Many many things have happened in the last week. My mom has been doing great in the ICU. She has her ups and downs, but, overall, she's beginning to get her strength back. A few days back she had a chest tube inserted to drain fluid. They first drained 1200cc and then another 1200cc the next day. Suction was then added to remove the air that had gathered around her left lung. Thursday night her pulmonologist did a pleurodesis on her lung at her bedside. It was similar to what was done on her right lung, but without the need to be in the operating room. Also, she had a port placed in her chest to receive meds and, eventually, to receive chemotherapy.

Today I visited with her and she was in great spirits. She was even weaned off the oxygen! Amazing turnaround. She's been doing physical therapy in the ICU as well! Soon she may return to the Rehab facility, which she prefers to the hospital. The oncologist would like to begin treatment on the cancer as soon as my mom's strong enough. It was also mentioned that the source of the cancer may be pointing to the pancreas and not to the breast as originally thought.

We continue to pray for her recovery and hope she continues to get stronger. Thanks again for the wonderful outreach and concern for her. Keep praying!

Ryan

P.S. All the boys are doing well. Colds are almost gone. Charlie has a huge shiner on his forehead. Ambrose is trying to crawl. Josef is afraid of the Chick-fil-A cow. John Paul continues to be the inquisitive one with all the questions. He'll be five next month! The two big boys can really make those little boys laugh!

Happy Boys!

Over the weekend, Myra had many visitors from near and far, out-of-state and overseas (Spain). We're not sure if it's related to the support from her visitors or from all the prayers, but she seems to have rallied. Myra is in good spirits and has a lot more energy. She was moved from the ICU to Palliative care earlier this week, and last night was moved to a rehabilitation facility. She is eating, even feeding herself and doing some physical therapy; rolling over and sitting on the edge of the bed, etc. Her overall demeanor is very positive. No one really has an explanation.

Last week she was given 2-4 days to live. They disconnected the monitors, discharged the high-powered antibiotics, and pulled the chest tube. After the grim report the doctors gave us last week, we had started to do research on funeral arrangements. The doctors did not seem to think she would make it through the weekend. We then met with the Palliative care nurse to arrange a Hospice transition. But, after a night of 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep, she rebounded and started to gain some strength. You could see the change in her eyes. She was no longer being heavily drugged for the pain and was even able to get her smile and humor back. She will now receive three hours of physical therapy every day. She will meet with doctors as needed.

Thanks for the continued concern, support, and prayers.

A biopsy Tuesday showed that Myra has stage 4 cancer in her right lung and is not well enough for the doctors to treat it. She is alternating between a Bi pap machine and high-flow nasal cannula to assist her in breathing. A respirator would be the next step, but in Myra's case, this would be considered extraordinary means, and would only serve to prolong her suffering. Because of this Myra has requested not to be put on a respirator, she also has authorized a "Do Not Resuscitate" order. The doctors say it is day by day now.

Myra is awake and alert and aware of what is happening, and is enjoying her many visitors, including several from out of state and abroad. The hospital has allowed her grandchildren to visit and she enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to see them.

There is precious little time left and the family appreciates your continued prayers as this is obviously a very difficult time for all of us. Please pray that Myra has a peaceful transition to her heavenly home. God bless you. Thanks again for all the prayers. We greatly appreciate them.

Ryan

Please pray for Ryan's mother, Myra Iker. She was admitted to Mercy Gilbert Med Ctr from the ER on Ash Wednesday when they couldn't find a pulse in her very sore right foot, which had been broken for some time. The culprits turned out to be blood clots, which have done enough damage to her leg, to require mid-calf amputation. She also had her right lung collapse, while in the hospital. Over 30oz of fluid was removed from around her lung, which was analyzed and found to harbor evidence of cancer. Myra is a 12 year breast cancer survivor, but three weeks ago she had surgery to remove cancer from her bladder. Her Oncologist thinks the cancer is systemic and could be behind all of her current problems. The amputation will provide relief from the pain of her "dead" foot, so that she may fight the cancer more comfortably.

The amputation went well today. It was made about 6-7 inches above her ankle. This evening she was in a lot of pain, but the doctors and the nurses found the right balance for her pain management. Saturday she will have her lung tapped to get some of the fluid out. Possibly Monday or Tuesday they will do a larger procedure to remove the rest of the fluid and do a biopsy of the lung to determine if the cancer is in the lung or not. Once the pain was under control tonight she was in good spirits.

Please pray that Myra is able to courageously and cheerfully accept God's Holy Will for her, and that He may comfort her and our family during this time of trial.

