UPDATE 3/30 PM

I just returned from the airport with 4 children in safe condition. We are getting things together this evening and have plans to see Mom at 10:15 am tomorrow. I have made special exceptions to have John and Alyssa in the NSICU which is normally not allowed. The kids will see Mom at 10:15 and we have a Jesuit priest joining us at 10:45 to do the “anointing of the sick” for Michele. We will have a full room as Brenda, Jennifer and Matthew will also attend this special moment. At 3:30 pm the kids and I will attend an NSICU class to teach us how to read, act and handle the NSICU on a daily basis. I guess I should have attended this class 6 weeks ago as I have upset just about every nurse on the floor at one point or another.

Michele is still in critical but stable condition. She can open her eyes and move her left arm a little. I talk to her but I’m not certain she understands me at times. I think I just talk too much and she gives up on me at times. I know she is getting better but we are at a very slow pace and that is not my style so I am trying to keep it slow. I have let her rest for the past 3 days but when she sees her children tomorrow things are going into hyper speed. Michele has been able to control her vitals over the last 2 days and is slowly being wined off the ventilator. The operation on her brain took 35 cc’s of curtiling fluid and the result from the lab have concluded that she had a bacteria in her brain. This is the 1 in 4000 cases that does not make sense. After 2 months this never occurs in the opinion of our Doctor. Her immune system was diminished during the surgery but has come back to a normal level. She is still very weak and she cannot handle another episode but she is in safe condition for now. I feel I have said this many times to just have it all fall out beneath us but I have to keep positive and will continue to do so until she is home safe and sound. We do not have a date at this time we are taking life “Day by Day” at this time.

Pray, Pray, Pray

Thank you,

John

**Please remember that ALL comments left on this website get sent directly to John so he can read all of your words of love and encouragement. This entire website, including the comments, will be printed out into a BOOK for Michele one day when she is better. So PLEASE do not hesitate to comment**

L.L.P.P.

This is a picture that was hand-painted by Alyssa, John and Michele's youngest daughter. The picture is amazing. The love this picture holds I'm sure is only a fragment of the love these children feel every single day from their mother, Michele. The reason she fights, the reason God will heal her....the 4 amazing blessings she has at home and the love for the man she has who stands beside her bed everyday.

******LIGHT*******LOVE********POWER********PRESENCE*******

W.M.I.G.I

(Wherever Michele Is God Is)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BILLY

Today, Michele's oldest son turns 18! Billy....even though your mom may not be home with you today I know what she would say if she were there.

I have so many wishes for you. I want you to be safe, smart, cautious, and wise beyond your years. Don’t grow up too fast. Come to me with your fears. Get your feet wet with new experiences, but never get in over your head. Realize how capable you are! Your possibilities are unlimited. You are loved beyond words, and I will love you beyond all time. So many treasures await you in your journey through life, and being blessed with you… has been mine.


Happy Birthday Billy! We love you!

UPDATE 3/29

After my email last night I got a call at 1:46am from the hospital that Michele’s MRI concluded that she had an abscess in her brain. They requested emergency surgery at 7am this morning and I gave the permission to proceed. I visited her this morning at 6am and spent 30 minutes talking to her about what she was about to go through and we finished with prayers. Michele has been unresponsive for 4 days now at this time. Michele’s surgery started at 9am and was finished around 12:30 pm and I got a call from the doctor while I was in church. The abscess was removed, part of her scull was placed in a bone bank and 3 drain tubes were places in her skull. While this sounds horrible as I spoke to the doctor he told me this was 1 of 4000 similar procedures he has performed. His procedure went well and we have the abscess in for testing to see what we have to deal with. Michele’s problem today was she lost vital signs mostly her blood pressure during her procedure. They took extreme measures to secure her vital signs and concluded her surgery. Michele remains in critical but stable condition. I visited her 2 times today after her surgery and she was noticeably better this evening and resting comfortably. Although she is on a ventilator she is breathing 50% on her own. The main concern is her blood pressure and she is on strong medicine for that. I spent time with her and spoke about her ability to heal within and her need to get better for her children. When I spoke to her about her children I could tell she could understand and she moved her lips and shrugged her shoulders. I know this sounds weird but I truly believe she can understand me when I am talking. I push every bit of motivational information I can think of and I will wait for her to tell you all in her own words that she could hear me when she is better. Due to her reactions today I decided that it was time to get the children out to Florida and they are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. I really think this will help Michele and the kids are overwhelming anxious to see their Mother. We will spend the week with her and work with her to get better. Please don’t forget the pretty picture I am painting is still back at stage one and we are struggling with Michele’s health issues on a daily basis. My earlier emails over a month ago regarding “Day by Day” are still ever so clear and the Doctor even used the term today to me. At the end of each day all we have to say is: Oh Dear Lord Three things I pray, To see thee more clearly, Love me more dearly, Follow me more nearly “Day by Day”

