Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The doctor, the marriage event and the patient

I have been debating on how to tell this; the latest incredible story surrounding Pat's recent stay at the luxurious Piedmont Hospital. Hopefully, I am not building this up too much, but I think it is a story worth telling to those who need some encouragement or those who need to know that God is still wowing those of us who simply need to occasionally see His handiwork. If you ever doubt that God is greater than any coincident, hopefully, I can do this story justice to show you just how incorrect you are.

Let me provide you with a little background on the players in this story. First, you know the lead player. Pat Guynn, cardiac patient, loving wife and mother, is the key player and ties this whole story together. Jana Guynn, daughter-in-law to Pat Guynn. She is my wife and is also the Executive Producer at North Point Community Church's (NPCC) Married Life marriage ministry. Dr, Gary Smalley, a sweet elderly man whose is the marriage/relationship extraordinaire so well known in christian family ministries. Finally, a mystery player whom I will reveal as the story proceeds. Here we go.

If you are reading this entry, then you know the history behind Pat's recent medical emergency visit to the Cardiac Care Unit at Piedmont Hospital. I'll do a brief recap. It all began on June 8, 2011 when Pat visited the emergency room only to find that she required immediate surgery to repair her aortic artery. The medical care team, nameless characters in our story, but key players in the survival of our main character, spent countless hours facilitating the healing process following Pat's emergency surgery. Pat, as you know, spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, then left the hospital on June 22, 2011; thanks to their incredible care. End of recap.

Jana spent most of the week of June 13th preparing for her Married Life event which was to take place over 2 days on Friday, June 17th and Saturday the 18th. She had been working for nearly two years to coordinate with Gary Smalley and his ministry team to schedule time for him leave his hometown of Branson, Missouri to speak for two days at NPCC for a marriage/parenting seminar. Numerous scheduling conflicts prevented him from coming earlier. Married Life is an event that allows married couples to enjoy an evening out with hundreds of other couples. It is a fun time of music, laughter and a focus on improving their marriages and in this case, parenting as well.

Saturday morning, Gary, Jana and our mystery character were having a conversation prior to the session. At some point in the conversation, Jana and Gary began talking about heart conditions. Gary had apparently suffered a heart attack about seven years ago and almost died as a result of it. It is a life changing time in his life story. Needless to say, today he is a very charming, seventy-something year old man who tells amazing stories about his life, kids, marriage, etc.

To make a relational connection during the conversation, Jana mentioned to Gary that Pat was in the hospital at the cardiac care unit due to a recent emergency surgery that almost took her life as well. Gary asked what hospital she was in, so Jana proceeded to tell him which hospital. "She's at Piedmont Hospital here in Atlanta." About that time our mystery player stepped into the conversation. His name is Dr.Wilmer. Gary introduced Jana and Dr. Wilmer where Gary then informed the good doctor that Jana's mother-in-law happened to be at Piedmont Hospital. Gary then informed Jana that Dr. Wilmer was his cardiologist and he occasionally flew up to Branson to check his "ticker's" status. He then casually informed Jana that Dr. Wilmer is the Chiet of Innovation and New Technologies at Piedmont Hospital. (Small world, huh, wait it gets smaller.)

Jana proceeded to tell Dr. Wilmer of the excellent care that the cardiac team had give to Pat. She mentioned how they had such great attitudes, they were so knowledgeable and that they went out of their way to make not only Pat, but also the entire family feel comfortable and informed. Naturally, Dr. Wilmer was extremely pleased to receive such great reports.

Dr. Wilmer then asked Jana who Pat's surgeon was. She told him. He then replied, "Oh, he is one of the best and he reports directly to me." Dr. Wilmer then asked, who is her cardiologist? Jana told him who Pat's cardiologist was and he replied, "oh, he reports to me as well." (Really small world, huh?)

Dr. Wilmer's curiosity got the better of him when he asked Jana what her mother-in-law's name was. Jana proceeded to tell him where he then responded, "I know of her case very well." "It was a case presented to nearly one-hundered doctors in a recent cardiac gathering." He said she is a very fortunate lady and we are thrilled that she is doing well.

