October 2006

10/22/06-First, we would like to thank Molly and Chuck Sponsler for sponsoring this site (www.abigailmariedeller.com). We are blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for this generous gift of communication, that will keep so many people informed. You are truly the definition of "friends". Where do we begin?...Abigail Marie "Abbey" came into this world with a special purpose. She was born with an extremely rare birth defect (1 in 400,000 live births) Her condition is referred to as Cloacae Extrophy. There are additional issues which complicate her situation regarding the pelvis, spine and feet, but rest assured her heart, lungs and brain are fully functioning and normal.

Update, we have confirmed that Abigail will undergo surgery tomorrow 10/23 at 3:30pm. They have assembled a team of specialists in order to perform an estimated 8 hour operation. We ask you to continue your thoughts and prayers during this time and in the days to come. We already know that your prayers are working, as Jill and I are at peace with Gods grace. We are strong and ready for the journey! We love you and may God bless you. The Dellers

We would like to thank you for all of your prayers during this trying time. We ask you to please continue them as we near surgery on Monday. Jill and I are so blessed and grateful to have such a tremendous support system. We want you to know that we love you and appreciate each and every one of you. May God bless you! Jill, John, Amanda, and Abigail

10/24/06-We are extremely happy to report that Abigail's surgery was a success! Praise God! The doctors were able to repair all of her external parts, place them inside & close the opening. She has several tubes draining fluids and will remain sleeping & medicated for a day or two; she needs to remain as still as possible while her main wound heals & her body adjusts to the new position of her organs. As our doctor stated "it was a good day". We want to thank each of you for your prayers. Your faith in God is shining through to our daughter. We ask that you continue to pray, as we go through the healing process and prepare for surgeries to come. We have been so emotionally moved by all of your emails, phone calls and cards. We are very blessed to have you in our lives.

10/25/06 - It was another quiet day today; like yesterday. Abigail is stable and recovering well. The doctors were pleasantly surprised that she does not have much swelling and the nurses are glad to report on the amount of urine that the tubes are draining from her kidneys and bladder. We learned this evening that they have taken her off of the medicine that immobilizes her. What this means is that over night and tomorrow she should begin to slowly awake. As she begins to move she should also begin to take small breaths on her own. This will allow the ventilator to be slowly backed off and eventually removed. We ask for continued prayers of healing as she has several weeks of recovery still ahead. 4 weeks is what we expect. We thank you for all your love and support!

10/26/06 - Another day of recovery. Abigail was taken off another medicine, the one that has kept her asleep since before the surgery. YEAH! She is responding well by starting to move her arms, legs and toes. She even tried to open her eyes a few times. She has also started taking a few breaths, so the doctors have decided to begin weaning her from the ventilator. Her kidneys are in full swing now, today she even wet the bed!

10/27/06 - We are happy to report that Abigail continues to show signs of improvement. The doctors have expressed that the healing road takes time. We embrace this and appreciate all the interaction we have with these special people. They are truly dynamic human beings with such huge hearts. We are blessed to have them caring for our daughter. Again, please continue your powerful prayers. They are working!

10/28/06- Great News! Abbeys ventilator was switched to auto mode today. This means every breath she takes is her own, and we fully expect to say goodbye to Mr. Ventilator tomorrow. She continues to process urine; so much so, they have replaced the syringes with bags. We are also beginning to see signs of bowel activity. These are all positive indicators as we move forward. Breaking news 11:40pm just spoke with the hospital; Abbey is enjoying her sponge bath! Thank you for all your love and spiritual support. Love, The Dellers

10/29/06 – Check out the new photos! Slow progress today; Mr. Ventilator did not come out as soon as we had hoped. Abbeys throat was a little swollen, so it was necessary to wait and tend to that prior to removing the breathing tube. She is really awake now and really hates that tube! She let the nurse have it this evening; her first temper-tantrum (she is her mothers-daughter!) 9:30 pm- Abbey is free from the breathing tube. Alleluia! I can hear her now...bring on mommas milk! Much love.

10/30/06 – A bit more progress today. Abigail is being weaned from her pain medication and although somewhat irritated about it, seems to be tolerating it well. The breathing tube now gone has been replaced with a feeding tube (through her nose directly into the stomach) and she is now receiving a very small amount of milk. The highlight of the day was finally being able to hold her; we couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough! The healing road is still a long one and your continued prayers are much appreciated.

10/31/06 – Happy Halloween! Well, you could say we had tricks and treats today. The tricks were simply learning the “tricks of the trade” Educating ourselves on how to care for our daughter. Things like caring for her numerous tubes, stretching her feet, and teaching the art of feeding. The treat was much sweeter as we took one step closer to bringing her home. That’s right! We are officially out of the NICU. Yes, Abigail thought 2 weeks was quite enough time there. Jill and I cannot thank the individuals of the 11th floor trauma unit enough. They were phenomenal! They truly live up to there reputation as the worlds best. Thank you all! Abigail will continue her healing journey on the Urology floor, where she will receive tremendous care. We hope and pray that we will be able to have our family under one roof by Thanksgiving. How fitting that will be! God bless you all.