John

UPDATE 3/28 - PRAYERS NEEDED!

Sorry I have not written lately but the news right now is not good. Michele has had 2 lumbar punctures over the last 3 days and the swelling continues to grow in her head. She has not woken up for 3 days now and the Doctors are trying to figure things out. She now has an infection in her brain and the swelling is 5 to 7 times its normal pressure. She had an MRI tonight and I should hear on that Monday morning. For now all I can say is please continue to pray for Michele as she needs it more than ever. Michele has had a few visitors over the last 3 days, Annette, Brenda, John Liner, Thelma and Jack. I have attached a few pictures. Our time has been limited with Michele as she continues to have many procedures, tests and imaging throughout the day and we cannot stay during most of these so it takes away from the time we are able to be with her. I am determined and hopeful that she will win this fight but all the prayers help so please do not stop she needs all of them.

John

ANOTHER STORY ABOUT MICHELE!

I met Michele through our bulldogs. Her Ali was mated to my Tank in 2008 and they had 8 beautiful babies! My first impression of Michele was kind of cute because she emailed me a lot about the process of having puppies and was concerned for her Ali so that nothing went wrong. She left no stone unturned and I could tell by that exchange between us that she is a special girl. She wrote me some of the most beautiful letters and has a gift for communication. She digs in and gets ALL the facts about something to make sure everything turns out okay for everyone. We are bulldog "in-laws" and I think thats a special bond. Anyone who owns a bulldog knows how close you get to them. They truly are your "fuzzy kids." I know Ali misses her mommy just like the kids do. I was so impressed when I went to the birth of the puppies how amazing their family is. Everyone is close and the kids are just incredible. THAT speaks well for a mother and father. I left the clinic that day knowing those puppies were in the best possible hands. Michele works hard and her efforts show in the happiness all around her. She gives to others and even took the time to email me when I needed a boost or whenever we sent her new pictures of our current litters. I know she had a busy life at that time but she always made time to reach out and send me little notes and updated pictures of the puppies when she got them. I love that so much. It seems as a bulldog breeder you get forgotten as soon as the puppies are adopted and into their new homes. Michele never forgot. She is a sweetheart and I just know she's going to be okay. Better than okay. God needs his miracles in this world. She is truly a miracle and always has been. Not only is she beautiful on the outside she is beautiful all the way through. We love her dearly.

Love,
Adele Gregersen of Tank R Tots
(Craig, Tank, Harley & Mugsy)

UPDATE 3/24 - PM

Michele’s Echo Cardio Gram came back today and the vegetative growth in her heart is completely gone. This was of great concern as other than antibiotics heart surgery was a possibly option to fix it and now that is behind us. Her CAT scan turned out ok as well and the fluid that was in her lungs has disappeared and appears to be not a threat however she is right now getting one more CAT scan with dye to make sure they did not miss anything. They took blood tonight to make sure she is ready for her lumbar puncture and if it is good they will do it tonight after the CAT scan. Michele spent most of the day sleeping and fighting a small fever. The Doctors are still trying to figure out why she has the fever and they are going through the process of elimination. This means Michele continues to go through many procedures and tests to make sure she will be in good condition on Monday for the shunt operation. I spoke to the Doctor today and he feels we are still on track for Monday and if all goes well she will be ready for travel by Medivac by Friday. So far nothing has gone on time but I have to be hopeful and pray for the best case scenario.

I helped the nurses move her from her bed to a stretcher just before I left tonight so she could be transported to the CAT scan room and after I asked if she was ok and she gave the OK symbol with her thumb and four finger.

Keep Praying,
John

As the Editor to this Blog, I am taking FULL advantage of

posting one of my favorite pictures! :)

PLEASE send in your stories!!!! I haven't gotten any yet!