Jana told me later that Dr. Wilmer and his wife attend one of the NPCC campuses and Mrs. Dr. Wilmer volunteers for Jana at some of her Married Life events at the church. One of the more interesting parts of the conversation was when Dr. Wilmer said that there were a couple of the nurses from Pat's Cardiac ICU attending the Married Life event that weekend and that he couldn't wait to tell them that they helped to care for and save the life of the mother-in-law of the Executive Producer at the event that they were attending. (Wait, it gets better.)

This just can not be a series coincidences. This, to me, was God just showing off and I have to say that I enjoyed every twist and turn as Jana told me this story. One of the by products of this story came to fruition when I remembered back around the time that Pat was moved from ICU and just a few days from being released when she said, "I have to tell the story of my time here at Piedmont." "I have to tell people what happened to me and who has crossed my path to help me to recover." Her opportunity was provided on a silver platter. (Watch this.)

When Jana and Dr. Wilmer were talking, he began to get so excited about the great report that he was hearing about how his staff had performed, he asked Jana if she would work with Pat to write a letter which tells of her experience. He wanted names and events that took place during her stay. He said that he believed in giving people the recognition, in public, for a job well done in hopes that it would inspire new stories of great care taking within the ICU and Cardiac Care unit. This was simply icing on the cake to see just how things were orchestrated from the time Pat was admitted to the time she left and Pat now had a chance to tell her story.

And now, our story comes full circle. Dr. Wilmer actually stopped by mom's room prior to her being discharged from the hospital. I know, I couldn't believe it either when she told me. They met. They talked and Dr. Wilmer made his request again, but of mom this time. He asked her to provide him with a note or letter of her experiences during her stay. Naturally, she was thrilled.

This is one more incredibly, miraculous story to add to the other stories previously written about Pat and her cardiac episode. Hopefully, this story will encourage you to see that God can weave amazingly and intricately designed stories in each of our lives if we only look for them. This one was pretty obvious in its incredible-ness. It could not have been orchestrated more perfectly. I have to say, I love it when God shows off.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Had a celebration dinner to celebrate Pat's homecoming from hospital and a late father's day. Both are doing so great. We are so blessed to have each other.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Great news, Pat is being released from the hospital.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

June 19, 2011 6:21pm

Hello everyone, Pat here. I wanted to let you know that we have had a huge step forward today. We are looking at potentially going home in the next few days. Thank you for your prayers and your love and support for my family.

Too many times, I am guilty of taking scripture for granted. You have done an amazing thing for me in that you have made scripture more real for us. Perhaps you share my same sentiment. The word of God is alive. It is real. God's word through prayer has been instrumental in my healing. His word does not come back void.

Psalm 91 has been instrumental in the way my family has been praying for me and practicing the faith and confidence that they each share in their belief in God. God has been faithful through so many different event in this story, too many to go into now, but I feel certain that Stephen will share them with you at a later time.

I want to simply say thank you. Thank you for your encouragement, prayers and the time that some of you have spent with Jerry and the family in the waiting area.

God bless you all,

Pat

June 19, 2011 2:34pm

Another move is in the future. We are hopeful today that Pat will be moved to her last hospital room today. The beauty of this move is that it is the last step in allowing her to come home. She continues to improve. No more intravenous medications are being administered. Her vitals are great and recovery is miraculous to say the least.

Later today, I will update the blog with and incredible story that brings Pat's visit full circle.
Thank you again for your prayers and love for Pat and the family.

Friday, June 17, 2011

June 17, 2011 10:11 am

We continue to be amazed at the events that have happened over the last 10 days. Pat continues to recover from her serious ordeal. I think that over the past weekend, the roller coast of emotions hit most of us and now we are a little numb and weary from the emotions that we have had to face. Our mother's mortality, and even our own mortality have been in our reflective moment together as a family and individually throughout our times when we are not at the hospital visiting together.

Psalm 91 has been a strength to us all. In times when we were fearful to times of elation, we saw and continue to see God's faithfulness, not only in Pat's life, but in our own lives in the way we chose to apply this chapter to our day to day activities. We could chose to live in fear and for fear of losing our mother and wife, but there is a peace in relying on someone bigger than ourselves. God is true to His word and His love for us all if we just take the chance.

