After a sweet evening of stories over cafeteria food, tears together with Mom, and prayers united in love, Mom went from this world to the next adventure . . . heaven.
As soon as details are firmed up, I will let you all know.
Thank you for being with us in spirit and in prayer.
You'll never know how much the dozens of emails and phone calls mean to all of us.
Summary
My mother, Ramona Whitlock, was in a single-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon, 10/21/07. She had no head, neck, or spine injuries. However, she has multiple leg fractures. Her past health history is complicating her recovery. She has had three orthopedic surgeries and is now battling heart, lung, kidney, and liver issues.
In an earlier post, I asked a question, "We now sit in the audience to watch what God will do: will He conduct a symphony of miracles or will he rouse the chorus of heaven in a 'welcome home' song?"
It appears the Holy Lord of Heaven is assembling the chorus.
And I bet Dad is making his way to the doors for a sweet reunion.
At some point tonight, Mom will make the great transition.
Please watch for more details. I'll email/post everything you need to know as soon as we know it.
I can't begin to express how much your love and encouragement have meant to us all.
Thursday 11/1/07 2:55 p.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
There are no significant changes to Mom's condition at this time.
They have NOT completed the gall bladder drain at this time, but I have signed
the consent forms. They should be finished by the 4:30 p.m. visitation. They
stopped her blood thinner and will let her body adjust before the procedure.
Kaye is VERY ill (vomiting, etc.). Please pray for a fast recovery. She feels
awful. Plus, she feels awful, emotionally, that she is ill during these days.
We do not know when we are returning to Franklin. Mom's brothers and sisters are
making the drive to Huntsville right now, as well.
Thanks for your prayers.
Thursday 11/1/07 11:15 a.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
John is back this morning which inspires great comfort and trust.
Heart
She's taken baby steps forward overnight. Her BP is mostly stable. Doctors have reduced her levofed to a negligible amount. The epinephrine is still set at 20, where it's been since the beginning. She is throwing fewer PVCs. They've increased potassium in her dialysis regimen, so a few have cropped up in the last hour.
Lungs
Her ventilator settings continue to improve. She's down from 70% at 8:30 last night to 45%. Her rate was at 18 last night, went up to 26, but is back down to 20 this a.m.
Kidneys
Dialysis is continuing at the same rate. She ended the 24 hour period at 7:00 a.m. about 800cc ahead of schedule. She is about 100cc ahead right now, but will be given fluids with her next procedure which will slow the rate of fluid reduction.
Liver
Her liver is compromised. They will be inserting a gall bladder drain in a few hours in an interventionary attempt to prevent the liver from failing. Her liver enzymes are elevated and they are concerned.
Bilrubin
Her score this morning was 25, which is dreadful.
Wednesday 10/31/07 10:50 p.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
Chris is serving Mom overnight. She seems very sharp, professional, and focused.
Heart
Between 4:30 and 8:30, they were able to back down her Levofed (sp?) from 20 to 7, but due to complications, they've had to push it back up to 10 with more increases probable. As the bed rotates, her BP fluctuates. She is far from stable.
Lungs
Ventilator settings and blood gases are similar to the 4:30 report.
Kidneys
They are 625cc ahead of schedule.
Liver
She is jaundiced. Her bilirubin score is bad. I don't have a number, but they'll take another score in the morning before the 10:30 visitation.
Wednesday 10/31/07 6:05 p.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
Mom is making small inch-by-inch progress.
Heart
Blood pressure has been all over the place, but not dangerously high or dangerously low. Doctors have lowered her levofin but she is remaining constant on her epinepherine. (She's at about 50% of potential dosages on both.) This is an improvement.
Lungs
They have lowered her percentage of oxygen to 70% and her rate is down (from 22 to 18). This is a small improvement. Her blood gases are still "okay."
Kidneys
They are removing 75cc of fluid per hour. She is ahead of the game by a total of 175cc. She was ahead by 500cc, but they had to administer an antibiotic in 200cc of fluid which slowed her progress ahead of goal.
She may take a downturn quickly, but positive progress is going to be very slow. She could be in the ICU for weeks making this inch-by-inch progress.
Thanks for your continued prayers.
Tuesday 10/30/07 10:35 p.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
Kidneys
Dr. Rahman started mom on dialysis about 8:10 p.m. The first two hours on the machine are to acclimate her body. After 2 hours, if she is responding, they will increase the work of the machine.
Lungs
The machines are still maxed out on breaths per minute and oxygenation. Her numbers need to improve overnight.
