The Targowski & Devaney Family need your help!

Drew Targowski and Carrie Devaney, two long-time Volusia County Schools administrators need your help. Their worlds were turned upside down on October 29th when Drew unexpectedly fell ill and has been in ICU almost every day since. Carrie has been faithfully by his side, therefore both have been out of work since and will be out of work for the foreseeable future. As of today, Drew has been transferred to Advent Health Orlando and is now in the best medical hands. He has a long, uphill battle ahead of him. While any amount is VERY much appreciated, we will also take all the positive thoughts and prayers that we can get.

Any funds collected will go directly to the families for expenses and all upcoming medical expenses. We sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts and are forever grateful for your loving support.

Please see the full update from Carrie Devaney below:

Drew A. Blanc update January 20th.

Drew is hanging tough. He is still very uncomfortable and on pain meds around the clock but they do help. He is still getting an IV if antibiotics every 8 hours and his drain from his abdomen is still putting out 15-25 ML a day Home healthcare comes each week on Thursdays and draws blood and they take it to the lab. His results this week are the best yet but some are still not within normal ranges. His white blood cell count is finally in the normal range yea!! (10.8 is normal and his was 8.1) we are hoping this IV can come out. However, his CRP levels (inflammation in the body due to infection) are still double the normal range so it probably won’t be this week. His red blood cells count want 3.79 (4.2-5.8 is normal), but it was 3.3 and then 3.6 so we are getting there! His hemoglobin has been low for so long (remember the blood transfusion) it’s currently 10.1 (13.2-17.1 is normal) but it was 10 last week and 9.1 before that so again progress over perfection! This is why he still gets tired so easily, that and all the trauma his body has been through, losing 80+ lbs and not being able to move around much. We know his next surgery to removed the polyp at the end of his pancreatic duct that caused all this mess will be Feb 8th.

He is in good spirits and is recovering mentally from this journey. We sent Andrew back to Boston for school on Tuesday and I went back to work Wednesday of this week and although it has been a challenge to manage it all we are figuring it out and getting a rhythm. If I get overwhelmed by the schedule or the number of things to manage I just remind myself I prayed so long for this,for him to come home, for us to come home and it changes my perspective from tired to thankful. I am learning patience for sure, anyone who knows me knows I am terrible with waiting for things to come, and not having any control over the outcomes. These are the lessons Our Father is working with me on during this journey. I’m trying to just take it day to day and not try to have it all mapped out with expectations and progress points lol. It is HARD, but I know I can do hard things.

He is eating more, and getting in and out of bed easier. He still can’t reach or bend or twist and he can’t wait to be able to sleep on his side. He is resting mostly while I’m at work and doing his PT exercises. He has been his usual Drew self trying to take care of me by ordering door dash so I don’t have to cook when I get home, start his IV, take the dogs out, feed the dogs, take them out again and then bam foods here! I’m not going to lie, I usually cooked most nights prior to all this but I am not missing the set up, or clean up! It is always like Drew to try to take care of me when he’s the one going through it!

Thank you to everyone who has prayed, reached out to check on us, asked for an update, donated to the Go Fund Me, brought food by the house and just checked on us. You all keep our spirits high and keep us going. It’s hard when you get home because it gets a little more hectic and you feel a bit more isolated trying to do all the jobs without any real expertise lol. Thank you to our village, man we owe you all BIG time. We love you,

Drew update January 9th

! Thank you to everyone who has been reaching out, sending food, making dinner and praying for us. We are overwhelmed by the love you are showing us and it keeps us moving, cause boy is this tough! But so is he! He still has his IV antibiotics and that’s every 8 hours, the 1:30am on isn’t bad for me cause I’m a night owl but it finishes about 2:30 and that 9:30 am is brutal for me . Home health comes every Thursday and does his lab work and changes the dressing for his central line and his abdomen drain. His bloodwork shows improvement in his hemoglobin but it’s still not in the normal range. Same story for all his labs really, his white blood cell count is lower than last week but still elevated. His CT scan from last week shows the fluid collections are decreasing slightly. He is now down 80 lbs, I promise I am feeding him, but he feels full from the fluid in his abdomen so he can’t eat too much. He eats twice usually and keeps portions to a few bites (maybe the size of your palm). He’s struggling with the realization of his near death experience now and trying to come to terms with how blessed he is and how sovereign God is! He remembers everything I said to the doctors while he was unconscious on the ventilator and he remembers the feel of the tube in his throat vividly. The doctors said that there are patients that came in with better numbers than his and they are still in ICU, since August, and not one patient many of them they said! We know all your prayers and intercession worked, our God is good always! We have more follow-up doctor appointments this week so we will keep you posted.

