Monday, February 13, 2012 Update:

Had a great visit with Jina this afternoon! She was very upbeat and eager to get out of the hospital! She has 2 hours a day of physical therapy and occupational therapy. Although her left side remains paralyzed, there are signs of improvement. Because of the stroke, her brain "forgets" there is a left side. But, she was able to squeeze my fingers and her PT team and I saw her left foot/leg move. She was able to repeat the movement several times.

She is a very determined young lady and really wants out of there. She had visits this weekend with Penny and that helped her outlook a lot. She is being weaned from the ventilator and the whole time I was there, she was breathing 100% on her own.

I was very encouraged by today's visit. I know this was just a lap in this long, long race, but it was a good one. I thank God for her improvement and continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

Thanks are not enough for all the prayers and warm thoughts being sent our way. You are all amazing and I thank you for standing with us!

Saturday, February 4, 2012 Update:

Praise the Lord with me, together let's raise His name high. God is still showing us He is God. Jina had the nurse call me today and ask for me to see her. I of course dropped everything and saw what God has been up to. Jina was alert and able to communicate by writing on her white board. What is more amazing is she is able to move her fingers on her left hand and give a light squeeze. Her left side has been paralyzed from the stroke. So we will just have to keep praying and praising the Lord to provide strength, healing, and peace.

We don't know what the future holds for Jina but one thing is certain He is not done with her. He is still using Jina and all of you to glorify himself.

Praise the Lord for who is, for what He has done, and is doing. Not only in Jina's life but what he is doing in your life. Take time to read Psalms 34.

Thank you and love you all for being with us,

Thursday, February 2, 2012 Update:

Today is a day the Lord is to be praised. As is each day of our lives, He is always at work in us and though us for His glory. As children of God we often wonder what kind of impact we make in others for the kingdom. I would say more than we ever could know.

After talking to the neurologist, Jina's C/T scan showed no difference from the day before. What this means is that there is no additional hemorrhaging or swelling or any additional damage from the stroke. Jina opened her eyes and squeeze our hand. This is one positive step forward.

Take time to praise the Lord today, read Psalms 111, 112, 113.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Update:

Well, we had the meeting this morning with Jina's medical team. There were doctors from both the cardiovascular side and the neurological side. I would love to say that they were optimistic, but that is not the case. Jina's stroke seems to be more serious than originally thought. There is still bleeding within the brain and consequently swelling.

There are things that can be done to help the swelling, like remove a portion of the skull, but the blood thinners that Jina is on for her heart condition make that not an option. Surgery would be considered a last resort as the danger of hemorrhaging is too great.

She is currently deeply sedated and on a cold bed. The sedation helps slow down brain activity and gives her brain a rest. Cold helps to slow down the blood flow (opposed to heat which make it move faster). In 24 hours they are going to back off the sedation to see if she's still having seizures. She is on 2 epileptic drugs that are helping with the seizures. They made a point about the choice of drugs due to her liver condition and her blood pressure. Not sure if this was important.

So, the next few days are critical to her survival. They're hoping that the swelling is as bad as it's going to get and that she stops seizing. She is paralyzed on her left side, or as the doctor said "she's neglecting her left
side." Why can't they just speak like normal people? The cardiac surgeon said that as long as Jina is in this state she is not a candidate for a transplant. She has to be mobile and in good health to be considered.

They said she needs a miracle and that's what we're praying for. We're reminded that this is "Friday, but Sunday is coming!" What looked so bleak to Jesus' disciples when He was crucified turned to exaltation at His
resurrection. So, we are looking for a miracle from God. He has already given us one miracle named Penny. We trust in God and know that Jina is in his hands. We know that God alone is the keeper of Jina's calendar and He will decide when it's time to take her home.

Thank for your prayers and good wishes. They are certainly sustaining us at this time.

Monday Night, January 30, 2012 Update:

It's hard tonight to write an update. Jina is now having seizures, probably due to the stroke. She also has pneumonia. Neither of these sound too good. The doctors are meeting with Stephen tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. We'll be there with him to hear what they have to say. Please pray for this meeting. I know Jina is strong, but please continue to lift her up. Also, pray for my son. He's really struggling now and has to maintain a happy exterior for his children's sake. It really takes a toll.