UPDATE 3/24

Michele had a busy day between cool baths to bring her temp down and an Echo Cardio Gram to check her heart. It will be a few days before we get the results. Tomorrow she is scheduled for the 4th lumbar puncture. I feel she is in great need of this for the swelling that she currently has and she always responds well to these. This should be her last as we have decided to do the shunt operation on Monday as we cannot wait any longer. This is of course that she is in good health for the operation meaning no temp, infections and decreased head swelling. If all goes well our best case scenario for her to return to Colorado 4 days after the operation which would be next Friday. Before we get the welcome home balloons filled a lot of things need to happen and of course she needs to respond each and every day from here on out better each day. My realistic though is 14 to 17 days from now based on her past progress. Annette visited with Michele and I today but I was unable to get any pictures today due to her busy schedule. It seemed every time we got to the room we were being asked for some reason to leave for tests. I look forward to the lumbar puncture tomorrow and this has always proven to be effective for about 4 days.

Thanks for all the prayers.

John

UPDATE 3/22 PM

Well today started out the same as yesterday. Michele was unresponsive for most of the day. Her temp was high over 101 and she was still on the ice blanket. This morning she had a cat scan and the results were ok per the nurse I still have not spoken to a doctor today. Tom, Sean and Nathan came buy today at 3pm and Michele was still unresponsive but they did get a change to see her and talk to her. I know she can hear us every time we are in the room even if she does not open her eyes. I had a nice dinner with them and returned to see Michele at 8:30 visiting time. I spent an hour and a half talking to her and going over everything that has occurred over the last 2 months and she was completely awake, moving her left arm to wipe her eye brows and picking her right hand and messaging it. Her left leg is active. A complete turn in just a few hours. She had the ice blanket removed, her temp is below 100, her ventilator has been reduced meaning she is breathing more on her own, she had a right lung puncture to remove fluid and she is scheduled for anoth lumbar puncture. Her head is still very swollen but the puncture tomorrow morning should take care of that.

I can only hope and pray that we are now on another continued path at a faster pace. The doctors said this might be the case for her to return quickly once they had everything under control. She is still in ICU and will remain there as long as I have a say in it. She gets more attention in the ICU and I want to make sure she gets that attention until we leave for Colorado.

Please keep her in your prayers.
John

**And don't forget to check out the post below and send in your stories**

STORIES ABOUT MICHELE

This website was started as a way of keeping everyone updated on the progress of our beautiful Michele. But as I sat here tonight, thinking about Michele and everything she means to me I thought there has to be more. We all anxiously await the updates from John everyday. We sit sometimes with baited breathe hoping and praying for something good and positive. Well, if you all know Michele, we’ve already received the BEST possible thing in the world…her friendship. So tonight I am going to tell you about the most powerful instance in my life where Michele was MY Miracle and I encourage you all to do the same. As we wait for updates from John (which I will still post as soon as I receive them). I want everyone to take a moment and write something special about Michele and how she touched your life. Email your stories to me at: doripink@carolina.rr.com and I will post them for everyone to read. We are all here reading this for one reason and one reason only…We LOVE Michele. I know John would love to read them just as Michele will love to read them during her recovery home.

My Story:

On June 10, 2004 at 10:30 pm I sat in the hospital with my brother and husband and was told that my father had only a few more days to live. How my father there was is a long story, but he was not supposed to die like this. In the hospital the previous night for a routine blood transfusion he slipped and fell causing a brain hemorrhage. My father had, as the doctor put it, another day or two to live. He told us my father would never regain consciousness and to say our goodbyes as soon as we could. I kissed my father goodnight, unable to say my good-byes. When I got in the car the first person I called was Michele. The minute she said “hello” I cried. I don’t really remember how long I cried but she never stopped me. She just silently sat there on the other end of the phone and let me cry. When I was done she asked me, “Do you want me to come down”? I was in Florida and she was in Colorado. I told her. “No”. She was too far away and she had 4 children at home that needed their mom. The next day at 4pm in the afternoon Michele O’Donnell walked into the hospital my father was in. We cried, we sobbed and we hugged. I remember holding onto to her so tightly and over and over again silently thanking God for sending her. As much as I told her not to come, she KNEW I needed her way more than her family did at that moment in my life.
She was there with me for the next 4 days. She was there when my dad woke up, even though the Dr. said he never would. She was there when he slipped back into a coma and she there to hold my hand when he took his last breath.
She helped me with everything. Everything I didn’t know how to do and everything I did not want to do. She was there even when I didn’t realize she was there. She was my angel, my MIRACLE. The person I needed more than anything in the world. She was my friend, my best friend.
Michele and I (and Sister Amy) have been best friends for almost 13 years now. We have an amazing friendship, one that I would not change for the world. Best Friends are there ALWAYS there…even when you tell them not to come. Michele & Amy, you know that I love you more than words can ever say. Having you both in my life has made me the person I am today.

