Posted on 07/01/2009 6:45:07 PM PDT by Concerned
URGENT PRAYERS NEEDED - DAUGHTER ON RESPIRATOR, NOW HAS MRSA.
My daughter, Stephanie, is on a respirator and nasal feeding tube in the ICU at our local hospital. She was admitted to the hospital on 06/07/2009, after having a seizure that lasted over an hour. She had several shorter ones back-to-back after admission. We were told today that she now has MRSA.
I have written about her before. She is a severely mentally and physically disabled 24 year old, who does not walk, talk, or feed herself. She wears diapers and has a very rare type of dwarfism, so she is only 36 inches tall. She will be 25 years old on 07/27/2009, assuming she lives through this ordeal.
When she was about 9 months old, she had to be trached and on a respirator, with a feeding tube, for a little over 3 years, because her rib cage was significantly deformed and not large enough to allow her lungs to fully expand.
The VERY progressive Doctors we had thought that if she could be trached and ventilated on a respirator, the positive pressure from the respirator pushing her lungs out to hit her rib cage would stimulate her rib cage to grow over three years---and it DID, significantly!
We had an ICU in our home, with round-the-clock nursing. Eventually, she no longer needed either the Respirator or feeding tube.
Because of her respirator-enlarged rib cage, from about age five until probably age 20 or so, she was basically like most kids as far as getting sick was concerned. No major medical problems during that time.
Then suddenly, she started having seizures, especially after we got her out of the tub and she was still a little wet. For some reason, her ability to deal with temperature regulation went haywire and she began having febrile (i.e. sudden, major temperature-drop) seizures. She also started having them with strobe light effects, e.g. when a fan was beneath lights and the fan "cut through" the path of light.
Since we had taken Stephanie on many trips during her lifetime, my husband and I decided to take our younger daughter on a cruise to Alaska via Vancouver, leaving Stephanie in the hands of the agency which regularly helps us care for her at home.
We had just gotten off the ship and were back in Canada when we got the call about Stephanie going to the hospital. We got back asap.
We just okayed the Doctor to have her trached again and to have a feeding tube put in again. The trach may be temporary, but she aspirates when she gets anything by mouth. And now, she has to also fight off MRSA.
PLEASE PRAY FOR HER HEALING AND RECOVERY and to guide the Doctors' hands and for us to make the right decisions.
Thanks!!!
Thank you for the link!
Logan’s Prayer Warriors....trussell’s ping list...an update in #239....
((((((Hugs)))))))We are praying,Fatima
And may He bless all of you who love her.
Thank you for the update.
If I may gently suggest something: Request a meeting with your daughter's care team, including whichever nurses are supervising shifts. Tell them verbally (and in writing) that you have noticed that some of her medical team isn't washing their hands. Insist on hand washing and have it written into her plan of treatment. Then remind them gently to wash if you see them not doing it, and report them if they persist, pointing to her care plan.
prayer bump
“And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in running water; then he shall be clean.” Lev 15:13
Maybe they could do both, Concerned.
Lev. 15:13 And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.
Praying all that you requested. God continue to bless and be with you all.
Continuing to pray.
BTTT
I totally agree with you about proper hand washing. I do carry hand sanitizer but nothing beats soap and water.
Please know that Stephanie is in my prayers.
Prayers continue for Stephanie, her family, and her caregivers.
OMG... our prayers for Stephanie and for her family are never ending. We pray that HE will guide the medical team treating her and give Stephanie and all who love her comfort and peace from this ordeal.
So many of us who are following this thread continue to pray. We’ve all seen miracles before, and ask for one now.
May the blessing of our Lord be with Stephanie.....
“TT”, Beth & Nana
Stephanie and you — her family — are in my nightly prayers.
(((((God Bless)))))
You and Stephanie are in my thoughts and prayers. May God bring her healing and you comfort and peace as you so faithfully watch out for her. Good instinct on the handwashing, stick to your guns. It is not an outrageous thing to ask. Hugs to you!
Concerned, I know you have a lot on your mind. Fwiw, here’s what the Mayo Clinic has on handwashing w/hand sanitizer; I hope this helps:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-washing/HQ00407
Proper use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers which don’t require water are an excellent alternative to hand washing, particularly when soap and water aren’t available. They’re actually more effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that cause disease. Commercially prepared hand sanitizers contain ingredients that help prevent skin dryness. Using these products can result in less skin dryness and irritation than hand washing.
Not all hand sanitizers are created equal, though. Some “waterless” hand sanitizers don’t contain alcohol. Use only the alcohol-based products. The CDC recommends choosing products that contain at least 60 percent alcohol.
To use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:
Apply about 1/2 teaspoon of the product to the palm of your hand.
Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until they’re dry.
If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water, if available, rather than a sanitizer.
CDC info on MRSA, including handwashing info (says either soap & water or alcohol based cleaner): http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_MRSA_ca_public.html
Prayers continue.
Thank you so much for the update. More Prayers on the way for Stephanie and your family.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.