Warning: there is a fully covered but intubated photo of Jacob at the end of the post.

It has been a hard couple of days but Jake is improving. He has begun to regulate his blood pressures a little better and has officially started his immunosuppression and anti-rejection regimen. While he is still showing low blood pressure, the swings have become less dramatic. He was less sedated for parts of the day yesterday and today and even tried talking to us. Since he is still on the ventilator, he can’t actually talk, and the sensation of the tube makes him extremely agitated so they only allow him to be somewhat awake as he tolerates.

He returned to the OR today and had his chest cavity washed out. They were able to clear a lot of old blood which may have been affecting his lung function. They also were able to turn off ECMO long enough to echo the heart and said the function has even improved. We are hopeful this surgery will allow Jake’s lungs to improve and his hemodynamics to balance.

When he is able to come off ECMO, they will close his chest. Once that is done, and if his lungs tolerate it, we hope the ventilator can be removed. He will still need to be highly medicated for pain management, as he is recovering from a massive surgery.

He truly has an amazing team. They seem to be on top of problems before they even occur. The heart and liver teams are happy with his progress and feel he is trending in the right direction and concerns over his kidney function have somewhat alleviated as time goes on. Now, we are waiting for his lungs to adjust to the new anatomy and to recover from a very extensive surgery.

Thank you for following along on this journey with us. While it is not easy to see Jake like this, we know that the Lord is walking this path with us. It is a strange experience to stand in the middle of trauma and grace. We are witnessing the difficult physical battle of recovery while standing in the presence of a miracle.

It reminds me of the story of Jesus calming the storm. Right now, the machines, the pain, the physical recovery are waves that feel high and wind howling loud. But we know who is in the boat with us. We trust in the Lord knowing that even the wind and the waves obey Him. We appreciate your continued prayers as Jake fights through these difficult days. God has truly blessed us and He will carry us through this too.

Photo below