Every time I think of taking a chance or a leap of faith, I think of the Indiana Jones movie where his father was shot in the cave by the Nazi who wanted Indy to go find the Holy Grail. Indy is required to step out into what looks like a bottomless valley, but as he steps out, his foot hits an invisible bridge. The camera pans around to let the audience see this invisible bridge where he then crosses to the other side of the valley safely. The expression of relief on Indy's face is a visual expression of the emotion we all felt when Pat was given a good report following her surgeries. True faith is a leap into the unknown.

To look back and reflect on the moments of miracles and goodness are so encouraging to see just how God wants to respond to our faithfulness. His response to our fears is the blessing of peace even though we were going through a storm. He never left us, though we did not know what the outcome would be, He was always there to listen and to be with us.

He has blessed me with a family that is close; that loves to laugh, that loves to celebrate times of success. That same family is there to console when times of pain or worry are so strong that perhaps we don't want to face the day. There is a strength in family and community. To be surrounded in prayer by people that I may not know is an amazing gift. To know at the instant we need something, we have people that will be there to step up is an incredible gift.

Pat and Jerry both know that love that you have for them. It is nice to share in that community and to see the outpouring of your love and concern for them. Thanks for being there. Thanks for sharing in good times and bad. Thanks for reflecting God's love like never before.

We love you and so deeply appreciate you.
Pat is still doing great. She just needs some sleep. Please pray for peace and rest. It's nearly impossible to get any kind of quality rest here.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

We have been informed that Pat will NOT be allowed to receive any flowers due to hospital CCU policies.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

June 15, 2011 5:07pm

As you can see the blog posts are slowing a bit now that Pat is in the CCU and improving. She continues to improve. She is still on oxygen. Her blood pressure is amazing. She is still on a little blood pressure medicine and she is still doing breathing treatments a few times a day.

The family is visiting now. They are not allowing anyone to visit right now outside of immediate family. Pat is in need of sleep and rest. As badly as you may want to see Pat, please continue to check back here for visitation opportunities when they are allowed. For now, please continue to pray for her recovery.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

June 14, 2011 5:39pm

We just left Pat after the latest visit. She is still in ICU only because there are no rooms in Intermediate Care available. Her oxygen level is improving with treatments. She is tired today after having Benadryl to sleep last night. She is going to rest well tonight, I feel certain.

The nursing staff has been absolutely amazing. We have been so bless to have so many great and knowledgeable people to work with mom. She and dad are so grateful for the care and compassion that they have shown Pat. Many of her past nurses have stopped by even though they are not assigned to her just to check on her. Pat is such an amazing woman, making her caregivers feel so appreciated and loved.

The ICU is not nearly as busy as it has been in days past, so it is much quieter. Please continue to pray for Pat's healing and that another room becomes available at some point soon. By moving to another room, visitation will be more lenient. This will be a longer road to recovery than her previous surgery, given the seriousness of it.

Please pray for dad as well. As expected, he is tired. I think the week is catching up with him, but he still feels the need to be with Pat at every moment he can. He is still keeping visitation to 20 minutes so that mom doesn't get tired.

This will be the final post of the day unless something changes.

June 14, 2011 12:06

GREAT NEWS! Dad just called. He said that they are looking for a room to move Pat into today. It will be an intermediate ICU room in cardiac care where she will still recuperate. The need for such observation that was require in the ICU is no longer needed. God is just full of surprises.

Here we were thinking she would be in ICU for another day and as Emeril says, BAM! now she is being moved.

June 14, 2011 11:31am

I spoke with Jerry earlier this morning. He said that Pat is doing well with the exception of her oxygen levels. She is hovering a little lower than the medical staff would like for her to be before they can move her out of ICU. Dad is concerned that she is speaking too much so his protective nature has kicked in by allowing only 20 minute visits for the family. He wants his girl out of ICU badly. Regretfully, she will remain in ICU for at least one more day.

