June 29 - 11:30 p.m.

Well, up Peter sat today, at the edge of his bed. Thirty minutes!
Way to go Peter. First steps toward mobility.

He received a "word board" from his daughter today. She made a simple board with letters, numbers and important words printed on it. There is a stick attach to it and he can point and spell out words. Hopefully this will help him communicate, also help to stimulate that great brain he has.

The bone marrow procedure went as scheduled, 8:00 am.
No results expected on that for several days. Pray that an answer will be found. He has suffered so much. It would be nice to have some answers.

He still has a fever.

When I spoke to his wife tonight she said that he was resting more comfortably. He was settling into his new room. She also mentioned that he was acting a little frisky . . . what that means exactly, I'm not sure, but I think it's good.

June 28 - 11:00 p.m.

Well, now that Peter is doing better the doctors have taken up the investigation of the original issue. His back.

Spinal Tap today. Bone marrow sample to be taken tomorrow.

The spinal fluid they removed was not normal. It should be clear. Peter's is yellow. No doubt due to a blockage. Not life threatening and may help in determining the problem.

They have increased his morphine and given him more sedatives. Hopefully they will find a workable balance.

Thy physical therapist wants to try and get him up, sitting at the edge of his bed. This is a really big step, but they must aggressively begin to push him in order to get his mobility back.

His lungs are getting better. He is coughing a lot and producing a lot of junk, which needs to be suctioned out. This is very painful for Peter, but the nurses say it is very good. Poor guy.

Special prayer request is needed for the staff on the floor where Peter has been moved to. Debbie and Jeanne worked closely with the Surgical ICU staff. There seems to be a different "feel" on the fifth floor. Pray for God's grace to help smooth out the rough spots.

Debbie and Jeanne had another chance to talk with one of Peter's doctors again today. Still the nagging question, "Is Peter out of the woods yet?" Still the same unsettling answer "No, he is not."

He is making improvements but still listed in "Critical Condition." He has done so well in the last week, everyone feels very optimistic, but, nevertheless, our Peter is still very ill.

June 27 - 11:00 p.m.

More good news, Peter has been moved out of Surgical ICU. He now is on the fifth floor in Medical ICU. A big step forward.

They continue to have Peter sitting in the "cardiac chair." This is painful for Peter, but it is necessary for his recovery. Yesterday he spent 3 hours "up." Being upright is also causing him to cough a lot. Another good thing, but very painful.

After sleeping for so long, Peter is awake almost all the time. He finds it difficult to rest.

He tries to talk and becomes frustrated. He is still suffering from side effect of the pain medicine, which causes some disorientation.

He is experiencing some agitation, which is normal. The nurses think he may be suffering from ICU Psychosis. This is nothing to cause alarm. It will pass quickly. There is an adjustment time coming off the heavy sedation.

He is still running the mystery fever. The doctors do not like this. They still attribute it to the original condition in his back.

He can move both of his legs on command and this makes his doctors smile a lot.

Peter is in need of things to stimulate thought. If you have any books on tape or ideas you think might be helpful, please e-mail me and let me know.

Thank you for checking in on Peter. We appreciate your concerns and prayers.

June 25 - 11:00 p.m.

Good news my friends, Peter is "back" and he had a big day today.

After moving the ventilator into his trachea and closing his abdomen, they have cut back on Peter's sedatives. He was awake for a long time today and tried to ask some questions. The placement of the ventilator in his trachea makes communication difficult. Debbie did her best to understand. First among his concerns was his daughter, Gaia.

Debbie tried to give Peter as much information as possible. She tried to piece together the past 3 weeks of ICU. Please pray for peace in Peter's heart. Also pray that God will help Debbie understand what Peter is trying to say.

Peter spent over an hour in a "cardiac chair" this afternoon. This is the first step to mobilization. Peter is placed on the "chair" much like a stretcher. The "chair" is then moved to an upright position. Although Peter experienced a lot of pain doing this; it is an extremely important step.

The neurosurgeon spent a long time with Peter today. The stitches from the original surgery were removed from his back. AND Peter was able to move his left leg upon request. This is a great sign, a great sign indeed.

It's what we all had prayed for - lots of smiles and happy tears at our house. God is faithful. Thank you for your prayers.

