Up to date Updates - Randall's Wife

1/15/2006 PM As of 6:15 Joie was about the same. Doctors have increased her blood pressure medication to try and stabilize it and have increased the ventilator from 70% to 80%. We should have the results of the liver ultrasound tomorrow. If there are any changes tonight I will post them immediately, if no changes; I will wait and post in the morning after Randall talks with the doctors. His first visit in the morning is at 10AM. Thanks for all your prayers for Joie, Randall and those wonderful children, Torry and Allison. Love to all of you, Becky ----------------------------------------------------- 1/15/2006 Am I just got off the phone with Brother this morning for the third time. I was not sure that he wanted this posted and he said he did so I will be quoting him in his own words. I wrote down every word that he wanted me to relay to all of you. Randall said, "I just spoke with the doctor and they worked with Joie's oxygen levels and blood pressure all morning and are going back to work on them some more with adjustments to be made. Joie has fever of 103.6. The nurses have ice packs in appropriate places to try and help with the fever. She has another infection besides the pneumonia and they are growing cultures to try and determine what that might be. The doctor said that she is no worse this morning. Unfortunately he did say that she is hanging on by the skin of her teeth." "I, Randall Culpepper, am standing in FAITH, NOTHING waivering! I don't want any doubt or negative words spoken about Joie. PLEASE Stand firm with me and be encouraged as my faith is full this morning. I love you ALL. I appreciate all the calls, cards, gifts, love and support. I NEED them and when you think I am getting too many or too much; I AM NOT. It touches my heart and ALWAYS comes at the right time. Just when I need it. It is 10:00 and time to go see my HoneyBun." I have received numerous phone calls and emails asking what people can do for the Randall and Joie. Of course at this time, the most important thing we can do is to continue to pray for Joie, Randall and the Family. Outside of prayer, this family will be facing some very difficult financial situations with the loss of Joie's income. While none of us could ever begin to replace her contribution to the finances of her family, collectively our small contributions would come together to help in a big way. If you would like to do so, you may send your contributions to Joie and Randall in care of their church. Donations would be tax deductible. On your check, please indicate that it is for Randall and Joie in the "For" line and send to: Randall and Joie Culpepper c/o Faith Walk Ministries PO Box 506 Luverne, AL 36049 I can't even begin to tell you what you all mean to Randall. Please just pray for God's will to be done and strength for Randall. He is extremely tired. It is now 10:44 and I just hung up the phone with him. He said that Joie blood pressure was 84 over 52 and her oxygen level was continuing to drop while he was with her. The doctor was telling the respiratory personnel what to do with the ventilator. Randall did range of motion with her and put in another healing CD for her. I am going to get dressed and head back to Montgomery. As always, I will have my cell phone with me if you would like to call. The number is 256-283-6016. I'll call and have someone post updates for me later. With Love, Becky ______________________________________________ I just spoke to Becky. She is on her way back to Montgomery right now. As you have already read, Joie's left lung collapsed and her fever spiked to 102. They are putting in a tube and changing her antibiotics. Randall told Becky that Joie was swollen this morning that she doesn't even look like herself. Randall and I had WLS a week apart and we were each others angels. I got to know Joie over the phone during that time. Randall came to Memphis last April, but Joie was unable to make the trip with him because she was taking care of a relatives child that weekend. They are always there when someone needs them. Now it is our turn to be there for them. PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR JOIE!!! ALSO PRAY FOR STRENGTH FOR RANDALL, HIS CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! Anyone that knows Randall, knows what a special person he is. Joie is just as special as are their children. Becky has asked to pass on that if there is not an update on this board to go to the main board or the Alabama board. Thank you for your continued prayers and support for this beautiful family. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! Hugs, Genny ______________________________________________ Becky just called and asked for me to post the most recent news about Joie. [Joie is the wife of Randall Culpepper who is a wls patient and very active on the boards.] The latest report is that Joie's left lung collapsed. She is still on the ventilator. Her fever has spiked to 102. Please continue to pray for Joie & this family. Randall, the family and so many others have been at the hospital around the clock this week. Please pray that their strength will be renewed. Beth M ______________________________________________ Just a real quick update on Joie. They have had to bump the ventilator back up as her oxygen level has dropped again. She is getting blisters on her skin from being so swollen. Randall hopes to have more of an update in the morning. He says to tell each of you that he loves you and he thanks you for your posts and concerns. The posts are helping to keep him going. He is physically and mentally exhausted. We have tried and tried to get him to go home for just a little while, but he will not leave his HoneyBun. I will be leaving early in the morning to go back to the hospital, but I will check with him before I go. If I were not so tired I would stay up and chat, but I am pooped; so goodnight and I love you ALL. Becky __________________________________________ Updated 1/13/2006 Am I have just received an update on Joie. The doctor spoke with Randall and Becky and said that Joie has shown, overall, very little improvement since suffering the Cardio/Pulmonary arrest on Monday of this week. Today for the first time, there is a very slight improvement in her Chest X-ray. They will be taking her to the operating room to insert a Greenfield filter in order to prevent blood clots. They are seeing some decrease in her platelets and have called in a Hematologist to evaluate this finding. Joie has had some episodes of V-Tach or a very rapid heart-rate. They are monitoring closely for this, as V-Tach is a serious arrythmia. Joie's body continues to be very swollen, which is to be expected in someone who is this acutely ill. They are continuing to do cultures and working to identify bacteria that may be causing her problems. They are going to make some adjustments to her antibiotics. Her Brain and Kidney function appear to be normal at this time and her blood pressure is good. This post is not meant to be negative in any way. It is meant to provide you with clear and factual information regarding the situation that Joie is in. She is still considered to be very critical. We still believe that God has the power to heal Joie and will continue to pray that his will happen. Please join us in this prayer. Randall is constantly being updated on your post and well wishes. He draws strength from your post and knowing that you are all praying for this situation. You are helping him through a very difficult time in his life. Becky asked that I please let you know that the battery on her phone is very weak and she has the phone in the car for charging. She will be away from the phone for several hours, but it will be back on later this afternoon. She will be in touch with me should there be any changes and I will keep you posted. Carolyn ______________________________________________________ I just spoke with Randall. He said to please tell you all that he Loves you and appreciates all that you are doing for him. He misses the board, but wants you to know that he is receiving messages about all the post and well wishes for Joie and his family. He says that the love he is feeling is helping to keep him going during this time. He appreicates your Prayers and ask that you continue to remember Joie and the family. Randall learned today that his Mom is going to be able to take the time needed to go to his home and stay with his Children until he is able to care for them again. This has been a tremendous relief to him. The children did see Joie tonight and handled the situation well. He is very proud of them for the way they are dealing with this. Becky is at the hospital tonight and taking care of her Brother well! Earlier he said that he wanted some coffee, so off Becky went in search of Joe Muggs. She came back with him some Skinny Mocha and now the thinks he has died and gone to heaven! I enjoyed the talk with Randall tonight and while he is realistic and understands that there is a long way to go towards Joie's recovery, he is proud of the accomplishments that she has made so far. He is trusting that God has this situation in his hands. Again Randall asked that I convey to you all the appreciation he has expressed for every thing that you have done for him and his family. So on behalf of Randall...here is a huge THANK YOU to all of you! ______________________________________________________ I have just spoken with Becky who is at the hospital in Montgomery. Becky will be staying at the hospital tonight. If you would like to call and speak with Becky or Randall, that will be fine. They request that you call after 9:00pm CST and that you call on Becky's cell phone. That number is 256-283-6016. Basically, there has been no change from my post of earlier this afternoon. Today brought about positive changes for Joie in that her fever was down to 99 degrees and that her urine output had increased. Her blood pressure was stable and her oxygen saturations had improved. This was very encouraging to Randall and the family and what they needed to see and hear today. I would like to add that while there are improvements in Joie such as the ones mentioned above, this is still a very critical situation and we need to remember to keep Joie and the family in our prayers. At this time, Joie is still ventilator dependant and is in a very decreased state of consciousness. Her vital signs show a response to others being in the room, but Joie is still