Her status today is phenomenal given the seriousness of her condition last week. Pat says that she has little pain. She is taking very little pain medication. She is not sedated at all. Her vitals are incredible and she continues to perform miraculously when asked to walk in place or even march a little. She simply needs to improve her oxygen intake.

My mom is an amazing lady, but you already knew that.

Monday, June 13, 2011

I just left Pat. She is doing great. Oxygen levels are still slightly low but considering where we were a week ago, they are pleased with her progress.

June 13, 2011 12:00

It's another day and another opportunity to see what God has in store for us. Pat is doing great! Her oxygen levels dropped a little last night, so as a precaution, her nurse has her on additional oxygen. We can only assume that this will prevent her from moving into a cardiac care room and out of ICU, but at this time we are simply going to wait and see.

Dad has visited her at 9:00 and 11:00 this morning. Pat still has so much to say even though the nursing staff encourage her to limit her speech. Dad has brought out the pen and pad to help her and him since he said that he has a difficult time understanding her with the oxygen mask on.

When you think of her throughout the day, please continue to lift her up in your prayers.

Thank you.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

June 12, 2011 6:25

Just a quick update and a funny story from the day. Pat is doing incredibly well. She finally has her voice back as mentioned. For those that don't know a ventilator is a tube connected to a pump that goes down the throat and into the lungs. It breaths for you.

Since her mouth was full of ventilation tubing, she could not speak. Now that the ventilator is out, she has so much to say. Her mother, came in to visit. This was huge for both of them. She and her mom talk every day. When they couldn't it left a bit of a void for Pat's mom. Now that they have seen each other and had a chance to talk, everything seems as it should be between them.

The family is going back in shifts to visit. Pat's voice is weakening as the day goes on, but there is no stopping this energizer bunny from saying what's on her mind. Earlier, today, the nurse said that she needed to avoid talking as much. Dad kept telling her to stop talking so much. Pat continued carrying on in conversation. Later, Dad joking told her that he was going to put the tubing back in so that she could not talk. Mom's response, "No you won't, I'll take you out!"

She and dad and the rest of the family are so relieved after knowing just how serious this truly was. We feel like we have our spirited wife and mother back. In a way it is our own Lazarus story.

I was a little overwhelmed at the series of miracles that we have been witness to this week. Many of them have been documented in this series of blogs. I can't tell you just how faith building it truly is to pray to God, ask him for a miracle, then see it come to pass in a short period of time. I know that this does not happen always, but we have seen God's hand work through the medical staff and the resilience of Pat Guynn time and time again this week. It is a result of a prayerful, faithful community of family and friends. Your faith, I believe is one of the key elements to Pat's miraculous recovery; thank you!

The story will hopefully continue with a move to a regular cardiac card room during the day tomorrow. Pat is working hard to recuperate. She is doing everything the medical staff are asking of her with gusto and attitude (except for not talking).

Until tomorrow, the journey continues. Good night.
The family is so encouraged by Pat's amazing strength and persistence. She has been talking faster than her mind can keep up. They have had her walking.
Great news, Pat is awake and talking. They had her up and marching earlier this morning. Pats mother will be able to visit in a few minutes. Another miracle.
Praise God! Pat is now off of the ventilator. Not sure if she is speaking yet. Dad will visit her at 9:00.

June 12, 2011 6:30 am

Laura just called in to check on Pat. They are attempting to see if the ventilator can be removed this AM. We are hoping it goes away today. Stay tuned.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

June 11, 2011 5:27pm

We are back from the 5:00 visit. We have learned that unfortunately, the ventilator will not be removed today. They will try again tomorrow. Every other obstacle has been conquered. Other than that, there have been no significant changes in Pat's condition. We are still encouraged by what an amazingly strong woman she is.

This whole journey, as a family, has been incredible to be a part of. It is interesting how everyone automatically slips into their role when a crisis hits. I wonder how other families cope with crises, especially those who may not have the knowledge that none of this is a surprise to God? He knew this would happen. Why, He allowed it, I don't know, but He says He loves us and He does what is best for us. He may seem like a cruel God to allow something like this to happen to our mother. I suppose we could chose to believe that way, but instead, we are a family of faith. We believe that God has a plan and a purpose for everything that happens; good or bad. It is our role as His kids to look for the lesson. There is a lesson for each of us to take away from this that will influence someone else's life. Through each episode that life doles out to us, there is an opportunity to better understand God and ourselves.

