Update on Rhonda - Wednesday - October 23
Rhonda has now been in the Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI for thirty days. During this last month we have learned several things:
Sarah sitting with Rhonda
Life is precious.
Things can change quickly.
This will be a very slow recovery
As you have noticed in the reports, Rhonda has gone through a lot in the last four weeks. She has chronic lymphedema, and cellulitis, had three major infections, fought with very low blood pressure, had a major hematoma (bleed), and four surgeries, including a major one where they removed ten liters of blood. She had a wound vacuum for many days in the incision site, followed by two drains after they closed the incision. These have all been complicated by her need to be on blood thinners.
Physical Therapy Nurse working with Rhonda.
The one constant that we are dealing with now is her breathing. Her left lung was completely whited out on the x-ray. It was partially collapsed and full of mucus. As they treated the left lung some of the mucus moved over to the right lung. Through breathing treatments and percussion treatments she is improving, slowly.
They have begun to do physical therapy to get her sitting on the edge of the bed and soon to sit in a chair. This is a big step toward her recovery, both for breathing and for being able to function normally.
The doctors have all said that she is improving. And we see small improvements every day. Some days are better than others, but we seemed to be headed in the right direction. This is, by far, the most difficult time she has ever had physically. It has been one issue after another. We are with her almost all of the time. I am at the hospital every day, the kids will sit with her on some days when they are not working, and occasionally sit with her at night.
Please continue to pray for:
Breathing to improve to the point where she can breath without the oxygen
That the drain from surgery will lessen to the point where they can remove it.
That she will be strong enough to do the PT and begin to sit in a chair and begin walking.
Strength for the family as we help her recover.
Thank you for praying and for all of the cards and gifts that have been sent or brought. We cannot express how much it means to us.
God is always good. He is only good.
-The Brandenburg Family