Saturday Update 3/31/07

Thank you all for your fasting with us today. We definately felt the support of so many of you who were praying and fasting with us. We have truely felt the arms of love extended towards us. Thank you.

Now, the 'juice' you've all been waiting for...........

We gathered for family prayer to end our fast and had an opportunity to talk with the neurologist about Ty's progress. We are very excited for all of the small miracles we are seeing along the way.

A couple of exciting things...she has tried (and succeeded) to open her eyes on her own, even under sedation. It actually happened when her doctor was in the room and he couldn't discount that she was responding! They again held a picture in front of her and then lowered it down and her eyes followed!!! There was a definate response! She has also started to gag on the respirator occassionally. A good sign! She has had a CT scan every day and today there was a moderate positive change. The doctor says the swelling on her brain has gone down a little (yippee!) and when she is on 'sedation vacation' she is not having the seizures as she was before (another major positive). There are so many little things we are seeing that she wasn't doing before. Things are still touchy but we are over joyed with the small progresses. We can feel the spirit of the Lord and the peace he brings as we work through this. It is amazing to be a part of such a great blessing/trial!

We all still feel like a miracle is on it's way for Tyree. Chris' sister, Natalie, said it best, "God is not going to only give us only half a miracle. He's going to give a full blown one. He doesn't do anything half way!" What a great way to put it.

We are so thankful to all of Ty's great doctors and nurses who are doing such a great job with her. Please send a prayer of gratitude for them. We are confident she is in the best care!

P.S. We also were able to catch some parts of General Conferene today and have felt so inspired by the words and messages that were shared. What a wonderful time of year as we get to hear from our church leaders and prepare for the greatest time of year...Easter and the celebration of life of the Savior. That is what we will celebrate this week as well--Life and renewal!

Friday Night

I got to stay with Tyree last night, and just wanted to let you know what is new. We had a really nice, peaceful night. There were a few moments when we could tell she was really uncomfortable. She fought with the tubes in her mouth and tried to open her eyes. I waited for her to open them all the way, but she did not quite do it.

Since no one else has posted on it, I will share what Chris said happened yesterday. (Since my story is second-hand, anyone who was actually there can correct me with a comment). He said they were able to give her a "sedation vacation" for over an hour and fifteen minutes! (her record so far) He also said that during that vacation, she opened her eyes (without focusing) and reacted in her face and arm when pinched. We are so excited! The specialist (in his own subdued manner) was even excited!

We are so grateful for the miracles and blessings that God has shown us, and that He will continue to show us. I know it is in response to everyone's fasting, prayers, and faith. Thank you all so much!

Friday Update

Okay, I see that no one else has given an update on Ty today so I will do the job---what a blessing!
Anyway, I was with Ty all of last night (Thursday) and well into the early afternoon. She was resting nicely in the night with only one tremor/slight seizure. The wonderful staff bathed her and then covered her in nice smelly lotions and powders. They did her hair in a cute ponytail and did a little massage. The nurse was telling me of all of her daily responsibilities, bathing the patients is her favorite part as she can do something just for them to make them more comfortable. I thought that was sweet. That is definately something I could NEVER do for a living! Anyway, after her bath, she settled down for the night. We put on the country radio station and Ty was resting peacefully for several hours, despite the constant interruptions by nurses, aides, etc.

She has had many visitors today. Our grandparents from Tucson and Mayer, AZ were both by to see her. Also many friends from across the state. Our brother Joel came in from Washington state as well. It is just a regular party up at her place! We have completely taken over the ICU waiting room, complete with bedding and food! It is great to feel the love and support from so many of you.

Later in the morning, the medical staff decided to give Ty a 'sedation vacation' again. They turned off her sedation meds and watched her vitals. For 5 minutes, the nurse was right there by Ty's side with me. Her vitals did not change at all--a great thing! The nurse then left the room and I got Jason in there with me. We started talking to her and rubbing her arms. Jason was holding her hand and TY WAS GRABBING BACK!!! He tried to pull away but Ty wouldn't let him! We kept talking to her and we saw her try to open her eyes, they were too heavy for her so I held them open for her (as the nurse had instructed we could). She was trying to focus her eyes and we held up a picture of Jocelyn in front of her. It was VERY obvious she was trying to focus. This was at about the 12 minute mark of her 'vacation'. When she did focus, the look on her face totally changed--from that of complete relaxation to one of terror. She realized something was wrong! She knew she was in a strange place! As soon as she had this realization, all of her machines started to go off and the nurse was right back in there ending the 'vacation'. The nurse said Ty was just having a seizure, but Jason and I know otherwise! We felt that she was with us for just a brief moment. It was a slice of heaven and has given us more hope than we've physically had in few days. Jason and I cannot discount what we saw and experienced today. I don't care what medical explanation the doctors give us about what happened, we know she was with us MENTALLY today!

