Update December 11, 2007

Yes, I'm finally posting an update on Sierra Rose.

Here's the current information regarding Sierra:

-Doctors removed her external tube and installed something they call a button. This is a feeding valve that protrudes from Sierra's stomach. It is much less cumbersome than the tube with the container at the end.

-The good news is that Sierra hasn't had to use this valve. She has been drinking from bottle.

-Sierra has been drinking very well--and she has the weight gain to prove it. The last I heard, she weighed 10 pounds and a few ounces.

-Sierra's doctors want to keep the valve in for a few months. From what R understood, swallowing is a reflex for young babies. After about 3 months of age it becomes voluntary and isn't a reflex anymore. They need to make sure that she will swallow voluntarily before removing the valve.

-Sierra's next ophthalmologist appointment is in March.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Thank you for asking how Sierra Rose is doing. She will be 3 months old next week. I'll try to post a current photograph to the blogsite later this week or early next week.

--MK

Update November 15, 2007 with SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST

Well, I didn't expect to have to post another update so soon. Yesterday R took Sierra Rose to the eye doctor. In the examination, he found cloudiness behind Sierra's eyes. He said that the optic nerve had been damaged. He was not very hopeful regarding her vision. In 3 months, Sierra will have another eye appointment. We should know more information at that time.

Right now, R and J are faced with raising a blind or mostly blind daughter unless God decides it is better to intervene. The very One who created the eyes can certainly heal them. He has already performed several miracles in Sierra Rose's life--we're asking for another miracle. Will you join with us in prayer? If He chooses not to restore Sierra's sight, please pray that He will give everyone the grace to accept His decision.

--MK

A NOTE ABOUT UPDATES

For those of you who have used this blogsite to know how to pray for Sierra Rose, thank you very much. As you know, she is out of NICU, out of the hospital, at home. We believe that God worked through the prayers of the hundreds of you that were praying for Sierra.

Please keep praying for Sierra Rose. Her brain still needs to develop properly. God did amazing work in preserving her life, and we believe that He can do more amazing work in restoring all her brain's functions.

Updates will no longer be posted every day. I'll probably post information about once a week or when information becomes available.

God bless.

--MK

Update November 12, 2007

Dear Friends,

Below is an e-mail that J and R sent out last night.

--MK

Sierra Rose is home! We are excited that she is doing well enough for her to get out of the hospital.

The power of prayer cannot be underestimated. We believe that the reason she is alive and doing as well as she is today is due to the power of God and of prayer. We thank you all for your prayer support.

We do not yet know how the areas of brain damage will affect her in the years to come. We will have to wait and see how God chooses to work. As a reminder, the three areas of brain damage were vision, executive decisions, and sleep. We are praying that God will continue to work miracles in her life and body.

Although Sierra has been able to take all of her feedings by bottle (much to the amazement of the doctors and nurses) she still has the gastrointestinal tube (G-tube). We would appreciate your prayers that she would continue to keep up with her feeding needs and that the tube would be able to be removed soon.

This will be the last email update. However, we still covet your prayers! We will keep updating the blog at http://sierraroseupdates.blogspot.com.

Thank you,

J and R

Update November 9, 2007--HOME SWEET HOME

Yes, you read that correctly. Sierra Rose was released from the hospital today! Fifty-two days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a rough way to begin life in the outside world.

Another blessing is that J's health is much improved. R and J had some bad carpet in their house so my family helped them rip it out. He has not been coughing as much as before.

Here are some prayer requests:
-Pray that Sierra Rose will remain healthy. It would probably be better for her not to have any visitors yet, especially with cold and flu season.
-Pray that Sierra Rose will not have to be readmitted to the hospital, as is the case with many babies who are released from NICU.
-Pray for normal physical movement and eyesight.

Thank you so much for sticking with us in prayer for the past 7 1/2 weeks. Early next week I'll try to post an update regarding Sierra's future care.

--MK

Update November 8, 2007

Sierra Rose is still doing well. It's great that she has been steady for quite some time.

At feeding times, Sierra drinks between 75 and 100 cc of milk. Today she drank 90 cc. She's allowed to drink as much as 118 cc. All this milk is making her gain weight. Sierra now weighs 8 lb. 12 oz. This is nearly 3 lb. more than she weighed when she was born.

Thank you for your prayers. Sierra Rose is close to being released.

