Courtney admitted to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital PCCU

Monday, February 10, 2014

If you are reading this page, you know that Courtney is in the hospital and you are coming here for updates.  Here is a synopsis of how we got to where we are right now:

When Courtney went to bed on Thursday night, she was complaining about not being able to get comfortable and was shivering.  I put extra blankets on her thinking it was a little colder in her room than it had been, but also told Jennifer she might be coming down with something.

 

She awoke Friday morning a little lethargic and had a small fever in the morning, so she did not go to school and went back to bed.  When Jennifer woke her up later in the morning, her fever had risen and became a very big fever in the afternoon.  Jennifer spoke with doctors at Vandy and had begun giving her Tylenol and Motrin to reduce the fever.  By late Friday afternoon her temperature was back to normal with no other symptoms. 

 

She awoke Saturday morning with a rash and a fever going in the opposite direction, down to 95. We were in contact with doctors at Vandy and by Saturday afternoon Courtney walked herself [holding onto me and walking very slowly] into the ER. Within hours she was going downhill fast. They moved her to the trauma side of the ER and then admitted her into the PCCU about 11:00 PM Saturday night.  They decided to put her on a ventilator at midnight to help sedate her easier and keep her from working so hard.

 

By Sunday morning it was apparent she was essentially in kidney failure and her heart was not 'squeezing' properly [along with other issues].  Her rapidly declining health required her to go onto an ECMO machine which is acting as her temperature control, heart and lungs. They have also connected a dialysis machine to the ECMO to act as her kidneys. They have determined she has a very serious bacterial blood infection but have been unable to determine the origin in order to treat the source.

 

As of late this Monday evening, the ECMO machine is properly filtering her system but Courtney's body will not yet tolerate the removal of all the excess fluid that is accumulating and causing her body to swell all over. However, her skin color is much improved. She is still hour by hour but we are very hopeful.

 

Thank you very much to everyone who has called, texted, posted or commented on Facebook, come by to visit, and most importantly lift up Courtney up in your prayers.  We appreciate all that you have done and have offered to do.  We will be here for several days, possibly weeks, and if things go well, will probably be in for a long recovery.

 

Your continued prayer support is very much appreciated and already felt.  I am comforted by the words in John 14:13 - "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son".  It may be selfish, but I am asking for God's complete healing for Courtney so that she may continue the good work that Christ has started in her.  Phillipians 1:6

 

March 2013 Update

March was another very busy month for our family.

One small benefit of not working is that I was able to participate in a Titans Fan Forum for season ticket holders at LP Field earlier this year.  The Titans listened to the suggestions and have implemented several ideas to give back and make things better for their loyal season ticket holders.  One of those ideas was to offer a tour of the stadium and provide lunch in the Club area.  Jennifer went with me and we had a great time.  We toured the player/coaches interview room, the Titans locker room, walked out the tunnel onto the field, saw ourselves on the jumbotron, toured the radio and TV booths, the press area, and met with Don MacLachlin (Titans EVP), Ruston Webster (Titans GM), and Mike Keith (Titans announcer & "Voice of the Titans").  We were allowed to take pictures and try on jerseys in the locker room.  Here are some of the pictures:

Courtney's Spring Break was also during March.  She went bowling with me, spent some time at Glen & Peggy's house, and attended her first Day Camp at Camp Widgiwagan.  The camp was hosted by Young Life Capernaum and was for kids with special needs.  Courtney had a blast singing, dancing, creating crafts, meeting new friends, canoeing, & participating in a Talent Show on their last day.  Here are some pictures.

This year Easter was also in March, so we spent the weekend in McMinnville and had a great time with family and friends.  The weather was nice and we were able to play games with the kids outside on Saturday and then we had breakfast at church before the early service and Kelsey sang "O the Blood" by Kari Jobe.  If I do say so myself, she did an excellent job.  :-)  Here are some pictures from the weekend.

