May 7th

Posted by Andy on May 7, 2012 in ANDY'S BLOG WITH UPDATES | 6 comments

I didn’t realize how blessed we are.

In the process of worrying over the condition of our beloved daughter, a simple fact escaped our attention: Aimee’s survival is a miracle. I didn’t realize this until our cardio-pulmonologist revealed that Aimee defeated tremendous odds in her first night here. When Aimee arrived at JMS her lactic acid (it forms when the body breaks down carbohydrates to use for energy during times of low oxygen levels) was at 6 mmol/L. The normal range of lactic acid in the human body is between 1 and 2. The survival rate for a lactic acid level of 12 mmol/L is roughly 5%. On Friday night, Aimee’s lactic acid level peaked at a whopping “unsurvivable” 20 mmol/L. How’s that for miraculous?

I just learned the above facts today. I could bore you with more medical jargon and measurements, but suffice it to say that Aimee has tested them all and although she continues to tread the line, her improvement is beginning to take root. That said, major challenges remain.

Over the next 48-72 hours, Aimee’s brain will face a major challenge. This is when swelling sometimes occurs that can potentially cause tissue damage. So far there is no sign of swelling and simple tests show her pupils to be even and responsive to light. We pray that her brain can be saved. She has had a starvation of oxygen to her extremities that has reduced the blood flow to her fingers and toes, making them a deep purple color. It is probable that she will lose the tips of her fingers and toes.

The doctors have discontinued one of Aimee’s blood pressure medicines, which means her body is gradually becoming able to regulate her blood pressure. They are also weaning her off of the paralytic drugs so that they can see if she can begin to display responsiveness to verbal commands, which is the easiest and least invasive way to test brain function. The best way to test this is to utilize a CAT scan, but that also means moving Aimee, which represents a major risk.

Her attending physician wants to take her into surgery this morning to examine the devastated area of her body that remains skinless and remove any further dead tissue. We are praising God that the bacteria appears to have ceased its progress. On top of this good news, thanks to the initial and timely efforts by the ER staff at Tanner Medical in Carrolton, GA, early bacterial cultures have been isolated and identified, which means that the broad spectrum of antibiotics utilized up to now can be significantly trimmed back to only those that are required to combat the actual infection. This is important, because there are other bacterial infections that can yet occur and we do not want to take the chance that those bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

Other issues continue to swirl as well. Aimee is in renal failure and she is being supported by dialysis, but there is a strong chance she will regain the function of her kidneys. If she doesn’t, I have one that she can have.

Everyone is asking me, “What can I do to help?” Until now I have only asked for prayers. I am now going to ask everyone reading this for one more thing: your blood.

There are currently about 44 ICU patients at JMS with varying levels of tissue damage. Regardless of the type of damage, every patient is receiving massive transfusions of blood every day, mainly because their bone marrow cannot keep up with the necessary blood cell production. If everyone reading this will go and donate one pint of your blood, then that will help my daughter and many more like her. In addition, please tell everyone you know to donate blood.

Thanks again for your prayers. Although Aimee remains critical, she is responding and making gradual improvement.

Andy