Continuing in Prayer, Needing More Rest and Considering the Pacemaker

Lisa's  friend, Kimberly, has a quick update.  She said that Lisa asks for continued prayer for Naomi and the kids.  Naomi had a hard time sleeping last night and some difficulty breathing.   So please pray for a complete healing of the heart and respiratory system and that she would be able to get enough rest and sleep. Naomi is still considering the pacemaker so she would like continued prayer for that decision and wisdom for the doctors during this whole process.  Please also pray for the kids as they adjust to and welcome the new baby into their lives.  And pray for Naomi's family and friends, for God to grant them wisdom, strength, grace and peace as they work together to bless and serve Naomi and her children.

In "My Utmost for His Highest," Oswald Chambers said we should spend our lives "for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus."  Lisa is grateful for your prayers on behalf of her sister.  You could be doing something else at this moment, but here you are checking in to see how Naomi is improving.  And many of you are praying and interceding, taking turns, even, so Naomi is covered around the clock.  Your healt-felt love, concern, prayers and acts of service are deeply appreciated.  It may seem impossible for one person to spend their life completely for the sake of nursing another back to health.  But as we all partake in serving Naomi (praying, sending flowers or a cute card, cooking a meal, etc.), we can dispense of ourselves together, for her sake, not ours.  We are all gifted in different ways.  May God show you more and more what those gifts are so you can use them to bless Naomi and others.  Psalms 1:4b says the Lord "watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth."  Whatever you do, whether a great or small deed, God sees.  And may He bless for it.  May God give you His strength, love and power. 
Praying and serving with you,
Margaret (for Lisa)

Results of the Second Opinion

Just a quick update: Lisa reports that Naomi had her appointment today for a second opinion regarding the pacemaker. The Cedars Sinai MD recommended that Naomi wait 6 weeks to see how her heart heals on its own without any procedures.
:) Ashley

Cardiologist recommends pacemaker

Lisa thanks God for what He has accomplished.
Naomi went to the ER on Thurs 7/8 and the echocardiogram showed that
her heart is only outputting 30%. The local cardiologist recommended a
pacemaker as a back-up plan if the heart stops. The operation may take
place as soon as Monday 7/12. Lisa and Naomi plan to get a second
opinion on Mon morning. Lisa is concerned about Naomi undergoing
another serious operation. Lisa wants to trust God in this.
Lisa's prayer requests are that:
1. They would discern if Naomi should get the pacemaker now
2. God would take care of the details
3. Naomi would be perfectly well if she goes through with the operation
4. Naomi's insurance will cover it
5. Get the right pacemaker
6. Unspoken prayer request

Thank you all for your prayers.

Lifting up Naomi, Lisa and the family in prayer with you,
Sherry

--
*Lynnie*

Discharged Home!

Hi everyone,

Good news once again! Naomi has been discharged home today to be with the 3 kids and husband! Lisa reports that Naomi is talking and was walking several times around the unit with a walker yesterday. Lisa and her family are going to be returning home tomorrow and she wanted to leave us with these verses:

Ephesians:
49-3:14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
49-3:15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
49-3:16. That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
49-3:17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
49-3:18. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
49-3:19. And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
49-3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
49-3:21. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Thanks again everyone for your prayers and support! Let’s be encouraged that Naomi is
well and home with her kids!
Love, Ashley

Eating, Sitting up and Standing

All praise and glory to the Lord, for all His mighty works and healing power!  Naomi ate a little today.  She sat up for a longer period of time than yesterday. And (drum roll please) Naomi stood up for a few seconds with the help of 2 people helping her :-)  What a blessing to hear such good news!
Rejoicing in the Lord with you,
Margaret (for Lisa)

Please pray for rest

Good news! Naomi is now talking and was able to see all 3 of her kiddos yesterday! :) She was able to sit up (2-3 minutes) with the physical therapist at the edge of her bed. Yesterday her blood pressure dropped and she was feeling whoozy but today she was able to tolerate sitting up for a longer duration of time. They are also letting her eat and drink through mouth. Naomi currently has a strong swallowing reflex, which is a blessing, though she does not have an appetite at the moment.

Due to all the excitement and activity, Naomi did not sleep last night and all of yesterday. Please pray that she receives the rest she needs! Also please give her the time she needs to rest so she can make a complete recovery.

Thanks everyone for all your prayers and support!

