Pray for Wendy

Good evening! We hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I talked with Mom this evening after she got back from dropping the girls off with Melissa, Scott and Sue for the week. Separation anxiety set in for Mom, Jess and myself after more than a month of caring for the girls. We were blessed to have been able to do so. Those girls meant so much to us before everything happened, bit even more so now! I really enjoy getting them in bed and then praying with them. Taryn and Kylee are so precious when it comes time to pray. I actually got used to giving all three of the older girls a bath at one time…Talk about a busy bath tub!! Jess would get Payge ready for bed. And everything else that we got to do.   Anyway, I could keep going, but it is getting late. Mom talked to Matt who said Wendy’s fever has been back to normal so they are considering moving her to HealthSouth soon again.

Nothing more than that for now. Have a good night.

Bryan

I just wanted to leave a quick note. There was nothing significantly new with Wendy today. Matt came into town to go another wedding of some friends from church, the new Travis and Nikki Liller!! He then went back to Morgantown. Mom took all four girls up to visit with Mommy for a little while. She then brought Payge back to us and got the other girls home for bed. Mom said the visit went well. She said Wendy opened her eyes a little, but was still sleeping a good bit as she continues to fight of this fever. That is about all of the news for this evening. Have a good evening and a blessed Sunday. Come and visit us at Family Life Fellowship if you are close and dont have a church of your own. If you aren’t close by, you can join Matt and Wendy online at www.familylifewv.org. Go to the media link and watch service online at 10 am. Matt watches it on his computer with Wendy.

Good Night, Bryan

Good evening! I was wanting to leave a little update for the evening because I know how we are all waiting in limbo to see when Wendy is leaving Ruby, for the first time in 5 weeks!!! Talk about cabin fever! She is still supposed to be going to HealthSouth as soon as her fever reduces and is under control. Matt had mentioned during her last episode of a fever that she had needed to go to an dentist/oral surgeon before having Payge. He had wondered if this was a cause of her fever. The dentist? came today and checked her out and told Matt that by looking, he saw nothing of concern, though no x-rays were taken. He said therapy came again today and got her up in the cardiac chair for about 4 hours. He said they told him therapy usually is not in on the weekends, but they may try to get someone in this time for her. They also said that if Wendy is still there on Monday, they may try getting her down to the PT dept and trying her on the tilt table, which will be good for so many different areas of her rehab by getting her into a more upright position, and eventually into a complete standing position, while having support to hold her up. In a tilt table, you are basically strapped to a table laying down and then cranked up into standing gradually. Hopefully, though, she will be at HS by then. He said Wendy has spent most of her time sleeping, which in a way he is also glad because it means she is in less pain and gets to continue healing while resting. I think Mom said the staples from her c-section also got to come out today. I think that this is everything from today. I feel like I am forgetting something, but if so, then Matt will correct me! Have a good evening! Please continue thanking God for all that he has done and plans to do. This may be an enduring process for us that seems to never end, but it is all in Gods time.

Bryan

Well, where do I begin!! First off, I apologize for being behind on updating. It has been a busy couple of days and continued progress for Wendy. On Tuesday, I got to take Payge to her doctors appointment. She weighed in at 9lb4oz and 21.75 inches long. She is growing like a weed!! She checked out well. I then got to take her to see Mommy in the afternoon. This was a great visit. Both Payge and Wendy were asleep when we first go there. I placed Payge beside Wendy, and that is when I saw one of the most amazing things ever…Payge woke right up with bright eyes and a huge smile with mouth wide open and she began to make “happy noises” It was as if she knew EXACTLY where she was and who she was with!!! Wendy eventually woke up and was able to check Payge out and listen to our conversations. She even made attempts at joining in to the conversation. Matt kept holding Payge near Wendy so she could check her out. She even got to hold Payge herself after Matt placed her in her right arm. Wendy would stroke Payge’s belly. Wendy got a pretty good smile on her face!! The next awesome thing happened after Matt fed Payge and placed her back in Wendy’s arms. Payge kept flopping her head around and then eventually made eye contact with Wendy. Once this happened, she immediately stop moving her head and stared at Mommy. this was awesome to see. It again, was as though she knew exactly who Wendy was!!  We then had to leave. After that, then a long story short, a liaison from Health South followed up on my request and decided they could accept Wendy for rehab. This is a positive thing because HS will be aggressive and they must feel that she has potential to progress, or they would not have taken her. Matt was told that they would just have to get pre-authorization from the insurance company. After some paperwork issues, Matt found out this afternoon that insurance cleared and she IS accepted. Matt left Lost Creek to head back and get ready to move her because they said she would be transferred at 4:30. After getting back to the hospital, they told Matt they decided to hold off until tomorrow now due to a low grade temperature that they wanted to get labs on. So, none the less, they will be taking her at Health South for rehab. I have also made the contacts to prepare for other placement at one of the facilities I work at as a backup. Matt had come back to Lost Creek this morning so that he could go with us to Taryn’s graduation from pre-school. Taryn was very excited and glad that Daddy came to see her graduate. It was a great event that Daddy, Kylee, Mamaw, Uncle Bryan (me!!), Grandpa, Grandma, and Pappy John all got to come and see her!! So this has been a very eventful few days. I hope this catches everyone back up again. We ask that prayers be focused on her progress with rehab. She has to show significant progress in order to remain at HealthSouth. So please keep Wendy in your prayers for a successful rehab process.  Thanks for your continued prayers and concerns.

Have a blessed evening,  Bryan

Well, we hope everyone got to enjoy Memorial Day before the rain started. We were able to to spend the day outside at our Mamaws with all of the girls. We cooked out and got to swim all afternoon. The kids had a great time and passed out as soon as they laid down on the couch after getting changed. Mom then took them back to their house in Lost Creek so that Taryn could get ready for school tomorrow. Matt called while we were swimming. He was in a pretty good mood. He said he got to hear Wendy make attempts at TALKING this afternoon!!!! He said he had been watching her in bed as she was actually trying to hold her head up and was looking at her hands. He said he was then watching tv and thought he heard something. He said he he went back to watching tv and heard something again and looked over as Wendy was looking at him. He said he turned the tv down and got his ear close to her lips. He says he was able to distinguish that she said his name!! She went on to say “HELP ME” He asked her what she wanted help with and she said “GET UP” He said he kinda laughed and said he told her she was doing better, but not quite ready to get out of bed. He said it was comical because she gave him this look that appeared as though she was “giving him the look” that this is what she wanted and he had to make it happen :)!! Needless to say, he was quite happy to have a conversation with her finally, even though it was short and he could hardly hear her, he said he was able to make out what she was trying to say. (Matt, if your reading this, I hope I got all of the details basically correct as to the order of events. Sorry if they are a little off, but I was soaking wet from the pool and had kids being loud in the background.)  Again, please keep praying and hoping that Wendy will make a quick and full recovery.