Chris wasn't in the room when all of this happened but when he returned, we told him what happened. He was a little disappointed that he missed it but we told him not to worry as this was just the 'rehersal' for the big unveiling that was to come shortly. He liked that. He also had a good night's sleep away from the hospital at our Uncle Bruce's house (bless his family for being so flexible with the parade of house guests!) which was good for his spirits.

Today has been a bright spot of hope for us. We can't help but believe that Tyree will be back soon as her usual self. Thank you for all of your love and support. We use every small victory as stepping stones to winning the war! Thank you also to all who are fasting with us today, the strength of your faith is defintely felt by our family.

Reunion

Tyree,
You really know how to bring people together! It has been great to hear from so many people and know that you have had the biggest impact in their lives. I know that you can hear every word that is being shared and you are allowing us to discover the real you. Everyone has a different perspective of who you are and what role you play in their life. Take me for example. I know you to be fun-loving, willful and downright stubborn. I know that you are the pickiest eater and can't stand to go a day without a tomato. I also know that you helped me to see that it's the little things in life that count-the naps, the chocolate brownies and especially the late night hangouts where we just couldn't find any reason to go to bed. Most importantly, you have given me the freedom to be who I am without judgment-just like God. We are going to be reunited and we will spend countless hours together laughing at how bad my singing to you in the hospital is. I deserve that and I look forward to it too! Laughter in the best medicine!

Shhhh....We Sneaked Her In!!

Yesterday, Susan used her great people skills with the nurses. She got one of them to "let" us "sneak" Jocelyn in to see her Mommy! We had to get her in at a certain time when the right nurses were there, so I rushed Jocelyn across town to get her there. Then, we wrapped the baby in a hospital blanket and Susan carried her while I blocked the view by walking in front. We got her safely into the room where we had closed all the curtains and blinds.

It was such a relief to be there, because we knew even if we got "in trouble" the worst they could do was kick us out. We were so excited! The energy in the room was just amazing! Jocelyn was so happy and good. Everyone was so estatic and stood around and took pictures. Then, surprise! Grandpa Frank and Grandma Jane came to the room with Dad/Ivan/Papa! We had quite a crowd (6 or more) and it was so fun!

Pretty soon after that, some alarms on the heart machines went off, so we got out of there before we got caught. Tyree looks so lovely, despite her condition. Her skin has great color and is smooth and soft. Her eyes are peaceful and gorgeous. We are SOO glad she got to spend some time with her daughter!

Sarah Jane

A beautiful photo of Ty and Jocelyn

Fast for Tyree

Please join us for a special fast beginning on Friday 3/30/07 beginning at 3:00 pm pacific time. We will be fasting particularly for Tyree's recovery and the decisions the family needs to make. We invite you to participate in this special occassion as we worship together

Who Tyree is...As some of you have never met her

I decided I would tell you a little about Tyree as I know we have many people reading our blog who have never met her. First I say thanks to all who are a part of this unified faith endeavour!
Tyree just turned 29 last week and has a beautiful 3 1/2 month old baby girl named Jocelyn. She is married to Chris Miller, has custody of her nephew Tyler and they all live in Cottonwood, AZ. She loves the color lavender and butterflies are one of her favorite items to decorate her daughter's room with. She is the master baker--chocolate chip cookies (no recipe required!) are her speciality, but anything with chocolate is bound to be on her menu! She loves the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. She goes to great lengths to serve others and has a personality that just can't help but rub off. She is determined in her decisions and doesn't back down from what she believes in. She currently serves as the Young Women's President in her home ward. The young women love her and she absolutely adores them. She has worked with young women in Georgia as well and still considers them to be her 'girls'. She has a special and unique gift for working with young people. She loves to watch shows in the Discovery channel about forensics and medicine. She gets grossed out by bugs and insects. Don't even mention cockroaches to her! She has a thing with people's feet being near her (especially if they are barefoot!) and loves to have her hair burshed.
I am sure if you have read this far, you too have been touched by her and know many more things about her. Please continue this discussion of how she is (please only in the present tense) by leaving your comments below. Thanks

