December 30, 2008...In for the long haul...

As the new year approaches, change continues...Deepika was finally able to get accomodations at the Ronald McDonald House. There is a bedroom and there is a common kitchen available...it helps...every little bit helps...One of Deepika's cousins was able to stay with her for a while but needed to head back east for school and with great hope her parents will be able to be here shortly after a variety of delays...

The doctors have once again removed the breathing tubes for Jevesh...we hope and pray that this time they (the breathing tubes) can stay out for a longer period of time.

I wish I had all good news to report for Deepika and Jevesh, however, that is not the case. The doctors conducted another echocardiogram and found a possible leakage between the atria and ventricles. They will monitor the situation and treat accordingly, however, with this news comes the very sad fact that Jevesh will likely have to stay in the hospital until the next surgery, possibly 3 to 4 months from now. The doctors had hoped to send him home for a while for healing and bonding, but with his fragile health, they feel that it would be better for him to remain under medical supervision.

Friends (including wonderful employees at the kitchen, farmer's market vendors, the chico community, and so many more) continue to offer kind words and a helping hand to assist in keeping the business going and Deepika stays in contact to make sure that everything gets taken care of to keep life, home, and business going. Thoughts, prayers, kinds words, are all welcome and appreciated...you can always leave those comments for Deepika on this blog for her to see and to show your support.

May the new year bring hope and good health to Deepika, Jevesh, and all those who have been so kind.

December 10, 2008...More tests...More bad news

At 6:00AM Deepika and her friend arrived at Stanford. By this time, Stanford had already conducted a basic echocardiogram, confirming the findings from Enloe but with results that indicated that a more extensive battery of pictures would need to be taken.

They allowed Deepika to see Jevesh, who had been taken to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. There are no words to describe the heartbreak a mother feels as she sees her child lying in a hospital...IVs, breathing tubes, machines, ...to see her child try to cry, unable to make a sound...and as a mother, unable to do anything but caress his hand, whispering calming words, words of love, praying that everything will be ok...

The doctors told Deepika that they would know more, later that day, and to try and rest and take care of herself so she can be healthy for the baby.

The day was full of waiting...waiting for the pictures to be taken, talking to doctors and answering their questions, sitting at the "bedside" of Jevesh, seeing the pictures, then the results.

That evening, Deepika was able to speak to one of the doctors on the team that would be responsible for taking care of Jevesh...the news was not good, though the doctor's were hopeful...Jevesh did not have a single heart defect, he had multiple heart defects...What Deepika would later find out was that little Jevesh had 5 heart defects...no reason, no cause, simply a fluke, a genetic mistake during the early period of development...the cells got the messages wrong and as a result, Jevesh had a heart with defects...The doctors were kind, they were informative, but that much information at once tends to overwhelm...you are hearing the words while at the same time hoping they are wrong, that there is some mistake, that Jevesh will be ok...they ask if she has questions...but where to begin? what questions to ask? Deepika would ask many questions, get some answers, mostly vague, and was told that they would know more after further study of the echocardiogram pictures and consultation with other doctors...

One thing was certain, Jevesh would need surgery.

Through it all, one asks, how much more can a person take? How much tragedy can befall one person. How can such a good and wonderful and kind woman go from having the best year of her life with her best friend , her husband, finding out they would be parents, having a successful life...to losing her love and now watching her child fight for his life.

Deepika is one of the strongest, bravest women I know. I am proud to know her. Blessed to have her as a friend. I only wish I could do more to help her...Keep her in your thoughts, prayers, positive vibes, hearts...