July 29-31, 2005
Is it safe to say that all of you are wondering how the weekend went with our precious Laura? Well, start smiling because it was miraculous. She has literally been progressing almost on an hourly basis. The first two days of the weekend, Laura continued with periods of fully opened eyes and introduced several large yawns and other signs of increased activity. The real fun began late Saturday night and continued through Sunday. Laura began actively moving both arms in a very positive manner (picture in your mind arms laying flat on a bed, then lifting from the elbow in a bicep curl type movement). This was a positive step to say the least.
However, this is NOT the big news of the weekend. As some of you may have heard by now, the most incredible thing occurred. Around 3:30PM, Laura began to stir after an extended deep sleep. Andrea Ledwon, Krista Sherman, Kathy Sherman, and a few nurses joined me in the room. We saw this as an opportunity to challenge Laura with some basic commands. I knew she could do it. I stated, “Laura, your family and friends are with you. There are nurses in the room. This is very important, Laura. If you can hear me, show me two fingers on your right hand.” As we stood there in astonishment, instantly up came Laura’s right arm with two fingers extended for all to see. We began to clap, to cry, to hug, and to continue. “Laura, move the toes on your right foot, then the left foot.” Laura followed these commands to the letter. She repeated all of these movements several times on verbal command (without use of any touch). My only wish is that all of you, that read these letters, could have seen the looks of unbelief on thefaces of those nurses. Laura had proven to us that she is in there; she is fighting, and that SHE WILL BE BACK!!! I am astonished with the encouragement and support that all of you show us. The human spirit is incredible. Lives are changed forever, for the better. I cannot possibly respond to all of the cards and emails that are sent. I can assure all of you of one thing. I read each and every one of them in full. Furthermore, I tell Laura about them and she knows what all of you are doing for her. There are several issues at work: Laura’s will, God’s strength and plan through Laura, and the synergy created when thousands of people work and pray towards a common objective. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and continue to do the Lord’s work. Laura sends a smile and kiss.
I almost forgot, we received CT scan results on Friday morning. The swelling was officially confirmed to have decreased. The specificity of prayer is powerful.
I KNOW THE THOUGHTS AND PLANS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU, SAYS THE LORD, THOUGHTS AND PLANS FOR WELFARE AND PEACE AND NOT FOR EVIL, TO GIVE YOU HOPE IN YOUR FINAL OUTCOME. (Jeremiah 29:11)
HEAR; FOR I WILL SPEAK OF EXCELLENT THINGS; AND THE OPENING OF MY LIPS SHALL BE RIGHT THINGS. FOR MY MOUTH SHALL SPEAK TRUTH; AND WICKEDNESS IS AN ABOMINATION TO MY LIPS. (Proverbs 8: 6-7)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin.
PS – When you think of Laura this Monday morning, do not have thoughts of sadness or anger. Smile and use her as an inspiration. Do as Laura would do, find something nice to do or say to someone. Miracles do happen. BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!
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July 28, 2005
All things considered a good Thursday for Laura. The feeding tube surgery went great (relocated from mouth to stomach). Laura has had all of the tubes removed from her mouth. She looks completely like our sweet Laura, only sleeping.
The great news of the day was the eyes. The previous day I informed you that the eyes had opened nearly halfway. Today, her eyes were completely opened for brief periods. We have no idea what she is thinking or seeing, but she is responsive to something or someone. All throughout this recovery, we have had small improvements. The doctors have always been quick to say that clinically she is not better, and clinically she is no different. Now, after two full weeks, the neurosurgeon stated not only that this is a clinical improvement, but also that he did not expect her to open her eyes nearly this early. With that, we have what we need and we are on the journey back.
On another note, when you visit the hospital don’t forget to sign Laura’s guest book. It is red in color and has a wedding picture of us on the cover. Ask someone if you cannot locate it. We are documenting her progress through pictures, a journal, and other records. We want Laura to know how much support she has. Please sign the guest book and let Laura know you are wishing her well.
Keep the prayers going. We need swelling to be reduced, any and all infections to be treated, and pure and complete healing and restoration of her brain functioning.
BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING; BUT IN EVERY THING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOU REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING, SHALL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. (Philippians 4: 6-7)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin.
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July 27, 2005
New happenings:
-Laura had her traech installed today around mid-afternoon. Doctors said the surgery went perfectly. She was heavily sedated and also given the chemical paralytic to ensure her body would be still during the procedure. Therefore, she was pretty inactive and remained deeply resting.
-On Thursday, the feeding tube will be relocated to the stomach. The procedure is similar to the traech, in terms of heavy sedation and temporary paralysis. We expect another uneventful day as far as progress goes. For those medically inclined, the procedure is called a P.E.G (a 3 letter acronym that stands for 3 words way too long to remember or write down!!). Lately, her stomach has not been accepting the food well. The staff can bypass the stomach and go straight into the duodenum (this is where our food goes after our stomachs have finished digesting). Pray for her to accept the food and become stronger for the recovery ahead.
-Laura has incurred a bladder infection and staff infection. The doctors have been expecting these occurrences. She has been treated and please pray for the bacteria to leave Laura’s body.
Keep praying for Laura’s recovery. We have a terrific support group and couldn’t be more thankful. Many people have inquired about what they can do to help. At this point there isn’t much except to pray and believe. Except one thing, Laura’s sweet friends were kind enough to make a calendar sign up to bring dinner to the hospital. The sheet is in the main room next to the elevators on Level 4. Most people are bringing enough food to feed about 10 people. It gives everyone a chance to hang out and talk.
A NEW COMMAND I GIVE YOU: LOVE ONE ANOTHER. AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, SO YOU MUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER. (John 13: 34-35)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin.
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July 26, 2005
Your prayers are bringing her back!!! Today, I saw Laura’s sweet brown eyes for the first time in weeks. It happened on two separate occasions, around 10AM and 5PM. While I was talking and giving encouragement, she opened both eyelids about halfway. My heart began racing furiously; I was nervous, scared, and unbelievably excited. The staff reminded me that this COULD simply be reflexing movements. We all know better, because we know Laura. In any case, there are things going on now with Laura that were not and have not happened. We are on the road and we are in it for the long haul. For the record, it has been confirmed that both eyes are responsive to light. This news is very positive and another first for Laura.
Her lungs are doing great and she is now on the ventilator’s lowest setting (a big positive). On Wednesday, she may finally have the traech installed. This will clear Laura’s mouth of everything with exception of a small feeding line. The line could be relocated to the belly button this week. All this reduces risk of infection. More importantly, coughing and gagging will be decreased. As Laura regains her capacities, we pray for pain and suffering to be minimal.
I can tell you that Laura never wanted this to happen. But, she did want people to be spiritually stronger. She also wants people to have closer relationships and stronger bonds. She never hesitates to show people how she feels and to display her affections. In a weird way, her dreams are coming true. Won’t it be great to show her the impact she has on our lives? Please keep praying and praising God for what he’s doing through her.
AND THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE; IN MY NAME SHALL THEY CAST OUT DEVILS; THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES; THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS; AND IF THEY DRINK ANY DEADLY THING, IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER. (Mark 16: 17-18)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin.
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July 25, 2005
Good news and bad news today. The bad news is that there isn’t much to tell everyone today. The good news is, that there isn’t much to tell everyone today!! She seems more stable and very very slowly looks to be making her way towards improvement. To me, she appears slightly more active each day. Keep the faith, hope, and prayers going. Please keep in mind that the doctors keep warning us of the “long road” that Laura has to recovery.
The love and support that has been displayed is inspiring. It is reassuring to know that so many people have gone above and beyond for us. We’ve had cards sent, dinners cooked, our mail collected, lawn mowed, etc. We are amazed at such an ability to deal with a difficult issue. We would love to thank and hug everyone. Most importantly, thanks for the prayers, the prayer chains, and the stories and thoughts of encouragement. We believe and remain waiting for Laura’s return. She needs us more than ever. Pray for the full and complete restoration of Laura. She is a fighter and will not let you down.
