Hi all,
Sorry for the silent weekend. I know that can be frustrating. We heard from Eleanor last night via phone message letting us know he is still stable and they’re having a family meeting today to discuss next steps. I will keep you posted as soon as we are updated.
Greggles, many many healers and I sent you SO much energy this weekend while I was away. Stay open to the healing we’re all sending you!
just got another update from greg’s family. he continues to remain stable. the doctors have reduced the sedatives enough that he opens his eyes when his name is called. hopefully they will be able to bring him back steadily and without incident. his family is staying at the hospital in shifts – returning home to get clean clothes and rest, then going back to the hospital to relieve the others. it is taking a lot of energy, but that comes from the love and support from all of us.
another note, i will be joining emily in the woods, so we won’t be receiving the updates and posting them until monday night or tuesday. so it’s extra important that those who love greg continue to send him healing energy during this time of transition back to the world of sunshine and life!
a quick update: Rebecca called last night and left a message. yesterday was another relatively stable day. that’s good – he needs at least one more of those before they will consider weening him from the ECMO. hour by hour he’s getting closer to recovery. please keep the good love coming!
today, greg’s stability improved. he slept through most of the night and had a quiet day. well, his iPod has joined him via his family, so not *too* quiet.
doctors and nurses from 2 hospitals met with the family to lay out the “plan”. if greg remains stable for the next couple nights, they will begin to back him off the ECMO machine. this is the next step to getting his body to care entirely for itself.
greg’s family says that he is receiving excellent and thorough care. they also ask for continued support, love and healing energy to be sent to greg – it makes a difference.
emily is away for the week, so bucky (her husband) is managing the blog for now.
Rebecca called tonight to let us know that Greg had a rought time last night and today, but is now stable. They switched Greg from the first ECMO machine to one that can be used for a longer period of time, but the changeover was difficult and they had to work on him through the night. There’s not much they know right now, but they’re hoping he can stay stable for 24 hours so that they can see if they can take him off the ECMO. They’ll know more tomorrow. They’re very tired so send out some energy for all of them. 24 hours isn’t long, Greg. You can do this.
Greg is literally on the cutting edge of technology as usual. He’s been moved to Boston Children’s Hospital ICU (where he is the oldest patient) to be hooked up to a state-of-the-art machine called an ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxegenation) that oxegenates blood and cycles it through his system. He may be on this system for several days, but the longer he stays on it, more risks build up, so they’re watching him very carefully.
In addition to the ECMO specialists at Children’s he’s got the constant care of excellent doctors and nurses including his pulmonary surgical team from the Brigham. It took 12 doctors and nurses to move him from one ICU to the other… good thing the buildings are connected. To be safe, they currently have him intebated, sedated and physically paralyzed with medication.
They’re still not sure why his system is having such trouble, but at this point, they’re treating everything they can in hopes to get him fixed up again. This could be a reaction to the blood transfusion, or rejection, or something else… they’re just not certain.
Music can be an amazing healer, so Greg’s dad went back home this morning to get Greg’s iPod, so he can listen while his body is so deeply under. He’s in tough shape, so please continue to send your prayers to him and also to his family who are doing as well as they can be in the circumstances.
Hi all…
Emily here again. I heard from Eleanor. The surgery went ok, but the recovery has been tough. His system is having trouble equalizing following the proceedure. Before he was intibated this afternoon, he asked that I update his blog to let you all know. Please send him love, light and prayers as his system adjusts. Hang in there Greg! You can do it!
🙂 emily
I’ve kept fairly quite about this for no real good reason, but I’m having surgery on Thursday. I’ve had issues with acid reflux for years and years now and my lung doctors are concerned that it could cause complications with my new lung as time goes on (there’s even some speculation that it could have been a factor in my IPF, but that’s for another time). So Thursday I get to go into the hospital and get my esophagus tied off. This will prevent any acid from working its way up from my stomach. Though it isn’t tied off tight enough that food can’t get down.
They say I’ll be in the hospital for four to five days. So my stay won’t even be that long. I hope to have my laptop with me to make it all the more bearable. If you want to come visit I’ll be posting updates on that too so check here for more information.
I get to eat tonight and then I’m on clear liquids till my surgery. Including having to drink a gallon of stuff to clean me out. I’m oh so thrilled for that. Wish me luck!
Today I celebrate getting my lung one year ago. Woohoo! It’s been quite a voyage and continues to be an adventure every day. But things are going well and once I get this reflux stuff taken care of I hope it will be even better.
Tonight I have some friends coming by for a small gathering to celebrate. Should be a good mellow time.
I went out for lunch today and by the time I got home I was sneezing my head off and all stuffed up. Spring is here, and with it the beginning of allergy season. Wah-choo!