March 21, Midnight update

A long two weeks.

It was two weeks ago today that Linda was taken to the emergency room at North Davis Medical Center in Layton with an extremely aggressive Strep infection in her abdomen. The infection had caused her kidneys to fail and she had suffered a series of small strokes. Her doctors at North Davis performed emergency abdominal surgery the following day (Monday) that literally saved her life. She was then transferred to LDS Hospital later that night where she has remained in ICU. During this time she has endured two more abdominal surgeries, numerous hyperbaric chamber treatments, several MRI and CT scans, countless IVs, and almost daily dialysis treatments. The number of doctors, nurses, technicians and therapists that have cared for her to this point is staggering.

Linda's family has remained by her side each day and, along with each of you, have waited anxiously for any small sign of improvement. Thankfully there have been many.

The infection in Linda's abdomen is now under control, her kidneys are beginning to respond, and she's slowly awakening from a deep coma. Although she hasn't been able to speak yet, her eyes are open and she can respond to verbal communication by nodding her head or squeezing your hand. She's moving her feet and legs as well as her hands and arms. And, with the help of her therapists, has been able to sit in a chair and on the side of her bed for a few minutes each day.

She's now breathing almost entirely on her own but has yet to reach the point where her doctors are comfortable taking her off of the ventilator. For this reason, they're planning on performing a tracheotomy later this week so that she will be able to have the ventilator removed from her throat. Linda's suffering from sores on her lips and in her mouth which will be able to heal once the ventilator is removed. Hopefully this will help her to begin speaking again as well.

Linda has responded positively to the treatment she's received in the ICU at LDS Hospital and her doctors now feel that she would benefit from more specialized physical therapy. They're planning on transferring her to Intermountain Medical Center later this week to take advantage of the facilities there. I will make sure and update you on those plans as soon as we know them.

Linda's a fighter and it's very clear that she's not ready to throw in the towel. We love her very much and are extremely grateful that she is still with us. We're also grateful for each of you and your continued love and support. Thank you.