The one about Happy Freaken New Year!!!!!!!!

Well, it is not unusual now-a-days to not celebrate New Years with my brother Jay...but I have never missed my brother in New Years this bad...ever! I am starting to get non-patient and I told Tiffany several times today that I just want him off the respirator! I hate seeing him like that and more than anything else I know he is uncomfortable...but again I know that Jay and God have very different ways of teaching me patience and I will going to learn the lesson whether I want to or not.

Everything is about the same today, Jay is still on the ventilator, but they are stepping him down in the amount of Oxygen (80%->40%, and today it was 40% the whole day )and there is another number they are stepping him down that I have no idea what it is, but that one is coming down too(15->12)(maye even 4 tomorrow)!

The Doc says his vital signs are great (even though his chest X-Ray did not improved from yesterday, but one Dr. told Sheila that it is the vital signs that determine if the breathing tube comes out or not, so that is good news!!!!

Today was the first day that he really responded to me and my voice right when I said something...Right now....not a single Christmas present I would want that that! And it is better than almost anything God has given me in my entire life except Jesus and my wife! I don't think that there has been a greater smile on the planet than the one he gave Sheila the other day and one I will never forget!

Amazing how the world just stops for that few mins I am in there with him. Please Jesus kick this Cancer and problems with my brothers body into eternal oblivion!

Well, Cancer can effect his body, but it can NEVER effect his Soul! That you Christ for all that you do for so many of us! I told Sheila today that there is no amount of 2-a-days or Football games or surgery that could be this bad and therefore Jay is just proving once again that he is my hero.

We all appreciate your prayers! Sheila agreed today with a security worker that the power of prayer is what healed Jay the first time and so we can all join Jay in the fight through each of us praying for him! I find myself praying for him all the time...and then at other times being so tired that I just worry....but it is knowing that your prayers are on going even when mine are not that keeps me going and giving us all hope and peace.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful new year, and I wish you were all here with me so I could kiss you all (even the guys in a manly heterosexual Christian way...like uh.....I would kiss my fit and then give you all a fist hit...something manly like that....what I am trying to say is I love you all....and I am so blessed to have you all as my family! What an honor to serve Christ along side you all!!! (well most of you...and the others heck I am so glad to serve Christ and have you along for the ride, heh!

We need to take a picture of Jay for you all so you can see what he looks like and then we can give you all a before and after picture...it is going to be a true testament to the power of prayer and how God works through all things. IT is just amazing!

Well, I have to go to sleep tonight...hope to continue to give you all some contuied good news tomorrow:

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Here is Sheila's Email from tonight:

Jan 1 05!!!!!!!!!!:

Earlier today we went to see jay. At first the Resident in the ICU had me
worried because he said that there was no change from yesterday to today in his
chest x-ray so removing him from the ventilator was not going to be soon but
soon after the respiratory Doctor came in and told me that the chest x-ray has
nothing to do with his decision to take him off or not. He said he goes purely
off physiological signs since 2 people could have pretty severe pneumonia and
one need ventilation and the other not but both chest x-rays look similar. He
said it's all on a case by case basis. He stated that Jay's signs are looking
good and they have already started stepping him down. He went from needing 80%
oxygen to 40%. He said that when people are on ventilation for more than a day
or 2 it takes several days to wean them off of it.
There are three stages. He is at the baseline of full support now, the next
step will be cutting back the amount the machine helps him so that his lungs can
start doing some of the work, the third is where the machine supplies oxygen and
some pressure in the lungs but he is essentially breathing on his own. After a
little while at this last stage they can remove him.

They removed his dialysis catheter today and said that he no longer needs kidney
dialysis and that they have recovered enough to work on their own. They placed
a new central line in his groin for administering chemo, medications, and blood
products and for blood draws. They removed one of his IV.

He drifts in and out of consciousness and he wiggles a lot moving his feet and
hands as much as the restraints will allow. He nodded his head for a few
questions but for the most part his is extremely sedated in fact they upped his
sedation today because he was too restless. When Randy was in to see him he
actually knocked the top of his breathing tube off. He did squeeze my hand
several times and he really responded to DG's voice.

The nurse last night gave him a bath and shaved his face but she left him a
mustache. We have a story to tease him with when he wakes up about the
mustache.
My parent were wonderful and brought us over hot dogs and kielbasa for New Years
tonight and DG, Tiffany and I have played about 200 games of UNO throughout the
day.

This is the first New Years we weren't together in 10 years. I sure miss him
but I know it's all for the best. His cat sure misses him. DG is a good
temporary substitute but he's also at the hospital far more than Labyrinth would
like.

I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year's Day. I'm sure there are
things I forgot but it is very late . I'm sure DG will inform of what they are
tomorrow morning so that I can include them.

May God bless you,
Sheila

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Thank you goes out to Sheila's Mom, brother and Dad who cooked us traditional new year's food to eat this morning and treated us all with the unmost love and care! Thank you thank you thank you!

OK, I must get some rest and hope my sickness will go away along with my canker sores! just so I can actually kiss my brother and hug him instead of just hold his hand and rub his arm, heh. Thanks again and Love yall! PLEASE.................

KUTPs!!!!!!!!!!!!