--MK

Update November 7, 2007

Sierra Rose entered the hospital NICU on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Today is the start of her 8th week in NICU.

Sierra Rose continues to do well. Today her PICC line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter--a long-term IV) was removed. She is no longer attached to anything (other than a monitor). She is able to take her seizure medicine with the milk in her bottle. She is closer to being released.

R and J had bad carpet in their house. After its removal this week, J's health is much improved. As a bonus, R and J now have some nice wood floors.

Please pray for Sierra Rose's continued health.
Thank God for J's improvement.

--MK

Update November 6, 2007

Sierra Rose is doing well again today. She has now been in NICU for 7 weeks.

Sierra's milk intake can be as high as 118 cc every three hours, but the doctor wants it held around 78 cc. Earlier today, Sierra was able to drink 80 cc.

Sierra has been in good health for several days now. Pray for her continued health.

--MK

Update November 5, 2007

Sierra Rose is still doing well today. Wednesday will be the 10th day on anti-biotics. After that, she should be able to have the PICC line (IV) removed.

Thank you for your prayers--everything is looking pretty good right now.

--MK

Update November 4, 2007

Dear Friends,

Here’s the latest information regarding Sierra Rose. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll try to respond within a reasonable amount of time (if I don’t reply within a few days, please ask again).

--MK for the Family

THE PREVIOUS UPDATE
In the last e-mail update, we reported that Sierra had an infection at the incision site for her surgery. We also mentioned that Sierra was drinking 15 cc of milk every 3 hours. Today’s e-mail will bring you up to date on Sierra Rose.

CC
“What’s a cc?” Everyone asks; no one knows. “CC” is short for “cubic centimeter,” a unit of volume used in medical and automotive terminology. It is equivalent to a milliliter. For comparison, a fluid ounce has about 30 milliliters. A typical 12-ounce can of Dr Pepper has about 355 ml. For more information about the cubic centimeter, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubic_centimetre.

INFECTION AND MEDICATIONS
Sierra Rose has been receiving anti-biotic medicine through her PICC line (intravenous line). The medicine has helped her body to heal from the infection. She will be coming off the anti-biotic medication soon. Previously, Sierra had also been receiving her seizure medicine intravenously. A nurse tried administering it orally (in her milk) and Sierra took it without any problems.

IV TUBE
Because Sierra will not need the anti-biotic medicine and because she was able to take her seizure medicine with her milk, she could have the PICC line removed this week.

MILK AND WEIGHT
This evening, Sierra drank 71 cc of milk. She should be drinking 75-120 cc of milk every 3 hours. Read the above section called “CC.” If my math is correct (not often the case), Sierra Rose is drinking roughly 2 cans of Dr Pepper in a 24-hour period. All this food is making her fill out—she’s a pleasantly plump baby who tips the scales at 8 lb. 9 oz.

AREAS OF PRAYER
-Sierra Rose still has some abnormal physical movement. We’re not sure if this is due to myoclonus or something else. Pray that these movements would cease permanently.
-We’re still not sure how well Sierra can see, if at all. Pray that Sierra Rose would have vision.
-Pray for J’s health. He has been sick for several months.
-Pray for R’s endurance. Going to the hospital to see a sick baby every day is wearisome.
-Thank God for all of Sierra Rose’s caretakers. Doctors, nurses, receptionists, and many other people are all contributing in one form or another. They have tough work, but they do it well.

Thank you for your prayers! We keep saying this, but we really are blessed to have praying friends. Read some of the early e-mail updates to see how far God has brought Sierra Rose.

--MK

Update November 3, 2007

Sierra Rose is drinking more milk. Earlier today she had 64 cc.

Sierra wasn't experiencing the abnormal physical movements today. Pray that these cease permanently.

Please pray for J also. He has been sick for about 2 1/2 months.

--MK

Update November 2, 2007

An area of prayer is for Sierra Rose's physical and mental health. She has been having some abnormal movements this week. Please pray that these would not be serious and that they would go away.

Sierra is no longer receiving hyperal--she's just on milk and dextrose (sugar water).

Sierra Rose has been doing a pretty good job of drinking her milk. Sometimes the milk she doesn't drink has to be inserted through the feeding tube, but she is usually able to finish all of it. Earlier this evening she drank 55 cc.

Thank you for your continued prayer and emotional support. This whole situation has lasted much longer than any of us expected, but God is giving His grace.

