as I would like.
Preston is taking a long time to bounce back this time. He had the seizures and then had to have emergency surgery on Tues. I hope there will be no lasting effects, but that soon he will be feeling better. He told me today he was losing his speech. He is just so tired and has some trouble talking. He gets up with help and goes to the bathroom and sits and rocks for a while. Jr. feels when the tiredness wears off from the surgeries and seizures, he will be ok. I sure hope so. He went down such a long way from the previous week to this past week. It is so sad. He seems to have no desire or joy for living. I hope he will again, soon.
The spinal fluid culture did not show any bacteria growth. So hopefully the bacteria is getting out of his system. Friday he told me when the pastor was there, that it might be time for him to depart from this earth. I said, "What about mommy? Do you want to leave her?" , He said, "If I have to go, I have to go." The pastor feels he is talking this way because he has been in the hospital and been so sick.
Junior has been with Preston for the weekend. I go back in a.m. and stay until Friday. He is planning to mow the grass tomorrow and then back to work on Tues.
It is just hard not knowing what the future holds. But we can only take one day at a time at this time.
Please continue to pray for him.

Friday, May 25, 2007

I am finally back

I have had trouble getting the computers on 5th floor, where Preston is now, to work, so haven't been able to send an update.
He runs quite a high fever but tylenol relieves him. His lungs look better, but he needs to suck in on that thingy magigy LOL every 2 hours like he is sucking a milkshake and now they have taken his cathedar out, and he can get up with help to use the bathroom. He is still extremely tired. I fed him his breakfast this a.m., he ate a piece of french toast, couple bites of eggs, and drank chocolate milk. He is too tired to feed himself. They put him in a more comfortable bed today after we bathed him. So we are doing ok for now. Yesterday we had lots of company, but he only was able to speak to the ones who came in the evening. But it is great to have so much company because it means that people love us and care.
My mother in law is staying at our house with Missie, and that is a huge help. My sis in law is coming on Monday, and staying all next week. So we have that much time covered. After that, we will see. Missie will be gone, Lord willing, to TN to youth camp the first week of June. She has so counted on this youth camp.
Junior is coming this evening after work, and relieving me so I can go home and shower and wash my hair, etc.
So that is the latest up to this time.
Thanks for all of the kind messages, love, support and prayers. It means the world to us.

Norma Gwen

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Tues. p.m. update

Wow, what a loooong day. Preston started having seizures and we couldn't wake him up. I was there alone with him. It was so scary to see him seizing because he tried to tell me something and then he was seizing. So I think he was trying to tell me he was having a seizure. He always does and they can be scary, but usually they are not that bad. Anyhow, Jr. was coming, but they rushed and took Preston to surgery and took out all of the hardware and put another external shunt in. He had to be on the respirator longer than usual and they called Jr. and I down to recovery. He looked awful. But we were so surprised that in a few moments they called and said he was off the respirator. I was thanking the Lord for that. They moved him back to PICU, I specifically asked his dr. to not put in regular ICU because they won't let us stay in there. So he said he wouldn't. Anyhow, he got agitated a couple of times in PICU, but we got him calmed down. When I left the shunt is draining and he is resting. Praise the Lord for that. If this is scattered, I am sorry, it has been a long day, and I am headed to bed.

Norma Gwen

Tues. a.m. update

Well, I do not have a good update. Fever is not real high, but he is not responding and we cannot get him awake very easily. Dr. Johnson has ordered a CT scan STAT and he just got back from that. So I am waiting to hear from him. We feel he has fluid on the other side of his brain. The internal shunt seems to be doing well for the right side, but if there is fluid on the left side, then something has to be done about that. I just don't know how many surgeries he can keep on having. I am not trying to be negative or pessamistic, but I don't want him to continue suffering. I have released him to the Lord, if He wants to take Preston to Heaven. I will miss him and grieve for him, but I don't want him to keep suffering. He has suffered so much in his 18, almost 19 years. Junior is more optimistic. He feels if they can put another shunt in he could be home by the weekend. Only God knows. But I know in Heaven he would be normal and happy. I keep thinking of the song that Greg and Susanna sing, "If you could see me, now, the pain is all erased, you'd never want me to leave his place, etc." I have given him to God, to the best of my ability.
I should be hearing something soon.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Preston

Well, this surgery was minor compared to the first one he had 3 weeks ago today, but this has knocked his socks off, so to speak. He wanted some pain medication because his head was hurting so bad. So they are giving him morphine, and that is helping him to rest. I am glad he is resting. His O2 sats were in the 80's, so he has to have oxygen. His fever has been quite high and his white blood count is very high. I hope it is not infection. But it wouldn't be a big surprise after all of the surgeries he has had.

