Today was a hectic but GOOD day. Elizabeth tried to make up for her late night by sleeping in-between interruptions (vital checks every 4 hours, IV antibiotics 2 or 3 times, blood draw at 6am) until 8:30 this morning. Her appetite is slowly coming back and she's getting stronger and steadier on her feet. She's gone for 36 hours without a fever so we think we've gotten the upper hand on whatever was ailing her and now we just need to make some decisions about how long she needs to be treated with IV antibiotics in light of the fact that her cultures haven't grown anything. No one seems confident that we should stop treatment and go home, but we'll see how things go over the weekend. At this point, we're bracing ourselves for the full 10-day course of antibiotics and we'll be delighted if we get surprised with an early discharge.
Grandma arrived and immediately her presence was a blessing since the little girls got some TLC and good naps at home and thanks to a sweet visit from our friend & babysitter, I got to go home and take a quick nap! I'm home tonight with Grandma and the girls to get some much needed sleep and Matt's at the hospital with Elizabeth. She's still awake and tossing and turning...pray for her little body and mind to rest!
Thank you for your prayers, your encouraging emails, phone calls and meals! We feel loved on every side and it's remarkable to once again be faced with such a complicated crisis and honestly feel like we're doing well! Matt continues to be able to work because by the grace of God he only has a few patients on service. This RARELY happens for him. Usually when he goes on service he has "the most patients they've had in a month" or some other craziness. But after hearing how things went today I was remembering 4 years ago when we were admitted to UCSF for one of Elizabeth's long stays and Matt was able to continue his residency program AND be fully present in the hospital with us because he had 1 patient on the wards the entire month! That was unheard of. But it was a beautiful picture then and now of how many times God hasn't taken us away from the crisis but has made a path (think red sea) through seemingly impossible circumstances. Personally, I think He's enjoying showing off for us. :) He's good. Thanks for being part of His goodness to us.
A dozen times a day I log a little tid-bit that I want to pass along to encourage you how well God is taking care of us in answer to your prayers. I would love more time to write eloquently of his faithfulness, describe the nuances of his kindnesses to us. But tonight, I only have energy for a list:
~Our sweet nurse "doesn't believe in waking sleeping children"...so Elizabeth got much needed rest.
~A sweet friend got some groceries for me so I could sleep instead this afternoon.
~Elizabeth is perky, compliant, cheerful, flexible and simply the best patient a hospital could hope for. She makes hospital stays EASY (except for the insomnia thing!) :)
~Delicious Harvest Bisque with grilled cheese on french bread for dinner thanks to another foodie friend.
~Coffee and visitors at just the right time yesterday. And a friend to distract Elizabeth so I could talk with yet another team of doctors who wanted "the whole story".
~A Grandpa who is willing to spend his 60th birthday alone and send his bride of 39 years on a plane to be with his ailing granddaughter.
~Friends who care for, love and enjoy our daughters so I can be at peace in the hospital with Elizabeth.
~Matt works AT the hospital where Elizabeth is admitted. He RARELY has to take a vacation day and is always only a phone call and a few steps away.
~What appeared to be a really sad development a month ago--Hannah needed to be weaned and only takes formula from a bottle--has become a tremendous blessing: She's thriving and we have the flexibility to leave her with Grandma or a friend when I can't keep her with me at the hospital.
~lastly for tonight...a sweet video of Elizabeth taken at the height of her fevers on Wednesday night...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzLqt8RYvAI
Goodnight sweet friends,
Love,
Sara
Grandma arrived and immediately her presence was a blessing since the little girls got some TLC and good naps at home and thanks to a sweet visit from our friend & babysitter, I got to go home and take a quick nap! I'm home tonight with Grandma and the girls to get some much needed sleep and Matt's at the hospital with Elizabeth. She's still awake and tossing and turning...pray for her little body and mind to rest!
Thank you for your prayers, your encouraging emails, phone calls and meals! We feel loved on every side and it's remarkable to once again be faced with such a complicated crisis and honestly feel like we're doing well! Matt continues to be able to work because by the grace of God he only has a few patients on service. This RARELY happens for him. Usually when he goes on service he has "the most patients they've had in a month" or some other craziness. But after hearing how things went today I was remembering 4 years ago when we were admitted to UCSF for one of Elizabeth's long stays and Matt was able to continue his residency program AND be fully present in the hospital with us because he had 1 patient on the wards the entire month! That was unheard of. But it was a beautiful picture then and now of how many times God hasn't taken us away from the crisis but has made a path (think red sea) through seemingly impossible circumstances. Personally, I think He's enjoying showing off for us. :) He's good. Thanks for being part of His goodness to us.
A dozen times a day I log a little tid-bit that I want to pass along to encourage you how well God is taking care of us in answer to your prayers. I would love more time to write eloquently of his faithfulness, describe the nuances of his kindnesses to us. But tonight, I only have energy for a list:
~Our sweet nurse "doesn't believe in waking sleeping children"...so Elizabeth got much needed rest.
~A sweet friend got some groceries for me so I could sleep instead this afternoon.
~Elizabeth is perky, compliant, cheerful, flexible and simply the best patient a hospital could hope for. She makes hospital stays EASY (except for the insomnia thing!) :)
~Delicious Harvest Bisque with grilled cheese on french bread for dinner thanks to another foodie friend.
~Coffee and visitors at just the right time yesterday. And a friend to distract Elizabeth so I could talk with yet another team of doctors who wanted "the whole story".
~A Grandpa who is willing to spend his 60th birthday alone and send his bride of 39 years on a plane to be with his ailing granddaughter.
~Friends who care for, love and enjoy our daughters so I can be at peace in the hospital with Elizabeth.
~Matt works AT the hospital where Elizabeth is admitted. He RARELY has to take a vacation day and is always only a phone call and a few steps away.
~What appeared to be a really sad development a month ago--Hannah needed to be weaned and only takes formula from a bottle--has become a tremendous blessing: She's thriving and we have the flexibility to leave her with Grandma or a friend when I can't keep her with me at the hospital.
~lastly for tonight...a sweet video of Elizabeth taken at the height of her fevers on Wednesday night...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzLqt8RYvAI
Goodnight sweet friends,
Love,
Sara
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