Well, that wrapped up our month of March.  I was still working very hard to find a job, but glad to be able to spend valuable family time during this time of year.

Our weekend in Jackson

Our trip to Jackson a couple of weeks ago was filled with excitement and lots of activities.  Glen drove in from McMinnville early Saturday morning and rode with us to Jackson.  We drove straight to a skating rink in Jackson for Tori's birthday party.  They had rented it for two hours so that there were no other parties going on at the same time.  I'm not sure if that was for the benefit of the little kids or for the adults who ventured to see if they could remember how to skate.  :-)  There were a few falls here and there with a few bruises, but for the most part, everyone came out okay.  The important thing was that Tori and her friends had a great time.  Courtney had not skated in a long time, particularly since her back surgery, so she used a trainer device and Kelsey walked with her.  Kelsey could not skate due to her still recovering from her shoulder surgery.

We left the birthday party and went to McAllister's Deli for lunch, then back to Christy and Phillip's for the afternoon.  We went to Trace's basketball game later in the day and then Jennifer and I went to the church celebration dinner at their church.  The theme was based on the Emmy Awards with a lot of Hollywood decorations, the red carpet for award winners to walk down, and movie trivia contest.  Christy played the role of a host, Phillip was in charge of the music, video/picture presentation for award winners, and the movie trivia contest, and Kelsey sang "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" with Landis playing an acoustic guitar.  The night was a big success and everyone had a great time.  Jenn and I stayed after the dinner and helped clean up and put away chairs, tables, decorations, etc.  Glen and Peggy kept the kids at home so that we could all enjoy the dinner.




Glen and Peggy headed back early Sunday morning and stopped by our house to get Glen's truck.

We headed back home a little later Sunday morning and we all had a safe trip.  Courtney and I went to the awards ceremony for our bowling league and she won an award for the girl with the highest handicap game (245) - (She bowled a 125 with a handicap of 120).

It was a great weekend and everyone had a good time.

Update on Glen and the Queen family - Friday, February 22, 2013

I haven't updated the blog in awhile and since Glen got his PET scan results this week, people are wanting updates.  :-)  So here goes.

Glen had his PET scan last week and went back to the doctor on Tuesday for the results.  The doctor said that the scan was clean and the blood work looked good, which means that he is still cancer free.  PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!  He will continue to have checkups every 3 months or so for 2 years, but for now they are not recommending any maintenance doses of chemo or medication.

Kelsey finished up her J term and got Chemistry under her belt.  She celebrated with a trip to New Orleans with a classmate who lives in Slidell and went home for a weekend between semesters.  She has now started the Spring Semester at Union and is taking 17 hours, which means she should be able to start her Nursing classes in the Fall on time.  She is out of the sling from her shoulder surgery and is now toughing it out through her Physical Therapy/Rehab sessions.  She is able to drive now and is back living with Phillip & Christy.

Courtney participated in the Nashville Special Olympics basketball event at Belmont on Tuesday playing with her McGavock High School classmates.  They had 2 teams from McGavock.  The team Courtney was on consisted of her and 5 boys.  LOL  She did not start the 1st game, but came off the bench and scored 10 of their 16 points, however they lost 20 - 16.  The 2nd game she didn't score, but had a blast and they lost 24 - 20.  They had a Fun Day at Ensworth High School on Thursday, so with them being out on Monday for President's Day, she only had 2 days in the classroom this week.  :-)

Courtney and I finished up our Family Fun bowling league last Sunday and the awards will be handed out this week.  She got the girl bowler of the week (most points over average) several times this year and raised her average up to around 90.  We had a great time and she is already asking when we can bowl in a league again.

Peggy came to Nashville on Wednesday for a doctor's appointment and her and Jenn spent some time together before she drove on to Jackson.  She was going to help Christy get ready for a church event they are hosting this weekend.  Glen is driving to Nashville in the morning and then we are all heading to Jackson for a birthday party for Tori and then Jenn and I are going to the dinner hosted at their church tomorrow night.  We will all be heading back on Sunday.

