Step by step

Andrea continues to try to improve each day with each doctor's, physical therapy or dialysis treatment. She can even con me or Betty into shopping for her and J's new house on the way home from these visits. Any distraction from these very difficult times is a treat as they build a more comfortable home for themsleves. We all admire her and J as they strive each day for a physical health.
The last MRI showed great improvement overall, but the hyperintensity over the part of the brain that controls motor skills is there, so we need to pray that it dissappates quickly. The neuro doctor said it may take 18 months or longer for all of this to occur, and it has been 7 months so far. Please pray for total healing......The TIRR therapists are so encouraging and rejoice at every improvement Andrea makes.
Your prayers are so important, as we pray for you all each day.

Busy Schedule

Andrea has her ups and downs but is continuing to get a little better overall. Her determination comes from faith, hope and prayer that she will be able to eat and walk again. She has appointments every day of the week. When the lungs get clear enough our first hope is that she can drop the Tuesday and Saturday dialysis. Even on Sundays we go to MDA for a blood test and lung x-rays, which are improving.
Thank you for your continued steadfast prayers.

With Your Prayers

With Your Prayers, Andrea continues to get a little stronger each day. It is very hard for her to realize, but over a 2 week period, her TIRR physical therapist say that she is doing really well and they are very encouraging for her to go to the next level. As long as Andrea is on a firm surface, like her exercise mat, she can sit on her own for at least 15 to 30 minutes or more. Then she exercises her arms and legs. We are so very encouraged by her determination and abiltiy. We are scheduled to go to the MDA doctors his week, too, so hopefully they will have good news about her lung xrays.

Please continue to pray for her swallowing ability as she prays for each of you and your daily hurdles.

Standing Chair

Andrea is getting a little stronger everyday. At TIRR this week, they put her in a special chair, then pumped it up to a standing position. It was tough work for her but she was so mentally charged and happy when it was all over. She can hardly wait to go back. Andrea continues to go to her speech therapist and MDA doctors. We have great hope that the speech therapist can help the nerves in her throat swallow properly again.
Thank you for your prayers as we remember you, too.

Starting TIRR

Andrea is excited about being accepted as a TIRR out-patient. She will be going there 3 days a week for an hour each time. The young lady physical therapist was very optomistic, nice and has immediate goals for Andrea to accomplish.
She is also seeing the MDA doctors this week about her cricopharnyx, so please pray that they, too, can help Andrea to heal more quickly. We appreciate all of you and think of you and your needs daily, too.

Swallow Test

The speech therapist is really good and the doctor who did the swallow test gave her the information that she needed to help Andrea's cricopharynx respond properly when swallowing. Betty and I got to observe the x-ray/barium swallow test and it was amazing. I even found out that we have a floating tiny bone in our throats that is held in place with muscles. All of this is such a detailed process, so please continue to pray that what is done will help the neurological condition to heal.

Andrea is really fighting fatigue but we know it is really her body working overtime to heal. We continue to go to many appointments each week, but the one we are anticipating the most this week is the TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research - the leading in-patient and out-patient hospital for neurological or neuromuscular injuries that Memorial Hermann runs for UT Medical and Baylor College of Medicine). Hopefully (and prayerfully) Andrea will be accepted there as an out-patient.

Thank you for your faithful prayers. We continue to the think of each of you in your daily activities, too.

Moving in the Right Direction

Even though Andrea has to have dialysis for a while, J got it set up at home so at least Andrea can be in the comfort of their own home for 4 hours every Tuesday and Saturday. Please continue to pray that the kidneys heal so that she does not need dialysis or a transplant in the future.
There are plenty of other appointments, but the most promising is the speech therapist who is working with Andrea on her swallowing mechanism. Andrea will have a swallow test this Friday, so please pray that she improves enough to eat something. We think of each of you often and hope you are staying cool enough throughout the summer.

Mega Appointments

Almost everyday this week Andrea sees several doctors or therapists each day. We count these appointments as blessings because it gets us going early and keeps us moving in the right direction of healing!
I think the most enticing appointment for Andrea is the speech therapist because she gives Andrea all kinds of tastes and stimulation in her mouth to help her learn to swallow without aspiration into the lungs. Again, it is such a fine balance on what and how to do it that it is really amazing to watch and try to help do the same thing at home when we leave.
Please continue to pray for the neurological condition to resolve and for her kidneys to improve so that she does not need dialysis. Twice a week Andrea's blood is drawn to determine if she needs dialysis. We went to MDA this Sunday afternoon and will find out tomorrow if she needs to go for dialysis Monday afternoon.
We do think of you all daily and pray for you too.

Seeking a fine balance

Andrea spent 4 crazy days and 3 crazier nights at the MDA emergency room last week. At least she got home for the July 4 weekend! Her kidneys seem to be rebounding, but not just enough yet to keep her off dialysis totally. So, the kidney doctor was trying some medications that threw her blood levels all off which made her end up in the emergency room. It is so hard to find the fine balance with all the medications. Andrea has been so active, just going to all the different doctors, dialysis and the most promising - her speech therapist who is trying to help her rebuild face, neck and throat muscles to swallow correctly again.
Thank you for your prayers for Andrea's swallowing mechanism and her kidneys. We think of each of you often.

Home and Healing

Sorry, blogspot temporarily blocked me out, don't know why, but at last I get to report that Andrea has been home since Friday June 19 and getting better every day. She has a long road to recovery but at least we can help her in the comfort of her and J's home. We have been back to the MDA kidney doctor for a check up and to the speech therapist to help her regain her swallowing ability. We go back to MDA tomorrow to see her primary doctor and to back to the speech/swallowing therapist on Friday. The physical therapist came by the house today to do the assessment and will most likely come to their house twice a week to help her figure out the best exercises to help her regain balance and mobility.
Please keep the prayers going for the neurological condition to improve. Things are looking up for Andrea! Thanks to all of you for your care and concern.

