Another long day at the Labrum home but we are once again touched by the peace that can come after a storm.  We woke up this morning feeling just as gloomy as the weather here in Chicago.  Dad and I went straight to the hospital to visit with mom.  She wasn't very responsive today but it is always nice to see her.  At the end of our visit we met with one of her doctors who told us the blood flow in two arteries had decreased since yesterday and they were concerned.  They were planning on putting in another central line to give her medicine to increase her blood pressure and hopefully this would open up the arteries. Instead, they decided to do an angiogram to get the best possible result the quickest. The news was hard to swallow, especially after hearing there were no concerns yesterday.  Dad and I said good bye to mom and headed home.  Again the drive was difficult, the rain continued to fall, traffic was congested, and our hearts were aching...then came the tender mercies.

As we prayed for moms procedure to go smoothly we felt a peace that once again our Heavenly Father was aware of our family.  We began to gain a more clear perspective, to be grateful for the awareness of the doctors and their ability to work quickly.  I once heard someone say that if you hold a pebble up to your eye it seems like a mountain but if you toss it onto the ground it is just a rock on your path.  At times I feel that this is the largest mountain I have ever seen, the rocks are jagged, the fog is thick, and the path is endless.  It is almost too difficult to breathe.  Yet, it is in these moments that the clouds part and a small ray of sunshine peaks through.  After moms procedure Brandon went back to the hospital to visit mom.  He said the procedure went fine and when he walked into her room her eyes were open and she was more alert...a ray of sunshine!

The doctors continue to remind us that this is a marathon!  For those of you who don't know me...I am not a runner! But I am learning to be a little more patient each day and look for those rays of sunshine. Once again we are touched by your support, love, and especially your prayers.

Love,
Brittney  

Another Day to be Grateful

It has been almost two weeks since the accident. Much has happened that has taught us about the fragility of life, the importance of family and faith and the influence a loving Heavenly Father has on His children. The past two weeks have been filled with lots of prayers, tears and wonderful blessings. That might sound strange when there is so much travail and sorrow, but we have found that just as things become darkest, a guiding light shines through bringing peace and hope to a struggling husband, father, children and friends.

Throughout this journey, we have witnessed many little things that reaffirm we are not alone. Despite a helicopter trip, two life flights and four ambulance rides, we are grateful for so many who have done so much. Physicians and nurses that have given care to Sherrie have all commented on how lucky we are to have such wonderful children...we both agree! In all the places we have been we depart the hospital with gratitude for Doctor's and Nurses's that have become an important part of our life as they have given great care and sensitivity to my sweetheart.

The last two days have been full of x-rays, scans, probes, tests and despite all the transfers, transfusions and trauma, Sherrie continues to be strong. The doctors had an initial concern yesterday that one of the arteries in her brain may have restricted flow, but all came back fine. She has been running a bit of a fever, but to date, it is not due to infection. Doctors contribute it to the healing going on in the brain. It is very common for patients that stay stationary for long periods of time to get pneumonia. For Sherrie that is not the case. As of this evening, she is stable, continues to breathe on her own and even yawns from time to time. All of these small yet important blessings are "tender mercies" sent from heaven of which we are very grateful.

We are at the point where we now wait and watch. Tomorrow they will put a feeding tube directly into her stomach. This will be important as she makes her way from the ICU into a Rehab environment. As the doctors told us today, "this will be a marathon". So far she has made good improvement with every move. As we wait, we will continually use the power of prayer to comfort, heal and receive revelation. We appreciate so very much, all the prayers on Sherrie's behalf. I know they are heard! I know they help and I know that the Lord's will shall be done.  Thanks for caring and may the Lord bless you and your families. Sincerely, Ron

Northwestern

We got to see our Sweet Sherrie yesterday. We sat with her, held her hands, played her messages, read to her and talked. In many ways it was comforting to be able to see her and know that she is here in Chicago and have a reminder that she is alive and fighting. In other ways it was extremely difficult to see her in that bed.

She arrived safely to Northwestern and is all set up in her room in the ICU. They did a few tests yesterday including an MRI. There is still some concern about the blood vessels in her brain. The MRI results were that they did not need to do another angiogram but they are monitoring her closely.

As we approach the 14 day mark tomorrow, we are extremely hopeful and anxious to haver her wake up. Brandon posted this before, but we've been told that a great scenario is for a coma patient to wake up by day 14. Progress is measured at days 14, 30, 60 and 90 and if she has made progress at day 14, she will most likely have continued to make progress at days 30, 60 and 90.

Sherrie is known, lovingly, for being a little late to things but always there. Most often because she is doing 10 different things for other people. Who is to say that she isn't busy right now, and may miss the 14 day mark. True to her style, she will probably show up on her own terms and have a good reason for doing it. We just hope it's close to that 14 days!

We will be fasting on Thursday for peace and for her to wake up. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Grandma Sherrie at the Pumpkin patch with Donovan and Caroline- October 2010

Chicago or Bust

It's Monday night and we just spoke with Ron. We are so relieved to say that Sherrie is coming home tomorrow. All things are set for her to arrive here, in Chicago, tomorrow in the early afternoon. A week and a half ago (seems like 4 months ago) we were wondering how long it would take us to get her to this point. We could not be more grateful or more pleased with the care she has had up until now. However, there is nothing like having her home and within our network of support.

