Thursday, January 31, 2013

Incision healing nicely

  Well, Lenora is off Morphine and needs only the occasional T3.
Today was a real busy one for her. Just as her breakfast came a bunch of student doctors interrupted her with checking and recording her vitals and her range of motion. They didn't know anything about her condition and as part of their assignment they needed to find out what her case was and come to their own diagnosis for her case. They came back later with their instructor to made sure they weren't overlooking anything. It seems Lenora enjoys this. It gives her exercise with her nurses knowledge as she was taking A&P when this whole episode started beginning of last summer.
  Among other improvements she sat up for a while today again. She can roll on her side on her own, but it takes a lot of effort because of pain from the surgery. The incision from surgery is healing real nicely. The doctors left it un-bandaged for 2 days and it healed real quickly. Today the nurses bandaged it up after removing the tube that drained fluids from the incision site.  
  Her IV's have all been removed so she's 'free' now ;) 
  Her eyes have stayed much the same over the last few days. Along with thanking God for all the healing already happening, plead with Him to touch Lenora's eyes like He did for the blind man when Jesus was walking this earth. Nothing is too small or too big for God to pay attention too. I know healing Lenora's vision is a small thing for Him, but I know it will mean soo much to Lenora.  
  That's all for now....

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Beginning to move a bit

Last night Lenora's blood oxygen content read 85 when they removed oxygen. This morning she was off oxygen and it read 98. That sounds like improvement to me.
They are beginning to replace morphine with T3's. Lenora is taking that change-over quite well.
She was quite swollen when she came out of surgery. That swelling has gone down a lot.
Lenora enjoys talking with the doctors. In the course of her conversation she mentioned to him there were people all over the world praying for him while he was performing the surgery. He said that was why the surgery went so well.
Lenora sat up today for 5 minutes. That hurt pretty bad. She also turned on her side with a bit of help from her aunt, who's staying with her for a few days.
Other then that, there is nothing newsy to share :) other then: Mom came home today for the first time since Lenora went to Winnipeg. It's good to have her home again. Mom will be back in Winnipeg on Friday. Oh, and the Blackberry 10 was unveiled today! Not that any of you wanted to know that but there you have it ;)

We really appreciate your prayers. When I was in to see Lenora on Sunday she said she could feel she was being carried on prayers! You are making a difference. We serve a God who cares about the smallest details in our lives!!



P.S. if you want to comment, you will need to sign in with a google, blogger, or some other account. It'll give you options underneath the comments box.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

 Praise the Lord, surgery went well! The Doctor says it'll take 10 days for the final results to come back. The titanium plates they installed are strong enough so she doesn't need to wear a neck brace at all. I remember when Rus had his accident and needed to wear that neck brace until the MRI's and scans were done. Got terribly itchy with the constant pressure on his skin. In the back of my mind I was thinking Lenora might have to wear a brace of some sort to keep her neck in place while she was healing but this is much nicer. Lenora is feeling better and today she was able to enjoy company again. She did get tired quickly though.
   As far as numbness in her body, the surgery hasn't seemed to change the steady regaining of feeling. Lenora's eyes are brighter then before surgery but this does not mean she can see well yet. The one eye is still blurry while the other has the same dark spot it's had for a week or two now. Her smile is a little straighter, but not enough for the general observer to notice.
  This morning she was in a lot of pain and did not eat much. Lunch and supper were better though. I talked with her tonight but she got tired quite quickly. I'm praying she'll rest well this night and wake up feeling stronger!  

And to Lenora,
 Ne 8:10b ... do not sorrow; for the joy of the LORD is your strength! 

No word from doctor yet

The doctor hasnt come to see Lenora yet after she's out of surgery. She was out at 6 last night, making 7 hrs in surgery so that wasn't near as bad as some of the other numbers we heard. No word from the doctors yet. Lenora is more sore this morning then last night. I guess once she sleeps, the surgeon feels free to stretch her shoulders and neck forward as much as he wants to so he can work without anything getting in the way. I'm assuming this is why she's sore instead of just in pain from the wound. She's under a lot of Morphine. They put her in a tiny room behind locked doors; infection prevention I'm guessing. Only 2 visitors allowed at a time so that's different then her previous room. I'll let you know more when I hear from mom and dad again.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Out of surgery

Lenora is out of surgery and in the recovery room. The surgeon did not remove the whole lump in her neck. She's not paralyzed! She does have a lot of pain in her neck and shoulders. So pray for her during recovery.