I have been getting a little more activity in the job search, but still no offers.  I appreciate your continued prayer support.  I am clinging to the words of Jeremiah 29:11 where Jesus says "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".  I know He has the plan and I have to be patient and look to Him for guidance to see it when it is ready.

Thank you again for your prayers.

2013 - Ring in the New Year

Kelsey is attending the Winter or "J" term this year at Union University in Jackson.  It is a condensed class schedule that meets 5 days a week for 3 - 4 weeks for a full semester grade.  She is taking Chemistry and a Chemistry lab.

Since many students move out over the Christmas break, students are allowed to live on campus during the J term for a nominal fee.  Since Kelsey just had her shoulder surgery and can't drive for several weeks, she is living on campus for this term.  Move-in day was January 1st.  Needless to say this was a very different way than I normally spend New Year's Day.  LOL  However, since the BCS came along and UT had a bad year, there weren't many games I was dying to see that day anyway.  HAHA  We got up early and left about 6:15 or so and started moving her in around 9:30.  We had to make several trips to get all the small items, but got her moved in successfully and classes started the next day.  She was also taking a Sociology class, but physically could not get from one class to the next on time without losing credit for being there.  A new section of the class opened for the Spring Semester, so she dropped it and will take it in the Spring.

We had some difficulties with the door locks, but she is now able to open her door one handed and has arrangements with the Safety & Security office to pick her up and take her to classes on days that it rains or snows.  She will have the sling on for another 3 weeks, so by the time the next semester starts, she should be able to drive again and will be back at Christy and Phillip's house.

We came back home on the 3rd and got our Christmas decorations put away this past weekend.  Courtney was excited to go back to school this week, but has enjoyed her time with everyone during the break.  It has been a very exhausting last few weeks, but things are starting to settle down now.

I am still looking for a job and would appreciate your continued prayer support.

Thank you and Happy New Year.

2012 - Heartaches & Blessings

I had an opportunity to watch "White Christmas" at TPAC this year and think about the following words as I reflect on this year:  When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep - and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

2012 will NOT go down as one of my favorite years for many reasons. However, looking back on the year I can't help but see many blessings that came as a result of heartaches we went through. I hope you can look back on your year and find many blessings as well.



Heartache - Kelsey anxious/stressed about changing her major and where to go to school this year. 

Blessing - She decided on Nursing and going to Union University in Jackson.  She is living with Christy and Phillip (3 miles from campus), has made new friends, likes the school, is doing well in classes, joined their church, is singing with 2 praise bands, and looking forward to a mission trip to Haiti during the summer of 2013.

Heartache - Glen is diagnosed with esopahgeal cancer and lymphoma.

Blessing - He had successful esophageal surgery in May, recovered, had 6 rounds of chemo to fight the lymphoma, and now the low grade lymphoma is gone and the high grade is in remission.  He is still weak at times, but has been able to go back to work, travel for family activities, and enjoyed Christmas with his family at home.

Heartache - "Memo" passed away on Sunday, June 10th.

Blessing - She lived a long life and blessed so many people.  She would have been 97 on July 13th.  We were able to visit with family and celebrate so many memories of her life.  She is now back with Pappy in heaven.

Heartache - On May 4th my job of 21 years was eliminated and I had to start looking for a new job for the first time in 25 years.

Blessing - The timing of my job loss and Glen's surgery and recovery being about the same time, we were able to provide support and assistance for Peggy and Glen without worrying about vacation days or how to take care of Courtney.  Jennifer was able to spend many nights with them in McMinnville caring for Glen and allowing Peggy to get some rest (especially when she had severe back pain for a few weeks).  I was able to spend more time with Courtney during the summer (we bowled about 5 days a week) and make a few extended trips to visit my family in Sweetwater.  We have also been able to spend more time with Christy's family in Jackson.  I know God has a plan for me and I have to be patient and seek His guidance to know what that plan will be.