--MK

Update November 1, 2007

Sierra Rose is still doing well today. She drank 46 cc of milk earlier. The doctor wants to keep increasing it a little at a time.

Update October 31, 2007

Sierra Rose was up to 34 cc of milk, I believe. If I understand correctly, that amount will be increased to 45 cc. When she is able to drink 45 cc of milk, she'll be evaluated to determine how much she needs.

Please pray for continued health--it seems like everybody is getting sick now that Fall is here.

Update October 30, 2007

Thank you for praying for Sierra Rose's infection to heal. The surgeon examined Sierra today and said that she is healing well. Sierra has also been drinking more milk. She is up to 30 cc today. Praise God!

The next area of prayer is for Sierra's vision. We're haven't been able to determine how much she can see, if at all. Please pray that she will have good vision.

--MK

Update October 29, 2007 with SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST

Dear Friends,

Sunday evening R and J discovered that Sierra Rose has an infection at the incision site for her feeding tube. The e-mail update they sent out has more information; it is below. If this infection has spread internally, it could be really bad for Sierra. Please pray that the infection is only minor and will respond well to the antibiotics. Aside from this infection, Sierra Rose has been doing really well. We thank you for remaining faithful in your prayers.

--MK

This evening we found out that Sierra has an infection where the incision from her surgery is. The nurse practitioner is checking her blood count and getting a culture. Her white blood count was normal which is a good thing. If it had been dropping they would have been concerned. Her platelet levels were also good. They will not have the results of the culture for about 2 days. They want to make sure that the infection has not spread to her blood. He didn’t think that it had but he wanted to test as a precaution. They are also starting her on antibiotics.

As far as her feedings, Sierra is doing very well. They are increasing her feedings by 1cc every three hours. As of today she had reached 15cc’s per feeding. Her suck is still very weak and she takes a long time, but so far, she has been able to take all of her feedings by bottle. Once they get to be larger she will probably reach a point where she is not able to keep up with it and therefore will have to be fed what she can’t take through the G-tube. The goal is for her to be taking between 45 and 70 cc’s every three hours.

We covet your continued prayers.

PRAISES

She is doing well with her feedings

PRAYER REQUESTS

That the infection would not have spread to her blood
That her body would be able to fight the infection and get rid of it soon
That her stomach would be able to tolerate the increased feedings.

--R and J

Update October 26, 2007

Dear Friends,

Below is an e-mail update that R sent out earlier this week. It’s a good update on Sierra Rose.

--MK

Dear Family and Friends,

Sierra’s surgery on Sunday went really well. She was in a lot of pain that day but now she is doing much better. The doctors resumed her feedings today. They have to begin with a small amount of milk and increase it gradually [as they decrease the IV fluid] to make sure that her stomach tolerates it.

Today was a great day for Sierra. We feel like she reached several milestones. This morning, we were talking with the doctor. He said that they were planning on resuming her continuous feeds. We were not thrilled about that, because our goal is to eventually get her off of the feeding tube and onto the bottle. We told him that we did not mind if she started out on a continuous feed, but we wanted to work towards bolus feeds (feeding her every 3 or 4 hours rather than constantly.) He said that we could work towards that but that she would be on continuous feeds for at least two weeks.

Later in the day, Sierra’s wonderful therapist came by. She said that
she had spoken with the doctor and that Sierra was going to begin bolus feeds rather than continuous feeds! That means that at every feeding time we will give Sierra the bottle and let her take as much as she can from it. If she is not able to finish the milk, we will give the rest of it to her through the tube. This was a huge blessing and answer to prayer for us. We are really blessed to have such a great therapist.

Sierra had her very first bath today. Poor baby, she had gone nearly 5 weeks without a bath! It was just a sponge bath but it sure did help get her clean and smelling good. She seemed to enjoy all of the stimulation. The bath really woke her up. After her bath, she was moving her mouth so we stuck the pacifier in it. She sucked on the pacifier like she has never sucked before! She sucked it hard for around 30 minutes. We were so excited to see her strong sucking; it was like seeing a miracle. We do believe that through God’s help she will eventually be able to take all of her feedings through the bottle.

Tomorrow Sierra will be 5 weeks old. She has gained over two pounds and
has grown over two inches. We thank God for her and what a blessing she
has been to our lives. Below are the main praises and prayer requests for now. We can’t tell everyone how much we appreciate your prayers.
We have been amazed to see God working in her.

