Friday Night - November 30, 2007

We are sad to share tonight that Richard Edward Russell passed away this afternoon.
We rejoice that he is out of pain and no longer suffering. We pray and believe in our hearts that he is singing in heaven with Jesus. We want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your precious prayers for Rick and for this family through the weeks. We ask that you would continue to pray for us as we go through the next few days in making final arrangements for Rick. We are not certain of any final arrangements at this time, but do know that Kilgore Funeral Home at l750 Ashville Road, NE, Leeds, AL is handling all arrangements. The phone number for Kilgore Funeral Home is 205-699-3181.

Many thanks again from all of us for your constant prayers through the last five weeks....please remember especially RIck's wife, Caren, and his three sons, Matthew, Christopher and Bradley at this time.

With love, Don and Marion Russell, Jeanne and Stewart Anthony, Dave, Susan and Taylor Higdon, Ashley Sanders and Family, Meredith Dutlinger and Family and Jason Higdon and Family

Praying Warrior Angels for Rick

Rick, TOnight we are praying warrior angels around you to fight a mighty battle for you body's strength and restoration. Congratulations....we hear you got a new tracheotomy today and we are asking God to cause it to be perfect in every way to
help you regain that strength and all that you body needs!! We love you with all of our hearts,Dave and Suz, Jeanne and Stewart, Mother and Dad

Today is the day to CHOOSE LIFE, RICK!!!!!

Rick, I believe this scripture is especially for you today.....God has brought it to my mind...

"This day I call Heaven and Earth as Witnesses Against You That I have Set before you LIFE and DEATH, BLESSINGS and CURSES. Now, CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live" Deuteronomy 30:19

We are all praying this scripture around you today Rick, Choose Life!!!!! You can do it!!! We are crying out to God to give you supernatural strength and ability to fight. We love you so!!!

Thanksgiving

Rick, we sure did miss you at our Thanksgiving table yesterday along with Caren, Matt, Chris and Brad. We were all remembering you and praying that it would be
a day of special Thanksgiving progress for you. We can't wait until you will be able to eat all your favorite things for Thanksgiving and we will be preparing a Thanksgiving Feast for you!!!! We are so thankful for the doctors and nurses who are working so hard to get you well. We love you, Mother, Dad, Jeanne and Suz

Tuesday, November 20

We are praying today for continued progress for Rick. Father, we are asking you today to send Your Holy Spirit to hover over Rick in his hospital room, covering him with protection and healing. Father, we ask you to speak your words of truth and encouragement to Richard Russell today, reminding him that you have a Hope and a Future for him.....Jeremiah 29:ll. We praise you and thank you for the comfort and peace you are providing for Rick, as well as all of us who love him. In Jesus Name, Amen

Sunday Night, November l8

We are praising God for every morsel of good information we can get about Rick's condition. We had some comfirmations today from doctors in Alabama, that there is reason to believe this Rick can survive the setback he has had and that they are doing all that they can to look into other ways of treating existing problems. He is still on the ventilator and having dialysis as tolerated three to five times a week. Lungs may be improving somewhat...he has a long, long road ahead of him for many reason, but, we are praising God for every slight improvement, some of his stomach issues are being addressed and that is a giant priase.....bowel sounds were apparently heard today....A GIANT PRAISE!!!...Praise GOD that doctors are continuing to work together to find what Rick needs. I praise GOD that St. Vincents is a "faith based" hospital and there are truly Christian doctors there who care and are praying for Rick's recovery. I know in my heart that God will keep his promise to renew Rick's strength and restore his health. Thank you for every single prayer you have lifted for RIck....it has been his lifeline and ours and we are so very grateful as his faimly....

We Are Asking for Urgent Prayers Tonight

Rick has had a day of a series of setbacks, his lungs filled again with fluid and he was put back on the respirator.....blood pressures have been very out of balance and he is indeed having a tremendous stuggle today and tonight. Please pray that God will intervene in this relapse and will renew Rick's strength tonight. He has been in ICU for exactly 3 weeks today and we are praying once again for God's mighty hand to restore him....THank you for your urgent prayers on Ricks' behalf at this critical time.

Tuesday Night

Today was filled with more challenges for Rick. He had to have another out-patient surgery to reinsert the lines for his newer dialysis. Those lines are inserted through the "jugular" vein, so it is a pretty big deal, and was exhausting for him physically, as it required more anesthesia....and just another ordeal. He is receiving some physical therapy and they are going to make another attempt tomorrow on what is called a "swalloing study", because his esophagus was so irritated and stretched by the ventilator tube that was there for l4 days. Thank you once again for your prayers for Rick's strength and for each day to bring improvement and healing.

God will make Rick Strong

Please pray tonight that God will make Rick strong, that he will regain all the strength that his body needs to fight and heal. He has had a very tough day today, is still struggling with trying to cough up the congestion from his lungs and is just physically exhausted from all that his body has been through. He was switched to "hemo-dialysis" today from the continuous dialysis and this caused his blood pressure to drop and they have had to give him another medication to bring the blood pressure back up. He needs physical strength and God's protection and peace. Caren is also physically and emotionally exhausted and starting to get sick herself, please also pray for her health and peace. We are continuing to thank GOd for Rick's progress so far and thanking him for providing everything Rick needs to get well-particularly the continued combined efforts of all doctors and nurses working together as a team. Thank you once again with all of our hearts for your continued prayers and love.

A New Week

Monday morning, Rick was changed from the "oxygen mask" to the easier "nasal canula" oxygen - yet another step of progress. We know that physical therapy is working with him today, he is still making efforts to talk/communicate with the doctors and nurses, as well as with Caren, all very positive signs. More updates as we get them today....thank you for continuing to pray.....each day is getting brighter and brighter and we are so grateful!