Junior went home to try and get a little rest; if things get worse, he will return. He missed all day at work today. I wonder sometimes where all of this will end. Only God knows that, and I have to trust Him. He hopes to get a few hours at least in at work tomorrow.

My inlaws are coming in Wed. and bringing cake and ice cream for Missie's 13th birthday, IF Preston is able to have all of the commotion in his room. It will certainly cheer her up if they can do that. She is with our former landlady, and has called a few times tonight as she was worried about his fever.

I hope to get a little rest tonight. I have been aching today from not having enough rest and that causes my fibromyalgia to flair up.

Will update, Lord willing, in a.m.

Came through surgery

but has quite a high fever and nausea, so they gave him tylenol for fever and phenergan for nausea and he went to sleep.

Bro. Dan Parker and Gail Hobelman was with us during the surgery and it was a blessing. Then Jr.'s aunt Beulah and cousin Wendy came over from Greer and stayed a while.

They did not put another external shunt in, just got the internal shunt working. So we will see if it continues to work. We hope and pray it does.

What a night!

Preston didn't have a good night. If he slept at all, it wasn't more than 1 hr. He was nauseated, thirsty, headache, and this a.m. had an aura (beginning of seizure.) The nurse and I had to change a lot of his bed during night, as he missed the urinal. I was sooo tired. I bought some tea with caffeine to drink to wake me up this a.m They came and got him early for surgery. No one was here but me. Jr. and Missie are on their way, but didn't make it soon enough. But he was so anxious for surgery and told the ladies that I didn't need to go downstairs with him. He is just so happy he is soon having surgery. I am too!!!

I have to remember this everyday: 'GOD IS IN CONTROL.' He has to give strength where there is no strength, for us to go on. He needs all of our needs and will supply.

Will update after surgery.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Sunday Update

Preston's external shunt fell out this a.m. about 9. The dr. on for the weekend, a partner of his neurosurgeon, didn't want to do surgery today to replace it and then do surgery again tomorrow. So the fluid (some of it) is running out the hole where the external one was, and out through the incision. But not enough is coming out, as he is getting aggressive now, and hopefully will go to sleep and we can make it until a.m. His surgery has been moved up to 9:45, thank the Lord. The sooner the better! From what the dr. said to Junior this a.m., they are putting an external one back in and also trying to fix or replace the internal one.



This a.m. I was so blessed by going to church. Missie and I went, and Bro. John Parker preached a sermon I needed to hear, and what a blessing it was. Missie really loved his preaching, too. I thanked him and told him I needed that, and he said to pass it on to his buddy, Preston. It was about God being in every circumstance, and not losing faith when we go through the hard times. I was soooo low in my faith, but that sermon really helped me. Missie and I both needed it. I wish Junior could have heard it too.



We are just hoping this surgery tomorrow works and soon we can go home.



Missie's 13th birthday is Wed. and she is very sad. But her grandparents are coming on Wed. and bringing her a cake, etc., and I have a few gifts I snuck over here for her. When we all get straightened out, I hope to do something special for her 13th birthday. This is a big time in a little girl's life, to become a teenager. She was so hoping Preston would be out by then, but I have my doubts.



Will try and update tomorrow after surgery.



Thanks for all of the prayers and please keep them coming

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Wow, comments allowed!!!

I have tried to figure out how to let people leave comments and now the comment option is on my posts! How weird is that! Anyhow, I am glad it is working now.

I was home today!

Missie and I were home most of the day. It is wonderful!!! I washed, dried and ironed clothes, vacuumed, mopped kitchen, Missie cleaned out refrig. and washed most of the dishes. We changed the sheets on mine and her beds. I cleaned Preston's room and washed his bedding in faith he may come home soon???? 3 weeks is so long for our family to be separated except for little bits of time. I miss us being together as a family. We are a very close family and it is very hard. I also got some things mailed today that I needed to mail. So I feel I accomplished a lot.
I ran to hospital and took Junior clean clothes, and let him go to the library and get some books to read. Preston was in pretty good spirits. Junior had showered him and shaved him and changed his bed.
Tomorrow Missie and I plan to attend morning worship service, and to friends for lunch. This lady is a dear friend who has been there with us for every surgery that Preston has had, visited him a lot, brought goodies, and is fixing food for us tomorrow. It has been such a blessing; that lady is Gail Hobelman. We even look alike. They thought in PICU we were blood sisters because we look so much alike, even our smiles they said. I have gone to dr.'s and dentist' offices and they thought I was Gail. We have known each other for years and Gail said we must have rubbed off on each other!
Anyhow, I am off to bed.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Friday news