It will take us a few days to figure out how we will rotate to spend the most time at the hospital. She is still in the ICU and only immediate family is allowed in to see her. They do that to keep her environment calm, reduce contamination, etc. The sheer number of Labrums in her immediate family may cause Northwestern to update their policy to be a little more exclusive! Both Northwestern and Sherrie are about to get a heavy dose of Labrum. 

She is still in her coma and we are waiting for her to wake up. She has continued to have eye flutters and moves her mouth quite a bit. Please keep her ability to wake up and have continued progress in your prayers. 

There have been many people who have asked what they can do for us and for Sherrie. For those who are local: once we get our feet under us, we will be organizing a schedule for meals and babysitting. We can't thank you enough for your willingness to help us. 

Those far away: we are playing music, audio clips, reading books and messages and talking to Sherrie. If you want to send an audio message for us to play, email it to: tclabrum@gmail.com. Otherwise, we will still be reading her your emails and blog comments.  

We have a long road ahead of us but we are thrilled that we are still traveling along it. 

 The Krieghbaums and Stephensons planted a garden for Sherrie with all of the ingredients needed for her famous salsa. They put in a sign that reads: "Surround yourself with friendship." Sounds like Sherrie.

A Good Day

We close this day with gratitude for a very loving Father In Heaven who hears and answers prayers. As you have read, we did see Sherrie open her eyes and move more. She is breathing on her own, her vitals are strong and she is infection free. All of these are good indications her brain is healing. We spend a good amount of time each day reading to her and playing recordings from our Grandchildren. If there is anything that can repair or pierce through her damaged brain, it is the sweet voices of her beloved grand babies. Many thanks to all of you for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Ron

A group of Zach's friends got together to "send their prayers for Mrs. Labrum." 

Great News

This is the kind of post that all of us have been waiting to see. While in church this morning, Ron got a message from Ryder updating him on Sherrie's morning.  Two phenomenal things happened:

1. She opened her eyes several times!!
2. She was able to localize- meaning that she responds to the direct area of stimulation. Example: Before if you were to pinch her shoulder to get a reaction, she would perhaps have eye flutters, move a leg, etc. Now if you were to pinch her shoulder, she would be able to put her arm towards the direct area of the pain, like moving her hand toward her shoulder.

These are both very encouraging and wonderful things. They went directly to the hospital and Ron, Brandon and Brittney have seen her open her eyes.

This doesn't mean she has woken up, but it is significant progress in that direction. The next step will be that she can respond to commands. Then on to having regular sleep and wake patterns.

In other news, we are preparing to have her transported to Chicago on Tuesday. We won't know the specifics until Tuesday morning.

They have done the tracheostomy in preparation for her flight and transfer. To clear up some questions in the comments, she is breathing on her own, but still has tubing. They are basically keeping her air humidified to make sure that her breathing stays moist.

They have replaced all of the tubing that she received in the Dominican. Her feeding tube will soon go directly into her stomach, not her nose. Brandon, Brittney and Ron say that she looks more and more like herself every day as the swelling continues to go down and they keep removing tape, tubes, etc from her face.

We are, as you can imagine, thrilled with the news today and excited to get her back here. We have a fantastic support network here willing and able to help us with everything from babysitting so we can be at the hospital, to meals, transportation and anything in between.

Thank you to you all for your continued prayers, fasts and thoughts. We know we are seeing direct response and miracles based on our petitions to the Lord.

Dear Family and Friends,

This is Brittney.  Today was another difficult day but we are trying hard to stay positive and look for the blessings in everyday we have with our mother.  She received her tracheostomy today and is looking much better.  It is so nice to see her beautiful face without all of the tubes and bandages! In addition, this will help mom be a little more comfortable and will help with any infection.  She started the day with a little fever but we were able to get that back down to normal and continue to watch carefully for any signs of infection.  She continues to move when she hears us talk, or rub her cheek, or if we bug her too much.  Mom always told us when we were young dad would constantly be testing our reflexes; snapping in our ear to see if we turned, placing his finger in front of our eyes and making sure we would follow.  We are doing those types of things now and continue to watch for baby steps.

Each day is difficult and each day we wake up to a harsh realization, but through your prayers and your kind words we feel strengthened.  The other day I talked with a  friend who expressed concern, asking "who is taking care of you?"  I thought about that comment for awhile and then quickly realized the answer is each of you!  The strength to face each day comes from our spouses that are at home working extremely hard to hold down the fort, from the neighbors near each of our homes that are watering flowers, watching kids, bringing food, and offering support, and from countless messages and posts from friends across the world.  We are especially grateful for the prayers being offered throughout the day on her behalf.  I have never needed the prayers of others more in my life and to know that they are being voiced all over the world brings comfort and peace that can not be explained in words.

As we continue to try to work at bringing mom home we ask that you continue to pray for her, that she might stay healthy and that the progress will move forward.  I know that the Lord is blessing us each day with his tender mercies and we will hold tight as we move closer to recovery.  I know that each of you are being blessed for your goodness.  Watch for those tender mercies and feel the peace that He will bring to each of your lives.