Heart
Her blood pressure is on the high side. As they've rotated her body in the RotoProne bed, her numbers have fluctuated. She is on two "presser" drugs--levofed and epinepherine. The levofed is "maxed out" but they have "more room" on the epi.
Overall Condition
Her condition could worsen quickly. Improvement will be very, very slow.
Thanks for your prayers, offers of love and support, cards, and emails. Mom is greatly loved.
Tuesday 10/30/07 4:25 p.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
Mom has taken another downward turn.
The move to the RotoProne bed did not result in enough fluid draining from her body. They have decided to start her on dialysis. Her dialysis is called CVVHD and is used for patients in ICU or who are struggling with blood pressure. The dialysis is continuous at a low rate.
Dr. Rahman wants to see fluid removed and see her lung function go up. If her breathing improves and fluid drains, then they will increase the rate of dialysis. If the numbers don't improve, they will try something else. I don't know what "something else" is.
In addition, she is not breathing on her own. 14 breaths per minute at 100% oxygen.
Her temperature has dropped to 94 degrees. They are using warming blankets to bring it up.
She is more than likely septic. They believe so and are drawing blood. They are concerned that she has fungal septicemia.
She has NOT been removed from the paralytic, even for a little while each day. They cannot guess at her brain function when they remove her. This is a concern.
One correction: they did not insert a heart catheter per se. They inserted a Swann (sp?) device for more accurate measurements of heart function. Her EKG looks the same as before . . . meaning no new heart attacks.
4:45 p.m. UPDATE
Dr. Kaytal informed me that her heart is slowing. They are using drugs to speed it up. But this is a great concern and a sign of the beginning of the end . . . without a rally.
Please pray.
Note: I will be staying in Alabama tonight. I might stay at the hospital or at mom's house. To be determined.
Tuesday, 1:30 pm UPDATE
Mom's condition is declining. Her kidneys are shutting down. They have inserted a kidney catheter but have not started her on dialysis yet. Because her kidneys are not processing liquid well, fluid is backing up into her lungs. She has pneumonia. Her lung function is not returning since her last surgery. The rate per minute and oxygen concentration are still high.
Because of the fluid issues, her swelling is very severe.
They have also inserted a heart catheter.
The doctors are moving her from bed #3 to bed #24 which is a roto-prone bed. She will be strapped in and the bed will rotate in an effort to help her body drain fluids.
She will be on the paralytic for the foreseeable future.
The doctor rates her as "very critical."
For her survival, she must rally in the next 24 - 48 hours, but these are long odds. If her numbers don't improve, her prognosis is very grave.
So . . . how do we pray? As I tried to pray beside Mom's bed this morning, I faltered. Throughout my life, I've struggled between praying for complete, total, and miraculous healing vs. praying for God's grace, peace, and mercy for the ill one and family. I stumbled around in my words. I'm grateful for the promise of Romans 8:26 which says:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (Romans 8:26, 27 NIV)
What a promise. Paul tells us TWICE that the Spirit is interceding for us. First, He knows our hearts and interprets all of our thoughts and emotions into the language of heaven. And when He prays, he groans. To me, this means He feels our pain, He cries with us, and He mourns with us.
The second time Paul reminds us that the Spirit is praying on our behalf, he points to how the Spirit prays in accordance with God's will. Another way of thinking about "accordance" is "harmony."
So, in this we trust our prayers to the Holy Spirit.
It doesn't make it any easier. But would you pray anyway?
Like my friend, songwriter Tony Wood once wrote (and Scott Krippayne recorded), "Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child."
Monday, 10/29/07 8:00 p.m. update on Ramona Whitlock
Summary
My mother, Ramona Whitlock, was in a single-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon. She had no head, neck, or spine injuries. However, she has multiple leg fractures. Her past health history is complicating her recovery.
I spoke to Mom's nurse for the night, Andrea, a few minutes ago. Mom's had an easy day because she's been on the paralytic.
They have had to increase her ventilator settings. She's now being assisted to breathe 16 times per minute. The oxygen percentage is 90%. They hope to wean her back down to four at a much lower percentage by Saturday's trach surgery.
They performed a bronchostomy to clean out and examine her lungs. While this is a special procedure, doctors brought the equipment and performed it in her room.
Her BP has been fine, but did spike a little during the procedure, as you can imagine.
I am driving down to Huntsville for the day tomorrow (arrive by 10:30 and drive back late)
I plan on driving down early Saturday. I plan on spending Saturday night and may spend a few more nights if necessary.
Please continue to pray and visit. Several of you have asked about sending notes. Please do.
For the address and the entire story, please visit www.wmarkwhitlock.com and look for "Mark Whitlock's Mom".