Love, Ashley

More Rest and Upcoming Tube Removal

Lisa has some praise reports and prayer requests...Praise God for His love & care and for His people.  Praise Him for continuing to heal and strengthen Naomi.  Please pray for Naomi to get more rest; she didn't sleep much last night and had a big day.  They did not remove the breathing tube; they plan to do so on Friday, God-willing.  Please pray that everything goes smoothly.
Once again, Lisa thanks you for your concerns, phone calls, messages, acts of kindness and service and prayers...her favorite :-)
There is so much to praise God for..."Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His unequaled greatness" (Psalm 150:2).  There is also more to pray for, but not enough time to go into details.  So please continue to hold Naomi and the family in your loving prayers.
Praying and praising God with you,
Margaret (for Lisa)

Off the heart pump!

Hi Everyone,

Good news regarding Naomi's health! This morning they removed the heart pump which was helping Naomi's heart do the work. Please continue to pray for improved heart function! Last night, when I spoke to Lisa it was at 15-20% and needs to be at least 60%. Also, tonight they are planning on taking her off the ventilator. Such great news, hopefully Naomi will be able to breathe on her own or with a nasal canula/mask. Last night, Lisa was also able to communicate with Naomi through facial expressions. So Naomi is conscious and able to follow commands. Lisa thanks you all for your prayers and support and praise God for all the miracles we've seen thus far!

Please also pray for the health and the comfort of the kiddos: Seiji, Mika and Masashi! :)

Love, Ashley

Epinephrine discontinued, weening off heart pump

Mid-day update:
Epinephrine was discontinued as of 6am this morning. That's one goal achieved. Next, they're pursuing the second goal of weening Naomi off of the heart pump by setting the heart pump to make Naomi's heart do more of the work. Yesterday the ratio was stated as 1:2 (1 machine pump, 2 heartbeats). Today Lisa said it's 4:1. I was alarmed at first, but she clarified that it's 4 heartbeats, 1 machine pump. We'll get the proper notation of the ratio solved sooner or later (hopefully sooner). Next 24 hours will be very telling, so pour on the prayer for the cardiac status and blood pressure to stay favorable.
Lisa wanted to pass on her thanks to the staff at Desert Valley and Loma Linda, as well as for the encouragement and support from so many.
Phil, on behalf of Lisa.

Baby steps

Phil here, typing for Lisa. Here's the update she wants to communicate to all of us that are pulling for Naomi. Her update came in this afternoon but I wasn't able to retrieve voicemail until tonight. Sorry for the delay.
Cardiac: Epinephrine was lowered from yesterday (4 to 2.67) and Naomi's tolerating the change well so far. Her blood pressure is steady, even a little high (which in her case is a good thing). She's on 2ug (micrograms) of Dobutamine, which is used to get stronger heart contractions, but we'd like to see the need for this drug be lowered (or better yet, eliminated). Stronger contractions are what she needs, but the drug can sometimes cause the heart to pump too fast (tachycardia) and when the heart's pumping too fast, the contractions aren't strong and forceful enough to get blood out to keep vitals organs perfused with oxygen (make a strong fist, then open your hand wide 5 times slowly and then try doing the same thing as fast as you can... see how your fingers flutter and the fist isn't strong? Same idea with the heart). In addition to weening Naomi off the meds, there will be an attempt made to ween her off of the heart pump. Right now the ratio is 1:2 (1 pump of the machine, 2 pumps of her heart). This helps give Naomi's heart a rest so it can heal, as the machine is doing 1/3 of the work right now. The next goal is 1:3 (machine doing 1/4 of the work), then to 1:4 and so on. In order for this to happen, the heart muscles have to become strong. The doctors, even with their skill & application of meds & mechanics, can't do this for Naomi. So pray fervently for healing & strength of the heart.
Respiratory: no change from yesterday.
Nephrology: Kidneys are still functioning as well as they were yesterday, so the dose of the diuretic (helps the kidneys produce more urine) was lowered. Wait and see, and pray for pee (that's from me, not Lisa).
They started feeding Naomi yesterday. I don't know whether this would be TPN (total parenteral nutrition via a needle) or if a feeding tube was inserted. A downside of TPN is that it has infection risks. But when there's multiorgan failure, TPN may be a better choice than trying to do surgery to insert a feeding tube. Either way, this should give Naomi the extra energy she so badly needs to keep up her fight.
As I think about today's concerns (Dobutamine and the risks, TPN versus feeding tube), I am reminded of the mind-blowing balancing act that is necessary to stay alive and healthy. Tweak one little thing to help this organ, it can throw off the function of that organ. Increase the oxygen percentage to get more oxygen into the blood, it can make the lungs brittle and blow a hole, causing loss of oxygen in the long run. The examples are endless. It seems at times that practicing medicine can be as much art as it is science. As I wrote for the last post, toss up prayer for an extra dose of wisdom & insight for the medical pros. Also, toss up prayer for those in Naomi's family that are also getting a crash-course in medicine so that they can keep on top of what's going on and make the best decisions for Naomi's care when called upon to do so.

