March 20, Tyler posted:
Dad has continued to improve! Dad was taken off the ventilator yesterday morning and has been BREATHING ON HIS OWN!!!! He is still receiving oxygen assistance through the common nasal tubes we are used to seeing. According to the nurse, Dad is “making progress nobody thought he would make.” Praise God in heaven!!
Tyler reported that his dad was weak and had a lack of dexterity. He is continually exhausted and suffering from severe ICU delirium. His mom continues to get better and better every day. She is still coughing up trace amounts of blood but that seems to be slowing day by day. She was retested and is officially negative for Covid-19. This doesn’t mean she is back to 100%, but she is improving day by day.
Thank you for lifting my mom and dad up in prayer to the God of the universe. While our family is riddled with worry and fear, we have a lot of reasons to celebrate in these uncertain times. We have had a front row seat to the abundant love of God poured out on our family and seen the immediate effect of answered prayers.
On March 25, Bob’s recovery from coronavirus took a big step. He moved from the ICU to a graduated ICU department.
Here are some things we are crazy excited about with Dad’s recovery from coronavirus:
1. He is no longer requiring oxygen assistance to stay well saturated. He was breathing at a rate of 40 breaths per minute and it has lowered to 17-25! (Below 20 is considered normal).
2. He has been taken off all of his anti-viral medications and antibiotics for secondary infections.
3. Dad’s throat seems to be healing from the intubation. We could understand about 80% of what he was saying today! (Compared to about 10-20% yesterday). He is able to voice his discomfort and needs effectively.
4. With the assistance of a sling, dad left his bed for the first time in almost 4 weeks to sit upright in a chair.
5. He keeps asking for food and drink. He really wants a lemonade!
Some things that continue to be a challenge:
1. Because of the damage that Covid-19 causes, Dad’s heart is functioning at about 50% of its capacity compared to the first day he was in the hospital. This has caused a very high resting heart rate and a lot of fatigue.
2. He is suffering from ICU delirium – which is causing him to be very disoriented and confused. This is a common condition amongst patients who have been intubated and expected to get better every day.
3. He is not allowed to eat or drink because his swallow reflex is not strong enough. He is getting nutrition through a nasal feeding tube but we want him to eat normal. He will have a test tomorrow to see if he is ready to be introduced to food and drink again.
4. Dad is very anxious. He desperately wants to come home. We keep telling the whole point of his hospital stay is to get him home healthy. He is struggling to understand this fully and is eager to be home.
Mom continues to feel better every day even still. She has not coughed up blood in two days. We went on a walk with her around the neighborhood today and she felt great. She is temporarily adopting our dog, Cooper, who is bringing her some comfort with his presence.
Tyler shared honestly about some of his own questions through his family’s coronavirus nightmare.
This has been a growing moment in my faith. I find myself asking questions like: Is it ok to be afraid? Does that make me not faithful? What is my response to seeing a miracle in front of my eyes? How do I separate my fear from my sorrow? And what does Jesus have to say about all of this?
I don’t know that I have great answers yet but I realize that I can trust God more and more. He is my refuge and fortress. In Him I can trust, so I will. I truly believe that God is good all the time. He is good when bad surrounds us. He is good when great surrounds us. He is GOOD and worthy to be trusted. So I encourage you today to put your trust in God.
Note: Please continue to pray for Tyler’s parents full recovery from coronavirus.
