Thank you for your prayers. Claire came home from the hospital today, she is still on IV antibiotics through a picc line in her arm. She takes antibiotics every six hours and a stronger dose than she would receive in a capsule. This should clear up a majority of the infection and hopeflully prepare her for the spinal fusion surgery in a few weeks. The plastic surgeon who closed during the surgery, and is wonderful, assured us that the surgery would prevent the pressure ulcers from occuring again and allow her back to heal.
We are so grateful to have her home in time for Thanksgiving. What a Blessing and we are so Thankful! May God continue to bless you for your generous prayers and kindness.
Happy Thanksgiving to All.
Murray Clan 13!!
Claire Update
Claire had exploratory surgery on her back yesterday in order to uncover the wound and to do cultures for infection. Both the orthopedic surgeon and the plastic surgeon noted that the infection had not covered the hardware and looked to be more local. They also discovered she had a pressure ulcer where the last screw head was located. The scoliosis in her back has progressed and as a result the rods and screws are pushing from the inside out. That is what created the pressure ulcer.
The future? They are doing cultures to see what type of infection is growing, and what kind of antibiotics to treat the infection. Given the results of the cultures will determine the next step. Claire will need another spinal fusion to extend the hardware from mid-back down to her pelvis. This will correct the scoliosis progression as well as relieve the pressure from the hardware that is occurring within. We also hope and pray that with the spinal correction she may regain some strength in her legs and arms. So, we wait to see what kind of infection to determine when she can have another spinal fusion. Although the surgery to correct the scoliosis would be very hard and very painful for Claire, the family believes it will benefit her and her future. We are praying for a quick and painless recovery from this surgery, so that she can come home for Thanksgiving. We pray that she will be able and ready to have surgery in the next few weeks, we pray for it's success as well as steady healing and recovery. We pray that the surgery will be completed and recovered in time for Christmas with the family.
We ask for your prayers as well. We implore our Lady as well as all of the Saints and Angels in heaven to storm heaven for Claire. We have been so Blessed by your prayers. And, we ask for your continued prayers. May our Lord continue to bless you for your kindness and generosity.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
The future? They are doing cultures to see what type of infection is growing, and what kind of antibiotics to treat the infection. Given the results of the cultures will determine the next step. Claire will need another spinal fusion to extend the hardware from mid-back down to her pelvis. This will correct the scoliosis progression as well as relieve the pressure from the hardware that is occurring within. We also hope and pray that with the spinal correction she may regain some strength in her legs and arms. So, we wait to see what kind of infection to determine when she can have another spinal fusion. Although the surgery to correct the scoliosis would be very hard and very painful for Claire, the family believes it will benefit her and her future. We are praying for a quick and painless recovery from this surgery, so that she can come home for Thanksgiving. We pray that she will be able and ready to have surgery in the next few weeks, we pray for it's success as well as steady healing and recovery. We pray that the surgery will be completed and recovered in time for Christmas with the family.
We ask for your prayers as well. We implore our Lady as well as all of the Saints and Angels in heaven to storm heaven for Claire. We have been so Blessed by your prayers. And, we ask for your continued prayers. May our Lord continue to bless you for your kindness and generosity.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Prayers needed for Claire
Claire is back in the hospital. She returned last week with a multitude of complications. She has an infection, open wounds on her back that are not healing, a lump forming on her back that could be from the scoliosis or from wound infection. She also has pressure sores on her heals because she cannot move her legs the pressure from keeping them immobile formed blisters and sores that are not healing. Her broviak was removed over two weeks ago, and looked so promising for her continued improvement. Yet with this latest hospital stay in order to have her take the strong coarse of antibiotics she needs a central vein, so a pik-line was placed back in her arm. Which did cause her alot of distress and pain.
Claire is very delicate, her bones, her skin are much more fragile than before. When Claire returns home she will need a hospital bed and special precautions to allow her body to heal.
She may need surgery this week, to correct the issues in her back. She may need future surgery to help with the weakness in her arms. The neurosurgeon is not sure he can prevent further deterioration. This may lead to loss of her arm function as well as her diaphragm and the need for a ventilator.
The Murray clan is taking all this one day at a time. Claire's spirits are good, we feel that God is faithful. Our Mother Mary has been so generous to us, Claire will persevere through this and certainly recover with your prayers.
Please continue to keep her in your prayers. It is profoundly obvious that these prayers sustain, and comfort Claire. Without them, I am not sure where she and her family would be.
Thank you all for your kindness.
God Bless you.
Our Lady of Lourdes pray for us.
Claire is very delicate, her bones, her skin are much more fragile than before. When Claire returns home she will need a hospital bed and special precautions to allow her body to heal.
She may need surgery this week, to correct the issues in her back. She may need future surgery to help with the weakness in her arms. The neurosurgeon is not sure he can prevent further deterioration. This may lead to loss of her arm function as well as her diaphragm and the need for a ventilator.
The Murray clan is taking all this one day at a time. Claire's spirits are good, we feel that God is faithful. Our Mother Mary has been so generous to us, Claire will persevere through this and certainly recover with your prayers.
