In the Course of a Day

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1).

Years ago I remember laughing when someone asked me, "Do you know what a redneck's last words are?" I responded, "No." "Watch this!," the person proceeded to tell me.

My last words on this blog were those spoken to us by the doctor. "He's no longer critical; he's now stable." Not more than 6 hours after I wrote those words, everything seemed to come undone. Stable would not be the word to describe the course of the last 24 to 36 hours.

I arrived Thursday evening to stay at the hospital. Sarah informed me that the bleeding at the site of the liver biopsy had stopped. I was also told he had been given morphine and should therefore sleep well. Both were to the contrary. I awoke in the wee hours of Friday morning to the sound of doctors (maybe 4 doctors) as they huddled around Micah's bed and talked about his blood counts. The question of what to do was being batted back and forth like a table tennis ball. As a result, the platelets were stopped in favor of giving blood. They gave the blood and then resumed with platelets. This was over about three hours. During this time, the bleeding from the site of Micah's liver biopsy had started again. From about 3:00 AM, Micah and I did not sleep much if at all.

About 7:00 AM, the doctors on the 5300 floor rounded. They came, talked about Micah's last blood counts and then left. Micah continued to be discomforted. When he did not go back to sleep, I decided to check his diaper to see if it needed to be changed (which always seems to make him a bit grumpy). I can't see that I blame him. As I went to change his diaper, I noticed a fairly large area on the sheet under him that was soaked with blood. Micah was bleeding a good amount. He was also passing straight blood in his bowel movements. I thought for a moment: "He's stable? He's going to sleep well tonight?" In the course of a day, everything seemed to have certainly changed.

As a result of the bleeding, yesterday doctors went through his groin area with a catheter to go and repair the blood vessel that had been hit during the biopsy. This procedure lasted about 3 hours but in the end was, or at least at the moment I write this, successful. The bleeding has stopped both from the site and internally. He still has blood being passed in his bowel movements. However, it seems that now he may truly be stable.

But what about those biopsies? That had been my focus for yesterday up until the chaos of the night. Nevertheless, the initial pathology report for the biopsies reveal that there is no rejection taking place at this time in the liver. While the liver numbers earlier in the week revealed that likelihood, it is believed that the high steroid dose reversed that episode to where there is no rejection at this time. Both the biopsy of the liver and the sores in the bowel indicate inflammation. This inflammation may be as a result of the virus (EBV) Micah is already known to have. Dr. Berman leans heavily at this time, barring additional information coming from the pathology report, to a immunilogical cause. Typically, the treatment of this is two-fold. First, immune suppression is brought to the lowest point possible in order to allow his immune system to fight on its own. Second, different medications for immune suppression are implemented to best treat the occurrence. Knowing which medications and what doses seems to be the key which is not so cut and dry.

Yesterday at this time, Micah was in surgery to repair the vessel. Today, he lays in Sarah's arms sleeping. Yesterday, there was urgency and danger and Micah was critical, as the bleeding piled on top of everything else that was taking place. Today, the urgency has subsided, the immediate danger appears to have abated and the hope of a turnaround for him grows brighter.

Isn't it so true what the wisdom of that proverb says? Boasting about a day to come which we have no power nor control over is futile. We do not know what a day may bring forth. It may bring great joy or great pain...great wealth or great poverty...sickness or health...friends or enemies...or the day to come may bring the return of Jesus Christ.

Though I may not know what the future holds, as one person once accurately noted, I know who holds the future. In the midst of it all, this is where our hope is fixed. How do you endure such great trials and adversities? By having One greater than you carry you through them. Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and knowing He holds all things in His power, including me, is solely the reason I can endure.

I ask once again for you to pray Micah will make a turn and progress in health. Pray for wisdom on the part of the doctors and for the Lord's healing whether by medicine or the miracle. As Sarah and I have been reminded in the last few days, we have opportunity here to love people and share the hope of knowing Jesus. Pray for those opportunities and that we would have the specific words to speak. Most of all, as always, pray for God to be glorified. He is worthy...to Him be all glory, honor and praise!