Ruthie posted this status update on her Facebook page this morning:
Hey guys- please pray for me- they found lots of spinal fluid leaking out from where they removed the wire- going to have another tube put into my lower back soon in another procedure- I'm so scared and anxious- please pray! Thank you!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Ruthie update: 4/9, 10:15 am
Ruthie update: 4/9, 10:15 am
The procedure to insert the drain - called a lumbar drain - has been scheduled for 2:00 pm. Ruthie will be returning to her room around 4:00/4:30pm. The current plan is to transfer her to a room in the neurosurgery wing of the hospital instead of ICU.
Thank you for praying!
More later.
-Katherine
The procedure to insert the drain - called a lumbar drain - has been scheduled for 2:00 pm. Ruthie will be returning to her room around 4:00/4:30pm. The current plan is to transfer her to a room in the neurosurgery wing of the hospital instead of ICU.
Thank you for praying!
More later.
-Katherine
IMMEDIATE PRAYER NEED - 4/9, 8:45 am
The neurosurgeon just met with Will and Ruthie and told them that the leakage that was found on her dressing is definitely spinal fluid. He can tell by just looking at it. They are trying to avoid having to operate again, so they are going to insert a 72 hour drain in her mid to lower back and will be monitoring the drainage very, very closely. Ruthie likely will be moved back into ICU at some point today as a result. Will said that Ruthie is pretty scared.
Please PRAY today that the leakage will stop without having to operate, that God would grant the doctors wisdom in how to proceed, that any potential pain would be minimized, and that God would give Ruthie and Will peace in place of anxiety, hope in place of fear, and an unwavering assurance of His love and care for them. Let's be on our knees, friends.
I will keep you updated on further developments.
-Katherine
The neurosurgeon just met with Will and Ruthie and told them that the leakage that was found on her dressing is definitely spinal fluid. He can tell by just looking at it. They are trying to avoid having to operate again, so they are going to insert a 72 hour drain in her mid to lower back and will be monitoring the drainage very, very closely. Ruthie likely will be moved back into ICU at some point today as a result. Will said that Ruthie is pretty scared.
Please PRAY today that the leakage will stop without having to operate, that God would grant the doctors wisdom in how to proceed, that any potential pain would be minimized, and that God would give Ruthie and Will peace in place of anxiety, hope in place of fear, and an unwavering assurance of His love and care for them. Let's be on our knees, friends.
I will keep you updated on further developments.
-Katherine
PLEASE PRAY 4/9- 8:00 am
Ruthie had a lot of drainage from her neck through the night and this was discovered when they checked her dressings this morning. They are having to run tests on it to see if it contains spinal fluid. If it does, it is possible that she will need to go back to the OR and have that leak patched up. Please pray that this is not the case!! Ruthie is very scared right know and unfortunately we probably won't know the results of the test until this afternoon. I will let you guys know as soon as we hear something. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. -Will
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Ruthie update: 4/8, 10:00 pm
Got a full report of the day from Will earlier this evening. I know that many of you are continuing in steadfast prayer for Ruthie, so I always want to pass along specific things to be praying for with each update. There is some good news to pass along as well as specific ways we can continue to ask for healing.
There was a lot that happened today. Ruthie was taken down for x-rays this morning and had to be moved around a lot in the process. Because of that, her pain level was heightened again. This continues to be the pressing issue that is keeping Ruthie from really getting some good rest. Will commented that she didn't sleep much at all last night due because of the level of pain and discomfort. However, the good news is that at one point today, Ruthie's pain level was down to a 7.5...the lowest it has been so far. So even though the pain throughout the day has extremely pointed moments, it is dipping into a lower range at times as well. It's encouraging to hear about some movement in that direction. Dr. Morrie (sp?) has been attending to Ruthie for the day-to-day issues this week and has been trying, along with the nurses, to adjust the pain medication to find the most comfortable fit. Although the pain remains elevated most of the time, Will said tonight they have hope in the knowledge that the pain is only temporary. Unfortunately, dealing with pain is something Ruthie has done daily for several years now. But we sure would love to see more and more of the edge taken off and for her to get more hours of sleep during the night.
Ruthie's blood level was also much lower than normal today and had to get 2 pints of blood through a transfusion this morning. Will mentioned that this was something that happened as a result of the surgery (not sure of the exact details with this), but the doctors now feel that her levels are back to normal. The procedure took a couple of hours and Will feels that Ruthie will have more energy and feel better tomorrow as a result of it.
Now for some really good news! Today Ruthie walked to the nurses' station (which is a good 30-40 foot distance from her bed) and back. And she also sat up in a chair for about 45 minutes tonight and ate her dinner. She continues to make gains each day with what she is accomplishing!