Monday, 10/29/07 10:30 a.m. update on Ramona Whitlock
Mom is back in her room in ICU at Huntsville Hospital recovering from her right femur surgery
Please forgive me for the delay in updates. Mom's surgery ended near midnight on Saturday night. We wanted to make sure that family had been informed before we sent out the mass email.
Mom came through the surgery fine. Doctors expected to take around 6 hours to repair the crushed femur above the knee, but completed their work in about 3 - 4. She needed blood during surgery, as we expected, but had no problems breathing or with her blood pressure.
This is the last orthopedic surgery unless complications arise.
Dr. Griffin told us that this was by far the worst fracture of them all. The bone was crushed. They inserted a rod and many screws. Some of the pieces were too small to attach via screws. The leg is cast/splint now and the doctor hopes as the leg heals, that these pieces will bond together with the leg.
The blood supply is NOT good in this area. If it does not improve, Mom may need bone grafts in six - eight weeks.
She may also develop a post-operative infection (as any of us could). However, this infection might mean amputation of the right leg.
Please pray for the blood flow to increase to this area and for the infection to never come.
The heal bone is crushed. They will not do anything other than use a heavy-duty orthopedic boot. She may never develop feeling in this area again. The right lower leg bones will be cast/splint, but no surgery will be applied to this area.
It will take one to two years for mom to heal from her leg injuries.
She may never walk again. This is not a certainty, but a high probability.
Her overall condition will get worse before it gets better.
Her body is reacting to the latest round of surgery. She was fighting against the tubes, wires, and IVs. They have used a temporary paralytic on her to allow her to recover.
Surgeries for her trach tube, feeding tube, and blood filter are still scheduled for Saturday.
I spoke with Mom's nurse, Carrie, this morning. She had a good night, but that was expected because she's on the paralytic.
At this time, I don't know when I'm heading down to Huntsville. I will probably make a couple of day trips this week, then stay for the surgery over the weekend. I'll keep you posted.
Please continue to pray and visit mom if you can.
Saturday, 10/27/07 6:40 p.m. update on Ramona Whitlock
Mom's surgery is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ISH.
My Uncle Jim and Aunt Rhona are sitting vigil tonight.
Because I can't get there before surgery begins OR to meet with the doctor following surgery, I am going to take my wife's, my uncles', and my friends' advice and stay put.
My plans are as follows (subject to change . . . like everything else)
Saturday night: Franklin
Sunday: Franklin
Monday: Meetings in Franklin (perhaps a quick trip down to Huntsville)
Tuesday: Working in Franklin
Wednesday: Working in Franklin (take kids to a movie which is our All Hallow's Eve/Reformation Day tradition)
Thursday: Working in Franklin; drive to Huntsville Thursday night by 8:30
Friday: Huntsville (perhaps back to Franklin for an event with Michael)
Saturday: Huntsville for surgery
Sunday: Huntsville, drive home late
If you are willing and able, please make plans to visit Mom on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and/or Wednesday. I would hope she wouldn't have a day where she had no visitors.
Please pray for Dr. Griffin, the orthopedic surgeon, and the entire surgical team tonight.
Saturday, 10/27/07 3:40 update on Ramona Whitlock
Summary
My mother, Ramona Whitlock, was in a single-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon. She had no head, neck, or spine injuries. However, she has multiple leg fractures. Her past health history is complicating her recovery.
Mom did well overnight and has done well today.
After all the jockeying of schedules yesterday, the orthopedic surgeon decided she WOULD have surgery today on her right femur. That surgery is a "work in" at the end of the day.
She is still scheduled for surgery NEXT Saturday for the three procedures (trach, filter, and feeding tube).
I found out some answers to lingering questions:
Q: Why are they weaning her off the ventilator yet still scheduling her for a tracheostomy?
A: She still needs the ventilator, but she needs to do the hard work of clearing her lungs. She's down to 4 assisted breaths per minute, but will be back up to 12 assisted breaths afterward.
Q: If she needs these surgeries (trach, filter, and feeding tube), why are they waiting a week to do them?
A: Because they have to schedule (1) OR, (2) anesthesia, (3) heart doc, (4) ENT doc, (5) general surgeon. The earliest someone from each was available was Saturday, 11/3
Special thanks to Lucy (Uncle Randy/Aunt Cindy, please send me her email address) for making the trip over. I'm sorry I missed you. Thanks, too, to all of you--especially Uncle Doug--who let me get home for at least a few hours and a night in my own bed.
My plans are as follows (subject to change . . . like everything else)
Saturday night: Drive from Franklin to Huntsville to be there for surgery. Spend the night.
