A Full Week of Updates

"Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks for the reason for your hope" 1 Peter 3:!5
and our hope is Jesus Christ!

"Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?And how can they hear without someone to preach?And how can people preach unless they are sent?As it is written,How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!" Romans 10:9-15

Jen, you have beautiful feet!! Gigi when you read all of these posts someday...tell your mommie what beautiful feet she has! Because she is always updating and praising and giving Glory and bringing people to Christ and letting the reason for her Hope be known. Jesus Christ. She believes in the bigger picture. She believes in His divine purpose....for her, for Gigi and for you who are this!

FROM JEN:Gigi had surgery Monday (11/27).... removal and replacement of her temporary external ventricular drain. She still has considerable inflammatory effects from the menningitis, leaving her CSF thicker than hoped for at this point. I am thankful her neurosurgeon made the decision to postpone placement of her permanent shunt.... there would have been a higher risk of occlusion now. He plans to place the permanent internal VP shunt in 2 weeks, anticipating her CSF will be more clear and pose less of a blockage-risk. She also has a wonderful Infectious Disease specialist following her.... praise God for his genuine concern! Her nurses are truly God-sent. They have shown so much love and compassion that I can leave her each day KNOWING she is well-cared for. They have been a huge blessing to us each day and each night.

Please pray for continued protection from infection and overall healing for her... and for clear CSF! It has been a hard day... watching her go through this. She was happy and playful this morning, and is now sedated and on a ventilator. It makes my heart so heavy, but I'm so thankful to be able to see God's fingerprints all over this. I know He is carrying us all through. On the way home, I was crying and angry... having to leave her in such a state. Praise God for His perfect timing in the song I heard "Hold on to Jesus.... He's Holding on to you". I instantly had this vision of Him holding Gigi TIGHT... like there was a force He was protecting her from. What a blessing to receive that gift!

Wednesday: I just spoke with Gigi's nurse.... she said Gigi had a great night... awake and alert, and even is taking the bottle again!!!! She bounced back so quickly after her surgery Monday! I can't wait to go see her!


A word from me.....As Christmas appoaches and we are in this season of waiting, are you filled with hope or dread? Retailers and Marketers are sending a LOUD message that your Christmas will not be perfect unless you follow their lead and purchase their product. Does it not fill you with dread to think that you might not "get it all done". But your Christmas will BE PERFECT if you know that each of you has already been purchased by the Son and each of you has the same HOPE mentioned in 1Peter, despite that you may not have spent so much on somebody or completely decorated the house or finished all the baking. Have beautiful feet this year and spend the next few weeks spreading God's Love in our words and actions and Christmas morning you will not be worried about material gifts as much as spiritual gifts. If we can bring Jesus Christ to someone that is a much greater gift than anything the local department store is advertising!

Waking Up to Miracles

Good Morning Everyone! I woke up early, to feed my little one, and there was a part of me that just was restless, I could not fall back to sleep. When will Jen have this same wonderful experience, Lord? were the thoughts on the back of my mind that were to painful to bring to the front of my mind. So, I went to the computer, because I wanted, desterately to hear something from Jen. I am still in a fog, it is 2AMish but I need to share this, now!!

This is an update from Anne, Jen's dear friend who has motivated me & encouraged me, and many others to pray for a miracle for little Gigi and to do so through God's powerful Scripture. I cannot do this update justice, so I hope Anne will not mind that I am copying it straight into the blog. Forgive me Anne for not asking in advance, but it is 2AM and I want so desperatley for everyone to get this message as soon as possible!!

"How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul yearns, yes, even pines and is homesick for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out and sing for joy to the living God. Yes, the sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young-even Your alters, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; they will be singing Your praises all the day long!.....O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!." Psalm 84: 1-4, 12 (AMP)


Praise God! Give Thanks to the Holy One! Give Thanks!!!!