PRAISES

* The surgery went well
* Sierra is on bolus feeds instead of continual feeds
* Her sucking is become stronger

PRAYER REQUESTS

* Pray that her stomach will be able to tolerate the bolus feeds
* Pray that her suck during feedings would strengthen (although she
had a strong suck on the pacifier it was still weak on the
bottle)

R

http://sierraroseupdates.blogspot.com

LATEST NEWS
Sierra Rose can only drink about 10 cc of milk from her bottle at each feeding time (every few hours). She needs to be able to drink (or be fed through the tube) much more milk before she’ll be released. Pray that she’ll be able to digest more milk, preferably by drinking it from the bottle.

Thank you for your prayers and for the notes you are sending!

--MK

Update October 25, 2007

Overall, Sierra Rose has been doing pretty well, but there are two issues that could use your prayer:
1. She hasn't been digesting her milk all the way
2. She still isn't drinking from the bottle as much as she should.

R ordered a special bottle that may help Sierra drink better. We'll find out after it arrives.

--MK

Update October 24, 2007

Sierra Rose is still doing well today. Pray that her sucking reflex will increase so that she'll be able to drink from her bottle more.

Update October 23, 2007

Thank you for praying for Sierra Rose. Today's update contains good news.

After surgery, Sierra was going to be on a continuous feed for a while and then she was going to receive food through the tube every few hours. Already this morning, the therapist recommended that Sierra be fed every few hours. This is good--it will allow R to practice with Sierra more often.

Do you remember praying that Sierra's sucking reflex would increase? It did! Today Sierra had a sponge bath (her first bath). This really woke her up. Afterwards, she sucked on her pacifier strongly for 30 minutes. She was even able to sip a little from her bottle.

In addition, Sierra seemed to be pain-free today.

Thank you for praying for Sierra Rose. We're happy to share the results of your prayers with you. Keep praying that she would learn to drink from the bottle so that the tube can be removed from her stomach.

--MK

Update October 22, 2007

Dear Friends,

Thank you for praying for Sierra Rose and her gastrostomy tube insertion surgery yesterday. The procedure went well. Sierra was alert afterwards. Unfortunately, she was also in much pain. Nurses administered pain relievers every few hours to help ease her discomfort and she is feeling better today.

As of Friday, Sierra's weight was up to 8 lb. 1 oz.--she's a growing kid!

After Sierra Rose heals, she'll be released from the hospital to go home (about 2 weeks). Numerous nurses have cautioned R and J about exposure to viruses. They don't want Sierra to get sick just after being released. We hope you'll understand. After a few months, though, her immune system should be stronger.

Please pray for Sierra Rose's healing from the gastrostomy tube insertion. Pray that she won't be in a lot of pain and won't get an infection.

Thank you very much.

--MK

Update and Prayer Request October 20, 2007

Dear Friends,

Here's a brief update and prayer request for Sierra Rose: Sierra has been doing really well other than not being able to drink from a bottle. Her doctors determined that she needs a gastrostomy tube inserted into her stomach. The surgery will be performed Sunday morning at 10:00 and should last about 30 minutes. Please pray for Sierra's safety and quick healing. Also pray for peace for the rest of the family. I'll post another update on Monday to let everyone know the results.

--MK

Update October 19, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIERRA ROSE!
Today Sierra Rose is 1 month old. For a baby who has lived her entire post-birth life in an NICU room, she's doing really well. At this point, the only problem is that she still can't drink from a bottle.

Please pray for endurance for everyone. One month of living in a hospital is tiring.

This will probably be the last blog update until Monday (unless I can find an Internet source over the weekend).

Thanks for your prayers!

--MK

Update October 18, 2007

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your ongoing prayers for little Sierra Rose. She has made remarkable improvements during her stay in the hospital. Tomorrow will be her 1-month birthday, and she is so much farther ahead than when she first arrived in the NICU on September 19th.

