Thursday Morning Doctors' Conference
We had a very informative and enlightening conference with the internist of SICU and the burn surgeon as well as the burn nurse clinician and Dad's primary nurse for the day.
Things we learned and understood a bit better were:
- Why the burn doctor wanted to restrict Dad's reverse isolation in room visitors to only four individuals, even though we are eight siblings
To decrease the chance of us bringing multiple infection into the room through improper protective clothing technique, but we can all talk to him through the intercom and he can see us through the glass now that he is opening his eyes and has become a bit more alert.
- What does it mean to have 30% body surface area burns
When he will have the skin grafts he will then have 60% body surface area that will need healing.
- What are heroic measures and what are reversible condition measures
Dad has said he has lived a full life and is prepared to meet His creator and rest, but he also knew when he was transferred to Brandon from Killarney that he would most likely be intubated.
- How come he looked so sick when we saw him in SICU Tuesday night and Wednesday
After he walked of the house to Margaret's place and then walked onto the stretcher on his transfer to Killarney.
- Why he is considered to be in critical condition and his healing will take longer than the average person with a burn
As referred to in another post, Dad's age of soon to be 80, his medical history of diabetes and asthma and previous cardiac surgery, as well as other issues that the healing process take longer than the average person. Dad will likely be in the hospital for a month or longer after the surgery which is scheduled for Wednesday at this point and time.
- Why does Dad have to wait till Wednesday for the surgery
The great doctors who are taking care of him are constantly assessing him and working to find the balance of optimizing his health for burn surgery without taking too much time for those skin grafts to be done and causing further damage to his burn wounds.
We are grateful to the great team of nurses and doctors and the other health disciplines who are working to optimize his chances of recovery.
Also we praise God for:
Dad's increasing alertness and ability to communicate despite being intubated. :) His ultrasound report and blood work that indicate he didn't have further damage to his heart from the smoke inhalation. He rests when we sing praise songs and hymns despite us forgetting the words to many a second verse. He squeezes our hands, if we get to be inside the room to visit him. He nods his head "yes" when we ask him if he is comfortable. He raises his eyebrows even with closed eyes when he hears the voices of his children and grandchildren on the intercom from outside the closed glass door of his room. He loves to hear the Psalms and other verses we read to him. Dad is a strong man with a strong faith and we are encouraged by his progress in the past 72 hours.
BUT EVEN MORE WE ARE PRAISING GOD FOR HIS GRACE IN OUR CONTINUED RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER IN THIS TIME OF EXTREME STRESS AND LOSS.
As alluded to in poem written by Lori. We have a heritage of unconditional love from our amazing Mom!
In a family conference facilitated by Wes the new pastor to be from Boissevain Whitewater Mennonite Church and led by brother Pete we were able to be reminded that we are not only praying for the healing of Dad. We are mourning and want to honour the physical loss a special lady that we called Mom or Grandma. A lady who was taken away from in a way we were not expecting. A lady we all loved dearly. It has been hard to deal with this because not only did the fire cause the injuries to Dad, but we have lost our beloved MOM and daily prayer warrior. For Marg, the sister who lives next door this is especially hard. The relationship between Marg and my parents was more like a partnership, so she is mourning the serious injury one person of that partnership and the devastating loss of Mom.
Yet we were able to share "God moments" of how God has been able to work in miraculous ways.
- Pete & Glor were able to get two free seats on a normally overbooked flight to Calgary from Mexico, and despite delays were able to meet up with Ruth in Calgary for the last leg of their flights to Winnipeg and another passenger was able to change seats with one of them so they could sit together all three together.
- Mark & Jo were able to arrive safely despite towing with an empty transport trailer on slippery roads though nasty weather conditions.
There were many more but it just reminded us that despite our loss and pain God is in control and remains our protector and provider through this all.
Continue to pray for:
- unity and wisdom as we plan our remembrances of our Mom in a way that our Dad can be involved.
- some measure of closure for all of us but organization as we start to go back to lives that are terribly interrupted by this horrific circumstance.
- Dad in his healing and planning for a future without a lifelong friend and home to go back to.
Psalm 43:4-5
New International Version (NIV)
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
