10/28/13, Monday, midday

Wow, what an amazing day this is turning out to be.

Met with the treatment team, and they are feeling Nicole is improving at a better pace than initially expected.  Her distal pulse (in her feet) is improved from yesterday.  Not only that, but the doctors and nurses can now hear her heart murmur.  This murmur is nothing new, and is part of the structural problem she has been followed for by her cardiologist here at the hospital for some time.  However, the murmur had disappeared after the cardiac event. This disappearance was due to the heart muscle being so weak in the area where the valve attached.  By the fact the murmur is returning, it is a signal that the heart muscle in that area is strengthening already.  Good news.  Given these and other positive signs the treatment team has decided to start warming her up already, rather than wait until tomorrow.  With the warming, they will begin tapering the medicines that relax her muscles, and so she may begin responding as early as this afternoon!

On the non-medical side, the way support is falling into place together is overwhelming!  We received calls from parents of children who attended her church youth group last night.  The youth leader let the group know of Nicole's situation, and the group of nearly 100 devoted their prayers to Nicole's health and recovery.  The parents tell of kids so deeply affected and wanting to express their support for Nicole.

We also found out that a number of Nicole's friends wore red today in support of Nicole and cardiac issues (like pink is for breast cancer).

And then, at the door of Nicole's room appears a new face.  She introduces herself.  It turns out she is Rebecca, the doctor who was sitting at the table near Nicole at the restaurant, who saw her collapse and initiated CPR!  She had talked with the mother who took the girls out for the party, and stopped by to see if it was ok to visit, and she actually works at the hospital!!!!  She relates how on Saturday evening she and her family had not intended to go to the restaurant the where the girls werel.  She and her family had changed their mind at the last minute (this is exactly what happened for the girls as well). Once there, her youngest, who loves Shirley Temple drinks, commented how Nicole had ordered a Shirley Temple "but hers was a LARGE one!".  "So we had noticed Nicole and were talking about her when she collapsed."  And then when Rebecca started CPR and called for assistance, the person coming to help turned out to be another medical provider, an X-Ray Tech; so Nicole had medically-trained people assisting from the get-go!  What an amazing blessing!

And then.....   I was hoping to have our pastor come by but he was traveling.  I really wanted a priest come by and give Nicole the Anointing of the Sick. I  looked on Google Maps for the closest parish and simply called their number, leaving a message.  I received a call in the morning from the Pastor of the parish and it turned out he was the priest at our home parish 8-10 years ago.  Not only that, but he was a priest Nicole particularly loved and he is to this day one of her favorite people.   He also remembered Nicole, even down to what her costume was on one Christmas Pageant!!  He was at the hospital in minutes to pray with us and anoint her.  He wants to come back to visit; I cannot wait for Nicole to be awake to see him.

Even Nicole's nurse who had heard of the coincidences from the start commented: "Something very special is happening for Nicole in all of this!"

Hard to take in all of what is happening.