Sunday: Spend the day in Huntsville, return to Franklin in the evening.
Monday: Meetings in Franklin
Tuesday: Working in Franklin
Wednesday: Working in Franklin (take kids to a movie which is our All Hallow's Eve/Reformation Day tradition)
Thursday: Working in Franklin; drive to Huntsville Thursday night by 8:30
Friday: Huntsville
Saturday: Huntsville for surgery
Sunday: Huntsville, drive home late
If you are willing and able, please make plans to visit Mom on Monday, Tuesday, and/or Wednesday. I would hope she wouldn't have a day where she had no visitors.
Please pray for Dr. Griffin, the orthopedic surgeon, and the entire surgical team tonight.
Friday, 10/26/07 5:10 p.m. UPDATE on Ramona Whitlock
Friday 10/27/07 1:30 p.m. UPDATE
Mom was awake, but quite drowsy when Carl Malm, Mom's pastor, and I visited with her at 4:30 p.m. The right lung is almost fully drained. They'll leave the machine attached to her for two more days with a small amount of suction just for caution's sake.
Still no word on surgery. The doctor did come by and told the nurse that there was still a chance. He has NOT looked at her latest numbers and X-rays. II will get a phone call before 8:30 p.m. IF surgery is on.
Please pray for traveling mercies for my Uncle Doug driving over from the Shoals. He's going to spend the night here in Huntsville. Please offer up prayers, as well, for my cousin Lucy who is flying in tonight from Dallas.
Mom is not on the surgery calendar at this time. Her blood pressure is up due to the moving of her IV.
They planned to move it from the left shoulder to the right shoulder, but it didn't work. It is now in her right jugular and can remain there for 30 days if needed.
They X-rayed her chest to ensure the IV was in the right spot. When they did, they discovered that her right lung was filling with fluid. They inserted a port to drain it.
Mom was sedated for these procedures so I didn't get a chance to talk with her or pass on your greetings. Please feel free to reply to this email with a message for her. I will be happy to read it to her at visitation times.
Thanks for your prayers.
Friday, 10/26/07, 11:40 a.m. UPDATE
Mom had another good night last night. Her blood pressure remained stable.
Dr. Moran has cleared Mom for surgery on the right femur. She will be worked into the orthopedic surgery schedule for late today. I will update you as soon as she's on the schedule.
Dr. Moran informed me of some other decisions this morning. Next Saturday, November 3, she is scheduled to have three procedures.
Tracheotomy
Feeding Tube
Blood Filter
Tracheotomy
Mom is not breathing as well as they want and need her to. They will remove the breathing tube from her mouth and insert one through an opening in her trachea. She will NOT be able to talk, but she will be able to move her lips, make facial expressions, etc.
At the point where the doctors feel they can remove this tube, the incision and hole in the cartilage will heal very quickly. It may be as many as six weeks.
Feeding Tube
Her current tube is snaked down her nose. That can't be comfortable. The new tube will be inserted through her belly button (or nearby).
Blood Filter
Mom is not a candidate for blood thinners which can reduce the risk of clots. Therefore, Dr. Moran will insert a filter into her blood stream to prevent clots from injuring her brain, heart, lungs, etc.
This entire surgery is expected to last about 90 minutes. They may not use general anesthesia.
These are more baby steps in Mom's recovery.
Please continue to pray for her.
Two other quick prayer requests/updates:
San Diego: It looks like my friend's house has been missed. If you go here and find the intersection of the 15 interstate and Ted Williams Highway (56), you'll see that his neighborhood, which is just north of this intersection, has not been affected. Continue to pray that the fires stay away.
One of my best friends called last night to say that his mom was being rushed to the hospital with a possible stroke. Please pray for the Enlows.
Thursday, 10/25/07, 4:30 p.m. UPDATE
Mom was still mostly asleep. Her pastor, Carl Malm, came by to pray.
Her numbers are holding great--both breathing and heart.
Her next surgery--right femur--will be tomorrow or Saturday or later. They have to (1) decide that she's ready for surgery, (2) stop her feeding line, (3) wait at least six hours, (4) and get her on the schedule.
Keep praying for her patience with all the tubes.
Some of you have asked for her address. She is receiving mail. I enjoyed reading a card from someone who knows her brother Randy. (Patti Moss) Feel free to comment on the blog page or reply to this email and write your greetings to her. I will be sure to pass them on to her during one of the visitation times.
Address:
Ramona Whitlock, patient
Huntsville Hospital
101 Sivley Road
Huntsville, AL 35801
Someone suggested a good idea: Put mom's address in the return address field. In case something happens and the letter doesn't go to the right place, it will get returned AND STILL get to Mom.
