Update on Andy - Friday Oct. 7th

Just wanted to update everyone on Andy's condition. Today (I began this note on Friday night) we spoke with both doctors on the cardiac team that specialize in Pulmonary Hypertension or PH. We learned a couple things today that give us the best case and worst case scenario for Andy. Medically our next step is to go to the OR on Monday. In the operating room we will accomplish a couple things, first of all we will insert a permanent broviac or IV. This IV will allow us to give Andy medicine for his PH. It will be a permanent placed IV that will hang out of his chest so he doesn't have to get 'stuck' daily. This will also be the means by which he gets medicine, flolan. The second purpose for the visit to the OR is to do a biopsy of the lung. This biopsy will allow us to tell if Andy's PH can be treated. The tissue in his lung will give us an idea of how much damage has been done by the PH and if the treatments they have begun will work. His visit to the OR is scheduled for Monday but it could change over the weekend. After the biopsy they will send the info to a couple labs and it could be weeks or months to get results. The plan is to do the biopsy and broviac on Monday, then get him healthy and well enough to send us home. We have made it very clear to the doctors that our desire is to be at home with Andy regardless of the outcome. So they have committed to us to follow our desires and get us home as soon as Andy is able.

High expectation or Best Case: The Lord completely heals Andy's PH and he lives a normal life. We have and will continue to pray for God's mercy to heal him.

Moderate expectations: Andy goes home with a broviac IV and has a little backpack he wears that mixes the medicines to treat his PH. He could live up to 5-7 yrs old or as little as 1 yr.

Low expectation or Worst Case: A normal child/person has pressures in the 30's. Andrew left the hospital after his heart surgery with pressures in the 40's. When he got an Echo on Monday they were in the 90's. The heart cath they did on Thursday read 105. We asked the PH specialist here at Vandy where Andy's pressures ranked, she was very polite but was honest that they have never seen pressures higher than 80's or low 90's. Because his pressures are so high it means that any procedure is very risky. So Monday's trip to the OR will be bathed in prayer.
We are very sober and realize that we may not leave Nashville with Andy. It completely breaks our hearts to think these thoughts but we quickly direct our thought back to Psalms 139 where God clearly states that he "knit us together in our mothers womb" So we do not doubt that Andy's condition is under the umbrella of God's love for us. We believe clearly that he will get glory and this trial will be for our good. This doesn't mean we don't cry in passionate prayer pleading with God or struggle with the reality of the loss we may be called to walk through. All of the emotions have come and gone. Some mornings we wake up crying, some we wake up laughing. Krista has simply been excellent in her response. She has controlled her thoughts and is choosing to trust the Lord and hope against hope as the Landis' have encouraged her in the past.

Questions I've been asked in voicemails or emails by our family/friends:

Q: How long will we be here in Nashville?
A: The doctors tell us 2 weeks to a month depending on Andy's recovery.

Q: Can family/friends do anything?
A: Well the best thing you could do is to pray. I'm sure if your reading this you have already been praying, but please continue to pray for us. Specifically you could pray for: Strength for us, Wisdom for us as we make decisions for Andy's future. Wisdom & Knowledge for our doctors. Pray for our parents as this time is very difficult for them as well. Not only do they mourn and pray for Andrew but they have a burden for us as well.

Q: Do we need anything?
A: Honestly we are very well cared for at this point. Krista's parents are coming Saturday morning to bring us more clothes and supplies.
We do enjoy reading encouraging emails so you are welcome to email us at dsagraves@rmtgroup.com. Please don't expect a response, but know that we are reading each email and that they have encouraged us greatly.


In closing I will try to update this site every couple days with the latest info. Unfortunately, in the hospital no one is on the same schedule we are so things are much slower than we desire. We will continue to call our parents for verbal updates but will try to communicate here in writing so we don't have to speak updates in the case they are not good.

Thank you all for your care and love for our family. We feel very cared for and are definitely experiencing God's grace through this trial.

The Sagraves