HOME Wed, Maybe??

Andrea has been improving...and they are thinking of letting her go home on Wednesday June 17, but with so many variables....., we must ask of your prayers for:
her neurological condition to improve,
dialysis to be a non-issue
and overall strength to boost her up and home.
She is doing all that she can do to gather up strength and courage to get out of the bed each day with our help to try to get stronger. She had a visit from her 5 month old nephew, Levi, this weekend which gave her such joy! We pray next posting will be from Home!
Thank you for your continued prayers!

Seeing Progress

Andrea is in a regular 11th floor room (accessible through elevator F for those who can visit) at MDA and is working through "issues" so she can go home again. The first thing she wants to know when waking up is "what are the day's goals and schedule so she can get strong enough to go home again". Dialysis is usually 3 times a week. This past week she had a thoracentesis to pull fluid off around the lung to alleviate pain and let her lung expand again. The side pain did not go away as we had hoped and ultrasound she had yesterday showed an aggreviated gall bladder. The doctors are putting their heads together to proceed on that one, so we will let you know how that turns out.
I told J. today that I have never seen such pain, determination to get better or courage as I have from Andrea. I also have never seen such love, coaching or support as the Martin family are to Andrea.
We thank God for such supporters as yourself to read this blog, pray for Andrea and want you to know that we pray for your needs each day too.

Out of ICU!

Andrea left ICU about 7 p.m. last night. It was good to sleep in a quieter room on the 11th floor without hearing all the alarms beeping from other rooms. Many nurses came by as she was coming in to say "you go, Andrea, we are here to help you get back home". That was just so supportive of them to do that! She is also getting her trache adjusted tomorrow so that it should be easier for her talk, and for us to understand. Today Andrea was already sitting in the neuro chair and sitting up on the side of the bed with the help of the physical therapist. Every bone and muscle of her body aches, but she is limiting pain meds so she can move about and get going again.
Thank you for your prayers. As our regular doctor was leaving rounds this a.m., Charley, a pastor from Second Baptist came in and led a powerful, thankful prayer for Andrea leaving ICU and improving. It was perfect timing as all of your visits are just when Andrea needs a boost. You must know too, that we do feel YOUR prayers from wherever you are. We thank God for you.

Talk of leaving ICU

Progress has been slow, but steady. Andrea has been in a chair, sitting up and trying to communicate as best as she can with a trache. I have to admit it is hard to try to read her lips because everyone knows how Andrea like to talk, and she goes too fast for us sometimes. They will change the trache to one that is easier for her to talk, and we are just waiting for them to do that, and then maybe they will release her to a regular room so we can get physical therapy and get back home. That week home was just soooo good, and Andrea wants to be there so much.
Thank you for your faithful prayers. They really, really do mean so much to Andrea and us, too.

Let the Healing Begin - Again

Andrea had a trache put in her throat Monday night. She passed her breathing test this morning and they took her off the ventilator and is on a low level of oxygen. She is much more awake and we are all looking forward to get out of ICU now. Again, she has amazed some doctors who have not seen her before.
Thank you for your faithful prayers. I read the blog notes, cards and letters to her and she is so appreciative.

Path Forward

After several days on the breathing ventilator and medicines, Andrea's lungs have cleared except for the left bottom lung that was not crystal clear the last time doctors declared her "clear". She is also breathing more on her own, has been weaned off the pain meds and is awake more during the day.
The doctors plan to put in a trache early this week to prevent Andrea from aspirating and getting pneumonia all over again. The trache will need to stay in several months to allow time for the neurological condition to continue to improve. We were seeing signs of improvement when this second round of aspiration pneumonia set in.
It was wonderful that Andrea was honored as the Shining Star recipient at The American Cancer Society Gala last Saturday night. Lindsey did a great job speaking on her behalf. Thanks, Lindsey!
As always, thank you for your prayers.

Broncoscopy and Breathing Ventilator

Andrea said she was "exhausted" from her breathing rate and how hard it is to breathe from having pneumonia. This morning her heart showed slight stress, so the doctors decided to put her on a breathing ventilator and that also gave them the opportunity to do a broncoscopy and find out if they could give her more specific antiobiotics to kick the pneumonia.

Some of her other blood numbers improved since yesterday, so we are still hopeful that she will continue getting better day by day.

Andrea needs your continued support and faithful prayers.

No broncoscopy for now

Once Andrea got to ICU, they found a urinary infection and started her on a wide range of antibiotics which could clear the lungs, too. So, one step at a time ....... and as frustratingly slow that is for her, they are monitoring her closely and could decide to do something else at any time. Please pray for clear lungs, eradication of the infection they found, but most of all for the neurological condition to heal completely. Thanks so much.

Please Pray Tonight

Please pray tonight for Andrea's lungs. She was admitted to ICU earlier due to the pneumonia in her lungs. This afternoon she was short of breath and very uncomfortable. Her doctor decided it would be best to monitor her all night in ICU. They are planning to perform a broncoscopy tomorrow under close supervision. This will give the doctors the information needed to treat her lungs and the ability to remove some of the junk in her lungs. Thanks in advance for all the prayers.

Hospital.....again

Nice try, but after one week at home, Andrea was remitted at her one week check up Monday because of a low grade fever and really bad pain on her right side abodmen. She told them while in the hospital last week of the pain but after CT scans, they could "see" nothing, so they allowed her to go home on a reduced scale of antibioitcs and so now they figure something is brewing and they need to find out what that something is.......
Well, home was just toooo gooood, so we need to figure out what this something is so we can get back there by the weekend.
Please know that we continue to think of you and your family as we go through this latest trial.