Rolf just talked with the surgeon and Rudy will be back in his room in about 30 minutes. He was able to “tie off” the duct and did some other things while he was in there…more detail on that later I’m sure. Dr. Reemtsen said there is an 85% chance this will address the problem so our prayers continue that Rudy’s body will respond as it should!!! Please pray for a quiet and comfortable night for Rudy and a safe trip home for Rolf later tonight. Okay, (BIG sigh) the end of another day…I’m so grateful God’s mercies are new every morning!
Category: Trish’s Posts
5pm…He’s In.
I just got the call here at home from Rolf in the surgery waiting room that Rudy went into the OR at 5pm. There was some delay in getting him to the OR as the attending CTICU doctor couldn’t release Rudy until they got some numbers back from the lab but he’s there now…Dr Reemtsen’s part will be done in 30 minutes, Rolf will probably see him in about 90 minutes and I’m pacing the kitchen floor at home in Santa Barbara. It has been good for me to be home with the kids today doing school drop offs/pick ups, football practice transport and going on the Girl Scout Brownie field trip (taking cookies to the fire fighters!) but I must say it is agony not being with Rudy too. I’ll head back to take my shift with Rudy tomorrow morning and stay until Friday most likely. Please pray that this procedure will do what it is supposed to and that this will be the push Rudy needs to get past this “fluid” hurdle and positioned for some progress once he recovers from surgery. Thank you…thank you!
Coming to pull the tube…
It’s 9:40am here in sunny So Cal and the doctors just finished their morning rounds. Although Rudy had a little hiccup around midnight when his saturation numbers went up and his blood pressure went down, they’ve decided to go ahead with the extubation. Dr. Rick feels Rudy has a 60% chance of success but they really don’t know until they try. Nurse Rosella just came in to get him positioned! Poor thing, he has no idea what’s going to happen…Rolf and I are pacing the floor for him. We’ll keep you posted….
Please Pray for Cesar!
There are a handful of families we’ve met since we’ve been in the CTICU that have become very special to us…Ceasar’s family is one of them. Rolf and I have been wanting to introduce you to them through our blog and we will post a longer introduction later but for now will you pray for Cesar today as he is undergoing a second heart transplant as I write? The news that they had a match came late last night and Cesar was taken down for prep around 3am! We’ve watched this courageous family wait patiently for a heart for their 15 year old son since we met them a few weeks ago. It took my breath away when Cesar’s mom came to Rudy’s room last night and told me they had a heart! It will be a long day for this precious family. Please pray the surgery is successful and that this heart is a perfect match for Cesar…I also can’t help but think of the family of the unknown donor…I pray God’s covering over them as well…Bless them!!!
On The Move…at 6 weeks old!
“Well, we’re movin’ on up (movin’ on up) to the top. To a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y”…
Logan’s mommy and I were singing “The Jeffersons” theme song today as we paraded around Rudy’s room waiting for his crib to arrive. Yes, I said CRIB. Just minutes before, when I came back from lunch, Nurses Filma and Rosella were busy preparing Rudy and all his lines for a switch to a crib…a big boy bed!
It was quite a production requiring help from Oscar the RT as the ventilator needed to be turned off completely for a minute or two during the transfer. Soon Nurse Filma lifted Rudy up, the bassinet was wheeled out, the crib was wheeled in and Rudy was chillin’ in a new comfy bed. An indication that he is “on the move”.
Today was Rudy’s 6-week birthday and he celebrated by successfully completing 2 four-hour sprints. They started him off on a three-hour sprint early this morning and when he reached 3 hours with relative ease, they let him go for another hour! Good job Rudy. 3-month old Logan, our CTICU neighbor two doors down and a fellow Santa Barbara-ite, was extubated today and I guess Rudy’s urge to compete kicked in because he excelled during his sprints and the docs think extubation is worth a try tomorrow!!!!
