There's a hole in my tummy dear Liza dear Liza...

So Rachel has a hole in her incision. It is a little bigger than this since we took this picture 2 days ago. It is still oozing out gunky stuff. We went in to the doctor on Tuesday because it was a lot. They said not to worry. We are going again today for a followup. We have been to the blood dr and they say her levels are ok to take her off lovenox so NO MORE SHOTS!! Her poor arms have about 7 bruises each. They will continue to monitor her blood levels for 6 - 12 weeks at the minimum then will do another ultrasound to see how the clot is doing. She has complained that her leg aches a bit today and it is about 1/2 inch bigger than the other. She is ready to go back to school but I think that wouldn't be good with an open wound. We will see what the dr says.

Brad has a bit more energy but is frustrated that he can't do all he wants to do. He is chomping at the bit to be able to play basket ball again. He did go play with the men last night and now is a big wiped out. He has had a little more energy lately.

Shannon finished up her therapy this week and has a follow up apt on Monday. Her knee is doing much better.

Michelle has started basket ball. She is working hard to keep her grades up so she can stay eligible to play.

Jenna is just Jenna. Loud, full of energy and crazy! It sounds like the state is cutting back on funding of therapy things so she may be done sooner than we thought.

Spencer has to go into the office 2 days a week now because some other lady didn't have integrity and so now everyone has to work from the office 2 days a week but she has to be there 5 days a week. He isn't very happy about that, but it could have been worse.

I am just trying to get life back in order a bit. crazy what happens in two weeks. Everyone here did a great job picking up the slack.

Thank you ALL for all the payers, meals, love and support (and watching crazy Jenna) while this was all going on. Even though our family was far away, we felt so loved and supported by all of you, especially our ward family! We love you guys!! We couldn't have done it without your help. THANKS!!

Home Sweet Home!!!!!

Yeah!!!!! We are finally home!!!!! We got home about 12:45 and we are soooooo happy! We thought we might have been able to come home Saturday but her incision started oozing alot I guess I wouldn't say gushing but the doctor who was checking her said it was peeing (oops, no more G rating for our blog) It was a bit scary but things slowed down. The Doc wanted us to stay another day to make sure she didn't get an infection so on Sunday we were expecting the get the go ahead to leave but they wanted one more day to make positive sure she was ok. Whew! We have to go on each week to get her blood checked and she will have to have shots of lovenox for about a week till the cumiden kicks in and her levels are what they need to be. She was very happy that we are home. She was a little worried about going up the stairs but she made it fine. She wont go back to school till maybe Thursday or so and only for a half day. We'll see how much she tolerates. Wow! that was a LOOOONG 2 weeks!! We are so grateful for all the prayers in her behalf. We are thankful that Heavenly Father has blessed her so much and that we still have her with us. I'll post some pictures soon! Thanks for the cards and well wishes too. We love you all!!

It's me again since Karen is camping at hospital

Rachel -- Big improvements over the last three days. She is getting back to her old chatty self. Thanks for the cards, visits, phone calls and prayers. She is walking around pretty good now and goes on a few short walks a day down the halls of the hospital. There is a large closet nearby that is lined with shelves and loaded with new toys, called Andrea's Closet and when the kids achieve some goals (or I suppose just need cheering up) the nurses can take the child there and they get to choose an item. Rachel chose a package of makeup and was pretty happy about it. She was allowed to start eating ice chips, pop-cicles and chicken broth a couple of days ago and now she is eating solid food. Today it was stuff like Cheerios, potatos and gravy, macaroni and cheese and ice cream. Her incision is healing well, she is off all intraveinous meds and nutrients and her lungs are clear. The main concern seems to be the blood clot in her right leg. She is currently on a thinner that needs to be given by shot twice a day. Karen is learning to give her the shots since it will take about a week to switch her to an oral medicine and it looks like Rachel may be coming home in the next 1 to 3 days. She is having an sonagram of her leg today to see how it's looking but Karen said it would probably take awhile to hear back on it. It is expected that she will need to be on the thinner for several months and will need to go in twice a week for blood tests.
Brad and Shannon started a weekend of Youth Conference today which will run through Sunday. More news on that will come once it is over. Michelle just completed a science fair project at school that I thought turned out real well.