Thanks to all,  Bryan

Good evening! Today sounds to have been another day of small progress with continued movement and interaction with those that visited. Matt said that yesterday when Dr. Bonasso was leaving, he said Wendy appeared to be trying to voice “bye” and even had some air come out! Mom and Dad took all of the girls to see Mommy again this evening. Mom said that this visit went pretty well for the girls. She said it was better than the first one. Matt had said they were till trying to keep her temperature down. Other than that, there doesnt sound to be any big news at this time. The girls got to spend the day at our house after church so Mom could get some rest after going to the doctor herself today for sciatic nerve irritation pain. She has been having a hard time with sciatica the past few days. The girls got to play outside all afternoon with our niece and nephew, Lexi and Tony, from Jess’ side of the family. They played in water all day and were wiped out by the time we left to go to church and drop them off to Mom and Dad. Well, I guess that is about all for now, so again, I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day tomorrow. Please continue to pray for total healing.

Good evening everyone…We would like to start by wishing everyone a safe and happily blessed Memorial Day Weekend. It looks like the weather is going to hold up decently. Now as for the update, Matt called this evening after we got done at friends wedding. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Vern Frase. This is the second of three wedding from our church member this month!!! Matt had said that the CAT scan results did not show anything. He said the doctors are thinking this temp./infection could be caused by the recent bowel resection. Her temp had gone down to 99, and was last documented at 100.3 degrees. Matt said she has been more awake today and he says she tried really hard to talk to him and even raised her left hand on her own!! He says she continues to look better. He also said that therapy came and got her up into a cardiac chair again for a couple of hours and she did well.This is about all we have for now, so we will update later. Have a Great Weekend and keep praying for God to show off and get her up out of that bed and walk out of the hospital with girls in her arms!!!

Bryan

We hope everyone had a good evening. We have been blessed with great weather!!! I dont have much to add to what Jess sent earlier. I got a message from Mom that informed us that Wendy has a temp of 102. The doctors are going to inject dye and then do a CAT scan to try and find where the possible infection is. So please lift this hurdle up in prayers so that WE can fight off this issue for Wendy! Have a great day and thanks so much again for everyones support.

Bryan

Good Morning everyone,

Last night was full of surprises for the Freeman girls... Bryan and I told the girls we were getting ready to go to church, but that mamaw was going to drive them so that we could ride the motorcycle. Taryn started wondering what was going on when Mamaw didn't get off of the Meadowbrook Road Exit, but when we got the hospital, she thought the surprise was simply getting to see their daddy, Matt. But, the true surprise was that Wendy was now in her own room, so the four girls were going to see mommy!!! They were excited to say the least, but as we approached you could see the fear in their eyes. When we all walked in the room, it took a while for the girls to warm up to the fact that they could touch mommy and hold her hand. But with lots of encouragement and taking the time to really explain every gadget and gizmo to Taryn, Kylee eventually walked up to Wendy and put her hand in hers and whispered back to Taryn, "look Taryn, I did it... I'm holding mommy's hand.. and it doesn't hurt!!!" Taryn immediately tip-toed up to Wendy and held at one little "ET" like finger and touched Wendy's hand. It was quite a sight to see. =0) They eventually became use to everything and were really glad that they finally got to see their mommy, because "it's been a long, long time" according to Taryn and she's right , it had been.

Wendy was still looking good. Her Oxygen was now down to 2.5 liters, which is great. The therapists even got Wendy into what Bryan calls, " a geri-chair" for a while in the afternoon, prior to moving her to the step-down unit. Her room number is 1063. So feel free to send cards and such directly to that room. Visiting hours are from 11am- 8pm, so for all you late night owls, make sure you get there early enough, so that you aren't locked out.

A very random thing I observed last night that was Wendy's lips looked a thousand times better. It was funny because on Tuesday they were still a little scabby looking and beat-up, but on Wednesday they were nice full healthy lips!!

Well that's about all she wrote =0) so keep up the prayers, because they are obviously working!!
We love you,
Jess =0)

Good Morning everyone!! It's a great day in the Lord and we are truly blessed in the Freeman family =0)

Bryan and I went to see Wendy at the hospital last night after work and it was such an amazing experience to get to see her really looking like Wendy again. It's been awhile since the last time I got to visit between helping with the kids and work, etc. She has made such remarkable progress. As you all know they removed the ventilator on Monday, and had her simply on an oxygen mask for half of the day on Tuesday. By Tuesday afternoon, they had removed the oxygen mask and simply had her on the oxygen canula at 4 liters. Well, when Bryan and I got to see her, they even turned her down to 3 liters... which is wonderful!!! We are hoping that Wendy will get to move to a step-down room today, but if not today, maybe tomorrow. If she gets to move to step-down, then Bryan, Cindy, and I will be brining all four little princesses to visit their mommy for the first time in 3 1/2 weeks in her new room!!!! The girls do not know this yet... shh!! It's a surprise! =0) If she doesn't step-down today, then you will get to see us at MidWeek Blend tonight at Family Life Fellowship.

Again, I just want to reiterate how remarkable it was to see the vast improvement in Wendy's condition. The swelling is gone! The vent is gone!! The even removed another one of her central lines yesterday afternoon. She was very alert the entire 2 hours we were there. Bryan talked her ear off, as we tried to give her as many updates on life as we could possibly remember. She was showing off for Bryan by really moving both hands and feet on command! He also worked on her a little more by asking her to bend her arms at the elbow.... She worked really hard and you could see the bicep muscle really working to move it, she was shakey but there was definite movement!! When we were talking about certain things, you could really see her trying to move her lips to join in on the conversation... no audible words yet, but if she just keeps getting stimulated and trying, it won't be long!