He still gets tired very easily from being anemic and his hemoglobin being low, but he can walk around unassisted. He rests a lot so if you are texting or reaching out and he doesn’t respond, please know that he is thankful for your messages and they keep him motivated to keep pushing.

I am hanging in there too, with all the help and encouragement from you all. I’m headed back to work next week so we will see what adding that schedule back in does to the juggling. This week has been non-stop medicine, IV’s, prescription refills (cause they only give you enough to make it to your follow-up appointment but then they can’t get you in for 20 days and the prescriptions are for 14 ) the bank, doctors, pharmacy, and trying to get visits with doctors who are all considered out of network argh!!!! I know never want to do medical billing!

We are praying that this weeks doctor visits go well and he can get the drain and IV removed soon and start to feel a bit more normal. Please keep us in your prayers, we cannot express enough what the love and support of this village has meant to us and how it has pushed us through, especially now that we are home and doing it all.

Drew A. Blanc update 12/30

Drew is resting and focusing on getting better. He is eating a little and moving around to use the restroom or wash up. He is still very tired and in pain but it is manageable. Home health came this week and took his bloodwork so hopefully we will know more soon about how he is feeling. Our home looks like a medical office with all the devices, medicines, syringes, flushes, alcohol wipes and IV caps. He is still losing weight but it has slowed down at least. We are getting into a rhythm with his meds and IV and drain and taking his vitals. It is so good to be home! He is being a good patient, resting and trying to eat.

In another note, I am thankful for our health insurance don’t get me wrong, but geez managing all this is a full time job. All the doctors phone calls and playing phone tag, setting up the follow-up appointments with kidney, infectious disease, CIE, general practitioner…especially around the holidays when nobody is in their office! They only have him 3 days of pain medicine when he left the hospital and that worked for Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after. Trying to get a hold of anyone to prescribe the rest of the pain meds has been impossible! He has been managing on pain meds he had from the last time but they aren’t as good. Then the bills, oh my goodness!! The insurance doesn’t want to cover Advent Orlando because it is out of network, so we had to appeal all of that, it is crazy!!! So many hours on the phone. However, I am thankful for insurance, I can’t imagine what would be without it. As a glimpse, the antibiotic he has to have in his IV at home is $1000 a week because insurance doesn’t cover it. So, again we have to appeal that, but in the meantime he has to have it or go back to the hospital! It’s almost like they would rather him have stayed in the hospital that they also don’t want to cover! Crazy, bananas, unbelievable! I will have a PhD in medical billing and procedures before all this is over! If anyone has any advice or experience or expertise, I would love to chat!

Drew update 12/24

The nurse just came in and said he will be discharged home at 4pm! He will be going home with a central line IV and his drain so he will need home healthcare to help take care of the drain and his IV, but he is going home!! Merry Christmas to us!

Dec 23rd 10:16am

Drew A. Blanc is doing well. The new drain is in and we are back in the room. Now we wait to see how it’s working and how he is feeling.

Drew update Dec 22nd

The drain wasn’t equipped to fulfill its purpose. The drain thought it could and thought it could but ultimately unlike its engine brother it could not. The CIE team wants to put in a wider drain tomorrow morning that is more equipped to evict the fluid in his abdomen into the drain bulb where it can meet its overdue demise! The funny thing is last night we were talking to the float nurse who came by to check up on Drew and visit with him, (because he’s the favorite), said this may happen and I said well maybe we shouldn’t eat, proactively in case, and she was like no, no, it’s just a changing of the drain, it’s probably local anesthetic. Well nope, no new drain today because he has eaten a bowl of rice crispies for breakfast! I mean it was like one of those pre-measured bowls do they even count! And so we wait….I’m so good at waiting (nope!). I am terrible at waiting for things to unfold, happen, occur…you get the gist! Drew on the other hand, is unflappable, I mean he just takes it all in stride.

Iron man did go for a big walk around the whole floor today without oxygen. His heart rate was really night and he was having a lot of pvc’s so our PT kept stopping him, and cardio now needs to consult. He ate 1/2 a Cuban sandwich (and a grape popsicle of course) for dinner. He is in pain but hopefully the new drain will provide relief. He is so thin but he is strong-minded. His hey-dude shoes wouldn’t go on his feet at all a week ago and now they are too big! He is surely going to need all new clothes.

The best parts of the day (for me anyway ) is when Michelle Anderson dropped off cookies and fudge! I’m not going to lie it made it feel a bit like Christmas! Don’t worry about how many are missing in that picture . The doctor said to Drew “ I hope those aren’t for you” . Nope, maybe later when he’s better doc, right now it’s all I can do to get him to eat grapes! Kim Sorbello also comes at the end of every one of her shifts here to take me to dinner in the cafeteria. Today we had the Advent health famous empeñadas and a buffalo Mac and Cheese bowl, which was probably the best dinner I have had from the cafeteria besides the chicken quesadilla.

