Archive for July, 2005
July 28, 2005
July 28, 2005 | Updates
Samuel did have a better afternoon today. For about an hour, he lay on my lap and listened to me as I talked to him about the things he loves. He just sat and looked at me and followed me with his eyes. He was more coherent than I have seen him since the accident. And as I played with a little stuffed animal with him, he smiled and even laughed once. It was SO VERY NICE and refreshing to see him for just a moment. It filled my heart with the needed desire to keep pressing forward through this hard trial.Tonight, he was again posturing, but he seemed much more aware of me and I was more able to calm him down. I hesitated to leave him tonight, but he does have a one-on-one nurse and I need rest to be able to care for him tomorrow. I am afraid that the medication they have been giving him that has been settling him and helping him to sleep is not working well anymore. He did not sleep today after 11 am and I think it is because he is becoming immune to this medication. That is not good news, but I am hoping they will have something else to try.
I also met another family that has been here nearly 40 days since their 14 year old daughter, Tori, nearly drowned in an auto accident. As I spoke with them, I learned that there are many other conditions that may plague Samuel in the near future such as tremors and other related things. That was not good news, but it does prepare us as we were thinking this posturing was the only thing like this we would need to overcome. I hope he does not have to go through anything else like that, but he may.
I also wanted to tell you quickly about another man we met with a 6 year old daughter, Kaylene, that nearly drowned 2 days before Samuel’s accident. Through a series of events, we met him (Don) and have been able to share some of the gospel with him and give him and his daughter and his mother priesthood blessings to help them cope with their trial. (They did not know of the church at all before this.) They have become dear friends already and it is clear that we were meant to cross paths through these ordeals we are experiencing. It is nice to be doing something good as we care for Samuel by sharing our hearts and the gospel we so deeply believe in with these dear, dear people. Just another example of the Lord’s tender mercies.
Please keep Samuel in your prayers. His struggle to overcome this is most likely just beginning. We love you all. We are so loved and supported by you. Your messages are so wonderful!
Love,
Teresa
July 28, 2005
Updates
Just wanted to let everybody know that we did have a very good day. However, please know that we are still not out of the water yet, the doctors told us we would have good and bad days. He is posturing again tonight but not very seriously. It is very nice to have a day like this because we have not had one yet. It sure brings much more hope. AGAIN THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS, they are paying off as we knew they would. Love, Tom
July 28, 2005
Updates
WONDERFUL NEWS! Tom just told us that is responding to his mother!!! He even smiled!!! I can’t tell you any more than this. We hope and pray that this will continue!!! I’m sure that Teresa will fill us all in much better than this. As for right now, she is probably savoring every minute of this wonderful relief!!!WE ARE SO FULL OF JOY WE CAN HARDLY STAND IT!!!
July 28, 2005
Updates
Just a quick update on using this carepage. Tom and Teresa have been responding to each and every one of the messages you are all leaving but I am finding that it is hard to view their responses. You need to click on “Message Board” then click on the button in the upper right corner of that page that says “printer friendly version” it will then put the page on the bottom bar of your computer, click on it and it will open all the messages and there responses. This was the only way I was able to view Tom & Teresa’s response. I hope this works for you.
Thank you,
Linda
July 28, 2005
Updates
I don’t have much time this morning to write this update, but wanted you all to know how Samuel is. First, my sister, Kaylee, asked me to post information on the account that has been set up for proceeds from fundraisers or other donations to help with the expenses of Samuel’s care. The account is with Wells Fargo Bank and is in the name of “Debbie Bird - Benefit of Samuel Jewkes”. The account number is 9941743115. All proceeds from any fundraisers or any donations will be placed in that account and used towards the cost of his care now and in the future.Samuel is still struggling very hard to get through every day. Last night was very difficult as he struggled with his posturing from about 7:00 until 8:30 pm. It was very frightening for all of us as his heart rate would go above 200 beats per minute and his respitory rate was up around 70 to 75 breaths per minute. This lasted most of that hour and a half with only small 1 or 2 minute breaks here and there. He was drenched in sweat and it was really hard to watch as it seemed it must be just too much for his little body. He had another one of those episodes this morning and they had to give him such a large dose of sedation medication that they said it would have been enough to really put me under. But he is resting at least for a while now.
They are considering and most likely will - put a Baclefin pump in him over the next little while. It is a pump implanted in his body that can deliver a medication straight to his spinal cord to try and reduce this posturing. They normally do not do something like this until a child has dealt with posturing for 6 months or so. But apparently, his posturing is some of the worst they have ever seen and they are very concerned about his health with the amount of work his body is doing each day.
They will test the Baclefin on Monday and put a type of spinal drip in his back if it works out. Then they would put the pump in the next Monday because it requires surgery that would have to be scheduled and all that red tape. We are PRAYING that it works! I don’t know what we’ll do if it doesn’t. And we’re PRAYING that he’ll be OK until then. Please keep that in your prayers also.
Otherwise, we are holding in there. It’s a hard ordeal, but we are blessed to feel the spirit every day and we know that God and his Savior love him very much and are watching over him.
Tom did ask me to clarify that although we are having complete faith that he will recover and be well again, the doctors are not as optimistic - which is, of course, their job. They say that the best we can really hope for is a child in a “writhing little body” that is cognitively aware and to them, that would be a miracle. But, we are having faith that he will do much better than that, and we know that if (when) he does, it will astound the doctors and be more than any miracle we have ever witnessed or even considered might happen in our lives. We just feel that, at this point, it’s best to have complete faith that God can and will heal him. And so we believe that he will.
Thank you again for all your support. And thank you for your messages. They always bring a peaceful feeling to me.
We love you all.
Teresa