Eventually after her bed gave her the evening shake down.. lol..which I joked with her saying that she had her own roller coaster and that Taryn would be wanting to take a ride with her really soon.... I asked if she was getting tired. She shook her head yes... so we decided it was time to let our darling rest!

God is so good!!!! The miracle that lies before us is amazing. Remember that every ounce of progress that we see is a miracle, because in the beginning, man said that she wouldn't make it, and God has proven man wrong time and time again! So every day that she's alive and every ounce of progress is a miracle! =0) ... and people say God's not in the miracle business any more... what the heck do they know?

God Bless,
Jess =0)

I got a call from Matt a few minutes ago. He was sounding excited again. He said that not much is different at this time with Wendy. He says that she continues to be half awake at times and responding appropriately to him and the nurses. He reported that the doctors ahd just been in and told him they have decided to attempt extubating her today and going ahead and seeing how she does since she appears to be doing better. THIS IS WHAT MATT HAS BEEN PRAYING FOR!!! They are going to at least attempt it before going straight into a tracheotomy!!! If she does well with the extubation, then she WONT have to be trached. So if you are reading this, please focus your prayers to this issue in that SHE WILL BREATH ON HER OWN AGAIN!!!!! Matt has hoped that if they kept putting the trach off, then she would get to the point of not needing it either! No matter what happens, we realize it is still in God's hands and we will remain faithful and praise Him though it all. This will be a big step in her recovery and a big step closer to getting the girls in to see her!!! We will update when more is available. Bryan (2:01pm)



As a further update, Bryan just received a phone call from Pastor Darren. He and Pastor Tami were there with Matt when they decided to extubate Wendy... They only had to leave the room for about 15 minutes and to this point... WENDY is extubated and breathing on her own!!! NO TRACH!!! So far this looks good... if something were to go down from here, then they would trach her, but as of right now, WENDY is breathing on her own!!! Praise God! Just keep focusing your prayers on Wendy's ability to keep breathing on her own!! Blessings, Jessica (3:20pm)

Matt called before church this morning and at first Wendy was sleeping when he went to see her, when the nurse came to check her blood pressure, it caused Wendy to stir and open her eyes to greet Matt for the morning.  She remains on a low dosage of sedation, so Matt is happy that she is still able to make efforts to wake up while being sedated to keep her comfortable.  Once she was awake, they tested some of her responses by asking her do things.  Wendy made all facial expressions that they asked for, and she was asked to move her feet, and this time she was able to actually move a foot, when previously the most she could move was her big toe.  Matt was quite pleased with the results for today thus far.  As of right now, they are still planning on doing the “Trach” tomorrow (Monday).  Keep praying…

Good evening!! We didnt have too much to update this evening. Wendy is still recovering from yesterdays procedure. Matt came down with us to a wedding for the new Mr. and Mrs. Dave Palmer. Congratulations Dave and Judy!!! He said that the doctors remained pleased with her recovery today. Mom called later in the day. She said this was the first time she has left the hospital and did not want to cry. She was glad to see Wendy opening her eyes and looking less jaundiced and did not appear to be in a daze. Her white blood cell count is improving  She was very happy with how Wendy looked this afternoon, even considering that she just had another operation yesterday. Other than that, there is not much else to report tonight. Have a good evening….well, I guess morning now. Take Care!

Bryan

Good evening!! Today was an eventful day for Wendy from what Matt says. They had done a CAT scan earlier today to see if they could find where she may have an infection because her white blood cell count was high. The doctors were wanting to make sure her colon was ok. They decided to do laparoscopic surgery to search for the cause of infection and to get a better look at her bowels. They wanted to do this before she became septic, figuring it would be easier on her to do this now, than later if an infection got worse. They did find that an approximate 1 foot section needed removed so they did this and another small section. They were able to insert a G-tube while there for feeding once she recovers from this procedure. Matt sounded very at ease after the surgery. He said the doctors were very pleased with how she did. They said the bowel was not the source of infection, however they believe she may just have a UTI, which Matt says she got frequently prior to all of this. He said the doctors were intending to let Wendy to recover over the weekend ad may then attempt the tracheotomy. Matt was joking saying that if they keep putting it off, she may not need to have it done and just come straight off the vent instead! He was saying that some were concerned that Wendy may not like having all of these scars after everything is done, and he just laughed saying “I dont think she will mind looking like a jigsaw puzzle after all of this is over! I know I wont!” Otherwise, he said today has just been a little more progress, as has each day basically. He continues to hold in well. DONT STOP PRAYING YET!!!! Have a good night and enjoy your weekend.

Bryan

Matt gave us a call this evening after getting back to Morgantown and spending time with Wendy. He had got to spend the afternoon in Lost Creek with Taryn and the other girls. Taryn was so excited and happy that Daddy made it to the “Father’s Day” lunch and program.  He was also glad to get back and see of Wendy’s progress for the day. The nurses had told him that they were getting more responses from all 4 extremities today. Matt along with Dr. Stitely got to see Wendy wiggle a toe on command, which is the first time this has happened. He says that She was also able to give proper responses to questions asked of herm such as if Matt was her husband!! They were asking questions to do more assessment of her comprehension abilities. He said she seemed to do very well with this. This all gave him a good feeling for the day. He says they are also still preparing to perform the tracheotomy. This was a good day with further progress towards recovery!!! I am looking forward to when she gets to begin therapy to increase her stimulation and ability to regain function. That is all we have for the evening. We hope everyone has a blessed evening and God Bless!!!