Well, Preston is leaking fluid out of his incision again, which makes me wonder if he does need 2 shunts. Because the external shunt is on his left side, and he is leaking fluid out of his right side. The doctor said it was fluid, there is some around the internal shunt. But at this point, he is going to do surgery tentatively at 1 p.m. on Monday; maybe earlier if it can be arranged. Preston is not worried about the surgery but not being able to eat that day. This will be his 5th surgery in 3 weeks. They are going to see if they can get this internal shunt to work, if not, put in a new one. You know, sometimes I wonder if this will ever ends, because there is quite a bit of blood that is new blood coming out of his brain, due to irritation. Will it plug up the new shunt??? Only God knows. At this point, I can only live one day at a time. He is in good spirits and teasing and laughing. He has been an angel these past 3 weeks. I wish I would have thought about the shunt acting up much sooner than I did. But live and learn.

Yesterday was the first day we did not have any company. I am not saying this to complain, but to tell everyone that we have been in here almost 3 weeks and have had company every day but one. Isn't that amazing? We have already had company today.
Junior is going home after work to shower and get dressed in clean clothes, then coming over here and I am going home. I have to wash clothes, wash my hair, and do some things around the house. I need to clean all of the leftovers out of the refrigerator. Missie is due back any time, and will be going with me. Tomorrow I will come and relieve Jr. for a while so he can go home and then he will stay tonight and tomorrow with Preston. So I will get to sleep in my own bed!
My inlaws are planning on coming down for the surgery, but going back the same day.
I think I will keep Missie here next week and work on school. So we will see how it all goes.

I AM GLAD IT IS FRIDAY!!!!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Test

to see if comments will be allowed. I have tried and tried to set it up where people can comment, but to no avail. So let me try this.

Thursday update

Things are the same today. Dr. said surgery should be sometime Mon. afternoon, have to get more info. on that tomorrow.
Junior came over after work and I went a couple of places to get out of the hospital for a few minutes. Then he and I went downstairs to cafeteria and ate together; that was nice. We miss each other so much. We are always together as a family, and this is very hard on us all. I am hoping if surgery goes well and that the shunt will work, we can go home next week.
Missie is coming back from Greer tomorrow. She will be with Junior or I over the weekend.
It is hard to believe Preston has been in here since April 30th. We are totally losing the month of May, it seems. Missie will be 13 on Wed. and it is supposed to be a special birthday and it won't happen. Around the first of June I hope to have something for her, Lord willing.
You know, siblings of special needs children miss out on some things. Even though we try to keep her life as normal as possible, it still happens. I hope when she is grown she can remember some happy times in her childhood. She and I are looking forward to our trip to Canada at the end of June. It will be good for both of us.
Well, that is all the news for today.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Update for Wed.

Well, we are here for a while longer. Monday of next week they are going in and see about the internal shunt, to see if they can flush it and get it to work or put in a new one, etc. He wants Preston to have a few more days to heal where his incision is (he's already been cut open there twice) so he said he would see if he could get time in OR on Monday. So we will be here for a while longer. He doesn't want to put 2 shunts in if he can help it; as the more systems you have in, the more complications you can have. But when they get the right one working then will see if he needs a left one or not. Right now he has some fluid on the right side of his brain, but not much on the left side. But that could be from the drama the right side of the brain suffered from the surgeries, etc.

The child life dept. had a party for the kids today in the activity room. A baseball team was here and helped the kids make something and then they had a chance to play a game and get a prize, and refreshments. Preston really enjoyed it. The dr. also said that when he gets up and around and then has blood coming from his brain that it is fresh blood but nothing to worry about as it is just some irritation in there. So! Some of my questions were answered today.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

New Picture

I posted a new picture of Preston with his 2nd external shunt.

No more updates yet, as to when he will have more surgery.

Will update when I know more.

Tues. a.m. Update for Preston

Well, it was a no-go. Preston's external shunt got clamped off at 1:36 yesterday (Preston made sure he knew the exact moment) and he did pretty good at first. He seemed nervous and high strung, but alert. But fluid was building up in his neck under the shunt and he started feeling bad and got angry at the nurse, etc., so she called the dr. and he said to turn it back on. I was relieved, because he was getting hard to handle. Now we know the intense problems we had been having with violent outbursts in the past several months were because his shunt was not working properly. As long as he has the external shunt hooked up, he is relaxed and happy, even though he has to be in bed most of the time, and we are starting our 3rd week here. He laughs and jokes and is our "old" Preston, before the violent behavior started.