That address is:
7965 Second Street
Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
Of course, you can read the rest of the story on the blog. (Still editing it, but read away.)
Thursday, 10/25/07, 1:30 p.m. UPDATE
We visited with mom only briefly this afternoon. They sedated her in order to insert the feeding tube. She was sleeping peacefully.
Her ventilator settings were back to the desired level (10 per min; 50% O2). Her BP was back within the normal range and stable without medication.
We met Dr. Samotowka. They want to make sure she gets plenty of nutrition. They may delay surgery until Saturday so that she can "eat" all day today, then "fast" before surgery.
Thanks so much for all your prayers. We are buoyed by them.
(Note: we have pictures of the car. They are not for the squeamish. Scroll to the bottom of the email.)
Thursday, 10:30 a.m. UPDATE
Mom had a good night. The ventilator settings are better, but not where they need to be.
Her blood pressure is stable, but higher than it needs to be--still a residual issue from surgery.
The swelling in her hands is still present, but they are not concerned. Circulation is still good. I'm sure she'd feel better if it went down.
She has a mouth guard to keep her from chewing on her tubes. The tubes can't be harmed by her teeth, but she was cutting off her oxygen and she was becoming distressed.
They plan on putting in a feeding tube later today. In the nurse's words, "You have to eat to heal." I guess eating is relative.
Dr. Samatowka is the trauma doc in house today.
Wednesday, 9:30 pm UPDATE
We're bedding down for the night. Mom's blood pressure is high tonight as would
be expected after surgery. According to Betty, tonight's nurse, her number one goal for the night is stabilizing her breathing. Right now, they've increased the percentage of oxygen and the rate of breathing on the ventilator. They hope
to get it back down again to pre-surgery rates.
I don't expect that they will do her right leg surgery tomorrow, but they might.
I DO expect them to insert the feeding tube. It may be in by the time we see her
at 10:30 tomorrow morning. That's not going to go over well. Please pray that
she will get used to (whatever that means) all the tubes in her mouth and nose.
Mom is making great progress. Thank you for your prayers.
ether surgery or just a cast is needed.
The great news is that her BP remained stable through the procedure.
When she wakes up, she'll be in some pain.
The most pressing prayer request, I'd say, is for her patience and rest with her tubes. They will add a feeding tube to her existing breathing and stomach tubes. That one goes through the nose. She already feels, from time to time, like she's choking. I can't imagine how hard it is for a woman who talks all the time to stay silent.
We appreciate your prayers so much. It's hard to say thanks enough.
Mark
Wednesday, mid-surgery update
All,
Dr. Ginger Bryant will be coming out in a few minutes to speak with family. She only repaired the left hip/femur. We'll find out why.
Thanks for your prayers.
Mark
If you're new to the list, please read from the bottom up to get the full chronological story. We're so grateful that so many of you are praying for Ramona Whitlock.
John, Mom's nurse for the day, called me at 9:45 to let me know Mom was on the surgery schedule for 11 a.m. She JUST got started at around 3:00 p.m. The surgery is expected to last between 3 and 5 hours. They are planning to repair the left hip and left femur, then reposition Mom to repair the right femur.
Mom was the most responsive yet this morning. I even had her laughing at one point. Stupid move, because it made her cough--which is difficult when your intubated. Mom's sister, Martha, got to spend some time with her for the first time today. Other beloved family has been here. Kaye's cousin Lisa (and her husband Jim) and Kaye's uncle Ralph (and his wife Lila) spent some time with Kaye today. We're so grateful for the phone calls, emails, messages, and other expressions of love.
Depending on how the day goes, I'll try to update everyone as we receive updates from the OR, but I PROMISE to send you a detailed update tonight when she's recovering.
One new piece of information today: The trauma doc, Dr. Moran, informed me that due to the extent of mom's injuries, it may be two to three months before she can stand and bear weight. That means mom will need a skilled nursing facility at first and, as she progresses, and then an intensive rehabilitation facility.
I will begin looking at options in the next few days. She, of course, has a long road ahead of her to go from STICU to a regular room before we look at external options.
Mark
NEXT UPDATE:
Surgery has been moved to 11am today. Could last as long as 5 hours.
More later. Gotta run!
Kaye
10/24/07, 7:49 AM
Kids & I are headed to Huntsville for the day in a little while. Please pray for safe travel in this wet weather.