Bryan

Hello again...I talked with Matt late last night after he came out of Wendy's room. He said Wendy continues to demonstrate increased responsiveness, especially with facial movements. He said that she continues to be doing well after the cauterization in her colon. He says that the drs plan for now is to go ahead with the trach and then wait before doing the feeding tube abdominally after they make sure her colon and GI system remains well. That is about all of the update for Wendy at this time. Her BUN level was down to a 29, as well. Matt was going to sleep in the waiting room tonight so that he can make sure he wakes up in time to check on Wendy and then to get to Lost Creek for Taryn's "Father's Day" program at her school. Taryn is VERY excited for Daddy to come to school and spend the day with her!!!! That is all we have for now, so KEEP PRAYING FOR WENDY AND MATT AND THE GIRLS!! We all miss Wendy very much, but none as much as Matt and the girls. Bryan

Hello All...Today was an emotional day, but at the end, everyone was more at ease as everything soaked in. Matt had called late last night and updated that Wendy had an upper and lower GI assessment and a colonoscopy. The results of her GI tests were good. She did have some areas of bleeding in the colon that would have been a result from the first night events. the doctors cauterized the areas. They informed Matt that Wendy will be checked again to make sure the bleeding has stopped so taht they can proceed with feeding tube and tracheotomy. Worst case scenario is that they would have to do a colon resection, meaning they would remove a section of her colon and splice it back together. Once this is all clear, then they can proceed with the trach and feeding tube. When Wendy has this all done, then she can be prepared to leave ICU and go to a step down unit and begin therapy. Therapy will be the key at that point. She has remained in bed with little physical stimulation at this point. Her recovery will really begin to show once rehab begins. I mentioned that Matt that as a PT myself, we work with people everyday that have had strokes and we send them home and able to function well. I informed him that the body heals slower neurologically, and that gains toward improvement could continue for up to a year or more. Rehab will provide significantly more stimulation that will encourage the reconnection of "broken" pathways in the brain. Matt said he sat back and thought about the MRI result and realized that what they said yesterday was a result of what happened about 16 days ago, and we have seen improvements since then, so he is confident that she will continue to improve. He remained faithfull in that he commented yesterday afternoon "that if God could bring Wendy from death, he can bring her from this!" He continues to do exceptionally well about remaining focused on the fact that this scenario is in God's hands and that there is a greater plan to all of this than we can see at this point. He says he does have his moments of emotional distress, just like the rest of us, but by the time he gets to talking with someone, he has had some time to regroup. So I ask that we all continue to praise and thank God for all of the great things he has done through this and that as someone said, God is waiting to show off how great he is when he brings Wendy to recovery. We have to not let satan advance his antics of distracting us from this miracle. The girls had a good day and enjoyed the weather. Jess and I took them all to the VA park to burn off some energy. Taryn is getting really excited for her Father's Day program at school on Thursday and getting to take Daddy with her!!!! That was a focus of her "big" prayer at night!! She is so adorable. Kylee is also quite adorable once it comes time for "pray." She asks everynight for everyone to be happy and to get Mommy better. We thank you all again for your love and support...please keep your prayers going!!Bryan.

Please keep praying and standing in agreement with us that Wendy will be whole and healed in Jesus name!

We were delivered somewhat of a sucker punch to the stomache, a little while ago... but staying strong is the key right now, so please help us not to dwell on the negative aspects of the following report, but keep lifting Wendy up and focusing on the positives that we've been delivered thus far.

After the MRI and all of the information yesterday regarding the pituitary gland, a neurologist also needed to evaluate the MRI and make an assessment. He spoke with Matt today, and let him know that there is evidence that Wendy's brain has signs of oxygen deprivation, and in that, the result is what looks similar to stroke symptoms on both sides of Wendy's brain.

This information changes the doctors prognosis on recovery for Wendy, but at this point, they aren't even sure to what extent. The doctors feel now that she has a small chance of full recovery, but most likely we are going to be seeing signs of this damage physically in the upcoming periods of time. But we really have no clue to what extent, how long they will last, and that there is the possibility that her current state is a permanent state.

But again... I say to you... That is the doctor's prognosis, and we all know who the True HEALER is. He took many stripes across His body for the healing of ours! We are believing that by HIS Wounds, WENDY is HEALED!!!

So please, the only thing we ask is that you keep praying and keep believing, becuase for Wendy even to be alive right now, is a miracle! We've seen her be brought back to life already through this, which tells me, God isn't through with her yet. Stay faithful to God's word.

love you all and thank you for your support, Jess

Matt called about 2:30pm with update after talking to dr. regarding her MRI results. He was told that Wendy appears to have had an infarct of the pituitary gland that caused a loss of some hormones. They said they can replace the hormones, but it may take a little longer for her to fully wake up than expected. They have consulted a neurologist to assess MRI as well, to rule out any other damage that may have occurred. Their suggestion at this time would be to skip the trial run of taking the vent out completely and letting her be on her own, and go straight into the tracheotomy. They say this willallow for easier transition and prevent the need to re-intubate in case she was not able to remain off the vent. They said this would be easier on her than anything else at this time. Matt said the tracheotomy could occur as early as today. Matt was comfortable with it because the doctors felt it would be best and Dr. Bonasso had discussed it with him the other evening and had no concerns. He said they may also be applying a feeding tube into abdominally. They want to get all of the stuff out of her so her esophagus can have reduced irritations. This is a preventative measure to protect her esophagus. The doctors also feel that by getting her off of the vent, then Wendy can be transferred sooner to a step-down unit and begin more intensive therapy. This willalso help to increase her stimulation, which can increase her response time and regain higher levels in preparation to return home. This may not have been the news we were all hoping for, but take it from my perspective as someone who sees things similar to this on a daily basis in that she/we are still blessed taht she has made this great of a recovery and still has the ability to recover further. There could have been a lot worse damage taht would have been irreversible. the doctors prepared us for this in the beginning that recovery could be a long process, yet optimistic!! Keep praising and being thankful for all that God has given us all and for what he still has yet to do. More to come later!! Bryan

Matt called around lunch time with no significant changes. He said he got to speak with a doctor briefly regarding Wendy's MRI. He said the dr. told him they didnt see anything that they didnt expect to see and that their plan for her treatment would not change based upon the results. He was a little frustrated that the dr. didnt expand much more than that because they are usually very informative. He said the doctors appeared busy during their rounds, so he was going to try getting ahold of one of them after lunch. Other than that, he said Wendy appeared tired, but remains responsive. So, todays updates are kind of boring at this time, but that will change soon!!! We will update again ASAP, though it may be tomorrow before we get back onto the internet. As for the girls...Jess and I are going to make a trip to Spencer this evening to pick up the parts for our Road King. We had the bike painted and need to pick the pieces up. Kylee and Payge will ride with us for a "road trip" while Mom will take Taryn to her dance class, and Darby will hang out with them. If we dont get back to you all this evening, take care and God Bless!! Bryan