Spoke with Jen tonight, God is moving friends in some very powerful ways. You have front row seats watching God be God, okay, second row seats. God tells us in James 1:2, "Consider it pure joy when you encounter trials and temptations." When there is a trial we get to sit back and watch God be God and be glorified! Thank you Lord!!!! Gigi is doing wonderful! Jen has been able to nurse her the last two days and Gigi is doing great with that, no hitches just great mommy and Gigi bonding time. Gigi is a happy little girl!

Listen to this......and give thanks!!!! On Thursday they did an MRI. (God is watching over His Word to perfect it as He promises!) The MRI showed absolutely no canal stenosis or blockage at the original site where the shunt was placed in the first surgery. Praise God!!! Thank you Jesus! Further more the MRI shows that the temporary drain that has been placed is not properly in place and therefore not doing anything. The only time it drains is when they manipulate it to. Her fluid is draining somewhere...her soft spot on her head is still soft which is a clear indication there is no backup. The radiologist thinks that he sees a congenital defect down much lower and is speculating that there may be a perforation down in the 4th ventricle area. They want to do an MRI with dye contrast to see where the fluid is flowing and if it is flowing down through the 4th ventricle. Now remember the medical team is looking for stenosis or blockage as it is impossible for Gigi's previous Hydrocephalus to just clear up on its own. But remember Our God is in the business of doing the impossible! They saw something on the previous CTs that led them to do surgery and place the first shunt where they did. But whatever it was is now GONE! Praise The Lord for His signature mark He leaves so we know He's been there. "All things are possible with God." With God it is possible that whatever caused Gigi's hydrocephalus is gone. The whole medical team has not seen all the films and read the written reports yet, that should all take place tomorrow. Pray for only the hand of God to move over Gigi and nothing else these next few days.

Praise GOD! HE IS SO AMAZING!!!! Keep praying and praising the Lord! Pray Gigi home to her family....praise her right on home!

"Lord we praise you for the amazing work you are taking to completion in your precious Gigi . We praise you for your Word that we can stand on. Your Word that is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Your Word O Lord that says you are the God who heals all our diseases and by Your stripes we are healed. Praise you Lord that no weapon formed against Gigi can prevail. Thank you Lord for the wisdom and clarity you are giving the doctors so that the decisions they make tomorrow will allow your complete and total healing of Gigi to be revealed. May you be glorified O Lord. Lord we pray for all those who are part of the medical team that each would come to know you as their Lord and savior through this manifestation of your power and holiness. Lord we thank you that the mountain has jumped into the sea in the name of Jesus (Mark 11:23) and the Egyptians Gigi saw she will never see again (Exodus 14:13). Thank you Lord that you have fought for Gigi and that Jen and Drew can hold their peace and remain at rest in you. Lord we thank you that Gigi will be given a clean bill of health and that she will be sent home to her loving family this week. Lord we thank you that you will remove all obstacles and you will bring Gigi home to Jen and Drew and Connor and Kelly. Thank you Lord that your ministering angels surround and protect this family. Lord we give you praise and thanks and all honor and glory for the mighty works of your hand! In Jesus' name we pray. Amen"



"Walking by Faith and not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

Don't Worry

Time stopped for a few minutes today when I picked up the phone and saw Jen's number displayed and heard her voice. It was such a blessing for me to hear her voice and by the end of the conversation I was blessed again by her faithfulness in this whole journey. It is more than a journey of health and healing for Gigi. It is a journey of faithfulness for all of us.

Usually, I start with the update, but tonight I am going to start with what Conor taught me. Conor and Kelly have grown in this journey, they are still the same sweet kids but they have become such a big help for Jen and Drew. We were discussing this when Jen brought up the scripture that she read that morning. She referred to Matthew Chapter 6 beginning at verse 25, I believe. The message He sent to her: DO NOT WORRY. You know this Gospel story, where Jesus tells the people not to worry about their lives, what they will eat or will drink, nor about their body or what they will put on it. ....look at he birds of the air, they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather, yet the Heavenly Father provides for them, how much more value are you to Him than they are....DO NOT WORRY! So then, I learned again from Jen. Because she told me that instead of rushing into the hospital that morning and then picking up her Bible, she picked up her Bible, calmed her worries and then drove peacefully to the hospital....without WORRY!! God is so good to give us what we need and in helping us to handle all. He has done this for little COnor when Jen needs him to be a big help and he has done this for Jen and I am sure for Kelly and Drew, too but time (cell phone minutes) did not allow for examples.