I love you all very much and can't wait for the day that we can all stand as a witness of this wonderful miracle!

Love,
Brittney

This is Ron and I can't go another day without expressing my appreciation again for the thousands of wonderful well wishes and prayers for my dear wife. I know Heaven is listening. At the end of this day, I am thankful for the opportunity to be with a great woman for over 34 years. I have learned so many lessons from Sherrie that have helped me over the last week to not wallow in self pity. I miss her beyond anything I could have possibly imagined and it will continue to be difficult for some time. However, she has always taken great joy in her family and she would want me to carry on and make sure all is well in the Labrum household. I have great hope that I will again be able to converse with my sweetheart. It will be a difficult road, but I will wait on the Lord and do all I can to align my will with His. I have been so impressed with my sons, daughter and in-laws. They have added strength beyond my own.  Over the past 30 years I have been in business, I have met many many wonderful people. I have forgotten where many of you have gone and what you are doing. Nevertheless, somehow, someway the message goes forward and I have been very grateful for the many business associates (friends) and your tender comments.

We are more sensitive to small miracles that often get disguised as common and ordinary. I am a firm believer that great things come through small and simple things. We have seen something special, unique and divine each and every day. Thank you for who you are and for being such great friends to me and my wife. Actually, my circle of friends are exponentially larger because of Sherrie. She has carried me along with her unconditional love and even in her current condition, she continues to influence my life for all thats good.

The latest on Mom...

It's raining again today in Miami.  The last couple of days have started out like that - both in our hearts and outside.  You open our eyes to another day and there's a part of you that just can't believe its real.  The feelings and experiences we have had over the last six days have been as real and as poignant and as powerful as any of us have ever felt, yet sometimes it still feels like a really bad dream we'll all wake up from at some point.  You think, "this kind of stuff only happens to other people, not us.  Traumatic brain injury?  That's just not possible."  Yet here we are.  It DID happen to us and we, as a family, are doing our best to navigate these rough and uncharted waters.  As many of you know from your own trials and heartaches, it has been exceedingly difficult.  It's hard to believe its only been six days since mom's fall - it feels more like six months.  We are learning to just keep moving, keep praying, keep hoping...and little by little, we'll figure out what all this means both for mom and for us.

Fortunately, just as the rain has given way to sunshine here as the days progress, our hearts have been strengthened each day by small miracles - memories of mom, kind words from friends and family, good news (or lack of bad news) from doctors, feelings of peace that have helped us get through the day.  We never know where they will come from, but they seem to come at some point everyday. They remind us that God is in charge.  Please remember, we are not religious zealots committed to blind faith, leaving little room for science and modern medicine.  We listen to answers from our doctors just as we listen to answer from our prayers.  We are also not big believers in fate.  Rather, we try to do our best with the decisions that are placed in front of us and turn to a higher power for guidance as we make them.  We believe that God is intimately involved in our lives (more than even the most spiritual individual can begin to understand) and that there is a purpose behind all of this with my mom - lessons to be learned, experience to gain that will help in someway we currently don't understand.  The hardest part seems to lie in the uncertainty - What will happen to Mom?  What will she be like as she progresses?  How long will it take?  Unfortunately, those questions we so desperately ask to will only be answered over time - again, how much we do not know.  The feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming, but we strive each day to put all of this in His hands (and in the hands of highly capable physicians) and maintain an eternal perspective on this life.  We believe we will have the opportunity to live together as a family in the hereafter and enjoy my mom as we have over the last 56 years.  We hold on to this particular belief very tightly.

Now, some updates on Mom's progress (emphasis on progress).  The MRI, as we suspected, indicated that she has some damage to her thalamus.  Hard to know at this point how much is permanent (vs. brain cells that are dormant) - and virtually impossible to know what that means for her long term prognosis.  But, we do know that the damage has affected less than 50% of her thalamus.  Not good, but better than all of it.  One thing were learning about brain injuries and neurology (btw, one of the many things we wish we weren't learning about through this process) is that developing a timeline and prognosis is very difficult.  Brains work in unique ways for everyone and doctors never really know how someone is going to react to certain types of injuries.  Dr. Bullock said he has only seen her type of injury - brain injury that caused vertical pressure (vs. lateral pressure) resulting in a bi-lateral thalamic infarction - one other time in over 35 years as a neuro surgeon.  So, the full range of possibilities - from the very good to the very bad - are still in play here.  We do know that mom's recovery will take time and that (for as hard as this is to admit) she will likely not be exactly the same as she was before her injury - but again, we don't know exactly what that means.  It is in the realm of possibilities that she recovers and has a high quality of life - we pray for that constantly.

We are told that across thousands and thousands of case studies on people with brain injuries, the only consistently reliable predictor of future neurological function is progress at various milestones - e.g., 7 days post-injury, 14 days, 30 days, and so on.  For example, if someone doesn't respond/react after 30 days, it is highly unlikely that they will respond at day 60 or day 90.  So, what we are looking for a this stage is steady progress as we enter the 7-10 day timeframe.  Progress at this stage is defined by increased and increasingly more purposeful movement, opening her eyes, etc.  Fortunately, mom is demonstrating pretty solid progress over the last couple of days, which is a very good sign.  She is moving more and is responding to stimuli.  Her movements aren't always voluntary, but some of them definitely are - she will move her feet away if you tickle or pinch them; she also moves her arms up towards her chest which is really good.  Yesterday, she squeezed my hand with a couple of her fingers (made my day!).  The doctor told us this morning that she started to open her eyes when they were moving her into a new position.  All in all, this is really good progress.  Please pray for the next big step which is for her to open her eyes fully.  We've been playing her ESPN Jock Jams to get her pumped up!!