His O2 sensor was messed up about 5:30 this a.m. and finally it made a continuous noise and I turned it off and called the nurse, but I was wide awake so am up and ready for the day at 6:45. I know I will be tired, as I didn't get to sleep until after 11:30.

Many called yesterday to check on him, and we had some visitors as well, and we appreciate that. It helps pass the time to have friends to visit with throughout the day.

So will see what dr. says when he comes in. I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE HIM HOME UNLESS HE HAS A WORKING SHUNT, OR TWO OF THEM IF HE NEEDS THEM.

I just praise the Lord that He helped us to realize it was the shunt causing problems.

Jr. worked 6 hrs. yesterday, and will work 8 today probably. By Wed. p.m. I will need to sleep at home to get some good sleeping in, so I don't crash. Missie is in Greer with Jr.'s aunt, uncle and cousins, and having the time of her life. She has been here and yon, and is worn out too.

But the Lord continues to uphold us and give us strength. I look for Preston to have more surgery tomorrow or Fri. of this week. Will let you all know when I know, for sure.

Pray for a dear family in FL. A young mother died this a.m. of brain cancer, leaving her husband, and 3 young precious children, her parents, and brother. I became acquainted with her brother and his wife who live in Pickens. My heart goes out to her precious children. Her children are 14, 6, and 5.

Keep praying for us. I am so confident that you all have been praying and will continue to do so. It means a lot to us, more than words can ever say.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Today is the day!

Today is the day that we find out if the internal shunt is working.
Preston calls it the "big day."

My heart is sooo hoping it will work. Because he is regaining his strength and is in good spirits and he wants to come home. More surgery is not what he needs right now, having already had 4 in 1 1/2 weeks. We asked the church and friends for prayers for today, that God will work a miracle. We know he is able.

We are all exhausted. I slept at home the past 2 nights, and Junior stayed with Preston. I am headed back over there in a little while, so Junior can get to work.

Will try and update this evening!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Preston Update

Latest update:

Preston had to have an external shunt put back in on Wed. p.m. making that the 4th surgery in 1 1/2 weeks. Thurs. evening it started acting up and wouldn't work properly. The nurses fooled with the tubing and lowered the bag etc. and it started working, thank the Lord.
On Monday they are starting to clamp off the external shunt and see if the internal shunt will work. PLEASE PRAY IT WILL WORK!!! If it does, we can go home by Wed. If not, they have to go back inside of his head and see why it is not working. Also, the dr. mentioned that sometimes a person may need 2 shunts, one of each side, if the left and right ventricles do not communicate properly. He must have thought this was a possibility for Preston, to have mentioned it. But we won't know anything until Monday.

The Lord has supplied our financial needs through love offerings from our church, and individual friends. Also, the hospital is giving us some meal tickets and that helps too.

Preston is getting his strength back, and is getting up with help to go to bathroom etc. But he cannot sit up very long, because when he sits up, the external shunt has to be clamped off and soon the pressure builds up in his brain. He is tired of being in bed, but he has done soooo well in here. He has been joking and carrying on with the nurses, etc. If this external shunt will work and he doesn't have to have any more surgeries, he will be up and at it in no time.

Thank you all for your support and continue to pray for us.

Norma Gwen

Friday, May 11, 2007

I wanna go home!

well, we are still in Greenville Memorial in Children's hospital. It is very tiring.
Preston has something like restless leg syndrome and he constantly kicking off the covers, and I keep trying to keep him covered. Finally after supper last night he went to sleep and slept good all night, so I had some respite. We had lots of company yesterday which helped a lot. Missie stayed with me last night. We are going to do school this a.m.
Gotta go and get Preston's breakfast set up.

Update more later.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Thank you!

I have to say we have never attended a church where we have had so much support and love, through this difficult time. Preston has had so many visitors, it has been such a blessing. He has received gifts, cards, flowers, and most of all, prayers from sooo many friends and family, it is awesome! We couldn't have made it without you all, and I wanted to say you a big thank you to all of you!