So, that is why I started with His message, because the main prayer requests for Gigi are:

• That she continues to do well with bottle feeding and increases her feeds so that she can come off of nutritional support.
• That the fluid drainging from her head will continue to become cleare and clearer, a sure sign that a new shunt will not be needed. That the entire issue is resolved and miracously healed. Therefore we will not need to worry about which diagnosis is the correct one or the next steps to be taken.
• That she remains protected from infection.

I saved the prayer requests for last because I wanted to give God the Glory first throught Conor and Jen's testimony. I think our faithful little princess would want it that way if she could tell us. I think she would say "Don't worry, can you not see who is with me, My Heavenly Father" Praise Him and then ask anything of Him, knowing that He will provide.

Many Blessings to all of you and Good Night!

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.......

Thank you for your prayers! Gigi is improving steadily.... she came off the ventilator very quickly after her Monday's procedure. Her labs show no sign of infection...praise God!! By Thursday she was back to her sweet self.... alert and hungry! I was able to hold her and begin bottle feeding again, and was just overwhelmed at the joy I received in such a simple act! She is very responsive when she's awake, and sleeps very peacefully. I am so thankful for the loving staff at Fairfax Hospital. The NICU nurses, neonatoligists, and neurosurgery team have been a huge blessing to us - thank you God! Our family and our friends have supported us with such love... we don't know how we could have managed without them! We still have a long road head.... antibiotics for a few weeks and surgical replacement of her shunt sometime near Thanksgiving. Please continue to lift Gigi in prayer... for protection for infection and drain blockage, for strengthening and healing. She is such a strong little girl! Please pray for Drew and I to keep our eyes fixed on God. He has shown us the way and carried us faithfully with each trial. Please also pray for Kelly and Conor... they have handled all of this so well... but it is getting harder for them. It's hard to believe it's been 11 weeks... I am so proud of Kelly and Conor!

Blessings!
Jen

Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise in the morning, noontime, and when the sun goes down :)

Prayers and Another Procedure Update

Once again, thank you for your prayers!! God is soooo great! I prayed for God to guide our decisions today regarding this unexpected surgery for Gigi. I was so worried that if we allowed the surgery to replace her "obstructed" drain, that we might stand in the way of God's miracle healing. Boy-o-boy... did He show me a few things about faith today!!!!!! Basically, I was putting God in a box by thinking such things. He is WAY too big for that!!!

I prayed for Him to show me very clearly if the surgery today was neccessary.... if it was His will. I stressed the word "CLEARLY", and asked Him to open doors specifically pointing to the operating room if He was for it, and to close doors/place obstacles if He wanted us to decline the OR today. (Kim, thank you for Rev 3:7-8). The neurosurgeon was very understanding of my concerns during our morning phone conversation, and said he would postpone the surgery if I wished. He expected to be able to add her in to the hectic OR schedule in the late afternoon or evening, and we would have plenty of time to decide.

Well, I walked into the hospital at 11:00am and the receptionist at the front desk told me the doctor was on the phone... yikes! His news was that an operating room would be available at noon and he needed to know our decision now. Could God have opened the door any more clearly (and quickly)than that???? For extra confirmation, I went to see Gigi and found that her soft spot was getting more firm... a sign that pressure was building in her head due to lack of fluid flow. It was all the comfirmation I needed. Off to the OR she went!

The neurosurgeon removed her temporary shunt (called an EVD-external ventricular drain) and replaced it, and noted clots in her old tube... an obstruction, just as he had predicted. I am truly amazed at the depth of his skill in such tiny babies! Praise God for opening my eyes and granting me peace in this decision.

