Momma is much better and at home. The improvement in her health has been dramatic! Thank you for your prayers for her and for the rest of the family.
Don Denton
Don is not well. He is in the process of a relapse. He can no longer eat. We are pushing the fluids. His headache pain is worsening.
He does not have a bladder infection. His inflamation is increasing the doctors believes. This will get allot worse before it gets better.
The doctors want us to “stay the course”, Don is in bed all the time now. Our signal to go to ER is when he can no longer tolerate liquids, seems dehydrated or his pain increases.
They want to wait as long as possible before the biopsy. This means we need to make this to Saturday.
Pray, Pray, Pray.
I am looking for help. I may need backups in case Don were to get sicker in the middle of the night. I have someone that can come right now.
I then would need someone to drive Josh to St. Louis or to Cox South when Don is transported to St. Louis. Call me on my cell if you can come in the middle of the night just in case my first perosn can’t. My cell: 417-399-8520.
Pray that Don can make it to Saturday.
Jimmy and Retia Dukes
WOW! It’s been busy. Quick note on me – Jen and Ella and Jen’s sister Lindsey flew home Monday morning. I so appreciated
I also am very thankful that Bruce Young, a close friend from our church family back home, flew up yesterday morning to hang until Wednesday afternoon. Thanks so much Bruce.
Like I said, it’s been busy yesterday and today. Mostly from meetings and phone calls about insurance and next steps for transferrin
g Mom and Dad and insurance and logistics about the accident and touring the hospital they will like go to next and insurance and insurance. Did I mention insurance? Yeah – thankfully a family friend named Don is helping Erik and Uncle Danny and me wade through all the logistics. Thanks Don.Visitor
s keep coming to see Mom and Dad. People keep calling. Folks keep messaging on Caring Bridge and Facebook and Twitter. Emails keep coming in. Dad seems encouraged today. The Seminary family has been continuing to provide food and an apartment and even washing my clothes. Thanks to the Seminary family (especially Mrs. Betty Lynn and Mrs. Carol for washing my clothes 3 times now).Dad is in good spirits. As long as his mind is moving and he knows there’s progress being made with Mom and with their next steps, he is good. He certainly hurts each time he sees Mom. We wheeled him down again today. He spoke to her. He loves her so. I can’t imagine.
I am still torn up inside when I think about how it would feel to see Jen lying there in a coma after 10 years of marriage, much less 49.
He was telling me the other day about two aspects of their relationshi
p that are special to him. Mom’s security and Mom’s humor. She has a distinctive laugh, and doesn’t take things too seriously. Her smile is beautiful and infectious. She knows how to make Dad smile and feel loved. He told me of long car trips filled with laughter as they listened to comedy on XM radio.He also mentioned times of silence. You may know those times. I hope you do. When someone is secure enough in their relationshi
p with you to simply be there. To simply sit with you. Maybe a reflective word from time to time. But mostly a warm and intimate and sincere and comforting and secure presence. He mentioned to me those same long car trips that also included silence. Not the cold, separated-but-right-here-next-to-you kind of silence. The that’s-my-wife-and-best-friend-who-loves-me-no-matter-what kind. The good kind.Dad lights up when his therapists come into the room. They work with him with movements of two kinds. Movements from bed to wheelchair to potty chair and back to bed, and movements while on the potty chair. Which are still going well. And that’s a big deal when you are stuck in the hospital :o)
I am personally confused about Mom right now. Erik and my wife encouraged me to listen to the doctor, but I have gotten conflicting
reports both yesterday and today.The neuro-surge
on told me this morning that Mom is ready to be shifted from ICU to a long-term acute care center. He said she is progressing and making baby step improvement. The charge nurse last night told me that Mom’s condition right now is “not good” and she will probably need more time. The charge nurse this morning told me she is doing “poorly” and fighting off two infections.The doctor Erik and I have been talking to who oversees her overall care in the ICU (and whom we trust a lot) told me this morning that Mom is doing “fair.” She is battling two infections,
but they are minor. She is ready to be in long-term acute care, and in fact would probably be better off there. She is strengthening in her basic responses to voices and movements, even though they are very small progressions, and she is still in a coma. She said it seems hopeful, though.Let
‘s go with the last person’s assessment. That doctor who has been realistic with us the whole time.Thanks so much for your continued prayers. Mom really needs it to fight these infections,
even though they are “minor” according to the Doctor. Please pray for her protection, and for Dad’s protection, too, since he is seeing her at least once a day now. Please pray for wisdom for us with regard to all the logistics. And please pray for more of that time together for Mom and Dad…soon.Erik and I love you all. Dad is more than appreciativ
e for your words and prayers. He tears up every time we talk about it.Hopefully tomorrow when I update, we will know where Mom and Dad will transfer to next and what the next steps are for Mom’s treatment with the infections.
I will let you know.-jason
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