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Amanda got ousted from Shock/Trauma yesterday. Apparently, two new traumas came in and they needed her bed, but they wanted to put her on the Surgical Ward which is serviced by the Trauma docs so there'd be continuity of care, and there were no beds available there, either.

They moved her to a "holding" ward on the 8th floor while waiting for a room. They decided they needed to do a sonogram on her legs to check for blood clots, so she was moved around like a chess piece. Finally, around 4:30, they moved her to a room on the 4th floor. She was tired, in pain, and cranky after a long, tough day and two tough nights. Saturday night, she started having chest pain and shortness of breath. They charged in with a portable EKG machine, stuck electrodes to her, and determined that her body had reacted to her medicines. Sunday night, her foot went completely numb and her leg felt like it was on fire. My sister feared a blood clot and they were up for hours during the night before they discovered it was something very minor.

After two nights with little to no sleep and a rough day of moving, she finally arrived on the 4th floor. She was anxious to have the nurses finish her transfer and work-up so she could get some pain medicine and rest. But her nurse came in and tried to straighten her legs. Because of her pelvic injuries, her legs are rolled outward and cannot be straightened. My sister calls them "froglegs". When Amanda tried to explain to the nurse that her legs couldn't be moved, the nurse quizzed her about her injuries. Amanda began explaining and the nurse asked if she could see them. Amanda pulled down the covers and showed her. The nurse was shocked and made some exclamation, then told Amanda that they hadn't prepared her for this case. Encouraging news from the person who's supposed to be taking care of you. The nurse flew out of her room and returned a few minutes later with the Charge Nurse. My mom and I stood and watched while the Charge Nurse and Amanda's caregiver reviewed her injuries one by one. It seems they don't usually have patients on this ward quite as sick as Amanda.

Later in the evening, the nurse told my sister that the doctor was on the floor and asked if they'd like to see him. My sister hadn't talked with a doctor all day and was very eager to speak with one. He came in the room, greeted them amiably, then asked Amanda if she had someone to help her when she went home! Amanda hit the roof. He had no understanding of her injuries, either, and was approaching the case as if she would be leaving in a day or two.

Despite these bumps in the road, they had a good night. My sister told me this morning that Amanda received very good care during the night and the nurses were very careful turning her, letting Amanda direct the process.

Today is Day 25 and this is all getting a little old. My sister says she could sleep for 5 straight days and is quite tired of always being in clothes. She said she'd love to be able to slip into a pair of pajamas. I encouraged her to try it, now that Amanda's in a room. She also had a little Chinese food last night instead of the McDonald's burger she nibbles on every few nights. She said it wasn't very good, but anything different was better than McDonald's.

Amanda arrived back at MCG on Friday night and the attending physicians weren't all there over the weekend, so we were waiting for Monday morning when they'd have a chance to talk and come up with a strategy for Amanda. They may have been unable to do that with the traumas that came in yesterday. We're still waiting to be told where we go from here. In any case, we know we still have a long ways to go.

Please pray for our endurance. Now that Amanda is fully conscious and seems to have moved away from death's door, we feel like we can relax a little, but these little issues keep throwing us into tailspins. The reality is, she is still a very sick young woman with HUGE hurdles to overcome and many more surgeries to be completed in the future. Her healing process has only just begun and her body is still split open from the sternum down. Her muscles are unable to be reattached at this point and she has no shelf separating her pelvic region from her abdominal region. One will have to be build for her inside her body, hopefully with her own tissue. She will also need at least one skin graft down the road and the situation with the pelvis is still a huge question mark. There is still a risk of infection, as she still has open wounds, and WILL for a long time to come. From where she lies, trying to get comfortable, this is just the beginning. And our stamina wanes.

Please continue to pray for clear answers, for relief from pain, for rest for my sister and Amanda, for freedom from infection, and for complete and total healing. The prayer that I feel the Lord has laid on my heart is referenced in Psalm: "Lord, you knitted her together in her mother's womb. You made her perfect and complete. Do that work again. Knit her together again, Lord, as perfectly as the first time, in that hospital bed."

Amen.