Brent was moved out of ICU today and into a bright cheery room. I'm so glad to have him out of ICU. The care there was less than satisfactory. He still has a long haul ahead of him, and no known date of discharge yet. Thanks Brenda and Dennis for your constant vigil in the ICU, for keeping me company, driving me home, etc...

Lisa

oh, if you want to visit, please text or call me first, and I'll let you know if it's a good time. Thanks. I don't want anyone to drive all the way up there for nothing. :)

801-372-8467

Thank you

Yesterday our dear friends organized a special fast for Brent. I greatly appreciate that. I could feel your love and strength, and know that Brent could also. He improved a bit throughout the day, and had a fairly good night. He woke me up this morning at 6:30 to let me know his phone was dying. :)

I just found out from Brenda that they are moving him out of ICU sometime today. That is great news, as we have been less than satisfied with his care in ICU. A letter will be arriving on the Directors desk from me, that's for sure. I could have given him better care at home than he got in the ICU, and I don't charge nearly as much.

I just really want to thank everyone for their love and care. Everyone is asking what they can do to help. Honestly, I don't know. It's just David and I at home, and Joseph can help with David when I can't be there at night. My Mom may be coming out, not sure yet. Just keep sending the good thoughts and prayers. We are physically and emotionally exhausted, but there's not really much you can do to help with that. David loves food, so if you feel so inclined to feed him, I'm sure he would appreciate it. :) He's probably getting tired of turkey leftovers.

Thank you again.
Lisa

Brent had a rough night and isn't doing much better today. Still in ICU, so no visitors please. Thanks.

Leaving Brent at the hospital, especially when he is in the ICU, is the most difficult thing for me to do. I guess I have this unrealistic thought that if I am there with him, nothing will go wrong. It was very difficult to leave him tonight. The ICU kicks you out from 7-8:30 (a.m. and p.m.) for shift changes. Dr. Price made me promise that I would come home and sleep in my own bed tonight. After having not slept for 2 days, Dennis (Brent's brother who flew up from St.George), drove me home.

So, here I sit, worrying like crazy and wondering if he is ok. All sorts of stupid thoughts go through your mind. I will call soon just to make sure he is ok. When I left he had a pretty high fever. He is fighting a lot of infection. We didn't know the extent of his infections until after surgery. He was pretty messed up inside.

It was amazing to come home to a clean house and a hot meal. Going to sleep now. Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, good deeds, love and concern. May you be blessed for your efforts.

Lisa

Update

Dad is doing pretty well, all of his vital signs are stable and look good. He's been sleeping. We are not allowed to use cell phones in ICU rooms, so please watch the blog for updates or call the house to talk to someone. Hopefully mom will be able to get some rest tonight, as she didn't sleep last night at all.

Thanks for all the support and prayers.

~Michelle

Surgery

Brent just got out of surgery. He is in the icu but we hear he is doing well, haven't seen him yet. He's in the icu just to be closely watched. The doctor cleaned out a bunch of infection and inserted a tube into the hole in the intestine. The tube will drain to a bag on the surface and form a fistula that we want. eventually the doctor will seal the tube off and let it heal. He has a drain next to the tube in case it leaks around the hole. He closed the incision on the front of his abdomen a little because the doctor doesn't want a wound vac on it sucking from the side and undoing what he just did.
Thanks for all the support and prayers.
(Michelle)

Back to the O.R.

Well, Brent has not had a good couple of days. Yesterday he was tripped out on some drugs, and ran high fevers. He was fine when I left the hospital at 8p.m. But then I got a phone call saying things had gone south. His drain was discharging large amounts of bowel content. Got back in the car and drove back to the hospital. Waited forever for the CT scan and waited even longer for the results. Needless to say, Brent is back in surgery right now. Dr.Price says there is a huge pocket in his abdomen that has to be drained. He has another hole in his intestine that has to be repaired and possibly another fistula. So, we are back to square one again. Somedays I wonder when enough is enough. He has had it, and his poor body is tired. I wonder when you decide it's time to risk the transplant. I'm running on no sleep and my brain is fried. Please pray for Brent.
Lisa

A Day of Thanksgiving

Today, being Thanksgiving, I give thanks for so many things. Brent is doing as well as can be expected only 2 days out of surgery. He's been up walking, and is awake most of the time. They have him so heavily drugged that he tends to nod off unexpectedly. :) But, drugs are good when you are in so much pain. He has two incisions to deal with, not just one, which makes things a little more complicated. He is still NPO, but they said maybe tomorrow he can start on clear liquids. He always amazes me with his strength and will to survive. I think I would have given up long ago had I been made to endure what he has.

Tomorrow will be the first dressing change since putting the wound vac on, so it will be interesting to see how much healing has taken place so far. We are hoping that he won't have to come home with the wound vac on. But, if he does, it's not like we don't know what to do with it.