Surgery scheduled for last night was canceled. Her blood pressure dropped and became unstable again. Please pray that the ICU will do a better job communicating with Mark. Last night, they didn't let him know about
the decision to cancel surgery, til he asked what was going on. The night before, they took her early to surgery, without letting Mark know--they didn't get a chance to see her beforehand, and the surgery was almost over before anyone knew she was in there.
Sorry so short, but I¹m on the run.
Thank you!
Kaye
On 10/23/07, 5:11 PM
I've added several new names to this list. If this is the first update you've received, please read from the bottom up.
I would like to add a prayer request to this email. My friend Wayne Kinde lives in San Diego and has been evacuated from his home as wildfires rage in San Diego. Please pray for his family. They're living at his office right now waiting anxiously for news. It's hard to imagine what it would be like wonder if everything you own is going to go up in smoke. Pray for Wayne.
Mom came through the night well. Her blood pressure has stabilized and they have removed her from all of the "pressers" she's been on since the ER.
We spent a few sweet minutes this morning. I read Psalm 70 and talked to her about friends and relatives who have called. She must have been feeling okay (compared to later today) because she didn't fight the tubes, IVs, and restraints. She nodded her head and squeezed my hand during our talk.
The doctor considers this a "window of opportunity" to accomplish the rest of the surgeries. The trauma doctor gave the green light to the orthopedic team to do THE REST OF the surgeries (Left and right femurs, right tib/fib).
As of a few minutes ago, she's prepped and ready, BUT she is NOT on the schedule. They do not know if they are behind or if she has been bumped. They just took more blood to do final labs before surgery.
I will receive a call at some point in the next two hours to let me know if
it's going to happen.
This is nerve-racking, as you can imagine.
Brother Carl, mom's pastor came by again. He's a great man and a gentle man. He recited Psalm 23 and prayed for us both . . . and thanked God for all of you who are praying.
Thank you. For all that you're doing for us. For holding my mom up to the throne of grace. For loving on us.
I'll update again after surgery OR after they cancel it.
Mark
P.S. The STICU waiting room is a hard place to be. As I signed this email, the family behind me in the breakroom received news that their loved one passed away.
NEXT UPDATE
> > > > >>> > She came through the surgery great! Everything was ³textbook². Her
> > blood
> > > > >>> > pressure and heart rate held fine throughout. They want to see how
> she
> > > > >>> > recovers from this operation for a while before doing another one.
> The
> > > > >>> next
> > > > >>> > surgery will be an ³unconventional² hip replacement. It¹s not just
> the
> > > > >>> ball
> > > > >>> > & socket joint that has to be replaced, but more work to be done
on
> > the
> > > > >>> > femur around the joint. The knee appears to have only ligament
> damage;
> > > no
> > > > >>> > breaks.
> > > > >>> >
> > > > >>> > Thanks for praying.....please continue!
> > > > >>> >
> > > > >>> > Kaye
> > > > >>> >
> > > > >>> > On 10/22/07 5:30 PM, "wmarkwhitlock@comcast.net"
> > > > >>>
> > > > >>> > wrote:
> > > > >>> >
> > > > >>>> > > Mark here.
> > > > >>>> > >
> > > > >>>> > > I just got off the phone with mom's anesthesiologist and her
> > > orthopedic
> > > > >>>> > > surgeon.
> > > > >>>> > >
> > > > >>>> > > The surgery orders have changed. Tonight, they will ONLY work
on
> > the
> > > > >>>> LEFT
> > > > >>>> > > TIBIA. This is a compound fracture. They will debride the area,
> > then
> > > > put
> > > > >>>> > > screws and pins (as needed) in the tibia. Mom has so many
> fractures
> > > > >>>> that the
> > > > >>>> > > doc misspoke when he called in the original orders.
> > > > >>>> > >
> > > > >>>> > > Her blood pressure has dropped again. They are rapid-infusing
> four
> > > > >>>> units of
> > > > >>>> > > blood and one unit of albutimon (excuse my spelling). They are
> > going
> > > > >>>> ahead
> > > > >>>> > > with the surgery because of the real chance for a blood-borne
> > > infection
> > > > >>>> which
> > > > >>>> > > could impact her entire system.
> > > > >>>> > >
> > > > >>>> > > The orthopedic surgeon made it clear to me that she has a long,
> > > uphill
> > > > >>>> battle
> > > > >>>> > > to regain mobility.
> > > > >>>> > >
> > > > >>>> > > I understand from the ICU team that this surgery will set the
bar
> > for
> > > > >>>> future
> > > > >>>> > > surgeries. If her heart does not handle this surgery well, we may
> > > have
> > > > >>>> a tough
> > > > >>>> > > time fixing the rest of her leg wounds.