CURRENT STATUS AND PLANS
-Sierra is being fed completely or almost completely by R's milk (through the feeding tube). She is receiving little or no IV fluid (other than the sugar water).
-Unfortunately, Sierra has not yet learned how to drink from a bottle. The most she has been able to drink is 5 cc. She would need to be drinking 120 cc every 3 hours in order to be released as-is.
-Because of this, doctors will perform a gastrostomy tube insertion on her (probably Tuesday). This tube in the stomach will allow her to be fed directly. At first, Sierra will be on a continuous feed. After a while, the feedings will be farther apart.
-Sierra will remain in the hospital for 7-10 days after the surgery and then will be released if everything is fine.
-Rosetta will take Sierra to the hospital twice every week so the therapist can continue to train Sierra how to drink from a bottle. In addition, R will have more freedom to practice with Sierra at home.

PRAYER POINTS
-Pray that Sierra Rose will learn to drink from a bottle soon so that the gastrostomy tube can be removed.
-Pray that Sierra Rose will maintain her throat function. Even if the gastrostomy tube can't be removed soon, Sierra might be able to begin eating solid foods at the appropriate time if she is still able to swallow.

Thank you for your prayers. We really appreciate your intercession even if we haven't been able to reply to each one of you personally.

--MK

Update October 17, 2007

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
The good news is that Sierra Rose is getting close to being released from the hospital. The bad news is that she still hasn’t learned to suck from a bottle and may require a gastrostomy tube insertion (a feeding tube surgically inserted into the stomach).

MORE INFORMATION
The estimate is that Sierra will be receiving all milk and no IV fluid by Friday. Her feeding schedule will be changed from once every hour to once every three hours. Once she gets to that point, the doctors will begin pushing to have Sierra discharged from the hospital (because she is in pretty good health otherwise).

If Sierra isn’t able to drink all her milk from a bottle by the time the doctors want her to leave, they will surgically insert a gastrostomy tube into her stomach so her parents can feed her directly. This may be temporary or permanent—some patients have to use the tube for life; others graduate to traditional eating. The therapist said that it’s possible that Sierra’s current lack of a strong sucking reflex may be due to brain damage, but this isn’t conclusive.

PRAISE
Earlier today Sierra did suck lightly on her pacifier. When R noticed this, she gave Sierra the bottle. Sierra drank 5 cc of milk. She still has a long way to go and not a lot of time in which to make her progress, but at least there’s a little bit of hope. We’re still counting on you to join with us in prayer.

PRAYER REQUESTS
-Please pray specifically that Sierra Rose will be able to suck from the bottle the full amount of milk that her body needs.
-Please pray that Sierra will not need a gastrostomy tube.
-Please continue to pray for Sierra’s mental healing.

Update October 16, 2007

CORRECTION
R e-mailed me earlier and said that the goal of 15 cc/milk/hr is not correct. The goal is for Sierra Rose to be receiving all milk and no IV solution, but R doesn't know how much milk Sierra needs yet. That is probably based at least partly on her weight.

PRAYER REQUEST
The main prayer request is still the issue of Sierra's sucking reflex. The therapist tried getting Sierra to drink from a bottle today but that didn't work. Please pray that Sierra will learn to drink from a bottle this week so that she will not need to be fed directly into her stomach.

PRAISE
As shown in the video, Sierra Rose has improved considerably since first her arrival at the hospital on September 19. Thank you for praying for Sierra Rose!

Update October 15, 2007

At the bottom of this post is a video player box. You can watch a little footage of Sierra Rose that I shot over the weekend (turn on your speakers). (If the video doesn't work properly I'll try uploaded it again.)

PRAYER REQUEST Sierra's milk rate was increased to 13 cc/hour. The goal is 15 cc/hour. As an update to yesterday's post, Sierra Rose did not have the feeding tube run through her nose today. The therapist said that Sierra's sucking reflex still isn't strong enough. The therapist will be working with her two times every day this week to see if Sierra will be able to use a bottle. If Sierra isn't able to use a bottle but she is otherwise ready to leave the hospital, she will have to have something inserted into her stomach to be fed that way. Please pray that Sierra Rose will suck strongly enough to use a bottle well. We don't want her to have to endure something inserted into her stomach. We're counting on your prayers! God is strong.

Update October 14, 2007

Today was another good day for Sierra Rose:
-She was awake several times throughout the day.
-Her feeding rate was increased to 10 cc per hour.
-Her hyperal level (IV fluid) was decreased.
-Her weight has increased. She weighed 5 lb. 11 oz. at birth. Now she weighs 7 lb. 10 oz.

Tomorrow Sierra's nurses will remove the feeding tube from her mouth and run it through her nose. This will free up her mouth for more sucking lessons. Later this week she may be able to use a bottle.