UPDATE 3/21 - PRAYERS NEEDED!

I finally was able to make it back to Florida this morning at 4:30am due to mechanical troubles. I spent most of the day yesterday at the airport patiently waiting to get back to Michele. Unfortunately Friday morning at 5:30am Michele had a seizure, spiked fever to 103 and has now been placed back in ICU. The doctors are looking for the reasons for this drastic change and have yet to determine the exact cause. We are basically back to stage one with her being back on the ventilator full time. She cannot keep her temp down so she is covered by an ice blanket and she shivers most of the day. She opened her eyes this morning and I really do not know if she knew who I was. Many tests have been ordered for tomorrow in hopes to figure out what is going on. She already had an EEG on Friday for 24 hours and she had 2 more seizures during that time. She is back on the EEG machine today to see if the medicine to control the seizures is working. Michele can still move her left side but that is all at this time. I expected to bring her home to Colorado this week and obviously that is out of the question. We took so many steps back that I do not know when I will be able to get her home.

Please continue to keep Michele in your prayers.
John

ST PATTY'S DAY UPDATE 3/17

It's been a few days since we've been able to send an update. Since arriving back in Colorado on Saturday, it has been non-stop for me, catching up with the kids and work. I am looking forward to returning to Michele's side on Thursday. Until then, Brenda and Karen are in Miami taking care of Michele.

Michele was moved out of ICU and to a regular room on Saturday. She is using hand signals, tried writing words, blew kisses, waves hello and goodbye, and said "I love you" several times. She is also showing a lot of emotion / frustration as she continues to work on her communication skills. She has also been smiling a lot too!

Dr. Bullock was quite impressed with her alertness towards him. She actually stared him down and then gave him a big smile as if she were saying, "Hey doc, look at me!"

Michele is definitely more aware of her surroundings, and is feeling many new sensations. After the lumbar puncture she was able to move her right leg and hand. She can squeeze her right hand on command, and is able scratch herself when she feels an itch.

In closing, this is the first St. Patrick's Day since 1987 without Michele by my side, and I'm hoping the last. I will be heading back to Miami tomorrow and will be working over the next week to bring her home to Colorado. I will keep all of you updated on her progress and when we will be in Colorado. Michele will probably be admitted to Craig Hospital once she is back as her therapy will take quite some time. 1-5 months.

An Old Irish Blessing to all of my friends and family:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Love to all,
John

FAMILY FUNDRAISER !!!

Please check out the sidebar for information on a Fundraising Concert benefit to help Michele and her family! Invite all of your friends! Come out and support Michele...we all know she would be there for us!

UPDATE 3/12

Well it is killing me but I have to leave Michele for the first time since her accident. I need to travel home to see the kids, handle some business needs and get ready to hopefully bring her home in the next 2-3 weeks. I will be returning to Florida next Thursday, and in the mean time Michele’s Mother and Father will be with her for the next 2 days and Brenda and Karen will be with her from Monday to Thursday when I return. She will be in good hands and my travel home is very necessary. Amy will be leaving with me as well.

The speech therapist came this morning and put the voice device in. Michele handled it very well, and was able to start off making humming noises, then counted to ten. Although she is talking a little it is very hard to understand her but this will get better with time. The voice device is taken out after 2 hours because Michele needs to get used to it. The lumbar puncture was performed this afternoon, removing the fluid from her brain through her spine as it is still building and not draining properly. The pressure was high, and the doctors will discuss the possibility of inserting the shunt (or valve to drain the fluid). If this procedure is determined to be the best direction she will not have it done until she is free of all infections which may be a week out. She will also have and Echo Cardio Gram again to make sure she has no more infection in he heart.

