Praises for continual improvement with Carrie. The blood clot in her heart can be dissolved with blood thinners, no surgery is required.

The doctors did an MRI of Carrie’s heart yesterday. Up until this point, they weren’t sure if they were actually looking at a blood clot or a heart tumor. But the MRI confirmed it was a clot, and the doctors still feel strongly that it is fixed in its current location in her right atrium. They also feel that a proper regimen of blood thinners will dissolve the clot over time. They are projecting that she will have to take blood thinners for the next 3-6 months, with monthly follow-ups for sonograms to ensure that the clot is resolving. We were visited by a hematologist this morning who is tasked with finding the best blood thinner to handle the job for Carrie.

We are continuing to work on physical therapy. The biggest struggle at the moment is that Carrie feels dizzy when she sits upright on the side of the bed. She can handle it for a few minutes, then must lay back down. The dizziness is improving the more we try it, but she still isn’t standing yet. She’s getting pretty close though. Maybe by tonight, but I think for sure by tomorrow.

Everything else is focused on ensuring that all her organs and body systems are stable and functioning as they should. So far, only minor issues remain. But barring any new serious complications, the internist here is projecting a Friday discharge – the answer to all of our prayers over the last 32 days.

Here’s a quick review of what we’ve overcome so far:

• Carrie was admitted to Hunt Regional on August 7th
• After a few days of struggling to breathe, Carrie was placed on the ventilator on August 10th
• 32 days in the hospital so far; 24 at Hunt Regional and 8 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas
• 18 days on the ventilator, intubated in a medically induced coma
• 12 days since coming off the ventilator
• Loss of Jeremiah at nearly 23 weeks on September 2 at 12:21am
• Blood clot in Carrie’s right atrium, no surgery required, managed with 3-6 months of meds
• Projected discharge on September 10th, marking 34 days total in the hospital

I could look at all of this and be angry about all of this happening. I could blame myself, or I could blame God, or I could blame any number of other things. But what I could also realize is that Carrie is coming home to me when so many others will have loved ones that won’t come home. When they put Carrie on the ventilator, they told me that she only had a 5% chance of coming off of it. Today she’s sitting in the bed beside me and doesn’t even require oxygen anymore to maintain O2 saturations near 100%.

I met many people with loved ones in the ICU where Carrie was on the ventilator. One by one, I watched as their hopes became fears as their loved ones passed. It is not common at all for someone who goes on a ventilator with Covid to come off of it alive. That was something I never knew about Covid before. Even as I sit here now, I am so overcome with gratitude for Carrie’s healing and improvement. I am so grateful just to be able to take care of her and serve her now. It is my priveledge and honor.

We lost Jeremiah, and that hurts a lot. But when he was born, he weighed only 255 grams. He should have weighed nearly twice that at almost 23 weeks. Blood clots from Covid probably formed in the placenta, reducing the nutrients he received. He measured at 18-19 weeks in size, which means that around the time that Carrie was put on the ventilator, he simply stopped growing. There was simply nothing that could have been done to prevent Jeremiah’s passing. And while it hurts and we cry, Jeremiah is in the arms of our loving Father. God called Jeremiah home. If I focus on being bitter and angry about that, I’ll miss out on the blessings the Father does have for me. Jeremiah will always be part of our family and our testimony.

We’re getting through this. And knowing that discharge is just days away, we’re pacing ourselves for the last mile of this race. The tendency to become impatient is growing. Its more work to keep the negativity at bay. Each passing hour seems longer. The cafeteria food just doesn’t taste quite as good. We’re a little homesick for our furbabies, our comfy bed, and control of our very own thermostat (another warm blanket please?). But we know we can do this. We know that Carrie is coming home and we get to continue loving each other.

Thank you so much to all of you for your prayers and support. My gratitude for you is continually growing. My cup is overflowing.