As was mentioned in the previous post, Mom also had an angioplasty to gather additional data on blood flow to the brain to complement some of the things they saw in the MRI.  Over the last couple of days, Mom's condition has become much more about neuro vascular care (i.e., monitoring and measuring blood flow to the brain) than neuro trauma as she has become more stable.  One of the things the doctors were worried about is the arteries that serve the back of the brain.  There was some concern that  they had been severed or pinched in a way that would significantly restrict blood flow.  This would be a really bad outcome if it were the case (essentially, we would have very little expectation for any recovery without very invasive surgery), so we found ourselves at another cross road.  Fortunately, the results came back in our favor - great news!!  The arteries had contracted somewhat in two places, but not to a degree that is would compromise blood flow to the thalamus and other areas, and it will eventually repair itself naturally.

All in all, it was a pretty good day medically.  We are coming to grips with the damage she has to her thalamus, but we didn't receive any news that would give us reason not to hope for better days.  The fact that she is moving and progressing that way is a good sign.  There will be days when she won't progress and other days where she will, and we pray we are ready for the ups and downs over the coming days and weeks.  To this point, we have been making progress in yards (we like yards!), but we all suspect the coming days are about making progress in inches.  Every inch counts, but it is going to take some time - there may be less to keep you apprised of on a day-to-day basis, but we will definitely share any news, thoughts, feelings as we have them.

Tyler, Zach, and Brik Eyre flew home to Chicago to get Zach through his last couple days of school before graduation.  He also has a second round lacrosse playoff game tonight in Libertyville.  He will play with a heavy heart, but Mom would want him to see through what he started with his team.  Go Cats!  Todd also flew home to Jess to be with their one week old baby, Hudson Michael Labrum.  We can't wait to meet him.  Dad, Brit and I are holding down the for here with Mom.  We have been reading her a lot of your messages, so keep them coming.  As always, thank you for you generous love and support of our family - we couldn't do it without you.

Given the long road ahead, we have been learning something about patience - something we are not naturally good at in the family (Mom was definitely the exception).  It is a hard lesson to learn and one I suspect we will struggle with throughout this journey.  I wanted to share a couple of thoughts/quotes that have help us gain better perspective.  I pray that they are, in some way, beneficial to this broader group.  The quotes below come from a discourse given by one of the leaders of our church, Elder Dieter Uchtdorf - I think there is wise and inspired counsel in these words (please forgive the length):

"Patience [is] far more than simply waiting for something to happen—patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn’t appear instantly or without effort.

There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

The children of Israel waited 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 long years for Rachel. The Jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple.  In each case, Heavenly Father had a purpose in requiring that His children wait.  Every one of us is called to wait in our own way. We wait for answers to prayers. We wait for things which at the time may appear so right and so good to us that we can’t possibly imagine why Heavenly Father would delay the answer.

Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasures of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels. Patience is truly a fruit of the Spirit.

Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.

Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being “willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father.” ⁸ Ultimately, patience means being “firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord” ⁹every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. In the words of John the Revelator, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and … faith [in] Jesus.” ¹⁰

Patience is a process of perfection. The Savior Himself said that in your patience you possess your souls. ¹¹ Or, to use another translation of the Greek text, in your patience you win mastery of your souls. ¹² Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most. This was true in the time of the Savior. 

To paraphrase the Psalmist of old, if we wait patiently for the Lord, He will incline unto us. He will hear our cries. He will bring us out of a horrible pit and set our feet upon a solid rock. He will put a new song in our mouths, and we will praise our God. Many around us will see it, and they will trust in the Lord. ¹⁴

The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness.

WE LOVE YOU ALL.  THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

LOVE, 

DAD, MOM, AND ALL THE KIDS

MRI Results

We just got off the phone with the Miami crew. I'm starting to learn that with this type of injury, you don't get many immediate results and answers. It involves a lot of waiting and further testing. That said, here is our latest information:

-She needs to have an angioplasty. This is to check for and prevent blood clots in her brain.
-Typically, you hope for the patient to wake up from their coma 7-12 days after their injury. Tomorrow will be the seventh day for Sherrie. Our direct and immediate prayers are still that she wakes up from the coma.
-She is doing better (has more movement and better results) than her charts indicate she should be doing.
-Jury is still out on the Thalamus. Brandon will have to post more in depth information, but basically we still don't know the extent of the damage there.

The doctors have told us that we are in somewhat unchartered waters with Sherrie's case and the bilateral refraction. That is one reason it is difficult to assess a long term prognosis at this time.

 This was taken in 2006, before Todd left for his mission to India

Sherrie and Zach skiing in Utah 2008

Ron and Brittney are at the hospital waiting to get the results from Sherrie's MRI. We should know in the next two hours. We are all anxious to hear and hopeful for some good news on her Thalamus. Though we know the results could be bad, based on what we've experienced so far, we are going forward looking for a miracle that there is still a lot active tissue.