Gigi did very well...she is sedated and on the vent but should wean off vey quickly. The infection is responding nicely to the antibiotics! She'll need continued antibiotics for about 2-3 weeks, and is expected to have her shunt placed sometime near Thanksgiving. Today, November 7th, is her "due date" and she weighs 6 pounds....yippee!!

Please continue to pray for healing, strengthening, and protection against infection! Thank you, thank you my dear friends for your prayers and encouragement!!!
Blessings!
Jen

Good News From A Trusting Mom!

Hi friends,
Thank you, thank you for your prayers! Gigi turned the corner and is improving after her surgery! Praise God for the strength he has given her! He is casting this infection from her body..... hopefully to never be seen again! She is breathing fine without the ventilator and has had no sign of seizures recently. She continues to need pain medication, which makes her sleepy, but wakes up easily. He has blessed her with wonderful, caring staff at the hospital. My heart is filled with JOY!! I am so ashamed that I let fear creep in this week.... my trust needs to remain strong in the Lord, and only in HiM!

Please join me in praying for complete healing for Gigi. The Lord's power is so strong, and I believe that all the suffering she experienced this week was not in vain, but preparing her body for healing.... complete healing! I pray that Jesus is opening the canals that carry the CSF fluid in her brain, and allowing perfect balance and flow.... that she will not need a shunt to be placed ever again! I pray He will reveal this miracle to her surgeon and doctors as well! And that His name will be glorified!
Jen

Mom sends a prayer request

Please pray for victory over this infection... I know Jesus is fighting for our girl! She is doing a little better today (praise God!) She opens her eyes and looks for me when I kiss her and talk to her. I believe the infection is weakening. She is needing less help from the ventilator!!! She's receiving wonderful care from her nurses and physicians... we are truly blessed! God is so good and so in control!
I keep praying Exodus 14 in entirety over her.... so many parallels!
The Lord is (our) strength and (our) song! Exodus 15:2

Exodus 14:14

"Rest and be still for the Lord is fighting for you." Exodus 14:14

This is the scripture Jen referred to when she left her update today. She found comfort in it today as she watched GiGi, sedated and on the ventilator again, with the infection raging on inside of her, BUT she was still and looked peaceful.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please continue to pray over the infection as it is appears to be worse than the doctors initially thought. In Jen's words, "it is really bad."

Please continue to pray for the hospital staff caring for her, that they use perfect care in providing for her needs.

Please continue to pray for Gigi to wean off the sedation meds and the ventilator as quickly as possible.

Please lift Jen up as she continues to glorify the Lord and trust & lean on Him. Please lift up Drew with her. Please pray for them to rest too and find time to be still in His word to strenghten them during this battle.


"No one who comes will I ever reject." Jn 6:37

God Bless all of you for your prayers, kindness, and goodness.

Would you share your prayers in the comment section to record and keep for The Gilfillians? Comments are being moderated, which means I must okay them (not because of you all, but because this is after all the world wide web.) Thank you. I think it would be beautiful to have these prayers for Gigi, written and recorded years from now so she can see, hear and reflect on the love all of us have for her.

Quick Update on the Surgery

This is from Jen:
Hi friends,
Just a quick update. It's hard to be quick, because I want so badly to share with you all of the many ways we saw God working today (and imagine all the ways in which He worked where we DIDN't see him, too)!!!

Gigi underwent surgery this evening. Her neurosurgeon removed her shunt and added a temporarty external drain. She will receive antibiotics to stop the infection, then undergo a second surgery in about 2 weeks for a new shunt placement. Currently she is back on the ventilator and sedated on pain medication. They will taper her tomorrow to see if she can begin weaning from the ventilator. She does look comfortable and well, just precious. Her strength is beautiful and inspiring.

God has revealed His presence over and over again! Praise Him in the name of Jesus Christ!