Prayers needed

I don't know if you remember me posting a while back about a friend of mine who was waiting for a lung transplant. Well, he got it yesterday. He underwent a double lung transplant.

Here's a note his wife sent me last night:

Hi Everyone

I don't even know who all I am sending this to, but prayers were heard and answered today.

Ken received a double lung transplant today at ******* Hospital. So far, so good. The surgery went well and when I left the hospital tonight around 10 he was in ICU recovery on the ventilator and hooked up to tons of machines, IV's etc. He has large drain tubes in each side of his chest. They have loaded him up on anti-rejection drugs among many others.

This is a very critical time, so please continue to pray. They expect him to be in the hospital about 2 weeks if all continues to go well. I guess you could say he received an early Christmas gift from someone.

Thanks to all for your concern.

Eydie

For those of you who pray out there, please say some prayers for Ken. He needs all the support he can get to survive the next few weeks.

I am saying prayers of thanks to God and to the soul who donated their organs to him. And just in time for Christmas. :)

Prayers said for his quick recovery and that all goes well with no set backs.

My prayers go out to Ken and Eydie and their family for a truly Merry Christmas!!!

My prayers go out to Ken and Eydie and their family for a truly Merry Christmas!!!

My thoughts exactly!

Done, thank you for sharing this inspirational story. Godbless.

praying....

thoughts and prayers...

In Jesus' name, it is done.

My Prayers are with your friend!

I just got this update from his wife:

Well, I've talked so much today I'm resorting to typing. There's so much happening it's hard to keep straight who I've talked to and who I've told what. So here's the latest.

I first saw Ken today around 1:00 and was shocked when they had already removed his ventilator. They had done a broncoscopy earlier where they went into the lungs to look at them and suctioned out some junk. His blood pressure had dropped a little too low but they were able to get that regulated. I hung around the waiting room knitting like an old lady until it was time to go back in at 3:30. This time the nurse was turning him on each side and using a percussion machine on his lungs to keep whatever accumulates broken up. It was quite painful considering he has a very large incision and his ribs have been spread but he took it very well.

I left for church and returned for the 8:30 visit. He's in a room where the whole front is glass and when I walked up I saw him resting peacefully - are you ready for this - without any oxygen in his nose. I had to walk away for a moment and compose myself because I was so overwhelmed with emotion and joy I thought I was going to cry. What a feeling that was to see him breathing with new lungs after being on oxygen for 15 years!

I don't want to sound too optimistic because things are still very serious. He has to get the junk that's in his lungs up and out of there or it will go into pneumonia which could cause some real complicatons so keep up the prayers.

God is not only listening - he's working overtime this weekend!



Eydie


So, it looks like Ken is doing extremely well so far. Of course, he's not out of the woods yet by any stretch. But, your prayers are helping.

Thank you everyone. :)

edited to add: Please consider becoming an organ donor. I don't know if it's the same in your state, but where I live, you can indicate on your driver's license if you are willing to donate organs.

What great news! I will continue to pray.

God is awesome!!! All the time!!

I will continue to lift up Ken and Edyie!

What an inspirational story during this holiday season.......

love,
Sora

Im sorry i didn't see this sooner...

Lots of prayers for his continued recovery

Prayers sent his way.

What a wonderful miracle. God is truly with them this season. Prayers all around. God bless us all!!

Prayers sent! :)

My thoughts are with Ken and his wife. Thanks Whiterose for posting this - brought tears to my eyes.

My thoughts are with you, Whiterose, and your friends. :)

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support. Here's the latest update from his wife.

A lot of people are asking me for updates on Ken so I'm sending this out to keep everyone informed that is praying so hard because those prayers are being answered!

I saw Ken today and all is still progressing very well. The nurse said the first thing his doctor said when he came around the corner this morning was "Boy he sure looks good".

I talked with his nurse and they are trying to get his sugar level down some more. It was still 170 something even on the insulin drip. His blood pressure, heart rate and most importantly his oxygen level - without any help! - are all great.

They are having him sit up some and he has even lost some of his attachments. At first he had so many monitors, IV's, leg pumps, etc. I couldn't tell what was coming from where. The two big chest drains are still in place and are kinda of painful. I think they were going to remove the catheter tonight. I even saw the incisions. Wow. I wonder how many times they had to reload the surgical stapler. There are a lot of them.

All in all we have so much to praise God for and are so thankful for this miracle. Not since the birth of Christ have we received such a Christmas gift!

Eydie

I really feel a need to share these updates with you because your prayers do help. Not only Ken, but Eydie, too,

I wish now I had posted Ken's "Road to Transplant" emails he would send out periodically. He had to work very hard just to be eligible to be on the transplant waiting list. So, here he was, deathly ill, but working hard to lose 50lbs so he could get on the list. It involved extremely strict diet and exercise. Sometimes he only ate sardines and lettuce. But his journey was amazing. And his stories always interlaced with humor, even when he lost control of his bowels while coughing one day at rehab. :( How embarrassing for him.

It was only a few weeks ago when he made the list. So, the fact that he has already been able to have the transplant is truly a miracle as many patients are on the list for years.

Thanks again everyone.

My friend, Ken, has been home from the hospital about a week now and is doing great. Because so many of you here said prayers for him, and/or sent positive thoughts his way, I am going to share with you this email I received from him last night:


Hello everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know I'm home and doing great. I just wanted to thank everyone for their support. I really needed it and it helped me so much. Thanks. I can't say it enough.
This is a short note, due to the fact I'm in readjustment phase of the transplant. Can't sit still too long or see (predisone) too good either. I will write a more detailed letter soon.
Merry Christmas to all and may God bless you as he had blessed me.

Ken

thank you for posting and reminding us of the miracles that occur. merry x-mas

Thanks for the update Whiterose. This is great news.

We shall continue to pray for your friend..

Its wonderful news!! Thank you for sharing!!

Love,
sora