[Sherry Lynn]

My husband's best friend just called and his wife Paula needs your prayers.

Friday Paula wasn't feeling well and yesterday Steve took her to the hospital, from what he said she has an infection that has gone throughout her entire system - the hospital lifeflighted her to EMMC (which if she can be saved this is where she should be) - they have put her in a drug induced coma - at one point she didn't have any pulse in her right arm and her kidneys were shutting down. I'm sorry I don't know all the facts - I am just so upset, these are the sweetest people you would ever meet AND it just doesn't seem real --- just Thursday they (my dh, Steve and Paula and Emmett - Steve & Paula's new grandson meet for Burger Club they meet Monday's - Friday's and have been doing this for a couple of years) were at Burger Club and Kevin said she was fine laughing and playing with Emmett and...............

Thank you for your prayers --- I will check back when I get an update!

Monday - March 12th - 9am Update --- Kevin has just talked with Steve and they are going to try to bring Paula out of the drug induced coma in about an hour - they don't like to leave them in those for too long AND even though they are going to try to bring her out it will only be for a couple of minutes - this is to ensure that they can bring her out of it. Paula's kidney's have started to work again and her blood pressure is starting to improve. The head doctor for the infectious disease department has her on a broad spectrum anti-biotic --- he is quite sure that she has a staphylococcal infection but is not sure whether there is a secondary infection or not, the results of the cultures aren't available for 48 hours so we have about 12 more hours before the results come back so he will know exactly what they are dealing with.

At this point we are "cautiously optomistic" --- please keep on praying AND again I will update when I hear more news! Thank you everyone - I have told Steve about these prayers and he says to thank you all!

Monday - March 12th - 6pm Update --- We talked with Joey (Paula & Steve's son) last night and for some reason they decided NOT to try to bring her our of the coma, he told us they are going to try Tues. and again it will be only for a few minutes to make sure that they can wake her up. Joey also told us that they will be doing tests today on her heart and brain to see how much/if any damage they sustained because of the oxygen deprivation --- Please Please Please keep those prayers coming!

Tuesday - March 13th - 6pm Update --- We talked with Steve and it has been a very long and eventful day. First they went down her breathing tube (not sure if I mentioned she has been on a ventilator since Saturday) and did a scope of her heart and it doesn't look like there has been any damage to her heart from what they can see with that scope. From Saturday to Monday night her fingers/tips were blue as of Tuesday morning they were pink. Yesterday afternoon they took her off the ventilator - what exciting news that was to hear. Last night right before Steve called they were able to bring her out of the coma AND she recognized Steve and her kids, they did explain to her that they were going to have to put her back into the coma to continue fighting the infection. She is NOT out of the woods yet but the things that are happening are all baby steps to her recovery AND please keep praying that this has not damaged her brain AND that she will make a full comeback to the Paula that we all know and love.

The doctor that pronounced her dead went into her room yesterday and told Steve and the kids that this is "nothing but a miracle" --- when this all started happening Saturday Paula & Steve's pastor reached out to other churches and a prayer vigil was in place. When Kevin told Steve I had posted a thread here at Scrap Girls he was very pleased, then when Kevin started telling him all the people from SG's and where they were from Steve started writing them down --- to say he is amazed with you all is definitely an understatement.

Wednesday March 14th update --- Kevin called Steve last night AND................. you are just NOT going to believe this ----- Paula was up, sitting in a wheelchair and eating custard. This is just so amazing - she still has a very long road ahead of her AND honestly I don't think I listened to anything else that happened yesterday. I do know they have told her she will have to be on antibiotics for 6 more weeks AND I'm not sure they have figured out what caused this terrible infection - I will let everyone know more of those answers when I get them BUT for now I wanted to give you this miracle report!

Friday March 16th 11am update --- Steve just called Kevin and Paula is back on a ventilator, last night she spiked a fever and this morning they discovered there is an infection in her lungs that isn't being cleared up by the antibiotic --- they have taken her off from the coumadin and this afternoon they will be putting drains in her lungs. Please continue your prayers for Paula, we knew she wasn't out of the woods BUT this setback is very troubling.

2pm Friday March 16th update --- Steve just called Kevin and this afternoon they have discovered that during everything that has happened Paula has had a major heart attack. I'm really not sure how much more they are going to find BUT I will update the thread as the news comes in. Again, thank you all so much for continuing to keep Paula in your prayers!

Sunday March 18th, 6pm update --- Kevin called Steve and the drain tube was inserted and immediately started draining the fluid BUT the infection will NOT go away. They just put Paula on the last possible antibiotic - there isn't anything else they can try to fight this infection --- I'm just not sure AND don't even really want to know what will happen if this one doesn't take care of it. Paula was able to watch a little of the Nascar race, she told Steve Saturday night that she wanted to get a lot of rest because Nascar was in Bristol - so that told us that she doesn't have any brain damage (as they had originally worried about), she remembered they were racing and even remembered where so that was a little bit of a bright spot! Again, thank you all so much for your continued prayers for Paula --- please pray that this last antibiotic will take care of the infection!

Monday March 19th update --- I went to see Paula today, she looks pretty good for what she has been through. I made her a card and wrote a note including all the SG's here in this thread that are praying for her and listed where everyone is from, so she knows she has girls from all around the world praying for her --- she says to tell you "thank them for praying for me and ask them to keep praying because I really need it". I don't have any more to report because I don't know if the antibiotic is working AND now she has been in the ICU for 10 days.

Thurs. March 22nd --- Kevin called Steve last night and Paula had a hard Tues. night and a hard day all day yesterday - since last Friday Paula's sister has been staying at the hospital nights with her AND Steve has been coming home and getting his deliveries done (him and Paula own their own business) BUT last night Steve was going to stay at the hospital with her. The doctors put her through more tests BUT I don't know what they were or any results. I don't know if this "last" antibiotic is going to take care of the infection. Thank you all for your continued prayers - I will update again as soon as I hear anything!

