Update on David's Visit with the Surgeon

David saw the surgeon this past Tuesday.  Here's an update from Michele.....

The surgeon was pleasantly surprised with David's recovery so far.  He didn't expect David to be eating solid foods quite yet like he does :)  In fact, he said as long as he is able to eat a considerable amount of calories, he can forego the tube feedings...which didn't hurt David's feelings at all :)  So he is free from his rolling pole friend. :)  David is MORE than happy.  He has to return to the doctor in 2 weeks.  We have been so blessed with amazing doctors and nurses thru all of this...everyone at the doc office knew him by name just from the doctor's mention of him and seeing his name over the last 3 mths...though they had never met him before.  I told him he's my MIRACLE MAN! :)  Continued prayers are desired, since he's still adjusting to eating food etc and regaining his energy.  Some days are better than others...but it is sooooo fun to hear him say  he's hungry...or to see him eat :)  Thank you everyone!!




Thank you for your continued prayers!  Please don't stop!  We praise God for the daily mercies He showers upon the Hewitts.

Out and About

Thank you for your continued prayers for the Hewitt family.  Here's Michele's most encouraging update.  Isn't our God unspeakably good!?

David had "David's (Dad's) day out today!! (last Friday) We went to lunch to get his favorite soup...then to get a haircut for him..then to the grocery store!! He was loving it and I was beside myself!!!  We came home to rest for the afternoon, then he decided he wanted to go out to dinner (we had a gift card to Panera's so he could get some soup).  So we had our first date in over 3 mths and I'm so happy I didn't have to leave him behind at the hospital on a Friday night.  He tires out quickly and starts sweating but the activity has been good for him I think...and more than anything, to get him outside and amongst "life"...Boy do we feel so blessed!!  I just keep smiling...and so does he!!

Michele also shared that David was able to eat solid food today!  Please pray for a good report when they see the doctor next Tuesday.

Also, by now the medical bills are coming in, and as I'm sure all of you can imagine, 3 months in the hospital with such a high level of care is not inexpensive.  Would you please pray for God's provision to pay these bills and for the hospital to be merciful and willing to work with this dear family?  

Please don't stop praying!  How humbling it is to see God work in such amazing ways!

Can You Believe It? He's Home!!!

Thanks be to God!  Isn't this exciting?

From Michele......

ok...i'm about to bust...I got to bring David home today! He is getting settled and is VERY tired...but I couldn't keep it a secret any longer! The doctor said this morning..."how about tomorrow morn?"....I gave him the sad puppy dog face and he said "ok"...we'll get you out of here today! :) HAPPY cannot begin to describe how I felt driving away with David beside me! :)




Isn't that wonderful??  Thank you all for your prayers.  The Hewitt family continues to need them, of course, as the road ahead is long.




Let's pray that God would bless Michele and David with some quiet time to get adjusted to everything, too.  I'm sure after 3 months with doctors and nurses and beeps and whistles, they must be glad to be together as a family again.


And, please continue to pray for healing and strength for both Michele and David.  Isn't the goodness of our God overwhelming?

Adjustments and Another Praise

Because of varying complications, the doctors have made changes to David's medications, and he won't be going home until they see that these adjustments are working for him.  David especially needs prayers regarding the chronic nausea he has been battling.

Michele received a wonderful report from her kidney specialist that she won't be needing dialysis at this time!  Thank you for interceding on her behalf, and please make this a standing petition.

May God bless you over and over for your diligence in praying for the Hewitts!

