September 28, 2009

Seems as though time is flying right past us. Last Tuesday was actually a solid 2 months that Paula has been in the Baptist Hotel. She has had many bumps along the way. She went into ICU last week due to having a infection in her blood. Seems as though they caught it pretty early on and after several days of very good care and intensive IV antibiotics in the ICU she is now back out into a room on the floor, room #778. They are still working on doing dialysis and therapy keeps working with her to help her keep her strength. The docs are talking about placing a filter to help catch a clot floating around in her leg. Not sure exactly when this will happen, but hopefully it works. Still hoping and praying for a liver. Paula has come through such a long and tedious journey none would ever want to take. She still has the fight and will to keep going until she gets her liver and kidney. She would love to just be able to "take time to smell the roses".

So send those e-cards, make phone calls, visit and mostly......Just keep praying. Seems as though someone upstairs is listening as she continually makes it through the rough times.

Just make sure you take time to stop and tell her you love her and are thinking of her. She is truly an amazing lady.


Rachele.

***Sunday, September 13, 2009***

Quick Update....

Paula has had a rough go lately and has been in and out of ICU with a GI bleed. She has stabilized and now is in room 756 still at Baptist. She is working with OT/PT for daily therapy and seems to be having a bit better luck with her strength. Her doctors have told us she is #2 on the list. We are still holding onto faith and prayers to see her through this time. After transplant will not be an easy path either, so she will need all of the strength she can get now and then. We are still looking for volunteers who would like to help us with sitting with her and also to visit and help keep her morale. If this is something you are remotely interested in please let us know. We appreciate your thoughts, prayers and all of your support.

We are still selling Sonic and Subway value cards for $5. Let us know if you would like to purchase some!!!

Thanks. -- Rachele --

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Good Morning to all! It has been very busy since the last post.

Our car wash brought in $1682 and Chili's was a success as well at $1768.20 with our 10% being $176.82. They welcomed us back anytime.

Many of you came out to support Paula at the car wash and also went and ate at Chili's to help out as well. It was wonderful to see so much support and Paula was excited to hear the report. We appreciated seeing so many of you and hearing your kind words and many blessings. With your help we exceeded our expectations and want to say, "THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH". We will keep you informed of the next event.

ONTO PAULA NEWS....She has struggled a bit lately and so now we are asking of your help with her personally.... We are looking to see if anyone is interested in maybe helping out during the week or even on the weekends so we may allow her parents to spend a bit more time at home to relax instead of in the hard hospital chairs. If you can help with even just a couple of hours that would be wonderful. She is still going to dialysis 3x a week and also now has a goal to get up and walk 4x a day so it is going to be hard for her, but we have faith she can do it with our help. Also after speaking to her yesterday she has agreed visitors would be good. Sometimes it seems when you are ill it is hard to want to have guests, but for Paula maybe we could enlighten her spirits with positivity through visitors. Continue to send her ecards through Baptist's website as we have made a HUGE HEART in her window with them and also just any words of encouragement would be wonderful. If you are interested in helping out please call me 405-831-5320 as we have a schedule we would love to pencil you into.

Next is a challenge. We would like to get a prayer chain going so Paula is the topic of prayer all around Norman and then hopefully Oklahoma and onto nationwide. She needs every prayer she can get to help her fight against this ugly disease. We know a liver is the only way she can fully recover, but with God and faith being the stronghold all things are possible. She is a very fortunate lady to have such love and support from ALL of her family and friends. She is truly a blessing from God and is thankful for each and every day she has here to spend with us.

Once again, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH!!

Rachele.

Fundraising Updates

Hi Everyone...Just wanted to update everyone on the next few events we are doing to help Paula get her new liver!!!

The first one is this Saturday at Norman High School- we will be having a car wash for donations..there will also be refreshments available to purchase with proceeds going to Paula's cause. Click on the link below to see the details...

http://www.normannerds.com/paula/carwashflyer.doc

The second fundraising event will be Chili's nights! Chili's is so genourous to allow us 3 nights in a row for people to come in and bring a flyer and they will donate 10% of the sales to Paula!!! All you have to do is remember to take a flyer and tell the waiter and enjoy a great dinner!!! Click on the link to print the flyer!!

http://www.normannerds.com/paula/chilisflyer.jpg

At lastly, we are selling Subway & Sonic discount cards. They will be available at the car wash or you can email me and we will let you know how to get them. They are $5 and you will get great deals at those restauraunts as well! Karena@normannerds.com or call (405)203-9358

We are so blessed to have Paula in our lives and I know she has touched each and eveyone of you as well! We are super excited to do our part to help her continue to be a blessing to sooooo many!!!

