A Wild Week

Whew!  I can't believe that Mom and I have made it another week!  Let's start with the good news first.  Becca received a clean bill of health from the surgeon!  Mom is off the ventilator, and yesterday started eating almost regular food.  She received her voice box for her trach on Monday.  I haven't heard Mom's voice since July 14th.  Needless to say when I heard her say my name out loud, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude and love.  Gratitude and love to my Heavenly Father for listening and answering all of the prayers on her behalf as well as love and gratitude for my mother.  Mom has spent her life serving her family and all those around her.  I could not have asked for a better example of a loving mother.

Those who know me know how much I love my family.  Yes, even my brothers when they act stupid and I want to beat the hell of out them.  Still they are my brothers and I am allowed to feel that way because I am the BIG SISTER!  Yes even to my older brother :)  I tell you this because when someone picks on my siblings or my parents the mother bear tends to come out in me.  I say this because as some of you already know we had a hard night last night with an apathetic nurse.  I want to say that while there are some really horrible nurses out there, the vast majority that have helped my Mom have been wonderful.  I cannot complain.  They have treated my mother as if she were part of their family.  Unfortunately for the nurse last night she had to deal with Grant Jolley's grand-daughter and great grand-daughter.  She had no idea what she was in for when she showed up for work yesterday.  I have filed my complaint and have voiced my opinion to the powers at be.  Mom and I won the battle.

So outside of the run in we had with the night nurse Mom has had a great week!  She is ever so slowly making improvements.  I celebrate each day we make it through together.  At the end of the day it doesn't matter who likes us or who doesn't. Material possessions are irrelevant.  For me all that matters is my trust and faith in my Heavenly Father, my family, and my friends.  So as always thank you for everything.

Here is a blurry selfie of me and Mom.  Yes, Sulyn I know that I stink at taking selfies :)

Much love,

Robyn

Looking for Rainbows

When it rains it pours.....or at least that is what usually happens with my family.  This past week has been a challenging one to say the least.  Instead of lamenting on all of the chaos and stress, I want to share our successes.

Monday Mom had a chest tube put in to help drain the fluid on her lung.  She has had over 2 liters of fluid drained!  She struggled with breathing Monday night, but today she was able to be on the trach collar for 4 1/2 hours!!  I cannot tell you how HAPPY I was earlier today!

Mom has been in rare form lately so when she let me wash her face with her Mary Kay, I was in heaven.  (Mom is bathed everyday but it's with special hospital stuff.  Mind you she has been asking for a nice warm bath!)  She even allowed me to brush her hair which hasn't been brushed in awhile so it took me a bit to brush the majority of it.  Luckily for her, I have a smart phone so we listened to the George Strait station on Pandora.  I was delighted to see her mouthing the words along with the music.  (You see Mom has ICU psychosis.  Most days she doesn't even know my name.  This week has been the first time she called me Rob. So when she was mouthing the words to the music, I found hope again.  Hope and I have not been friends lately.)

I was able to be with Becca while she had her emergency appendectomy.  She handled surgery like a champ!  I was able to meet some of her friends, and I am grateful that she has good ones!  They stayed with her while she had to wait for me to drive up to Hattiesburg.  She was so doped up I should have recorded her and put that stuff up on YouTube!

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, assistance, service.....basically for everything ya'll have done to help my family during this challenging time.

Just remember that there is a rainbow after the rain.



Much Love,

Robyn

Silent Night

Dear Family & Friends,

Boy a crazy week it has been!  I feel as though I need to explain Mom's situation as there have been the same questions asked.

Mom has been in ICU for over a month.  Her transplant organ is going well and her body is so far accepting the new liver.  The problem is that other vital organs are shutting down.  There wasn't any way that the doctors could have foreseen all of the complications.  Before Mom could even be considered to move to the top of the list, she went through 3 months of rigorous internal tests to ensure that her body could withstand surgery.

Since the transplant she has had to jump over so many hurdles just to stay alive.  Everyday Becca and I stay with her from 9am-6pm and then from 8-11pm.  Every time one of the machines start beeping I am at her bedside holding her hand talking her through what is happening whether she can hear me or not.  Becca is usually the one holding my hand and comforting me. (I'm the worry wort in the family :)  Right now her kidneys and lungs need to work, and her heart needs to stop paying hopscotch (that's how I explain arterial fibrillation).  She is not out of the woods yet.  I say this because someone (non-medical staff) said that she wasn't in serious condition.  Well let me tell you moron, she is in critical but stable condition.  This is not me blowing her condition out of proportion; it is the truth. So keep your non-medical knowing opinions to yourself!