You all are amazing, thank you for your support and love. We hope you are excited about Christmas and that you are as blessed as we are to have you!

Drew Update 12/21

Today they reviewed the CT scan that they did late last night. The team determined that there was reduced fluid in his abdomen, but fluid that still wasn’t draining since his drain had 0 output all day yesterday. They decided to try flushing the drain every 4 hours to see if it is getting clogged. The team will review the output in the morning and if that works, great. If it doesn’t work, they will have to change out the drain for a bigger drain and then monitor the fluid output with that drain. So today I learned how to change the dressing and how to flush it, this way if the drain is working or if the new drain works I can take care of the drain at home. For now, we are waiting and seeing. He is still everyone’s favorite and all the nurses he has had come to check in all day everyday and all the service providers from environmental services to food service love to burst in the room full of joy and check on him daily. Andrew and Alee surprised with with some Voodoo doughnuts today and brought me Culver’s lunch too. Drew had a special visitor of his own that may have gotten his heart rate up by surprising him lol. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Drew Update 12/20

He is slowly feeling a bit better. His drain was putting out a lot of fluid yesterday but hasn’t put out much at all today. They sent another sample to the lab. So far all the lab tests of this fluid have been pancreatic in nature, no infection. We are praying it stays that way. They are coming in a few minutes to get him to do a CT scan to see how much fluid is in his abdomen and if he needs another necrosectomy. We are praying that everything looks perfect and he can go home soon! He ate a PBJ sandwich today, went for a walk, did some squats and some leg extensions wirh PT. Prayers up that he is finally going to be pain free soon!

Drew Update 12/18

Drew is out of surgery, and he has a drain from his abdomen that is still draining. He is talking about Rocket the raccoon from Avengers and genuinely thinks Rocket is lost and calling for him . The doctor said it all went well but there is still a lot of fluid in his abdomen. I just don’t understand, don’t they have a shop vac or something? Can’t they just take it all out and be done?!? Oh well, now we get to monitor the drain and record the output until it slows down and then..idk your guess is as good as mine so close!

Drew update 12/17

Today was a repeat of yesterday. He did lose 2 more pounds when he weighed in this morning and he went for another walk around the floor. He also ate some noodle soup for lunch and some noodle soup and a banana for dinner. Ice packs and being really diligent about getting the pain medicine on time has helped make today a bit less of a struggle, but he is still in so much pain all the time. He is scheduled for the procedure to remove the fluid from his abdomen tomorrow, we are praying that this is the step that ends his pain and the missing piece that he will help get us home. He enjoys reading all your cards and messages. Check out this incredible message he got from his friend Brittany Baker Scott today. So cool! Keep praying, we feel so close!

Drew update 12/16

Still in a lot of pain today. They did the CT and now we know why. A complication has occurred where fluid has collected and “walled off” on both sides of his abdomen. His overall fluid has gone wayyyy down, he expelled 7 liters yesterday and lost another 15 lbs! His abdomen is smaller but still very distended so his arms and legs look like tiny chicken legs and arms . I say that with so much love ❤️. He will need to have a procedure done and drains put kn to removed the pocketed fluid that is pushing in his bowels and liver. They increased his pain meds to try to help him get some relief. It took the edge off enough that he was finally able to sleep a bit. He is so tough, he was in so much pain but pushed himself to go for a long walk today around the floor and a shorter walk down the hall later in the day. He ate a bowl of noodle soup (he made me pick out all the chicken, says he has never liked the chicken in chicken noodle soup . Hey, whatever it takes . Looks like our departure will be delayed a bit more but his vitals and labs look good, we just need his pancreas to stop causing more trouble! I told him when the swelling and fluid in his abdomen finally goes down, he’s going to need all new clothes because he is going to be smaller than me! We are continuing to pray for complete healing and guidance for his team of doctors. We can’t wait to be home but we also want him to be healthy. He will need another 2 or 3 surgeries out patient in the coming year after his body heals and is stronger but we will be thankful when we get to go home and close this chapter. Thank you to everyone who has been helping with prayers, encouragement, errands, food, donations to his Go fund me, we are overwhelmed by all the love and kindness, and we appreciate you holding us up. We know God’s plan is so much more than we could ever imagine. Happy Birthday to Mama D!