During the last visiting hours this evening, I personally put the voice device back in so that Michele could talk to us. I am happy to report that she said “I love you” pretty clearly to me and we kissed several times. She has come such a long way and it is only a testament of how strong my wife is.

As Amy and I tearfully said goodnight, we promised Michele that she is in good hands and that we’d be back to take her home with us.

Please keep the prayers going Michele is still in great need of all of them.
Thank you,
John

UPDATE 3/10

Michele continues to make small steps toward recovery. She is alert and responsive, and is able to follow simple commands. She is starting to work on her right side, and is now slightly moving her right leg and arm. Michele showed a lot of emotion today, probably a sign of the next stage of recovery, becoming more aware of her surroundings and condition.

Tomorrow another lumbar puncture is scheduled followed by a cat scan. The results of today’s cat scan were good.

The speech therapist was by to give Michele a consultation and attempted to cap off the tracheotomy tube. In previous emails we may have said they are “removing” it, but it will be capped off, and a voice device inserted for her to speak. It will, however take several days for her speech to return.

I will be traveling back to Colorado this Saturday morning with Amy, and I will be returning to Miami the following Thursday, in hopes to bring Michele home shortly there after. I told Michele of the plans, as I discuss everything with her and she is aware of her recovery every step of the way. Her parents are here now, and Brenda & Karen will return to take care of her for the week I am at home with the kids.

She is making progress and is getting stronger. There is a long road ahead and we are dedicated to bringing her back to a normal life as mother and wife.

Love to all,
John

UPDATE 3/9

We’ve all had a busy few days and did not send an update yesterday. Michele continues to make small steps forward in her recovery and we can tell that she is determined to get back to normal.
The lumbar puncture that was performed yesterday brought down her swelling again, and she was able to move around a little bit more. She is scheduled for a cat scan tomorrow to review the impact on her brain. The feeding tube through her nose was removed, and she had a procedure to insert a gastro line directly into her stomach. Also, the left chest tube that was draining fluid from her lung was removed. This was a huge step and has probably relieved her from some pain. The tracheotomy tube was supposed to be capped today, and will probably be done tomorrow. She will begin speech therapy and we are all so excited to communicate with her and hear her voice again. This will take several days. In the next few days we expect her to be moved to a regular room and will be able to spend the entire night with her.

Amy held the phone up to Michele’s ear tonight for Alyssa and John John to talk to their Mommy. She looked so calm and relaxed, and actually closed her eyes and fell asleep as John John was telling her how much he missed her and that he loved her SO MUCH. We will make a point to call the kids each night for her to hear their voices. She was definitely tired from the procedures today and is now sleeping peacefully.

Please see the attached pictures taken over the last 2 days.
Love to all,
John

UPDATE 3/7 PM

Michele had another good day today. When Amy and I visited this morning, she was awake and alert. I worked with her by massaging her legs and arms, and rubbed lotion on her hands and feet. We told her that she was expecting some special visitors and that she needed to rest.

Around noon, my Mom, Jack, Brenda and my cousin Liz arrived. We went to the hospital to visit with Michele and were able to stay with her for several hours. We were sitting quietly in the corner, and noticed that she started to exercise her left hand, without prompting. She just started her exercises by herself and we were all impressed. Her music was on, her nurses are very good with keeping the music going. Mom talked to her and told her everything that was going on, and that she couldn’t wait for her to be home in Colorado so that she could come and visit and help out.

We had a little bit of downtime back at the hotel, and had a nice dinner before returning to the hospital. It was clear to us that Michele had a long day and was very tired. We all talked to her, telling her how much we loved her and were going to help her get better. We are a team. I rubbed her hands, feet, arms and legs and told her to get some rest for us to return in the morning.

A lumbar puncture is scheduled for tomorrow, and we are hoping to see more spunk from Michele afterwards. On Tuesday she will have another cat scan to assess the results from the lumbar puncture and what affect it had on her brain. This will determine if the shunt operation will be needed. Otherwise, a series of lumbar punctures (removing fluid from the spine) will be enough to reduce the fluid and swelling in her brain.

A personal note from Amy, secretary #1 who types my thoughts at the end of each day: How wonderful it is to have family and friends around us who really care about us and Michele. We are so tired, exhausted and emotionally drained. To have the people we love around us, really does rejuvenate us and gives us strength to be strong for Michele. In Amy’s words, “Michele is all that matters.”