Thanks a bunch! Love, Karena & the entire Paula Crawford family!! :)

Update 8.14.09

Well, it is a quiet Friday night up here. Paula is resting. She had a rough night last night. The feeding tube got clogged in the night, so she got sick a bit. They came in and flushed it out so it should be good to go now. She is tired, but said she ate a bit tonight. They also said that as of today she does not have an infection. They are suppose to do dialysis tomorrow. Her meld score has been raised to a 25 so that is better than the 14 or 16 it was before she was admitted this time. Hopefully a new liver will be hers very, very soon! Keep the prayers coming...

Thanks,
Karena ;)

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I am proud to announce....Paula has been having a wonderful day. Miraculously she was sitting up talking and even eager to eat today as I visited her. She even got out of the bed and walked a few steps. She is very happy that she feels so well today. They are not doing dialysis on her today, but are possibly going to drain some more fluid from her belly. We have been advised from the doctors that every day is a new day and so her condition will fluctuate. We only hope for the best days everyday! We are far from being out of the woods, just seeing a hint of sunlight amongst the heavily wooded trees. So keep the prayers coming and also the cards. It is the small things in life she is excited about. At lunch she had the smallest "glass" of tea a person could imagine. It was a real crack-up. If you see her you should ask her about it I am sure you will laugh as well.

I am also wanting to let everyone know we have a car wash scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2009 @ Norman High School on Main St. It is from 10a-3p. We will have refreshments for sale as well. So come out and let us wash your car and as Paula said, "Help Wash Away Liver Disease!" Also Chili's is sponsoring 3 "give-back" nights in honor of Paula on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, August 24, 25, 26 from 5p-10:30p in Norman. You must have a flyer in order for us to receive the 10%, so make sure if you need one to contact us (or come to the car wash) and we will be happy to make sure you have one prior to going out to eat!!! We hope Paula is able to go and eat along side us!!!! Let Chili's do the cooking and support Paula at the same time!!!

**By the way, I have set up an account with Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) in Paula's honor. If any of you are blood donors all you have to do is let them know prior to donating that you are donating for credit on Paula Crawford's behalf. This will give her credit on all of the blood products she has used or will use!!! If you have any questions, please let me know.

As always, any questions, please let me know.

Thanks.

Rachele.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Good Morning to all!

Well another day has passed and Paula is still with us, thank goodness. She is struggling and needs all of the prayers she can get. She is still in room 771 @ Baptist. She went for dialysis yesterday for her 3rd time and tolerated it well. She is remaining stable (guarded) at this time, although still needs all of the love and prayers in the world. She is not eating the best, but still is getting nutrition through her veins and through her feeding tube. She has not always been up on visitors, but I am going to say we should try it as it may brighten her day, the only requirement is you bring you best attitude and most positive thoughts with you!!! Also she has been enjoying the e-cards so keep'em coming. We have started filling her windows with cards. The link was posted 2 blogs ago so just click it and send her a note.

If you have questions you are welcome to call me.

Thanks.

Rachele.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Quick update.... Yesterday, Friday, was Paula's first day of dialysis and it all went well. She went back for more today and did well also. She has been very, very sleepy though is doing her best to keep her head up. She really needs all of the prayers she can get. It looks like it may be a very long road to recovery or even until a liver appears. If you are interested in helping out with anything please let me know. We are calling all people who are interested in helping us sit at the hospital so we can maintain life as normal as well. We are working on a schedule. Every lil bit of help is wonderful. We will keep you informed on her battle.

FYI: Paula is in room 771 @ Baptist Hospital.

Thanks.