> > > > >>>> > >
> > > > >>>> > > On a less-serious note, the purse was secured by the ER and
> > security
> > > > >>>> teams.
> > > > >>>> > > They made a careful inventory of the contents and the purse is
> > locked
Wed, 24 Oct 2007 5:15pm Update
Wed, 24 Oct 2007 3:50pm Update
Wed, 24 Oct 2007 3:30pm Update
Wed. 24 Oct 2007, 10:00am
Surgery has been moved to 11am today. Could last as long as 5 hours. More later. Gotta run!
Kaye
10/24/07 7:49 AM
Kids & I are headed to Huntsville for the day in a little while. Please pray for safe travel in this wet weather.
Surgery scheduled for last night was cancelled. Her blood pressure dropped and became unstable again. Please pray that the ICU will do a better job communicating with Mark. Last night, they didn’t let him know about the decision to cancel surgery, til he asked what was going on. The night before, they took her early to surgery, without letting Mark know---they didn’t get a chance to see her beforehand, and the surgery was almost over before anyone knew she was in there.
Sorry so short, but I’m on the run.
Thank you!
Kaye
10/23/07, 5:11 PM
I've added several new names to this list. If this is the first update you've received, please read from the bottom up.
I would like to add a prayer request to this email. My friend Wayne Kinde lives in San Diego and has been evacuated from his home as wildfires rage in San Diego. Please pray for his family. They're living at his office right now waiting anxiously for news. It's hard to imagine what it would be like wonder if everything you own is going to go up in smoke. Pray for Wayne.
Mom came through the night well. Her blood pressure has stabilized and they have removed her from all of the "pressers" she's been on since the ER.
We spent a few sweet minutes this morning. I read Psalm 70 and talked to her about friends and relatives who have called. She must have been feeling okay (compared to later today) because she didn't fight the tubes, IVs, and restraints. She nodded her head and squeezed my hand during our talk.
The doctor considers this a "window of opportunity" to accomplish the rest of the surgeries. The trauma doctor gave the green light to the orthopedic team to do THE REST OF the surgeries (Left and right femurs, right tib/fib).
As of a few minutes ago, she's prepped and ready, BUT she is NOT on the schedule. They do not know if they are behind or if she has been bumped. They just took more blood to do final labs before surgery.
I will receive a call at some point in the next two hours to let me know if it's going to happen.
This is nerve-racking, as you can imagine.
Brother Carl, mom's pastor came by again. He's a great man and a gentle man. He recited Psalm 23 and prayed for us both . . . and thanked God for all of you who are praying.
Thank you. For all that you're doing for us. For holding my mom up to the throne of grace. For loving on us.
I'll update again after surgery OR after they cancel it.
Mark
P.S. The STICU waiting room is a hard place to be. As I signed this email, the family behind me in the breakroom received news that their loved one passed away.
NEXT MESSAGE:
She came through the surgery great! Everything was “textbook”. Her blood pressure and heart rate held fine throughout. They want to see how she recovers from this operation for a while before doing another one. The next surgery will be an “unconventional” hip replacement. It’s not just the ball & socket joint that has to be replaced, but more work to be done on the femur around the joint. The knee appears to have only ligament damage; no breaks.
Thanks for praying.....please continue!
Kaye
10/22/07 5:30 PM
Mark here.
I just got off the phone with mom's anesthesiologist and her orthopedic surgeon.
The surgery orders have changed. Tonight, they will ONLY work on the LEFT TIBIA. This is a compound fracture. They will debride the area, then put screws and pins (as needed) in the tibia. Mom has so many fractures that the doc misspoke when he called in the original orders.
Her blood pressure has dropped again. They are rapid-infusing four units of blood and one unit of albutimon (excuse my spelling). They are going ahead with the surgery because of the real chance for a blood-borne infection which could impact her entire system.
The orthopedic surgeon made it clear to me that she has a long, uphill battle to regain mobility.
I understand from the ICU team that this surgery will set the bar for future surgeries. If her heart does not handle this surgery well, we may have a tough time fixing the rest of her leg wounds.
On a less-serious note, the purse was secured by the ER and security teams. They made a careful inventory of the contents and the purse is locked in the safe. We're relieved.
Mom's State Farm agent is taking care of all the hoops related to the car.
Thank you for praying and for all of your greetings and gifts of love.
Mark
NEXT MESSAGE:
Just got another message from Mark.
His Mom’s blood pressure is up some---not great, but enough that they want to try one of the surgeries. The surgery time is set for 6:45pm tonight.
