What a day…God is FAITHFUL!!

Linda’s temperature had once again stabilized by morning. They did start her on some antibiotics before Annie arrived this morning at 9am. The morning was a tough one.

Dr. Andrews (one of Linda’s nasal surgeons) came in and removed the surgical packing that was in Linda’s nose. Annie told me that she heard Hughie (Annie & Linda’s little brother who died in 1991) say to the removal of the packing, that it was “gnarly.”

Linda also had the drain in her back removed and then sutured. Her lower back is very tender, but we are so glad that the doctors no longer seem concerned about her spinal fluid. THANK YOU JESUS!!

Another thing that made the morning more challenging is that the IV in her left arm had started to flow into the her body’s tissue. They removed the IV and the swelling has been going down throughout the day. Even though it is still bigger then I would like it to be, the nurses say that it looks great!

When I, Katrina, arrived about 2pm Linda had been resting after her intense morning. However, Dr. Chung one of Linda’s nasal surgeons had ordered that Linda sit up for at least an hour and a half today. After yesterday and with the morning that Linda had, she started bargaining with Dr. Chung. She asked if she could do two 45min sessions? Dr. Chung agreed. 3pm rolled around and Linda got up, brushed her teeth and walked around her small room to the chair. She was in good spirits and was holding court. She talked for 20min to one of the nurse without her oxygen mask on. Her color was great and she was so cute!

So its official Linda can actually taste…not the same -- as of yet…but she HATES the hospital yogurt and milk shakes. So much so that she sent me on a run in the midst of her chair workout to go get her the “right” yogurt and a vanilla milk shake from GoodTimes. When I got back she had been in the chair for almost two hours. It was amazing!! She hadn’t thrown up and even though she was a bit tired…she looked fantastic to me! :o) She started on that milk shake and wouldn’t stop. She said that she is Bill Huntington’s daughter and will be made well by milk shakes. You needed to know my Grandfather to fully enjoy the moment.

Once we got her back in the bed Linda was tired. She has been resting comfortably (rather as comfortable as she can be) ever since.

PRAISE GOD!! At 9:30pm Linda’s temperature was only 98.1…which is AWESOME!!! Praise God that we are going to get through the night without running a temp!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers as they are truly making a difference!!

PRAISE GOD!!!

Oh what a difference a day makes! As you have read last night was not the easiest...today is a different story. Not that it was easy, but rather all the challenges she faced today are things that are bring her closer to her healing.

Annie arrived at the hospital at 8am and ever since then her temperature has been within the normal range. PRAISE GOD!!!

Within the first couple of hours the girls were greeted by Linda’s neurosurgeon & by her nasal doctors. The neurosurgeon capped off the drain in Linda’s back. So far it looks like they won’t have to uncap it. However, if we notice any clear liquid draining from Linda’s nose and/or Linda feels a salty liquid draining down that back of her throat we are to immediately notify a nurse, as this is a symptom that Linda’s spinal fluid is backing up. Otherwise Linda is progressing beautifully on the neurological level.

Dr. Chung, her nasal doctor, is also satisfied with her recovery. He ordered that Linda get up and walk around, as well as sit in a chair for ONE HOUR. This sounds like simple tasks that she should be able to master easily. However her pain is so intense that it was horrific. Linda was a trooper!! She knew that it was critical for her health and she persevered through it!! The hour of sitting in the chair was horrendous for her. She threw up numerous times, her blood pressure dropped drastically and took at least five minutes to return to normal. As well as the fact that she said that it felt like her head was going to explode…yet she got it done for her own health.

She was SO CUTE in the middle of it…a physical therapist was in the room going over all the exercises that she needs to be doing throughout the day. I’m not sure if the physical therapist was aware of how cognitively present Linda is, because it seemed that she was more explaining the hows and whys to me. In the midst of her explanation Linda, while in the chair in immense pain…starts doing her foot flexes. I AM SO PROUD OF MY LITTLE MOMMA!!!! She is doing whatever it takes…no matter what the cost in pain! Her will to live and her focus on beating this thing…it’s amazing!!!

Thank you for your continued prayers for NO COMPLICATIONS!! That her pain would be tolerable to nonexistent!! Our God is a BIG GOD and I BELIEVE THAT HE CAN DO ANYTHING!! Also, that He would CONTINUE to give her the UNBELIEVEABLE STRENGTH to TRIUMPH over everything that she facing!!

Immensely grateful for your prayers, love and support!

Michael, Annie & Katrina

Ok, addendum…it’s 8:30pm and her temperature is BACK UP for the first time today. It is 100.2. PLEASE PRAY!! Somehow we are back to where we were last night.

Temperature Update

At 11:30pm Linda’s temperature was down to 99.3 and by 3:30am it was 99.2. I, Katrina, stayed with Linda until 4am to make sure that her fever was under control. I slept in the chair next to her bed and was there if she needed anything…which she did call out once because she thought that she was going to throwing-up. She ended up not throwing-up, but she seemed conformed that someone was right there.

Thank you for continuing to pray that her temperature would NORMALIZE! For a RAPIED HEALING! That her pain would MINUMILZED and become NONEXISTENT!

