Elizabeth Archives - Day 39

As the pictures show, I was able to hold Elizabeth for quite awhile today for the first time in a week. It took her a few minutes to get used to the sensation, but then she slept like a...well, baby. She continues to need oxygen through tubes in her nose, but why she is requiring this isn't clear. Her feeding through the tube in her stomach is going reasonably well. She had some more vomiting in response to one of the antibiotics, which has kept them from advancing her feedings further.

Elizabeth has started growing a species of fungus in her urine, and unlike my subject line, it's no laughing matter. This commonly happens in hospitalized adults and we never treat it unless it gets into the blood stream. There is absolutely NO evidence that the fungus has gotten into Elizabeth's blood stream at this point, but if it gets there, it can be very, very serious. To keep it from getting to the blood stream, The Team wants to start an anti-fungal medications called amphotericin B (nicknamed "ampho-terrible" because of its side-effects). Given the side-effects, we would obviously like to avoid needing this medication (it makes most people feel miserable, and can cause whole-body shaking, drops in potassium and kidney failure).

Sara is still battling her cough and with me returning to work tomorrow, we're struggling over how much time Sara should spend at the hospital.

Please pray for:

1. Wisdom for whether amphotericin B should be given at all, and if it should, that Elizabeth would be protected from its side-effects.
2. That God would place limits on the fungus and prevent it from spreading anywhere else.
3. That Elizabeth's lung function would improve, whatever is causing it to remain suboptimal
4. That Elizabeth's stomach and intestines would speed up in their processing of food and tolerate medications better
5. That Sara's cough would completely and quickly resolve to allow her to be with Elizabeth full time
6. That Sara would have resolve to continue pumping despite forecasts of another 6 to 8 weeks before breastfeeding
7. Increased energy and grace as I return to work yet again.
8. That I would be protected from Sara's cold.

Thank you all again for your prayers and encouraging emails, notes and cards. We are storing them all away and hope to someday put them together to show Elizabeth how our community rallied around our family!

Matt and Sara