Rachele.
405-831-5320

Update 7.30.09

Well, Paula really needs your prayers. She is struggling a bit these days. She had a few rough nights. She is still in Baptist. She was up a little bit today, Physical Therapy has come in twice and got her moving. She is very sleepy, but that is due to the build up of toxins in her body. Her kidneys are not functioning properly at this point, so they are going to put in the dialysis catheter in tomorrow and she will have her first dialysis procedure then. She is really weak right now, she loves all your prayers, but is just not up for phone calls or visits at this time. You can send an e-card through the Baptist website link below. The cards really brighten her day! Thanks for all your love and support!

http://www.integris-health.com/INTEGRIS/en-US/getWellGifts/

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Quick update!!!! Well Paula is officially back in Baptist Hospital for some nutrition and some draining of the fluid in her belly. This crazy fluid has got her system very weak and she is not able to have any energy nor eat very well, so this is the best fix. Please make sure you let her know you are thinking of her and care very deeply, she is struggling a bit as she was somewhat reluctant to go on a short "vacation" stay at the "Baptist Hotel" or as we have called it today. Mostly keep her and the family in your prayers. Spread the word, we can use as much as possible at this point....

Update soon to come with our next fundraising events!!! A lot in store... ;0)

Rachele.

July 12, 2009

Hello Everyone. It is another one of those "dog days of summer" here in Oklahoma! I think the high is supposed to be somewhere around 105 degrees, like really who turned on the oven? lol

I have talked to Paula this morning and she has been feeling a bit miserable for the last couple days. So keep her in your prayers. We have still been holding out for the phone call to tell her to come in for her new liver, we don't even care when or what time of day it happens, just want it to happen soon...very soon. So keep saying those prayers...I think we are 1 step closer every day.

Well the most fun thing to report is that we are @ almost $16,000 raised in just a few short months. This is amazing.

Last Thursday night, July 9, 2009, the National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) held a banquet for the patients, caregivers, chairperson and treasurers. This was an event to allow each campaign to recognize they are not alone. This was a good evening for all of us. I was even more shocked to receive the Oklahoma Volunteer of the Year Award. This came as a complete surprise to me; however, I have to say without a large group of wonderful people I would not have been the recipient of that award, so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!!! You have all been an exceptional help for Paula's cause.

With that all being said, I will say...I will be in touch soon to get the next fundraising event rolling. If you have any questions please feel free to call or email me.

rbr.reagan@sbcglobal.net 405-769-5350

Thanks a bunch.

Rachele ;0)

Update 6.23.09

Hi Everyone,

I am so sorry that we have not updated the blog in a while. The MEGA SALE was a huge success! We raised $5468.23!! WOW! It was a lot of work and everyone worked so hard! We were in the Wal-Mart parking lot from 5 am until 7 pm! Paula was able to come out for a few hours and sit in the shade and visit with people. We had a nice young man visit that had gotten a new liver via Paula's doctor a year and a half ago...It was very encouraging! Now let's just keep the prayers coming that her number s called to receive the liver she needs!!

Wal-Mart also has a program that matches up to $1000. So we should have that to add to the total soon! The kids had so much fun running the Lemonade Stand/Bake Sale...they had some really great cookies, cupcakes, muffins, homemade toffee and breads to sell. It was such a huge blessing. We really appreciate all the items donated and baked for Paula! She is such an amazing woman and it is great to have the support of the entire community!

We also would like to recognize the class of 69- Norman High School. They just had their 40th class reunion and took up a donation for Paula. They contributed $733! Thanks so much for all your support!

We will be starting plans for our next events soon. If anyone has ideas please send them our way!

Paula is still hanging in there. She has some pretty good days and then a few lousy ones. She is having the fluid drained every two weeks now, so hopefully that will help regulate her energy level. It has been so hard on her since she has been the go-getter in the family for so long. She is not used to relying on people to do for her...It amazes her at everyones generosity! She truly appreciates each and every one of you!!! Thanks for caring so deeply.

We ask for your continued prayers for her strength and that the Lord has a plan for her to have a new liver and a full recovery. She is so ready to feel better and give back!

*Karena*

Update 6.4.09

Hi Everyone!

Well- Good News...They did not admit Paula after her procedure. She was able to go home the same day. She is feeling a lot better.

Also, Today Channel 4 came out and did an interview with her about her transplant and about the Mega Garage Sale! It is going to be on this evening on the 5 O'Clock news!

We are still needing baked goods, volunteers and donations for the event. If you are donating stuff for the sale you can bring it out early Saturday morning. We will be there early and the sale starts at 8am.