unable to awake and communicate with the family. It is very difficult for the family to see Joie in this situaion as it is with any family member. The family looks for the positive and clings to those responses as signs that Joie is going to get better. We can share in their faith that God is in control of this situaion and that his will, will be done. Please continue to remember this family. There is a long road ahead of them and they are going to need our love, support and encouragement. God Bless you all for your love of this family. ________________________________________________________ I have just gotten updates on Joie. First from Glenn and then before I could get it posted, I had more information from Becky who is now in Montgomery with Randall and family. Randall says for me to share the following with you all: Joie has shown a tremendous change since this morning. Her fever is now at 99 degrees and her oxygen saturations have been at 100%. They are now trying to begin weaning her from the ventilator. They have been able to discontinue the blood pressure medication and have removed some of the Central/IV lines that she had. Her urine output is good so that lets them know that her kidneys are functioning. This afternoon has brought about very positive signs and all of this is very much in Joie's favor. (And I bet it brings a smile to Randall's face) This is the positive news that we all have needed to hear today. This demonstrates the power of prayer! Becky will call me after the next visit with Joie or as updates are available. I will relay the information as soon as I receive it. Carolyn~ ________________________________________________________ Update 1/12/2006 Randall called just minutes ago and said that Joie had a really rough night. Her oxygen levels dropped into the low 80's and they had to work with her for a while to get them back into the 90's. She is fighting fever again, too. It spiked to 103 and is now 101. This IS NOT the news that we were expecting to hear this morning. Randall is waiting on the doctor to come and talk with him. I will update more after 9AM CST. Please know that I take notes when Randall calls and I only tell you what he is telling me. He is also using these updates for a journal for Joie. He said he wants her to read all of this when she goes home. Becky _______________________________________________________ Update 1/11/2006 Randall has a request from ALL of you! He just called again and asked me to post that he LOVES you all and he thanks you all so very much for everything. He says that he IS NOT being negative but he could use some prayers himself now. He is in need of strength. He also said that he is not trying to be negative but he has to face reality with everything. PLEASE pray for my brother, your friend, that God give him EVERYTHING that he stands in need of. The doctors said that we should have seen significant improvement by this evening and so far we have seen no change. We are believing that at his next visit we will see some improvements. He received a blessing from friends of his and Joie's today. They went and paid his gas, electric, phone and cell phone bills for them. Randall said, "Sister, I had not even thought about that." What a blessing! I am so thankful for the couple who did this. I will update after 9PM CST. God's Blessing, Becky ________________________________________________________ Just talked with Randall and still there have been no change in Joie's condition. He said that she was extremely swollen and that was the only change that he could see. He wants me to encourage you all to continue praying on Joie's behalf. For those that have emailed me privately about sending monetary donations and cards, Randall asks that you send them to his church. Randall and Joie Culpepper c/o Faith Walk Ministries PO Box 506 Luverne, AL 36049 I will update again in the morning as soon as I hear from Randall. Thank you all so much. Becky __________________________________________________________ As of 1:30 PM CST there have been no changes in Joie's condition. She is still holding her own. Doctors are now trying to wean her off of the ventilator. Her oxygen level was at 91%. Randall is standing on the promises that she IS healed. He sends his love to all of you and says that he has remembered you all in his prayers. I will do another update around 6:15 or so. Becky __________________________________________________________ Just got off the phone with Randall and although Joie is still in very critical condition they are seeing improvements. They have changed more of her medication and she is still heavily sedated. (10:30 AM CST) He was talking to her and she moved her arm and leg, opened her eyes and tried to smile at him. When she did this her alarms went off for she was over stimulated. (Last night he was singing to her and her vitals dropped to within a normal reading. The nurse told him to keep singing!) The doctors told him that they believe this can still be 100% reversible and that is what we are all claiming in the name of Jesus. Her lung x-rays showed no sign of improvement this morning. Randall once again sends his love and thanks to each of you for your prayers and words of comfort. I will update again around 