Please keep the prayers and emails coming.
Love to all,
John

UPDATE 3/6 - THE WAVE!

Another update on our Miracle Michele. Today marks 38 days after her accident. We’ve gone through a fall on the beach and torn tendons in my knee, Michele’s critical and tragic accident, a car accident in a taxi returning from the hospital in Cancun, and today our rental car was broken into, the driver side window smashed and items stolen. We were leaving the hotel for the 1pm visiting hours, and had to wait to file a police report. My brother Tom, and his wife Debbie were on their way from Marco Island to visit, and picked Amy and myself up to visit Michele. It was a good visit. She was awake and alert, but again not as responsive as she’s been on past visits.

Michele is completely off the respirator at this point. This is excellent progress! We can tell there is so much emotion and determination on her face, and she was able to move her left hand/wrist and also very slightly moved her left knee off the pillow tonight. A few other exciting things happened tonight. I asked Michele if she still loves me, and she completely closed her eyes to answer YES. This was huge to me. She understands the question, she reacts, and she feels it in her heart. The nurse had removed her feeding tube (through her nose) only because she noticed a small leak. Until it was replaced, we were able to see all of Michele’s beautiful face and I was able to give her a kiss on the lips for the first time in a month. This was an incredible moment for me.

When Amy and I left this evening, after our visit which I would describe as “good”, Michele did something that made it GREAT!!! We walked into the hallway, and I stood there and said goodbye, waving to her. All fingers on her left hand moved in a waving motion. Clearly and decisively, she was waving to me. It was awesome.

Tomorrow we are expecting my Mother, Jack, Brenda and my cousin Liz. Amy told Michele that her Mom, Thelma was coming to spend a few days with her and that she needed to rest to be ready. Michele definitely acknowledged it, and we could tell she was ready to close her eyes and rest for a great day tomorrow. (Don’t forget about the wave, she waved to us!).

On a closing note, we had a fantastic visit with our friends, Dori, Karen and Greg. These are our friends for life, and they have always been here for us. The bond between us (Michele, myself and Amy) is very strong. Dori brought a special gift from her brother, Marc who was previously on a path to be a Catholic priest. Marc met Pope John Paul II. Marc gave us holy water, anointing oil, a 2nd and 3rd class relic. These items are very special and important to me, and to the healing and recovery of Michele. The 2nd class relic is a rosary that had touched Saint Padre Pio. This awesome gift to Michele is hers to pass on to another person of her choice who will need it for healing in their life.

Another good day. Day by day. Please keep the inspirational emails coming.

Love to all,
John

UPDATE 3/5 - PROGRESS

I was finally able to speak with Michele’s neurosurgeon today. I will explain the questions / answers below.

EMG results (nerve ending test): Michele has a condition called myopathy or CIMs. This is the result of a few things, the amount of time in the coma and the intense muscle relaxers she was on. See info from the internet below. This is what is causing her not to move, which the prognosis is good, but she will need 2 – 5 months of intense therapy. This therapy will start here, and continue in Colorado.

What is Myopathy?
Myopathy is a general term referring to any disease of muscles. Myopathies can be acquired or inherited, and can occur at birth or later in life. The muscular dystrophies are examples of myopathies. General symptoms of myopathy include weakness of limbs, usually proximal (located close to the center of the body). Some individuals report that their myopathy emerges during exercise. In some cases, the symptoms diminish as exercise increases. Depending upon the type of myopathy, one muscle group may be more affected than another. In some instances, individuals have myopathy but report no symptoms. In the inherited myopathies, some family members may be unaffected, while other family members may have a range of symptoms. Myopathy can result from endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders, infection or inflammation of the muscle, certain drugs, and mutations in genes.

Is there any treatment?
Treatments for myopathy vary depending on the type. Supportive and symptomatic treatment may be the only treatment available or necessary in some cases. Treatment for other forms may include drug therapy, such as immunosuppressives, physical therapy, bracing, and surgery.

What is the prognosis?
Some individuals have a normal life span and little or no disability.