See you all then,
***Karena***

Update 6.2.09

Hi Everyone, WOW summer is already taking over!! We have been so busy working on the MEGA sale! The garage sale is this Saturday at the Westside Walmart in Norman! It will be on the southwest corner of the parking lot from 8 am - 4 pm. We have received so many wonderful donations to sell at the MEGA sale! Come out and shop, there really is something for everyone!
We are also still needing able and willig bodies to man the sale! If you can donate your time on Saturday, email me at karena@normannerds.com. If you are unavailable on Saturday but would stilllike to help, we are also havig a bake sale all day at the sale. We would love baked items that are bagged up and priced and ready to go. If you would contact me, you can get those to me Friday night at my house 2117 Iowa St Norman or you can bring them out Saturday morning! If you have items to donate to the garage sale we will still accept those if you can drop them off at Walmart early Saturday morning and please price them if you can! Thanks again to everyone for their generosity! Paula really appreciates everyones prayers and help! She loves you all...

Now a Paula update...She has been at home (at her parents) since she was released from the hospital on May 2. She is having a little build up of fluid (abdominal ascites) and when they drain the fluid they want to observer her for a few days as it can sometimes have an effect on the kidneys. Please keep her in your prayers. She is very nervous about being hospitalized again and wanting to avoid becoming weak again! She sure is a fighter!!! I will blog more when I know her room number and updates after her procedure tomorrow.

We really want to thank you all! We have such a wonderful communtiy surrounding Paula with love and prayers and we just thank God everyday for each and every one of you!!!

***Karena***

------THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009------

Hello to all..... Well another long gap in the blogging, but WOW has life been so crazy for us all. The times have literally flown by. Well glad to say that Paula is still at home doing as well as can be possible. She is still working each day with a positive attitude. Her and I have been talking extensively about the past fun times she has had in her life. We have been working hard to get some of her things accomplished, so just as she always likes....keepin' busy. She has still been amazed about how there are still so many wonderful people stepping in to help her....She says THANKS!!!

Now onto the other business...... Our HUGE SALE is only a mere 16 days away!!! It is so hard to believe we are so close to successfully completing our first event. So to all of you who have been along side for the help....THANK YOU....for those of you who have not yet confirmed your assistance please do so ASAP.... I have a list/schedule of those who are willing to donate their time and would love to add more to it!! Call your friends and anyone whom you think would be willing to help us out on this day....

Well in closing I will say, I look forward to hearing from many of you soon. I also look forward to counting down the days to our sale.

May you all keep Paula in your prayers. She is still fighting a very ugly disease as we are working hard for her cause.

GOOD NIGHT!!!

Rachele ;0)

---May 11, 2009---

Hello Everyone...Well I know it has been a bit since we have blogged, but have been busy, busy, busy....Proud to say Paula is still doing well at home. She is behaving like a good girl should. She has been visited by her home health nurses and physical therapy. She is actually trying to tell us how to run the show at this point, but hey we are not complaining. We know she feels good when she tries to tell us what to do!!! lol She and I have had several conversations and she is just in sure utter AWE at all of the outreach and support she has received from friends, co-workers and even just the community as strangers have started stepping forward. If you didn't already know this lady has a lot of people pulling for her. I, myself, have had goosebumps several times when I receive messages from people wanting to help benefit her cause.

So we are still in DIRE need of help with donations and volunteers as well as the need for all of the previously listed garage/bake sale and lemonade stand items. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, I repeat, PLEASE let us know if you can do anything at all to help out. There is a lot of work to be done and just a handful of us who are doing it, which creates an overabundance of a heavy load. We will be having a meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at 7 pm at the Cleveland County YMCA. This will be a very productive meeting and we will be discussing a lot of important details and producing a schedule for the sale, which is just a few weeks away.

Heather has started placing coin collection containers at businesses to help promote Paula's need and would love to hear if anyone else has any great places they would like us to add to the list.

We have ads posted on Craigslist calling for all donations we can get and Scott has been busy working hard to get them all picked up. People have started responding to the Appeal letters and I am so very thankful. Terry said it was a great feeling to go check the mail and have no bills in it to pay!! Whatever you do, please keep Paula and her family in your prayers and just keep us going with strength to get us through all of these tasks ahead and the difficult times we may encounter.

Lastly before I close, Paula is completely out of sick time and could really use the help of her fellow co-workers to donate even just 1 day of their time to help get her through until she can formally retire in June. This would be huge. So if you could, please PASS this information onto others who may be eligible for donating.