They also took off her neck brace at some point today and changed her dressing and monitored for spinal fluid leakage (of which there was none). Will said that he was able to see the incision while they were doing this and that the new incision had been made right over the incision from Ruthie's previous surgery. They also used surgical glue instead of staples to close the incision up, so there is a clear sheen over it instead of ugly old pieces of metal. Sounded impressive.
Finally, Will said that the most encouraging moment today was when the doctor tested Ruthie for something called "clonus." According to my limited internet research on the topic, clonus refers to "repetitive, rhythmic contractions/tremors of a muscle when attempting to hold it in a stretched state. It is a strong, deep tendon reflex that occurs when the central nervous system fails to inhibit it. Clonus is initiated in the spinal cord and is usually a sign of damage and spinal cord injury."
In other words, clonus is a condition that people often exhibit when there has been spinal cord damage. To gauge the severity of the damage, doctors perform a physical test with a person's arms and legs to see if they exhibit these tremors. A higher number of muscle tremors indicates more extensive spinal cord damage, so the tremor count is used as a gauge for what kind of shape someone is in. In past tests, Ruthie has always exhibited clonus on her left side, giving the doctors clear indication that there was spinal cord damage of some degree. Today, however, the doctors reported that her clonus is significantly better! This is a REALLY positive sign because it gives a strong indication that her spinal cord damage is not necessarily permanent and irreversible. Although it is still to soon to say exactly what improvements may follow, what amazing news to hear today! God continues to give hope.
Prayers for tonight and tomorrow:
Pray, pray, pray for Ruthie's elevated pain levels to subside. It would be wonderful for her body to get more rest and for her to have more peace of mind.
Pray for continued daily encouragement for Ruthie and strength for Will and Marsha as they continue to support one another
Pray for there to be more strides made with each passing day.
There is still no clear indication on when exactly Ruthie will be leaving Mayo as the pain really needs to be brought under control before moving forward. We will keep you updated if anything develops on that end.
Thanks again for following this blog and for keeping this precious family in your thoughts and prayers!
Good night!
-Katherine
Got a full report of the day from Will earlier this evening. I know that many of you are continuing in steadfast prayer for Ruthie, so I always want to pass along specific things to be praying for with each update. There is some good news to pass along as well as specific ways we can continue to ask for healing.
There was a lot that happened today. Ruthie was taken down for x-rays this morning and had to be moved around a lot in the process. Because of that, her pain level was heightened again. This continues to be the pressing issue that is keeping Ruthie from really getting some good rest. Will commented that she didn't sleep much at all last night due because of the level of pain and discomfort. However, the good news is that at one point today, Ruthie's pain level was down to a 7.5...the lowest it has been so far. So even though the pain throughout the day has extremely pointed moments, it is dipping into a lower range at times as well. It's encouraging to hear about some movement in that direction. Dr. Morrie (sp?) has been attending to Ruthie for the day-to-day issues this week and has been trying, along with the nurses, to adjust the pain medication to find the most comfortable fit. Although the pain remains elevated most of the time, Will said tonight they have hope in the knowledge that the pain is only temporary. Unfortunately, dealing with pain is something Ruthie has done daily for several years now. But we sure would love to see more and more of the edge taken off and for her to get more hours of sleep during the night.
Ruthie's blood level was also much lower than normal today and had to get 2 pints of blood through a transfusion this morning. Will mentioned that this was something that happened as a result of the surgery (not sure of the exact details with this), but the doctors now feel that her levels are back to normal. The procedure took a couple of hours and Will feels that Ruthie will have more energy and feel better tomorrow as a result of it.
Now for some really good news! Today Ruthie walked to the nurses' station (which is a good 30-40 foot distance from her bed) and back. And she also sat up in a chair for about 45 minutes tonight and ate her dinner. She continues to make gains each day with what she is accomplishing!
They also took off her neck brace at some point today and changed her dressing and monitored for spinal fluid leakage (of which there was none). Will said that he was able to see the incision while they were doing this and that the new incision had been made right over the incision from Ruthie's previous surgery. They also used surgical glue instead of staples to close the incision up, so there is a clear sheen over it instead of ugly old pieces of metal. Sounded impressive.
Finally, Will said that the most encouraging moment today was when the doctor tested Ruthie for something called "clonus." According to my limited internet research on the topic, clonus refers to "repetitive, rhythmic contractions/tremors of a muscle when attempting to hold it in a stretched state. It is a strong, deep tendon reflex that occurs when the central nervous system fails to inhibit it. Clonus is initiated in the spinal cord and is usually a sign of damage and spinal cord injury."