Tues. March 27th update --- There has been a lot that has happened since my last update. Friday a real life "Dr. House" was taking over Paula's case for 5 days, the first thing he did was he decided to take a radical approach and take her off the antibiotics AND start her on steroids - he also decided to put Paula back in a drug induced coma. The nurses that have been taking care of Paula for the 2 weeks that she has been in ICU told Steve that if they were in Paula's place they would want this doctor taking care of them. Sunday they did tests and her lungs were getting clearer AND her white count was going back down - this meant the steroids were working and the infection was going away. They discovered a hematoma on her lower spine AND were going to try to figure out what was causing this. Monday they decided to leave Paula in the coma one more day but her stats were looking much better. Today they brought her out of her coma AND they have taken her breathing tube out AND later on they are going to take away a few more of the lines that she is connected to! I am going to be very "cautiously optomistic" here and say that it finally looks as if Paula is out of the woods. She is in the same hospital that my sister will be having her surgery in - so I will be seeing her on Thursday and will give another complete update. Thank you all for the continued prayers - they are definitely appreciated by everyone!

Mon. April 2nd update --- Really BIG news since I posted the last update! On Saturday they moved Paula out of ICU and into a regular room --- she was in ICU a total of 23 days AND in a drug-induced coma for 9 of those days! I saw her Thurs. when my sister was having her back surgery and she really didn't look much different than when I saw her last week BUT when I saw her yesterday WOWSERS --- she was sitting up giving herself a sponge bath AND her eyes are bright, when I got home I kept telling Kevin her eyes are so bright again! She still has a long way to go --- lots of physical therapy to get her up and walking again BUT she is finally out of those proverbial "woods". Her mouth is very sore from the breathing tube and breathing through her mouth for the 4 days that she was in this last coma - she is finding it hard to eat BUT she waits for meals to cool off and eating mostly soft foods BUT hey like she said "it's better than jell-o"!!! We had a nice talk AND both agreed that we take an awful lot for granted - even simple things like walking. She again wanted me to thank everyone here for the prayers - she says she could feel them AND said that she knows they made a difference!

Oh and Paula and my sister are on the same floor at the hospital - 4 doors apart, kinda made the visiting yesterday a little easier!

Thurs. April 5th update --- Paula was been moved to the rehab floor yesterday and is starting to try to regain the strength she lost while in ICU for those long 23 days. They won't let her go home until she can do the things she would normally do at home i.e. get out of bed and go to the bathroom ---- Again it is really amazing the things we take for granted!

Sun. April 8th update --- Steve came over today and as we were talking he explained that Paula's condition happens to 1 in 1.5 million people AND we are amazed that a doctor from little 'ol Bangor, Maine was able to diagnose it --- we can't say enough great things about Bangor's own "Dr. House"

Sat. April 13th update --- Paula is home, she has a lot of rehab ahead of her ---- BUT PTL she survived! She has asked me to tell everyone here that she knows your prayers are what got her through!

[AnnBK]

How very scary! I'll be keeping Paula and her family and friends in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us updated when you can.

[Sara Arell]

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, Sherry Lynn - truly upsetting for something like this to happen and I will keep Paula and all of you in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted. You know how powerful Scrap Girl Prayers are.

[ValerieT]

I'll keep Paula and her family and friends in my thoughts.

[Nutmeg]

I'll keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

[momwife and friend]

Sending your family and friends good thoughts.

[teecee]

I'm so sorry to hear this Sherry! I will certainly be sending prayers.

[Becster]

Praying very hard for her speedy recovery.

[jenrou]

I will be keeping you and your friends in thought and prayer. So sorry this happened.

[Elizabeth99]

Sending positive thoughts Paula's way. Please keep us posted.

[lorac]

This is so scary. To be fine one day. sick the next and then put into an induced coma. Unreal. Love and prayers are on their way to Paula, family and friends. Please keep us informed.

[PBarnes]

Oh Sherry Lynn, I'm so sorry to hear about your good friends illness. I'll add my prayers in hopes of a full recovery for her.

[Jenna]

how scary! adding my prayers!

[AggieB]

I'm so sorry to hear about this, Sherry Lynn. I'll certainly add my prayer for your friend, her family and you.

[sanot]

Praying right now!

[mbc72]

Adding my prayers.

[Smiles]

May angels of strength and healing be with her through this challenge.

[Jo Corne]

absolutely Sherry Lynn, prayers going up up up
please keep us informed

[KFiasco]

I'm so sorry Sherry Lynn. I will definitely put all of you on my prayer list.

Karen

[B&K Mom]

Sorry to herar this Sherry. I'll be praying for all of you.

[Belle]

Praying that she will respond to treatment.

[princessrunningfingers]

Saying prayers for your friend. Hoping they can bring about a speedy recovery.

[Sherry Lynn]

Updated in first post!

[Sara Arell]

Still praying for Paula, Sherry Lynn. Thanks for the update. It sounds promising!

[Sherry Lynn]

Steve just called again I guess they are going to wait until this afternoon before they try to wake her...... so we wait a little longer!

[MariJ]

GLad to hear things are coming along, Sherry.. Keeping everyone in my thoughts..

[CRS]

Adding my prayers!

[shellbw]

Adding my prayers. The update sounds very hopeful.

[Ro]

Oh my goodness. Add my prayers, too!

[LaLo1103]

Hi Sherry Lynn - I will say a prayer for your friends. I hate the blind sides that life throws at you sometimes. Hang in there and let us know when there is some good news.