As always any questions, please feel free to post comments, send messages to any of us or even call.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU....We Really Do Appreciate Everything You Have Done And Are Doing to help us!!!

Rachele ;0)

rbr.reagan@sbcglobal.net 405-769-5350 hm 405-831-5320 cell
karena@normannerds.com 405-203-9358
scottcrawfordshouse@yahoo.com 405-443-6317

***Monday, May 4, 2009***

Morning everyone. It is going to be a beautiful day I believe. The weather is looking to be good with maybe a shower or two. The other sunshine in life is that Paula is back home and has gotten to rest a bit over the weekend. She is proud to say she is eating well. She has alot of business to handle since she has been in the hospital and so it looks to be a busy week for her as she is still trying to build her strength and try and handle all of her personal business. It is the little things in life we tend to take advantage of. Spoke with her this morning and she felt okay, just a bit tired and weak still, which will take her some time to get through. She told me to tell everyone "THANKS for EVERYTHING" and that she is truly BLESSED to have such wonderful family and friends.

On a different note, over the weekend Scott posted an ad on Craigslist regarding the need for garage sale donations and some replies have been coming in. This is awesome that complete strangers are willing to help such a cause. I can personally say I received a phone call from a lady who said she was going to have a garage sale herself, but decided to help our cause instead. She even made mention that she felt like it was something she would feel better doing than even donating her goods to the Salvation Army or another charity. I was in nothing but amazement to talk to a complete stranger who was so heartfelt! Scott and Karena have been working diligently to get things rolling for the sale. If you, or anyone you know, can bake goods we will be having a bake sale along with the garage sale. Also the kids plan on running a lemonade stand for their grandma! They love that lady! So donations for anything of the above are gladly accepted and totally needed. If you can help in any way, please, please do so. Contact Scott, Karena or myself.

Also we will be in need of volunteers to help out with the sale. If you can help or know of any groups that maybe could help please let us know.

We will be needing the following items for the sale:

-Donations for garage sale!!! Anything is good, nothing turned away. If possible before we receive it, pricing it would help us out tremendously.
-We need tables, racks, etc for our sale. We can pick up and return before and after the sale.
-Supplies for sale. Pricing labels, markers, pens, etc.
-Baked goods, wrapped and priced.
-Supplies for lemonade stand. Lemonade mix, cups, ice, etc.
-VOLUNTEERS!!!! Saturday, June 6, 2009, 8a-4p (also before and after for setup/take down)
-ANYTHING ELSE I have left out!! All ideas are good ones so please feel free.

Scott 443-6317 scottcrawfordshouse@yahoo.com
Karena 203-9358 karena@normannerds.com
Rachele 831-5320 rbr.reagan@sbcglobal.net

Once again THANK YOU to everyone who has been there for us during this time. HOPE to hear from several of you soon regarding our need for the sale. Hoping for a HUGE success to help Paula.

Hope YOU Have A Wonderful Day!!!

Thanks.

Rachele ;0)

update 5.1.09

WEll, I am so excited to say I came up here to see Paula and she looks great! She is eating her dinner that she ordered herself! Her Dr. Ali said her kidney function is at 1.1 (which is good for her), Dr. K said he was planning on sending her home this weekend! She is going home Saturday!!! She will be staying with her parents. A home healthcare nurse will be visiting M-W-F for the most part. Please keep her in your prayers so she will have the strength to stay as strong (if not stronger) as they have gotten her up to up. Let' s also keep her doctors in our prayers. May they keep making the best decisions for her health care. We have been really impressed with the level of care she has received at Baptist Medical Center.

Paula really appreciates all the calls and visits, she also realizes how much it is going to tire her out getting back home. If you would please wait until Monday to call her, that would help.

Thanks again for all your prayers and concerns. It has meant the world to us!! *Karena

UPDATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2009

Well today has been another very good day for Paula, as was yesterday. She actually has been getting up and down to go to the bathroom and walking in the hall with physical therapy, EVEN putting on her face (make up) to look beautiful or as we joked and said, "to become more human", lol. Occupational therapy came in yesterday to give her some exercises she could do to help her get stronger while laying in bed. I told her it was so she could build her some "guns" (biceps that is). Proud to say she is actually ordering her own meals, not pureed any longer, from the cafeteria and eating a great lot of the food she is served. This also includes the milk shakes and chocolate ice cream she worried about all morning yesterday melting while she was finishing up her shower, lol. She still got to eat it cold! She also has been complaining they send her to much food so as one of the nurses said if they are stating facts that something could improve they are definitely feeling better. I must say, I believe that statement whole heartedly.