Matt called this evening (Sunday) and stated there were no changes other than they had done the MRI. Several friends and family members had been in to visit, though some didnt get to see Wendy because she was having her MRI performed!! He said he was given some numbers...BUN was 54 and platelet count was 356 (I think this was the exact number?) These have both continued to improve. The girs were really happy with getting to play with Daddy and very happy to hear that Mommy was doing better. They REALLY miss her. We are back to work tomorrow (Monday) and will have limited access to internet in the evenings. We will most likely be limted to updates during the day, so please bear with us and we will get all the "scoop" to you ASAP. We will not have internet at Matt and Wendy's house. Jess will post updates from work during the day. Thanks again for everything everyone has done and have a Blessed Day!!
Bryan

Hello all… We don’t have as much to report as we would like, especially to those of you who are awaiting the big news.  To fill in the blanks a bit, the doctors told Matt this morning that they were going to try Wendy off the vent today between 10am-11am. She has been having some great responses and even when Matt asked her if she wanted him to stay with her this morning and not go to church, she blinked for him which was exactly what he asked her to do.  She did this a couple of times to confirm that she wanted him there by her side =0)  So Matt and Wendy watched the sermon via live webcast, although according to Matt, Wendy fell asleep after 10 minutes~lol.

The doctors came back in and let Matt know that they have decided not to take Wendy off the vent today, but to wait and run a Contrast MRI first either today or tomorrow, to be 100% sure of brain/ clotting issues.  Once they have the MRI results they will then proceed with the removal of the vent, if all looks well.  If they suspect that removing the vent will become a problem, they will have to do a Trachiotomy (sorry again about the spelling), which Dr Bonasso had already explained to Matt and we are all aware that this isn’t a big deal and we are totally ok with it.  The “trach” will then be how Wendy breathes instead of the ventilator.  The positive thing is , Bryan has had rehab patients with a TRACH that have  normal functioning, where as on the ventilator, Wendy is still stuck in her bed.

So it looks like another day of waiting.. but again we praise God for all of the positive baby steps!  Cindy took the four girls to see Matt at Ruby this afternoon and they are hopefully going to be playing on the Ruby play yard on this gorgeous Spring day! 

I also wanted to share these photos of the girls with everyone.  We got these done on April 27th (Payge was 3 days old) because Wendy already had the appointment set and we didn’t want her to miss out on the opportunity to have her four princesses photographed.

 

 

Well, it’s about 8:45pm on Saturday evening and we’ve had another busy weekend.  Of course as many of you Family Lifers know, this is a busy wedding and shower month and we are still trying to help our friends and family celebrate their major life moments too!  Today was Nikki and Travis’ shower, so Payge got to go and visit some of her Family Life family.  We also got to meet baby Brock Post for the first time.  It’s so funny to see Payge and Brock, although they are the same weight right now, Brock still looks so much bigger! 

Now on for the Wendy updates… Not too much new today, except for the fact that Matt is pretty sure that Wendy’s eyes were partially open and following him around the room today!!!  He said there was definitely some purposeful eye movements.  Also, Matt was holding Wendy’s hand and talking to her and she squeezed his hand… which means we are very close to having our Wendy back!  As far as medically, mostly no changes to report except that her BUN levels are down to 57, and her creatin (not sure of the spelling) is down to 1.19  So with that progress we are hoping the drugged feeling will start to wear off and she will become even more responsive. 

We keep saying that it would be just like God to let Wendy wake up on Mother’s Day so that we can take her four baby girls to visit and celebrate Mommy’s Day with their mommy!  Here’s lifting that one up to you God!  You are in control!

Payge and I are resting this evening, while Bryan is at Ruby visiting Matt and Wendy.   I am truly learning the meaning of “rest when the baby is resting” =0)

Blessing to all,  Jess=0)

We got a call with early update from Matt this morning. He had gone in early to see Wendy. He was saying that the colostomy bag they recently put in was full and working. They have done this as she began having more bowel formation and movement after the feeding tube began. This will help “get rid” of it all and keep her cleaner in bed. He said it is kinda gross to be concerned with it, but he was happy that she had a full “poop” bag LOL!! The even better news from Matt this morning was that when he went in to her room, he said that her eyes were half open and as he walked across the room, he said it seemed as though she was following him!!!! This made him really happy! A friend of ours, Dana Camp, had told us of his experience when he was in a coma for a month after a motorcycle wreck. Dana mentioned that as he began coming to, he said he was able to hear and know everything going on around him, he just wasn’t able to do anything about it, such as talk or move. Dana said he believes she is probably at that point now. So after talking to Matt, he says he is believing that this is where she is at this time, in that she is “in there” and knowing/hearing what is going on, she just is having a hard time doing anything to let people know she is “here.” Matt said her BUN level was still in the 60’s, so this is also going to cause her to remain very lethargic. Anyway, Matt keeps getting happier and Wendy keeps getting better!!!    We will give more later as we get it.   Have great weekend and may God bless you all for your support and comfort.

Bryan

Good evening! I talked to Matt this evening after he got to spend some time with Wendy. He was pretty excited this evening because even though she still remains in the same state as she has for a couple of days now, she did demonstrate increased eye activity. He said it seemed like she was trying to open her eyes frequently, especially when people were in the room. He said she would even squint, as if trying to get eyes adjusted to light. This all made him pretty happy!! He said that they have begun chest percussion therapy. Her bed is able to perform these treatments, rather than having a therapist come and perform them. If you are unfamiliar, this basically means that her bed will provide vibration and percussions to her lungs at various positions in order to break up junk in her lungs. He said after they did this, they were able to suction a good bit out of her. This is all a common effect after everything she has been through. So we once again have made steps forward. GOD IS GOOD and we need to continue to praise him for everything He does!! One of our friends from church, Sandi Heuy, who has been involved in prayer and support is in need of our prayers now as well. She has had to undergo her own medical treatment the past couple days. Please lift this woman of God up in your prayers please.     As for now, Jess and I are getting Payge ready for bed and calling it a night. Take Care!