A day of Victory!!!

Today, Sunday, November 11, 2007, doctors removed the ventilator from Rick and he has done exceptionally well. He is breathing steadily with no struggle, using an oxygen mask. Caren says is resting comfortably....certainly glad to have his hands free, he is tired and weak, not really speaking much yet, but doctors say that is to be expected after having a breathing tube in your esophogus for l8 days!!! They will do some swalling studies tomorrow before introducing a "liquid diet"....again for the first time in 20 days!!. We know it will be a slow process, he has been so very sick, but we are praising GOD for this victory so far and thanking Him for his provision and protection over Rick, Caren, Matt, Chris and Brad during these difficult days. Please continue to pray for Rick's progress as they begin to look at weaning him from dialysis and watching to see how all of his functions are recovering. Thank you again for every prayer...

Another Day of Hope and Encouragement

Today is Saturday,November 10, 2007, and we are so encouraged with news from nurses and from Caren today. They are beginning a slow process of decreasing the ventilator today, in the hope that Rick will be able to come off the ventilator some time this weekend. Please continue to pray that this process will go smoothly, that Rick will not experience any agitation or stress, that his lungs will continue to increase in function and he will finally be able to breathe on his own with oxygen, rather than the ventilator. We are thanking God for the expertise of the doctors and nurses as they work with Rick over the weekend to hopefully accomplish this.
Many thanks to each and every person lifting prayers for Rick and for the medical team working on him....we have seen miraculous changes in the last 3 days and we are thanking God for every one of them...It is a powerful thing to watch the "body of Christ" pull together in such times of desperation....thank you for your commitment from every member of our family!!!

"Trending Upward" - What Glorious Words!!

Today, we heard from Caren that the pulmonary doctor, Dr. Day, had used those amazingly wonderful words......Rick seems to be "trending upward".....there are several things that have improved slightly and we are just so grateful and praising God for every hope that we hear!!! Rick has been slowly taken off the sedative that was keeping him basically unconcious and is today alert enough to open his eyes, respond yes and no by shaking his head and to quote the nurses "responding to commands". He is still being kept sedated but not at the level he was, (this is to keep him from becoming agitated or laboring to breathe) because he is still on the ventilator (reduced to 40%), the dialysis, feeding tube and IV antibiotics/insulin and whatever else is needed. However....we are again, so grateful and thanking God for hearing and answering our prayers for healing Rick's serious condition....it will still be a long road...probably two more weeks in ICU, but this is progress!! Please continue to pray for Rick's recovery - we thank you with all of our hearts for each and every prayer!!! As Caren has been saying....every crumb of hope is monumental!!

Tueday, November 6 - Praying for more Healing!!

So far today, Rick remains about the same, no real changes.....his vital signs are remaining stable....however, he is still on the ventilator and dialysis machines and in a sedated state. We will continue to pray that his lungs and kidneys recover while they are able to rest. There has been one new concern about his gall bladder, but the gastroenterologist has not been able to get the precise test that will give the best picture of the problem done within Rick's room and they do not want to move him from MICU at this time. SO...once more we will be patient and "wait on The Lord" to do what only He can do in and through Rick and the outstanding team of doctors there at St. Vincent.

Thanks again for your prayers and throughts!!!

How to Post Comments/Prayers for Rick

In order to leave a comment or prayer for Rick, click on the comments button at the bottom of the page.....it will show you existing comments....then, on the right hand side of the page there are three buttons, click the middle one that says Other, you will have the option of a leaving your name - but don't have to fill in the password or website part...then you can go post a comment in the comment section. It is NOT necessary to open a google account to post a comment. Thank you to everyone for your love and prayers and concern...

Please pray for Rick Russell!

We are creating this blog for our brother, uncle, son, husband and father, Richard Edward Russell, who has been critically ill for eleven days now at St. Vincents Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Rick was admitted to CICU on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 with a number of problems - all complicated by the MRSA infection. Rick has also had Type I Diabetes since he was 21 years old. This began with a small sore on his right big toe - then he became critically ill with ketoacidosis from high blood sugars that raged out of control because the infection in the toe was growing inward and was not a visable problem. He had seen his foot doctor who put him on an oral antibiotic and thought it was getting better. He quickly developed double pneumonia, kidney problems and an infection that entered his blood stream.

As of today, November 4, Rick is on a ventilator, kidney dialysis, 6 to 8 antibiotics, insulin drips and a host of other things that are working constantly to try to heal the lungs and kidneys. On Tuesday, October 30, doctors amputated his right big toe to remove the infection, and we were encouraged that this would aid in healing his entire body. However, he remains today, November 4, without any significant change in his condition.

Rick has been blessed with a team of excellent nurses and a team of 14 doctors who are all working together to manage his individual issues. We are so very grateful for each and every medical professional involved and ask for prayers for their individual and collective discernment and decisions.

We are opening this blog site as a family, to share with anyone of you who would pray for Rick's healing and recovery from these issues. God has been faithful to sustain us, and we are so grateful for all of you who are praying. We know that God's love and protection are surrounding him, and that God will fight this battle with and for Rick.

Please know that your thoughts and prayers will be an encouragement to the entire family, and we are grateful for each and every one.

The Russell Family
The Higdon Family
The Anthony Family
Nieces: Ashley Sanders and Meredith Dutlinger and their families

A special thank you to Taylor Higdon for creating this blog, as it will be a great way for us to share in Rick's recovery.