She's now in OR

This morning while waiting to be wheeled into OR Lenora was really tired. She had a headache and Did throw up as well. Most likely because she wasn't allowed to eat anything for the past 12 hours. Possibly She may have been a bit nervous as well.
Lenora is now in OR. We won't be seeing her for at least 7 hours. It may be longer until we see her.
Below are several pictures of life at the hospital.
1st pic - What Lenora looks like whenever she thinks of Darlene not being with her.
2nd pic- Lenora as her cheerful self
3rd pic - reading a card while Londa does her best to hold still...lol! Imagine that ;)
4th pic - still reading card Londa made for her.
5th - still reading
6th - Lenora with her favoritest nurse ;). Who was going to put on more makeup for this picture but forgot this morning. Lenora told her even if she had 20 wrinkles all over her face she wouldn't need makeup because her character would make them all disappear!
7th - Mom, not sure what she's doing. Probably talking about one of all the bouquet's people send Lenora :)
8th - is Cindy and Lenora
9th - the bouquet she got from Darlene
10th - the tunnels that are designed for people to think they know where they're going but behind the security cameras personnel are laughing because their secret agenda is working! People getting lost left and right. Jk it's actually a fun place to kill time because its a real maze down there.



















Prep for biopsy

But boy it was good to see Lenora again! She's happy, cheerful, and constantly growing stronger.
Lenora's felt a touch of tingling in her face today where there's been nothing so far. The numb side of her face is still numb but the doc says talking will help her train those facial muscles to respond again. Now she won't stop talking. I personally think she's making sure those muscles get the workout they deserve . Her headaches haven't been too bad lately. She does like to take t3's when she feels them coming on. This way they don't have a chance to really get bad.
Concerning the surgery/ biopsy tomorrow, Lenora says she's not worried about it. It's just another day for her. She testifies that's a result of being carried on prayer! Since she's going to be paralyzed in 6 months if she doesn't do this now she rather wants to have the test done and then be able to say she's done everything she could do even if she's part of the 5% who end up paralyzed thru this test. She says her life is in the capable hand of God Almighty! Whatever happens, He will ultimately be glorified by it. We're still praying God will heal the lump before they start the surgery but we're leaving it all up to Him.
It's looking like the surgery is scheduled for 10 am.

That's all for now...

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Walking

  Lenora called me up today and I could hardly believe my ears! Her voice sounded 98% like her normal voice! Wow! I can't wait to see her again!! She walked a quite a bit today, with the help of a cane. For those of you who've been to see her, she walked around the nurses station then out to the elevators, around the nurses station again and almost out to the the elevators again before going back to rest. She loves lots of visitors it seems ;) it really helps the time to pass quickly.
  She didn't have a lot of pain today, only 2 tylenols worth. Oh and last night she fell asleep while Mom was reading to her, slept 8 hours straight never waking up once!!! That thrilled me because it's a first since October! There's a few praise items to add to your prayer list :)
  That's all for now. Most of us family will be there to see her go into surgery Monday morning. Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.
  To Lenora, when you read this, 'the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.' 2 Thess 3:3
   In Jeremiah 29:11 God promises; 'I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans about the future you hope for!'
   

Friday, January 25, 2013

Update 16

   A physio-therapist has been coming to see Lenora for a week now. All her walking so far has been with the help of a walker. Although Lenora gets tired quick, her doctor is real impressed with how strong she is.
   Her headaches aren't getting any better yet. Normally she doesn't have a problem getting nurses to give her T3's but today when her headache got really bad they wouldn't give her anything to cut the pain. No amount of begging seemed to make a difference. As a last resort she tried sleeping. When she woke up the pain was a lot less. Praise The Lord! 
   It's looks like the lump in Lenora's spine is the cause of her numbness, lower back pain, and her headaches. Although the surgery will reveal what's actually going on, Doctor says bulging disks isn't the cause of her lower back pain. The one doctor firmly believes the lump is only inflammation and that same inflammation has spread up into her brain lining and thus the headaches. I feel like I'm repeating myself quite a bit. Whatever the case,  I mentioned in a previous update, she is starting to feel her lower back. What she's feeling isn't pain. It's simply the numbness leaving. Pray that as more of her body 'thaws' out it won't be pain coming back but simply normal feeling coming back into her body.
  Lenora still can't close her one eye because of the numbness in that side of her face, which mean's she has to be careful it doesn't dry out. Apparently exercising is supposed to help with gaining back her smile as well as the ability to close her eye. How are you supposed to tell numb muscles what to do? I suppose anything can be learnt though. 
       That's all for now...  
  Please continue to pray for healing. If surgery wouldn't be necessary, that would be amazing. We serve a God who delights in doing miracles!

