We saw MJ this morning and she looks so beautiful! even with tubes all over the place. We read her some prayers from her daily inspirational book. We feel she feels our presence. I definitely feel hers. She is an inspiration to us all and such a fighter. They started a feeding tube this am to help give her nourishment. They reduced her sedation again this am and again she responded with a squeeze with her left hand and no response on right. Her pressure goes up when they reduce the sedation so they only do it once a day and only for a very brief time. The trauma doctor and his team, the 3 neurosurgeons and her team and the orthopedic team of docs are all such a blessing to us and we remain soo grateful. They have been so available and so informative and we thank them all. The only other new pieces of info we heard was bleeding in brain stem area, frontal pneumocephalos and EDH or epidural hematoma and spinal fluid drainage out of the ear. No change in status really- Sat, Sun and Mon are days we hear are when changes may come. Trauma doc said some things that may be around corner are possible surgeries if pressure begins to mount more. They may drill more holes and or may remove sections of skull to alleviate pressure. Again, all a maybe/what if scenario.
So some say she does not know we are really there- however we have a funny tidbit to tell about that. This morning Me (sister-Cindy), Frank (brother) Davey (husband) and Amie (daughter) were in there talking to her and Amie and Davey were talking to nurse to update them about her height and yes WEIGHT- (MJ is sensitive as all of us women are about that topic) right about that time when a nurse mentioned a grossly inaccurate guesstimate her left arm jerked up high in the air and we all were elated to see a movement-and we reassured her that we corrected the nurse about how petite she is!! :-)
Thanks Thanks Thanks to all of you for your postings-we cry and laugh and it is so comforting. We know MJ will enjoy these and gain so much strength from these as we have.
Much Love, Cindy
Brian, Rachel and Kids
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Beach Family
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Brother and Sisters in Arms
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Fall Creek Falls
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MJ and Brian
MJ, Amie and Davey
11 comments:
Bless your hearts!!! Thanks for the information...while it's so difficult, it's good to know there's humor and hope for MJ. I believe she knows you guys are all there and feels the presence/prayers and thoughts of everyone. Remember, she has wonderful angels all around her.
Love Nancy Kay
Thanks for updating so frequently, it helps so much. Please let me know what I can do to provide food for you all this coming week. Give me a call anytime @ 949 3148 or leave requests in the updates. Hugs to everyone.
Hmm, unlike MJ to flip off a nurse but sounds like she deserved it!
Wishing so much we could be there but for now our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Love, Steve, Linda & Timmy
You are all in our prayers. I will add MJ to our prayer list at church. Remember Jesus is the GREAT PHYSICIAN! Thanks for the updates.
Ken & Phyllis in Texas
All of us down in N.O. are praying for a quick recovery. Thanks so much for keeping us up to speed. Let us know what we can do......Bill G, Jr.
Cynthia,
Please know that all the staff at Inner Harbour are praying for you and your family. Your family is blessed to have such a loving and caring person as you. Take care and may God bless you and your family and intervene to heal your sister's brain.
Ron
Thanks for all of the updates; we are praying for you all. Take care of yourselves & MJ, and tell her we know she doesn't weight an ounce over 98 lbs...
Love,
Eileen, Johnny, Jay, Joel, & Dara
From Bill & Phyllis in Memphis (they do not have computer access) MJ and family are in our prayers continually and have been added to the Bellevue Baptist Church prayer list and 3 other prayer list. We will continually be checking for updates and changes. We love you all!
So a couple of years ago, MJ calls me up and says, "Hey, me and Davey wanna drive up to Chicago in a couple of weeks and toilet paper the kid's bedrooms. Can we deal you in?" So we consult the calendar, agree on a date, and the plan is hatched. Davey, of course, is entirely agreeable. He says something like, "Well, I don't really plan trips. MJ tells me to get in the car, we're going to Chicago, and I just get in the car and do what I'm told! Sometimes, Theresa, I don't know where we're going."
So next thing I know, I'm mailing a copy of our front door key to 291Stonewall at MJ's request (demand?). I'm told to secretly clear the calendar for that particular weekend. (I can't remember what year this happened, let alone what month!) I say to the kids: "NO we have plans that weekend" to everything they want to do with their friends and make up some fake family function to thwart their suspicions. Now that I think about it, I invite Bob, Kelly and their kids over for the night of their arrival-- but it's a big secret.
That Friday, MJ calls me from Interstate 57 several times, to keep me posted on their Illinois whereabouts and their eta.
Just as they reach the Dan Ryan Expressway on the south side, Bob, Kelly,Dan and I, (plus Sean, Kate, Ellen, Carolyn, Margaret and Robert) evacuate the house and take the kids out for pizza. (yes, Chicago style deep dish) And, by the way, we do this KNOWING that two maniacs are on the outskirts of the city, heading to our house. They have a key to the front door, a case, or cases, of toilet paper in their back seat and God only knows what the hell else.
Keep in mind, and you've all been there, that when MJ asks something of you with that great smile and that "wouldn't it be so hilarious if..." kind of tone, you have absolutely no choice but to give in! Right?
Meanwhile, at the Candlelight Restaurant, just about the time the pizza's almost gone, my cell phone rings. When I answer, if I recall correctly, MJ says something like "the eagle has landed" and hangs up which means we can head home--the damage is done. We pay the check and head home-- fearful.
Five minutes later, we throw Carolyn the keys. She innocently opens the front door, and all the kids pile down to the basement bedroom. After a collective sucking of almost every bit of oxygen out of the room, the hilarity of the scene is unleashed followed by useless accusations.
I'm thinking, okay, where are they?
After a few more moments of lurking in the shadows on the stairwell, MJ and Davey bolt into the room to take their bows-- basking in glorious praise and envy from the kids who've been shamefully and toilet-paper-fully had-- again.
The prize for the toilet paper winners that night: doggie bag full of pizza.
The prize for us: cherished memory forever.
It made me feel better to think of this story again-- maybe you all can share some of your stories about MJ and Davey-- and they don't have to involve toilet paper!
Then again...
love you all,
Theresa
Hang in there Mary Jo,
You are tough like your Mother
and I know she is holding your
hand and giving you her courage
to live.
The Narrow family is praying for
you and feeling for your family as
well.
No words can express it.
Just love-love-love!
Bettye Narrow
My prayers to MJ and the entire family. You are all very loved.
Jay
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