Norma Gwen, Junior, Preston and Missie

Tuesday update

Well, Preston's external shunt came out yesterday a.m. So since his dr. was out of town, of course he would be out of town when this happened, his partners had to make a decision as to what to do. They would either put the external one back in, or put one inside. Well, he decided to put one inside. I was a little leery of his doing this; I felt it was too soon. Oh, I forgot to mention, this precious big boy of mine, tried to put the external shunt back in after it came out, and apparently the nurses saw him through the door and came in. Can you imagine???!!! Only my son would attempt something like this. He said he turned his head and it came out??? I was downstairs so I don't know. Anyhow, he came through surgery great and Junior and I bathed him today and he sat up in a chair for quite a while and watched "I Love Lucy." Then he started getting a headache and the nurse gave him tylenol and we laid him back down. Well, his fever was going up and down, and then he pulled out his IV, yes, he did that, can you believe it? And he seemed confused about it all. So they had to start another one, which we hated, and then transfered him from ICU to 6th floor in Children's hospital. I wish they would have kept him until tomorrow to be sure all is well. But they wouldn't listen to me, LOL. So!!! I and Missie are home to spend the night. I am washing and drying clothes, too, and it is so nice to be home. I hope to get a good night's rest tonight.

Keep praying for us.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Saturday update

Preston is about the same, but is not sleeping well at night, nor did he eat a lot today. He is very quiet and calm, and sweet as he can be. His daddy and Missie are staying with him tonight. Tomorrow night I will be back over there.

Posting some more pictures of him and Missie.

Friday, May 4, 2007

Friday - Preston

Well, here is my latest update.

Preston is eating, drinking, getting up with help to go to the bathroom, and is calm as he can be. We are the most surprised at that, I guess. He is so sweet and calm, never getting excited or nervous. I hope this continues forever and ever. He doesn't have any IV's right now! He is off oxygen most of the time during the day, but had to go back on it last night while he was sleeping. Dr. hopes to put the internal shunt in one day next week, but there is still a lot of blood in his spinal fluid, until it becomes clear he will not do it. I feel we are going to be there at least another week, and the dr. said he will be in PICU until the surgery. The external shunt needs extra attention, and infection is a high risk. Today was not the best day on the unit. We had 3 different nurses and I ended up one time having to change Preston alone. I am glad he had a diaper on, but it was still hard, but I managed it. This is the first day we haven't gotten the best of service.

Some dear friends sent Preston a set of I Love Lucy dvds. It helps stimulate his mind and he gets some great laughs from the dvds. He loves the Andy Griffith and I love Lucy ones. It helps pass the long hours for him. I was able to go to a family room today and read my email, and go down for my meals. It gets me out of the room for a little while and he is fine for a while.

I am worn to a frazzle. Missie and I are home tonight to get a good night's rest. Any and every prayer will be much appreciated. Missie is missing her family. She was supposed to stay with someone tonight again, who loves her very much and spoils her, but when they brought her to the hospital she didn't want to leave. So she stayed and Jr., Missie and I ate supper together at the hospital. Bro. Curtis visited with Preston for a few minutes; Preston was so happy to see him. He loves Bro. Curtis, our assistant pastor.

We have decided that Jr. will have to take some days off next week. I just cannot do it all alone next week. God will have to supply the financial need. I cannot even worry about the money part right now, my mind is too tired. It will all work out.

Preston has had many visits from our church family. Our pastor has been there every day but one. It is sooo appreciated. It brightens his days as well as mine or Junior's, whoever is staying with him. He has received cards, money, flowers, gifts, thanks everyone!!! It is all a blessing and shows how much he is loved.

Norma Gwen

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Preston

Well, Preston went in the hospital for a relatively simple surgery to have his shunt replaced or repaired, and there was a piece of shunt tubing embedded in his brain. They had to get it out, and then busted a blood vessel or something in there and he was bleeding heavily. He had to cut him open more to get in there and stop the bleeding. He was able to do that, but had to staple him up without a shunt. He was moved to regular room, and did ok that night. Tues. he started having a high fever and was not very responsive so they did CT scan and moved him to ICU, thankfully, adult ICU had no beds and they put him in pediatric ICU and we can stay with him. He was critical at this point. The dr. didn't even put him to sleep but put an external shunt from his brain to an outside bag. That relieved the pressure off his brain, his temp came down and things were looking up. He is now able to pee, and not be cathed. He can drink, and is drinking some, but won't eat, but he is getting lots of fluids. He is swollen with fluid, but he knows everyone who comes to see him, and he is able to talk and move his body, so seems he is pretty good as far as brain wise. They were concerned about more brain damage because of the extent of his surgery. He cannot get up until the external shunt is gone. As a result there is a problem with his one lung, he either has a spot of pnemonia or part of his lung has collapsed. They did another chest exray this a.m. and also another CT scan. The fluid coming from Preston's brain has to be clear before they can put an internal shunt in.
So that is the latest.
Please continue to pray for us all.
Jr. hasn't been at work all week, but I know God will work it all out.

Norma