Bryan

The update is limited at this time. We have not been in contact much with Matt today. He did say that some of Wendy’s numbers have improved. He said other than that, there is no changes for day at this point. Jess took Taryn and Payge to their Peds doctor, Dr. Steele. Kylee went to the church for the weekly MEMOS gathering. Darby has been with Scott and Melissa Jett. The girls will be staying with them this weekend. The girls always enjoy going with them because they get to spend time with their cousins, Scott and Melissa’s girls. Scott and Melissa have always been very good to the Matt and Wendy’s girls, so for anyone who doesn’t know them, just be at ease knowing that they are in good hands!! This will give our mom a rest and allow her to get caught up with things in her household. Jess and I will keep Payge over the weekend. We will continue to update as we can and as news comes in. ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME!!!

Bryan

Matt called this evening to give this evenings news. He has been getting used to hearing new numbers from a medical stand point. In the beginning, he was focusing on platelets, heart rate and blood pressure. Now he is getting number such as her BUN and Creatinine levels. He said they have both improved since yesterday. She remains off of sedation meds, but is continuing to have to get it all out of her system. Her BUN was 72, Creatinine was 1.7. These numbers will effect kidney/renal function. She continues to have good urine output. These numbers are still high, but getting better. Her platelet count was up to 272. Her hemoglobin was low, so they had to give a little blood. Matt said Dr. Bonasso was there as well this evening and told Matt that a little blood at this time is not a bad thing, considering it has been a week since she has had to have blood. Dr. B. told Matt that he continues to be happy with Wendy’s progress. Matt also stated that Wendy’s left and right arms were looking better. Now we just got to keep sitting around and waiting for more responses as she gets this stuff out of her system. So, lets keep pressing and praising!!       

Taryn and Kylee got to the house and got to play outside for a few hours and then bathed, snacked and are now getting ready for bed. Darby is with Melissa and Scott. We here that bonding issues are going to be an issue for all of us, but it sound like Scott has one specific kid, Darby, making a mark! We will all be really excited to give these kids back to MOMMY AND DADDY, but it is noticeable that we will all have a hard time parting. It has been an honor and a privilege to spend time with and care for these girls.  Have a good night and we will update as able.

Today continues a good day of Wendy managing herself off of the sedation medications. Matt was only at the hospital in the morning to get an initial update. He then has spent the day taking care of some things at work and then going to their house to do laundry and hang out with the girls. Mom said the girls were very happy to see him at the house. Jess stopped after work to pick up Kylee and Payge. She was also supposed to get Taryn, but she had fallen asleep, so Mom and Matt stayed to let her sleep and then see if she wanted to eat dinner with Daddy!! We also apologize again if updates are most likely only once a day. Matt is also low on minutes with his cell phone and tries to save it for emergency only because he and Wendy share a plan. Wendy’s phone is at the house for ones there to use since they get service and most others don’t…Well Jess is pulling in, so take care and more will come as able.

Bryan

Ill be brief cause of time…Matt updated that Wendy has been off of sedation meds since 4am except for to get morphine long enough during afternoon for a dressing change. She is responding well and showing signs of trying to wake up. Doctors say that because of so much stuff in her system, that it may be a couple days before she completely wakes up. He said that she would move her forehead and eyebrows when he would stroke her hair and face. He said he was also able to be present when physical therapy and occupational therapy came to work on her. He said her platelet counts were up to 246!!!!! Matt said the nurse told him that was GREAT!!! Matt sounded to be doing well today. We will be taking the girls to Mid Week Blend, out mid week church service, while Darby stays with Mom in Lost Creek. Have a good evening!!! Thanks for following.

I don't have a lot of time because I am at work, but Bryan just let me know that he spoke with Matt and here are a few updates on Wendy today.

She has been off of the sedation medications since 4am this morning and looking good. Her blood pressure and heart rate are remaining stable and she has been showing signs that she is trying to wake up. At one point she had opened her eyes, but wasn't able to follow yet. She seems to be having some facial expressions as well that appear like she is starting to come around a bit. The doctors explain that although she's been off the meds for a while now, her system still takes a little time to process it out of her body,which is why even though she may be trying to wake up, she just doesn't have the strength to work against what's still in her system.

Her platelet count is also up again... She is at a 246 which is fantastic. Matt thinks he heard one of the nurses say that between 100-300 is normal, so we are finally looking really good there now too. She is still on 30% oxygen through the ventilator and we have no news as to when they will try to remove that again.

Tonight if you are at MidWeek Blend, you will be graced with the presence of three of the four little Freeman princesses. Darby will stay at home with Mamaw Cindy, but we will bring Taryn and Kylee to their respective classes and Payge to join in the big people fun!

Blessings,
Jess

Hey all…Jess and I went to spend the evening with Matt. We took him dinner from Black Bear Burritos, a local Morgantown favorite. We got to sit around a just have a good time. It was good to hear him laughing. He was sounding better than earlier in the day. I had talked to him earlier after he had just realized that today was not Wendy’s day to wake up. As Jess updated this afternoon, Wendy was unable to tolerate coming off the vent today. We talked with Dr. Bonasso, as he was there again to visit. He stated he felt she as looking good and was telling Matt how it may be a process to come off the vent, in that they may just have to try reducing her oxygen supplement little by little. He says they need to get her to the point where she doesn’t “panic” when breathing on her own. He was still pleased to see how well her kidneys were looking. Matt said he still thinks its weird that the first thing Dr. B looks at is the pee!! Wendy was looking better. You can tell, though, that Shanna (Shawna) is not her nurse right now. We got spoiled with her pampering Wendy like a lady!! She did have visitors today, but everyone was hoping to see the vent removed, but we guess it isn’t GODs time yet. He must have more in store…As for now, we continue to wait and let the doctors try again tomorrow. Have a good night

Bryan

Hi folks,

I've been trying to make it on here all day to share some updates, especially after Bryan left such exciting news yesterday...

First off the Freeman family wants to congratulate our friends April and Dustin Post for their succesful C-Section delivery of little Brock Post born last night, May 4, 2009 at UHC, weighing 8lbs 9 oz. We are so happy for you!!! And can't wait for little Brock and baby Payge to get to play together!