Drew update 12/15

Sorry for the late update! Today was rough. Drew was in a lot of pain from the surgery, I haven’t seen it that bad for probably a week. He couldn’t really eat anything because his stomach is so swollen and distended, he feels full and is uncomfortable. The doctor said his body has been through a lot, a 3 hour surgery, 4 stints (I thought it was 3!) and the removal of the metal stint they placed during the first necrosectomy. He didn’t really get much relief from the pain medicine but they ordered a supplemental one to help in between the IV pain med doses. The lymphedema wraps helped! His legs are only slightly swollen now. They removed the wraps and put on compression sleeve.They weighed him today and he lost 30 lbs of water weight in a week! You can definitely see how much of a toll it has all taken on his body now. We are praying he feels more comfortable tomorrow and can eat and walk. Thanks for all your love and support. ❤️

Sorry for the late update! Today was rough. Drew was in a lot of pain from the surgery, I haven’t seen it that bad for probably a week. He couldn’t really eat anything because his stomach is so swollen and distended, he feels full and is uncomfortable. The doctor said his body has been through a lot, a 3 hour surgery, 4 stints (I thought it was 3!) and the removal of the metal stint they placed during the first necrosectomy. He didn’t really get much relief from the pain medicine but they ordered a supplemental one to help in between the IV pain med doses. The lymphedema wraps helped! His legs are only slightly swollen now. They removed the wraps and put on compression sleeve.They weighed him today and he lost 30 lbs of water weight in a week! You can definitely see how much of a toll it has all taken on his body now. We are praying he feels more comfortable tomorrow and can eat and walk. Thanks for all your love and support. ❤️

Dre update 12/14

3 hour surgery done! ✅ He did great and the doctors said the delays worked in his favor because all the necrosis has collected and they believe they got it all! They also put in several stints. He has one in his bile duct and one in his pancreatic duct until he fully recovers and comes back to have the polyp that cause all of this removed. He also has a stint from his pancreas which is now in pieces to his stomach from drainage. His gallbladder will also have to come out eventually. They are expecting him to rapidly recover from here if they got it all. They are going to take him off the liquid IV food and put him on regular food and monitor how his pancreas responds and then do a CT scan to show if they got all the necrosis. If yes to both, we could be going home sometime next week! Thank you all for your prayers ❤️ keep praying all of those things go well!

Drew update 12/13

No surgery today…again! 7:30 pm they told us it was canceled. This is the 3 rd day in a row and the 6th day since it got cancelled on Froday. The surgeon came and met with us and said their anesthesiologist keeps getting pulled to other emergencies around the hospital and it puts them behind. He told us Drew would be the first In-patient surgery tomorrow. They also believe that they found the cause of all this. They found the polyp right at the entry to his duodenum where the bile duct and the pancreatic duct come into the duodenum. They don’t want to remove the polyp now because it could be too much for his body with what his body is already trying to overcome. They are going to put two stints into the pancreatic duct and the bile duct to keep it from getting clogged again for now. They will schedule him for an outpatient surgery to remove it after they get his body to recover from the necrotizing pancreatitis. They are going to go in tomorrow and extensively clean out the dead tissues.

He is less swollen today, and still has his lealgs wrapped. He was in a lot of pain from the internal bruising that occurred during his paracentesis the other day (they had to push and palpate his stomach to try to get the most fluid out). He ate half of a sandwich tonight and so far he has tolerated it well. We are praying that everything goes well tomorrow and he can continue to improve.

All in God’s timing, we are trusting in His plan. Thank you for all the prayers, love and support!

Drew update Dec 12th

Surgery canceled again today, 3rd time since Friday. It’s frustrating even more so because he has to be able to eat enough calories to fulfill his caloric needs in order to get off the IV nutrition, but they keep making him NPO (nothing to eat or drink by mouth) starting at midnight and then they don’t cancel until dinner time, so all he eats is dinner! They are going to make him NPO again tonight after midnight so that if there is an opening tomorrow they can put him in. ‍♀️

He did get new PT lymphedema wraps and his legs are responding with less fluid but his whole body has a long way to go. They started a new medicine to help reduce his heart rate, blood pressure and reduce the swelling, and it’s working. He was able to walk to the nurses station in the adjoining hallway and back today too with his fancy handy dandy rolling oxygen cart. He was so tired today because they have him on so many diuretics he was up all night using the bathroom. I kept reminding him, this is what we needed to get rid of the swelling (he LOVES my reminders, helpful hints and tips through the day, he thinks I’m an expert for sure ). He was in a little less pain today after they drained his abdomen yesterday.

I am getting really good at charting, vitals, medical jargon, medical equipment, schedules and patient assistance. The nurses are offering to share their paychecks and the doctors think I should sign up for Advent University. I mean if I am here I might as well make a difference right!?

Honestly, everyone we have met from food service to environmental, doctors to nurses to patient transport have been the most genuine and caring people. We are thankful for this team who keeps us positive here and all of you on our team at home who are standing in the gap for us and praying. We wake up each day with the expectation that it will be the day his pancreas responds and we go to bed thankful it hasn’t gotten worse. We are praying for the day we can be back to the simple pleasures. I know it seems repetitive, this has been going on for so long (day 44 for us), and it’s a busy season for everyone but please if you can, continue to pray . We love you all!