(Rudy’s new rig)
Rudy’s Bracelet
Shortly after Rudy’s diagnosis, we had some silicone bracelets made up to distribute to family and friends as a constant reminder to pray for Rudy. The bright, turquoise bracelet with the message “Rudy’s captured my heart” quickly became known as “Rudy’s Bracelet” when we started handing them out the day he was born. They’ve become quite the popular fashion statement here on the central coast (ha) and due to a high volume of requests for them, we’re happy to offer them on Rudy’s Beat. If you would like a bracelet of your own, please send a self-addressed, STAMPED envelope for each bracelet (be sure to put 83 cents of postage on the envelope) to:
Rudy’s Bracelet c/o The Geylings
6250 Avenida Gorrion Ct., Goleta, CA 93117
No Change
Rudy spent Veteran’s Day much like he spent Election Day one week ago…sleeping. He did complete three 2-hour sprints successfully which nurse Katrine and I celebrated this evening. It seems like we’re making progress with the sprints but he does seem to do better with them when he is sleeping. When he is awake, he struggles more for his breaths so I’m praying he will learn how to calm himself down while awake and settle into a relaxed breathing pattern. On the list for tomorrow?…More sprinting and sleeping.
The fluid from his chest tube on his right side is still draining – fluctuating a bit in the amount so they are “keeping an eye on it”. I think everyone would be relieved if it just stopped completely. It remains an issue until it does.
It’s quite late and Rudy is sleeping so I think I’ll hit the hay as well…Sleep tight!
A Mother’s Love
The picture of “a mother’s love” was painted for me many times over this weekend…as I reflected on my monther-in-law’s willingness to take care of my home and children for 6+ weeks, in my mother’s efforts to fly all the way out from Kansas for a mere 48 hours in order to get back before my dad begins his radiation treatments this week, and in the grace with which the Mannings let their little Katie go – peacefully in Vickie’s arms. All emotionally moving in their own way and all very vivid reminders that what Rudy is embroiled in is serious requiring great sacrifice and vulnerability. Even now as I sit and watch him labor through an attempt at a 3 hour sprint off the ventilator, I’m struck by the obvious – he is in a fight for his life. Not to minimize the progress he has made so far, but because my son can’t breathe on his own beyond a 3 hour exercise, it is hard, sometimes, to imagine an existence for Rudy beyond what he has known so far.
I’ve come to realize that one of my greatest desires, as a mother, is for my kids to be known…to be understood and appreciated for their unique gifts and talents…nothing blesses me more than when others take the time to invest in my kids whether it is their teachers, church leaders, close friends or family…it means so much to me. The desire for Rudy to be known (even in the isolation of an ICU) is just as strong as with my other kids which is why I’m so grateful for the medical team that genuinely cares for him in so many ways I never could, for the visitors who have witnessed in person how truly soulful the look in his eyes is and for the blog that has allowed us to share Rudy with so many in far away places!
Thank you for your faithful investment in our family through your constant love, prayers and support during this time. Sacrifices that are not lost on us!
No Surgery!
In the wake of Katie’s passing with grief and much concern for Alan, Vickie and their families, it is hard to know where to go with our own updates about Rudy…so many thoughts and feelings to process and yet, many of you are eager to know what’s going on today…I feel the need to post a more “thoughtful” update but for now let me just say that Rudy’s surgerical procedure has been cancelled. The doctors had me sign a consent form last night “just in case” but the xrays came back looking good and after the rounds this morning, they decided the procedure wasn’t necessary. I will share more later and, as always, thank you for your prayers!
Cuddle-bug
Okay, these pictures really don’t do him justice but I walked into Rudy’s room last night after the evening shift change to find the little guy snuggled so sweetly…Nurse Pam had run her tests, cleaned him all up and got him all settled on his side. He looked like such a big boy cuddled up to Pooh! Around 10pm he got turned to the other side and slept very comfortably and soundly all night long! So sweet!
Yesterday was uneventful…It was fun to see Dr. Robert back on the floor after a couple of weeks. Because Rudy’s surgical procedure was postponed, he spent the day just hanging out. He battled high blood pressure but didn’t seem too bugged by it. Yesterday was one of those fun days with Nurse Denise where he was awake and alert a good bit of the day but comfortable and not anguished. The fluid draining from Rudy’s lungs has remained the same…they will continue to monitor this the next couple of days and then decide whether or not to do the surgery on Monday. The big news of the day came when we got the test results back from the Infectious Diseases people confirming that Rudy is infection-free so the order came to take him off of three antibiotics! Yippy! He also had a couple of successful hour-long ventilator sprints again which is always encouraging so I believe the plan for today will be to continue exercising his lungs.
Rolf came back to UCLA early this morning and we will both head home to Santa Barbara late tonight for some time with the kids and the, always special, Rescue Mission Recovery Program Graduation tomorrow night.
Rudy's Beat 
