Update from Michael, Friday, May 16, 11:25 p.m.

Day 80 in PICU, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, California

Dear friends,

Wednesday, May 14, was a very busy day for Melissa. She received all kinds of tests, including a chest X-ray, MRI, echocardiogram, blood culture, and ultrasound. The echocardiogram uncovered a clog on right side close to her heart. Another echocardiogram is scheduled for next Monday, May 19.

Melissa finished the Meropenem antibiotic treatment cycle on Thursday. She is not now receiving any antibiotics. Since no one knows what will happen with this, we need to pray that she will have positive developments this coming week.

Melissa still has a fever, but her white blood cell count is down to 9,700 from a high of over 40,000. She has been visited daily by an infectious disease specialist monitoring her and trying to figure out what’s going on. We need to continue to pray that her fever will be eliminated.

She has also had a visit from a nutritionist, who will begin supplying her with a full compliment of calories to help restore her body’s weakness and give her more energy.

A physical therapist came today to start her on a light exercise program to help her regain some movement, and strengthen her muscles. They expect her to be able to sit up with assistance next Monday!

Melissa's mood has been low and she has been very frustrated. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, her mind is clear and she is conscious, but she can’t move. The other reason is that she was stunned to see her appearance in a reflection on an aluminum ceiling panel. We asked a nurse to decorate the ceiling to cover up that area. Please pray for her spirits to lift, and that she will rebuild her confidence and her strength.

We can now begin to arrange for church friends and schoolmates to come to visit her, to give her encouragement, stir up her spirit, cheer her up, and let her know she is not alone ... that a lot of people are surrounding her.

Our good friend, David Hosmer, has offered his time to come read some to her. And special thanks to Congressman Mark Siljander and his wife, Nancy, who came from Washington, D.C. to CHOC to visit Melissa and offer prayer for her.

In Him,
Michael