GOOD NEWS!!

Kim just called and said that earlier today, the pulmonologist took Emily off of some of the sedation just to see if she could respond----and SHE DID!! She nodded her head in answer to his questions. He doesn't believe there is any brain damage. Praise the Lord!!

She's begun the dialysis and they think she'll only have to do this one time! Is God not good?!? Her vitals have also been stable.

We praise you, Father! My heart can do nothing but cry out in praise to You. We worship You in the beauty of Your holiness. Thank You for sustaining Emily's life. Thank You for bringing order into her body. We praise You for knitting her together not once, but twice! We praise You because You do all things well. Thank You for the good news tonight. We love you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Psalm 31:21
Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.

Earlier today, I talked to Janis and she said the kids are doing great. Hannah and Noah went to school today and got to be a part of their fall festival activities---which were a great distraction. And Hannah is so gifted that she drew pictures of what she's been through this week, so I honestly believe God will heal her of any trauma. We're still trying to get pictures to you of Sarah. Everyone tells me how precious she is. Janis also told me something that really warmed my heart. Emily's father-in-law hasn't left the hospital since he got there---he just didn't want to leave Emily alone. Thank you, Sam, from the bottom of my heart!!!

Thank you for praying!! We've heard that the New Mexico Baptist Convention that was convened stopped and prayed for Emily. We've heard from so many prayer groups who have added Emily to their list. We're so grateful to each person who is praying. Thank you. Please continue.

Dialysis Tonight

Janis called and told me that they would begin dialysis on Emily tonight at 6:30. It will probably last about 4 hours. Please be praying that it will take the stress off of Emily's body and give her kidneys the resolve to begin functioning on their own.
Emily's cousin, David, had the idea of setting up an online account to give to Luke & Emily to help meet their needs during this time. To your right you will see a "Donate" button. If you feel led to give to them, every dime will go directly to Luke & Emily to help with all their financial needs through this difficult experience. I thought it was a great idea and so proud of David for thinking of a way to help them. It's very easy to use---and I know it will ease that pressure Luke must feel.
If we have to wait, it's so nice waiting with you. I know Emily is going to be so blessed....so blown away by this outpouring of love on her behalf. In fact, it will just embarress her! She's not used to being the center of attention. But God uses people like Emily to bring the most glory to Himself, doesn't He? Humble people. People willing to submit to Him and be in the background.
So thank you. Thank you for waiting with us and praying for Emily and her family. We're blessed.

'Lil Sis'

Just the other day I saw a commercial for a digitally remastered DVD of all the Shirley Temple movies...

It seems like just yesterday were were little kids, in those days my job (or so I thought) as an older brother was to make Emily's life as miserable as possible...

Emily used to love watching those silly Shirley Temple movies and then I would have to hear those silly songs being sung incessantly...

Or maybe it was her job to annoy me...

Either way, I was ok with my calling in life to fight with her constantly, but one thing that was never ok with me was if someone else decided to mess with my little sister. In fact I can remember a couple of times almost ending up in a fight because people were messing with her and that is something that I would absolutely not tolerate...

To have to deal with almost losing her at such a young age has been hard for me to put up with, to not be able to come to her defense has been unbearable...

I can't thank you all enough for your prayers! God is Sovereign and has answered so many prayers thus far! In so many ways God has proven himself so please keep praying for Emily...

Just today the pulmologist told us that she is "very lucky to be alive" he seemed to be amazed at her condition but I know that all in all God has answered prayer and has miraculously intervened.

Thank you all for those prayers!

Big brother Jeff

Dialysis

Kim just called and said that she'd been in to see Emily and the nurse told her that they were going to have to start dialysis today. They plan on doing that around noon. Naturally, they won't be taking her off of the ventilator today because of that.

Father,
I know You're the God of miracles. You've already done so many wonderful things for Emily & Luke. Would you...would you, please...make Emily's kidneys start functioning before noon? In Jesus' name, Amen.

Isaiah 59:1
"BEHOLD, THE Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear."

