Ian continues to run a bit of a fever, but the doctors have concluded that it has to do with the trauma and is not related to any infection. They’ve told us it’s very typical for a head trauma patient to run a fever without any identifiable cause.
The tracheoscopy went well; the tube is in. They’re going to “dial down” the respirator he’s on to see how well Ian can breathe on his own. The respirator is the only mechanical/medical device on which he is depending at this point. Everything else he’s doing on his own. They’ve kept him on the respirator to this point to prevent pneumonia, since in this condition he may not be able to breathe deeply enough. They’re just not sure. They’re goal is to get him to a step down unit at some point and eventually out of the hospital and into a nursing home, depending on his condition.
He continues in the same neurological condition, i.e., he responds to various stimuli (e.g. yelling, rubbing, pain, etc.). However, he’s made no new progress, and that is of serious concern medically. The doctor told us this morning that the longer he remains in this condition the less likely it is that he’ll wake up.
While these are the facts as we know them, we serve a God who can ignore the facts and heal. Thank you so much for your prayers. It really is an encouragement to know you’re praying.
We thought you might like to see Ian’s wall… We have been putting up photos, scripture verses, song lyrics, cards, quotes, ect… on the wall/window in Ian’s room… it’s starting to have some personality. It’s nice to see the photos and encouraging to read the scriptures.
Here’s another Monday update from David:
Dear Friends:
I just got back from seeing Ian. He seems to be doing about the same, except they took the breathing tube out of his mouth and put in the trake (spelling?). He looks much more like his old self, which is very much a comfort!
Some recent news:
His eye doesn’t seem to be responding to light in the way it was yesterday, Steve told me tonight.
However, he is still moving. Tonight when I was with him, quoting scenes from one of his favorite movies in his ear he turned his head away from me…possibly annoyed. They said old sounds, songs, smells, voices, ect. could spark something in Ian’s mind and wake him up.
But, things are still very serious.
We are so grateful for your prayers… “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.” Psalm 6:9
I read this passage in Matthew 8:1-3 this morning:
“When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
Picture the scene with me. Jesus is coming down from a mountain and He has massive crowds following Him. Some of the people are crying out to him, asking for healing. Others are excitedly talking about Him overthrowing Rome. Some are just along for the ride. Then something happens that stops the crowd in their tracks. There, standing in front of Jesus, is a leper.
Leprosy was (and still is) a terrible disease. It destroyed people and ate away at their body. At that time there was no cure and a leper could be assured of a slow, agonizing death. A death by inches. There was no hope for a leper. A cure? Impossible.
The crowd probably began to back up, knowing that leprosy was contagious and fearing for their safety. They knew the fate of those who ended up with the dreaded disease. But Jesus didn’t retreat from the leper. To the astonishment of the crowd, he allowed the disease ridden man to draw near.
The leper collapsed to his knees in front of Jesus and said simply, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” What a simple prayer! The leper must have been absolutely desperate. He knew that he had absolutely no hope to ever be healed apart from supernatural intervention. But he also knew that Jesus could heal people. And he knew that many times Jesus did heal people. So what did he do? He came to Jesus and offered a humble, yet faith filled prayer of desperation. He didn’t come to Jesus with demands. He came humbly and in desperation, asking Jesus to do the impossible.
How did Christ respond? With a touch. He reached out his hand and touched the infected, festering, dying flesh of the leper. What a compassionate touch! How long had it been since someone touched that leper? What a powerful touch. Instantly, the leper was healed. The power of the World Maker went from the Savior into the leper and he was healed.
Let this encourage us to pray fervently for Ian! Jesus loves to respond to humble, desperate prayers. He loves to intervene in the midst of impossible situations! Let us come to Jesus like the leper. All Ian needs is a simple touch from Jesus. Let us ask for this healing with both humility and desperation and let us believe that Christ will respond to our prayers!
A quick note on why we created this blog. Two reasons: First, we want to keep you updated on Ian’s condition so that you can pray more effectively. Second, I believe that God wants to work in miraculous and astonishing ways in this situation. You will be seeing posts from myself, my dad, David, and perhaps others that will encourage us to pray fervently that God would do an absolute miracle. So check back in regularly! I believe that God is on the move and am excited to see what He does!
Today was the first day the doctor used the word ‘coma’ to describe Ian’s condition. Ian continues to respond to various stimuli, though. The head of the ICUs (the one who originally told us Ian was over the hump) visited Ian today and was screaming his name and clapping, and Ian “snorted.” The doctor rubbed his forehead, and Ian lifted his leg and stretched his foot. The medical staff here did surgery to insert a breathing tube in his throat (a tracheoscopy), and they removed the stuff in his mouth. He looks more and more like Ian the more stuff they do to him and the more he heals. Sadly, he just looks like he’s comatose.