In other words, clonus is a condition that people often exhibit when there has been spinal cord damage. To gauge the severity of the damage, doctors perform a physical test with a person's arms and legs to see if they exhibit these tremors. A higher number of muscle tremors indicates more extensive spinal cord damage, so the tremor count is used as a gauge for what kind of shape someone is in. In past tests, Ruthie has always exhibited clonus on her left side, giving the doctors clear indication that there was spinal cord damage of some degree. Today, however, the doctors reported that her clonus is significantly better! This is a REALLY positive sign because it gives a strong indication that her spinal cord damage is not necessarily permanent and irreversible. Although it is still to soon to say exactly what improvements may follow, what amazing news to hear today! God continues to give hope.
Prayers for tonight and tomorrow:
Pray, pray, pray for Ruthie's elevated pain levels to subside. It would be wonderful for her body to get more rest and for her to have more peace of mind.
Pray for continued daily encouragement for Ruthie and strength for Will and Marsha as they continue to support one another
Pray for there to be more strides made with each passing day.
There is still no clear indication on when exactly Ruthie will be leaving Mayo as the pain really needs to be brought under control before moving forward. We will keep you updated if anything develops on that end.
Thanks again for following this blog and for keeping this precious family in your thoughts and prayers!
Good night!
-Katherine
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Just talked to Will for the evening report. First of all, it sounds as though Ruthie's pain is still elevated, but that the nurses seem to be getting a moderate handle on it. On a scale of 1 to 10, her pain level is about an 8.5 or 9...so it's still very high, but the edge has been taken off a bit.
The doctor told Ruthie at around 5:30 today that he wanted her to try to walk tomorrow. The nurses have also wanted her to move around, so tonight, they helped Ruthie walk from her bed to the door...and back! It was painful for her, but she set her mind to it and pushed through the pain and did it! The nurses were surprised that Ruthie could actually walk this length so soon after her surgery. Her doctor will be amazed when he finds out about this tomorrow. GO Ruthie!! Hopefully, she will be moving around even more tomorrow.
Ruthie wasn't ready to eat dinner when the nurse brought her a meal earlier tonight, but Will was just returning from picking up a special order of chicken wings for her from a nearby restaurant when I spoke with him on the phone. Good to hear that Ruthie has her appetite. :)
Although Ruthie is not ready to talk on the phone, she is able to get texts and check her Facebook messages, so feel free to send her messages and share lots of love with her that way.
Please pray...
*that her pain level would lessen (a consistent prayer for now)
*that Will and Marsha (Ruthie's mom) would get a good night's sleep. There is a couch in the hospital room where Will will be sleeping tonight, so pray that it would be a comfy place for him to get some rest.
*that Ruthie will continue to make progress with her mobility. She has already made so many strides so far!
*for Libby and Lile and the rest of the family as they grieve the loss of Libby's dad.
As mentioned earlier, here are 2 photos that Will sent my way:
This first one is of the big ugly wire that was removed from her neck. It's amazing she was able to do much of anything knowing that this was sticking out and piercing her spinal cord!
This next one is a scan of the fusion of her spinal cord between C1 and C3 - the result of what the doctors were able to do in surgery yesterday. Incredible. So thankful for the doctors and medical staff at Mayo to perform a highly specialized surgery so successfully!
Check back again tomorrow for further updates.
And send Ruthie some love! :)
-Katherine
Ruthie update: 4/7, 3:30pm
Ruthie is now out of ICU and in her own private room! She will be equipped with high speed wireless internet access and hopefully will be able to read all the wonderful comments and encouraging messages so many people have been sending her way. She is currently in a considerable amount of pain (some of that from being transferred), so keep praying for comfort and rest for her body.
I will be posting a couple of photos soon...one is of the wire that was removed from her neck and the other is a scan of the fusion that was done between the C1 and C3 vertebrae in her neck. Stay tuned.
-Katherine
**if anyone is interested in knowing where to send cards, etc. until she leaves this weekend (hopefully!), please email me at katherineboydfalk@gmail.com for room information.
Ruthie is now out of ICU and in her own private room! She will be equipped with high speed wireless internet access and hopefully will be able to read all the wonderful comments and encouraging messages so many people have been sending her way. She is currently in a considerable amount of pain (some of that from being transferred), so keep praying for comfort and rest for her body.
I will be posting a couple of photos soon...one is of the wire that was removed from her neck and the other is a scan of the fusion that was done between the C1 and C3 vertebrae in her neck. Stay tuned.
-Katherine
**if anyone is interested in knowing where to send cards, etc. until she leaves this weekend (hopefully!), please email me at katherineboydfalk@gmail.com for room information.
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