Hospital Day 8

It is with a heavier heart that I update you all tonite on Mily's condition. When a patient lies bedridden as Mily has, they become a higher risk for developing a number of complications. While the hospital is aware of all of these issues and does their best to mediate them, at times they occur despite best efforts. Mily has developed an embolus (blood clot) and it has traveled to her lungs. In medical terms it is called a pulmonary embolism or PE. It can be a very serious complication; in Mily's case it was caught before anything serious occured - her PO2's and vent settings remain normal as do her vital signs. She went to surgery today for the placement of a Greenfield filter, whose purpose is to catch clots in her circulatory system before they are able to lodge themselves in small vessels or travel to the brain and cause irreparable damage. The clot in her lungs is being monitored closely and they are adding medications to help the clot dissolve. Mily's sedation has been increased to keep her from moving around too much so the clot has a lower chance of moving deeper into the lung. Please pray - any complication is potentially problematic. In addition to Danny's brother Kevin and friend Vickie arriving Friday, Kevin's wife Kristina and sons Antonio and Wyatt as well as Vickie's daughter Becky arrived for support. Danny's mother Sharon unfortunately missed her flight and as a result will arrive sometime tonite instead of yesterday as planned. The family is holding up well, they are receiving incredible support from each other as well as from all of you - and no one is going hungry. The tamales, cassaroles, pulled pork and lasagna have been amazing and very much appreciated! I have returned to SoCal and my family, but will continue to be in close contact with the hospital and family to keep you all abreast of how our precious Mily is doing. I plan to return to Washington in a couple of weeks, sooner if needed. Again, thank you for your prayers and continued support.