A little update, Thursday 3/29/07

I don't have any good news to share. It has been a rough day and Chris is not in a good place mentally. Last night Tyree flatlined 2 times and they brought her back. She is definately testing us to the limit!!! The doctors have advised Chris to start thinking about decisions. I choose to ignore them and continue believing she will return to us. I came across an email I received last year some time that really helped me. Its from Leslie Householder's site www.thoughtsalive.com and she talks about 19 rules of prosperity. I read about her rules 7, 8 & 9. Rule #9 is: "I will doubt not, and I will fear not! It just simply isn't good for me." She goes on to say, "The recommendation to doubt not, fear not is more than just a good idea, it is a rule to keep you from sabotaging the unseen help which is working hard to bring you the blessing you submitted to the Master Chef." I like that!! I can keep my doubts about Tyree at bay by focusing on the positive. In her rule #7, She says, " Whatever my circumstances are, I can and will always choose my own thoughts" WOW! That's powerful! Put that with rule #8 "When I have a choice, I choose to believe. It does me no harm to believe. If I am wrong, I will cross that bridge when I come to it. In the meantime, I have nothing to lose by believing. I choose to believe. It is a choice." Talk about powerful! I am choosing to believe right now. I know that we can all unite our faith and prayers in Tyree's behalf. Choose faith, choose your thoughts, choose to believe!! Love to all!

My FAITH is STRONGER and more POWERFUL than your facts!

I have heard all the doctors come in and tell us in somber voices "people in this circumstance have about a 20% chance to fully recover", "she's not showing any signs of improvement", or "you need to prepare yourself for some difficult choices."

Thank you I feel so much better... Now get out of my way so I can do my work! I'm particularly interested in those types of comments because what I feel tells a completely different story. I feel an amazing amount of peace when I am with Ty.

A miracle is an event or circumstance that we can't explain and has no logical or scientific explanation. This does not mean that there is no logical or scientific explanation it just means that God hasn't revealed to us the LAW upon which those events, experiences, and circumstances are based. Just because I don't know how something works doesn't mean it can't work. It just means God is just smarter than I am.

The bottom line is NO MATTER WHAT the doctors tell us, we need to ask for the Lord to bring us a miracle, believe it is possible, and eliminate any doubt we may have. With that our Faith becomes INVINCIBLE.

With God ALL things are POSSIBLE.

A Quick Story

There was a Dr. that came into Ty's room today while I was in there, he told me his name but I forgot promptly forgot it. He was asked to check in on Ty and see that everything was that could be done was being done.

While we were talking he asked if everything was going alright and if we were being taken care of. Just before he was about to leave he told me about one of his family members who had been in a similar situation as Tyree just a couple of months ago. He spoke of how after 7 days this family member literally snapped out of the coma and was alert.

I really feel like he was sent to me so I could hear that story. He was another angle the Lord sent to me today.

Feeling like a miracle is on its way!

I just feel like the miracle is on its way! The law of polarity tells us that however bad things are, they have to be that good. I know the law is never wrong and for how bad we think things are today, a bright new dawn is on its way! Tyree, I see you walking, laughing and being your usual sarcastic self. You are healthy and strong. You are beautiful and worth every prayer. I love you!

Wed 3/28/07 update...