Hoping

Michele sent an update last night:


I THOUGHT I'D SEND A LITTLE UPDATE..EVEN THOUGH I GUESS THERE'S NOT REALLY TOO MUCH CHANGE...HOWEVER, DAVID DOES SEEM TO KEEP IMPROVING...GETTING 
STRONGER, MOVING BETTER, THEY ARE WEANING HIM OFF OF THE TPN (IV) FEEDINGS, INCREASING HIS G-TUBE (ENSURE) FEEDINGS IN HOPES THAT HE WILL GET NATURALLY HUNGRY AND HAVE AN APPETITE TO EAT REAL FOOD.   HE EATS A LITTLE BIT EACH MEAL...IT MAY JUST BE A FEW BITES, BUT I GUESS AFTER NOT EATING FOR 10 WKS...IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR THAT TO GET TO NORMAL AND FOR FOOD TO START TO TASTE GOOD AGAIN.  HE HAS HAD A FEW BITES OF A SANDWICH, SOME FRUIT...THINGS LIKE THAT. THE DOCS TOLD HIM TODAY THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO HOME THIS COMING WEEK.  HIS DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER IN THE HOSPITAL SINCE HE'S FEELING BETTER, SO BOREDOM IS STARTING TO SET IN. LOOKING FORWARD TO HIM COMING HOME THIS WEEK HOPEFULLY! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. (PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS BEEN SO GENEROUS IN PROVIDING OUR FAMILY MEALS EACH WEEK...THAT HAS BEEN A PRICELESS BLESSING TO US..THANKS JILL FOR INITIATING THAT!! YOU'RE AWESOME)


Also, would you please pray for Michele?  She has a visit this week with her kidney specialist, and there's concern she might have to start dialysis.  Please pray she would not have to go through this again, but rather God would bring healing and strength to her body.  Pray, too, for peace and a thankful heart whatever the circumstances.


Words cannot express how thankful we are for your fervent prayers.  May God bless you over and over for your service and sacrifice to the Hewitts.

Bring on the Solid Food (and the Discharge Papers, too!)

What we do every day becomes a moment of celebration when you haven't been able to do it for 2-1/2 months.....eat solid food!

Yesterday David was able to eat solids for the first time.  What did he eat?  Fried chicken, of course! (You have to be from the south to understand....) Yum!  Yum!  Here's more from Michele.....

David seems to be doing well. His main challenge at this point for himself, as well as his doctors, is his ongoing nausea.  They did another CT scan yesterday and were pleased with what they saw.  They started introducing the "new" feedings again today (it's like Ensure) thru his new G tube they put in during his surgery last week.  They are doing smaller amounts at a smaller rate.  So far this evening when I left him, I don't think he had gotten sick from it like before.  I think this is probably his last major hurdle to overcome before being able to come home!  He has become more mobile and seems determined to do so, so that is good :)  That is good because I know he is on his way to independence...which is good place to be after you have lost it for so long :)

All else is good with the Hewitt Family.  We continue to be amazed at how generous and wonderful people are to us. We feel very blessed that people avail themselves so freely, to help chip in and meet the needs of others.  Thank you so much for you prayers and words of encouragement that mean so very much!!

Love to you all...those whom we know...and those whom we don't...

AND.....

woohoo!!! The surgeon cleared David to try REAL FOOD today with no restrictions....so he wanted a couple bites of my fried chicken and it didn't even make him sick....Doc also said they hope to be able to send him home after the weekend!! Sure hope that works out :) I think I was more excited about his fried chicken bites than he was :) First real food since Christmas Eve!! I think that's worth celebrating :)

Thanks be to God from whom ALL blessings flow!  Michele shared, too, that she thinks she feels better than she has in several weeks.  So, LOTS of good news going on here, and so many thanks sent your way for being faithful prayer warriors for the Hewitts.

Please don't stop praying!  

Answered Prayers!

Here's some wonderful news from Michele that she sent late last night.

I wanted to let you know the latest on David....He is doing well.  They removed the vent yesterday about 10am...he loved having that out.  He had a good day today.  He actually got up and sat in the chair for a little bit.  They tried feeding him the "ensure" nutrition today thru his system but unfortunately it made him sick so they had to stop it.  He continues to have a lot of nausea and pain and has been running a temp since surgery. They moved him out of ICU this evening...woohoo!    I can't wait to bring him home!  It feels like forever since he has been here.  

Thank you so much everyone for your prayers!  We appreciate you more than words can say!!