Drew Update December 11th-

They rescheduled his necrosectomy for tomorrow, we don’t have a time yet. Today, the did another paracentesis to drain the fluid from his abdomen. They got two liters, but there is so much more. Unfortunately, a lot of it has become too thick to get out with the small catheter needle they use for the para. PT people came and put some lymphedema wraps on his feet and calves to try to get the fluid to push up and out. We now have a kidney doctor rejoining the team taking care of him. They are trying to get rid of the fluid that is overtaking his body. He ate pretty good today and walked to the end of the hall. He is trying so hard, if only his pancreas would regulate. I am trying to keep in mind how far he has come, the doctors continue to remind us how blessed he is. People don’t overcome where he was, that’s what they say. I know God hears all our prayers for Drew and in his timing all will become clear and right. Thank you all for your support. We ❤️ you!

Drew Update December 10th

Today was a day filled with rest. He did have some physical therapy today and the nurse said he was a rockstar! He said he’s never seen someone with necrotizing pancreatitis walk that far unassisted! It was a lot of work for him and you could tell he was in a lot of pain, but he pushed through and did it! The physical therapist kept asking if he needed a chair or a walker but he declined. His surgery is scheduled for 11 am if he doesn’t get bumped. He will be in surgery for about 2 hours. We are hoping he will get some pain relief. His red blood count is still single digits but not low enough that he needed another transfusion. His heart rate is still about 114 all the time and his blood pressure is 152/99. The doctors say both are caused by the pain. He’s in good spirits, he even played a joke on our nurses today. He was telling the new nurse that the other nurse told him the blood he got was from a little 7 year old girl name Penelope, she loved Hello kitty but not my little Pony, and she was obsessed with braiding hair. Then he said, I feel a sudden need to braid hair, can I braid yours? . Of course all with this calm, serious delivery. He’s a mess! (he got them good ). it was all in good fun, they were joking kinda people. Praying for all to go as planned tomorrow and for BIG healing to occur! We are thankful for all of you, please keep praying! This journey has been so long: Day 20 of this hospital stay, day 26 total in the hospital, day 43 with pancreatitis and without eating! Keep praying please!

Drew update 12/9/23

This morning at 3 am they came to collect blood for labs like they did every morning (everyone knows I’m such a morning person right?!?). The next thing we know, they come in and say he needs a blood transfusion! They take a sample of his blood and they run it to the lab and we wait for them to type it. The next thing we know they are trying to infuse the blood but one of lumens in his central line is clogged and won’t flush. So up comes the ultrasound IV team and they are rushing to find a vein to start a new IV ( he is SO swollen) because if they don’t get the blood transfusion going they will have to waste the blood. The super team descended and in a swoosh had a new line in and the blood was ready to go. Not surprisingly this guy of ours is O+, I say that’s because he gets along with everybody! Next up they have to give him a clot buster through his central line so that they can reopen that line. Maybe tomorrow will be a day with no surprises…I am not holding my breath! We are scheduled to do the necrosectomy on Monday. Thank you for all the prayers, cards, errands, love and support! ❤️

Drew update Dec 8th

Today was a test of patience. His surgery was scheduled for 2pm but they kept pushing him back until they ran out of time. They had too many emergencies today. I am thankful that we are not an emergency procedure but still it was disappointing. He will have the necrosectomy early next week sometime. He is supposed to stay the course through the weekend, try to eat and walk and rest. We do not have the results from either of the labs from the fluid in his stomach or the pathology of the biopsy. All the doctor who came in to tell us the surgery was cancelled would say was that the pathology of the biopsy was “low grade”, which she described as a good thing. We are hoping that his body will be healing itself over the next three days while we wait for the necrosectomy. I will keep you all posted if anything changes. Thank you for all your prayers and support, whatever this weekend brings for you be thankful for the normalcy and time with those you love, it can all be uprooted in a moment! ❤️we are thankful for not needing emergency surgery and for all of you!

Drew update 12/7/23

Today was okay, a bit disappointing because we had a day with no procedures scheduled so I thought it would be a good opportunity for rest for him and maybe we would get some more info from the biopsy and the lab results of the fluid from is abdomen. Unfortunately, he was in a lot of pain from yesterday’s surgery and didn’t sleep well last night and couldn’t move around much today. We haven’t gotten the pathology report back for the biopsy or the lab results from the fluid. He has the 2nd surgery to remove dead tissue from his pancreas tomorrow. Hopefully we will get some updates and news tomorrow and he will tolerate the surgery well. He is still VERY swollen despite round the clock lasix. He is trying hard, walked a bit today and tried to eat but wasn’t able to get much down. He is able to talk and respond more now, but is still gets exhausted easily. He is so thankful for you all, even if he can’t respond to you just yet. Please pray that we get some answers tomorrow, that’s the surgeons minds and hands are guided by God and that God protects and strengthens Drew as he undergoes the surgery. I will keep you posted tomorrow. Thanks for all the love and light, truly your messages make a difference!