Today I arrived at the hospital with Chris' mom, Mary and sister, Natalie. They flew in last night from North Carolina and stayed with me overnight. We arrived this morning to a renewed Chris. We arrived around 8 am and he was up, already having breakfast on his own in the cafeteria and was in the waiting room watching tv when we arrived. I took this as a great sign because this was the first time he ventured out of the ICU by himself. He was in much better spirits and throughout the day he was laughing and actually carrying on conversations with us, whereas before he was mostly answering questions and listening. It was great to be with him today. Shiloh has Jocelyn and brought her up to see Chris and his family today. That was a real treat as Natalie had never seen Jocelyn and Mary hadn't been here since just after the birth. It was fun for all of them to be together a little bit today.
As for Tyree's progress, it was determined yesterday that she DID NOT have a heart attack but what she has is a condition called "Post-Partum Cardio Myopathy". Basically that means that the birth of Jocelyn put a major strain on Ty's heart, causing it to enlarge and weaken. Since it has been so long since the birth, it has really weakened her heart and it is beating very irregularly and only pumping at 25%. This is something that as she recovers and is with us mentally, they will fix with medication for life, and a possible defibulator and/or pacemaker. They won't make any repairs or changes to her heart until she 'comes to' again. She has a breathing tube that she relys on for breathing so as to let her body rest. She can breathe on her own but the machine is doing it while she is in the sedation state. Her lungs are healthy and strong.
They have tried a couple of times to give Ty a 'sedation vacation' which basically means they have tried to bring her out of the coma. Each time as she has come off of the medication, after just a couple of minutes she is having seizures. They don't know if they are actual seizures or a side effect of the medication. They have her on anti-seizure medication so as to watch how she reacts when they try again for the next 'vacation', which is only once per day or so.
She looks good, only a minor fever and appears very at peace. I sat there reading to her today and I just had the feeling she was going to open her eyes. I can just feel it. I don't care what the stats are, I know she is going to have a full recovery. Please respond to this with positive messages and prayers. We will read the posts to Ty and print messages and inspirations for the "Wall of Faith" we have created in her room. We love her! Please also pass this blog onto your other family and friends who want updates. Thank you.

Seeing the face of God

I walked into the hospital this morning to visit my beloved sister with Chris, his mom and his sister. What I saw was the face of God as Chris picked up Jocelyn into his arms. The amazing peace and love that they shared in that moment was angelic. The endless love and joy in Chris' heart came to the surface and allowed me to see a piece of heaven. I wanted you guys to know that Tyree is in the best care, Chris is by her side every step of the way, and it is through our faith that she will be healed. I know the seriousness of the situation but I also know that there is one thing that keeps me going-my faith. Tyree is human and is subject to that reality but by looking into the eyes of Jocelyn, I recognize that every life is precious and a miracle in itself. There is no sugar coating- only sincere, unending love for Tyree.

How it all began...3/27/07

I just wanted to start out by giving a basic background on how, when, etc. this whole episode began. I first want to say this...this blog is for us to unite our faith in prayer, visualization, and action so as to result in a full recovery for Tyree. The power we have through our united faith is what will bring her through.
I have been the designated one to get things up to speed for our on-line community.
Tuesday 3/27: Tyree was very sick with a blatter and kidney infection last week and was in the hospital in Cottonwood. She came home from the hospital on Sunday afternoon and still wasn't feeling good at all. She slept restlessly Sunday night and yesterday (Monday) she woke up, picked up the baby and then called out for Chris. She doubled over and had what we believed was a heart attack. She was completely unresponsive and not breathing and no heartbeat. The paramedics arrived within a couple of minutes and on the way to the hospital, they were able to revive her. She was in the ICU in Cottonwood all day yesterday in a drug-induced coma while they checked her out. Last night, she was flown to Banner Estrella Mountain hospital here in West Phoenix. Everything is very touch and go as of right now. They are in the process of testing her heart, brain function, breathing, etc. Its just a waiting game while we see what's up. It is very serious. Her ward up in Cottonwood has been great. They have been calling, visiting and praying for her. They are having a special fast for her today (Tuesday). It has been a real blessing to have such a great support network up there for her. Chris is handling things as well as can be expected. He feels guilty that he allowed Tyree to come home from the hospital in the first place. We keep reassuring him that he did the right thing and he saved her life by performing CPR. Please keep him in your prayers as well.

The Beginning

This blog was started to inform everyone on Tyree's day to day status. We will make daily posts letting everyone know the latest info on Ty's progress. Please accept this as an official invitation to post your comments, even if it's just a few words.

We ask that you focus your prayers and intentions on Tyree's complete recovery. Miracles happen every day, and we are just letting the Lord know that we are ready for Ty to receive hers.

Sincerely,

Travis