Flood of Cards

Wouldn't it be awesome if we could have Emily's room flooded with cards when she wakes up? If you'd like to send her a card, send it here:

Luke & Emily Panter

c/o Bridgeview Baptist Church

PO Box 820
Quinlan, TX 75474

As you can imagine, this journey will be an expensive one. If you'd like to include a gift card to Wal-Mart for diapers, groceries, etc.---there's one near them where they can redeem it. Also, at the top of the blog page you can click on the "Donate" button and donate now using your credit/debit card or your bank account. Or...you might like to include a pre-paid Visa gift card (you can pick them up at your local Wal-Mart, Target, or grocery store). I know Luke will have expenses while staying with Emily at the hospital---just eating out, paying for parking, gasoline going back and forth, etc. (Luke is the pastor of this church, if you didn't catch that earlier.)

But regardless of whether you can help out in that way or not-----let's flood Emily's room with CARDS!!! Help me get the word out on this one!

You Have Blessed Our Family

We're in awe of how far-reaching the prayer for Emily has spread.  You may notice that we have a "counter" at the bottom of the page to see how many people come by this blog.  As of 10:30 on Thursday evening, 1367 people have come by just today!  This counter also tells us where you are from and gives us a world map, marking the place where you live.  We don't know your names, of course, unless you leave a message.  But it's so encouraging to see the map filled up across the United States and into many foreign countries.  We'd love for you to leave a message, a prayer, or a scripture when you come by.  Or just leave your name and where you live, so that when Emily is well, she can be amazed at how many people dropped by to pray for her!  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  You have no idea (unless you've walked in these shoes!) how encouraging that is.  We'd love for you to add Emily to your prayer group's list....and let us know that you have.  We are grateful for your agreement in prayer for Emily's healing.  Don't forget to pray for Luke, her husband, and for their 5 children.

Again....thank you.  You have blessed our family.

First Response EMT's Story

Janis wanted to make sure we knew this story. Today, the EMT who was first on the scene at the house when Emily's aorta ruptured, came by. Barbara, Luke's mom, answered the door and the EMT said, "I just came by to see how Mrs. Panter is doing." Barbara told him that Emily had just come through her 2nd surgery successfully. He was dumbfounded! He said that he'd been doing this for 33 years and it was the worst case he'd ever seen. He came by expecting to find that the worst had happened. He said that he'd never seen someone in as bad a shock and as cold as Emily was. Then he told Barbara that it was a miracle that she'd had her baby just 2 days before at the Greenville hospital. Because she'd had her baby there, they were able to pull her records, know her blood type, and have the blood she needed ready and waiting! He left shaking his head. He was amazed that Emily was still alive and doing well.

Isn't God wonderful?
Psalm 64:9-10 (Amplified)
"And all men shall [reverently] fear and be in awe; and they will declare the work of God, for they will wisely consider and acknowledge that it is His doing. The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust and take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory and offer praise."

Thursday Evening

They were not able to take Emily off of the ventilator today. The pulmonologist saw a little fluid in her lungs and wanted to leave the vent on to help her through the night. They will try to take it off tomorrow. There's still concern about her kidneys. Please pray that they start functioning on their own!
I'm trying to get a photo of Sarah so we can all see her! Kim says she looks nothing like the other kids as a baby. She weighed in at 9 lbs. and has little chubby rolls! I can't wait to see this precious bundle of sweetness!! Pictures, anyone???
Luke was surrounded by his extended family today. I heard there was even a buffet set up in the waiting room for everyone to eat. Isn't family awesome? I'm so thankful for Luke's family and how they're loving on him and supporting him through this hard time. We love you, Luke!!! Hang in there! We're sending our love your way.
I just have to share one little amazing thing that happened this morning. My cell phone rang...loudly. It was Janis giving me the information about Emily's upcoming surgery. Why is that amazing? My cell phone was set on "vibrate." If it had vibrated, I would never have known she called---I was in the bathroom getting dressed for the day. The next call that came in from my daughter.....vibrated! God is awesome! I think He wanted His people praying early.

Out of Surgery!