Drew update Dec 5

Today was a mentally tough day. The procedure to remove the fluid from his abdominal cavity didn’t work as well as they planned. The doctor punctured his abdomen twice and only got about 2 liters of fluid. The fluid instead of being free floating was being trapped by his swollen organs and abdomen, into little subsections. The risk of infection is one they cannot take with all the other obstacles he is fighting so they had to stop. They are testing the fluid they did get for hopefully more answers. The removal of the fluid did help him breathe a bit better but it wasn’t the magic he was waiting for. They will need another plan for that complication. Drew was disappointed and tired from what has now been 6 weeks of relentless pain, worry, confusion, anxiety, so much fear and oh the waiting. This setback took the energy right out of his eyes. Drew has been annoyed and agitated about his hair and beard. He is very regular about getting his hair cut and his beard trimmed up, I would say every 2 weeks. On a whim, I sent a message to all of you, asking for help, how could I get this man a haircut and a beard trim? You know how sometimes just a haircut makes you feel empowered and rejuvenated? That was what I was hoping for! So many of you reached out to others, called places and people, and even offered to come and do it yourselves! I found the Eden spa here at Advent Orlando and when I went online there was a form for inpatient services. I had to have the doctor and nurses fill it out and send it back to them. I never heard back. Meanwhile Bracken Thompson text me and says he has a guy from DeBary who is willing to come at 9 tonight! Let me tell you, it was incredible! Drew cried after this haircut and beard trim. He was so overcome with emotion that all of you would try to make this happen for him, and Bracken, a man he has never met in person would provide this blessing for him. He was overcome by gratitude and was uplifted by generosity. I read him your messages daily. All of you that have prayed, sent us messages, pictures. shared our story, donated, sent grift cards for food, care packages, let the dogs out, brought dinner for me, clothes, and blankets, you are keeping us going! Your check-ins make us feel surrounded by love and it makes the difference. Drew is incredible and he is ready for another day. Thank you for all you have done and all my sleep deprived brain has forgotten to mention. We couldn’t be doing this without you! We ❤️ you, keep praying!

December 5th Update:

They have decided to do the necrosecromy now, he is headed down. Please pray for a smooth and successful surgery and that he keeps breathing and doesn’t need a ventilator this time! I will let you know when he’s out of surgery.

December 4th Update:

I’m sharing the post from some of Drew’s friends today instead of a picture of him because when I read the posts from his page today, I felt overcome by how resounding the messages are from everyone who has ever had the “opportunity to be touched by his light”. That’s it, that’s him. He lights up everyone he connects with! It is overwhelming to see all the comments, messages and posts, all the donations, errands run, help given. It truly takes my breath away to see all who came together to support him, to support us. I needed this today as I sat reflecting on the last 6 weeks in the ICU and hospital beds. I can only say that he has fought his way back from the edge of death and that is not hyperbole. You all have lifted me up today and are lifting him up everyday. Thank you!

Today didn’t go as planned but I want to show gratitude and thankfulness for God and the team of doctors, all in God’s timing. I am thankful that they are using the information they have to not just check off the things to do but to really consider how and when to do them. He did not have surgery today. His team of doctors reviewed the CT scan from yesterday and made a new decision. His abdomen is filled with fluid ( remember I told you he looks like Tim Allen from The Santa Clause, or The Stay Puff Marshmallow man, or the guy from Pure Luck after he got stung by the bee) I mean you get the point! The doctors have ordered paracentesis (the draining of fluid from his abdomen with a needle). They will send the fluid off to the lab to be analyzed. He will have the necrosectomy on Wednesday. They will remove all the dead organ tissue and then they are going to put a feeding tube through his nose down into his intestines to provide nutrition because his labs are showing severe malnutrition despite the IV food. He will still be allowed to eat by mouth to build up his appetite and capacity to eat and when he is ready they will remove the tube. He did get some physical therapy today to go over a plan to build back some body strength and he walked down the hallway today to try to get some of this fluid off his lungs and body. He also got an IV pump with pain meds so that he can have a continuous dose of pain plus a button to give himself a turbo boost if he needs it. I have never seen a human endure this level of pain for so long, praying the pump gives him manageable pain. He ate some lunch today and of course popsicles! We are getting there, in God’s timing and with the prayers of all of you! Thank you for the encouragement! ❤️