Post-Surgery Update~Please Pray

David was put in the ICU yesterday after surgery because the surgeons wanted to keep the ventilator in longer.  David is having A LOT of trouble with gagging with the vent in.  Sadly, there's nothing they can do.  Please pray for a calm spirit for David and for strength for Michele, as it is very difficult to watch him struggle in this way.  

David's hands are restrained, and he attempts to communicate with Michele by sign language.  They've had him sedated, but as soon as the sedation wears off, he starts to get agitated with the vent.

Thank you for your continued prayers!  They are so appreciated!

Surgery Success

Right from Michele.....

They just finished David's 3 hour surgery.  Docs said "it was pretty messy" but David did great, and they hope this will fix the problem.  Another drain had to be put in temporarily, and the surgeons also did a procedure to allow all feeding directly to his intestines.  They're hoping David will be able to eat real food in a couple days.  They project he'll be in the hospital another one to two weeks, and then, homeward bound. Woohoo!!  Thanks to everyone for your prayers.


Praise the LORD for His goodness and mercy to David today!  The prayers of a righteous man availeth much!

Surgery Tomorrow~Please Pray!

Per Michele earlier today....


Davids surgery is set for 4 tomorrow. They will be making a vertical long incision in his stomach...yikes! I don't envy him...(and no baby afterwards!) :). Please pray for a smooth operation with his breathing and no complications or infection. I am quite nervous. Hoping to see the surgeon tomorrow before the surgery. Thanks for everything over these last 8 wks! Its been quite a ride :)


This is 4 o'clock Eastern time.  Thank you for your faithful prayers!  Words cannot adequately express our thanks.  

Requests, Praises, and Thanks!

Straight from sweet Michele!

PRAISES.

• David is getting stronger as he is able to walk and be more progressively mobile
• He is receiving good care on this floor
• He was able to drink some cranberry juice today and keep it down
• His pain level has improved, thus requiring less pain med and allowing him to be more of "himself" and alert, etc
• Meghan is being treated for bronchitis (after battling this for a month after doc said it had to run it's course a month ago) and is finally starting to feel better
• The time with my mom and other family member's and friend's visits have been priceless and such a comfort
• I am feeling better :)
• The continued support from friends and family continues to bring tears to my eyes EVERY time I get a message or card etc....PEOPLE ARE SO KIND AND THOUGHTFUL

PRAYER NEEDS:

• Obviously for David's healing to continue and no complications to occur
• Extreme wisdom for those involved in planning his discharge and continued recovery care
• Comfort for David and patience for him as he continues his hospital stay and medical care (he gets easily frustrated and is still an ENGINEER!)
• Mental, physical, emotional and spiritual strength for me as I process David's care, My health, the kids upcoming graduations, the whole Disability situation, etc etc 

Thank you everyone for your past and continued prayers!  We are so grateful for each of you and your commitment to our family!  I cannot even begin to tell you how good it feels to know that each of you are standing in the gap for us!   God is so true to his promises to us to never leave us or forsake us!  His word does not tell us we will not experience hardships on this earth....the Bible is a clear indicator of that as his people endured hardships all the time...not to mention his very own only son...going to the cross and enduring a horrible crucifixion death....for US! I am just so thankful that His mercies are truly NEW every morning and that He has not given us a spirit of fear...but of love, and of power and of a sound mind.   Bottom line is...HE IS GOOD....but sometimes our situations on this earth can be BAD and cause us to look to him for strength and peace.

Love and hugs to each of you...those we know...and those we will one day meet!!

Blessings and a grateful heart,

Michele :) 

Have Mercy, O Lord

"Trust Him in the dark,honor Him with unwavering confidence even in the midst of mysterious dispensations, and the recompense of such faith will be like the molting of the eagle's plumes, which was said to give them a new lease of youth and strength."
~J.R. MacDuff


David is doing well with his move to another floor of the hospital.  Michele was again reminded by the infectious disease doctors that this is the worst case of gall bladder pancreatitis they've ever seen.  This makes God's deliverance of David even more amazing and should be much cause for praise and rejoicing!