Ok as of the updates...as of earlier in the morning today, Bryan texted me and let me know that Wendy had been turned down to 30% oxygen on her ventilator and was taken off of the medications used for sedation. (Which was a very positive moment, of forward progress!!)

As of 12:30 this afternoon, Bryan talked to Matt again and stated that they were trying to remove Wendy from the ventilator completely, but her body isn't quite ready yet. They said that her breaths were still too fast and she wasn't responsive enough, so they have put her back on the medications for sedation. (Which obviously is a major bummer for all, especially Matt)

Please keep Matt, Wendy, and the entire family in your prayers and if you can, please stop by to visit Matt! Since we've all had to go back to work this week, he has had a lot of alone time, which can be quite boring and lonesome in the hospital.

Blessings,
Jess

I just talked to Matt and the news just keeps getting better!! He said he was in to see Wendy with Joey and Bethanie, our worship leaders from church. The doctors were making rounds and updated Matt on the next steps, as well as the Ob/gyn doctors came out to see Matt in the waiting room. With the ICU and ob docs, the news came out pretty exciting. They are pleased with kidney and liver functioning. They did have to insert a sponge drain into her abdomen, but that was expected. The sponge is in to help soak up things after they saw some oozing from her incision…no big deal. He said they have been able to take her off the antibiotics as she appears to be out of the risk for pneumonia. The big news is that they are continuing to wean the vent and will begin waking her up (I think he said tomorrow). He was excited to say they also mentioned that “IF WENDY IS A GOOD GIRL, WE WILL TRY TAKING THE TUBE OUT TOMORROW”!!!!!!!!!!!  Well, Im hoping that she will be on her best behavior so that she is one step closer to getting to lay eyes on her AMAZING husband and ANXIOUSLY AWAITING girls!! Lets pray for a good night of rest and that GOD will direct the hands and decisions of the doctors so that they can continue the awesome care they have provided to this point.

I will update more as I know…Have a good night!!

Bryan

Hello all,

We are so glad you all keep pressing through and lifting Wendy and the entire family up to God in your prayers. I believe they are all like sweet incense to our heavenly father, because He is listening and He is moving...

Matt just called to let Bryan know that they have officially begun the weaning process!! Which means they are starting to turn down the ventilator, so that our little fighter can start doing more of the work on her own. They have also removed the Arterial line, which is another good sign, because the more tubes they remove from her body, the more she is maintaining on her own. They did see some oozing from her surgical incision, so they are watching that, but stated it shouldn't be a real issue because of all of the antibiotics she is already on. Other than than, no significant changes.

Today, Bryan, Cindy, and I all had to go back to work, so that's a little strain on our current sanity~lol. It's really hard to be somewhere, when your heart totally tugs for you to be the other. I know that I can speak for Bryan and myself in saying that we are there physically, but you can kiss mental and emotional awareness out the window when it comes to our work day. But we press on and pray that God will continue to carry us when we need carried, strengthen us when He wants us to be strong, and quiet us when He wants us to hear His still small voice!!

Praise Adonai!
Blessings to all,
Jess =0)

I talked with Matt prior to Jess and I heading to church with Payge. He mentioned he talked with one her doctors who informed Matt that they are very happy with her progress and that she is doing well with good steps towards recovery. He said her platelet count was 111, which is still going up from her 101. Doctors mentioned they have her on morphine again, in order to provide time to rest and prepare for weaning from vent. Matt said they hope to really begin trying to wean her in the next few days. He mentioned that her urine output remained good and with good color. He says the nurses have cont. to keep her bathed and are trying to take really good care of her back side to keep from getting skin breakdown. Matt thought her left arm was looking better. He had a good tone about him and it sounded as if he was very pleased at this point. He was able to spend time with all the girls this afternoon after church. We went to Moms and had lunch and hung out for a little bit. He then took back off to Morgantown in Dads Jeep, since I have to start going back to work and need to get some things done here on my end. It is hard to leave him alone, but it is easier knowing that Wendy is progressing and he doing well. HE continues to be a Rock for his family and will continue to need your prayers to guide him through. I ask that you pray for everyone that will be influencing and caring for the girls this week. He has tried to devise a scenario that will enable all 4 girls to be together as much as possible and to keep with the same hectic lifestyle that household maintained prior to all of this. Take care all and again, thanks for keeping updated.

Hello all...This has been a busy weekend for all in getting things organized to get the kids ready for the upcoming week. Matt came to church with everyone this morning and was able to take Payge with him. He called this morning on his way to our house and said he got up too late to get in before shift change at 7am, so he spoke with her nurse that is there during the day. He said she looked comfortable and rested. Other\s that got to see her yesterday for the first time since the beginning of the week, noted that she was looking much better and less swollen. Some say she is beginning to look like "Wendy" again. Prayers and support continue to be amazing. Please keep praying for her and for the girls as time goes on without their Mommy with them. Pray for understanding as to why they are not able to see Mommy yet. Matt did say that one really good piece of news was that Wendy's platelet count had achieved closer to normal ranges by being 101 last night. This was achieved on HER OWN WITH NO SUPPLEMENTS bring the number up!! This is much better than it had been. She keeps making progress and is trying to wake up the doctors feel. The doctors are weaning from sedation at times to allow for her to have time to respond. They allow this for a little while, and then sedate her again as not to cause too much strain on her system, but to allow for her to begin responding. She is getting better and she keeps moving forward. We will keep updating as possible. Check out www.familylifewv.org and go to the media section to see this and last weeks sermons.
Bryan

I just wanted to share with everyone some easy access pictures of Payge.  I know I posted the facebook links, but here are a few and I will add more as time progresses. A big thanks to Jaycen Saab for getting me all set up for this!

Taryn and Kylee being awesome big sisters .

Matt at Ruby, feeding Payge on her first day out of FGH. 

Daddy, Matt, with all four of his little Princesses.  Taryn, 5, Kylee, 3, Darby, 1, and Payge.