Lumbar puncture fluid results: The fluid removed from her spine is clear. This procedure seemed to help Michele in her movements, the swelling and her alertness. She may not need the shunt operation, and may just receive a series of lumbar punctures. This procedure also seemed to help her skull to go back to a normal position and over time we will decide if anything needs to be done to put it back into place for cosmetic purposes.

The heart test relating to the right atrial vegetation: These results are not back yet. This issue is typically treated with blood thinners, which we do not want to use, so an alternate treatment is being looked into.

Brucellosis: Michele definitely has brucellosis, although we may never know exactly where it came from. She is being treated for it by antibiotics. The kids were all tested at home, and they do not have it.

The overall prognosis is very positive and very optimistic. Her doctor is quite sure that Michele will have full movement back within 2 – 5 months of intense physical therapy.

An area of concern is her speech, as the latest scan shows blood near this part of her brain. Once the respirator is removed, and the trach is capped, it will take up to 3 weeks to determine her ability to speak.

Although we’ve all learned through this entire ordeal that we can’t put an exact date on anything, and roll with the day to day recovery. We do however expect Michele to be moved to a regular room within 3 - 5 days. This will happen when she is off the respirator, which she is working on right now. She was completely breathing on her own, off the respirator for 2 hours this afternoon. We also expect to leave Miami in 2 – 3 weeks, and are currently looking into the best physical and speech therapy options for her at home.

Although Michele is still in NSICU and in serious condition due to her infections, the doctor gave us great (and much needed) optimism. With Michele’s determination and strength she should be able to pull through this and be back to 100%.

Please keep those inspirational emails coming!

Love to all,

John

UPDATE 3/4 PM

Day by Day…and today was a good day! Our morning visit which starts at 9am, was good but short. Mornings at the hospital are always busy so we usually cannot spend more then an hour with Michele. Michele had another wonderful nurse today, Luz and she told us that we could bring Michele’s IPOD and speakers to the hospital room so Michele could listen to her music. We left the hospital at about 10am and headed back to the room to grab the IPOD and catch up on phone calls and emails. An hour later we were out the door to grab a bite to eat. After lunch we were back at the hospital to see Michele.

When I walked into the hospital room Michele was sitting up comfortably. As soon as she saw me I said, “Hey babe, I love you”. She then looked at me and winked. She actually winked! She then even tried to wink with the other eye. We told her we had her IPOD so she can listen to her music. I then took out the laptop and showed her some recent pictures of the kids. I showed her the tattoo that Billy got. You could see the emotion on her face, a tear than rolled down her face. It was a great moment. She was so happy looking at all of the pictures of the kids. Amy and Dori were there this afternoon with me and got to spend some quality time with their sister and best friend. They allowed me to rub some Aquaphor on Michele’s hands and feet to help with her dry skin. She moved her hands more today than yesterday and at one point moved her head slightly. You could tell that she was really trying to express to us how she felt.

During the next few hours we worked with Michele. We are concentrating on her mouth and tongue movement. Until she can control her tongue on her own they will not take her off the ventilator. She has been using her eyes more and more to try to communicate with us. When you ask her a question she will clearly close her eyes to show you that she can understand you or agrees with what you are saying.

At about 5pm we left the hospital and headed back to the hotel to meet Karen and Greg. They drove down from Orlando to see Michele. We freshened up and left for dinner. After dinner the 5 of us headed back to the hospital to say goodnight to Michele. Even though main visiting hours are 1 to 6pm, I am able to visit her shortly in the mornings and again to say goodnight.

Michele has a saying she always uses whenever she talks or sees Greg, “Do you miss me”? It’s something that Michele says to Greg all the time. Well tonight when we walked into the room Greg walked up to Michele and said to her “Do you miss me”? Michele then smiled. Not just a slight mouth movement, this was a real smile. It truly warmed my heart.

Before we knew it 10pm had rolled around and we had to leave and let Michele get some sleep. We are still waiting on Michele’s test results to come back and were informed that the doctor would meet with us tomorrow to discuss the results with us.

As you can tell our days are non-stop. Most of our day is spent in the hospital with Michele working on getting her better.

Please continue to pray for Michele. We pray that her motor skills continue to improve.
Love,
John

www.miraclemichele.blogspot.com

UPDATE 3/3 PM

Michele was awake and alert when we visited her this morning at 9:30 a.m. After we left, a nurse was there to change out the pic line into her heart as there was possible infection detected by the echo cardio gram yesterday. A shorter line has been inserted.