Monday January 30, 2012 Update:

Prayer warriors needed tonight...Jina has been put back into an induced coma so the doctors can deal with the effects of her stroke. Her lungs have filled up with fluid and the blood thinners are causing bleeding in her brain, which is causing her a lot pain. It will be easier to deal with these issues while she's asleep. This is a major setback. Thank you for your prayers.

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Saturday January 28, 2012 Update:

Prayers for Jina Brayton Gorman prayer request: sometime early this morning or mid afternoon Jina had a stroke. no one knows the extent of the damage yet. the doctors said that she was awake and writing on her white board. the doctors said that is a really good sign. they are treating her as if everything is still on track for her healing process but just have one more thing to watch. thank you for standing with us in the powerful name of our lord Jesus Christ.

Sunday January 22, 2012 Update:

We had a family meeting yesterday at Mayo hospital. For the first time, Jina was a part of the meeting! She was able to ask questions and it was wonderful having her participate on her own behalf.

Jina continues to make steady improvement. As the doctor indicated yesterday, she's had many more improvements than setbacks. This trend needs to continue! Her liver is doing much better and the last figures posted were the bilirubin was 4.8 and the liver enzymes were in nearly normal range. She's had some issues with her kidneys, but the doctor felt that might be due to some of the medications she's on. He did not seem too concerned about that.

She will likely stay on the Centrimag VAD that's she on for at least another couple of weeks. The device has been approved for longer use in Europe, and so they're not worried about keeping her on it longer. When they make the change, the good news is that the cannulas (tubing) are already in place, so all they will need to do is to change the machine.

Now that her liver is improving, her nutrition level is also improving. Jina's body is now using the nutrition she's receiving to build her body back up. She has two physical therapy sessions a day (one is OT, but similar workouts). These sessions tire her out, but are necessary for her recovery. She can stand, assisted, and can use her hands much better. Don't be surprised if she starts answering emails soon!

We continue to give God the glory for her recovery. He has been so good to her and to our whole family. While we don't understand why this is happening (again), we are confident of the One who holds Jina's future. As Jina told the doctor yesterday "one day at a time!" That's the only way to handle something this big.

Thank you for your continued prayers and for keeping us in your thoughts.

Who is Jina Gorman?

Those who know her would say she is a compassionate tender-hearted person who loves to help people, especially ones she does not know. She loves God, family, and possesses a unique ability to befriend strangers. She lights up the room with her dynamic full of life approach to the world. She is a 33-year old mother to two children: Penelope “Penny” a 4-year-old and Joshua, 6 months old. She has been married to her husband, Stephen since January 20, 2007.

In 2004, Jina became very ill and was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart). Jina made a full recovery with the help of medication that she would have to take for the rest of her life. Even during her two pregnancies, Jina's health was doing pretty well. But in early September 2011, she got pneumonia and starting having serious heart problems. She was in and out of the hospital several times in September and October.

On Sunday November 13 th , Jina collapsed and was unconscious for 30-40 seconds. She went to the hospital and was misdiagnosed as having an infection. Her liver, kidneys, stomach, lungs, and heart began to shut down. She was put into an induced coma. She was airlifted to Good Samarita Hospital, in Phoenix, Arizona, and put on ECMO (heart and lung bypass machine) and dialysis. Her condition continued to worsen. The next day she was moved to the Mayo Clinic and they began the process to reverse her failing condition. The surgeon told us she would really have to fight to stay with us. She did! I truly believe it was because of prayers and seeing God provide in her time of need.

She has been taken off the ECMO and she has a VAD (ventricular assist device) inserted into the left and right ventricles of her heart. She has a tracheostomy to help her breath. Her liver is having some problems. It's swollen and having a hard time filtering out pollutants and controlling her bilirubin levels which causes jaundice.

Prayer Requests:

•  For healing in her body but especially her liver and lungs

•  That no infection would set in

•  Wisdom for doctors and medical staff

•  Protection of life saving equipment

•  Jina's emotional and spiritual health

•  For those who speak with her to be a source of encouragement

•  For prayer partners

 

Praises:

•  God has been providing

Please continue to pray for Jina to be healed and a healthy return home, continuous strength for her family, the doctors and nurses who care for Jina. We truly believe in God, the God of the impossible, the God of miracles today as he was yesterday and will forever be! Thank you for fighting this battle with us on the behalf of Jina!