Edit: Sorry, I didn't mean to make an entirely new thread.

Praise the Lord for His Goodness and Love! I have an update to pass along. I am simply passing on this information from another saint...

Mishelle made it through the night -- praise the Lord! Here is an update from Christopher:

The greatest concerns for Mishelle have been 1. oxygen levels in her
blood and 2. keeping up her blood pressure. The good news is that her
vitals have stabilized, albeit with profound medical intervention. We
are delighted to see her vitals were they need to be.

The next issues are to finish the battle against the bacterial
infection so that she can resume her own functions and to go in and
remove the kidney stone. The sad business of taking out the baby via
c-section also remains to be done.

We are not out of the woods, yet; but we are encouraged.

I warmly thank all of you for your prayers to our gracious God and for
your support to us. We are trusting in God's wisdom and goodness.

_________________
Taylor Otwell

[b]Praise the Lord for this good news[/b]. :-)



I shall be praying a C|Section can be avoided, as when Mishelle is strong enough, the natural process should take over, and it is much less stressful physically than a major op.

My Father in the name of Jesus I ask that you would stretch forth your mighty hand over Michelle such that her blood would be free from any harmful bacteria. I ask that you would bring wholeness and health to her so she would be able to deliver this precious child without any complications. I pray for Michelle that you would hold her right hand and say to her 'Fear not'. Would you intervene in this scenario in such a way that you will be honored. In Jesus name.

_________________
Eric Lanham

UPDATE FROM CHRISTOPHER:


A quick update (from a computer the hospital has provided for family use):

This morning, Mishelle is being given 35% oxygen via the ventilator.
This is a profound improvement for her: when she started on the ventilator, she was unable to get sufficient oxygen in her blood stream even with 100% oxygen to her lungs. Her oxygen levels have been very good since Tuesday morning.

Her other vital stats are also very good.

She cannot talk because of the ventilator; but when I am able to read, she can finger spell to me. I ask her not to try to communicate much because it is distressing to her that it is so difficult and frustrating when I don't understand. Most of her communications relate to adjustments for her physical comfort: "head higher", "feet flat", "[throat is] dry", tube needs to be cleaned out. Please pray especially that she would have physical comfort and that specifically in relation to the ventilator tube.

But also pray with me for the comfort of her soul. Yesterday, Mishelle finger spelled "s-c-a-r-e-d". I can do almost nothing to help her there, only God can give her peace of soul.

Mishelle has thanked me for reading Psalm 23 to her and she appeared to respond with precious little tear when the Stam's sang the 23rd to her. (She almost got in trouble with the nurse when she tried to sign thank you because it looked like she was trying to pull out the ventilator tube -- a common patient response -- but I explained she was signing and Mish persevered).

The children have been staying with dear friends in town. The father is the minister of the Baptist Church in my little town.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I gratefully confess that my debt of gratitute is deep. The Lord has promised to repay the cup of cold water given in his name. ...

_________________
Taylor Otwell

UPDATE:

Elder Myers just called to say that Mishelle would be having her surgery within the next few minutes. The doctors have weighed all the various risks and feel like this is the best time for it--one fear is that she might go into labor if they do not act soon. The doctor's report was both grave but cautiously optimistic. This is a big hurdle.

Please keep the Levi's in your prayers at this crucial time.

_________________
Taylor Otwell

Thank you for keeping these updates coming.

She is in our prayers and her husband and family.

LORD be with her and them. Amen

UPDATE

We have received word that Mishelle Levi has successfully come through
her surgery this evening. Their baby was a little girl, and Christopher
was able to take a picture of Mishelle holding her, for a time when
Mishelle is more alert to understand what all is going on.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

_________________
Taylor Otwell

UPDATE:

Many e-mails have come in. ... The expressions of support and the descriptions of your prayers DO strengthen my soul.

We knew yesterday would be a "roller-coaster". I am grateful that it was far less "exciting" than the doctors said was possible.

Yesterday, the doctors told us that they found a couple of enzymes in her blood that indicated some cells of the heart had died. It seems that the overall stress from the bacterial attack and the reduced blood pressure and oxygen caused what they describe as a "heart attack" which occured maybe during the surgery or maybe shortly before it. This heart attack is probably not caused by blockage. The damage is not the typical kind where a section of the heart is damaged; but rather the damage appears to be amidst the deepest cells of the muscle. Since the blood supply for the heart muscle itself comes from the arteries covering its outside surface and from capillaries that flow down into the muscle (not from the blood in the chambers) those innermost cells were the most weakened from her circulatory stress.

They do NOT expect permanent damage.

Also Mishelle's blood sugar levels began to climb. As I understand it, doctors expect to see this in a prone patient on a respirator.

They are poking her finger every hour (that's the bad news) and giving insulin. I am not certain, but hopeful and optomistic, that this is a tempory condition.

Her ventilator support has been reduced again to levels far less than the levels they gave her after the surgery. We are not quite to the levels that she had just before surgery; but, we are steadily moving back there.
Oh, and yesterday after I e-mailed, I got the word that the culture(s) they had taken had not produced bacteria after 48-hours. That is the "official" word that Mish's infection has been conquered. Her body has been free of the bacteria, now, for about three days.

*THE NEXT STEPS*
1. To get her blood pressure to stay up without medicinal support.

She is on very little medicine for her blood pressure and it looked good both last evening and this morning.

2. To reduce her ventilator support to minimal.

Mish is uncomfortable on the vent. Her breathing tends to be faster than it needs to be, and they think this contributes to her discomfort. Until her breathing slows a bit, they plan to keep her fairly deeply sedated. I am glad for that.

As the doctor's have put it, they cannot heal her, they can support her functions until her body can heal itself.

Please pray for these two bits as well as comfort for her body and soul. We have seen God's grace thus far and are confident that His grace in Jesus Christ will sustain Mish.

...

Psalm 27:13-14 "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We have a long time before we are "normal" again. We trust that through this we shall be more conformed to the likeness of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

_________________
Taylor Otwell