Louise Update #2

HI friends,

Things are progressing well for us. Louise has been having aggressive therapy at Salem Hospital and she was able to walk five times yesterday. She certainly gets tired out, but by all accounts, she is getting better. She has no neurological deficit, and there is every reason she will be back to her spunky old self in no time.

We have been fighting with the insurance company since Friday to get approval for her to go to in-patient rehab at the hospital's other campus. The insurance company originally denied the claim saying she could get the same services at a skilled nursing facility (nursing home), but appears to be reconsidering during the appeal process. Depending on her progress this weekend, she will either go to rehab on Monday, or she will come home with 24 hour care (from us) and some outpatient rehab that will come to the house.

We count ourselves very blessed that she is making such miraculous progress and that we are so surrounded by friends and family who love unconditionally during our time of need. We give thanks to God for our many blessings and for the prayers from all over the country that we have received.

Quick Mateo update...he has **finally** mastered Mama...which couldn't have come at a better time for me. He was passed from house to house this week while Matt & I focused on being with Louise, and the first time I picked him up, he was like "Mama"...that is enough to melt your soul!! I have to go back to work tomorrow, so things maybe a bit crazy this week depending on what happens with MamaNona. Hope to post another update soon.

Hugs from all of us, Sarah

Louise Update

HI friends,

Louise was moved from ICU to the Neurology floor today. The ICU folks tell her she "graduated". She has been having lots of therapy visits, physical to get her moving, occupational to make sure she can take care of her every day needs, and speech to make sure she is swallowing and talking correctly. They expect to release her from the hospital on Friday or Saturday...the question now will be whether she can come home directly or if she will need to go to a skilled nursing facility for a short stay.

Physically she is holding her own...and her humor is in fine form! We'll keep you posted as the news progresses.

Love from Oregon, Sarah

Good News, Bad News, Good News

HI friends,

Our world has been upside down lately. Most of you know that Mateo was having some health issues that they believed were associated with his antibiotic to prevent TB. Turns out, he has a syndrome called "Transient Benign Hyper Alkaline Phosphatemia" which translates to "it comes and goes, it doesn't seem to cause him any problems, and he makes too much Alkaline Phosphatase". The doctors don't believe that it was the antibiotic that caused the increased liver enzyme. So he's back on the INH regimen. And in the meantime, he is happy (as indicated by the pictures above--balloon is from a photo studio in town, walking with book club friends Teresa and Kristi, and hanging out in the laundry basket that Mom was using to sort clothes that he has outgrown!!)

Once we were relieved by the Mateo health episodes, we faced other family health drama. On Sunday, Matt's mom Louise (aka MamaNona) was taken to the hospital with a very bad headache. Turned out, she had a subdural hematoma (blood clot) over the entire left hemisphere of her brain which was pushing her brain into the right side of her skull. She was admitted to Salem Hospital ICU and scheduled neurosurgery for Tuesday or Wednesday morning because she had been on Coumadin (a blood thinner). Her symptoms got worse yesterday (Monday) and so they ended up taking her into emergent surgery (called a craniotomy) late last night.

Good news is that she came through the surgery with flying colors. Matt's brother Mark came from Tennessee late last night, and all three siblings are at the hospital as I type this getting to spend time with her while she is recovering. We expect 1-2 days in ICU to recover and then they will transfer her to a private room for 2-3 days. Depending on her recovery progress, she will either come home or go to a skilled nursing facility for a couple more weeks to make sure she is able to be back at home.

It will be a long road to recovery, but the riskiest part is over. We are so grateful to our friends in Silverton who have stepped up to help take care of Mateo while all this was occurring...and who drove in the middle of the night to get Matt's brother at the airport. Most of all, we are so grateful for the prayers that our family and friends have showered upon our family during this crazy time. The world is slowly becoming right for us again...and we count ourselves among the most blessed.

All our love, Matt, Sarah & Mateo

Who loves the baby?

So some of you remember when we took a baby photo album on our first trip to Guatemala for Filomena to help Mateo get to know the family & friends who love him so much. Well, we brought the book home with us, and he still loves it. The other night he was sitting looking at the pictures of Papa and MamaNona and his padrinos Dan & Kristi and book club. I was telling him that we were going to visit book club this week...he seems pretty excited.

We went to OHSU tonight to visit with the adoption medicine specialist to review his abnormal liver test. Basically, she had ordered some additional diagnostic lab work that wasn't yet finished, so we don't have much word yet. Although, initially, she concurs with our friend Kristi (who as a third year medical student) suggested that the abnormal test was not a result of the INH, but we will wait for the other lab tests to go back on the antibiotic to treat the latent TB. Perhaps it is much ado about nothing, we'll know better at the end of the week and will keep you posted.

Hugs from Silverton...Sarah & boys

Little Drummer Boy

So MamaNona got Mateo a drum for Christmas...and he loves it. Many of you will remember the picture of Mateo falling asleep at the Drum Corp parade in Guatemala. Our band teacher friend, Frank Petrik, assured us that his sleeping was a sign of an internal beat. How right he was, because Mateo just busts out with his dad the drummer. They make some pretty good music together...and check out the acrobatics that are possible!!

What talented boys I have in my life!!