June 22 - 11:00 a.m. - Second Day of Summer

I was able to get some of my software loaded onto Peter's computer and tah dah . . . a Website update from Escondido.

I had the honor of visiting Peter yesterday. When his sister, Jeanne, and I arrived his sedative had begun to wear off. He was restless and opened his eyes several times. It was painful to watch, as he has not been this alert for weeks. At one point he seemed to pull me near, opened his eyes real big and tried to lift his head. Then he relaxed, closed his eyes and wrinkled his face - as though he were in a great deal of pain.

The nurse explained that when someone is on sedatives for a long time they develop immunity to the effect. Hopefully he won't need to be on them much longer.

All Peter's vitals remain the same, except his temperature. He consistently runs a fever of 100 - 102 degrees. They cannot locate any infection in his system. The doctors think that this persistent fever may be due to the original issue with his spine. Even though they cannot get a positive diagnosis on TB of the Spine or a fungal infection they are going to begin treating him for both.

Last night they moved the ventilator from his mouth into a small cut directly into his trachea. This will make Peter much more comfortable. When the tubes are directly down the throat, the throat tissue can stick to the tubing causing pain.

Last night they also covered Peter's abdomen with a mesh enclosure. This will allow his "insides" to heal around the mesh and cause less scar tissue to develop inside.

He is doing well. Still in "critical condition," but holding his own.

Peter's doctors need wisdom to discover the root of his problem. They keep taking tissue samples and blood tests and . . . they come up empty handed each and every time.

Pray for peace and patience for Debbie, Jeanne and the rest of us. The hours pass so slowly. The days blur into weeks - Friday will make it 4 weeks since his original surgery, twenty-eight days.

As I pause to think about what to share with you, Peter's screen saver starts up on his computer. Purple words scroll on a dark blue background.

            "I love my family and friends! I WILL BEAT THIS!"

You keep fighting Peter, we'll keep praying.
May God bless you and make you whole again.

June 18 - 1:00 p.m. - Father's Day

Gaia made her visit to Peter today. A gloomy way to spend Father's Day, but hopefully a day that will allow her to cope with what is going on.

She took the visit like a trooper, as Peter's daughter would. A little apprehensive, yet eager to see her Daddy, she entered the room holding her Mom's hand.

"Daddy looks like a stranger." she said in quietly.

The nurses explained some things. They cried a little. Then she sang a song her class had been working on, something for a special program at school.

She only has one week of school left before summer vacation.

Peter continues to hold his own. The news is slow and progress is measured in 'baby-steps.'

Thank you for your prayers, your concern really means a lot to us.

June 16 - 10:00 a.m.

Last night the word on Peter was good. Three consecutive days of stable vital signs. This is very, very good. Everyday Peter remains stable, his odds of survival increase.

Three of Peter's organs failed during the Septic Shock ordeal, lungs, kidney and the liver. This puts him in an 80% mortality bracket. This is frightening news to us, as I am sure it is to you. Peter is not "out of the woods yet," but if I may quote 'Aunt Linda,'

"He may not be out of the woods, but he does have a compass."

The good news is that Peter should not suffer any long-term effects from the septic poisoning. No permanent damage was done.

As to the original issue with the 'growth' in his back? No definative word. The infectious disease doctor has begun to treat is as TB. She cannot get a positive diagnosis for TB of the spine, but feels this is a helpful approach. She is determined to get to the bottom of this issue and has a reputation for not giving up.

Pray for wisdom and clear thought for her.

Peter is getting to the end of his use of the ventilator. There is a maximum amount of time the body can take that. They may be introducing an oxygen line into his trachea. No firm decision on this yet.

Thank you again to everyone who is praying for Peter. It means more than we can say.

One more request, this Sunday is Father's Day. Peter's daughter really misses her daddy. The nursing staff is making arrangements for Gaia to make a special visit to Peter on Sunday. They are trying to move him into a separate room within the ICU area where there won't be so many distractions for her. Pray that this goes well and that it help her in her struggles to make sense of it all. It's hard enough for those of us who are adults.

Thank you.

June 13 - 9:20 a.m.

I got a message from Peter's sister, Jeanne, last night. She writes,

"	I spent two hours with Peter today, so long, while wondering still, how did this happen? All of Peter's numbers are still continuing to improve, which is great. I asked his nurse today if Peter was out of the 'Woods' yet. Reply, 'Peter is not out of the woods, just he is not as critical as he was.'  I don't know if I find comfort in that or not."
	- me either Jeanne, me either.

