Well we have not had the quiet days we had hoped for. Molly has continued to struggle with her oxygen levels, often de-stating and requiring manual bagging to bring them back up sometimes multiple times a day. Her blood gasses have been difficult to manage. Molly’s lungs have gotten sicker it seems since the fever and bronchial spasm a couple week-ends ago (most likely a second infection that further damaged the lungs). Molly has ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) a much more serious condition than we had initially thought. The doctors are doing everything they can to help support her through this, but there is no treatment, just support until the lungs heal on their own. On Saturday when Molly was not doing well they decided to turn her onto her stomach. This seemed to help improve things but then on Monday morning when they turned her back to her back, it became clear that this move was not going to work. She was turned back to her stomach again but has been having more trouble making up the ground that was lost in all the turning. She is on higher oxygen and vent settings also increasing her risk of a bleed in her lungs or a leak. Molly is keeping all the nurses and doctors very busy and there is rarely ever a dull moment in her room as her blood pressures and stats fluctuate throughout the day. Molly’s body and face have also swollen up beyond recognition. This extra fluid is putting extra stress on her lungs and their ability to oxygenate. We are trying to rid her of the extra fluid but because she has leaky blood vessels and is on high pressures on the vent, on a paralytic, not moving and has somewhat decreased blood flow in one of her veins, it is a difficult task to manage. It is so hard to see her this way. I find myself kneeling next to her bed multiple times during the day, to beg God for a miracle and Rebekah has still not left the hospital. Molly has been on the vent and oscillator for 3 weeks now and for a week prior when she was having seizures. A month of her asleep and paralyzed and still a month without any answers. At this point, still no end in sight. We remain vigilant in our prayers for a miracle for Molly, for her lungs to begin to improve and for her to stay as strong as she is. We are trying to keep our sense of humour and find something to make us laugh everyday and to rejoice in the small things (her hair is coming in and she looks to have grown a couple inches in all this induced sleep). I am having more difficulty when I see other little kids walk or skip the day Molly used to and I find myself crying in the middle of the cafeteria during the busy lunch hour. It helps us to try and spread Molly’s story and to grow her prayer chain as much as we can. thanks to everyone who has been praying for us and getting others to do the same.