Michele still hasn't been able to see David, though.  She is battling a fever and really needs our prayers for God's healing so she'll be able to minister to and take care of David.  Please pray for complete healing very soon, as she is quite sick.  We ask God for His mercy that Michele would not need to be hospitalized as well!

Their daughter, Meghan, is also battling an illness which has been going on for about a month, so prayer for her healing is appreciated, too.

God bless every one of you for your faithful intercession!

Continued Improvements

God continues to pour out His mercy on the Hewitts!  Here's the latest update from Michele.

~Praise the Lord that she does not have pneumonia!    She does have to still be fever-free for 24 hours, so please continue to pray for that.

~David was moved out of the ICU but to a different floor this time, which should offer him much better nursing care.  When Michele spoke with him on Tuesday (sorry this is a bit delayed), he sounded the best she's heard him sound since being sick.

~He's been up and walking!

~A good friend drove in from NC to spend the days with David at the hospital while Michele is recovering.  Isn't that generous?!

The Hewitts continue to be blessed with cards, messages, food, gift-cards, visits..

"We are truly in awe of the generosity and thoughtfulness of each of you!  Thank you sooooo much!"

Thanks be to God!

Continue to pray fervently!  Please don't get lax in your praying since things are improving.  David still has quite a long way to go.  So, thank you again, for your gifts of intercession!!

More Good News and Requests

I weep for joy when I get updates from Michele like this one.  It characterizes my cousin in so many ways.   She continues to be thankful and humble in the midst of adversity.   She's such a hero to me, and if you knew everything she's battled over the past seven years, you'd call her your hero, too.

Won't you praise God with me for these gifts from His mighty Hand while continuing to cry out on their behalf for the needs mentioned below?

It's been a busy weekend.  Two of David's sisters arrived Friday afternoon from NC...and were able to spend the weekend with David.  It was a surprise for him...I didn't tell him in advance...so his reaction was a "pleased" one, even though sub-dued as he understandibly is.  I woke up this morning with 101.8 fever and a cough...so right before leaving for the hospital I took my temp...and wala...I couldn't go of course.  But I was very grateful that his sisters were here to be able to spend the day with him.  They gave him a little spa treatment...shaving and nails :)

Sat afternoon, several dear friends came to visit and a few of the Elders from our church and some other church members came to the hospital and annointed David with oil and prayed for him...it was a GREAT experience and I think David was truly touched!

God just continues to love on us thru the people around us...be it far away or around the corner.  A couple ladies from our church that are in leadership with a discipleship program called HOPE, came to the hospital Friday afternoon and visited with mom and I, prayed, and told us there was a group of women that wanted to sign up to bring meals. 

We definitely feel the effects of all the prayers of the dear people who are praying for us! I cannot tell you with words, just how much it means..the strength God has given us.  

I received an email from one of our doctors at 8 am this morning who had been in to see David and he said David was up, oriented and knew it was the Super Bowl today.  And as I shared, the doc said he looked the best he has looked since getting sick.

People ask what specific things they can pray for, so I thought I'd just share a few things that come to mind:

1. that David would continue to improve quickly
2. that the doctors will have the wisdom to move him out of ICU at the right time, and not pre-maturely
3. when they move him, that I will be able to be there to help him and that his nursing care would match his needs
4. that the doctors will have the wisdom to discern whether he needs surgery to help clean up some internal infection they discovered on Thursday, to prevent future problems
5. that I would get well soon
6. That I have the wisdom to navigate all the logistics of insurance, disability over the coming weeks

Once again, thank you!

He's Turned the Corner!!

"Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!"

I received a text from Michele just a bit ago with some very encouraging news.  Thank You, Lord!

"The doctors feel that David is doing much better today and has 'turned the corner.'  Very encouraged!  Thank you so much for your continued prayers.  And if you don't mind, please add me to your prayers.  I woke up today with a cough and fever, so I can't see David until it clears."


Thank you for your continued prayers.  Thank you for not growing weary.  Thank you for the comments that let us know you're still interceding.  All of you are such a blessing!

A Better Day

David had a better day on Thursday.  He did need a unit of blood, but the nurse was able to get him to sit up for a couple hours, and the surgeon thought his heart rate and breathing were better.