We've started sending in voice clips for the kids to play of all us telling Grandma to come home. Donovan's says, "Grandma Sherrie, We miss you! We want to play. Come home soon!" Mine is more like, "Sheeerrriee!!! Get back here!!!" We are hoping for that wake up.

Zach and Tyler are planning on coming back to Libertyville tonight. His high school graduation is next Friday.

I will be quick to update when we get the results. In the meantime, here are some pictures of Sherrie from a  trip she took to Branson, MO three weeks ago. She had wanted to take a trip with her Mom and sister for so long and she was THRILLED to be going on this one.

Tuesday in Miami

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

We are here at the hospital and just got to see Mom.  They have been very busy with her since she was received by the trauma team late last night.  She was reexamined from head to toe to check all of the work done in the DR.  All of her wounds have been redressed; ventilator tubes, IVs, etc have all been replaced.  They also stitched up the areas where they had performed the craniotomy (they had appropriately left them open before to let the brain expand and relieve pressure), so she no longer has a bandage on her head.  Unfortunately for her, she now looks like she went to the same barber I used to go to in Honduras.  Those cuts weren't worth the 75 cents I paid then, and neither is this one, but only Mom can pull off a pseudo-buzz cut and still look beautiful.  The swelling from her surgery has subsided significantly, so she is looking more like herself.  For some reason, she just seems more stable and solid today even though not much has changed from yesterday - it just feels good to be closer to home.  We have seen little movements - eyes fluttering, moving her shoulders, moving her tongue/lips, etc - when we've been with her, which has been encouraging, but we don't know what they mean.  It just makes us feel like our Mom is somewhere in there and fighting to get back.  The doctors are optimistic that she can hear us and have encouraged us to talk to her to stimulate her senses and get her to wake up.  We are definitely up for that challenge!  They have taken her off the sedation medication, so getting her to wakeup is an important next step.

Before I talk about the Miami team, I want to memorialize a few thoughts about Dr. Baez and Dr. Suazo back in Santo Domingo.  The specialist in Miami was very complementary of their work with Mom.  In short, they have been our heros in the truest sense of the word.  No doubt about it, they saved Mom's life.  We believe they cared for her as one of their own family members and were a source of strength for our family as they were patient, balanced, and thoughtful in the way they counseled with us.  They pulled all the scientific and medical levers available to us while at the same time kindly letting us into their own faith and belief in a higher power - something that is not required within their charter, but was a huge source of strength to us as we grasped for all the help we could get.  They mentioned feeling a special connection to Mom and our family - we found great solace in that.  A special thanks is required for Dr. Baez who took more time away from his family (not to mention his heavy responsibilities back at the hospital) to fly with Mom to Miami and ensure the handoff to the team here was thorough and appropriate.  We developed a great love for them and hope to be able to build a life long friendship when all of this is better.

Enter Dr. Bullock.  He is Mom's new doctor in Miami and the head of neuro trauma at Jackson Memorial.  We had a chance to sit down with him this morning.  The overarching message is that there is a lot of good, with one potentially, very scary bad.  The good news is that most of her brain is returning to normal in terms of pressure and size.  Her eyes continue to respond to light as well.  Her breathing is strong.  Blood pressure and hemoglobin levels are in the right place.  All in all, she is relatively stable condition.  The area we are worried about is her Thalamus - right now, she has what's called a bi-lateral thalamic infarction that was caused from the swelling and trauma to her brain, mostly likely in the first 8-10 hours after her accident.  Right now, the doctor has reiterated to us many times that it is still too early to tell what this will mean for her long term neurological state.  They will be doing a series of MRIs later today or tomorrow to understand how much of the infarction showing up on her scans is edema (swelling that could ultimately subside - we want this!!) vs. brain cells that have died from lack of oxygen (we don't want this!!).  Please pray for a good outcome on this front!  Dr. Bullock also suggested that we can get her to Chicago sooner than we had thought. Right now we are shooting for wednesday of next week and will probably send her to Northwestern in Chicago. Dad feels that getting her close to her support network with some long term consistency with doctors and nurses will be best.

One of the silver linings in this storm is that a close family has come even closer together over the past few days.  We have leaned on each other as never before - not just the ones here in Miami, but those at home. Our wives and husband have been instrumental in taking care of children, home, blogs, calls, travel, etc. In many ways their jobs have been more difficult because they have not been able to see mom. They are left to worry and wait until we give them a call and fill them in on the details. We love them for who they are and all they do.  We have also learned of many other friends and family that have been helping out an home - planting flowers, tending Mom's little garden, spreading mulch that was sitting in bags on the driveway, getting mail, etc. - without being asked, just because it needed to be done.  We cannot tell you how much these selfless acts of kindness mean to us.

