[meteorite-list] 2-23-07 Update on Walter

[Walter Branch]

Good evening,
I saw Walter this afternoon.  This past week has been rough.  Rebekah has 
had a virus which kept her out of school 2 1/2 days.  Walter had been 
tolerating food through the NG tube into his stomach until Tuesday when he 
sprang a couple of leaks.  They ran dye through the stomach but couldn't 
find where the leaks were until late this afternoon.  It seems he has an 
obstruction in the small intestines.  The surgeons will make a decision and 
plan of action tomorrow.  Walter has been being weaned off the ventilator 
and when I left him at 7:00 p.m. he had been off the ventilator and on a 
trach collar for 9 hours.  ( The trach collar is like someone having an 
oxygen tank and the tubing under their nose but his is going into his 
throat).  His infection is responding to antibiotics but it will be weeks 
before it resolves.  All in all it was a better Friday than I have had in 4 
weeks, but we will have to see what the next few days bring in relation to 
the blockage.  Please keep us in your prayers.  We have loved getting the 
cards and emails.
Sabrina Branch
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