I am thankful for my four awesome kids. Thankful that they are wise and compassionate and capable of doing many things. Thankful that I can be at the hospital and know that I don't need to worry about them. Well, sometimes they try to kill each other, but so far, so good.

I am thankful for all of our family, spread throughout the country, from the east coast to the west coast. The support and strength that you offer us is immeasurable (is that a word?), and so very much appreciated in whatever form you offer it. We truly know the meaning of "family." We couldn't do this without all of you. Thank you. Again.

I am thankful for the friends and neighbors that have touched our lives throughout the years. You are amazing. We can never repay you for your kindnesses and prayers and support. We love where we live, and hope to never have to leave.

I am especially thankful for our doctors and nurses that always go the thousandth mile for us. Dr. Hemmert has been our Dr. for 27 years, and we cannot even count the number of times he has saved us with his expertise, research, inspiration, and love. He is threatening to retire soon, and we are so thankful for the years he has given to us. No other Dr. will be able to replace him. Ever. And what, exactly, do you say about his MA, Becky? Not only does she know each of our birthdates, soc. sec. #'s, meds, has our phone #'s on speed dial, but she has become our very dear friend also. She fights our fights for us with the insurance company, the hospitals, other doctors . . . you get the picture. Dr. Price has saved Brent's life, literally, more than once. His heart is bigger than his ego, and he truly cares about mankind. We are thankful for his surgical skills, his inspiration, and his love. His nurse, Teddett can make miracles happen too. Suffice it to say that we are thankful for modern medicine.

Our lives are richly blessed. We have had more than our share of trials, and frankly I'm tired of being told I should be thankful for my trials . . . but I am thankful for the growth and strength that we have gained from our trials. Would we have chosen them? Probably not. Do we feel picked on? Many times, yes. Do we doubt our Heavenly Father's love for us? Never. Bad things happen to good people all the time. We are reminded of One who has endured much much more than we can ever imagine. He, too, loves us and watches over us. We just keep trying to endure what we've been given, and endure it well. In the end, that's all that matters. We have to make the best of what we've been given.

As always, we are thankful for the many prayers, fasting, good thoughts, messages, and love that are sent our way. Thanks for sharing yet another journey with us and making the journey easier.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Love, Lisa

1st day post-op

Brent is doing pretty well today. After a night of no sleep, he managed to take 2 walks, and will take another one tonight. He seems to be in good spirits. Wound care came in today while I was there. Oh my gosh. That is one heck of an incision. I even looked and didn't pass out. :) Wound care put a wound vac on that connects to both incisions. Wound vacs are not fun, but do a great job of creating healthy tissue and promotes faster healing from the inside out.

Brent is so brave, and has such a positive attitude. I admire his strength.

We don't know how long he will have to stay in the hospital. Normal post-op time is about 5-7 days, but as we all know, we are far from normal.

I am sad that this stupid snow storm will prevent me from going up tonight or tomorrow until it stops. I hate the commute, but love the hospital and our surgeon. We are so thankful for Dr. Price and his expertise and care and concern. We truly love our doctors and nurses and MA's. :)

We are thankful for our awesome friends and neighbors. Nothing better than homemade chicken noodle soup on a blustery winter day. And, Danielle, those lemon bars were amazing! :)

Stay warm,
Lisa

P.S. This is what the kids do when reunited :) David's face is priceless.

well that was unexpected . . .

Well, I'm home and can finally update the blog. Not sure why the itouch wouldn't do it. oh well. So, long day/night. Went to the ER in Murray at 3:00 yesterday. Brent was in pain and running fevers and his blood work from yesterday morning was through the roof. Not good. Dr. Price wanted us to go to the ER up there because he was on call. Waited and waited and waited some more, then finally got in a room. Had a CT scan at about 8:00, and it showed pockets of air and bowel content in the muscle wall. Dr. Price took Brent into surgery at about 10:00, hoping to be able to go in through the incision in his side that is still open. Unfortunately, that did not work. He had to make a normal incision down the belly again. He found another fistula, which he removed, and also found a hole in his intestine, causing the leakage, and subsequently all of the infection and abscesses. He closed up the hole, and promised me he stitched it many times, glued it, prayed over it, and pulled healthy intestine over it to seal it off. (healthy intestine is relative when talking about Brent). So, now he has 2 open incisions to heal, but we lost no intestine, which is very good, as he does not have any to loose. I'm sure I'm missing a whole bunch of medical stuff to report, but I'm so tired I can't think straight. Gotta go to a funeral, pack some stuff, get it up to brent, and get back home before the storm of the century hits at about 3. I hope and pray Michelle makes it home in time before the storm.

Thanks once again for all the concern and prayers. Have a good Thanksgiving.
Lisa

Thanksgiving

This blog is usually Lisa's domain and I am always as interested as anybody else to see what she is going to write - even if I'm the subject matter of her posts:) But every once in a while I get to add my $.02 worth.