My sister isn't going to like this much, but I want to spend a couple of minutes to publicly express our love and gratitude for her on behalf of me and my brothers and Dad.  She has been simply amazing.  We could not have gotten here without her.  Like our mom, she has an incredible heart and is is very close to the spirit and so has feelings that have help us through some very difficult times. While we tend to doubt, she does not. When we want to question, she does not. I think her dogged determination will convince Mom that the best path is to obey her daughter. She just will not stop believing and that's just what we need!!  She was with Mom tonight and was reading emails to her from friends and family. She then would take her iphone, place it up against Mom's ear and play a video of one of the grandkids singing or talking while saying to her, "Momma, I'm not going to stop until you give me a sign or open your eyes."  My mom needs her and so do we.  We love her very much.

So,for the daily recap:
1. All vital signs are stable
2. She is strong and fit which will help as she fights to come back
3. The brain swelling continues to go down
4. She is not under sedation
5. She continues in a coma primarily as a result of the impact to the Thalamus (doctor believes)
6. She will have a full MRI tonight which will give us more info the Thalamus. We pray for it to be edema and little cell damage.  We should know more tomorrow morning.
7. We will be making plans to move her to Chicago in about a week.

Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers. We have been overwhelmed by everyones love and concern.   Trust that it has made a difference in our lives and in our Moms.  Thank you!!!





photo taken Christmas Eve 2011- Sherrie hosted a party for the Labrums and Eyres

Safe Arrival

She arrived in Miami last night around 11:30pm. As of last night, they hadn't talked to the doctors, but the pilot and medical staff who accompanied her on the flight  said that there were no complications in the air and that the team at Ryder had received her.

We are waiting for our morning update- any minute now!!

We know that they are going to be running a battery of tests and procedures to assess things. We are all anxiously waiting to hear some results that we feel we can count on.

Up in Air

SHE'S ON THE WAY TO MIAMI!!!! 

She left Santo Domingo and boarded a plane with Dr. Baez, Ron and a medical team and should be landing in Miami any minute now!!!! 

We could not be more thrilled, or more scared. But overwhelmingly happy that this step is finally happening!!!!!! 

Miami Here We Come!

We finally confirmed travel to Miami.  Mom should be on her way by 7pm local time with Dr. Baez and likely Dad and we'll be right behind them.

We remain cautiously optimistic and little nervous about getting her up in the air.  We are anxious to get her to Miami where she can receive top-notch care and we can get a better sense of where she is neurologically.  At the end of the day, Mom is still very sick.  She has a long way to go, but progress in the right direction.  We love her so much and know she can feel all the love and support you guys are sending our way.  Thank you again.

Also, Mom always knew how to find time for a laugh, so I don't think she'd mind that we are using some real estate on this blog for humor.  On the way to the hotel this morning, we stopped quickly at restaurant to pick up some food.  Tony, our driver, after realizing that he was about to turn in the wrong way into the entrance, decided to park the van on the street.  The only problem was that it was in a lane in the middle of oncoming traffic in on one of the busiest streets in Santo Domingo.  Below is the view from the front seat as we got out of the car.  Gotta love the DR!!

Love, the Labrum Kids

This is Ron and it is monday morning May 21. I came to the hospital by myself to spend some alone time with Sherrie. Didn't get much, but I did get to speak with the Neurosurgeon who told me she continued to make progress. Her pupils are responding to light and when taken off sedation, she seems to respond. All are good signs but not predictive of a full recovery. While I was with her, she began to gag a bit and she moved her left foot. Again, a good sign but not predictive.

They just finished running scans on  her. The results continue going in the right direction. They have stabilized enough that we will be moving her tonight sometime. Our concerns now move to the extent of damage done to the Thalamus. There looks to be some permanent damage. How much we do not know. In the meantime, her moving is a good sign.

I spoke with the Dr. who will be taking care of Sherrie when she gets to Ryder in Miami. All things are ready to receive her. She has a really good doctor. I have spoken to him a couple of times today. He is anxious to get her a begin assessing her current state and then determine what functionality she will have. I continue to ask all to pray for minimal damage to the Thalamus so that she can maintain a good quality of life. 

We continue to see the hand of the Lord in our life. It is hard to wait for what will be the final outcome. Nevertheless, I would much rather have Him in charge than me. The kids, Brik and Fenwal folks here in Santo Domingo have been a strength beyond anything I could imagine. They seem adept at finding a moment where we can find something to laugh about in midst of such a painful experience. 

This morning, two members of the Area Presidency Seventy (Cornish and Andersen) came by the hospital. One was a pediatric surgeon who spent some time talking to me and providing some much needed council. For those not familiar with this term, these are men called to serve and assist the Twelve apostles in leading the affairs of the church around the world. It is a real honor to be able to sit and talk to them as I know they are very busy and hardly ever in the area. This too we see as another tender mercy provided by the Lord.

I appreciate all your prayers on behalf of Sherrie and my family. She has made such a remarkable impact on so many people that I can only imagine the prayers being said are echoing throughout heaven. She is a woman who has lived her life with no regrets. 

