Elijah Update (Mar 28)

Dear Friends,

It is hard sometimes to be positive when you see such an uphill climb. We are grateful that we got Elijah some help at the right time. Truly the Lord had us come to Wichita... We both felt pulled in that direction. Today we started off the day with a lot of swelling and edema. The poor little guy cannot seem to catch up. He is losing fluids and then his blood pressure drops so they give him more fluids to get his blood pressure up and then he swells. So we are trying to find a balance of fluids.

This afternoon the doctor told me "You have to have a battle before you can have victory". So we are in the battle right now but looking for victory. Elijah got his breathing tube out this afternoon, and we are very excited. His eyes are now wide open, and he is much happier. He is breathing on his own with just a nasal canula to help keep his oxygen levels up. Right now he and his dad are sleeping. Joel is sitting on a tall chair by his bed with his hand on Elijah's head, and they are both asleep.

Pray with us for the following... Elijah is still draining alot of fluid from his chest cavity. Pray that this will stop so that the torn duct can heal. Pray that the Lord heals this duct. Pray for Elijah's hemophilia. He is receiving small doses of Factor 9 to help with small spots of bleeding and to be sure that things don't start up and cause alot of bleeding. The concern from Children's Mercy was that he was receiving the continuous dose that caused the excess clotting. So, they are trying to be very careful with his doses here. Pray that he does not bleed.

Joel and I read through the Bible together each year since being married. We read from a chronological Bible which is great because it puts the Bible into the order it occurred. Today we are reading about Elijah. Let me share with you something that we enjoyed from today. From 1 Kings 19:11- "The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."
Three things: the wind, the earthquake and a fire. We feel like we are in a fire right now and we are looking forward to the gentle whisper. :)

Many people have asked for an address for us. We are at the Ronald McDonald House next door to the hospital:

Ronald McDonald House
Room 4
520 N. Rutan
Wichita, Kansas 67208

Thank you for your prayers!

Encouraged with the little things,
Judy, Joel and Elijah