December 3rd Update:

Today Drew wasn’t really able to eat much, and he’s in a lot of pain. His body is so swollen he’s gained 30 lbs of water weight since checking in at the hospital. I joke with him that he looks like Tim Allen in the Santa Clause after he put on the suit! He’s not laughing at my jokes yet . He is still on IV nutrition. Because he isn’t able to consume enough food. His blood pressure is too high so they added a new medication for that today and his heart rate too. He is trying hard to get better: using his spirometer every hour and trying to take about 20 steps as often as he can. He didn’t really have much of a desire to eat today, but we will try again tomorrow! He’s a big fan of grape popsicles though, and everyone who says “can I get you anything, he says, do you have any of those popsicles? his sense of humor is coming back and he is so kind to the nurses and staff, always asking them questions about how they are and how they decided to do the job they do. He’s everyone’s favorite. He had a CT scan today to guide the surgery tomorrow for them to remove the dead organ tissue. Say many prayers for the doctors, nurses and Drew. I will let you know tomorrow when he’s out of surgery. Thank you for all your kind words and kind deeds and prayers! His lab numbers are holding steady! I know he will turn the corner soon!

December 2nd Update:

Today the surgeon who put his stint in came in to discuss the next few surgeries planned for next week and where we are. She was explaining how high his white blood cell count is and how they have to space the surgeries apart to ensure he has the greatest chances at each one. Then she said, this is a marathon and I know you are tired but you have to remember how sick you were and how far you’ve come. She was explaining wanting to take him off the IV nutrition but he can’t eat enough yet. He has to eat 50%, and he ate between 5-25% for breakfast, lunch and dinner tonight. He’s on a low fat diet but that’s the only restriction. She said it’s a balance between getting him off and making sure they fight his malnutrition. Then she said we want to make sure that when we send you home you will be healthy, and not come back. Now is the time and place we have to see how your body acts when you eat, move etc. I was holding back a flood of tears and I said you are the first person who said we are doing to make it out of this, that he will be going home. She said she has never seen someone come back from where he was in all her years of medicine. He is tired and everything he has to do takes all he has. His lung function is still about 10% and he is so swollen everywhere it’s hard to move around even slightly. His heart rate is still very elevated but he can breathe with room air. He is working hard to come home to all of us. Thank you for all the love and support, I read him all your messages, and cards and share your stories, it brings a smile to his face. He can’t really have visitors yet, he’s just not strong enough, but please keep praying!

December 1st Update:

Today was a long day of waiting but the good news is Drew has been downgraded from ICU to PCU!! The doctors say he isn’t out of the woods but he is stable. All the numbers they are watching are not decreasing but they aren’t increasing, we will count that as a win! He will need at least two more surgeries next week. He will have to have another stint but in from an abscess to a hole they make in his stomach and he will need to have a surgery to remove all the dead tissue in his organs and abdomen. They decided to try to move him to a low fat diet instead of just liquids, and see if his system can tolerate it. He is still in a lot of pain, and he has excessive fluid collection around his whole body. Thank you for all your prayers and packages, your kind words and generous deeds. In the worst moments of our lives, we are uplifted and our strength renewed when we see how many of you genuinely love our Drew. He is slowly getting back his spirit, I see glimpses of it throughout the day. Please keep praying and know that we are humbled by the love and support, it takes our breath away. He

November 30th Update-

We had a big morning, thank you for all your prayers! Last night they put a drain into an abscess in his abdomen so that it would drain to his stomach instead of his abdomen. He didn’t do well during the procedure and came back on a ventilator. The night was rough because they were trying to balance the need for him to breathe with the risk of adding an infection he would have to battle because of the tubes into his airway. It was a long rough night. But oh the morning!! He is still in incredible pain but he was asking to eat and drink, so the doctors let him!! He went off oxygen completely and is breathing on his own. He held down some jello and some apple juice (he’s still being fed through the IV so he gets all his nutrients from that). He even asked for more! The doctor just said if his lungs, kidneys and heart continue today like they are now he could possibly leave intensive care today for a step down room. We are cautiously optimistic because we were in this place on Friday of last week and it didn’t hold, but from where we were last night with the doctors preparing us for the worst and where we are today, nobody but God could have done that! Thank you! I can never thank you all enough for all the love and support we feel. You are all keeping us going. Continue to pray that the drain works, that his heart, lungs and kidneys keep holding steady. We love you all! He’s fighting!