I know that this may seem so foreign to some, but it is a way of life for our family. Do we practice this all of the time? Without hesitation, I would answer no, but when we do, there is a peace that comes from relying on a God that I know loves you and me. That peace is even stronger when I realize how the Creator of the universe knew you and me before we were born. He designed our bodies to survive on the planet that he created to live among other people in community. He has allowed us to know Him if we want to and He gave us a plan that will allow us to spend all eternity with Him if we chose to. He is so big and we are so small yet he knows how much or how little hair, in my case, that we have on our heads. He wants us to call Him Father. That's overwhelming, amazing grace.

Again, I know this seems like such a foreign concept to some, but it is what we as a family believe and know to be true.

Keep the words of encouragement for Pat coming. She loves to hear them.

June 11, 2011 4:02 PM

We are back from the 1:00 visit this afternoon. All I can say is WOW! Pat is doing great. She is still on the ventilator, but there is no doubt that she is all Pat Guynn again. The family visited for nearly 40 minutes. We are so thankful for the leniency of the nursing staff.

The first thing Pat asked us to do, as a family, is to read and pray Psalms 91. We each read 4 verses to cover her, as that seems to be the themed selection from God’s word in this time. We prayed peace and healing over her.

Following prayer, Pat requested to know what happened, so Laura went in to some detail to explain what has happened to her since she was admitted on Tuesday. She was concerned that there was a defect in her previous surgery from two years ago. We assured her that this was not at all related to the last surgery.

Using a red heart shaped pillow that the hospital gives to their heart patients Laura was able to use the heart diagram on that pillow to show Pat where the procedure took place. It was a little who and tell.

Laura explained the procedures; some of the complications and challenges then finalized her overview with current status. Pat seemed very content knowing what happened and now can process it between visits. For those that know her well enough, you know that she likes to be informed.

I think she loved having the family surrounding her bed this afternoon. She is still a little frustrated with how long it takes to communicate. Laura seems to be best at interpreting mom’s questions and requests.

We are continually amazed at how strong Pat is. She has been told just how many of you have been praying and sent well wishes to her. People have been keeping up with Pat’s status worldwide according to the statistic of this blog. I am not surprised because she is one loved lady.

The next family visit is at 5:00, so stay tuned.

June 11, 2011 1:22PM

We just got back from the 1:00 visit to the ICU. Pat looks really good. She was sound asleep when we arrived. About 10 minutes into our visit, Jana said that she wanted to pray with Pat before visitor swap with Brian and Laura. As Jana leaned over to quietly pray into Pat's ear, Pat awoke. She immediately recognized Jana and gave her hand a very very strong squeeze.

Pat recognized Jerry and me when she awoke as well. She is very quiet this afternoon, not nearly as restless and she seems to be at peace. We are still very hopeful that the ventilator will be removed later today.

I know that we have asked that you pray for Pat, but I would ask that you simply tell God - Thank you. Thank Him for the wisdom of the physicians and medical staff that detected Pat's condition. Thank Him for the amazing Dr. Brown who has done so many of these surgeries he could do them blindfolded. Thank God for the ICU staff that are taking care of Pat. Thank Him for the rapid recovery that we have seen this week in mom. Thank Him that all of the complications where quickly met with a rapid resolution. Thank Him that we did not lose Pat. Finally, thank God for what He has in store for Pat to do.

We love you and appreciate you.

June 11, 2011 12:05PM

There really is no new news today. Pat continues to recuperate. There is still hope that they will take Pat off of the ventilator today. Pray and be thankful.

June 11, 2011 8:30AM

Good morning all. I forgot to mention that during the last visit last night Pat gave the family three big smiles. Beauty for ashes. Isaiah 61:3

June 10,2011 11:55pm

First, let me apologize for the low number of posts today as well as the tardiness of this last post of the day. I have not been at the hospital since 1:30 this afternoon. I was not allowed back to visit mom at the 1 o’clock slot due to another patient arriving at that particular visiting hour.