12 Months

At their 12 month well-baby check up:

Charlie weighs 16 lbs, 8 oz; is 28 inches long; with a 18.25 inch head circumference.

Ambrose weighs 14 lbs, 11 oz; is 28.25 inches long; with a 17 inch head circumference.

Their length is average for their gestational age (9 months), but Charlie weighs about like an average 5-6 month old, and Ambrose a 3-4 month old. These low weights are not a cause for concern however, because their particular growth curves are good.

Happy 1st Birthday, Charlie and Ambrose!

What a difference a year makes!



click to view birthday party slideshow:

birthday

One year! How soon it has come! Visiting St Joseph's Hospital every day for nearly 7 months made time seem to crawl. But ever since the boys came home we've been speeding through the days and months. Today I had a chance to look back over the past year of photos. I got very teary remembering the first hour of the boys' lives. Everything was happening so quickly. A team of nurses and doctors were surrounding Ambrose. I had to stand off to the side observing, without any understanding of the severity of the moment. I remember the doctor telling me that it wasn't looking good for Ambrose. I asked him to let me know when enough was enough, when there wasn't anything left to do without doing more harm to our little boy. As I said that, he said that at that moment they were doing the last possible thing they could do. Miraculously, that little boy pulled through. I still have a hard time looking at the pictures of Ambrose those first few weeks of life. They are hard pictures to see. A whithered little man with a million wires connected to him and a tube down his throat. I was really at peace when Fr. Muir was able to come to the hospital and baptize the boys within the first few hours of life.

The other day Gina and I were watching an episode of the Duggars and it was about their little preemie. It brought all the emotions back again and I couldn't bear to watch it. I even had to leave the room for a minute. I was really surprised at how sensitive I've become to seeing sick little babies. (That probably shouldn't be a surprise.)

These past couple of months we've seen great changes in our boys. After the spica cast, Ambrose is now in a hip abduction brace. He has it off for one hour a day. He is now a fan of rolling over. The problem is that he always seems to get one arm stuck under him. He lifts himself up with his arms and shows off his chest. He wants to get those knees up, but is still too weak. Charlie is a real showoff these days. He will crawl after everything that he knows he shouldn't touch. One day he pulled out Ambrose's feeding tube and started to drink the milk that was pumping out. Another day he'll pull Ambrose's nasal cannula and force his little head from side to side! He also likes to climb on Ambrose, but Ambrose doesn't seem to mind. He just stares and laughs. Recently, Ambrose has shown interest in eating by mouth. If you remember, he had an oral aversion for quite some time. He would also throw up after every feed. Not anymore. Possibly due to peer pressure, he now sits at the table with us and will open his mouth for food. And if you hadn't already heard, Gina switched him off formula/milk and put him on goat's milk. He no longer throw's up after his feeds. It's amazing! The GI specialists don't like the switch, but they haven't come up with anything better. You can see in Ambrose's eyes how happy he is now. There's more of a sparkle. Charlie, on the other hand, is a real hardcore eater. He will let you know if you're not feeding him fast enough. He squeals if you aren't moving at his pace. He's the cutest little boy and he always has such a serious look. And let's not forget the finger in the mouth! Not the thumb, but he prefers his index!

We are so grateful for all the prayers that we've received over this past year. The outreach was amazing. We received so many wonderful meals this past year from generous souls. The support from our friends and family, from Church groups, strangers across the country and abroad, has really humbled us and we've counted our blessings many times. God really has placed the best possible people in our lives. I wish that we could give back to everyone as much as has been given to us, but we trust that each will be greatly repaid in heaven. One thing that has made our lives a little nicer has been our move to a bigger home. We were blessed to purchase this home a few months back and it's allowed our boys more room to run and play. The commute to work and back isn't fun, but it gives us a chance to spend time with John Paul. What an amazing kid!

Lastly, none of the progress with Ambrose would have occured if it wasn't for Gina. She's a very special woman. She deserves all of the earthly credit for keeping our home and family together. I know how difficult it's been for her this past year, but somehow she keeps moving forward day after day. She's shed many tears over the boys...all of them. She is the one pushing the doctors for more help with Ambrose, pushing herself at all hours of the night, going back-and-forth to appointments after work, trying to do God's will in all things, and trying to maintain a marriage. She is the real hero. I love her very much and appreciate all the work she does for our family. I am honored to be her husband. I'm sure you are honored to be her friend/family/coworker, too. Let's ask Our Lady to protect our sweet Gina and that Our Lord strenghen her to fulfill her vocation faithfully.

God bless you.

Ryan