Hospital Day #14 - 12/15/23 - A Day of Praises & Prayer Requests

Hospital Day #14 - 12/15/23 

A Day of Praises & Prayer Requests

Brittney had a full day! Here are some of our praises & prayers!

Praises!

• Brain bleed is still stable & there are no clots in her 4 stents (right carotid and vertebral arteries)
• Our ICU & Neurosurgical staff are super awesome!!
• Brittney’s improvement has therapy staff thinking maybe only 1 week of in patient therapy instead of 2 weeks…maybe even mentioned that she is working hard enough to be able to go straight home (which is our prayer!)
• A God-glorifying physician from another state helped Brittney get her Cleveland Clinic appointment moved up from March 5 to January 5 to be evaluated for the rare condition she has (Fibromuscular Dysplasia = FMD)) with the Director of their Cerebrovascular Center; we are praying that this appointment helps us find answers and solutions
• Brittney felt well enough for a midnight and 5am ice cream party last night.  She had bursts of energy to make a video for her 1st graders, for her coworkers, and for you! She got to spend some time with her aunt, uncle, grandfather, parents, and 4 girlies!
• She was able to quickly fall asleep in spite of the pain throughout the day - her poor brain gets EXHAUSTED so quickly now, she can’t take in  much before she needs to sleep again

Prayer Requests:

• To be safely home by Christmas! We will likely need to stay at U of L Hospital for another week for close observation (she has to be on blood thinner for the stents, but the blood thinner is super dangerous for her brain bleed)
• To be able to stay in ICU or an individual room that is restful (her brain is super sensitive and easily over-stimulated now)
• We really need God’s hand of miraculous protection from any more of her arteries tearing, bulging, blocking, or bursting - Brittney’s condition with FMD continues to be extremely serious
• For Brittney’s comfort - she feels miserable, a lot :(
• For Brittney’s endurance, rest, and strength - this is a frustrating and physically & emotionally draining experience for Brittney 
• For our girlies resilience, faithfulness, and understanding during a hard season of life
• For me not to annoy Brittney any more than necessary with my version of humor (she’s spent two weeks stuck alone in a hospital room with me!)

James 5:16 “pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (ESV)

Here is a place where I’ve archived the posts from our 14 days of hospital stays so far.  www.jonathancarl.org 

Help us send Brittney cards! Details here: http://www.jonathancarl.org/.../hospital-day-13-1214-pm.html

Hospital Day #13 - 12/14/23 PM - A CARD BLITZ!!! (Card Shower)

 Hospital Day #13 - 12/14 PM

CARD BLITZ!!!

Brittney loves cards!! If you know Brittney, she loves sending cards...especially at Christmas!  Several of you have asked about sending cards.  Will you send Brittney a card?  

Our address: 

Brittney Carl

111 Terri Rose Ct.

Hodgenville, KY 42748

(FYI if you use my address to TP or spam my house I will get disproportionate revenge bahaha)

Some ideas to include:

• Family photos (with names written on the back) - this will help her brain heal with memory therapy
• Favorite verses (written out) - to practice reading & lift her spiritually
• Family updates - she cares about others so much & loves hearing how people are doing
• Impactful statements - she is encouraged to know the difference she is making on people’s lives
• Musical cards - so I can annoy her when it is time to wake her up
• Humorous cards - laughter is good medicine!
• Written Prayers for her health - prayers are the best medicine!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

UPDATE: Today’s CT shows no new bleeds!  Carotids are staying clear of clots! After almost 24 hours of massive headaches, the right meds knocked her out for a great long nap.  THANK YOU for praying and for your encouragement.  God is so good!  Feel free to share this :) 

Hospital Day #13 - 12/14/23 AM - Every day is a gift from Jesus!

Hospital Day #13 - 12/14/23 AM 

(changing the way I track these posts, after 3 days at Baptist Hardin, 7 days at U of L & on 3rd day of U of L again )

Every day is a gift from Jesus!

This morning we’ve been enjoying the darkness instead of the sunrise in the UL Stroke ICU.  Brittney’s headaches the past 16 hours have been the worst of her life.  A darkened room and lots of medicine help, but your prayers are the best.  Not much to share this morning, but we are rejoicing that this morning’s CT scan reveals no new bleeding on her brain!!!  She just worked hard at speech therapy, a frustrating and exhausting task right now.

God is continuing to stretch and grow us.  He is teaching us to see every day as a gift from Him.

Ways to pray:

• Headaches to diminish rapidly and to go away
• Good rest between the hourly neurological checks
• Continued protection from brain bleeds and blood clots
• Therapy improvements - speech, occupational, and physical therapies will be a big part of our life the rest of December.  Please pray for Brittney’s strength as she works hard to heal her brain’s connections as the blood on her brain is resorbed.

Psalm 103:1–5 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! [2] Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, [3] who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, [4] who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, [5] who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (ESV)

Hospital Day #12 - 12/13/23 PM - A great but tough day. A tough road ahead.

 

Hospital Day #12 - 12/13/23 PM

A great but tough day. A tough road ahead.

A great day: Shortly after our last request for prayer, God answered and Brittney passed her swallow test and had her NG tube removed.  Her brain bleed appears to have stopped 🙌🏻 her carotid arteries are not clotted up 🙌🏻She has been able to eat also! She has been worked hard on some of her neurological symptoms already and is now able to walk and get out of bed! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 She LOVED LOVED LOVED some time with her girlies.  

A tough day: Brain bleeds are said to produce the worst headaches of your life.  Brittney agrees.  Pain management is great but when the pain is bad, it is BAD. She is completely exhausted but usually has a few minutes of energy each hour. 

A tough road ahead: Stroke victims may all differ in severity, but it is heartbreaking to watch.  Brittney has lost coordination, motor control, strength, word-processing, number-processing, memory, etc. … but she is a fighter!! 