I have received first hand reports from those that stayed with Pat today after the 1 o’clock visit, so this is a recap of all visits at once. Everything is A-OK. The meds that Pat was given at 9:00 this morning are working. Her kidneys are responding. She is still a little sedated, but not nearly as much as in days past. The family tells me that Pat continues to communicate as best she can though she is not yet able to speak due to ventilation. Her vitals are strong.

So with all of that said, there is the possibility that ventilation will be removed tomorrow. They are introducing liquid food, which they think she is now able to handle which is another positive step in the right direction.

I was told tonight that much of the family was allowed to see her at the last visit. I could tell this morning that Pat was frustrated that she could not communicate with us, so I suggested this afternoon by phone that perhaps someone see if she had the strength or dexterity to be able to write responses.

At one point during the last visit of the day, Pat was asked if she needed anything so she took Mary’s hand, her sistet, to write imaginary letters on Mary’s palm. It was difficult to disciple what she was writing, so someone asked Pat’s nurse if they had a pad and something to write with. When they handed it to Pat, she began to write a single word that was barely legible since the letters did not quite line up the way Pat’s handwriting usually appears.

After a little time of truing to figure it out, Pat simply held her hands together. It was at that time everyone realized that she wanted them to pray. She wrote P-R-A-Y but they could only make out the R and the A. Once they figured it out, they all got down to business and did just what Pat requested. They prayed.

I would ask you to continue to do that as well. Pray, not only for Pat and the family but also for your family and the situations that you may be facing. Perhaps God is trying to get your attention or perhaps He has your attention and wants to teach you something. Ask Him to give you wisdom and He will. He is a big God and He has big love for us all.

Thanks again for your sweet comments following some of the posts. I have passed them on to Pat. It is not only encouraging to her, but also to the family. God bless you all for what you have done for the Guynns. We love you and appreciate your continuous outpouring of love.

Friday, June 10, 2011

June 10, 2011 2:30 Update

I was not able to visit Pat at 1:00 as hoped but the word from dad is that she's doing great. There are NO negative changes. Keep praying for healing and peace.

June 10, 2011 10:20

Dad and I are at the hospital this morning. We managed to both get a pretty good night's sleep. Dad looks more rested so thank God for that.

We saw Pat this morning. What an amazing way to start the day. The patient care administrator who is the liaison between families and medical staff saw us walk in. She cornered dad to let him know that Pat is doing remarkably well. She is responding to nurse and doctor commands like raising two fingers and opening her eyes when asked. This is HUGE according to the surgeon. We don't think about how much goes into hearing, acknowledging, then responding to it.

When dad and I went back at 9:00, we were surprised to see that though still sedated, she was propped up in bed. We introduced ourselves to the new nurse. I looked over at mom while dad was talking and saw eyes, though very very drowsy, popped open as she seemed to recognize dad's voice.

She is progressing along better than expected. Her renal production is still a little off from normal function, but they are not at all discouraged because this is normal following the kind of journey Pat has been on since Monday.

Dad and I were the only ones at the 9:00 visit, so we were able to spend some time updating mom on what has happened since Monday. We told her where she was and what day it was. We informed her of your love and concern for her. With eyes partially opened she listened as we described her status.

Again, being privy to the tender moments between she and dad, I continue to be amazed at their love for each other. Dad was telling mom that he was so proud of her and how much he loved her and missed her. With that, she managed to raise an arm to place her hand on his shoulder. They both looked each other eye to eye. Though Pat was not able to say anything, through her drowsy, glassy eyes, she didn't have to. Hopefully dad won't mind me letting you into their special moment.

She was trying to get comfortable so she seems a little agitated. I asked her if she was hot. She nodded her head affirming my suspicions. I asked her if she wanted me to move her blankets off her legs. She affirmed me again. When the nurse said she seemed cold, mom quickly and with purpose shook her head no!

I don't know why we are amazed at her progress, but we continue to love God's faithfulness and the miracles he allows us to experience during this journey.

Keep praying and stay tuned. I will update you after the 1:00 visit.