It’s been remarkable to me how much Mary and I have been at peace through this difficult experience. The Lord’s grace has been present, even while grief overcomes us at different points. I had to talk to the insurance people about the car today, and for some reason I was really emotional talking to him about taking away the car that Ian was driving. I can tell that Mary is overcome at points, too, but I can tell she’s also at peace. We really are in faith at this point for whatever God has, but like you we’re praying for an extraordinary miracle for Ian. God gives life and sustains life. God breathed new life into me when He saved me and made me a new creature. It’s nothing for Him to raise Ian up from this coma. Thank you for the faith you have exhibited for a miracle. It’s humbling, and we’re grateful for your prayers.
A new message from Ian’s Dad. Very encouraging. Real quick, before getting to Ian’s Dad, I had the sense tonight while praying that Jesus wanted me to “ask again”. So let me encourage you guys, “ask again”. Ask again for great, bold, exciting, impossible things! Let’s not ask small things of our great, almighty God! Even if you’ve already asked, ask again! Ask that Ian would graduate in December! Ask that Ian would be at my brother Stephen’s wedding in November! Ask again!
Here’s the update from Ian’s dad, Steve:
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“We learned something new this morning. Ian’s right eye has been responding sluggishly to light. That’s a good thing. He’s also “coughing” which really just looks like his body jerking. He still moves & responds to pain. The cause of his fever has not been determined, yet, but Tylenol keeps it in check.
We praise God for the progress he’s making! Unless the Lord intervenes in a different way than He is now, though, it appears we’re in for a long haul. Planning for the long haul, our intention is to return home on Tuesday and try to get into some semblance of a routine. We can’t stay here at the hospital 24/7, but we’re going to set up a schedule including me, Mary, Larissa, and maybe Ben and have one of us with Ian as often as we can.
Thank you so much for all of the support and prayers! So many have been so kind and generous to us. We’ve heard story after story of people who are praying, some who don’t even know Ian. It’s hard to recount what we’ve heard of the good things God is doing. I’m glad so many are sharing their stories and rejoicing in what God is doing.
Thanks so much for your prayers and for your response of faith….”
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Thanks again guys! So grateful to Jesus for all of you and your prayers.
“The latest news on Ian is that the doctors do not see the need to operate on his vertebra immediately, because the pressure on his spine isn’t what they expected it to be (i.e. it’s not as dangerous a situation as they once thought). They do need to operate to stabilize it at some point, but they’re thinking now that the operation would be in six weeks.
Ian is scheduled for a tracheoscopy on Monday, an operation they originally said needed to be done following the surgery on the vertebra.
Ian has had a fever they’ve been fighting. It could be related to an infection in his knee or (worse) it could be pneumonia developing. Please pray that it would only be related to the knee and not to pneumonia. In fact, pray that the fever would go away.
The neurosurgeon on Ian’s case will be gone for a couple days, but he wanted to talk with us on Monday about Ian’s lack of progress since Wednesday. Please pray that his neurological condition would improve, i.e. that he would continue to make movements and respond to various stimuli.
Thank you for your prayers….
Steve Murphy”
Ian’s situation, as you can see is still very desperate. Thanks again friends!
Our blog started in October of 2006 after Ian Murphy was in a very serious car accident and suffered a tramuatic brain injury. We have shared his story since then, from ICU, to a rehabilitation center, and to his home. The main authors have been Steve, his dad, and me, his girlfriend.
In August of 2009, Ian’s dad was diagnosed with brain cancer and was given a prognosis of 14 months to live. So now we follow the story of Ian and of his dad.
We have been blessed with sound theological teaching and we know that God is sovereign. It is His will for Ian and Steve to be afflicted. We know that because Jesus died for us, God will one day receive us into glory. We are promised Christ- and so we eagerly await eternity with him.
Thank you for following our story. Please pray for Ian and Steve.
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)
Jesus said that we should ALWAYS pray and NOT LOSE HEART. And to encourage us, he tells us of a wicked judge who had no reason to listen to a poor defenseless widow – he didn’t care what God or anyone thought. But this persistent widow keeps coming to him and crying out for justice. “For a while” he rebuffs her. But then he sees that this woman is not going to stop and that her “continual coming” will eventually wear him out. So he grants her requests.
The point of the parable is not that God is like this judge, uncaring and must be pestered into yielding. The point is that if even a wicked judge will respond to the pleas of a powerless widow who simply will not lose heart and give up but keeps coming to him, HOW MUCH MORE will God, who is sympathetic and caring about his blood-bought children hear our prayers! And not only will he hear our prayers, but he will not delay long in answering them. What may seem like a delay to us is not a delay from God’s perspective – in reality God answers us “speedily”.
“8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:8-9 (ESV)
Just as a farmer must sow and fertilize and water then wait, then water again, then wait until eventually he reaps, so we must keep sowing prayers for Ian and not lose heart and give up. IN DUE SEASON WE WILL REAP – IF we do not give up.
We want to see Ian healed now. But if he isn’t healed today or tomorrow or next week, let us “pray and not lose heart,” and keep sowing, certain that “in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
