Tag: infection

Early Departure Due to Illness

Thursday, 22 Sep 2016

It appears Ella’s “slight cold” may in fact be a respiratory infection.  Rather than run the risk of remaining away from her support network, Ella will return to Oahu this afternoon on Hawaiian Airlines (HA395).

Initially, we are unsure if Roxy would accompany Ella to Oahu today, or if she would remain on Maui and travel over the weekend with her trainer.

The current plan is to keep the dynamic duo together and for Roxy to fly (in the cabin) with Ella today.  It doesn’t get much better than that !

Thank you for your prayers.

Cookie Party!

Sunday, 29 Mar 2015

(335 = ANC @ 06:52 on 29 Mar)

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

One of Ella’s favorite activities is having a late night cookie party with Papa.  We are delighted to report that Ella’s health is steadily improving. So much so that we are confident she will be discharged tomorrow.  No better way to celebrate Ella’s freedom than to stay up late and have a cookie party.

Did we happen to mention that Ella loves cold milk?

Bonus points if you can identify the music video playing on Ella’s iPad mini.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.

Out for a Walk

Saturday, 28 Mar 2015

(72 = ANC @ 09:15 on 28 Mar)

God gathers us from all the places we have been scattered:let us give thanks and praise!

One of the best things you can do to defeat a respiratory infection is to take it out for a walk. Unfortunately, going out for a walk “can be” a bit risky when Ella’s immune system is so low. Luckily for us it was a quiet Saturday at the hospital.

As soon as Dr. Glaser gave us the green light we headed out on our walking adventure.

As usual, Ella’s favorite part was making new friends.

Please know, Ella is safe and comfortable.

We are hopeful that Ella may soon be discharged.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Wednesday, 26 Mar 2015

(14 = ANC @ 04:15 on 26 Mar)

Faithful is God, faithful and true: come, let us adore!

Sage is one of Ella’s FaceTime friends.  Sage is in the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.  Please join us in praying for Sage and her family.

Sage’s father Sam, is incredibly strong and courageous.

Ella made this very special card for Sam right after we said many prayers for Sage.

Please know, Ella is safe and comfortable.

Tomorrow we will know a bit more…details to follow.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.

Bitter Sweet 16

Tuesday, 24 Mar 2015

(16 = ANC @ 1145:40 on 24 Mar)

The Lord listens to our prayer: let us approach the throne of grace.

Ella had a pretty good day today – she went to the KMC PAU with Mum and Nurse Irvin. She received a second dose of IV antibiotics and she met with Dr. Glaser for the second day in a row.

However, the real highlight was meeting Auntie Mo and service dog Jake. Auntie Mo and Jake are from the Service Dog Academy on Maui. They flew over from Maui today just to conduct Ella’s “in-home interview.” Soon, Ella may have her very own Service Dog…how cool is that?

Ella’s medical condition is our continuing concern.

The respiratory infection is still with her.

She continues to require supplemental oxygen 24/7.

She continues to have fevers – just above 101.5 at various times.

Most frightening of all, Ella’s ANC number is lower than low.

16 is suppose to be part of the NCAA basketball tournament.

16 is NOT suppose to be an ANC number – ever.

For all intents and purposes, her immune system is completely off-line.

Your prayers are needed more than ever.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.

Respiratory Infection Confirmed

Monday, 23 Mar 2015

(126 = ANC @ 09:40 on 23 Mar)

God is our rock of refuge: let us give thanks and praise.

As suspected, Ella has a respiratory infection.

It is unclear at this time if it is viral or bacteriological.

Ella will receive IV antibiotics over the next several days to support her severely weakened immune system. We are grateful Ella is able to recieve these infusions on an outpatient basis.

126 on today’s Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is the lowest since she began treatment on 14 April 2014. (click on the link above to see Ella’s ANC history) Patient’s with ANC scores below 500 are considered at “high risk” of infection.

Please join us in saying a prayer of thanks to God for sending Ella into our lives.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you.

Monday, 21 Feb 2005:

Last night was another difficult one for Ella. She was awake from 2 am on with a fever.

The monitors we use to ensure Gabriella’s safety seem at times to be a mixed blessing. While they enable us to know her precise heart rate, oxygen saturation level, and respiration rate, which is helpful to us – it is unsettling to watch her heart race and oxygen levels fall as she fights against the fever.

Since her fever has not “spiked” above 102F we are fairly confident her fever is not due to a bacterial infection (which would mean a trip to the hospital). We continue to watch her very closely and try to keep her as comfortable as possible.

Pictured left are the two monitors we use to track Ella’s vital signs.

Thank you for your prayers.

Monday, 31 Jan 2005 ( 7 am ):

Last night was another quiet and restful night – no problems with her trach tube and no DeSat’s. Yesterday was moving day for little Ella and although she traveled just a short distance, her (our) quality of life improved dramatically.

Her new room, which is the same two-bed room GG stayed in during her first visit to TAMC way back in August, is much quieter than the four-bed room. This morning Ella is scheduled to have a high-resolution scan of her kidneys.

This diagnostic procedure is one of several tests performed, following her urinary tract infection, to ensure her renal system is fully functional. Thus far, all indications are that everything is normal. Our search for a home healthcare nurse continues. Please feel free to offer any suggestions or to pass our contact information on to those who may be able to help.

God bless and thank you for your prayers.

Friday, 26 Nov 2004 (9 pm):

Gabriella continues to do well since her discharge from the PICU on 16 Nov. Currently, she is scheduled to have another fully sedated surgical room procedure on 02 December.

The procedure will allow the doctors to visually inspect the site of Ella’s airway repair for narrowing caused by scar tissue. Not to be outdone by the “wee-est” one in the family, Mum and Lucy both came up with their own medical issues: an Ear Infection for Lucy; and for Mum, a dodgy molar so stubborn that it required an oral surgeon.

Both are on antibiotics and doing well. On a lighter note…we enjoyed a tasty Thanksgiving Day Meal with our lovely next door neighbors – The Stevens.

Finally, please know how very thankful we are for your many prayers.

Monday, 30 Aug 2004

Monday, 30 August: Yesterday’s “Day of Rest” was followed by a busy Monday. Gabriella wolfed down this morning’s 0600 (6 am for the civilians) feeding of 75 ml and then dropped off to sleep.

About 2 hours later she was making lots of noise and acting fairly unsettled. When she failed to settle down after her 0900 feeding we knew something was wrong. By the time we reached the hospital, her temperature was almost 102 F degrees – well beyond the 100.4 F, “return threshold” set by the doctors when she was last discharged.

The doctors gave her Tylenol to bring down the fever while she underwent testing to look for infections. Sample collection, which included two blood draws and a catheterization for urine, left Gabriella worn and tired and Dad a little grayer. Initial test results appeared normal in all areas, so an infection is probably unlikely – Whew!

We return to hospital tomorrow for further evaluation. On the brighter side of things, Gabriella’s weight is up to 8lbs 12 oz.

Thank you for your prayers.