Thank you for your continued prayers…she really needs them!

Attn: Prayer Warriors

WE ARE STILL IN NEED OF PRAYER!

Linda had a good day, but all of the sudden her temperature raised to 100.2 about 8pm. This doesn’t seem critical, but Linda is special (as we all know) and her normal temperature runs low about 97.8 or 97.9. They are concerned that it could go into pneumonia. By 9pm her temperature was back down to 98.5, but at 10:30pm it was back up to 100.0. They do not think that it this point that it is a sign of infection, but rather due to her shallow breathing caused by lack of movement.

Linda did get up and walk around today, but she would not sit in the chair for any amount of time like the physical therapist request. She said that she was tired…which of course she is. This evening we have explained to her that in the morning she is not going to have an option, as it is the one thing that can actively help her from developing pneumonia. Once that was explained she was willing to sit up in bed right away. God Bless her, she really is trying and I can’t imagine the amount of pain that she is in.

Other great things about today: She ate solid food for the first time. It is just a bit at a time, but with each meal it is a bit more. She got up and was walking around with the aid of a walker. Linda was resistant to sitting in a chair for any amount of time, because the area around her incision is very painful even with the drugs. Her nausea is been greatly diminished with a change in her pain pills. Today was the first time that she allowed us to be in the room for any amount of time. :o)

As you can tell it has been a good day, but she is still in a very fragile state and we need BIG CONTINUED PRAYERS for NO COMMPLICATIONS!!! That her temperature would NORMALIZE!! That the Lord would take away her pain and continue to give her the STRENGTH to INDURE this situation!!! And whatever else the Lord guides you to pray!!

Thank you!

What a GREAT DAY!!

Last night when we all went to bed we decided not to set our alarm clocks and to sleep in. Whomever was up first was to feel free to leave for the hospital…knowing that we would all make our way there by early afternoon.

Annie was the first one up and out of the house by 8:30am. Michael was getting ready to leave when I came up stairs at 10:30am. At that time Annie called and to let us know that Linda does not want us at the hospital and that she had asked Annie to leave. Linda said that she is tired and wants to rest.

Annie went and told Linda’s nurse that she was leaving due to Linda’s request. The nurse explained that was fine for a bit, but that Linda does need stimulation even if she doesn’t want it. Also, even though Linda is tired the nurse is going to have to get Linda up and walking around this afternoon, even though it is going to be hard and painful. Linda’s lungs and the rest of her body need movement to aid in the recovery.

For now we are giving Linda a bit of space. We are going to go see her later this afternoon. Annie said that she looks great…even better than she did last night. She also said that Linda is very alert. One of the nurses came in this morning and was quizzing Linda about her medical history. Linda knew all the answers. It truly seems at this point that Linda is not experiencing any cognitive issues. PRAISE GOD!!

The nurses seem to be doing a very good job of managing Linda’s pain. The only consistent complaint that Linda is expressing is that her throat hurts. They had a tub down her throat for the entire 9 hours of the surgery to keep from getting anything in her lungs. As of this morning they are giving her throat lozenges and she is being allowed small amounts of water.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS!!

PRAISE GOD!!!!

IT IS A FANTASTIC DAY!!!!

THE TUMOR IS OUT!!! The Doctors got the margins they were looking for!!! They were able to go through her skull and up her nose to remove the tumor. They did not have to cut her face. The only scar that Linda will have is the one that goes from ear to ear on the top of her head, which of course will be covered by her hair. They were also able to maintain the outside of her facial structure. Meaning that once the swelling goes down she should be the beautiful Linda that we are all accustom to. :o)

Praise God!! They were able to keep her eye. Even better, as of tonight, Linda is squinting out of the eye in question and is able to see. There is still a question if there has been any alteration to her vision, but we won’t know for a day or so.

Linda had a CAT Scan on her way to ICU. She will be in ICU for at least the next couple of days. She looks amazing considering what she has been through!! SHE IS ALERT!! She is so alert that she is telling us what to do…which is AMSOME!!!

Prayer Warriors, Keep Praying!!! She is not out of the woods and it is going to be a long haul, but man are we thankful for such an amazing day!!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS & SUPPORT DURING THIS JOURNEY!!!

XOXO’S
Michael, Annie & Katrina

Surgery Update

Linda awake in good spirits and very much at peace this morning at 4:30am. We were off to the hospital by 5:45am & by 6am were checking in. They wheeled her into surgery right about 7:35am and the miracles event of Linda becoming CANCER FREE was under way.

Michael (Linda’s husband), Annie (Linda’s sister) & I, Katrina (Linda’s daughter) went to breakfast. At 9am while at breakfast we received our first update, letting us know that they were about to start “the surgery.” They explained that the last hour and a half had been spent prepping Linda.

At 10:30am we received the next update from the OR liaison. The surgery was in full swing and everything was going smoothly!

The last update at noon informed us that they had just completed inserting the lumbar drain in Linda’s back. They had already moved on and were in the brain, headed down into the sinuses. All her vitals are right where they want them and everything is still going smoothly.

THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE PRAYERS COMING…THEY ARE WORKING!!