He was in less pain and needed less medication; thus, he was less confused.  This entire family continues to be so thankful for your persevering in praying for them and for God's goodness in providing just what they need when they need it.

God's richest blessings on each one of you as you continue to intercede for David and his family!

God's Timing is Perfect

From Michele....

There's really not too much to report. David seems stable, but still with extreme nausea, elevated heart rate, and elevated respirations/minute.  He continues to have some difficulty breathing and talking.  The physical therapist and occupational therapist tried to get him up to do some moving but he was unable....but that was following a day getting up in the chair and walking a few steps.  

No fever today so that was good. 

We appreciate your prayers immensely!  After a very stressful series of events today, I experienced a little meltdown around 7:30pm in between visiting hours.  Then I experienced a divine appointment from God when 5 very dear friends showed up suddenly in the hospital waiting room to visit and pray with me, about 8pm.   And people think theres not a GOD!  Just what I needed....so encouraged by their visit and prayers! Thank you friends.  and thank you friends that may not be able to make a surprise visit to the waiting room....but you are at your home and fervently pouring out your hearts to God on our family's behalf!!

How good God is to provide just what Michele needed at just the right time!  As you pray, remember to praise Him first.  So pray for:

~relief from nausea

~strength to walk and talk without exhaustion quickly setting in

~normal heart rate and respirations

~emotional, physical, and spiritual strength for everyone

Please pray, too, that David would not be prematurely moved out of ICU again.  

God's blessings upon you all as you continue to intercede for the Hewitts.

Update on move to ICU

Here's a more detailed update regarding David's return to ICU...

After moving David to a regular room, there were some additional complications.  The picline needed to be replaced, which they did, but the drains had come out, too.  The decision to replace those will be made soon.  The issue with drains is that they slow down the healing process.  The purpose is to make David more comfortable.

David's heart rate became elevated and he was running a fever of 101.4 as well.

He continues to battle severe nausea (oh my...if you know what's that like, and I do, you have much compassion on David!  Please pray for relief!) but they've put a drain through his nose to his stomach to help with this.

The following are Michele's words from late last night:

His surgeon just came by to talk to me. He was out of town last week. He's also very concerned that David has been on the roller-coaster and never really started a true upward climb toward recovery.  They will decide in the morning whether to put the drains back in. He told me that the bad part about doing that is that it ultimately causes the pancreatitis longer to heal. They are just treating the symptoms by doing that, trying to make him feel better. 

We discussed several things to consider.  He said he does feel like David will pull thru and we will probably never know the true cause of his Pancreatitis, which is around 7% of the cases each year...a true mystery.  He did say though that the longer a patient has this, that lessens their chance of recovery.  Definitely not things that a wife, mother and friend want to hear.  But you know what....I know...that I am sitting here after a grim cancer diagnosis 7 years ago...and kidney failure to boot...GOD is BIG....and HE DOES BIG THINGS.

I beg you to please not grow weary in well-doing.  All of you have asked....what you can do for us....I don't really know how to answer...Life is anything but normal for our family right now...I spend the majority of time here at the hospital...away from home...and even though my son is 17...he still likes his mom around every now and then....so all of these things do weigh on my mind....

The well-doing I would ask of you is to take a few minutes out of your day...perhaps the same time if possible...and simply ask God that he HEAL David and restore him to full, better- than- before health so that we can somehow help others who may find themselves walking a similar life journey  :)

To each of you who are lifting the Hewitts up in prayer, I thank you.  Your faithfulness in praying is such a blessing to this family.  Please remember that cards and letters of encouragement are always welcome, too!

One Step Back

David is back in ICU, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  The move may have been a bit premature, and he still needs the advanced care that isn't possible out of ICU.

So, please continue to pray for wisdom for the doctors and strength for the entire Hewitt family.

Thank you!

Out of ICU

Michele just shared that David has been moved out of ICU and is getting settled in his new room this evening.  She'll share more details about his progress later.

Please continue to pray for pain management and no nausea.

God bless you for your continued intercession for David!