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David's Space - djweichelt.netalso see my alternate blog in my Recommended Links
June 16 Job Decision & Prayer Support Hi friends and family, Pray you are doing well. Curious what is going on with you but I am requesting some prayer in regards to a difficult job related decision. What I can tell you is the following: * A contract job has been verbally extended to me on Monday with Volt to work with John Deere in the Des Moines area * Billed as either a 1 or 3 year position (that may go shorter). Seeking clarification on real term and if it can go full-time. * Start date in July 7th which is about 10 days before the last day of my current contract job. * There are full time positions at the company in Minneapolis I'm currently at, however, I haven't been able to get any interviews. I have a talk tomorrow with my manager about that so it will be more clear if there are any open doors here. * This contract job is much lower paying than any other position I have ever worked at since college (adjusted for inflation) and has no benefits. * I have asked for more money but I don't know if I can get more and I may have risked the position by not accepting it outright (given the competition). * Jonah would have to go into daycare when Julie goes back to work at this pay rate. We are waiting on work from our friend about that. If she doesn't take Jonah we may not be able to move on this contract. * Taking a contract closed other doors as I can't look for a full time job and interview easily (in and out of town) after starting this role. * Julie wants to stay home with Jonah but this contract won't make that happen unless they can come up a lot in pay (mainly because of health insurance benefits). It would be great to have prayer and clarity for this situation so that I don't live in regret. Any Godly advice would be appreciated as well. Thanks for reading this and considering my request. Grace and peace, David April 05 Jonah and Family Update Hi friends and family, FYI, we have an new update posted on the Caringbridge site as my Mom has gotten another one done (the last one was in Feb.): <click here to see> By the way, we have some new pictures here added over the last few months (see Feb./March and April for most recent photos). Also there are new videos posted. Jonah is 4.5 months old and growing up and it's fun to play with. He's a very good natured baby. Most of the time he's happy and when he's not it's probably because he's uncomfortable (teething or some GI problem but he's been doing overall very well lately). Peace, David December 03 Jonah Update - Dec. 3rdToday we got a great report from the Cardiologist. Jonah's heart is now functioning within the normal range! After asking for more information to determine what exactly his condition is and if we are are taking about a miracle, the doctor said that Jonah's heart is in the low end of normal range but he thought he would be able to be able to go home and live a normal life without oxygen. He gave credit to the infants ability to recover verses an adults. Also he said the PDA (blood vessel between the aortas) has closed, which was very good to hear, and also the fluid around the heart is reduced. The doctor did say that Jonah in his teens could have problems if they choose to push through the pain when running with a heart that has such damage. So we can get a checkup in 6 weeks and hopefully his heart will improve even more by then.
The neonatal doc said we can probably take him home in a day or two assuming he comes off the oxygen without a problem (as he was just taken off of a few hours ago as is doing fine so far). We are now just waiting to hear from the Neurologist after a EEG test earlier today. This test will show if he has detectable seizures in his brain or other electrical brainwave anomalies. We hope that he no longer has any detectable seizures and thus will be like an Epileptic and be dependent on a neurotoxic drugs like Phenobarbital (which he has been on very heavily so far). If he doesn't have any detectable seizures I hope we can find a way to lower his dosage and wean him off completely but I foresee problems as the doctors they told me already he would be on it for a year to start. The side-effect of Phenobarbital are significant (it's a sedative, it lowers memory and comprehension in toddlers even, and even some claims of behavioral issues), also it's understood to have life-long implications when children are on it (lowered IQ and potential significant behavioral issues). For the doctors the reoccurred of seizures is the main concern (as they can damage the brain similarly or worse than the anti-seizure drugs). I hope and pray for the best possible outcome, that we get him off this drug very soon without any serious withdrawal or complications. Otherwise he has been behaving very well lately since yesterday vs. crying so uncontrollably as he has done much over previous few days.
Thank you for the prayers and kind thoughts and words for Jonah and Julie and I. We have felt very comforted and are trusting in God that he has the best in mind for Jonah and us, and he hears the prayers. As far as what looks like in regards to the miraculous answers to pray at this point, I think it's significant that he's gotten well so quickly, as one doctor said the earliest he could go home was Sat. (which may be the actual day or maybe sooner). Also he is no longer crying uncontrollably, which was a major and serious prayer request for me recently. The cardiologist report was very good too, so we are thankful to God, but this doctor chalked the progress up to infants being able to recover better than adults. Even with that said, Jonah still looks like a miracle baby, as he was in critical condition and was not stable for a while since the morning he was born. I am hoping Jonah continues to recover, will not have anymore serious problems, shows no major effects of the heart attack, stroke, and side-effects from all the tests, treatments, and medications. We have to watch him closely to make sure his color looks okay as he is anemic and he is going to be at risk for seizures. Please continue to remember Jonah in your prayers as we still have a little way to go before he can come home and to be officially "out of the woods" from his these serious medical trials and tribulations. New videos posted: http://www.youtube.com/user/crucified220 CaringBridge Site: http://www.youtube.com/user/crucified220 November 26 Jonah Update - November 25thJonah got his ventilator removed today. They
weened him off his pain medication to do this successfully, and so he
was more active and agitated than the last couple of days. It was a
very stressful day for both Jonah and Dad at the hospital (and Mom at
home until the evening). I was at the hospital watching him struggle
without pain medication with a vastly increased blood pressure. It
went high in an area that was not good, according to at least one
doctor I talked to. Fortune he calmed down in the evening but was
given a bit more pain medication (and some other sedative he gets every
day for seizures). I did hear from the Neurologist and he confirmed the results of the cat-scan with the MRI. Jonah had a stroke in his left side of his brain. The Neurologist says he will be affected but he doesn't know how much, from mild to severe. Jonah will probably be on anti-seizure medication and will need to go to neurologists and various therapists to deal with his symptoms. His speech will have to be re-routed to the right side of the brain the doctor said, but he thought this would or at least can happen. We hope that he surprises his doctors and we would give God the glory for that. As to the cause of the heart attack, the Neurologist thought that this stroke could very well have caused it, bases on other finding in adults that have had similar strokes. Otherwise, his eyes look good, as he had an uncomfortable eye examine. His blood levels are a concern as he is anemic because of all the blood drawn, but he doesn't need a transfusion yet. It will take him up to a couple months for him to recover from all this loss of blood. One doctor said he may be able to go after a minimum of ten days. That was positive because we really didn't ever get any answers like that before, that we could go home with him soon. Julie and I have been too tired or recovering, busy with keeping up with the doctors and medical stuff or distracted by other things to pray for Jonah much. So we do appreciate the prayers for Jonah very much! It is as much a ministry to Jonah as it is to us. It has been so encouraging to hear about all the people praying. When God's people pray in faith to Him, He can move mountains and the sick can be healed by his hand. We hope for a complete recovery still, in spite of the latest reports, and have faith that God loves Jonah even more than any of us, and he is present and involved in this whole event sovereignly. He doesn't tell us the future (as I would often desire) but we are comforted by the progress and support we have (including the medical staff). Also thanks for all the gracious and kind Guestbook entries and messages. I have read them all and Julie has read many. It was encouraging to hear stories about other infants/children recovering from strokes and brain damage. That reminded me that the Neurologist said that if we can get beyond the acute injury, infants/children usually recover well. Thanks again for your kind words and prayers during this trying time! Enjoy the new photo's and videos. Video link to my Youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/crucified220 See updates at CaringBridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jonahweichelt1 Grace, love, and peace, David and Julie
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