Tag Archives: induced coma

Elevated Temps and ICP, Surgery, Recovery: Sean’s Updates

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Earlier today Terri put out a brief update I just happened to catch and emailed out to those on the list.  Here, in the order they came through (which was fast and furious) are the updates from this evening:

Posted at approximately 8:30 pm PT

Sean is having swan catheter(a catheter that measures cardiac output) replaced right now. It was supposed to have happened at 4:30 but it’s been a busy day around here so the cardiologist wasn’t free until later. He has to have the swan catheter as long as they have him on the pentabarb. He had one but it is 13 days old and was no longer working correctly and they fear infection when it gets that old. Sean had a rough day today. He had a fever and he was coughing a lot earlier which made his ICP go up. He also had a rapid heart rate because of the fever. Earlier when the Dr. was in with the nurses I got a chance to listen in. He really wants Sean off the pentabarb so they are going to throw everything else at him to achieve that goal. Sean’s sedation level was lighter earlier so that is why he was coughing so much. He was also shivering and biting the breathing tube. The Dr. wants him to be more heavily sedated, just not with the pentabarb. When Vince and I left at 5:30 things were beginning to turn around. His ICP, fever and temp were all coming down. When we left we thought that we would be able to come back in at 8 after the shift change but unfortunately the surgery was pushed back. So here we sit waiting, anxious because we haven’t seen him in 3 hours. But, God is in that room with him and the surgeon and everyone else so we know that he is in good hands. Pray for him as always. I will update after I see him and go home.
Love,
Terri, Vince, Sean & Kiersten

quick update..

Posted at approximately 10:00 pm PT

hi guys,
the catheter was just put it…and all is going fairly smoothly.
Sean is still shivering, and still has a fever. His ICP’s are
basically the same as before. No new news for you all, but have a
good night:).
Love,
The [Terri, Vince, Sean & Kiersten]

Posted at approximately 10:20 pm PT

Just back from the hospital. Sean’s ICP was 16 when I left. All
indications are that he should have a good night. Please pray with
us that he does. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Love,
Sean and family

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Mother’s Day – Updates On Sean

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This morning before I was able to post any updates about Sean (because there hadn’t been any), I saw his mother, Terri, after church and was able to speak with her briefly. She said she was tired and discouraged after a rough day yesterday (Saturday) and had posted just before service, reassuring me she had been reading all of the notes I have left, as well as the notes you have offered to be relayed, and thanked us all for them.  Here are the updates from today, Mother’s Day:

Mother’s Day

Posted at approximately 10:30 am PT

Sorry I didn’t update last night. Sean had a little bit of a rough day, not horrible but a little rough and I was tired and discouraged so I went to sleep. Today Sean is having a good day. I spoke with the neuro surgeon and he seems satisfied with Sean’s condition. It’s a long slow process and Sean is holding his own.

The last two mornings I have come in at 6 to check on Sean, then gone back home at 7 to shower, then back again at 8 or 9. When I leave his room at 7 I stop by the chapel and spend some time praying. I hope to keep this routine because it really centers me for the day. It is such a small chapel and it’s quiet and peaceful at that hour of the morning. This morning when I was praying for Sean’s healing as well as others in the ICU and a dear friend who has cancer it struck me that God’s timing is perfect. I was discouraged yesterday because Sean wasn’t healing fast enough. But God is healing Sean in His time and so I prayed for patience. No doubt God is at work here and we don’t have to understand it or question it, we just have to have faith and watch God work in His perfect way and time.

I am going to end here because I am going to church to worship because God is great. Happy Mother’s day to all the Mom’s. We love and appreciate all of you.

The inner circle of greatness (Thank Dave M. for that one, he renamed us yesterday, and we kinda like it.)

Terri, Vince, Sean, Kiersten, Kyle, & Kayla

A Happy Mother’s Day

Posted at approximately 8:15 pm PT

Sean had such a good day today. Everything just stayed steady. No huge change for the better, but no real rough spots to speak of. He is coughing now and it looks like he is gagging some as well. It’s not enjoyable to watch but all good signs of brain activity. Also his eyes are much more reactive. I have been told that the fact that all of this is happening when he is still very sedated is good news. I told Kiersten and Vince that they were off the hook for Mother’s day,(Kiersten made me a beautiful card anyway) all I wanted was for Sean to have a good day and I received my Mother’s day wish.

Earlier I said that I was going to church which I did and it was such a nice service, very upbeat and motivational. It was just what I needed to hear, thanks Steve! After church I got to say hi to a few people and then I walked back to the hospital. It was so pleasant and quiet and God gave me such a sense of peace. What an amazing gift it was to enjoy a little stroll that much. The whole day just went that way for all of us including Sean, slow paced and peaceful. Vince and I even got an hour nap at home!

We are all going back to the hospital now to say goodnight to Sean. Vince will stay until 2 and I will return at 6. I hope that everyone reading this had as nice a day as we did. Sleep well dear friends and as always pray for Sean because God hears our prayers and He loves us so much. One more thing. In all of this I keep thinking about the sacrifice that God made for us in his Son Jesus. In watching our son suffer and fight for his life I can’t help but think what it must of been like for God to witness His son’s suffering and death. God could have stopped it but He didn’t because he loved us that much. It brings tears to my eyes even now because I can’t fathom the depth of that love, that He would give His Son for us. God is amazing and He is present.

Love,
Sean and family

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Update on Sean, The Rock Star

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Good news awaits us….

Sean is a rock star!

Posted at approximately 8:45 AM PT

Sean had a great night last night! His ICP stayed in the teens and his temperature and all other vitals were great. Andrea ( one of his amazing nurses) was able to cut his pentobarbital (barbiturate) in half! I know that he has a long way to go and I was thinking that we should try not to get to excited because he could still go back and forth for awhile. Buuuut, you know what? We get so low on the bad days, why shouldn’t we rejoice and say thank you Lord on the the good days! Say it with me people “THANK YOU LORD”! Can I get a hallelujah! Okay so I’m a little excited.

Thanks for all of your prayers and support last night as we were making the difficult transition out of “the room”. I did get some sleep and I feel much better today.

BREAKING NEWS…… The Dr. was just in to talk to me and he said that things are going better. He said that Sean is coming out of the barb coma. He said his suppression rate is 4 and it was 8. I’m not sure exactly what that all means but I know that it is good. He also said that they are taking the bolt (ICP monitor) out of Sean’s head today and that they will monitor his ICP through the ventriculostomy (the catheter that drains cerebral spinal fluid). They will no longer be draining fluid from it continuously, however it is there if they need to use it.

I’m going to close for now so I can go in and hang out with my boy. By the way, I may call him my boy, but that is one strong amazing man in there!

Blessings today dear friends and yes I have an assignment for you today. Rejoice! Count your blessings. I mean it literally try to count your blessings and I guarantee you that no matter what is going on in your life you will not believe how many blessings you have (thats if you can count that high). So count them and thank God for them because God is the creator and the source of all blessings. I will start counting now, lets see where will I start. Sean’s prayer warriors, well thats already to many to count. Now you see how it works.

Thank you all for supporting us with your prayers and presence.

Love,
The inner circle gang Terri, Vince,
Sean, Kiersten, [and cousins] Kyle and Kayla

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Good Morning Day 10: An Update On Sean

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