DELIGHT THYSELF ALSO IN THE LORD; AND HE SHALL GIVE THEE THE DESIRES OF THINE HEART. COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD; TRUST ALSO IN HIM; AND HE SHALL BRING IT TO PASS (Psalm 37: 4-5)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin.
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July 22-24, 2005
Sorry for the late update. I was going to do a 2-day weekend summary, but we had some developments yesterday morning and I wanted to make sure that information was up-to-date and accurate for everyone.
Here is a bulleted list to summarize:
-We have completed 10 full days since the accident and Laura remains in a coma, but she is still with us.
-It has been 4+ days since she had the right temporal lobectomy and craniotomy. We are at 3.5 days since the ventriculostomy was performed. We are through some scary days. The doctors are hopeful that the swelling has either stopped or decreased, which is a blessing. However, they will not know until the next CT scan is done. The neurosurgeon will make that call possibly today.
-She was taken off the manitol medication that was used to reduce swelling. There are some minor side effects that the medicine had on her body. Her kidney started to shut down, but will recover in a matter of days. The doctors assured me that any other problems (except the brain) will be taken care of and should be no problem.
-She is getting regular visits with the physical therapists. She wears a little bootie called a L’Nard which prevents foot drop (basically when the foot is pointed too long and never straightened to 90 degrees, her calfs and tendons will become very tight and inflexible). It is alternated about every 2 hours on her feet. This will aid in her recovery in terms of learning to walk again.
-Her central line IV was relocated from her neck to her chest. This is a basic procedure. They have to change the line every week to reduce the chances of infection.
-We are probably still looking at a week until the traech is installed and the feeding tube is relocated to the belly button. It would have been earlier had we not had the incidents 3-4 days ago. These procedures are also standard to make things easier for Laura and to reduce likelihood of infection.
-They ran blood cultures on Sunday. We will get the results in 72 hours as to whether or not she has any infections. At that point, they will be treated. Keep in mind, the point above that doctors can take care of all of these issues in a young, healthy, and strong body such as Laura’s.
-Briefly, Laura’s heart had an arterial flutter, but went back into what we all take for granted with our hearts, called a sinus rhythm. I was told this is not a big issue and is common with ICU patients.
Laura is looking absolutely beautiful. She is the only person I know that can make a half-shaven head look good. Her visible swelling has been all but eliminated and she looks like the old Laura. We know in our hearts that it is only a matter of time until she opens up those beautiful brown eyes and sees the world again. It will be a long recovery, but we are ready for our Laura to be back.
We will keep these updates going daily. There are two major reasons why these emails are so important to distribute. First, we want everyone to have accurate information and this serves to reduce possible mis-information. We all know how stories can get “lost in translation.” Secondly, we have been informed that Laura’s condition and progress is, by law, personal and confidential. However, we have made the decision to make everyone specifically aware of her state. We did this so that everyone would know SPECIFICALLY what to pray for. Swelling was and remains a primary concern. We have prayed so long and hard to make it stop and cleanse her body of it. Now, we need to pray for relief from swelling and for her brain to do its thing and begin firing on all cylinders to bring her back. A full recovery is possible, and each and every prayer brings her closer to being back.
Since this is a weekend summary, I provided two bible passages. Please, read them closely as they pertain to Laura and all of us in our prayers.
WE EXPECT HIS DIVINE INTERVENTION WHILE WE CHOOSE NOT TO LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT ARE SEEN BUT AT THE THINGS THAT ARE UNSEEN, FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE SEEN ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. (2 Cor. 4:18)
VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU, HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, THE WORKS THAT I DO SHALL HE DO ALSO; AND GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO; BECAUSE I GO UNTO MY FATHER. AND WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN MY NAME, THAT WILL I DO, THAT THE FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON. IF YE SHALL ASK ANYTHING IN MY NAME, I WILL DO IT. (John 14: 12-14)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin
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July 21, 2005
Last night was a difficult one for Laura. Her pupils went unresponsive around midnight. One pupil regained its ability to respond, but sluggishly. Dr. Backer, the neurosurgeon, was then called. After getting the CT scan results, he decided to install a device into her head that will measure pressure and remove fluid from her ventricle holes. We are fighting a battle against the swelling. Before the brain can heal and Laura can recover, she must survive these critical moments of swelling.