June 10, 2011 6:30am

To all who worry, Isaiah 26:3-4 - You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! A timely discovery from God's word.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

June 9, 2011 8:30 visit

It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions since this whole story started. Today's continuation of the ride consisted of several encouraging signs from Pat as she had a good day of improvements.

As mentioned earlier, Pat was very active today even under sedation. One of the nurses said that she remains pretty quiet during non-visiting hours, but that she is definitely more active when we are there visiting. They are encouraged by how active she becomes. We want to think she is responding to us but who knows what is truly going on? We will chose to believe that she IS responding to us. She's probably wanting to say can't you be quiet, I'm trying to sleep here or hush, you'll disturb the other patients.

At the 8:30 visit tonight, Pat was fully sedated to make her sleep. She was very peaceful. She slept while we held her and told her how much we love and miss her.

Though he is showing signs of weariness from this, Dad is encouraged by each visit with her as this journey has been a series of peaks and valleys up until yesterday. Today, it seemed to be a series of peaks with little nuggets of encouragement from her improvements, the doctor's reports and the nurse's interactions. We as a family continue to be encouraged by her improvements and hope to see her awake soon.

One of the nuggets of encouragement at the 5:00 visit was when in her drowsy, sleep induced state, she managed to open her eyes for brief moments when we spoke to her. Keep in mind that she is sedated to sleep, but seemed to respond anyway. She would even attempt to sit up in her sleep. This is one strong woman. Have I mentioned that in any of my recent posts (he says jokingly)?

Dad is now home early to bed. It is quiet and the reflection of the day is at the forefront of my mind. We continue to be encouraged. We continue to see God's hand at work, even in the bad times. We know that the right people are in the right place at the right time to not only help Pat to heal, but to also see what a loving family that I am blessed to be a part of. We are ready to be whole family again; our matriarch and patriarch, united, healthy and strong, fighting for truth, justice and the American way. Sorry it's late and I am signing off for now.

Good night and God bless.

June 9, 2011 1:00 PM

Since the 11:00 visit, there are no changes. Dad is getting ready to head back for the 1:00 visit. Mom's cardiologist stopped by after hearing about Pat's emergency. He was shocked that she was back given how great she had been doing since her previous surgery. He recapped with us all that had happened. There were no additional surprises that we did not already have knowledge of.

He did say that it was a miracle that Pat recognized something was not right with her body. She payed attention to it and as a result, she and the medical staff are where they are today rather than the mortal alternative. It is also a miracle that this happened as it did because she and dad were planning to leave for a two week trip out of town. Thank you Lord.

Dad is jokingly whispering to mom when he visits her that she needs to wake up so that they can go to the beach to rest and recover. I love his peace and sense of humor about the whole thing. We all just want to see her baby blues opened once again, but we must wait while God does His handywork to restore mom's body so that she can be that same feisty, energetic lady we all know and love.

We don't expect there to be too many more changes to update you about today, but should anything occur, I will provide details. We are simply waiting for her to respond to current treatment which could take another day or two. Otherwise, look for another entry after 8:30 visit to ICU.

June 9, 2011 9:40 am

We just came back from seeing Pat this morning in the ICU. Her color still looks great. The nurse said that her heart looks very good and she seems to continue to be improving from the surgery. They are still working to improve her electrolytes. Yesterday, her potassium levels were too low, so today they are elevated. Her blood sugar is a little high. A renal specialist who does this every day has been called in to level out her electrolytes where she needs to be before they will wake her. This is a normal occurrence so there is no need for alarm.

She is responding well to this treatment as they introduce more fluids into her. Pat is still on a ventilator and will remain on it until after they wake her. We were hopeful that they would begin waking her to day, but at this time we have to wait until she responds more to the electrolyte treatments. We are learning to be patient.

Every one rested last night as well as can be expected. As mentioned earlier, the kids all stayed at mom and dad's last night with dad. We were up and out of the house by 7:00 am to be Atlanta traffic. The next family visit will be at 11:00 am.