Now many have asked what can you do for us.  Well to be honest, the backyard is a disaster.  Our neighbors have been very kind and make sure that the front is cut.  The backyard looks like we are growing hay.  If someone can just call or text my Dad to cheer him up, that would be fabulous.  He is having a rough time because is FMLA time ran out and he had to go back to work last week.  He would much rather be down here sitting day in and day out next to Mom.  After 34 years of marriage, he doesn't know how to function very well without his other half and I can't blame him.

My family and I are on this emotional trying roller coaster ride.  I celebrate the small victories in order to make through each day.  I can't tell you what it means to me when I received a text or message that ya'll are praying for us or that you have put her name on the temple prayer roll.  We have felt every single prayer.  I am forever indebted to ya'll for your faith and kindness.

So for tonight not only am I enjoying the wonderful view of the Mississippi River from the room, I am also enjoying the silence in her room.  Mom takes baby steps every day and in due time those steps will start to add up and she will be able to hopefully make a full recovery.

Thank you again (I can't say it enough!) for all that you do have done and continue to do for my family.

Good night!

Robyn

Smiles

Dear Family and Friends,

I write to you tonight with my heart full.  The last couple of days have been nerve wracking and at moments down right scary.  I won't bore you with all of the minute details, but what I do want to say is thank you.  I have felt every single prayer and kind thought sent up to Heavenly Father on my Mom's behalf.  Without those thoughts and prayers there is no way that I could make it through this.

Yesterday when we arrived at the hospital we were informed that Mom's arms were restrained.  Come to find out during the night Mom started fighting like a ninja and was trying to pull her breathing tube out.  In order to cheer her up, Becca and I started singing some of the songs from her favorite musicals.  We started out with some good ole Camp songs.  She looked at us like we were crazy, so we moved on to White Christmas, then to Summer Magic, and you can't forget Hello Dolly.  Well apparently, there is a camera and a tv monitor in the room.  The eICU nurse comes on in the middle of our routine and scares the living daylights out of us.  It took us a minute to figure out where the person talking to us was because we just kept looking up.  I guess you had to have been here.

Earlier today Mom made it through surgery #4 like a champ!  When Becca and I arrived earlier today, she had just been wheeled back from the surgery.  We are kicked out every night between 6-8pm so the nurses can do everything for shift change.  In her room there is usually a curtain drawn.  Before we can enter we have to wash our hands, put on gloves, and a yellow gown. (Yes, I am sure there is a technical name for the gown, but I don't know what it is and you get the picture.)  So tonight like the nights previously I go through the usual routine of being able to enter the room.  I ask the nurse if she is awake, and for once she is, as I come around the curtain I say "Hi Gorgeous!"  What happened next made me want to cry with joy.  My Mom gave me the biggest smile.  Talk about warming my heart.  I cannot describe just how much relief I felt in that moment.

So thank you for all of the love and support ya'll have given us during this trying time.  What I can tell you is that the Lord does hear and answers are prayers, and that He is always mindful of our needs.

Goodnight family and friends!

Love ,

Robyn

Mom Update 8/3

Once Upon A Time……..

This is usually how I start off any story that I tell, but it doesn’t seem appropriate today.  As some of you may or may not know, I flew to New Orleans on Thursday to be with my mother as she recovers from her liver transplant.  This has been quite a roller coaster ride, and it doesn’t seem it is going to end any time soon.

Luckily for me my Mom has taught me how to fight; it is now my turn to remind her how to fight.  She has been in ICU for the past 3 weeks, and it looks like she is going to be here for another few weeks before she can move to the transition room (the next phase in the transplant process).  Seeing my Mom in the condition she is in breaks my heart.  I was able to see her right after I flew in on Thursday.  I asked her if she knew who I was and she shook her head yes. (Right now she is incubated but alert.)  It was hard to fight back the tears.

I know that a lot of you want updates of Mom’s status.  So what I will do is update here on a regular basis.  It’s easier than remember who all to text.  So here is your update:

Mom is currently incubated, and we are hoping to have her off the ventilator soon.  She is fighting a bacteria infection and is on dialysis.  We are taking one day at a time.  Dad has to go back to work since he no longer has any more leave time.  Becca and I are chilling at the hospital with Mom until she has to go back to school in 1 ½ weeks.  Don’t worry, I am here for the long haul.  If you would like an update prior to me posting here, call or text me at 601-955-2904.

I appreciate everyone’s love, concern, prayers, and kind thoughts sent our way!

Much Love,

Robyn