We're back at the hotel now.  Although, we can't spend much time with Mom at the hospital, it's always hard to leave her there.  Before we left, Dad was able to talk to the Dr. Baez and the intensivist.  Fortunately, there has been continued progress.  Her intracranial pressure has continued to reduce, which is a great sign as we look for the swelling to subside on the left side of her brain.  When we left, she was just one point outside the high end of the normal range and significantly down from where she was when we arrived in Santo Domingo.  Also, they took her off the sedation and paralytic meds for three hours to begin testing her neurological function by watching her response to external stimuli.  She moved both her legs and right arm voluntarily - nothing from the left arm this time around (she moved it yesterday), but we are told not to worry too much about that yet.  All in all, this is another good sign.  The biggest issue were managing to now is her hemoglobin - its is still a bit low and we need to make sure it goes up so her brain is getting as much oxygen rich blood into her brain as possible.  This is biggest hurdle for getting her ready to fly to Miami - we are hoping to see progress in this area tomorrow.  This was another good day with continued movement in the right direction.  Go mama - she is one tough cookie!!!

Before we sign off for the night, I wanted to say a few things about Dad.  After I wrote my last post, I realized I had failed to comment on the way our Dad continues to lead our family through this tumultuous journey.  He is a great man, and though he is hurting in ways none of us could have ever imagined, he continues to stand as the spiritual and emotional head of our family.  We love him dearly.  He has taught us how to be men and women of principle, integrity, and faith - I can't say we have always been good at internalizing those lessons, but he has always been teaching.  We have continued to learn from him over the last few days.  He committed to his wife 34 years ago to stand by her side as a companion and helpmeet and he's lived that commitment to its fullest in these dark hours.  We have all commented about the example he is setting for us and our children - we go to bed at night wanting to love our spouses a little deeper and renew our commitment to consistently putting their needs before our own.  We will forever be grateful for the standard of love and compassion he and my mom have established - we pray we can live up to it.

My mom's suffering has made us all a bit more aware of others that may be suffering around us.  We recognize that we haven't cornered the market on emotional and physical pain - there are so many others out there (including many of you who are so kindly participating in this blog, like our good friends the Reeders) who stand in need of extra love and healing during trials.  By helping us become more empathetic and loving, our mom's experience has an individualized life-saving element to it for each one of us.  Please look for opportunities over the coming days to reach out to those in need, to lift the heads that hang down, and tell someone you love them.

Thank you all again and good night.

Love,
Brandon and crew

Video Chat Updates

We had a great opportunity tonight to do a conference video chat via Google+. It was great to see each other's faces. Here are some pieces of new information about Sherrie:

Through another miracle, today at church the family met a man named Devin Cornish, a world renowned neonatal surgeon. He was able to go back to the hospital and help assess the situation with Sherrie. He confirmed a few things;
1- Dr. Baez is a great doctor and has made many sacrifices to provide the best care for Sherrie, including volunteering to accompany her in the Miami transfer (which is unheard of).
2- The main priority is to get her Miami as soon as possible. We hope this will be within the next 36 hours.
3- He knows the head of trauma at Ryder in Miami and they are up to date on all of Sherrie's scans and stats and ready to receive her. There will be many benefits of being in Miami, but the Nurse's care will be up there in importance. As you can imagine, there are many side effects of laying paralyzed and the Ryder staff is well versed in precautions against infections, pneumonia and a myriad of other things for which to look.  They will also be able to do an analysis of what her neurological function is at this point.

In order to get her to Miami, her vitals need to be stabilized (which they are right now). Her hemoglobin levels are indicating there is still bleeding somewhere. They pumped her stomach and discovered large amounts of blood there. They think that is due to a fissure in her esophagus that probably occurred before she slipped into the first coma. They've re-checked her stomach and the fluid was clear which tells us that that the bleeding in that area seems to be under of control.

They are doing hemoglobin mapping to see if that fissure is the only internal bleeding.

Normal brain pressure is between 19-23. She was at a 37 and now is at a 24- one point above normal. Great progress. There is now a clear distinction between the two hemispheres of her brain on the scans.

They took her off of the paralytics for three hours today and she was able to move all of her appendages besides her left arm. The doctors have said that doesn't mean much as this is an inconclusive test and not to worry.

She is running a fever, but that could just be a normal side effect and not infection. They will be monitoring it closely.

The overall feeling is hopeful and grateful. We are so grateful for your love and support. Keep the prayers coming.

Here is a picture we took this morning with our adopted Dominican family that has been doing so much to take care of us.  All of them work at or are related to someone who works at the Fenwal plant outside Santo Domingo.  This foreign country feels a bit less foreign with them around.  They have spent as much or more time at the hospital than we have and taken us on as their own - despite the fact that they have families of their own to take care of!  We are so grateful for all they are doing.  From left to right in the front row:  Carolyn, Rosangel, Gerald, Wilfredo, Michelle, and Bernardo.

Today's Update

Hi, everyone.  This is Brandon.  Woke up this morning to the first day of sunshine since we arrived.  Seemed like everything was crying the last couple days, including the heavens, but the sun seems to more befitting our hopeful outlook and the baby steps mom is taking to get better. 

I have always wanted my weekends to feel a bit longer, but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.  We haven’t been in the DR quite 48 hours yet and it already feels like an eternity…but what a difference a day can make.  The first 24-26 hours we were fighting for mom’s life and we now believe we are starting to turn an important corner to be able fight for her recovery.  She is very sick and remains in critical condition so the situation is very delicate, but we are in better spirits this morning.  The road ahead is still unknown and likely a long one, but we are finding joy and gratitude in the small wins. 

