Lots of Healing!

We finally got to have Tate Christmas last weekend (our 4th attempt), and it was wonderfully chilly in Waco. It was my first road trip, and I learned I need far more oxygen when riding in the car than I do at home. I guess it makes sense, but the oxygen saturation in cars is far less than room air or outdoor air. We also had to turn the AC off of recirculation so that outside air was coming in. By the time we got to Waco, I was worn out, but it was totally worth the drive. 

Tuesday, I was sitting talking to my MIL when suddenly I felt like I couldn't catch my breathe. I realized that I couldn't get air in through my neck/trach stoma. For 5 weeks in the hospital the only way I could breathe was through my trach, so that's what my body is used to doing. But suddenly I couldn't get air in. I started forcing my body to breathe through my nose, and then went to clean out my trach stoma. It gets pretty gunky and I figured it was just clogged. I looked in the mirror and it was closed! Not with mucus, not with gauze, but tissue had suddenly closed up deep in the stoma! I tried to force air in and out, and nothing would budge. I honestly didn't really believe it because just 1 week earlier the surgeon said there's a chance it would close in 6 months. But God, once again! Thank you all for your continued prayers! God is answering, and I am beyond grateful to not have to have the intense trach stoma repair surgery! It still isn't pretty or smooth on the surface of my neck, but the hole has sealed and that protects me from infection! Unfortunately, 2 days later it opened again overnight. =(  

My feeding tube stoma also closed this week, and I was able to take my first normal bath since December.  My muscles and joints were so happy in an Epsom salt soak. 

If I'm sitting and not talking a lot, I don't need my oxygen.  Today, I was able to do some work standing up in physical therapy on only 1 liter of oxygen, and my pulse ox didn't get below 94% oxygen. We obviously did lots of rest breaks and worked very slowly, but this is huge progress. I was on 40 liters of oxygen at first in the hospital.  The healing is so incredible.  

Chest CT shows I still have pneumonia, enlarged lymph nodes surrounding lungs, bronchiectasis, and the necrotic lesion in my right upper lobe. The lesion measured 6.4x6.7 when I left the hospital on 2/2. It is now 3.5x4.4, so almost half of the size. It is healing! This type of necrotic lesion is known to continue spreading and if that happened I'd lose lung function over time. The opposite has happened! Again...only God. 

We also got my hospital bill. Originally it was close to $3MM. After primary insurance it is down to $689k. Please pray our secondary insurance and our travel insurance pay a huge portion of the remainder. 

I saw a hematologist today for the blood clots I developed from ECMO and the hospitalization.  He read through my hospital records and was baffled I'm alive, like all other doctors I've seen.  He told me if I'd been his patient he'd have given me a single digit % chance of survival.  Only God.  I will have an ultrasound of my legs, pelvis, neck, and arm next week to check the status of my blood clots. He said no massages until the blood clots are gone. and that's really hard for me since before this I'd have neck muscle work weekly to break up the radiation scar tissue in my neck.

Please continue to pray for healing for my lungs and improved lung function, reduced blood clot size, resealing of the trach stoma, as well as healing and strength for my right arm and hand. I cannot describe how much we appreciate the prayers, love, and support.