Thursday, January 5, 2012

WOW!!!

So, I just HAD to share this email with you.  It is from a good friend of mine who happens to be a nurse.  If there is any question as to just how miraculous Anna's recovery has been, read below:

I will start with telling you that as a nurse I really understood the severity of Anna's condition. First, she was most likely bleeding inside of her uterus when she passed out during labor. So, for baby Micah to have survived that with no complications is a miracle in itself.  Anyway, then I started to add up Anna complications.  The DIC that she had is deadly in itself.  It causes all of your clotting factors in your blood to start clotting, so you end up with clots everywhere. This can cause massive stroke, heart attack, and PE, which Anna does have (although out of all three, I would say that P.E leaves the least residual effect.)  Anyway, while all that is happening, your blood is left with no clotting factors so that is why you can bleed from really anywhere with DIC ( she was  bleeding from surgical wounds).  The procedure in which she had the filter placed above her kidney to keep a larger clot from traveling was extremely dangerous.  They had to puncture her jugular to get a filter all the way down her artery to block the clot if it decided to break loose from the vessel wall.  With DIC it is SOOOO easy for someone to bleed out and for them to directly be able to puncture her artery with NOO complications is really crazy to think about.  With the amount of bags of blood that she recieved she had her entire blood supply replaced 4 TIMES!  Then for her surgical wound to remain open and packed with gauze for days and no major infection if any is awesome!  That tube she had placed is now draining any fluid in her abdomen, so an infection can't brew on stagnant fluid. Oh, and I forgot to mention the 5 or 6 surgeries plus everything else we don't know about. There really is no reason why Anna is still here!
 
I also wanted to share with you about one of the times I was praying for Anna.  I was washing dishes in my kitchen and I was just crying for Anna and her family as I prayed.  I was begging for Him to heal her and I prayed  that if He healed Anna that I didn't think I could ever doubt his power again. Medical intervention helps, but I truly believe that nothing other than God saved Anna.
 
Kirsten, to respond to some of the things in your blog:  I know I don't know Anna at all, but I strangely don't feel like a stranger.  I knew God had the power to help her.....but to see it in action, I will NEVER doubt how mighty He is. THOUSANDS of His children were cyring out to Him and He LISTENED!  I truly believe that this event has strengthened my faith more than I can say.  I am in utter and complete awe of our Mighty Mighty God!
 
Amazing.  Thank you so much Lyndie for sharing!!   She obviously still has far to go on her road to full recovery, but it is certainly nothing less than a miracle that she has made it this far.  In God's kingdom there is no such thing as coincidence, and this is no exception! 
 
A few highlights from today:  Anna has been taken off the sedatives.  She had her breathing tube removed and is now breathing on her own.  They have been giving her nutrition and her GI tract is working properly.  Her blood levels continue to normalize and her vitals look good.  Her swelling is visibly going down right before their eyes. 
 
Specific prayer requests include:  Continued kidney improvement, no infection and wisdom for the doctors concerning starting heparin (mediation for blood clots).  Also, continue to pray for the children.
 
Thanks for praying without ceasing, so specifically and so expectantly!  To God be all the glory!
 
 
 
 
Kirsten

8 comments:

  1. Amazing! So thankful for all He has done and continues to do for her.

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  2. Our God is so good! May He be glorified in all that Anna, Brian, the kids, the family, and friends are suffering through. May people see and turn to Him. How great would it be if so many of those watching saw His light through Anna at her moment of greatest physical weakness. We have seen it shine brightly when she is strong, and now she is helpless, He radiates from her strengthening our faith and our love and drawing people to Himself. Awesome! Thanks for sharing just how miraculous this road has been thus far.

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  3. Amen! Praise God for healing and sustaining Anna and for healthy Micah. I am now asking my praying family and friends to pray specifically that her blood clots would dissolve on their own so very little if any blood thinners need be added. Praying and praying. Humbled and amazed at God's goodness and how He is using this to encourage many and love that your blog is playing the song "our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other , our God is healer, awesome in power. . . " as I type this. :) So true! May many grow in faith and come to know Jesus through this journey with Anna and family. He is able and will be glorified in all things, even that which we do not clearly see at first glance. Much love!

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  4. Thanks for testifying to the power of the Great Physician!
    God Bless,
    Bryan

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  5. Kirsten, I also received a similar letter from a friend in the medical field. I am so grateful that she chose to pray despite her head knowledge. Here is her message:

    I don't think I need to tell you how truly miraculous Anna's recovery is, but I have to share anyway. While the Mama in me believed Anna MUST get back to her family, the medical knowledge in me feared, almost knew, that wouldn't happen. The scenario you've described, especially the clotting/bleeding (google Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation- my armchair diagnosis...), was, in my ICU work experience, almost sure death. I am praising God for the renewed hope in this situation, and appreciate you sharing Anna's testimony in real time. Still praying, of course.

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  6. Thank you for sharing. I feel so blessed to be one of the prayer warriors!!

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  7. Just now able to catch up on the blog though I've been popping in on Facebook (we are out of town). What an amazing story this was and really brought so much to the forefront of what's been going on. I'm even more in awe of God's awesome power than before. I think those of us praying for her seem to have had this same heart connection; of feeling as though we know her and are there with her. I believe that is a special dispensation from God Himself. We are privileged to be connected at the hearts for Anna.

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