PRAYER
-Pray that Sierra will be able to digest the milk well. Usually she does all right but sometimes she doesn't digest it all.
-Pray that Sierra's sucking reflex will strengthen.
-Pray for Sierra's complete mental healing.

PRAISE
-Sierra Rose has been doing very well over the past several days. This is a great encouragement to everyone.
-Thank God for friends and family. All of you have been absolutely wonderful! Thanks for your friendship and for your faithful intercession on behalf of Sierra Rose and the rest of the family.

--MK

Update October 13, 2007

Sierra Rose was still doing well today. Nurses slightly increased the amount of milk they are giving her. Sierra was also able to suck on R's finger for several minutes today. This is a good sign--it indicates that she has a sucking reflex. Having a good sucking reflex will enable Sierra to drink from a bottle and then to nurse.

I shot a short video clip of Sierra and will try to upload it Monday.

It was good to be home this weekend. I got to hold Sierra for the first time!

Thank you for your inquiries as to everyone's well-being and thank you for your continuous prayers.

--MK

Update October 12, 2007

Today there's not much to report. Sierra Rose continues to remain more active, moving her arms and legs throughout the day. She also opens hers eyes. At this point, we're not sure what the extent of her vision is, but she did pass her hearing test this week.

Since Sierra Rose has been doing well physically, it's time to pray for her mental healing. As you may recall, doctors said that she had brain damage in the following areas:
1. Decision making--one side of the brain
2. Vision--one side of the brain
3. Sleep--both sides of the brain

We believe that God can heal her completely if that's what would bring Him most glory. Please join with us in prayer as you have been doing so faithfully already.

--MK

Update October 11, 2007

As promised, here's a more recent photograph of Sierra Rose.

Update October 10, 2007

Dear Friends,

Thank you for praying faithfully. Sierra Rose has experienced continual improvments over the past several days. I'll try to post a more recent photograph of Sierra here tomorrow.

IMPROVEMENTS
-Sierra was removed from the ventilator on Monday and she has been breathing well on her own.
-Sierra has just one IV (and she's only taking seizure medicine) and a feeding tube.
-Sierra's warmer has been turned off. She has been able to maintain good body temperature on her own.
-These improvements have allowed her parents and family members to hold her much more easily.
-Sierra has continued to be more wakeful. She opens her eyes several times each day and wiggles around a lot.
-Sierra has been digesting milk well. Nurses increased the amount she receives to 5 cc (cubic centimeters) per hour.
-J's family is in town. They have been a huge blessing to the family.

AREAS OF PRAYER
-Sierra's myoclonus is up and down, but mostly down. Pray that it continues to subside.
-Pray that Sierra will be able to digest even more milk so that she can graduate to a bottle.
-Sierra appears to have at least a mild sucking reflex. R and a therapist are going to train her even more. Pray that Sierra's sucking reflex will increase so that she can graduate to nursing.
-Pray that Sierra will be able to process and eliminate the mucus and other elements that accumulate.

Thank you for being our friends. It's encouraging for us to know that so many people are praying for little Sierra Rose and the rest of the family.

--MK

Update October 9, 2007

Sierra Rose has been off the ventilator since yesterday. She is doing well. Look for more information (and hopefully a picture) tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers!

Update October 8, 2007

Sierra Rose did well over the weekend. She was removed from the ventilator this morning. So far, everything has been going well. Everyone will observe her closely today to see how she does.

Please pray that Sierra will breath on her own completely and that she won't have any more sleep apnea.

I'll post another update tomorrow.

Update October 5, 2007

Thank you for praying faithfully for little Sierra Rose and for the rest of the family. Below is the latest update. It addresses the different areas mentioned in the last e-mail update and on this blogsite. By the way, this will probably be the last update until Monday--I usually don't have Internet access on the weekends.

Sodium--It is still high (147) but Sierra isn't losing fluids like she was the last time it was high.

Myoclonus--This has subsided greatly.

Sonogram--Yesterday or the day before Sierra had a sonogram performed on her head. The sonogram did not reveal any new problems.

Digestion--Sierra had some milk left over in her stomach but has been digesting better.

Waking Up--It seems that Sierra is finally beginning to wake up. She had her eyes opened at several points during the day. Sierra has been more responsive. When she yawned she also stretched her arms and legs. It is also evident that she has good hearing; she hears and reacts to different sounds in the room.