Today the doctors will be considering when they will take Peter off the ventilator, maybe this week. They will need to watch him closely to see how he does, breathing on his own. They have lowered the Oxgyen line down to 40%. This means that Peter is able to produce the other 60%.

The infection on his right wrist / arm area looks better, but he is probably going to need some skin graphing.

The nurses have said that the doctor will be taking another look into Peter's abdomen at the end of this week. And very possibly begin to close it . . . but the process for closure is a very slow one. They must time the closure with removal of the ventilator. Everything is in such a delicate balance.

The nurses suggest that friends start making cassette tapes for Peter to listen to. It is extremely important that the tapes be positive in nature and serve to encourage Peter.

Under a drug induced sleep, a patient still hears things around them and familiar voices are helpful.

If you are interested in making a tape I will have an address for you tomorrow. We're still working out the details.

Thank you again to everyone who gave blood. What a blessing you have been to the family.

June 12 - 9:30 p.m.

Peter's numbers (vitals, blood counts, BP, heart rate) are still getting better but he has such a long way to go. He still runs a fever, but never above 100.4. I was wrong about the doctors closing his abdomen today. This may not happen for another week. This means he will stay sedated.

Peter has been experiencing DIC. That is a condition, which is caused by the imbalance in the blood chemistry. The blood clotting mechanism doesn't work properly, which causes blood to "seep" though the wound sites. The blood transfusions have helped get the blood chemistry back into balance. The "seeping" is getting better.

His urine output equals his fluid input - about 350cc in and out in one hour. Good, good, good. Kidneys working just fine.

Debbie and Jeanne doing un-trained physical therapy every time they go to see him. I understand a professional therapist also comes to work with him. Pray this goes well. Muscle movement is so important when the body sits sleeping for this long. He has now been in ICU, sedated, since Thursday, June 8th. A long time for a body not to move. And it doesn't look like he will be doing any moving on his own any time soon.

An IV line broke inside his right hand. This caused a lot of swelling and another infection.

With his body having to work so hard to fight the septic poisoning Peter is Jaundice. It seems like dominos. Once one falls . . . so many things are effected.

Keep up the battle Peter, we're cheering for you.

June 11 - 10:30 p.m.

Al drove down to San Diego yesterday. He had a chance to sit with Peter about 30 minutes.

This whole turn of events is unbelievable. Peter is really putting up a good battle. His blood gas levels are great, white count is under control. He has good color and his body temperature is back to normal. Urine output is high - all signs that the organs are working as they should.

Tomorrow (Monday) the doctors hope to close his abdomen. It is amazing to me the medical techniques being used to save Peter's life. His abdomen has been "open" since last Thursday night when the doctors performed exploratory surgery. There is a plastic type barrier covering his organs and the skin is only temporarily closed.

His is on a "rotating" bed, which moves him around periodically to prevent bed sores. During Al's visit on Saturday the bed began its gyrations. Al thought his brother was rolling over. He stood up in shock. Then he realized that it was just the bed going through its cycle. Early on this cycling caused Peter distress. Even though he is sedated, the movement seemed to bother him. He is used to it now and he is comfortable.

His legs and feet are in a Velcro closure wrap around "jacket" which pulsates warm air up his legs to stimulate circulation. His feet are being held in a flexed position to prevent "dropped foot."

Our Peter is very ill. It is hard to wait and hear little news. His progress is slow. Don't worry Peter, we won't stop praying or visiting until you are well.

I will continue to update the site when I have new information.

For now . . . we must all wait and allow God to heal Peter.

June 9 - 3:50 p.m.

Peter continues to hang on. Althought he is doing extremely well, it is an hour-by-hour battle. His blood gases are normal! His lungs are
still acidic. Everything that is going on now, is exactly what the doctors and nurses expect; both the good and the bad.

Today they removed the "main-line" which they had put into his trachia. These lines are only supposted to stay in for 7 days. The doctors have replaced it with a "main-line" under his arm. The "main-line" is used to quickly deliver drugs direcly into the blood stream, by way of the aorta.

Peter still has a long road ahead of him. He is still very ill. We thank you for all the prayers and words of encouragement.

