Symanzik Family Update

Discharge is planned for Friday.

The reason for an extra day is because he had a blood transfusion last night and they want to observe him for 24 hours.

But judging from the noise Jerard is making, he is more than readyto be discharged (and so are we!!!) :-)He's been making vocalizations in response to my talking to him.He is also really enjoying his kamote/banana/isomil smoothies.

He has had no seizures for 3 days now. His fever is gone. He is more awake and getting increasingly active.

His left side continues to be very weak. Which could be from a combination of left sided seizures and the right ventricle pressure pressing on his brain. He has lost some ground as far as motor skills but I think once we get back home and get him back in a routine and daily exercise he will hopefully regain and continue to improve.

He will be readmitted in about 3 - 4 weeks for shunt surgery.

Please pray with us for financial provision for that surgery and hospital stay.

He will be coming home on two anti-convulsants and a heparin lock for antibiotics for another 3 - 4 days.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Kurt is up at the hospital with Jerard for the night. His blood count has dropped again and he will be getting a transfusion tonight.
-pray the source of bleeding/reason for his blood count dropping gets discovered and healed. This is his 2nd blood transfusion this week.
-pray we can still be discharged tomorrow from the hospital
it is terribly trying on the whole family to have a member of our family in the hospital.

Thanks.

Psalm 86
A prayer of David. 1 Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.

3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.

4 Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.

6 Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.

7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.

8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;

no deeds can compare with yours.

9 All the nations you have made will come and worshipbefore you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.

11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;

I will glorify your name forever.

13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

14 The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless
men seeks my life--men without regard for you.

15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. 17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Thanks for your ongoing prayers in behalf of Jerard and our family.

Jerard hopefully will be discharged tomorrow.
He is eating , and has had no seizures for over 48 hours.
He still doesn't drink well but he enjoys being spoon fed banana/kamote/Isomil 'smoothies' so he is getting his liquid!

He will need another shunt operation but the doctor wants to wait two - four weeks to give his pneumonia time to totally clear up.

Please pray for financial provisions for this surgery.

He is still very weak on his left side but showing some improvement. His medications have been switched to oral except for his antibiotics. He will come home with a heparin lock for the rest of his antibiotics to be given. We've dealt with that before at home and can do it again.

Thanks for continuing to pray for him (and for us).

Hi,

I have been more awake today.
They took the tube out of my nose
but they said they might have to put it back in if I don't eat or drink well. I'm not sucking really well.

I don't like to move the left side of my body either.
But I did smile twice at my Mom today. But she said only the right side of my mouth went up.

The neurologist, Dr. Soriano, (I like him - he's done all my surgeries)
said it looks like I need another shunt. My right ventricle is not being drained by the shunt on the left side of my head. Maybe that's why I've been having so many headaches.

And today I've been crying and rubbing the right side of my head a lot. It really hurts.

They did move me into a regular room today. I hope I can stay here and not have to go back to ICU.

Thanks for your prayers for me. Please keep praying I get better soon. Pray for my Mom and Dad and my brothers and sisters.
Keep my doctors in your prayers too. I like them and they seem to be doing a good job taking care of me.

I haven't had any seizures for over 36 hours now!

Psalm 10: 16 The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land.
17O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18to do justice to the fatherless...

Just for a change of pace in our blog I thought I'd put a few photos in of a project that is on hold for now.

I'm hoping to repaint the kitchen in a more coffee shop motif.

I have arranged empty starbucks bags of coffee, mugs, and a coffee maker that no longer works on top of the cabinets to be part of this redecorating!

After Jerard gets out of the hospital we may get to the painting!