It seems as the doctors are going to try to move her towards the top of the transplant list in the urgent section of the really, really sick people waiting for a transplant. After having a conference of all of the doctors they still are against doing the TIPS procedure for fear it may "TIP" her in the direction we do not want her to go. SO......They are still working diligently on getting her nutritional status back up to par as well as making sure they symptomatically drain her belly of fluid. They are keeping a close eye on her kidneys and her pulmonary hypertension to make sure nothing gets out of hand. They are entertaining the idea of maybe, "MAYBE" sending her home soon to await a transplant. Hopefully all will go well and with caution she can be more comfortable at home. This would also be a great relief on all of the family as well, especially her mom and dad. They have been real TROOPERS and haven't missed a beat. Thank God their health has allowed them to do so well. I am also so thankful the doctors have stepped in to make sure she is taken care of so well. Sometimes I still get all of their names backwards, but they don't seem to mind...lol. There are so many of them it is like meeting for Thanksgiving! (not really, just kidding).

I will keep everyone updated if I hear anything. Keep the prayers going and pray for a liver for Paula as this is the only thing that will prolong her from becoming an ANGEL too soon. Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive throughout this time. It has been one heck of a ride and unbelievably it is still not over and the hard loops have not begun. So pray for strength and longevity for her as well as her family.

With lots of thought and love....... Rachele ;0)

Update 4.28.09

I am sitting here with Paula. She is looking better! She has on new green jammies that Grammy bought her. She is doing a little exercise with Occupational Therapy. The kidney doctor said her levels are a little better than yesterday. Baby steps...

One issue that has come up is that she is all out of sick days. She has a few vacation days she is using. We are working on other options, but she desperately needs to keep her insurance. If there is anyone at Norman Public Schools that would like to donate a sick day or two, Paula would really appreciate it. If you would like to donate a sick day please contact me. You can call me at 203-9358. *Karena*

We are also really excited about the benefit Garage Sale/Bake Sale on June 6th at Westside Walmart. If you or anyone you know wants to donate to the sale or bake some items for us to sell, we would really appreciate it! Email me karena@normannerds.com or call me 203-9358

We will be talking about all this and more tonight at the volunteer meeting. 7pm at the YMCA in Norman. Please come and help us help Paula!

God Bless,
Karena

--MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2009--

HELLO:: Today was another good day for Paula. She had a whole lot of visitors yesterday and appreciated every minute of it. Today I am glad to report was much of the same. The doctors have been trying to communicate from each of their standpoints so Paula can have the best care possible. They have decided to hold off on the TIPS procedure for a few days while they try to reduce the amount of fluid on her belly. She actually answered the phone for me today!!! I was definitely shocked.....I must say! She seemed to be her usual self (at least for the minute before her energy ran dry, lol) always thinking of others instead of herself. We all know that is PAULA... She is in good company tonight (as she has been for the last several nights she has been in the hospital) with Tracy keeping her in line. It has been incredible help to have volunteers for sleepovers to keep her in line at night. Hopefully with prayers she will eventually be strong enough to get to go home, but for now she feels comfortable with the care she is receiving from her family, doctors and the staff at the hospital. Keep the support coming as she will have her good days and bad days, as well as her family, and it will take all of the support she can get to help pull her through this tough time in her life. As always, hope for the best, shoot for the moon and land on the stars!! That is an incredible journey she and all of us try for every day. Good Night and don't forget to say your prayers for Paula and her family tonight, she definitely deserves them all. DON'T FORGET THE MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT, TUESDAY @ 7...HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU THERE.... ***RACHELE***

***Saturday, April 25, 2009***

Well today has been a somewhat good day for Paula. We got her up out of the bed and she actually got a REAL shower today with a good exfoliation of her dry skin and a wonderful massaging head scrub...(the lil things in life we all tend to forget about that make us feel so good!) Dr. Jalil came in mid day and had a chat with Paula. He is going to try and shoot for maybe Monday to do the TIPS procedure. Her white count is back down in the normal range, but a few of her other lab values were a bit off. So she got a pint of blood today and will be rechecked to see if she needs more to help stabilize her and prepare her for "hopefully" Monday's procedure.