We especially would like to thank those of you who have given blood for Peter. If you are interested click on the "Blood Bank" link to the left.

June 7 - 7:00 p.m.

I am sorry today's update is so late. Our wonderful world of technology let me down today. My husband, the computer wizard, was able to get my system up and running again. Thank you Al.

Peter remains in "critical condition" but is holding his own. He is putting out a lot of urine but it still has a high acid content. The body continues to cleans itself. No more talk of dialyses.

So far Peter has received 6 units of blood. If you are interested in giving blood click on the "Blood Bank" link to the left for more information.

Peter's white blood count is back in the normal range. Thank God for that. The offical name for what happened to him is "septic shock." His blood stream was poisioned by the e-coli bacteria that is supposed to be contained in his bowels. The survival rate for people who experience septic shock is less than 50 percent. In fact 50,000 people die from it in the U.S. every year. Peter was hanging on the edge there for a few days.

The doctors are still struggling to know what is wrong with Peter. His TB skin test was negative but the doctors still haven't ruled out TB altogether . . . as I understand it there is a TB of the spinal cord. This type of TB is difficult to diagnose, but is curable.

June 5 - 11:10 p.m.

We just got off the phone with Peter's sister, Jeanne. She spent about 2 hours with him tonight. She said they talked, but the conversation was one-sided. The nurses are pleased with his condition. His vitals remain good and he doesn't look as "puffy" as yesterday. He is still heavily sedated to keep him from pulling at all the tube.

The nurses decided to shave Peter's beard. They have to move a lot of tubes and tape around his face and they thought this would be more comfortable for him.

Jeanne had an interesting conversation with the nurse about this beard.
It went something like this:

Jeanne: "You shaved my brother's beard?" Nurse: "Yes, we thought it would be more comfortable for him." Jeanne: "You shaved my brother's beard that he's had since he was 18." Nurse: "Always?" Jeanne: "Always." Nurse: "Ah, well, he doesn't have it anymore."

Someone is going to have some explaining to do.

Tomorrow the doctors will take one more look at his bowels and begin to close him up.

Jeanne counted 7 bags of "stuff" hanging around his bed. She tried to count tubes going into his body, but they are all criss-crossed and she got confused.

Thank you all once again for your kind e-mails and faithful prayers.
It is difficult for us to express how much it means. May you be blessed as you watch Peter's progress.

June 5 - 3:00 p.m.

Peter is about the same today. His white blood count has gone down significantly. This is good. His vitals all continue to be stable. He is putting out a lot of urine. Really good - this means the kidneys and liver doing their jobs. You go kidneys and liver. He is still is really sick.

To quote his wife, "Peter has a long road ahead of him."

Please continue to pray for him and his family. He is still in "critical condition," but holding his own. He is a strong man with a strong mind, body and soul. Our hopes are high.

June 4 - 5:30 p.m.

Peter is resting. All his vitals continue to be normal. They will begin to give him food via the IV line. He needs the nutrition to win this battle.

His blood is still septic but getting better. They may have to put him on dialysis for a short time. This is not unusual for his condition. He is still putting out urine, which lets the doctors know that his other organs are functioning.

The SD Sheriff's Dept is working to set up a blood bank for Peter. I hope to have more information Monday.

His blood is not clotting normally, but as his body cleans itself this should improve. He has a lot of things going wrong, but he is young and hopes are high.

Thank you all for your prayers.

June 3 - 5:50 p.m.

Our lives are fragile, yet God is merciful.

June 2 - 9:00 a.m.

Another update. Al went to San Diego last night to be with Peter. Things are a lot more serious today. He is very ill.

Al said that they have started several IV lines and a 'main-line.' They are delivering varioius antibiotics, and other medicines. The nurse, Sondra, said that he appeared to be sleeping and all his vitals are back to normal. He is still is danger. They have taken several blood tests. They are uncertain as to the cause of this latest turn of events. Is it something related to the original problem or is it a complication of the morphine backing up his bowels.

In any case he is in need of your prayers, Debbie and Gaia too.
Praying that God would prepare our hearts for what may come, but in that same prayer, asking that He be merciful and heal Peter.

June 2 - 12:50 a.m.

