- Heartbeat is strong and regular
- Heart rate is normal
- Swelling in her face and limbs as a result of medication and trauma is no longer present (she looks just like Isabel!)
- Blood pressure is right where it should be
- Oxygen uptake (O2 saturation) is perfect
- Her breathing has been normalized
- Intra-cranial pressure (ICP) has been stabilized at normal levels
- Breathing tube has been removed, a major milestone
- Isabel is breathing on her own for the major part of each day without mechanical assistance
- She maintains a sitting posture for long periods with no negative impacts on vital signs (a very important milestone)
- All sedation and most of the various assortments of IVs have been removed; Isabel has already begun responding to external stimuli (early stages)
- She routinely opens her eyes and is tracking movement in the room (and could that be a smile she's showing once in a while?)
- As confirmation that her medical condition is stable and improving, Monday of this next week she will be moving out of St. Clare's Intensive Care Unit (A HUGE MILESTONE!) to a qualified transitional center where the goal will be to completely wean her off any mechanical assistance
It's been less than four weeks since we looked out over the bleak and joyless desolate landscape that dawned on that July 3rd Lord's Day... We each and collectively raised our voices in anguish and sorrow to God the Father pleading for His divine assistance and mercy. And while our journey out of that spiritual city of sorrow and doubt isn't by any means complete, we mustn't forget to look back from time to time and marvel at his handiwork and gentle faithfulness.
Let us all now, each and corporately, praise the author of our salvation and deliverance for the work His is doing in Isabel! And in us!
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Let us all now, each and corporately, praise the author of our salvation and deliverance for the work His is doing in Isabel! And in us!
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
And all of God's people said...
Wednesday night was a bad night for me. Up I sat, like a spoiled brat, throwing a fit over the state of things and calling- not God's power, but his willingness to use it where it seemed to matter- into no small question all night. (Dumb, by the way, really dumb.)
ReplyDeleteLast night, our merciful Father graciously decided to clear my head of this nonsense far enough for me to see things from a more accurate point of veiw; this is an edited version of what I wrote in my journal yesterday:
"Hold it! What am I complaining about? surely God works through unanswered prayers, but as of yet, not even this do i have to deal with. Though I behave as if it weren't so, everything I've asked for in this situation has so far been flatly granted!
to name a few:
When all of this started, i asked that Isabel might live just long enough for me to see her one more time, to say goodbye and tell her how highly I have always thought of her-
Granted, minus the goodbye.
Later, I asked that she may be given lots more time, to do Gods work and influence people for Him-
Granted.
I asked that the Wimmer-Brown family would be granted peace, strength and support in what surely must be some of its most trying hours-
Spectacularly granted!
I asked that Isabel's pain and suffering would be minimized, and that her sweet personality would not ultimately be scarred by the trauma of such a terrifying experience-
The educated opinion of all is that she will remember nothing of the acute crisis and extremely little of the bumpy ride leading up to this point, making this one look Granted.
I asked for her soul to be guarded through this fearful trial, enriched and brought closer to Him in the process-
I have absolute confidence that Jesus has and will grant this to his precious little lamb in the most abundant conceivable way.
I asked for as speedy a recovery as God's larger purpose could afford-
Four weeks in, she is leaps and bounds ahead of all expectations for schedule and not even close to slowing down. this one is being granted as we speak.
And the Big One:
I fervently ask that Isabel will be entirely restored to her full pre-crisis vitality, grace, talent, intelligence, beauty and charm-
She can breathe. her heart beats normally. She can see, blink her eyes and track movement. She can hear. She can feel and respond to stimulus. She can emote. She can move all major muscle groups. She can swallow, she can cough, she can yawn... and yes, she still scrunches up her face in that cute little expression she always used to do!
Four weeks ago, God literally snatched Isabel out of the grave; her poor delicate brain was within minutes of total collapse and He stopped Satan's perverted little game in it's tracks. What reason has He given me to beleive that in the end, this prayer will not be granted as faithfully and generously as the others?
Great are the Lord and his tangible works! Merciful and mighty, may his name be proclaimed forever!
In Him,
Will McDonald
AMEN!!
ReplyDeletePraising and thanking God with you for every step closer to complete recovery that Isabel has taken and that the path to complete recovery may be a short one!
ReplyDeleteLaryssa Krauss
Charleston, MO