P.S. A big thank-you to all of you who have made the effort to come out and see Lenora in Winnipeg. She doesn't do too much so having friends come for a visit cheers her up a lot!
  This really is all for now....!!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Spine surgery

Lenora is scheduled for surgery Monday morning. Doctor did say if he fixed a slipped disk on another patient before he did Lenora's neck he would take her in at 10. He says he has to remove back part of a vertebrae right close to the skull. There's a small lump there he wants to take a sample from and test it. Then they will install a metal plate to replace the bone they removed. It sounds like the surgery won't take that long but they want to test the tissue while they have her spine open. Doc said it might be 15 hrs before we see her again. Because the surgery is close to her skull they'll have to fasten her head so she can't move it. Possibly stay rigid for a week. Makes me panicky just thinking about that :( Doc says If They don't do something with the growth now, she'll be paralyzed in 6 months.
She is starting to feel her lower back again which is good in that her feeling is returning but not good considering that could mean pain again.
Thank you for continuing to pray for Lenora. This isn't easy on her, or any of us for that matter, and won't get much easier for a while yet!
That's all for now...

Biopsy Surgery scheduled

 Lenora sat up in bed for an hour today and then stood for a while. The therapist was really surprised at the strength in her legs.
  The doctor told Mom that if they don't do anything with what they see now in the MRI, Lenora will be back to her worst condition again in 3 weeks. I'm quite sure none of us are ready to go through that again anytime soon!!
  That brain tissue sample is a fairly lengthy surgery on the lower part of the skull. An estimated 9 hours. They will need to take out a piece of bone to reach the part in the spine where they want to take the biopsy from. The surgeon may end up replacing the small piece of bone with a steel plate if he can't fuse the piece of bone back in. Right now the surgery is scheduled for Monday! God is Intimately interested in what is happening to Lenora and I totally believe His hand will guide the surgeons' hands as they do their work. Pray that things will fall into place by Monday so the surgery can happen as planned. God will be faithful!
 Lenora's numbness is still slowly lessening. The one side of her face is still crooked so her smile isn't back to normal yet. (I miss that smile...)
  Doctors are looking for her pupils to shrink to indicate pressure reduction in her brain. Her eyes are becoming stronger. She was actually able to read this blog on her phone. Not all of it without becoming tired but she read a number of the updates before giving her phone back to Mom!
 They did a lumbar puncture at the same time they punctured her hip to do the bone marrow test a few days ago and that seems to have relieved pressure in her back. We're thankful for that!
 Lenora is off her antibiotics today. Time will tell whether or not she'll be able to stay off them. Also, she's been off t3's since this morning! Again, we're waiting to see if her headaches are gone for good. Hopefully they are!! God is good!! Keep praising Him!
   That's all for now, folks...

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Biopsy

One doc had looked at all Lenora's stuff & said it wouldn't all fit into the other room...which means they are thinking of moving her soon???
They did another MRI this morning, this is the third one after she came to Winnipeg, and it still showed same as last time.
They are also planning to do a biopsy on her brain lining. Each of the MRI's have shown spots that shouldn't be there and they want to find out if its inflammation or infection or if its something more serious.
One doc told mom a secret (it is most likely just inflammation); later he did come back & say that it could b infection too...just to cover himself.
Mom says Lenora's right eye (w/the smudge like oil) is better this morning again.