Keep on Praying! God is doing good things because of your prayers. Here are the main needs:
-Pray for the sodium level to go down.
-Pray for digestion to continue improving
-Pray for the sleep apnea to go away entirely. Sierra's doctor believes that she can be removed from the ventilator now, but R and J aren't comfortable with this yet. R requested prayer that God would give them wisdom to allow the doctor to remove the ventilator.

Thank God
-Yesterday R and J were able to hold Sierra Rose for about 3 hours total.
-Today R and DAK were able to hold Sierra for another 3 hours.
-Sierra has gained weight. She now weighs 7 pounds.
-Sierra's overall physical condition has improved considerably since first entering NICU over 2 weeks ago.

Update October 4, 2007

CURRENT STATUS
Earlier today, R was able to hold Sierra Rose for 2 1/2 hours! J should be able to hold her later. The nurse said that they should be able to hold her much more frequently over the coming days.

Sierra was digesting milk a little better. She seems to digest better when she is on her stomach instead of on her back.

CURRENT PRAYER POINTS
-Pray that Sierra's spells of sleep apnea would stop. Because she is still having apnea, R and J do not want her removed from the ventilator. Currently, when Sierra stops breathing due to apnea, the back-up ventilator provides oxygen for her. If the ventilator were to be removed completely, Sierra would be without oxygen until a nurse could go over and stimulate her or give her oxygen.

-Pray that Sierra would wake up. She has been asleep the entire 2 weeks that she has been in NICU. We're not sure if this is because the part of her brain that affects sleep was damaged, because of her medications, or because of some other reason.

-Pray that Siera's digestion would improve.

-Pray that Sierra's sodium level would go back down. It went high again (147).

-Thank God that Sierra Rose could be held by her mother for the second time since being born. This is great for both of them.

Thank you for your prayers. It's a joy to know that all of you are praying for Sierra Rose and for the rest of the family!

--MK

Correction and Update to October 3, 2007

Sierra Rose's fever was not 102.5 degrees, but 101.2. Results from the blood test showed a normal white blood cell count, thus indicating no infection. Also, her temperature dropped to normal (98.8) later in the afternoon. Praise God! Thanks for praying!

Update October 3, 2007 with SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST as of 12:40 p. m. Wednesday: Siera Rose has a fever of 102.5 degrees. The nurse was going to call the doctor to find out what to do. Pray that this fever is not caused by an infection or other problem. Pray that it will subside.

Dear Friends,

Last night R called and provided an update Here is the information:
-Sodium level is still good
-Thyroxine (hormone) level is good
-Cortisol (hormone) level is 1.9. It should be 2.-something. Nurses will keep an eye on it.
-Sleep apnea (cessation of breath during sleep)--Apparently, it is not uncommon for newborns to experience some apnea. The nurses don't seem concerned about this.
-Myoclonus (involuntary muscular contractions) is less frequent
-Digestion is not too good. Nurses had been feeding Sierra 20 ml every 3 hours. They chaned that to 2 ml every hour.

BIG PRAISE
Thank you for praying for God's provision regarding hospital bills. J and R were approved for Medicaid assistance. Medicaid will cover all of Sierra's health care costs for 1 year and R's for 3 months. This is a huge answer to prayer. (Just to give you an idea of the coming bills, one hospital ride was $1,300.) It's hubling enough to be in a position of needing help from friends and relatives. It is even more so to be in a position of receiving help from the government, but we still thank God for His provision.

PRAYER REQUESTS
-Pray for Sierra's fever to drop
-Pray for her cortisol level to improve
-Pray for the apnea to stop
-Pray for the myoclonus to continue declining
-Pray for the digestion process to work properly
-Thank God for His financial provision!

Thank you for your continued support. This has been a difficult ordeal. It's a blessing to have friends upon whom we can lean for support.

God bless.

--MK

Update October 2, 2007

Sierra Rose has been doing about the same but there are two issues that could use your prayer. At one point last night she stopped breathing due to apnea. (Apparently this isn't too uncommon, but it was scary.) I guess her ventilator kicked on for a while. Pray that Sierra will breath on her own properly and regularly as she had been doing the last several days.

