More info. on donating...

You can donate blood tomorrow at CSC Federal Credit Union in Lake Charles(next to Taco Bell) from 1-4 pm in my Dad's name, Bert Wainwright at St. Lukes in Houston. Families are encouraged to try and replace what their loved ones used/using so we can keep giving blood to those who need it and save lives. My dad also gets "credit" and isn't charged for the blood he uses.

We are so lucky to have all of you thinking of us and praying. My dad would be so happy....he always worried about us having to go through all of this.

We're waiting God...

We know God has a plan. We just don't know what, when, how & why...we're just waiting and hoping his plan will keep our Dad here with us longer.

Dad became very unstable last night and they brought him into surgery this morning. His abdomen was full of fluid from all his organs that aren't working. He was so distended they couldn't even close him up, so his belly is open and they are hoping to clean out more fluid tomorrow. The doctors are saying they don't know what will happen...our dad has a lot of things going wrong and it will just take time to tell if he will be able to recover from this...its in God's hands.

Please continue to pray for us...for my dad to be comfortable and for God to be with us and whatever his plan may be to give us the strength to handle it and most of all be with our Dad...

a few steps back...

It's been a week and a half now and my dad is still in the ICU. He can only have two visitors at a time for 30 min. in the morning, afternoon and at night. Us kids have been taking turns in Houston to visit him and be with mom...while some how trying to maintain our lives back at home. It's not an easy adjustment back and forth...from one world to another almost. It's wierd to see people going about their day and to think about my dad in that hospital bed.

Today they started my dad on dialysis b/c now his kidneys are giving trouble. He's also had to recieve more blood and get back on blood pressure support meds, which he'd come off of last week. His liver is still getting worse everyday. I don't know....they said there would be days like this, so I'm trying to stay hopeful.

There is one thing you can do though if you want. If you are a donating blood kind of person you can donate at any LifeShare blood donation center or at St. Lukes in Houston, TX under my Dad's name. They ask us to get people to do this to help replenish what our loved ones use. By now my Dad has recieved almost 3 total body blood transfusions. If it hadn't been for donors there's no way he would have made it just due to blood loss. Donating blood SAVES lives! My dad's name is Bert Wainwright.

You should also consider becoming an organ donor...We've met so many people in waiting rooms whose loved ones(children to adults) have recieved organ transplants...their sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, grandparents...lives saved b/c of organ donors. One day an organ donor will save my dad's life.

my solo visit

last night mom stayed with my kids and I went to visit my dad at his 8:15 visit alone. i stood next to his bed and just stared at him...he's still so sick...not awake, ventilated, on a feeding tube and so so so yellow. his liver is basically quitting on us....b/c of this his blood is full of all the toxins from the meds and he can't wake up. its getting worse every day, and the doctors say it is a waiting game and we have to hope he will eventually get better.

i'm no fool though. i realize he may not get better---i keep thinking about the last week i spent with him home in lake charles. i brought him out to prien lake park a few times and i remember those evenings vividly. i pushed him in his wheelchair down the pier and the sunset was so beautiful. i remember saying to myself that if this was it i'd be satisfied. it was such a beautiful evening and it was just me and him. we talked and ignored the elephant in the room.

i'm not satisfied though...i miss my dad so much and i want him to get better. i'm angry b/c seeing him like this is terrible and i don't want these memories to be my last. i want him back and talking and walking.

its a day after day after day fight and the steps are so small and its so hard. i wish i could learn everything i'm learning about how precious life is without going through this experience. it puts a whole new spin on life.

keep praying for us....its all i can ask for. love u guys.

Update…

It’s been one week since my Dad’s surgery, and he’s still on a ventilator, feeding tube & isn’t very responsive. Sometimes he will open his eyes and squeeze our hands…and I still haven’t gotten used to seeing him this way. I don’t think I ever will. Since he still wasn’t very responsive they checked to make sure his stroke didn’t do more damage than we’d thought. The tests came out good and it looks like there is still only min. damage due to the stroke. He is starting to develop pneumonia(sp?) which is all the more reason to get him off the ventilator. He has to wake up more to do that though. If he doesn’t they are thinking of putting in a trach…hopefully we don’t have to do that.

The doctors say we’ll take one step forward and two back for awhile.. Keep praying guys!

This journey is by far harder than I ever thought, but my family is staying strong and we believe God is looking out us…We love you Dad!

Madeline’s Photo shoot :)

I’ll admit…I went a little overboard. I just couldn’t help myself :) Presenting Madeline at 3 mths….

Progress

We are making some progress! They went back in Sunday and were able to close my Dad's chest. We've been able to see him during very limited visiting hours (30 min in the morning, afternoon & at night.) He's still intubated and in the ICU. He goes in and out of consciousness. He's squeezed our hands a few times which was comforting. He opens his eyes a little. We are hoping they will be able to take him off the ventilator in a few days. He'll be in ICU for awhile though. Everyone's prayers are working!