Things are continuing to look upwards. Praise The Lord! Below is a picture and a blessing from a family very dear to our hearts! Thank-You, Reuben and Connie! As well as another picture of Lenora this morning :)



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Hello friends,

  Lenora is slowly improving. Doctors are talking of switching from IV to antibiotics in pill for to try and find out if her body can handle the drugs orally. If they do this they will be leaving the line in her vein in case they need it later on. There have been people who've had the line in their vein for 4 years without any problems.
 Up until now Lenora's eyes couldn't handle much reading at all preventing her from reading her Bible herself. She had to rely on mom or dad to read it for her or listen to it on her ipod. By now her eyes have improved enough for her to start reading stuff on her ipod. She said her left eye was seeing a dark cloud although I believe she had peripheral vision all along. That has improved.
  She can officially drink liquids now and doesn't have to hire mom to slyly pour water into her ice when the nurse isn't looking ;) The reason for this restriction was her throat didn't close her airway quick enough to keep water from flowing into her airway. Thickened liquids didn't pose this problem. Not long after the doctor was gone for the wknd, Lenora tried water again and was able to swallow it fine.
  Doctors are thinking she possibly has Meningitis (spelling may be off a little), and are doing further testing to be sure. By the way, the MRI showed the same as the first one did; still swelling in the brain lining but I haven't heard if they are for sure taking a sample of the lining for testing or when that's happening. I'll keep you posted when I hear something for sure.
  The reason for her headaches is thought to be the bone marrow test site. So pray that it will heal up real quick and that her headaches will go away. Thanks for taking the time to keep up with Lenora and what she's going thru. I know it isn't easy for her or for any of her family and close friends. Take time for those around you because you never know when things will change and they are no longer there.....   Until next time!  

Monday, January 21, 2013

Headaches are back

Someone asked about her smile and I'm sure many of you are wondering. She's not paralyzed; its numbness making her smile crooked. You know what it's like when you face freezes from being outside in the cold too long. She's slowly feeling more of her body as the numbness leaves. So keep praying the cause of the numbness could be determined and dealt with. Her headaches are coming back and the doctors are resorting to Tylonol 3's to cover the pain. :(
No word yet about the MRI test results. Pray they will reveal something that will lead to answers. Actually there is feedback that the MRI has not revealed anything new but that's not from Lenora's doctor. We're waiting for final word from him in person.
Keep sending her flowers, cards, anything to brighten her day. What brightens her day most is to have friends come and sing for her. She can sing softly or mouth the words depending on how tired she feels.
The nurses have been very considerate allowing us the privilege of having say how many visitors she can have in her room at one time. So if you are friends with her, please make it a point to come visit. There hasn't been too many visitors all at the same time so it's worked out quite well so far.

Thanks again for praying. Although to me it feels like the worst is over, seeing Lenora again reminded me she's far from we'll yet.

"Yet those who wait for the L ord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:31 NASB)

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Slowly improving

Well, Lenora is a little stronger again. I took my brother and 2 youngest sisters into Winnipeg this morning. It hit me that I'm expecting her to be improving faster then she is. She is improving don't get me wrong. We still don't have tests back on the MRI they did yesterday. I attached a few pics of her. I asked her for a smile and she gave it her best shot :). She looks a lot better with her hair combed. Londa undid her braid and made 3 braids then braided them all together. Looked pretty neat! I miss Lenora. She did say she wasn't ready to come home though before they figure out what's wrong with her. Keep praying. She's far from well yet! Thanks for now. God bless you!



Saturday, January 19, 2013

Re-doing MRI

As i mentioned earlier, Lenora was scheduled to re-do an MRI, because the doctors wanted a closer look at the images. We don't have the results back yet. Lenora is fairly tired tonight though she didn't have that many visitors. I want to extend a hearty thank-you to those who went to visit her. It makes her feel less alone thru this ordeal. She is getting stronger. She almost pushed doctor off her bed when he was strength testing her arms :) she can raise and lower her bed by herself, thanks to no longer having her arms tied down with needles attached to IV lines. Doctors are planning to start exercising her after weekend. When I talked to Dad, Lenora was chewing on a huge spoonful of ice to moisten her throat and cool her mouth. Probably while the doctor wasn't looking, too :) ha ha
Things are continuing to look better all the time inspite of the numerous unanswered questions. Keep praying that God will reveal to the doctors where Lenora's problem started and if there is anything still there that will cause problems in the future. That's all for now!