This is the time of year when we pause and give thanks for all that we have been given. I would be a very ungrateful person if I didn't acknowledge all the blessings I have been given in the past year. From friends willing to drop everything to come give me a blessing (and break a few traffic laws on the way - Tim) to neighbors that will teach my Gospel Doctrine lessons at a moment's notice when I have a bad day or two, to family that is always there to help when they can. I have an employer that has been very understanding over the years and insurance that while not perfect has been very good to work with. I have a group of medical professionals that truly care about me and my family and have gone above and beyond the call of duty so many times we have lost count. Hopefully I can get healthy enough soon that Dr Hemmert can finally get some sleep :)

I have a family that has been amazing through the ordeals we've had over the past few years. My brothers and sister have been wonderful with all the support they've given, especially in helping out Lisa and the kids in all they do. They've been able to remove many of the worries we have had in sending three children off to college at the same time. My children have had to grow up too fast and become self sufficient over the past few years. It is nice to have kids that are responsible enough that they can go on "auto pilot" and allow Lisa to concentrate on my needs for literally months at a time. They aren't perfect but they truly have been a blessing in our lives.

Most of all I'm thankful for Lisa. I'm pretty sure that twenty five years ago when she married that skinny little sick kid she never imagined what she was getting herself into. She has had to become the glue that holds our family together while dealing with medical situations that would make lesser people run away. She has had to become an expert at everything from dealing with hospitals and insurance companies to wound care. She spends much of her time driving me from one appointment to another or waiting for another test to be done. All the while she has sacrificed her own needs to be sure I had whatever I needed. She has dealt with some really gross medical issues and situations that she absolutely hates but does anyway because they are what needs to be done. She listens to my complaining and frustrations and shares my tears and sorrows. She has helped me keep my faith during dark times when it would seem easier to just give up. She truly is my rock and the love of my life. I wouldn't be here without her.

I would be truly be ungrateful if I didn't thank my Lord and Savior for all the miracles that have occurred and continue to occur in our lives. I understand very well that I shouldn't be here. Somebody asked me a little while ago if I ever felt like Job. I have to admit that sometimes it sure seems that way but after studying the story of Job more closely (teaching Gospel Doctrine has that benefit) I have been able to use his example as a model of patience and hope. I know that all suffering has a purpose and that we learn through our suffering lessons that we can have no other way. I also know that our Savior understands what I am going through because He took upon Himself not only our sins but our infirmities as well. I really don't want to ever go through these experiences again but I know that I have been changed in a way that could occur no other way.

As we approach the holiday season I hope you can take some time away from the crazy and spend some time in quiet contemplation of the season and the blessings we have been given.

Brent

Ugh.

So, today we had a follow-up with Dr. Price in Salt Lake City. Brent is smart enough to pre-medicate himself before our visits with Dr. Price. He has been known to do cruel and unusual things in his office, all the while forgetting that Brent is not on the operating table, completely unconscious, but is indeed, very awake. :)

Today was no exception. If you recall, last week, the other Dr. Price made a small incision in Brent's side to drain a strange abscess. All week it has been fine, and not really draining anything. Last night when I was changing the packing/dressing, apparently somehow another pocket was opened up. I'll spare you the gross details. You're welcome.

So, today, Dr. Price decided there was yet another pocket that needed to be drained (#3 if you're keeping count) and he made a rather large incision (about 3 times as large as the one already there). Poor Brent. I'm not looking forward to tonight's dressing change. Oh well. One of these days I 'm going to submit a bill for my services to our insurance company. I've seen what nurses get paid, and I could rake in a pretty hefty amount. I wish.

So, now what? Good question. Now we hope and pray that there are no more pockets, and that the nice big hole in his side heals up. Only time will tell.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Lisa

time to catch up . . .

Ok, so, I've been negligent in keeping up to date with all the fun things going on around here.

Brent did have his "special" MRI last Thursday at UVRMC. Dr. Hemmert found a radiologist willing to do it. The MRI did show that there was a pocket forming just under the skin in the abdominal wall. We are fairly certain that all of this inflammation is due to the suture that has been removed. The report spoke of a tract underneath the pocket, but could not tell if it was communicating with the intestine. The theory is that it was made when they tried to do a needle aspiration.

The pocket continued to grow and become very painful. Our surgeon, big surprise, is out of the country, Cuba this time. So, yesterday we went up to SLC to see our surgeon's brother who practices with him. He lanced the pocket and drained it. Now I get to do wound care again. Woo-hoo! The pocket was fairly deep, so we just have to pack it with medicated gauze until it heals.

Sooo, now we just hope and pray that it was not communicating with the intestine and it just heals up and goes away. Brent already feels better, pain wise. It is a totally different pain now, that of an open wound.

That's all for now.