Update on James

Update:

Keith and I spent all day yesterday at James' bedside and I stayed overnight at the hospital, just so I could be close in case anything happened. The doctors told us that the first 24 hours were the most critical and it looks like he has come through that period being relatively stable, which is a big praise. The acid levels in his blood have been slowly decreasing and his x-rays are not showing any signs of a hole in his bowels at this point. He is still suffering from a serious infection, but as of this morning the doctors were not seeing any signs that he'd need surgery (of course, this can change). He's on a ventilator and although this is more invasive, it's reassuring that his breathing is stable and he's getting the support he needs for his lungs (plus, now we're able to see his little head and face all the time!). He is on medication to raise his blood pressure, which will help encourage his body to get rid of excess fluid that's been building up in his tissues, and he has a catheter to help track his urine output. He's had multiple blood transfusions, along with extra platelets and plasma. He is on a morphine drip to help control his pain, which helps with any general discomfort and specifically with his bowels, in case the infection is destroying parts of his intestines. Today his vital signs are stable and they are focusing on finding the right balance of IV fluids going in (enough so that he's not dehydrated) vs enough fluid being expelled (so that his tissues are not retaining fluid).

The blood cultures they took on Monday night have yet to grow any bacteria and the x-rays are not yet showing a specific area where the infection has taken hold, so at this point the doctors aren't really sure what the infection is. In cases like this, they want to make sure the infection isn't spreading to other parts of the body, so tomorrow James will have a spinal tap (the thought makes me shudder) to check for meningitis. Please pray that the morphine will cover any pain he might experience during this procedure and that his spinal fluid will be clear of all infection, as meningitis is a life-threatening disease and he's already in a weakened state.

We have a long way to go before we're out of the woods, but I want to thank all the people across the country who have been praying faithfully for James and our family. It is such a comfort to know that even when Keith and I are too fragile to put our prayers into words, other Believers are lifting us and James up to cover us in prayer.

I wanted to share a prayer from someone in Ohio who emailed me...it really touched my heart:

Heavenly Father, thank you for this little miracle James.

Your Word tells us that before the foundations of the earth were even formed....You knew us....You knew our names and You even knew the very number of hairs on our heads.

Just thinking of that truth gives us strength and comfort to know without a doubt that You are completely aware of little James.

You have known him since before time......that said, I ask you Father to heal his body. I pray that You will send Your Holy Spirit to James, to strengthen him, to comfort him, to heal him.

I pray for wisdom in his treatment, and I pray for his comfort, take away any pain.

The organs in this little body were hand crafted by You Father, fitted together perfectly to sustain life. I pray that you will cause all infirmity, infection, radical cell, abnormal cell, to shrivel and die and to be eliminated from this little body naturally by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son Yeshua.....

I pray that every healthy cell will become super charged to take over where ever needed to bring health and healing in James.

I lift up this family that are so concerned for their newest member, give them comfort and peace to know that You are a loving Father and that You do exactly for us what we would do for ourselves if we could see all things as You do.

I pray it all in the name of Yeshua.....amen

I do not have email access at the hospital and have only been home for a few hours at a time, but I'll try to update this blog as I have the chance and I promise to post pictures soon! :-)