We picked up Dori, Michele’s best friend from the airport and went back to visit. She recognized Dori, and again was alert. We communicated to Michele by asking her to close her eyes for yes. A lumbar puncture was performed today to test the fluid in her spine. This is currently out for culture and biopsy.

Dr. Bullock, her neurosurgeon stopped in to talk with us and explain the procedure that will be performed as soon as her infection is gone. They are also waiting for the biopsy of spinal fluid to come back as they do not want to insert the valve until all infections are gone. The procedure is an operation to place a shunt (or valve) in her body to help drain the fluid that is accumulating in her brain. The fluid is normal, we all have it, hers is just not draining naturally.

For those of you who have been following her platelet count, she’s at 400k. A great number. It is possible that one of the medications she was on was causing the platlets to drop. That medication has been changed, thus the increase of platelets.

The main concern at this point is why Michele is not moving. Yes, she’s squeezing my hand and blinks yes to being able to feel my touch, however her neurosurgeon expects her to be moving at this point. There was a nerve test performed today and hopefully the results will be able to answer this question.

The infectious disease specialists also asked us for the medical files from Mexico, and they are reviewing again. With all of the tests performed today, it seems that the team of doctors are working together to resolve the unanswered questions.

Please focus your prayers on the return of Michele’s motor skills and speech.

Love to all,
John

UPDATE 3/2 PM

We have some good news to share tonight. Michele had a really good day today.

Michele’s MRI came back with no major problems. The only point of concern is 2 small “balloons” or pockets that are located below her brain, and at the top of her neck. They are filling up with fluid and there will be a biopsy done to determine what, and how much fluid there is. If necessary, she will have an operation to place a valve to drain that fluid into her stomach. The valve will remain in her body for the duration of her life, it will never be removed. That is the worst case scenario and may not apply based on the biopsy results.

Michele had an echo cardio gram performed today. The procedure was a camera that went down her throat to look at her heart. They wanted to make sure there were no issues with her heart from all of the medications she’s been on. The test came back good, only 2 areas of concern (not major). 2 small areas of possible infection, that could have been a result of the pic line or all of the poking and prodding of other needles. These infections are treatable by antibiotics and are of no major concern.

Michele had a few visitors today, Annette, Tom and Sarah. Michele was alert during all of our visits. She was able to blink in response to my touching her hands and feet, letting me know that she could feel my touch. She is able to slightly squeeze my hand. I am using the power of suggestion to help her heal herself from the inside. I told her to concentrate on her mind, her heart and her breathing. The next step is to remove the ventilator which is only inflating her lungs to capacity, she is breathing on her own. I hope to have this removed in the next 48 hours. This is my prognosis (Dr. John), as we haven’t had constant feedback from her doctors here, like in Cancun. I truly feel with the ability that I have to communicate with Michele, the feedback from the nurses, and the machines that she is on, that our goal is attainable. I have a true connection with Michele (Amy agrees!!!!) I know that she and I understand each other and we are both working together to heal her from within herself.


Please see the attached pictures. Amy at Michele’s side, rubbing her forehead to put her asleep (it worked!). Next, my son and his dedication to his Mother. He felt so strong about this, I could not deny it. WMIGI. Read the prayer, again below. It turned out INCREDIBLE!
Love to all,

John

A Prayer of Protection

The LIGHT of God surrounds Michele

The LOVE of God enfolds Michele

The POWER of God protects and strengthens Michele

The PRESENCE of God watches over Michele

Wherever Michele is God is

OR, in Billy’s symbolic gesture: Wherever Mom is God is. I will get the exact tattoo done over my heart as soon as I return home. By the way, if any of you O’Donnell Navy folk are out there, the 698 behind Billy’s shoulder is the symbol of the USS AULT DD698, the Naval Destroyer that my Father and Uncle Bill were on during the Korean conflict. It just happened to be the background of the picture Billy took tonight. What a coincidence as he is thinking of joining the Navy next year.




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I left an IMPORTANT bit of news out with the last email. Tana got her driver’s license today! With the help of Uncle Kelly, my daughter was able to get her license on the first possible day after her birthday. It was such an important day for her, and Michele & I could not be there with her, but are so proud of our princess who is growing into a wonderful young lady.

Everyone in Colorado drive at your own risk.