It is now official that we can all donate blood in her name at any of the OBI blood donor sites. This will help compensate the amount she would have to pay for the blood products. Also if she cannot use it then rest assured there will be someone else who can, it is a great cause, who knows maybe one day you might have to require some blood!! If you decide to do this when you get to the donor place, inform them you are donating blood in honor of Paula Crawford (I will be setting up her acct on Monday with OBI and will post other information if needed). So if you need more info about this, please feel free to contact me @ rbr.reagan@sbcglobal.net or 405-831-5320. We are still planning on meeting Tuesday night @ 7 at the Cleveland County YMCA for her fundraising meeting (if any changes we will be posting to let you know so check back frequently). Hopefully all who wish to volunteer to help Paula's cause can attend. It would be great for her to know all of you support her! I was told today Carol/Susan (Heather's in-law family) had a garage sale and sold donuts to help out!! They made $34 for Paula!! YEAH!! This is awesome. Any little bit helps and gets us excited for the next event.

She has received many cards, flowers and phone calls and is so truly appreciative of them; however, she is still very weak and is not ready yet to converse on the phone too much. So if you try to call and cannot speak with her it is just because she is trying to harbor her energy to apply it to her getting better, not to be offensive!! She does truly love and care about each and everyone.

So hopefully this has caught you all up to date and PLEASE, PLEASE, keep her in your thoughts and prayers as this is a very terrible time and is very scary to her and her family. It is a harsh reality check that no one ever wants to go through. She will have a long, long road to recovery and is not quite out of the woods at this time.

Will post again hopefully tomorrow, if not then definitely Monday to keep everyone up to speed.

Thanks for all of you who have been following along. Paula really does appreciate it!

***RACHELE*** ;0)

update 4.24.09

Paula is still in 7 East room doing 766. She is a little better. One prayer was answered for sure- she is back on the active transplant list! Hopefully she is going to get that call soon!
She has developed a bit of pneumonia. They are also a little worried that she has an infection since she has had fever and elevated white counts. They are doing different cultures to see where that is originating. Dr. Ali said kidneys were back to normal! Yeah - Praise Jesus!

She has really enjoyed all the visitors, cards and flowers. Keep lifting her up and pray for that transplant!

Update 4.22.09 round two

Well, good news! Paula is out of ICU and in a private room. She was able to stabilize on her own. They are going to do a procedure tomorrow called TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt) This will help with the blood flow through the liver and help her get stronger so she can make it to transplant! Please continue to pray for Paula & the family, but also for these wonderful doctors and nurses as they work to strengthen Paula!

Her new room number is 766. This is on 7 East. Her new phone number is 945-5766. Cards can be sent through the hospital link and they will deliver to this room.

Paula wanted me to say Hi to everyone and let you know she has really appreciated all the visitors she has had. She loves you all.

Goodnight * Karena

Update 4.22.09

Well, what a beautiful day! Paula is doing a little better today. She has been sleeping a lot. They have gotten the Blood Pressure medicine completely stopped (this is the medicine that they were not wanting to keep her on very long). They are taking out a couple of lines in a little bit. They are the catheters that measure the pulmonary and heart pressures. They will continue to monitor these functions in other ways. She has been a little nauseous, so they are giving her Reglan to help her tummy. Her BUN & creatin levels are still elevated, although her urine output is OK. They have taken the word Dialysis out of the equation, so that is good for now. They also have decreased her fluids so they do not overtax her kidneys. She has a great intensivist on staff and today her nurse is the current Nurse of the Year!! Keep the prayers coming...

Update 4.21.09

Today Paula is still in ICU. They have been able to stabilize her with medication. The bummer is that they need to take those medications away. The medications they are using to stabilize her are not meant to be long term. They were trying to ween her off some of the medicines today but unsuccessfully. Her heart rate and blood pressure both went down. So they had to go back to the dose that keeps her stable. They are also still giving her lots of fluid. She is still pretty dry. She is feeling a bit nauseous today. She is very thankful for all the people have been up to visit her. She had quite a few visitors today, some from a few hours away! She really appreciates everyones support.

We will be having the fundraising meeting tonight at the Cleveland County YMCA for anyone interested in volunteering. We will discuss different fundraising ideas and finalize the plans for the Garage Sale.

