Update on Cheryl Ford's Mom and Cheryl Eckstein

Sincere thanks for your prayers for my mother, and an Update re: Cheryl Eckstein Tuesday, October 18, 2005 1:00 PM PT Dearest Friends, This is a quick note to tell you how very much I have appreciated your prayers and best wishes for my mother. Many of you know my mother was seriously injured in an automobile accident on Friday, October 14th when her vehicle was struck in an intersection after a man had run a red light and t-boned the passenger door on her vehicle. My mothers neck was broken, now requiring her to be in Halo traction for the next 4 months. Compounded by the broken neck, she developed a blood clot in the back of her airway, 5 broken ribs and several breaks in her right arm, along with several lacerations in her head from the glass. This weekend was very rough. My mothers condition became very unstable on Saturday night, requiring the need for her to receive a blood transfusion due to her hemoglobin dropping. Her blood pressure had increased into very critical numbers, and she then spiked a very high temperature. She has not been awake since Friday because she remains on a ventilator in ICU under very heavy sedation. There is not a doubt in my mind, the prayers you have all been saying for her has now brought her temperature down and has stabilized her hemoglobin. Her blood pressure has also come down significantly. Today, Tuesday, the physicians are planning to take her down for another Cat Scan to see if the large blood clot sitting directly behind her airway has decreased in size. If it has, they will make an attempt to remove the tube from her airway that is attached to the ventilator. Her physicians tell me this will be a time for much needed prayer because if they pull the ventilator tube, and the clot expands, it could potentially obstruct her airway. In the event of such, Anesthesia will be standing by right next to her, prepared to reinsert the tube and place her back on the ventilator. We are praying and ask that you please continue to keep her in your prayers. In addition to the above...many of the Terri supporters like myself, who reside in Florida along the Gulf coast, now have the newly forecasted Hurricane Wilma on its way. Your prayers will also be appreciated for the many Floridians living along the Gulf coast who will be facing Hurricane Wilma soon. On a more HAPPIER and most THANKFUL note, Cheryl Eckstein's husband Bryan called me on my cell a bit ago. Many of you know Cheryl Eckstein from her dedicated work with http://www.chninternational.com/ ...The Compassionate Healthcare Network (CHN) Cheryl is out of surgery and in recovery. Her surgery went very well. The mass they removed was benign. Thanks and praise to the Lord. Cheryl Eckstein is not expected to be discharged from the hospital until this Friday or Saturday. For those wishing to send cards, she is at: Royal Columbian Hospital 330 E. Columbia Street New West Minister, British Columbia V3L3W7 Canada 1-604-520-4253 or send to: Cheryl Eckstein 11563 Bailey Cres., Surrey, B.C. V3V 2V4 Canada Once again, there are no words that can really be conveyed to you with regard to how much I have appreciated the prayers and good wishes that you have sent to my mother and my family. For those of you who have sent me an email requesting that I keep you posted about Cheryl Eckstein and my mother, I will do my best to post an update at the end of the week. Until then, my warmest regards and best wishes to you. Inhale the beauty of LIFE~ Respectfully, Cheryl Ford RN www.Fight4Terri.com