Sierra hasn't been digesting R's milk too well. We're not sure what the cause is for this and we're not sure what the cure is either. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Please keep on praying for Siera Rose's physical and mental health. When you have prayed, God has listened and has given His grace. When you pray, please also pray for the other babies in NICU and for their families. The NICU room is designed to hold about 40 babies but has about 50. Some of the babies never have their mothers visit.

--MK

Update September 30-October 1, 2007

Sierra was stable over the weekend, with the myclonus varying throughout each day. She has been breathing on her own regularly but is still attached to the ventilator (just to maintain pressure, I think).

Later today the nurse will check two hormone levels--cortisol and thyroxine (T4).

Today Sierra peaked opened her eyes several times and even yawned! We're excited about this progress.

-Pray for good results from the hormone tests
-Pray for complete removal from the ventilator
-Pray for wakefulness
-Thank God that Sierra's sodium level dropped to a good level (143) yesterday and remained good (140) today!

Photograph of Sierra Rose

Here's a picture of Sierra Rose from Saturday, September 22, 2007.

Update Friday, September 28, 2007

CURRENT STATUS

To bring you up to date regarding the last post, doctors administered an EEG on Sierra Rose yesterday to measure the electrical activity of her brain. After viewing the results today, they determined that her movements were not due to seizures. This is good, but unfortunately the cause of her movements is something called myoclonus. At this point, we don't know how serious the myoclonus will be.

Currently, Sierra is receiving Keppra to treat her seizures. This medication should reduce the seizures while allowing her to wake up gradually (as the sedating drugs leave her system).

IT'S NOT ALL BAD

Despite this depressing news about myoclonus, there was some good news yesterday and today.
-Sierra Rose is off her blood pressure medicine
-She is breathing on her own much more regularly (especially when we interact with her)
-She has been able to digest a little of R's milk every 4 hours (fed through a tube)
-Her catheter has been removed
-The best one yet: R and J were able to hold her for the first time yesterday!

PRAYER REQUESTS

-Pray that Sierra Rose will not have additional seizures
-Pray that Sierra Rose will begin to wake up so that the doctors can examine her more thoroughly
-Pray that the myoclonus will be mild

HOW TO HELP

Many of you have asked how you can help. What we desire most of all is your intercessory prayer. If you are doing this, we are overjoyed. Honestly, this is the most important thing you can do to help.

For all those of you who have provided food or visited, thank you very much. Your food and fellowship have been enjoyed.

Here's something that you can do that will really be appreciated: Consider writing a note of blessing to Sierra Rose. (You can mail it to the K family.) We will collect and compile these into a keepsake for Sierra Rose. We believe that she will have a powerful testimony for the Lord as she grows older, even as she has already begun to have.

Update Thursday, September 27, 2007

My mother called at about 2:30. She said that Sierra Rose has been having more seizures today. The doctors aren't sure if these are being caused by the change in seizure medications or by something else. Sierra has 25 monitors attached to her head and a video camera recording her movements. Doctors want to check whether or not there is a correlation between the brain activity and her physical movements. They should have some information around 6 p. m. today.

Everyone has heavy hearts right now. Please pray especially for Sierra Rose's peace and safety. Also pray for peace for R and everyone else.

Sierra Rose Update September 24-26, 2007

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your continued prayers for Sierra Rose and the entire family. God's grace has been poured over everyone involved.

On Monday, Sierra Rose began having seizures again. One of her seizure medicines had been reduced and she reacted. Her doctor changed her medication and loaded her with it. As far as I know, she hasn't had any more seizures since then.

Sierra Rose's doctor also gave her additional medications that should help her begin waking up gradually (she has been asleep since her birth day last week) but should also help her to be calm.

J's mother and brother arrived Tuesday after a 30-hour drive from their home. It will be a big blessing having them present during this time.

Sierra Rose has moved her arms and legs a few times. At one point, when the window blind was raised, she closed her eyelids tighter. This appears to be an indication of ability to perceive light and dark. Obviously, though, we're praying for much keener vision.

Today R said that Sierra's breathing rate had been low (around 18 breaths per minute, I think). When Rosetta was with her, though, she stopped relying on the ventilator so heavily and began breathing more on her own (almost 50 breaths per minute, I think).

Another praise is that Sierra's platelet level increased. It had been about 90 but then it went up to 250. This is good news!

Overall this is still a grave situation. R and J know that they will be on a roller-coaster ride--lots of ups and downs. Please continue praying for everyone, but especially for little Sierra Rose.

--MK for the Family