Gratitude and updates

On Tuesday night, our church had a time of prayer for Melissa and our family. I want to express our profound gratitude for those who planned and attended. We are overwhelmed by all of the support whether it is prayers, reaching out, sending something from Melissa's wish list, or just following along on this journey.

One of my "mantras" is that life is not linear. That is true for many situations, including Melissa's recovery. We are now a few days out from two very complex vascular procedures, and a couple days after removing the breathing tube.

She is improving, but her lungs have struggled a bit along the way. During surgery it is often necessary to provide lots of fluid to the patient. It's a delicate balance and sometimes that process can cause fluid to get in the lungs. Respiratory therapy is working with her and the amount of oxygen support she needs is being slowly reduced.

She is able to swallow, drink water, and even take her medication as pills. When she is ready, she will be able to eat a soft diet.

Pain management continues to be essential as well. The team is continually tweaking the regimen to make sure Melissa gets the relief she needs.

Hopefully today, physical therapy will be in to work with Melissa on getting up out of bed also. This is also a balancing act - getting her up without turning her too much and affecting the recovery of her lungs.

Thank you again for all of the support thus far!