Dr. Leberte will debride the open wound below the knee on the right side (the biggest concern due to risk for infection) and put rods in the femur break on that side. Bottom line, they’re trying to get the right leg fixed tonight. The left leg is more involved but doesn’t have the nasty wound that the right leg has. (I hope I’ve said all that right.)
Please lift her up to the Father tonight, as He brings her to mind.
Right now, the kids and I are planning to go visit on Wednesday, unless Mark wants us to do otherwise.
We are so touched by the prayers, food, & support you’ve already shown us.
We feel very loved and blessed! Thank you so very much.
Keep Praying!
Kaye
10/22/07 12:12 PM
Mark’s Mom isn’t improving. Her blood pressure is still too low, and isn’t stable even where it’s at (95 over 40), so they can’t do the surgery yet. She is on a morphine drip for pain in addition to the meds to try to raise her blood pressure. They have to do something about getting the open wound on her leg thoroughly cleaned up today. The risk for infection is becoming a greater concern than trying to wait til the surgery.
The orthopedic surgeon has said she will need “many, many orthopedic surgeries”. They would normally do them all at once, but her heart is too sick to take that. It’s also not great on her heart to have the multiple surgeries, but it’s better than trying to get it all done at once.
Where the head of the left femur was broken, it has also involved the hip in some way. That knee is messed up, too. (Maybe because of the breaks above and below the knee???) The hip & knee aren’t broken, but “involved”. On the right leg, her heel is broken, in addition to the femur and fibula.
Sounds like there’s a long, painful road ahead for her. Please keep praying!
Uncle Ralph and Jim, thanks for checking in on Mark. That means a lot to me.
Thanks,
Kaye
10/21/07 10:38 PM
Okay....we have a better update now. Some of the other info was wrong.
Mark’s Mom has broken BOTH legs, not just one. Both femurs are broken---one of them it’s the head of the femur, and there’s a break in each leg in the tibia/fibula area---in one leg that’s a compound fracture.
The main issue right now is her blood pressure. They have been trying to raise her blood pressure and get it stabilized, but with the medications used so far have been unable to do so. They have put her on a drip and the blood pressure has come up some, but needs to come up more and stay there for several hours before they can do the surgery needed on her legs (preferably 12 hours, but they may not wait that long).
Due to having to wait for the surgery, they will probably put her in traction sometime tonight. They haven’t done a follow-up CT scan yet (the first one was OK, but they needed to do further testing), but she is her toes & fingers on the correct sides on demand, so that’s a good sign. They have been able to stabilize her blood sugar now as well.
Her heart is enlarged, but they have determined that doesn’t seem to be from any blunt trauma from the wreck, but due to her medical history of heart attacks, bypass surgery, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, etc.
Please keep praying for the family. Several of her brothers & sisters (she has 7 living siblings) are there now, so Mark’s not there by himself, but as the son he’s the one in charge.
Thanks for praying,
Kaye
On 10/21/07 7:02PM
I’m sending out a mass e-mail here, so if you weren’t copied on the original e-mail from Mark, please see it below this update on Mark’s Mom.
I’ve heard back from Mark. His Mom had multiple fractures to her right leg, and will be going into surgery for that some time tonight. She is intubated, breathing with a respirator right now, plus under heavy medication for pain.
She lost a lot of blood and fluids, so they had to rapid-infuse blood & fluids to her to get her stable. Her blood sugar was only 50 (very low!) when she was brought in, so they’re guessing that she passed out behind the wheel.
Mark said she just didn’t look good, even compared to when she had cancer surgery or her triple-bypass surgery. Please be in prayer for the surgery to go well. No matter what, sounds like she’s got a long road ahead of her.
Thanks,
Kaye & Mark Whitlock
On 10/21/07 2:22 PM
My uncle just called.
My mother, Ramona Whitlock, was in a single vehicle car accident.
She was cut out of the car by rescue crews and air-evacuated to Huntsville Hospital.
According to the police officer who called, she was coherent and was able to give the staff on site my uncle's phone number. They told my uncle that the injuries did not appear life threatening, but they wanted to take extra precautions.
As many of you know, my mom is a cancer survivor, has diabetes, has thyroid issues, and has had a triple heart bypass. Her health has been a great concern for many years, yet she has been able to live alone since my dad's death in 2004.
In a few minutes, I will be leaving to drive to Huntsville. I will update you as soon as I can.
Please pray for my mom's recovery
Pray for safety for all family that will be traveling to Huntsville
Pray for peace--there will probably be many changes that will have to take place in mom's life due to this accident
Pray for me--As her only son, it's my honor and responsibility to care for her (replacing her car, etc.)
I appreciate your friendship and love in my life
Mark