I thank everyone for all of their thoughts and prayers. I apologize for being primarily unavailable by phone or email. I hope everyone understands. This process has been a test for all of Laura’s family and friends, but more importantly for Laura. Her precious little body is fighting and we need everyone on board with strong, heartfelt, and faithful prayers.
God says according to Luke 11: 9-10, AND I SAY TO YOU: ASK, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE; SEEK, AND YOU WILL FIND; KNOCK, AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS WILL RECEIVE, AND HE WHO SEEKS WILL FIND, AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO ANYONE WHO KNOCKS.
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin.
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July 20, 2005
I was meaning to send out a new Word document on Laura's progress and re-send yesterdays because I know that some didn't get the first email. Unfortunately, I am at the hospital and all that is available is internet access.
The first 5+ days were going as well as could be expected. However, Laura's health took a turn for the worse last night in the early hours. She underwent emergency surgery to remove a bone in the lower right half of her brain and had a large portion of her temporal lobe removed and placed into her abdominal wall. The hope is that after an extensive recovery and the receding of the swelling in the brain, these parts could be surgically re-installed. She is fighting a life and death battle and the next 48 hours are extremely critical.
Please, I beg of you, get on your knees and pray for the swelling to go down and for Laura's recovery. No need to reply, just pray. No need to call me, just pray. A full recovery, even though remote at this point, is still possible. She needs everyone. Please, please, please pray for her.
WE ALSO REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE; PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND CHARACTER, HOPE. (Romans 5: 3-4)
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. PS - Please forward on to whomever you wish.
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July 19, 2005
Hell Everyone, For those of you that are unaware, Laura was involved in a car accident on Friday morning July 15th at 7:10 on her way to work. She has extensive brain injuries, fractures in her skull and cheek bones, and a punctured lung and remains in a coma. We were told that she may not make it through the next hours. So far, we are through the 5th day and we are seeing some improvements. This email may be a little longer, but I will attempt to keep everyone updated as her condition progresses.
Update: -Initially, a brain pressure monitor was implanted due to higher than normal pressures, since then the pressures have reduced to normal and the device was removed on day 4. She had a minor surgery (that’s what the doctors call it, I guess) to remove a blood clot on the surface of her brain. The surgery went great and the pressures returned to normal after the operation.
-After the last CT scan, swelling was found near the lower brain stem and they are treating it with mannitol. The doctors believe the next scan will be on Thursday. Hopefully, the swelling will be way down.
-The doctors are surprised to inform me that miraculously there are no broken bones from the neck down and that her lung and all other parts of her body will make a full recovery. The question mark is the brain and even the best doctors say they just don’t know at this point and only time will tell.
-She is on a feeding tube (through the mouth) and will have a traech installed in her throat in about a week depending on the progress of the swelling. These are good things, as they will help the body to be stronger and to rest easier for the recovery.
Everyone’s support has been awesome. Laura and I have the most incredible family and friends. Please do not worry about me. I am trying my best to do what Laura would do for me if I was laying in that bed (everyone knows she would do it better!!). I am excited for her recovery and believe strongly in it. Laura’s will and her faith and relationship with God are intense.
I want to share a little something that previously we have kept fairly secret. Laura loves doing things for people and anyone that knows her knows that she is always thinking of others. But, that is not the most important thing for her. She always tells me that her #1 goal in life is that when our lives on earth are over, whenever that may be, everyone she knows and loves will be in heaven together. You would never know it because the things she does are subtle and not pushy: asking questions, giving you a book, inviting you over for bible study. Her car was so badly destroyed, but remarkably her bible from childhood was found on the floor right next to her. On the inside cover, she had written “Laura loves the lord until the day she dies.”
If the roles were reversed, Laura would insist that everyone take a deep look at their personal relationship with their God. I believe that God is working a miracle through Laura, because he already has her heart and he can use her to influence the most people. As we all become stronger, Laura’s recovery will become inevitable.
BE FAITHFUL, EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE CROWN OF LIFE.
We love you, Jeff and Laura Laughlin. PS – Please do not respond by email. I will do my best to keep everyone updated.
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