Monday night update

Lisa just left a voicemail for us (Phil & Denise). Here's what she had to say. More good news than bad, so let out a cheer!
Cardiac:  Epinephrine (used to increase heart rate, contract blood vessels) was lowered from yesterday's dose. Naomi's heart tolerated the reduction well. She's still on the cardiac pump at a 1:2 ratio. Her heart is still functioning at 20% while most of us are about 65%. I'm not sure, but based on what I know from a lengthy hospital stay that my wife had, I believe this number refers to the "ejection fraction" which means the amount of blood pumped out of the vetricles with each contraction of the heart (some blood swirls around in the chambers, which is normal, and thus 65% is fine, but 20% is a problem). So toss up some prayer for that cardiac status (stronger contractions, lowering of meds, better ejection fraction).
Respiratory: Her breathing seems better. While only being given 30% oxygen, her oxygen saturation is around 100%. Her blood gas numbers are normal. This is phenomenal! She is still intubated (and heavily sedated), and of course it would be nice for her to get to the point where they can remove the tube and perhaps just use the nasal canula for any extra oxygen.
Her PH is normal (too much acidity = bad news for the body). This is a very good thing.
Kidneys seems to continue to do their job, and this is a big thing working in Naomi's favor.
WBC (white blood cell) count is between 7-8 (normal between about 4 & 11). When WBC is elevated, it means there's an infection raging somewhere. Nice to hear that her WBC count is within the normal range.
About 4 liters fluid were removed. When there's fluid buildup, there's something wrong (infection, congestive heart failure, hard on the kidneys), so we want to see less and less fluid being drawn out of her.
Lisa also wanted to say a special word of thanks to the doctors, nurses, RTs (respiratory therapists), and others (secretary, etc.) that have sustained her sister thus far. If you're the praying sort, please join me in lifting up these medical professionals in prayer. Their hours are long, their work is stressful, and they are expected to have the right answers all the time. She also appreciates the encouragement and expressions of caring from so many of us, and asks for your understanding if she's not able to reply promptly.

White blood count 9, kidney function good

(From Ashley, on behalf Lisa & the rest of Naomi's family)
Hi everyone,
Just spoke to Lisa, here is the most recent info on Naomi:
Praise and glory to God and his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit forever and ever!  Naomi is still in critical condition but is heading in the right direction.  Her white blood count is now 9 which is where it should be so the infection is going away.  They are currently using a diauretic and her kidney function is good.  They are planning on weaning her off the norepinephrine for her heart.  She is currently still on a ventilator but they are hoping to wean her off of that as well. 
Lisa's prayer request is for total restoration for Naomi's brain, heart, lungs and that she no longer has to be dependent on anything.  Also that her children can be around her when she wakes because they really miss their Mommy!
Special thanks: Phil, Denise and Margaret for setting up and posting on the Pulling for Naomi blog.  Sherry for being able to visit and pray over Naomi twice.  And for everyone gathering together and praying over Naomi!  Thanks also for the doctor, nurses and medical staff for providing Naomi with excellent medical care.
Bible verses from Lisa:
Matthew 21-22
Matthew 8:1-3
Matthew 8:5-17
Matthew 8:23-27

Thanks everyone, praise God that Naomi is on the mend!
Love,
Ashley

Blood Pressure and More Prayer

Lisa has a brief update. She said that after they lowered Naomi's heart medication, her blood pressure dropped. So she was unstable for a little while today. She is still in critical condition. But overall, the doctor is hopeful for Naomi!
Lisa was so grateful and blessed that God is causing huge progress towards Naomi's healing. Let's have faith together with Lisa that God will fulfill His purpose for Naomi (Psalm 138:8).
Please continue to pray...
1. For Naomi's heart to heal and strengthen, a complete resoration.
2. For Lisa and her parents; it's hard to have your loved one in critical condition.
3. For God to rejuvenate Lisa as she labors in prayer for her sister: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (2 Cor 4:16). And as Epaphras served the saints of Colosse (Col 4:12b), let's serve Lisa (and Naomi) in the same way: "always wrestling in prayer for them, that they may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
Until we are able to give more specifics and lengthy updates, know that God knows the details. "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express" (Rom 8:26). What a blessing to know that God is the One in control!
Waiting and praying with you,
Margaret (for Lisa and her family)

Hope

I briefly spoke with Lisa. The doctor has a lot of hope for a soon recovery. Lisa will call later with more specifics. Praise the Lord!
"Let Your mercy be upon us, just as we hope in You" Psalm 33:22.
Hoping and trusting in the Lord together,
Margaret (for Lisa and her family)