Faithful readers, more bad news. Late Thursday night Peter was transfered back to ICU. The x-rays reveal no obstruction in his bowel, however the vomiting continues. Peter's blood pressure dropped and his heart has been racing. Good news is there is no fever. The doctor said that the problems he is experiencing are due to the medication and that he has seen worse.

Well, I don't know what could be worse than vomiting 4 days after having 7 of my vertebraes removed and then put back in! Really. The pain must be unbearable. God bless you Peter.

Debbie is doing her part to be strong and trust that God is taking care of Peter, but she is weary. It is hard to see someone you love suffer.

Pray for a strenghtening of her faith and the courage to continue. Many thanks to Joy and her family for keeping Gaia.

And a big "atta girl" to Deputy Marion for insisting that they move Peter back to the safe and attentive environment of the ICU.

June 1 - 1:00 p.m. update

Just rec'd a call from the hospital. The nurses think that Peter may have a bowel obstruction. They are taking him down to x-ray. No one can reach the doctors - of course. They have also started a NG tube in attempts to stop nausea and vomitting. I asked Peter if he had anything he wanted me to put up on this site. His reply, "The Webpage looks better than the bed page. And that's a quote."

Still stuggling with pain, distended abdomen and uncertainty of what he has.

June 1, 2000 - 9:00 a.m.

Not even one week post-op and this ordeal seems like it has lasted an eternity! The minutes tick by. Waiting for the results of the test is so painful.

Thank you for the encouraging e-mails and constant prayers. I wish I had something new to tell you all . . . but the news is the same. Do what you can to make contact with Peter and keep checking back for updates.

May 31, 2000

There still seems to be problem with finding a good pain killer. Right now they have him on IV morphine. The doctors want to get him on an oral pain killer. Please pray they will find something that will help. The morphine is taking it's toll on Peter's body.

Yesterday Peter got up into a wheel chair. This was really good for him. His wife Debbie took him on a tour of the 9th floor and he met his neighbors. After 3 days of being flat on his back the change in perspective was refreshing, but to quote Peter "It felt really weird."

This whole ordeal has taken us all by surprise, especially Peter. You never think something like this will happen to you or someone you love, but it does - it did.

Please pray for Peter - he has a lot going on in his head. He said to me, "I still can't believe this has happened. Just 2 weeks ago I was in a trade show in L.A. One week ago I was preparing my garden. I can't believe it."

Neither can we Peter. We love you!

May 30, 2000

Last night Peter's doctor removed the bandages. He says the incision looks good. It is very big, yet very clean and neat. They will be trying to get him up today, Peters response, "Oh I can't wait to see this! Really!"

They took out his IV lines and started new ones so they don't get infected. He is still suffering with the side effects of the painkillers. As little "loopy" you might say. He is talking about Pokeman and the whole in the ceiling.

In attempts to find out what he has they have done extensive skin tests. They read the results of 3 of them last night.

No on TB, no on yeast, yes to Mumps. The mystery continues.

May 29, 2000

Last night Peter had begun to show a sensitivity to the pain medication he is on. The doctors now move back to square 1 in trying to find a pain management plan for him.

May 28, 2000

You have found our Website because you know Peter or have been asked to pray for him. Thank you for your concern and contiunued prayers.

On Friday, May 26th, Peter underwent 7.5 hours of surgery.

The surgery was very invasive. Seven of Peter's vertebrae had to be taken out to reveal a growth inside his spinal column. The growth was very large, covering the T3 - T9 area of the spine. It was the consistency of string cheese.

The good news is that the growth is not cancer. The bad news is that the doctors don't know what it is! No one has ever seen anything like it before. Leave it to Peter to get something no one has heard of.

Samples of the growth have been sent to many prominent hospitals - including The Mayo Clinic. La dee dah!

Peter is doing well. Although he is in a lot of pain his progress exceeds what the doctors anticipated. Guess they don't know Peter very well. He has been through a lot in his life and certainly is meeting this challenge with his faith and a fighting spirit.

Through it all Peter has kept his great sense of humor. His first words in the ICU were, "I want a cupcake and a tuna sandwich!" He wants Debbie to bring in his Latin Rap CD so he can liven things up a bit on floor #9. I'm sure everyone will love that :-)

Check back for more updates, and in the mean time please feel free to contact Peter either by e-mail or snail-mail.




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