Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The Brave Struggle

The amount of assistance the ventilator is providing Cathy was reduced a little bit this afternoon (~5 pm). Cathy must inhale and exhale on her own for every breath. The ventilator is only assisting by providing a little pressure behind the air as she draws it in, and a little suction as she blows it out. She has told me that she notices the difference from this morning's settings. She is struggling to keep it up. The anxiety is showing in her facial expressions and she has been a little 'moody' this afternoon. The Doctor's are saying that as time progresses, Cathy's diaphragm is strengthening and the breathing should become easier.

It was determined the the pressure and pain in her abdomen this morning was caused by a blockage in her foley (A catheter placed in her bladder to drain urine). All is better now.

Please pray for a restful evening and night for Cathy.

David

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cathy,
I look at the picture on my desk of me, you and Jami and I smile.
Have a restful sleep, my Friend.
I miss and love you.

Anonymous said...

How easy it is for the rest of us to take for granted each breath that our bodies perform so automatically and without exerted thought or effort! Sweet C.J. it hurts my heart to know that you are struggling so hard just to get your body's most basic need...air. Please know that you are STILL fearfully and wonderfully made and that your Creator is with you on every step of this journey. He will not leave you alone to fight this battle...lean on His strength as you persevere! Sending you love and hugs, BonBon XOXOXOX