Cardiac Care at Loma Linda

Naomi was safely transported to Loma Linda Medical Center. Praise God!
Regarding Naomi's heart...
Sherry said it is being weaned off the heart pump. Before the heart was at a 1:1 ratio with the heart pump pumping once, and then Naomi's heart pumping once. Now it is a 2:1 ratio, with the heart pump pumping once and Naomi's heart pumping twice. This is good; her heartbeat is closer to normal. However, she has a fever again. Her head was hot so they put ice packs around her. Her heart is functioning around 25-30%, but still needs to be at 60-70%. In addition, Naomi's lungs are stiff and contain fluid.
Lisa's prayer requests:
1. For Naomi to get the rest she needs.
2. Complete restoration of Naomi's health.
3. Miraculous healing of Naomi's heart.
4. For Lisa's family to remain strong, healthy and to not grow weary.
Praise:
Before being transported, Naomi was able to spend some time with her adorable baby boy. A teary-eyed moment for sure!
When Ashley spoke with Lisa, Lisa expressed deep gratitude for your support and prayers.

Let's remain focused on Him. As we see some signs of improvement, let's continue to ferverently pray. As you read the updates and pray, remember "Who was, is and will always be." With Him as our focus, we shall remember that nothing is too hard for our God. "Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen" Ephesians 3:20-21.
Serving in prayer together,
Margaret (for Lisa and her family)

From Victorville to Loma Linda

Ashley and Andrea (friends of Lisa) said that Naomi will be transferring shortly (probably within 30 minutes) to Loma Linda for cardiac care. Please pray that Naomi will remain stable during the transport.

Heart Pump and Lowered Temperature

They installed the pump for Naomi's heart. It pumps the blood for her so the heart can rest. So far, there are no complications. Naomi needs to be stable for 24 hours.
Praise the Lord...Naomi's temperature is 98.6. What an answer to prayer! Speaking of prayer, Lisa thanks you for praying and interceding on behalf of Naomi and her family. There are so many of you praying, even at the hospital where Naomi is at. The nurses there have been such an encouragement.
Before Sherry left the hospital, she went to see Naomi's baby boy. And survey says...he's a cutie! Also, the nurses say he's a good baby.
Let's continue to trust the Lord. He has already answered our prayers to lower Naomi's temperature. That brought tears to Lisa's and Sherry's eyes. Brothers and sisters, the Lord is our strength and our song, our salvation (Psalm 118:14). Psalm 112:7 says "he will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."
Depending on the Lord with you,
Margaret (for Lisa and her family)

June 25th Update

Hi Everyone,
It's Lisa's friend, Margaret. Here's what is going on...
Naomi's infection has slightly decreased with her temperature going from 104-101. White blood cell count has decreased. Vital signs continue to be stable. Blood in her urine is lessening. Naomi's kidneys and liver are better. The lungs are slightly better.
Regarding the heart, they're decreasing the heart medication; her heart has been responding positively to that. However, the doctor wants to put a pump in the heart to stabilize it, as this would give the heart a rest. It's been found to help people improve. They hope to stabilize the heart within 24 hours with this "pump" treatment. IF there are no improvements, they recommend a heart transplant.
Lisa's prayer requests:
1. That Naomi's heart would heal on its own.
2. Or for the treatment to make her heart improve within 24 hours.
3. That there would be no cardiac arrest or complications. 4. That the infection would go away.

Lisa is still at the hospital, praying with loving devotion for her sister. I wish I had a picture of her to show you.For those of you who have never met Naomi or seen a picture of her, she has the same warm and fun-loving smile as Lisa.
Lisa wants you to know that your prayers at this time mean everything to her. Lisa once told me that is one of the best ways to demonstrate love to someone is to pray for them. So let's keep praying together, knowing our God is in control. Remember, "He can move the mountains; our God is mighty to save." If we feel weak (to have faith or pray), note that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us"
Romans 8:37.
Blessings upon blessings to you for your love, friendship and prayers at this time,
Margaret (for Lisa)

Naomi in the hospital

This is Phil , friend of Lisa. I set up a blog to get out important info about Lisa's sister. Yesterday (Wednesday) Lisa called us to say that her sister Naomi went to the hospital for a scheduled c-section, but something went wrong (baby is fine).
Naomi is in ICU, sedated, on a vent, lungs filling with fluid, high fever (there's an infection somewhere), very poor cardiac status (15-20% function, needs to be up at 60%). Vitals were stable overnight, but are very bad and need to improve. Also, to help the cardiac status, blood flow has been restricted to the legs, which could have a negative impact. There are also concerns about the use of morphine to calm her.
My understanding is that a code blue was called. There is concern that if she codes again, her systems will have suffered so much damage that trying to resuscitate her will not help.
Please add Naomi to prayer chains. Her young children need their mommy to survive.