This blog post is part of a series that I began for telling our story. You can read the first post here.

From this point forward, I’m going to be sharing the text of posts as they were written at the time. Some will come from this blog; others, from our CaringBridge site. I may from time to time write my own reflections after re-reading, but mostly I will just be sharing words as they were written. So much of this journey for me is revisiting what happened, and realizing just how difficult the journey was for us. And now, seeing how far we’ve come since that time.

So many tests, so many results. The MRI was by far the worst.

From CaringBridge, written on April 27 by my sister:

We are rejoicing with more positive news!!! Samantha’s white count had been 188 at the first lp (normal is 0-5) and it was 30 this time which is a significant decrease. Her sugar was 0 the first time (normal is around 40) and it was 15 this time which is a significant increase! Also her body temperature is seeming to be regulating itself now. Also her clinical exams (vs. the testing stuff) is great which so encouraging to the doctors – and us as well! We are so happy and excited with this news – praise the Lord!!!!! Now we wait for the next MRI which will also include an MRA and MRV – I’m not totally sure what all those tests do / show but it will give a much better picture of where she’s at and where we go from here. For now I just feel like we are bubbling over with joy in our Lord and giving thanks and praise to Him for the awesome healing He is performing in Samantha. Please continue to pray and also give thanks with us for His grace and healing – thank you!!!

Samantha is breathing on her own!!!!!! She is on CPAP and she is still intibated, but the hope is that she will keep doing well with it and they will be able to take the tube out tomorrow and just have her on a monitor – WOW!!!! Also her igg was back up to normal (now 800 up from 200), this is the report from immunoligy. We are just having praise after praise 🙂 Thank you God!

I got a really cute picture of her this afternoon that I added to the photos – she is just wide-eyed. Hopefully over the next few days there will be less and less tubes. She is really fighting the intibation – gagging and coughing – she even pulled the tube off at one point during a diaper change – yay Samantha!! Praise the Lord!

From CaringBridge, written on April 28 by my sister:

Samantha will be going for her MRI soon. Lots of prayers for a healthy looking brain on the scan please! God is so good!

They still haven’t taken Sammy down for her MRI. She is at a trauma one hospital so she keeps getting bumped by emergency cases. We are so very thankful that she isn’t an emergency case, but its frustrating because that can’t take the vent tube out until after the MRI. Thank you for your on-going prayers! Keep them coming for this little miracle!

From CaringBridge, written on April 29 by my sister:

They were able to take Samantha very late last night for her MRI. results should be in later today. Around 11:30 this morning they plan to take her tube out from the vent – so lots of prayers today that things are smooth and positive. Thanks for checking in on her!

The preliminary consult on the MRI was not good news. It has progressed to ventriculitis. They now believe that this is just the beginning of the disease as opposed to the end as we were hoping and praying for. Now waiting on neuroradioligist and neurosurgeon to give more information and where things go from here. Our hearts are heavy as once again the MRI results are not what we hoped for….”though He slay me, yet I will put my trust in Him” Job 13:15 – our hope is in the Lord. We will continue to lift precious Samantha to Him in prayer.

Next post coming tomorrow.