24 Days in ICU

Just a short note this evening before we head back to the hosital.

Shea was a little better last night. She was calmer and one person could more easily take care of her. However, she had little sleep again today. She walked a little with the help of the Physical Therapists and by the end of the day was being helped to the bathroom by the nurses. She strongly resists any help. She is definitely an "I can do it myself" kind of girl. She may not realize it but that attitude and your many prayers are responsible for her incredible progress.

A few hours before morning, I noticed Shea exploring her face with her hands. They slowly moved across all of the areas that had been operated on. She then moved her finger inside her mouth and I can only imagine what she was thinking as her finger traced the wires and foreign material used to repair her mouth and gums. She repeated this several times. When morning came, the crying began.

Many times during the day we reassure Shea that all of this tubing, the neck brace, the trach, the knee brace and even the wires will all be gone--they are temporary! We have been told to continually remind her because she drifts in and out and does not necessarily remember what we have told her. I do think she is remembering more and more.

Shea's nurse today was a sweet Christian woman, Chris Slager. She worked so hard with Shea and was so successful in communicating with her. I kept watching Chris today and wished my daughter, Lauren, who is studying to be a nurse, could watch Chris in action. She radiates the joy of Jesus and treats her patients like her own children. Excellent, excellent care. We just can't say enough about the fabulous, loving care given to our Shea.

Shea had difficulty writing this morning but then grabbed the board with great determination and spelled different words throughout the day. At first her writing was scribbly and maybe we could make out a letter, perhaps a word or two. But suddenly, she would write complete sentences and even draw a heart instead of writing the word love. Shea still has times like this afternoon when she cannot write at all and is extremely restless.

We suspected she was very thirsty today because she held her hand as though she had a glass and tipped it toward her mouth. Sure enough, today she wrote, "I am soooooo thirsty." And under that she drew a smiley face. Dr Clark just shook his head in amazement. "You understand," he told Susan, "We just don't see this. It normally takes a long, long time for these developments." Guess he never met the likes of our Shea and the God she loves.

One of her doctors reviewed her chart and shook his head when he saw all the narcotics Shea has received in the last 3 1/2 weeks. He told us it would take quite a while to get this all out of her system. So that is our prayer request tonight; Please pray for rest for Shea--rest and sleep. And let's all pray that God would rid her body of this withdrawal earlier that is expected.

Susan and Steve are getting to sleep through the night as Kathy and Karen have now arrived. The sisters are pulling night duty so Susan and Steve can be awake and alert when Shea is and also be at the hospital when the different therapists and doctors make their rounds.

Off for a nap before I pull the 11:00 pm to 3:00 am with Karen!
Thank you all for your faithfulness in dilligently praying for Shea, her doctors and nurses and for us.
Our family can never thank you enough.
Jeanne Burch