Overcoming the World

 " I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Yesterday was one of the biggest days we had yet to overcome, of all Madison has been through, yesterday was the worst of it thus far.  But I am given comfort in the scripture above knowing that God has overcome the world and we will overcome because of Him!

The day started out good yesterday, the doctors even started the morning off by saying she was getting a lot better which meant we could come off of some of her sedative medications to start waking her up in hope to get her breathing tube out!  Great news!  Unfortunately, she did not respond well to being taken off of some of the sedatives and in true Madi fashion she came up swinging, litteraly!  She was kicking and swinging her arms, ready to put up a fight......she is so darn fiesty!  Too much for her own good sometimes!  Long story short, the agitation made her go into cardiac arrest in which she was given CPR for 20 minutes after which her heart came back and started beating on its own again with some medication etc.  After the incident she was rushed to the OR where she was put on a temporary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that takes over the function of the left ventricle (the underlying problem of everything since the day she was born come to find out).    She did as good as they could have expected in the OR and was able to tolerate everything they did with no problems!  She is currently stable and hooked up to a lot of machines and meds to keep her that way but the good Lord has allowed us to develop all these technologies so my baby still has a chance at life! 

It was evident yesterday that God's hand was everywhere; we felt His prescence and prayed that He would be with her through the events and He was!  She made it through something that not many would and for that we thank God; He was working through an amazing team of doctors, nurses and surgeons who saved her life otherwise she would not be here today.  Its not the first time and it will not be the last but its truely a miracle she is still here today and we didn't lose her yesterday.

Because she recieved CPR for 20 minutes there is a chance that she could have suffered neurological damage so we need prayers that has not been the case.  Because doctors where right there and didn't allow her to go without oxygen she should be fine but there is still a chance.  The good news is she has not had any seizures or nuerological events within the past 24 hours since the arrest, so that is really good news.  God hears what we ask for, so please continue to help us through prayer.

As I sit here next to Madi in the corner of her ICU room (the only place I can fit because there are so many machines) I am truely amazed at what good God has created to overcome the evil in this world.  He has given us tools to keep all these little children alive because each one of them have so much good to give once they are better, they too will glorify His name. We will always wonder why our baby?  Why us?  What did we do to make this happen, but it is not us, it is not God, it is just a manifestation of evil and we will overcome!

So whats the plan now you're probably wondering?  Well, the LVAD she is on now is not one that she can be on for long term while she waits for a new heart so on Wednesday or Thursday (after she has passed her nuerological evaluations) she will go back to the OR where she will get a "Berlin heart" (google it if you wanna know, it's a new device that is going to save her life).  The Berlin will essentially allow her to live a near normal life until her new heart comes.  She will be able to be up and play, eat, get stronger etc. so when her new heart comes she's ready for it!

I know you all have been praying like warriors for Madi and I ask that you continue!  She is here today because God has heard you!  We can never thank you enough for all that you have done and continue to do!

Love Tabi