Please continue to keep her in your prayers. It is profoundly obvious that these prayers sustain, and comfort Claire. Without them, I am not sure where she and her family would be.
Thank you all for your kindness.
God Bless you.
Our Lady of Lourdes pray for us.
Matthew on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibhTMyyaChA
For the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz in September of this year, Jeremy Santos and some of the other seminarians of St. Patrick's in Menlo Park did an excellent job in the music video describing the life and martyrdom of San Lorenzo. There is beautiful footage of the seminary as well as the seminarians, and Matthew is one, portraying the other martyrs who were killed along with San Lorenzo when they would not renounce their faith.
Make sure to watch until they end, it becomes very comical. Enjoy!!
For the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz in September of this year, Jeremy Santos and some of the other seminarians of St. Patrick's in Menlo Park did an excellent job in the music video describing the life and martyrdom of San Lorenzo. There is beautiful footage of the seminary as well as the seminarians, and Matthew is one, portraying the other martyrs who were killed along with San Lorenzo when they would not renounce their faith.
Make sure to watch until they end, it becomes very comical. Enjoy!!
The Giants trump Halloween!!!
I am not much of a Giants fan, nor a baseball fan, or even a sports fan for that matter. But, over the last few months the Murrays have been sweatin' over the World Series and the Giants. Well they are now the World Champions!! And, I was never more thankful for Giant's baseball then on Halloween. I am not much of a follower of baseball like the rest of the Murray Clan, but I am even less of a Halloween fan.
I dread Halloween. I don't even want to put up the October calendar in the classroom because it will become the 30 day count down to the 31st, and eventually melt down when the day does not come soon enough. Also, the sugar addictions become more and more apparent doing any shopping from the beginning of September until the infamous day arrives. But, that is something we can normally tolerate and live through in our home, what has become worse within the last five years is the trend toward ghoulish and gross. The Halloween days of my past and Joe's past are gone. The children of today no longer dress as Superman, or Batman, or a princess with plastic masks that prevent you from seeing and breathing. No, we see young children show up at our home covered in fake blood, detached limbs, and chain saw massacre costumes. My children are terrified. That fear is a normal, healthy fear. I am not going to try and tell them that the terrifying haunted house with eery screams and zombies is alright because it is Halloween. To be afraid is normal, to be complacent about such costumes and events is not.
In the last few years I have tried to escape, choosing even to go to Costco on Halloween with the kids because I knew it would not be crowded, and of course to escape the crazy and scary happenings out in the neighborhoods. Yes this may sound like child abuse to some, but for our large family it was a safe haven.
This year, however, because of the Giants we watched the World Series game with the family. There was no one out beggin' for candy. It was more akin to "Halloween what? We're watching the game!" What a blessing!!
As catholics we have lost our identity. Halloween was a time of preparation for the happenings of the next day when we celebrated with the Saints. We looked forward to the end, to be in Heaven. Not behind to look at the events on earth.
St. Bernard tells us, in the Office of Readings on Nov. 1st:
"The Saints have no need of honor from us, neither does our devotion add to the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed with a tremendous yearning....We long to share in the citizenship of heaven."
This is the message we try to teach our children. this life is passing, not as ghouls and witches. As people longing to see our God face to face. I was glad for a respite from Halloween horror with Giant victory. May we all reach the giant Saints in heaven one day, especially through their prayers and intercession.
I dread Halloween. I don't even want to put up the October calendar in the classroom because it will become the 30 day count down to the 31st, and eventually melt down when the day does not come soon enough. Also, the sugar addictions become more and more apparent doing any shopping from the beginning of September until the infamous day arrives. But, that is something we can normally tolerate and live through in our home, what has become worse within the last five years is the trend toward ghoulish and gross. The Halloween days of my past and Joe's past are gone. The children of today no longer dress as Superman, or Batman, or a princess with plastic masks that prevent you from seeing and breathing. No, we see young children show up at our home covered in fake blood, detached limbs, and chain saw massacre costumes. My children are terrified. That fear is a normal, healthy fear. I am not going to try and tell them that the terrifying haunted house with eery screams and zombies is alright because it is Halloween. To be afraid is normal, to be complacent about such costumes and events is not.
In the last few years I have tried to escape, choosing even to go to Costco on Halloween with the kids because I knew it would not be crowded, and of course to escape the crazy and scary happenings out in the neighborhoods. Yes this may sound like child abuse to some, but for our large family it was a safe haven.
This year, however, because of the Giants we watched the World Series game with the family. There was no one out beggin' for candy. It was more akin to "Halloween what? We're watching the game!" What a blessing!!
As catholics we have lost our identity. Halloween was a time of preparation for the happenings of the next day when we celebrated with the Saints. We looked forward to the end, to be in Heaven. Not behind to look at the events on earth.
St. Bernard tells us, in the Office of Readings on Nov. 1st:
"The Saints have no need of honor from us, neither does our devotion add to the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed with a tremendous yearning....We long to share in the citizenship of heaven."
This is the message we try to teach our children. this life is passing, not as ghouls and witches. As people longing to see our God face to face. I was glad for a respite from Halloween horror with Giant victory. May we all reach the giant Saints in heaven one day, especially through their prayers and intercession.
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