On behalf of our crew, I want to add my sincere thanks and appreciation for all of the support, love, good thoughts, and prayers that have been offered on our behalf, in particular Dad and our sweet, sweet Mom.  And unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to do it justice – there are just not words to express how much the outpouring of support has meant to us.  Please believe me when I say we have needed it.  These have been the hardest days of our lives without question.  Before this, I had only been on the outside of a tragedy like this – the one offering support rather than receiving it.  I have only just begun to appreciate how invaluable the thoughtful emails, texts, and posts have been to maintain our hope and faith.  At our core, we believe that we are not ever alone in this life because God knows us intimately and is engaged in our lives.  That said, there are undoubtedly moments when we feel alone and scared, and in those moments, it gives us great comfort to know that there is a vast network of people that care about us and Mom.  It has been overwhelming.  I can’t say it enough…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Now, a few of words about Mom that have been bouncing around in my head.  This will be old news for those that know my Mom well, but for those that haven’t had the opportunity yet (emphasis on the yet!), I want to give you my two cents on who she is…

Simply said, my mother is one of the great ones.  An unbelievable gift to us that has probably always been too good for this life.  She is my Dad’s rock and counselor.  For the 33 years that I have know her, she has been invincible – our personal SuperWoman - never consumed by her own needs, always focused on the needs of those around her.  Unflappable and strong.  Loving and compassionate.  Slow to anger and rarely judgmental.  I always comment to people that I can literally count on one had the number of times I can remember seeing my Mom truly upset – and when she was, it was more than justified (btw, all five times were at my siblings, not me – I have never, ever done wrong in her eyes!!).  I could go on and on, but I am trusting that one day, if you haven’t already, you will get a chance to see and feel firsthand what have over the years.  Suffice it to say, we love her more than we could ever express in a lifetime.  I pray that we have told her how we feel enough over the last three decades to keep her fighting. 

We haven’t seen Mom this morning yet, but we did see Dr. Baez.  She is continuing to make baby steps in the right direction and we are prayerful that it will continue.  Her blood pressure is stable and has been for a bit now and the scans of her brain are dramatically improved from where she was on Friday night.  It hurts to say, but you didn’t have to be a doctor to know something was very wrong when we saw her charts.  She had three large hematomas that were crowding and swelling her brain.  There was very little symmetry between the halves of her brain.  This morning, we saw her most recent charts.  There are no more hematomas and there is a clear, straight line separating the sides of her brain.  All good signs.  She still has some swelling on the left side that will hopefully continue to subside.  The doctor expects to be able to do a more in depth neurological exam later today when they take her in for new scans.  We are hopeful for more good news. 

There are a few things that still aren’t right yet as far as fully stabilizing her, but they will be trying to address today.  They will likely give her another blood transfusion to get her hemoglobin up and address some anemia.  There is no bleeding in her brain, but they are still concerned that she may be bleeding a little somewhere else, so they are going to check that out further.  Good news, she is stable and making progress.  We are starting to make preparations to get her on the way to Miami as soon as possible.  No schedule around timing yet, but that is the next big step.  As of now, she will likely be transferred to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial in Miami.  It is one of the top three trauma facilities in the country and offers a continuum of care from neuro trauma to neuro rehab.  The head of neuro has already been contacted – he’s a friend of the Dr. Baez – and is preparing a team to receive her when she’s ready to go. 

I want to share a few words about miracles.  We are doing everything within our power to make sure Mom has the best science, technology, and medical experience that our situation has to offer.  It’s definitely far from perfect her in the DR and we long for home – I have spent a lot time in Latin America and love the people , but feel like a fish out of water this time around – but we are making it work.  At the same time, we are doing everything we can to build upon the countless number of prayers being offered on her behalf and call upon the powers of heaven to help her heal and recover.  We don’t always know how it works, but we believe there is a God that does hear and answer prayers and can work miracles on our behalf.  I find myself wanting a “part the red seas” moment – in other words, a big miracle that results in my mom jumping out of bed (perhaps complaining of a headache) and asking to go get ice cream.  However, I am learning that miracles rarely work that way – often times they are incremental, mini-miracles (but miracles nonetheless) that lead us to what is best for us (not always the same as what we want, unfortunately).  I believe that it is through this process that we truly begin to learn about ourselves and others in a way that leads us to becoming better people in the midst of life’s hardest trials.  It is a fascinating process – very hard, but fascinating.  I am striving to be grateful for the incremental wins, for the blessings that on many others days in my life have gone unnoticed.  We have absolutely seen miracles during our time here – I know that beyond any doubt.  We are told that most people do not recover from injuries like she has suffered, BUT SHE IS SURVIVING TODAY and we hope she is on her way to recovery.  There is still a lot of wood to chop before she is back but we are fortified by the miraculous blessings that have come our way.   Each of you have absolutely played a part in that by petitioning heaven to help us.  Thank you. 

We are trying to get to all of the individual texts and emails as we go, but please be patient with us as it may take us some time to respond.  We are getting them and love every one. 

On behalf of my siblings and our amazing spouses, please know that we love you and are grateful for you.  Keep cheering our mom on – we know she is giving this thing all she’s got…and if I know my Mom, she won’t give up. 

Love,

The Labrum Kids