November 29 Update

They did a CT scan of the abdomen today. They tried to get it last night but his heart rate dropped and he couldn’t breathe and his blood oxygen was desaturated. They put him on the Bi-pap today to get it done. He developed a complication called necrotizing pancreatitis, which isn’t good. They just took him down to put some drains in his abdomen to try to get some of the toxic pancreatic fluid out before it causes more damage to his other organs or he develops an infection. His labs have held steady, no better no worse. He is in the mult systems ICU at Advent Orlando and they have a whole team of specialists who are working so hard to find the best path forward for him. Today is day 8 in a row in the ICU and day 13 total. The doctors are careful not to give us false hope but Drew is a fighter. I have never seen someone in so much pain for so long. I can’t even describe the level of pain. It’s difficult to watch. They are trying all combinations of pain medicine but he has to be awake and alert to tell them where the pain is so they can use the symptoms to guide their care plan. He isn’t the Drew we all know and love right now. He can’t talk because he can’t get air to his lungs and it’s difficult. He can’t really stay still because he’s in so much pain he is trying to find any way to eliminate it. Thank you all for all you have done, I’m overwhelmed by the love and support for our Drew and our family. Keep praying!! We are so very grateful for you all.

Tuesday 11/28-

We are officially at Advent Health Orlando. Thank you all for the prayers, we need them. I will try to keep everyone posted. This morning his lungs were being compressed by his diaphragm and intestines that are being pushed up from the swelling and inflamation in his abdomen. He had to be placed on a bi-pap machine until the doctor could intubate him. He was able to transfer via ambulance. I am thankful that the Lord moved the pieces to open the opportunity for Drew to be at Advent Orlando, one of the best Hospitals in the county. Good uses are all to do his works if you we are just open to the work he lays on our hearts. I’m thankful God moved people and processes to make this opportunity possible. I’m thankful God places all of you in our lives.

11/27 Update-

On Sunday, October 29th Drew woke up with a pain in his side and was throwing up. We always go to breakfast with my family on Sunday morning and he said he was staying home because he wasn’t sure what was going on. We had been out driving around looking at the Halloween displays around DeBary and eating ice cream, it was a great night. I went to breakfast and by the time I sat down at the table, Drew was calling to say I needed to come back. By the time I got there, he was in excruciating pain that was truly indescribable. He wanted to go to the closest hospital as fast as I could drive. By the time we got 10 minutes up the road to Advent Health Fish Memorial, he couldn’t walk. The hospital immediately ran tests and said he had acute pancreatitis with pancreatic enzyme levels that were off the measurable scale. They admitted him to the ICU and we spent 4 days there and 3 more in a regular room. He was released to home on Nov 3rd. He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t stand the pain and the prescribed opioids made him hallucinate. For the first week home, he went to the follow-up gastroenterologist appointment and his GP. Everyone said the pain, nausea, and vomiting were normal and prescribed many medicines. They kept encouraging us that it was a long recovery and to take it slow it was to be “expected”. He got worse and worse and we went to see the GP again on Monday the 20th. When we got to the office he was in immense pain and his blood pressure was 60/50. They gave him some prescriptions and we went and filled them. Drew was in agony Monday night and by Tuesday morning it was scary. We went back to the ER at 7 am on Tuesday morning. He hasn’t eaten anything but broth since our ice cream for dinner on October 28th. He was down 30 lbs and they couldn’t register a BP. He was immediately admitted to ICU. The pancreatitis had stopped his kidneys from functioning and was breaking down all the organs in his abdomen. The swelling is so bad he can only use the top 1/3 of the lobes of his lungs because his diaphragm and intestines are being pushed up onto his lungs so he can’t move air. There is no pain medicine that gives him any relief for longer than 30 minutes. He can’t sleep, can’t talk, can’t watch TV, can’t focus on anything because of the pain. His kidneys did begin to function and we were moved to the step-down ICU room and put on tube feeding but his pancreas enzymes elevated even higher and he began having seizures and was despondent and confused because of all the meds. His heart rate has stayed above 150 the entire time and has been here and they have been draining his stomach. He has been moved back to the critical ICU and they stopped the tube feeding. They are trying to stabilize him and move him to Advent Orlando. Lots of pieces have to come together for that to happen because he is critical.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out in any way, we appreciate the prayers and support. Drew can’t answer anyone and I am trying but it’s hard with him in constant indescribable pain.

For all those who don’t know, as I didn’t, you can’t live without a pancreas. Your pancreas excretes inactive enzymes which are activated in the small intestine to break down food. With acute pancreatitis, the pancreas releases activated enzymes right into the abdomen. There is no medicine that can stop it, no surgery that can fix it. One of his 7 doctors described it as having a 3rd-degree burn that is raw and oozing and repeatedly burning again every day all day. His pancreas has to calm down and work correctly for his other organs to have a chance. The Advent health staff has been incredible and I am thankful to all of you who have helped, checked in, and are praying. Please continue to pray.