Back to the hospital-----Easter 2012 by the pig pen

Well Selah's heart rate continued to rise last night.  Thankfully we had a nurse or we would have been up all night with her.  As it was we heard her alarm going off and got up a few times to check on her.  She would spike a heart rate over 140....then it would go down to 120s.  So this morning we were debating what to do.  She hasn't any fever nor is she throwing up but she did have 3 big dirty diapers.  We gave her a bath and she seemed to relax some.  We took her to church (we live right next door) and she did ok but her heart rate wouldn't go lower than 120 AND that was with her in her much loved wheelchair!  Even on Saturday, being in the chair brought her heart rate down.  So we decided after a PRN dose of Valium and Tylenol with codeine did NOTHING, to call the ambulance and have her taken to the hospital.  If you are wondering why we'd call the ambulance instead of taking her ourselves, it's that when she is unstable, it is not safe for us to do that.  Things can go BAD very quickly and become life threatening.  You do not want that to happen when you are driving your child on the interstate!!!   So Jon followed the ambulance as did our nurse.

We believe she did not get well from the stuff she had 2 weeks ago.  She was unable to continue the Cipro in the gtube and the replacement med, wasn't strong enough.  Our idea is for her to get started on an IV med and then to bring her home on it.  We checked to make sure that we could have her home on an IV, and it is complicated but doable.  She'll probably have to stay over night but hopefully we can get this all arrange by Monday or Tuesday.  We do not want her to have to stay in the hospital on an IV.  Obviously Jon has to be at work, I can't be up there all the time and I am hesitant about taking the kids to the hospital, in case they end up with something too!!  We want her home!  Since we are back to 24 hour nursing, it should work out.  I hope so!

I did take some pictures today

 

Sarah twirls on the floor to the music, it is so sweet!

 

Here she is resting for a minute but it looks like she is praying...how sweet:)

 

 

 

this is Sam's seat right on the front row.  He sits and listens to his daddy preaching.  He won't get up till church is over. 

 

 

After church I took these pictures, I could almost "fill a pew" :) 

 

My crew:)

 

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Today a year ago was Orthodox Easter 2012!

 

We went to the local Russian Orthodox Church.  It was very interesting to be there.  Actually the service was just walking with the hundreds of others who walked through the church.  There was no sermon or anything.  People walked through and did the sign of the cross and kissed various artifacts there.  It was unusual, no music or anything.  Then the people lined up outside, with their Easter food for a blessing. 

 

We had also gone the week before for "Willow Sunday"  They call it that rather than Palm Sunday like we do.  They also have weeping willow branches they carry, much like we have palm branches.  I wish I'd been braver that Sunday and taken pictures... Little did I know a Willow Tree would save my children's lives....  (Jon caught the ONE branch that was hanging over the Erie Canal and pulled himself and the kids still in the stroller up on it!  The branch gave Jon the help he needed to get their heads out of the water. )  Life is ironic isnt' it?

 

 

On "Willow Sunday" we gave towards their new sanctuary as well as bought willow limbs (that we kept the whole time we were there) so we got blessed.  We didn't get blessed on Easter but I have some video that shows how wet you get, getting blessed:)

 

 

These pictures are taken on our way to church.  We walked with the neighborhood

 

the ladies carried their food baskets for blessings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sam is always happy for church

 

 

 

Jon and the Cossack guard.  he was our friend from the week before! 

 

 

Now we met all the guards.

 

 

 

children ringing the bells in the tower

 

 

guard dog.  they seemed pretty serious about security!

 

 

 

 

Ok the guard took us on a tour...on EASTER to see the priest's hog pen! 

 

 

 

 

Easter picture with the guard's daughter.  I think she liked Steve!

 

 

 

 

YES we are standing in front of the hog pen...THIS is OUR Easter pictures...LOLOLOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our guard friend must have been helping with communion...he was a little "happy"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting for the blessing.  This just cracked me up.  As a Pentecostal who has been to many services where folks have lined up to be prayed for, I couldn't help but be reminded.  I was just glad no one was falling out on the ground LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the priest blessing them with holy water

The two ladies on his right were singing.  they must be the "church ladies" cause we went to a "service" later in the week and they sang/chanted also

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yes we were watching

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some videos, very interesting

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of Easter 2012

 

Lots of memories.....

 

 

By the next week we'd found the Pentecostal Church in town and went there where we made beautiful friendships.  We didn't speak the same language but we shared a love that was deep. 

 

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PLEASE PRAY FOR SELAH!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selah Update ------ Downtown Torez Ukraine

Life can change in an instant....Selah was doing so good the last few days.  Yesterday her heart rate kept edging up.  We had started having issues getting the Cipro in her gtube.  She may have gotten some on Thursday but by Friday it had jelled too much and was too thick.  I called the doctor and he sent in another prescription for it, thinking that she only needed about 5 more days worth of dosages and maybe the new on would work.  Well we couldn't get any of it in.  Cipro is a good strong antibiotic but it's not really meant for gtubes, it's too thick.  It even says it on the box and in the paperwork.  So then I called back and we got another antibiotic but not as strong.  She got one dose last night and at 4 am her alarms started going off.  BOO!  Her heart rate is back up, which is not a good sign.  Her day nurse got here and we gave her another dose and we think it maybe starting to work as her heart rate is coming down back to the 90's.  I hope so or she will have to go back in the hospital to be on an IV (no we can't have her on an IV at home per the state law/nursing)

It certainly has affected her tummy, several huge diaper changes!  I'm learning how to "roll" her and clean her up easier.  I'm sure Selah appreciates what I'm learning from the nurses:)

I interviewed a nice lady for night nursing yesterday and she is starting tonight.  I think it will be a good fit.  I'm glad that she can start tonight, since Selah seems a bit unstable.  We had wanted to get someone for a few nights a week, but really realized that we had to have someone in while I'm gone to NY with Sam.  So I'm glad this all seems to have worked out so well.


Sam still seems ok, he keeps his eye shut most of the time but doesn't seem to be in pain.  We check it when we put in the eye drops.  He was already on preventive eye drops so nothing has changed there.

So please keep my little ones in prayer.  I really really hope we can avoid the hospital with Selah this weekend!!!!

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So a year ago today was actually a Saturday.....we couldn't go see the girls but we went on a tour of Torez. 

 

Here are Sam and Steve in the van

 

 

We found a park!!!!!

 

 

Jon & Yvonne

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting fact, the building behind Sam was the Communist Youth Building back "in the day"

 

 

 

Sam seems to be checking out this little girl LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monuments to Miners

 

 

 

Russian Orthodox Chapel downtown

the soccer field

Steve George and Jon in front of the Communistic Youth building

 

A view of the park

 

That's is where we are....

 

two dogs at the bookstore

 

the fam with Lenin

The Square

 

Look a pay phone

 

 

these are Easter cakes, look pretty but we didn't like the taste

 

Headed to the market

 

 

 

 

 

toy store (we went back and were able to buy alot of stuff for the children at the institution)

 

the small pathways at the market

 

 

 

dogs for sale

 

 

 

 

 

I had bought some things for Shad

 

 

Our dear dear George!

 

 

 

Walking back

 

the police station down the road from us.  We were warned that the police might bother us, but we had no problems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our neighborhood

 

 

 

Our building in the middle

 

Hope you enjoy these pictures, each one of them bring back such memories to me. 

 

I guess I can tell  you my dream....my dream would be living there, reaching out to the people, starting a church, starting an orphanage. 

 

I wish I could just pour my life out there....

 

That may never happen but that is my dream, to be back in Ukraine...for good.  We all have dreams, mine is different I'm sure....but that country calls out to me.