A Prayer ...

My friend Maria's, infant daughter, Courtney Michelle Wert's story follows... Feel free to read and add your prayers to mine. This situation just makes my heart sick. With the doctors unable to tell them what is wrong with Courtney, unable to help her at all ... it brings back, painfully, the memory of my cousin Lisa Marie George who passed away several years ago. The doctors at the time were also unable to give her family any insight into what was going on inside Lisa. At this point, the only thing keeping Courtney alive are machines. To those of you who wonder why I haven't called you about this: I can't, I have no working house phone. Maybe you should call ME more often ;)
Courtney Michelle Wert's story to date:
Courtney was sent to Calgary Children's Hospital Monday morning March 12, 2007 after she stopped breathing at home in Raymond on Sunday night. Mom and Dad helped her get breathing again with some effort and mom giving her several breaths. She continued to have difficulties with her breathing in Lethbridge and was flown to Calgary while Mom and Dad drove.
The initial explanation was Pneumonia but since Courtney's cultures have come back negative, further testing revealed thickening of the heart muscles in her left and right lower chambers. She is on several medications including antibiotics and medication to help lower her heart rate and increase her blood pressure. She was not responding well to all the treatment initially and her oxygen levels and blood pressure kept dropping so they started giving a drug to paralyze her. This drug is given by intravenous continuously to keep her from exerting herself and from fighting against the machines that are helping her breath. She is also on Morphine to help sedate and comfort her. The Morphine however kept her from passing urine so they have since put in a catheter. They have been slowly adding more medications to find a balance in keeping her stable. She is in very good hands and Mom is staying here in Calgary. She is getting breast milk through a tube in her nose that goes past her stomach. Even the heart specialist is baffled by her condition and will order more tests to help determine the cause and help give us a better plan of attack on her treatment.