Heartache - Courtney had to have her heart valve replaced again.

Blessing - Due to advances in technology, the doctor was able to replace the valve via a catheterization process and did not have to do open heart surgery.  Courtney missed only 3 days of school and was back bowling a week later.  It is nice to see direct results from the research funded by the American Heart Association which I have raised funds for the last 15 years.

Heartache - Kelsey had to have shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Blessing - Since she was in Jackson and Phillip and Christy knew the surgeon, we were able to get Kelsey in to see him quickly and get the surgery scheduled before the end of the year.  Since I was not working, we were both able to be there for the surgery and help her during the recovery.   


There are many other things (small in comparison, but seemed big at the time) that have happened during this past year, but at the end of the year when I look back, I realize that the biggest blessing is that we have a heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us so very much.  We are also blessed to have an extended family that loves and cares for one another and we could not make it through these times without our faith in God and our love for one another.

I pray that 2013 does not bring as many heartaches and that we will have blessings heaped upon us.  I thank you for your prayer support, ask that you continue to remember us in 2013, and I pray a special blessing on each of you for a very safe, prosperous, and blessed new year.

Thank you and God bless each of you.

2012 end of year update

I haven't updated the blog since December 20th, so I will catch everyone up on Kelsey's surgery, our Christmas activities, and the end of the year.

I forgot to mention that we usually have our family Christmas at home the morning of the 22nd and then head to McMinnville later in the day.  Since Kelsey was going to be in Jackson and recovering from surgery, we decided to have our family Christmas in Jackson on the 19th in our hotel room.  We took all of our presents, Courtney's small Christmas tree from her room, and Jennifer made some Reese's cakes for us to have for dessert and use as our birthday cake for baby Jesus.  We always read the Christmas story and then sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out a candle on a cake.  Since we forgot a small candle, I had to borrow a large one from the lobby at the hotel.  :-)  It was definitely different, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

Kelsey's surgery went well the next day and we took her back to Christy and Phillip's house after a short time in the post-op recovery and tried to make her as comfortable as possible.  She could not lie down to sleep, so we had to find the best way to prop her up in a chair or bed for a few days and keep ice on her shoulder.

Our original plan was to stay there for a few days and then we would all leave for McMinnville on the 22nd to spend our Christmas holiday with Jenn's parents as we always have in the past.  However, Trace came down with his 2nd round of the flu (different strain than his first), despite the fact that we all had a flu shot and we had to rethink everything.  We wanted to make sure that noone else caught the flu from him and could not have anyone contagious around Glen.  We quarantined Trace in a bedroom for a day and a half and gave him medicine.  Since noone else had shown any symptoms by Saturday afternoon, we decided that we would take Kelsey and Tanner and go on to McMinnville and then Phillip and Christy would bring Trace and Tori after they were sure Trace was no longer contagious.  Despite some morning nausea problems, Kelsey was actually able to sing at church on Sunday morning, as she has for the past several years. She did great, but had to leave right after she finished.  Christy and the rest of her family were able to come on Monday morning and we enjoyed our family activities with some minor schedule changes. 

The kids had a great time, Kelsey alternated between Glen's hospital bed and one of the back bedrooms, but overall things worked out a lot better than it could have been.  Christy's family left on the 26th to head to Clarksville for Christmas with Phillip's family and we headed back to Hermitage on the 27th.  We got everything unloaded, some of it put away, got Kelsey settled in to a new routine here at home, and then we kept Tori here with us for a few days while the rest of the family went to a church retreat in Gatlinburg called "Winter Extreme".  They had a great time and picked up Tori the afternoon of the 31st.  Kelsey was able to go with a friend and celebrate the New Year with his family and we brought in the new year here at home.  It has been a long 2 weeks with lots of travel, little sleep, and so much excitement, we are all exhausted.  Too bad we have to get up at 5 AM on New Year's Day to move Kelsey in at Union for the J term.  Well, more about that in another post.

Thank you for your continued prayer support..