New Hospital Room - New Phone Number

Karen gave me (Spencer) instructions on how to do this from the hospital and I have never done this before so if it looks funny that is why. Karen just informed me that Rachel has been moved to a new room. It is out of the pediactric ICU as she is now off the ventilator. She would have probably been kept there had it not been that the ICU was full and they needed the room for someone that would need a ventalator. The new room is in the hematology unit right next to the pediactric ICU and is actually a lot nicer room, bigger, with a window and a much better bed for Karen to sleep on and a refrigerator. The new direct number is 480-512-6605 in room #118. Rachel did well last night and is continuing to improve. Thanks for your prayers.

Sunday's update

No more breathing tube !!!!!! they took it out today about 3:45 and she is doing pretty good. She was very scared for them to take it out in act didn't want them to because of what happened last time. But she is doing good. She also got rid of an iv line and also the catheter. ( I really don't know how to spell all this stuff. anyway. She used to have about 8 or 9 medication pumps pumping stuff into her and now she only has 4 so that is better too! She will probably be in icu for another couple of days and then out to the main floor for several more days. She still can't eat or drink anything for a couple more days. Thanks for all the prayers they are definitely working ! She has been more aware that last day or so and is getting more weepy about being there and such. it makes me sad to have to tell her she cant' go home or eat but we'll make it thru. My kids are all being such troopers thru this all. I know I wanted them to learn to love each other but this is definitely NOT the way I would have chosen for it to happen! Love you all!! I'll post more pictures later. Got to get back to the hospital.

Next update...

hey its Shannon here. my mom asked me to post an update so here it is. Rachel has a blood clot in her leg, so the doctors are giving her blood thinner.. she still has the breathing tube however she has not had a fever for almost 24 hours! yay! At the very minimum, she will be out of the hospital next weekend!!!She is quite the trooper!!! Brad and I had the wonderful opportunity to go visit our lil sis yesterday! I missed her!!! what a amazing time I had! I never knew how much I loved her til all this happened and I know I will not be mean to her because I really do love her. I had the hardest time yesterday walking in the room and seeing her laying there strapped down to the table so helpless. just walking in I got teary eyed. She is sedated I think thats what its called, anyways I anxiously awaited for her to wake up and when she did I held her hand and talked to her. It was so sad that she couldn't talk back. It was so sad when the nurses were working on her. I started crying but I didn't want Rach to see me sad so i tried to hold myself together. I did her hair for her!!We talked to her and she wanted to tell us something so we got her typing board thingy and it took a while but she finally got the message " Can i call emma?" That made me teary eyed. Emma is in the family that I babysit for. She had appendicidis a while back. She also asked to call Cheyenne one of her best friends. We were there for a while on Friday night, but I'll tell you, it was one of the best fridays ever because I got to spend it with my sister who I missed so much! When we told her we had to go she started crying which made me cry! my mom said she has never cried before! it was so sad. I have been being "the mommy" around here! its been quite the challenge trying to fill in my mom's shoes with cleaning and trying to keep peace around here! I never knew how much my mom does for me! I LOVE YOU MOM!! and DAD!! you guys do so much for us and I am really grateful for it! People in our ward have been so kind and thoughtful and It means alot to me to know so many people care THANKS!!!!! We have also had alot of family call, thanks for being concerned. WE love you guys and we couldn't do it without you!!!
WE LOVE YOU RACHEL!!! GET BETTER SOON! WE MISS YOU!!!!
AWE its so sad looking at how miserable she is! :/ well thats about it...there will be another update later.

Rachel update...

Well, pretty much more of the same today. They had to give her more blood today, she is on 3 heavy duty anti biotics and fluids and such. There are so many tubes coming out of her it is unbelievable. They weren't even going to try and take out the breathing tube today because it stressed her so much yesterday. Her top part of her right lung colapsed yesterday so they are basically letting her heal today. They are keeping her pretty much sedated and on pain medication so she only opens her eyes when they are doing something to her. She wants to have a drink and eat but that is not in the picture for a couple more days. The last time she ate was monday afternoon. They give her breathing treatments every 4 hours and pound on her chest then suction out the mucus stuff. She is fighting a fever but they aren't sure if there is infection or post op fever. hmmm... can't think of anything else. Spencer and President Derrick (our old bishop) gave her another blessing today. We hope she will start improving. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. I'm off to the hospital so spencer can come home and settle everyone for bed and get some more work done. We love you all. She is at Banner Desert (off dobson and freeway) the direct number is 480-512-6111