Begin forwarded message:
From: "Greg Hamilton"
Date: April 5, 2012 8:28:20 PM PDT
Subject: Update on My Dad
Thanks for your prayers dear friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
Here's the latest from Dr. Blake Gornowicz based on our lay understanding. While it's positive, it's not conclusive as there are more tests to be conducted. But there is some reason to be hopeful:
1) CT Scan shows no edema swelling in the brain, but more thorough tests remain. While this is positive, it is NOT conclusive that a heat stroke DID NOT have any significant or lasting neurological damage. One sign is that when touching his fingers, he is beginning to respond. But this is preliminary. Positive but preliminary.
2) Liver Shock is showing gradual signs of decreasing and potentially back to normalcy.
3) Zero Kidney Damage.
4) Heart is strong. Dad works out nearly three hours daily -- 50 pool laps, cardio machines and all the weights at Cherrywood Retirement Center near the Sunnyside Church. The doctor says this has sustained him, and that even though he just turned 82 on Sabbath at our house he has the body condition of a 40-year old.
5) He is essentially in a Coma. No cerebral hemorrhage kind of a stroke, though. That has been ruled out and determined that it was a high fever flu with a near death heat stroke at 107.3 degrees when taken to the emergency room at Portland Adventist Hospital on Tuesday, April 3, at 4:31 p.m. 108 is fatal, but so is 107 in most cases.
6) More CT Scans and neurological tests will ensue, along with pulling him off of life support to see how my Dad, Ken Hamilton, responds, including whether he can breathe on his own using a CPAP machine.
7) Neurological damage is likely, and the extent -- along with all other responsive mechanisms and tests -- will determine a great deal as we move forward -- whether he is in a vegetative state or whether it leads to a salvageable physiological and neurological recovery through major rehab, etc.
There are lots of questions and discoverable answers that remain. But a few more days -- by Sunday afternoon -- will tell us a great deal, the doctor says.
Well, this is the best technical medical report I can possibly give at this time regarding my father's medical condition.
He is very dear to us -- a spiritual rock and pillar for all of the family, and for so many of his friends all over California and at Cherrywood Village, and perhaps for some at the Sunnyside Church.
Thanks again for all of your prayers. This will either be a short or long journey depending on what we find out Sunday. We leave it in God's hands.
Sue Patzer shared this text with Laura and I yesterday:
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9/NIV).
There is HOPE! May God be praised. We are humbled, very, very weary, and blessed. We will not give up praying for a miracle. Please continue to pray with us.
Finally, Dad was truly ready to continue to live for Jesus or die. That's because he was at peace with God and his fellow man, loving God supremely and his neighbor as himself. In the end that's all that really matters, along with the promise that Jesus will take us home to live eternally with Him.
Many hugs and heartfelt thanks to all of you! God is good no matter what...
Greg