We are planning the sale for Saturday, June 6th at the Westside Walmart parking lot. We will also be having a bake sale/lemonade stand there as well. We will need able & willing bodies to work the sale. We need stuff to sell! If you know anyone who has donations for the sale- we will pick them up, or they can be dropped off at Eric & Karena's house (2117 Iowa St Norman) before June 6th. Also if anyone is willing to bake items for the bake sale we would love it! Please call Karena and let her know what you can do! 203-9358. or email karena@normannerds.com

Update 4.20.09

Unfortunately Paula's condition has made a decline. Her kidneys are not working the way that they should. The doctors are not sure if this is due to the pulmonary hypertension, the liver problems or due to the fact that she is dehydrated. They are moving her into ICU so that they can figure this out and give her more constant medical attention. They are currently in a procedure to insert a catheter to monitor her heart and lung arterial pressure. Hopefully this will give them the insight they ar looking for. Right now Paula needs our prayers more than ever....Please reach out to everyone you can to pray for her and for the family.

They have moved her to ICU bed#12. This is on the 7th floor. The visiting hours are :
8:30 am- 6pm & 8:30pm - 6pm.

Update 4.19.09

Well, not a lot of new news over the weekend. Paula has been feeling worse this weekend. She is taking a new medication that makes her nauseated. So then they are giving her a medicine for that and it makes her sleepy. She has slept a lot the past two days. She is not eating as well, since she feels sick so luckily they are feeding her through an IV. They have postponed the right heart cath for when she is feeling a bit better. I will keep you posted.

She has had visitors. I spoke with Heather this evening and she had the kiddos up there, which I am sure brightened Paula's day. Grammy & Poppy of course are there with her everyday. Please pray for their strength. They will need it being up there everyday, but honestly, where else would they be...She's their baby!

Hopefully, I will get to go up and see her early this week. We have had kids with Strep so we did not want to chance taking that up there. I will pass along the comments and prayers I have received. I am sure she will tell me what she wants said in my next update!

keep the prayers coming...they work!! **Karena**

Update 4.17.09

I spoke with Paula this morning on the phone and she let me know she had a good night's rest; however, they have started her on some medication for her pulmonary hypertension and it has caused her to feel very tired, weak and nauseated. They also are continuing to drain the fluid off of her tummy, which compounds the weakness. It was mentioned about it being a gloomy, rainy day so hopefully this will be a relaxing day for her to get some well-needed rest. She has been thankful for each and every person who has visited and sent their condolences. She personally said thanks and to let everyone I have been in contact with know she sincerely loves them!! So keep her in your prayers as this is going to be a very long journey. ****Rachele****

Paula's Updat 4.16.09

We have created this blog as a great way to get info about Paula out daily.
Today Paula is still in Baptist Hospital (Room 782 bed2). She was admitted on
Tuesday, April 14th after her scheduled liver Dr. appointment. She made the choice to be
admitted so that they would get her built back up! She has had fluid on her abdomen
that builds up and makes it hard for her to eat, which makes her very weak. They have drained
12+ liters of fluid! Wow! The fluid will continue to build up but they are trying to keep it drained so she will be more comfortable and have an appetite. They are giving her nutrtion
through her IV as well. Dr. Jalil was just in and would like to see her stay through Monday. She has a right heart cath scheduled for Monday and he thinks it would be better to keep her and get her as strong as possible for that. Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy are just coming in to tire her out!

Paula has had quite a few visitors at Baptist. Her parents, Roland & Gene are with her everyday, all day. Heather has spent the past 2 nights in her room with her. Scott & Melissa have been visiting between school schedules. The grandkids are visiting her and giving her lots of hugs! Her niece, Rachele is also checking in and keeping things in line!! Carys & I (Karena) came to visit and and brought her a new little friend- "Fuzzy Bear". She is a cute little pink Build-a-Bear that Carys made just for Grandma. Fuzzy is going to keep her company while she is by herself in the room.

Paula would love to hear from anyone. She has a direct phone line in her room 945-5792. You can also log on to the Integris website and send cards. Just click on this link... https://www.integris-health.com/INTEGRIS/en-US/Locations/BRHC-miami/GetWellandeCards/BRHCEcard.htm

We also have made a facebook page for Paula if you are a facebook person- add her and we will be keeping you up to date there as well!

If you would like to send a personal letter you can email Paula at prayersforpaula@gmail.com .