Jeff & Janis just called and said that Emily is out of surgery. The good news is that after cleaning her out, there was no seepage of blood. They said it was blood left over from the aneurism of the aorta that ruptured and it was following the center of gravity and running to the surgical opening. They also hope to have her off of the ventilator by this afternoon.
Here are the prayer concerns:
*That her kidneys will come back to full function. It's normal for kidneys to be sluggish after all Emily has been through, but they're needing them to kick back in now. There's the possibility of dialysis if they don't kick back in on their own.
*Because Emily "coded," they're unsure if there's been any neurological damage. So pray that as Emily comes off of the sedation that she has full brain function. The doctor told them not to be overly excited that she recognized them earlier. She'll have to be assessed.
The family is cautiously optimistic. But we have a long ways to go!!
God has already answered our prayers about the blood seepage. Thank You, God!! Let's agree in asking Him for full kidney function and for full brain function.
Father,
We want our Emily back whole. Would You massage her kidneys and cause them to work properly? And would you just minister to her body, mind and spirit as she's waking up? Heal her, Father. Please heal her completely. Thank You for all You've done. Thank you for the forward motion in each step Emily is taking. We love you, Daddy! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Update

I just talked to Janis and she said they didn't take Emily into surgery until about 30 minutes ago (about 11:30 a.m. Central time). There was still some seepage of blood, but the doctor told them that the organs were all back in place. (They had been displaced by the presence of the blood) So their intent was to go in and clean the area up and discover if something else may have been going on that they weren't aware of. They will let us know as soon as she comes out of surgery and how well things went.
KEEP PRAYING!!!

Surgery

Janis just called me and said that Emily is scheduled for surgery at 10 this morning.  The doctor said there is still seepage of blood that they want to find the source of and then the plan is also to close up the wound.  Her blood count is normal.  Yea!!  Her platelet count is still low, so they planned on giving her platelets.  The doctor told the family last night that the seepage was a little less and Emily appeared a little more stable.  Her kidney output was low, but every nurse on every shift said that was normal after "coding."  The kidneys are the first thing to feel the shock to the system and it takes them longer to adjust.

Pray that Emily will be prepared for the surgery (platelets) and that the doctors will be guided EXACTLY to where the seepage is taking place and be able to stop it.  Last night, Andy & I prayed that the doctors would even have dreams during the night about what was going on and be immediately directed to the source of the problem.

Pray that the surgery would go well and go quickly.  And then pray that Emily wakes up and feels like Emily.  

Continue praying for their children.  The older ones are worried about their mom of course!  And everything is just off schedule---even though they love having the grandmas around.  A big thanks to everyone is who bringing food and offering to babysit---I know they'll need it just to get rest themselves.

And continue praying for Luke and Janis.  Janis said she just keeps reliving the crisis.  I know Luke does too.  And they're not getting rest.

Thank you for praying!!!  And please...continue leaving comments, prayers, scripture.  The family said they are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and prayers on Emily's behalf.  There were 514 hits on this website yesterday in only 13 hours.  God's people care.

Your Prayers

If you'd like, just click on "Comments" below this post and leave your own prayer for Luke, Emily & the children. I know they and their extended family would be blessed by reading your prayers--or scripture God has put on your heart.
Thank you!

3 of Emily's kids

Abigail & Hannah playing dress-up when they came to visit.

Aren't they adorable? Noah & Hannah posing for a picture....Oops! And Abigail peeking from the top of the stairs!

Mike & Jonathan Dietz, Emily's dad & brother, will be leaving Albuquerque tomorrow morning and heading to Dallas. Please pray for a safe trip for them both.

Just so you know, Becky, Emily's aunt, has been posting information to this point. But Jeff & Kim (Emily's brother and his wife) have the information to post also....so we may be tag-teaming. When Luke has opportunity, time, and energy, he may post also.

Wednesday Evening

Kim, Emily's sister-in-law, called tonight and said the doctors are a little more concerned because the small bleed is bleeding a little more. They haven't scheduled surgery yet because they're still trying to stabilize her. Kim said she's swollen from the fluids in her body and we need to pray that her kidneys kick in and start taking the fluid out of her system. We also need to pray that her lungs stay strong and that she'll be able to be weaned off the ventilator in due time.

Would you agree with me with this prayer?

