Slowly, steadily, daily

We took the girls to visit the day after Ronin’s stent was placed. This was the first time they were able to meet their baby brother.

Ronin has been slowly and steadily recovering since the stent was put in his heart (two weeks ago). Although that procedure literally saved his life and made his heart rate and oxygen saturations much better, he was still in a very critical condition for those first few days after. He was intubated, heavily sedated, on painkillers, and super bloated. Also, his left arm and leg were injured when the doctors attempted to put an IV in, and as a result he was having very poor circulation that could potentially lead to loss of use. But things have been gradually improving; he was extubated last weekend, he’s now completely off painkillers/sedatives, and he’s slowly getting less puffy from water weight.

Daily prayers answered

Each day I visit it seems like there’ll be something new going on, something new to pray for. And day after day, God has answered so graciously.

A lot has happened over the last couple weeks, but I want to share news of what happened on Friday. When I went to visit Ronin, he just had an x-ray that showed his right lung being very dark. I wasn’t aware of the x-ray or concerns earlier, so this was all news to me. A nurse told me it was looking like they’d have to re-intubate him, but they’d do another x-ray in a few hours to verify.

It broke my heart to think that we’d have to take a step backwards… He had just had the breathing tube taken out less than a week earlier, which allowed me to start holding him again. If it went back in, it’d take away that time to bond. And it was too hard not to worry about what else that might mean for his overall health.

Because of all Ronin’s PICC lines and monitors, it takes at least two nurses to help get Ronin out of his bed so I can hold him. But once he’s settled in my arms, we’re able to spend quiet, quality time together.

I was surprised when a doctor came by and told me that she had a job for me. She wanted me to hold Ronin chest-to-chest with me, and gently pat his back over his weakened right lung. Hope and Lani were with me; while I held their baby brother, Lani talked to him and Hope held his little hand. Ronin has been very sleepy over the last couple weeks, but he always reacts when I hold him. This time his oxygen sats and blood perfusion numbers improved, and he even gave us some smiles.

Before we left the hospital, the three of us prayed for Ronin’s lung to strengthen so that he wouldn’t need to be intubated again. Ray and I also asked close friends in our community to pray with us. The nurse told me they’d do the second x-ray and that she’d call me if they made any major changes (i.e., intubation). I kept the phone on me for the rest of the afternoon, but never received a call from the hospital.

Around 6pm I decided to call to ask how Ronin was doing. The same nurse picked up and told me that he was doing “AMAZING!!” She said the doctors couldn’t believe how much better his lung looked on the second x-ray! My heart leapt and praised God.

Now Ronin’s in more of a stable state, although there’s still a long road ahead of us. With each of these tests that we’ve been facing, it’s helping me learn to stay present in my walk with Jesus. It’s too easy for me to get ahead of what I’m meant to, but the Lord is using every bit of each of these days to grow and sanctify me. I don’t know what I’ll face beyond now, and that’s becoming easier to accept. One of the biggest lessons I’ve been learning is how to live faithfully in the present – and trust God with the future.