The medical staff have been amazing. They love seeing the family come back to support Pat

Again, everyone is so appreciative and humbled by the outpouring of love, support and prayers. Stay tuned for further updates later today.
Waiting to go back to see Pat for our first visit this morning. We have heard nothing since last night, so no news is good news.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

June 8, 2011 11:00 PM - Final update for the day

Dad, Laura, Brian and I all were able to see mom tonight for the final visit of the evening at around 8:30. I previously saw her this morning at 11:00 am and she looked good then. Tonight, she looked even better. Her color is improving. Here stats look great. The ICU staff are slowly weening her off of some of the meds with the exception of the sleep inducing meds.

We are excited for tomorrow. If things progress as they have been over the last twenty-two hours, they are looking at potentially waking her up mid-morning tomorrow. We hope to see the doctor at around 8:00 am when he makes his rounds. He will be the one to decide her next steps, but everyone on the medical staff is positive and hopeful.

Laura, Brian and I were all so amazed at the love that our dad has for his sweetheart. As he held her hand and leaned into speak directly into her ear as she slept, we were witness to such a sweet moment. It is so incredible to see the power of love for another, especially when it is from a man who has been provider, protector, disciplinarian, mentor and leader all of your life. I am so thankful for the love that my parents have for each other. This is as a marriage should be; when one one can hold the other up when they need it most.

Dad is such a great example of a man's love for his bride. After all of these years, with the many ups and downs that life has dealt them, they have chosen to love and respect each other and to remain committed to each other in the good times and bad. I love that about my dad.

We are all staying at mom and dad's with dad tonight so that we can get to the hospital early tomorrow morning for another action packed day of 20 minute visits on every odd numbered hour. I think everyone is in need of a good nights rest for another day. Please continue to pray for Pat's recovery as she progresses and improves.

Thanks for the love and prayers throughout all of the communities that the Guynn families are connected to. You are true friends and you have made this challenging time more tolerable.

Be blessed and give thanks to the one who made Pat and Jerry Guynn. I think we are all a little better for having them in our lives.

Good night.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011 12:40 pm

At this time, there has been little change in Pat's condition. She is still medicinally sedated so that she will sleep for at least 24 hours. She is consistent and stable. All vitals are good.
The doctor wants her to rest as she heals. He plans to remove sedation tomorrow.

Please continue your prayers. They are working.

John 16:33 - “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

June 7, 2011

As many of you may know, Pat was sent to the emergency room on her own power on June 7, 2011, then admitted into the hospital following some discomfort in her lower abdomen. Test showed that she was potentially dealing with a torn or damaged aortic artery or aneurism. There was concern over the fact that it could rupture so she was admitted into for surgery immediately. A surgery of this type takes between 5 and 6 hours.

Following this initial surgery, Pat's heart and blood flow through the right side of her heart was not functioning as it should, so it required a second surgery, a bypass surgery to replace some of the bad tissue which allows a strong flow of blood to the heart.

After a bit of a scare with a second surgery which took about an hour, Pat was moved into the ICU where she is currently recuperating from the ordeal. Compared with her previous heart valve repair surgery two years ago, this one is significantly more complex.

I will provide more details of the procedure at a later time, because when Pat awakes, she will want to read this to know what happened. If you know her, she likes to be informed.

The family is encouraged by her progress, thankful for the doctors and nursing staff. She has a challenging road ahead for recovery, but this is Pat Guynn we are talking about and we know just how strong she truly is.

It's no big surprise to the Guynns that God has blessed us through this ordeal. He providing small nuggets of His hand at work through this. We are so thankful for the amazing things He sometimes reveals to us in such a scary time. His love is so evident through friends and family. His grace is amazing as we meet the medical staff and are able to take advantage of their medical wisdom and incredible demeanor.

We know that Pat will have a story to tell us all once she is able to. Her strength and tenacity are evident even as she is unconsciously recovering this morning. Naturally, we don't like going through an ordeal such as this, but if we have to, we tend to look for what good can come out of a situation. This, though difficult, has been a real faith builder in God. He still performs miracles and by that, we are truly amazed.

Please join us as we pray for her healing and rapid recovery. Please pray for Jerry as he spent a portion of the night at the hospital last night, so he too needs rest, but does not want to miss a moment to be at his sweetheart's side.

That is all for now.

Psalms 91