Father,

Thank You that You have created Emily so intricately. Thank You that You knit her together so well in her mother's womb. Would You please take out those knitting needles and knit Emily back together perfectly? Strengthen what's been ruptured. Oh God, You know exactly where this bleeding is coming from. Would You knit that place back together perfectly? Would You stop the flow of blood? I'm reminded of the woman who had the issue of blood---and You stopped it and healed her. If You did it then, You can do it again now. Would You, please? And God, I know Luke, Janis, and all those surrounding them are exhausted. Would You give them quiet rest? Would you give them sweet sleep? And would You take care of Emily while they rest? And erase the trauma from the children's minds. Father, we know you do all things well. And we lay Emily at Your feet and ask you to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. We love You, Daddy! Thank You for rescuing Emily last night. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Please leave comments. Kim is going to take her laptop to the hospital tomorrow so Luke can read all the comments! Thanks.

Leave Comments!

Please leave comments to let Emily & the family know you are praying for them.

Wednesday Afternoon

I just talked to Jeff Dietz, Emily's brother who is with her at the hospital, and he said that her blood is coagulating now and they are planning on scheduling her next surgery either this afternoon or tomorrow morning. They are keeping her sedated and she will be in critical care until after her surgery and after they're able to wean her off the ventilator.

Pray for Emily--First Post

This leg of Emily's journey began Sunday when she gave birth to a precious baby girl, Sarah Michal, her 5th child. Emily is the wife of Luke Panter, the pastor of Bridgeview Baptist Church in Quinlen, TX. Emily is also the daughter of Mike & Janis Dietz who live in Albuquerque, NM.
Janis flew to be with Emily after Sarah was born. Late Tuesday afternoon, Janis had prepared dinner for the other 4 children while Emily went to her bedroom to feed Sarah. Janis went to see if Emily wanted something to eat and when she got to Emily's room, she found Emily unconscious in her bed. When Emily came to, she was in extreme pain and they called 911. When the ambulance came, the attendants worked on Emily for 30 minutes to stabalize her so they could get her to the hospital in Greenville. When she got there, they did exploratory surgery to find the source of her pain (thinking maybe her appendix had ruptured) and instead they discovered her body was full of blood. She had already been given 7 units of blood by this time. Greenville knew they couldn't handle her problem, so they airlifted her to Baylor Medical in Dallas.
Upon arrival at Baylor, Emily did code but was resuscitated and 4 surgeons (some of the best in the field) and 10 nurses worked as hard as they could to keep Emily alive. They discovered the right iliac artery had ruptured. They had to graft and repair the artery. The iliac arteries are at the lower end of the aorta where it branches off right and left to carry blood to the legs, but they are in the abdomen. Because she had "coded" they were concerned because her organs were without oxygen for that time. They weren't able to close Emily's wound because her blood wasn't clotting---so they packed the wound and left it open. During this time, they gave Emily blood---the equivalent of 3 times what a body needs.
Emily has been in a drug-induced coma and the doctors were expecting her to be in a coma for about a week because of all of the trauma to her body. But this morning, Janis, her mom, and Kim, her sister-in-law, went in to see her and Emily awakened and didn't understand what was going on and was frustrated because of being on a ventilator. Her blood has started coagulating, which is good...her temperature has risen, which is good...but she still has a small bleed--or seepage because her blood wasn't coagulating properly.
Emily is still in very critical need. Her children are all ok and being taken care of by Luke's mom. So...here are the things to pray for:
*Pray for peace for Emily
*Pray that the doctors will discover the location of this small bleed so they can repair it
*Pray that her blood will continue to coagulate
*Pray that all of her organs will work properly
*Pray that her temperature and blood pressure will be stable
*Pray that God will heal her completely
*Pray for the surgery Emily still faces to fix the small bleed and to close her wound
*Pray for Luke---for peace and comfort
*Pray for her children---they saw the trauma with their mom and the ambulance coming
*Pray for Luke's mom as she takes care of the children
*PRAISE GOD for how He had the best doctors available, for the timing of getting her to the hospital, for the air ambulance, for the available blood (and blood donors)!! We have so much to be thankful for.
We will be updating periodically---so keep checking back! Thank you for praying. We'd love for you to contact your prayer ministry and add Emily to your prayer list. She's still very critical.