Bluniers

I have read through our last few post, as I sit here taking treatments, and realized how much we have been through in these past few weeks of April. As I read, I also realize how much the Lord has helped us through it. To summaries, the weeks following our dry ran to Chicago, I would have to say, -- I have had more fatigue in the fight then rest in the night. -- However, this week, the tables have turned back in my favor. As the title of the post says, I see the the parting of the clouds. I think the IVs are working, after a two week course. The IV's purpose is to knock the infection down to a manageable level, it is futile to try eliminating it totally. The doctors and I still need to decide if a third week would be beneficial. I am able to sleep most of the night if I clear my lungs of mucus before going to bed, otherwise I cough all night. My energy has increase along with my appetite. I feel better then I have been in a month or more. Just to breath slowly and deep at night i...

We are praising God today once more here from our home! Brent had a pretty rough day yesterday. He slept good Friday night but paid for it Saturday morning. He was coughing so much that he couldn't, nor did he get the chance hardly between coughs, to catch his breath. He took his temp and it was 102.4!! Yikes! So he took Tylenol, a cold shower, put cold compresses on his neck and drank cold water to get that temp down...asap! It worked...thankfully! Once he lungs kinda calmed themselves down he was able to breath more steady as well. He even came out and sat by Rachel and I in a chair while we planted out garden! Then...he had the ambition to put on a tire on our mower...it was motivating for him to be outside and you could tell he loved every minute of it! I was never more thankful to see that smile on his face and the joy in his voice...compared to how he was feeling before coming outside! We were contemplating calling his Dr and possibly going to the ER in Chicago. But once thin...

I am sure you are wondering what's been going on it's been a week or so. Brent started on IV's last thursday . They didn't help much this past week...if anything they almost made him feel worse. At first he couldn't get the mucous out of lungs to come out then it got to the point where it was so thin it didn't want to come out and he would cough right "through" it. He had sleeplest nights and fevers. He got super sore because he was coughing so much-so his muscles hurt. Tuesday was his first night to be able to sleep more than 1 hr at a time! He slept most of the night and last night was much better! So every day is getting better now that the meds are hopefully starting to work on his infection. He called his nurse on Tuesday because things weren't getting better they were the same and kinda worse in some ways. She told him that is typical for him to feel worse when starting iv's before he gets better on them. This morning he woke up and h...

It's been a pretty ineventful week this past week. But Monday Brent woke up with a slight sore throat. This morning when he woke up his sore throat was better-for the most part but he has terrible pleurisy pains. He took a few pain meds-which they finally began to do there job. His mom decided to come down this afternoon to spend sometime with him and our neighbor is going to be checking in on him as well off and on during the day! I am trully thankful for them both! We are blessed to have wonderful friends and family that are willing to help out. We have a call into chicago about going on IV antibiotics again-so he could be going on them soon-like when the Dr calls us back! He has been noticeably more short of breath this past week. So we are praying if and when he starts IV's that they will help...or he could get new lungs and get rid of the sick lungs! Other than that Brent been feeling ok. Please continue to pray for Brent that he can be strong enough for the lung transplan...

A big THANK YOU to everyone that has prayed and thought of us this past days. We appreciate the comments and encouragement left here on the blog. They are very moving and show that many people love and care for us. Today was spent resting and listening to the Goodfield Easter program via their website. I feel very blessed when I think of what God has done for me and hopeful for what He may be planning for me. Although the past days did not go as I would like, I feel that the Lord use this to help us be better prepared for the day that the transplant really happens. It's like getting your feet wet before you jump in the pool. Hopefully, we will be jumping in sometime soon. Brent.

We made it home yesterday at about 1:15 in the afternoon. We were glad to be in the comfort of our own home again. We were slept all afternoon and then Brent's parents brought supper down to us and spent the evening here. Needless to say we both slept great last night. Beside Brent's pain meds wearing off earlier this morning so he had to get up and take some pain meds but other than that it was a restful night. We were disappointed to have to miss communion at church last night and church today. It's still overwhelming for both of us-even knowing and trusting that this is all in God's plan! We still know that God has a plan for us and especially for Brent-nothing happens without a reason! Thanks for the understanding,prayers and support! We can truly feel each one of them! We are glad to be home but we aren't at the same time! Hope everyone has a blessed day in church! Trudy PS-sorry for the confusion if there was any in my post yesterday-I was sitting on Brent...

Well. It was a long night of waiting. Brent went into the OR at 11 last night. They had him preped and ready soon after he got in there. We checked in with the OR desk at 1ish in the morning and they said they were still waiting for the surgeons to get to the other hospital they were picking up the lungs. When the surgeons got there and looked at them for themselves the were to damaged for them to use on Brent. They Dr. states that the looked "rotten". The surgeon had him all preped, was holding the scalpel to cut him open and get his old lungs out when they told him the donor lungs were no good. So this is a dry run. Brent was intubated and put under the anesthetic. So this morning when they told him I could come up because he was out of the OR-he was sleeping and he had a tube down him...an eye opener for me! I hadn't been able to eat since lunch yesterday so between that, not getting much sleep and seeing Brent in the state he was in it made me slightly quezy! The nurs...

Well....!!! Great news...so much for the news that there isn't much new...because there is!!! Brent got the call for his tranpslant at 4 pm this afternoon! Exciting but so many emotions going through both of our heads! We are thankful for this time in our life if it truly is God's will. This may just be a dry run which means Brent doesn't get the lungs and we go back home or he may get them and we stay!! PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR BRENT,ME,OUR FAMILIES, AND ESPECIALLY THE DR'S,NURSE"S & the SURGEONS!!! We are currently waiting to get to a room and get this all moving ahead! We just wanted to let you all know the great news we have! If you can't figure out the comments thing just e-mail me at my address on the side of the blog page! More to come especially if he goes in to surgery!!!..... Trudy

Brent told me when I got home tonight that the transplant nurse had called him today. She told him he was discussed this weekend but then decided the lungs they had were a better fit from someone else! His number went up to 37 -it was 36 so this makes him 3rd on the list of today-but as we know that can change daily! Here are the pictures I promised: Here Brent is doing his Pulmonary Function test- the test Diane does every time we go up for CF Clinic. He concentrates on breathing to get as good of a test as he can, but other times he is all smiles!! This is Diane his respiratory therapist at CF Clinic. She is a great encouragement to Brent (& me!) This is Dr. Forsythe Brent's pulmonologist (simple terms: lung Dr!) He is an awesome Dr. and we feel blessed to have him as Brent's main care Dr. He has a great personality and sense of humor that Brent & I enjoy! Thanks Dr. for all you do for us and many others may you be blessed and we hope you can feel our prayers! This ...

Brent Update: We went to Chicago yesterday for a check up with his pulmonologist . His lung function went down 9%. Which is a lot. The Dr. thinks it's because he has an infection brewing, it just hasn't gotten to the point of IV's yet. He put him on another inhaler called Advair , to help him so he can sleep through the night. At this point he gets up 1-2 times every night to do a treatment so he can breath better. So hopefully this inhaler will help him get more sleep at night! He usually sleeps good but he ends up taking 1-2 hr long naps during the day. Which the Dr. also states he is so tired all the time because it takes a lot out or him just to breath. He lost about 3 lbs since January..which is more than we would like to see. They always encourage him to eat more to gain weight but that's a very hard thing for him to do! Unfortunately for some of us that's not the case!:) He spirits have been good which helps both of us out! I was able to get off work this m...