Saturday morning

Good morning folks

I talked with Lenora on the phone this morning :). She says she's doing better. She slept for 4 hours which is almost a nights sleep already! She 's waiting for that MRI they said they'd do today sometime and then they're observing her over Sunday. Doctors want to see how much stronger she will be by Monday. That's all for now and thank you for thinking about Lenora and keeping her in your prayers! We serve an Awesome God!!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Friday night

  Well, Lenora claims all food tastes like antibiotics. I would like to argue that seeing as my younger sister made us a stir-frey which didn't taste like antibiotics at all! But we're happy she's eating at least a little ;) we were thinking the doctors were going to do an MRI tonight yet because they wanted off for the weekend but they decided to do it tomorrow. So we wait some more...

Friday afternoon

The bone marrow test came back negative meaning it showing nothing out of ordinary! Praise The Lord!! Doctors are redoing a few CT scans in case they missed anything in the imaging. They're trying to get some clearer pictures. Pray they will see what's wrong if there is anything wrong. At this point they are still searching for the reason she got so sick and also trying to figure out if there is any connection to her lower back problem.

Friday noon

Hi friends;
  Her eyes aren't glazed quite as much as they were, she can talk clearer because her throat is mostly back to normal. She can't drink water yet but she can eat thickened liquids. That tube they inserted in her arm runs almost to her heart and eliminates the need for needles in her arms. She can talk a lot clearer and talked with Teresa on the phone for a while. That to me says a lot! If you want to visit her, please let one of her family members know (comment below) and we will do our best to let you know when is a good time to come so we don't overtire her with too many visitors. I don't think it's a problem at this point but I know many of you are making it a point to visit. We really appreciate your caring but please understand if we have to tell you another time would be better. :)  :(   I don't have word about the bone marrow test results yet but will post that when I do get word.  



Friday morning

Good morning, friends
   I talked with dad this morning and he says Lenora is looking a little brighter then last night, so thats good news :) He also mentioned they are putting in a 45cm long line up one of her veins. This will eliminate the needle in her arm and give them more control over the drugs they pump into her. She is responding well to the drugs.
   As I mentioned last night, the doctors took a bone marrow sample yesterday. We are expecting to get the results at noon today.
   Thank you again for praying, I know God has heard, is still hearing your prayers and is/will answer in His time not ours. We are continuing to trust Him for complete healing for Lenora.

I like the end of James 5:16 NASB says it this way, "....the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." We've seen that so clearly over the past few days in spite of it looking often as though God wasn't hearing our praying and pleading. God bless you all richly for caring.  until later today..

Thursday night

Well, Lenora has improved since morning. Many of you have read on facebook or text that Lenora has a tumor. As way of clarification, the doctors have NOT confirmed that it is a tumor. At the same time they are suspecting that as a possible cause for the numbness in a lot of her body. So don't go around saying she has cancer, however contradictory that may sound considering she's in Cancer Care. The doctors did a bone marrow sample today, and we're expecting to get the results back tomorrow sometime. I will keep you posted on that as I get word from Winnipeg.
   All of us siblings went back home this afternoon. The four of us still living at home arrived 11:30 pm and it was snowing. Beautiful snowflakes quickly covering the ground. I personally really enjoy the snow ;) not the cold as much but I can live with that. lol!
   The doctors lowered the oxygen pressure for Lenora this evening, are giving her a smaller dose of antibiotics, and changed the kind of antibiotic she is getting. Last I heard from Dad, Lenora is sleeping well! So thank-you again soo much for praying. I know God hears you and is answering, not in our time, but in His time. So, with that, I'll close this for tonight.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Setting up a Blog

Good day world,
I'm just working on setting up this blog to use as the source of update information for Lenora Loewen.
Here is a picture of her from last summer.

Yesterday (Jan 16) afternoon I took this picture when my parents went in to talk with her. Clifford and I talked with her for about 20-30 minutes just prior to this.


Thursday Morning

Thank-you for keeping Lenora in your thoughts and prayers. Some of you have already heard about the pneumonia. Doctors also say there's a tumor-like growth in her lower neck causing headaches and numbness. Recovery will be a slow one. We're praying for a miracle! 
P.S. "(Doctors are hard to figure out sometimes)"

"Thursday morning"

It looks like things are turning for the better!! :)
Doctors say they don't know why she's improving 
:) the lump they found on her stomach is gone now and the doc says he thinks it was her rib he saw haha. Her fever is down and she's doing more talking :)
The doctors are still testing to see If it actually is a cancerous lump in her neck or if its justa lump of some other sort. They will be doing a bone marrow test this afternoon.
~~~Delmar for Justen.