Her health situation with the unknown, rapid, and progressive tearing, clotting, and bulging (pseudo aneurysms) in all of her vertebral and carotid arteries is still very serious. The widespread and unprovoked nature of her hemorrhagic stroke is rare and dangerous.

We need your prayers. We are so grateful for your prayers.  Your love and encouragement has overwhelmed and strengthened us. Thank you.

Ways to pray:

• No more strokes or brain bleeds
• No clots in her stents or further problems with her vertebral or carotid arteries
• Constant pain relief 
• Complete healing of Brittney’s brain
• Wisdom for the OT/PT/Speech recommendation for rehab - for the best in-patient rehab considering Brittney’s needs & risks

1 Timothy 6:11-12 “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Photo caption: A joyous time with our girlies!

Hospital Day # 12 - 12/13/23 AM - God Answers Prayers! Another Sunrise Together :)

 Hospital Day # 12 - 12/13/23 AM

God answers prayers!  

He gave us another sunrise together 🙌🏻😁 in the hospital penthouse suite it seems too, yay for stroke ICU perks lol 👏🏻

While Brittney’s bleeding did progress yesterday, the neurological symptoms from her hemorrhagic stroke did not worsen overnight.  She rested well and her pain level has gone down quite a bit with medicine (brain bleeds are said to be the worst headaches possible).

We are awaiting results from this morning’s CT. No surgery is currently planned unless her symptoms or bleeding worsens. 🙌🏻

We are so grateful to God for your love and prayers!

Ways to pray:

• For no more strokes, for the brain bleed to stop, for no surgery if possible 
• For no blood clots in her 4 stents
• For her neurological symptoms to improve and heal completely (memory, speech, vision, coordination, strength, processing, numbers, spatial reasoning, writing, object recognition)
• For wisdom for Brittney’s care team
• For peace, comfort, and healing for our girlies as they have gone thru so much in this rough season
• For her to pass her swallow test so she can get rid of her NG tube

Psalm 113:3 “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!”

Picture captions : I included some diagrams of where Brittney has brain bleeds (roughly) and the type of brain bleeds she is having

Hospital Day # 11 - 12/12/23 PM - The Waiting Game

Hospital Day # 11 - 12/12/23 PM

We are in a waiting game now - waiting to see how long the brain bleed continues and waiting to see how much damage there is from her hemorrhagic stroke (a stroke from bleeding on the brain). 😭🙏🏻

While visits aren’t the best right now (she is conscious but super tired, in a stroke ICU, & trying to avoid sickness), please feel free to text or message me words of encouragement or a short video. I’ll share them with Brittney when she’s more awake and has more energy.  

Right now her brain needs to rest and heal, so we are trying to protect her from being over stimulated. Your prayers are her best medicine!

Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Picture caption: It’s not a coincidence what shirt I wore today.  If you zoom in you can see her giving me a side-eyed glare communicating “why are you taking a photo of me right now!?!?!l 🤣🤣🤣

Hospital Day # 11 - 12/12/23 PM - Brain Bleed Worsening

Hospital Day # 11 - 12/12/23 PM

UPDATE: Brittney’s symptoms are slowly worsening. Please keep praying!! We can’t thank you enough for your prayer.  We really need her to turn a corner quick & start improving!!

This morning at 9am she started to have some cognitive processing (couldn’t think straight) and noticeable coordination issues. She got to the ER ASAP where they discovered a serious brain bleed.  She was given platelets and flown to UL.

Her symptoms are slowly worsening: memory & cognitive issues as well as coordination, strength and fatigue concerns.  

Brittney’s brain bleed will be monitored for the next few days at the UL ICU.  Her condition is very serious but her care is excellent. We are not sure yet about a brain surgery to remove the bleeding; it depends on some more tests ahead in the next few hours and over the days ahead as well.

Ways to pray:

• for the brain bleed to stop
• for no blood clots to form (since she just had 4 stents emplaced last week this is very concerning as she has to be off blood thinner now)
• for pain relief (these are the worst headaches she’s ever had)
• for no long term brain damage
• for wisdom for her neurosurgery team on whether or not to operate
• for wisdom for all the rest of the hospital care team

Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Picture: Brittney was so thankful to attend Sophia’s Christmas dance recital Sunday night - she always loves our family photo!

Hospital Day # 11 - 12/12/23 AM - Life-Flight - Prayers Needed

Hospital Day # 11 - 12/12/23 AM

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Brittney was just life-flighted to UL hospital for a serious brain bleed. The Lord provided quick and amazing care at Baptist Hardin plus much needed emergency blood platelets.  Please pray for wisdom for the neurosurgery team for speedy next steps!

Hospital Day # 10 - 12/8/23 - Headed Home! BE FAST (Stroke Symptoms to Watch For)!

 

Hospital Day # 10 - 12/8

We are so grateful for your persistent prayers! After a long night we received amazing news this morning, Brittney is getting discharged and we are headed home today!!!🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

The speciality care we received at UL was amazing👏🏻…and the “lively” ER and shared rooms will give you stories to tell your grandkids 🤣

Brittney is still very fatigued and sore, and her health continues to be serious and fragile. We thank God for preserving Brittney’s life and protecting her brain in so many incredible ways on this journey.

Please pray for:

• a speedy and smooth discharge process
• Brittney’s healing and strengthening
• recovery for us all - our girls, Brittney’s parents, and us - after an extremely difficult week
• for long term answers & protection as we consult with specialists about Brittney’s health needs

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Picture note: although Brittney was protected by God and her medical team from a stroke, this BE FAST acronym was (and will continue to be) a huge help to recognizing the symptoms preceding serious brain trauma