This is what Bryan sent me this morning:

I just came back from Wendy. She is doing very well. I spoke her nurse Shawna (I think thats her name) who said yesterday was very positive. They have sedated her due to the increase in pain responses. Shawna is looking forward to spa day by the way!! I also was there when a plastic surgeon came to assess her arm again. He stated she appears to be doing well with it and he agreed that it looked better thsi moring. HE said they were concerned about compartment syndrome, but it appears there are no real complications and that she will be treated conservatively at this time for her arm. Her uirne looks good and she is producing 60/hour on her own with no assistance from meds. Shawna was going to get ready to bath her later. She was asking me what she could be doing for her legs to prevent contractures and how I would position her at this time, so we placed some chucks at the side of her right leg to keep it from rolling outward and suggested she continue placing towel roll at her feet up against foot board to give her calves a stretch to prevent foot drop deformity. he is looking better!! Lets just keep praying and continue working together as one BIG family in support of her, Matt and the girls. May all concerns be calmed and emotions lightened as WE ALL work together to keep the rejoicing going!!! Everyone has been amazing and wonderful though this. I pray for an uplifting and rejeuvenation of everyone that has poured there hearts into this. Thank you all and know that Matt appreciates what everyone has done and knows that everyone has his families best interests in mind.

Good Morning everyone that is checking. Matt and I went back and got to talk with Dr. Bringham, her her risk doctor. He says that she remains stable. Her liver continues to show signs of improving. Her platelets remain an issue, so they are having a hemotologist (blood dr.) assess her. He says they are still having to giver her fluids/meds to try increasing urine output. He stated that the kidneys hava also taken a hit, and if it came to dialysis, that it would most likely be temporary while kidneys cont. to heal. No change in neuro checks. Dr. Bringham made a comment that it seems like we are the point of taking 2 steps foward and then one step back. Mat responded by "Well then we are at least one step forwards then!" He remains a rock for her. He has bene nothing but positive throughout. It is a true blessing to be with him to see the example he is setting for everyone, especially the men. To the men that may read this...you really need to take a look at how Matt has responded and remained strong, faithfull and has praised everything in honor of God. He gives God praise and credit for the miracle we are watching. I know what it is like to try and break out of your box and even just to raise your hands in praise. If you want to let your pride stand in your way, then thats something you may want to really check yourself about. Matt is a true example of being a MAN. I have been changed just by watching him. He also realizes how he has changed through this. I have been feeling this, but for some reason as I sat down to type what I thought was going to be a 3 or four line repsonse, I got overwhelmed with the need to express this. To the women that read this...please ask your husbands, brothers, sons, fathers to read this and take it to heart. The men need to step up and lead their families in the path God desires. It would so amazing to come back to church and see the men lead their families to the alter and praise God for everything they have. Take this in love please. I just got hit with it as I sat here and felt I had to relay it. Im sorry for being long winded, but ask Jess and she can tell you thats how I can get. Have a great day and thank God for all your blessings and keep praying for Wendy. Also keep April, Dustin and their families as they get ready for their BIG DAY for their little stud to join us! Bryan

Today was a good day with baby steps forward for Wendy, as the chief of ICU told Matt. She continues to hold on well and makes small improvements. It was thought that the issue with her left arm appears to be superficial clot that is of no significant concern. THey told Matt that it is something that they will let heal itself, and since she is being slammed with antibiotics, any infection will be taken care of. She continues to hold her BP on her own. Doctors had told Matt that her liver is improving, so that will effect her ability to produce platelets in a good way. So these are all positive aspects. Jess and I had our appointent with Dr. Bonasso, which is also Matt and Wendy's Ob/gyn if you werent sure who he was. He is also the one that was used by GOD, along with his surgical team, to keep her alive. He has been very compassionate and concerned during this event. Coworkers and many who know him and that are around him during the day say that he has taken this pretty hard and emotionally. Please keep him in your prayers so that he will not doubt anything that he did and he can be at peace knowing he did everything needed to keep Wendy with Matt and the girls and all of us. He spent time talking with us about everything. He had stated he was speaking with Dr. Stitely, from here at Ruby, who had informed him Wendy opened her eyes a few times and responded to sternal rub stimuli. Jess and I became very happy at that moment. He said that the surgeons from ICU are very optimistic about her recovery. He informed again that as long as the swelling is in her head, that will limit responsiveness. He reported that the swelling on her head still remains positive as far as the doctors here are concerned. They dont feel there is any longterm damage, but are still not 100% certain due to inability to test at this time. This was all great news that we couldnt wait to relay to Matt. Matt doesnt go back too frequently because he feels that if he waits, it not only lets her rest, but then it allows him to see changes. If he went in all the time, then nothing would seem different. He had not been aware of any of this, and by the time he got back later on, shift change had occured and the new nurse was unaware. But we feel that if that was reported Dr. to Dr., then there was some validity to it!!! WE SAID SHE WOULD OPEN HER EYES TODAY!! Dr. B was very happy with her progress and stated he continues to keep coming every other day as long as he didnt get called out. He also got to see Payge, as well as the office staff that were so excited because everyone knows what has happened. We had a good visit in regards to our reason for being there. Jess and I received some information that was quite nice for us and everything is going well with our little one...PRAISE GOD!! I got back to the hospital after spending some time with Jess and baby Payge. She is soooo perfect!! You really need to check out the pictures that Jess has posted. I also know that Taryn, Kylee, and Darby were well taken care of. Taryn got to go on a field trip and took Mammaw with her LOL. Wendys family from FL., Nicci and Robbie, also got to spend the day with Kylee and Darby and a little with Taryn. They brought back pictures from the day and put them in Wendy's room. Melissa and Scott Jett, Wendys cousins, took the girls for the evening and will keep them Friday to play. Please keep these girls in your prayers as well because right now, they not only are not getting Mommy and Daddy, they also are not getting much time with their baby sister Payge. Matt has stated he feels more comfortable knowing someone is not stretched to their limits by trying to take care of all four at once. He knows that this is allowing each girl to get the attention they need. He has some other reasons for doing it this way that I truly respect him for and think it is an awesome thing. THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY!!! These girls will get many years of annoying each other LOL!! Matt, Robbie, and myself are staying in the waiting room tonight. Matt said he slept really well last night, and felt like staying with us this evening. So I know it was long, but I figure for the different people that may be reading it, everyone may like to know different things, so I try to be thorough. We will update more tomorrow!!