2PM. Becky ___________________________________________________________ Update 1/11/2006 Am I talked with Randall at 7:30 and he said that he stuck his head in the door to ask Joie's night nurse how her night was before she left. She could not talk with him at that time for respiratory was in with her. The doctor saw him and later sent the nurse to get him and said that Joie had a peaceful night and that all her vitals looked good this morning. The doctor said this may be the beginning of going uphill for her; that it was still a touch and go thing. Please know that I only post what Randall has told me himself and I make the post just as soon as I hang up the phone. I wait on him to call me because he is just overwhelmed with everything right now. We all know how families can be and there is at least one in every family that has to cause some trouble and that is the case here. Please say an extra prayer that only peace makers be there in the presence. There is no room for negativety. The doctors has limited visitation to immediate family only and then no one is to touch her. They can speak to her, but no touching. Randall is suppose to call me after 9AM, so as soon as I hear from him I will make another post. Once again, he wanted me to thank you from the bottom of his heart for all that you, his OH family have done and are doing for he and his family. It is just amazing the out pouring of love and support for this family. Have a blessed day! Becky _________________________________________________________ There are no changes in Joie's condition. They had to up the oxygen back up to 100%. Randall wanted me to share this song with you. It is the one that she asked him to sing to her while in the emergency room. She had him singing it over and over. Now, when he goes back to see her he sings the chorus to her. He sang this at 5:30 when he visited, but this time she did not respond. She is still heavily sedated. I will update again after 9PM CST Love to all, Becky FAITH IN YOU I put my faith in You You are the One Who will never leave me I put my faith in You No matter where the road may lead me You are my Savior my closest friend One touch from You and I'm whole again I put my faith I put my faith in You When the shadows hide the truth Your love shines through With a voice that beckons me to follow You When I sail into a storm or somehow go astray You're the One Who is always there to light the way When I look into my heart and there is no song Even in my weakest hour You make me strong Lord You are my all in all my guiding star And I will always find a place where You are _________________________________________________________ Update 1/10/2006 Ok, I just talked to brother and here is the latest as of 7PM. When he went back at 5:30 he was not allowed to go in. He said there were several people in there. He later saw the nurse and asked her what was going on and she said that they had been working with Joie for the couple of hours. Her oxygen level dropped drastically low again. The doctor was called and changes were made and when Randall saw her the o2 level was back in the 90's. Joie is anemic and with all the fluids they have been giving her it caused the blood to dilute, thus the reasoning for giving her blood. Randall said that it was not necessary to give blood at this time. He will get to see her one more time tonight and I will post another update then. I received a call tonight of someone checking on Joie and was confused about the update of yesterday. After Joie coded we saw great improvements. Although we saw these improvements Joie is still in very critical condition. Doctors have told us that they are taking this moment by moment. Keep the prayers going. Love you all, Becky _________________________________________________________ Family, sadly I come to you with even more bad news in regards to Joie. Randall just called and said that he had to sign a release for her to receive blood. They have given her two units already. We do not know at this time where the blood is going. Her o2 level has now dropped to 78. He said that all he has received today was negative news and I assured him that God was in control and even though we hear the negative and have to accept and repeat the negative to others, that God is still in control. Randall will call me again after seeing her at 5:30 and I will post another update. Love to all, Becky __________________________________________________________ Update 1/10/2006 (Becky) Just talked to Randall and he said that the doctor just came by and talked with them. He said that Joie has showed no signs of improvement. They have diagnosed her with strepto****al pneumo****al pneumonia. At least now they know what they are treating. They will change her antibiotics and start treating her specifically for this disease. After 48 hours they hope to see improvement. Joie is still in very critical condition. I thank you for keeping them in your prayers. Randall wanted me to express to you how thankful he is to all of you. He appreciates all the prayers, visits and phone calls. He said the phone calls were overwhelming and that he was not trying to be rude or unappreciative, but he was just not able to take them. If you would like to call you may call me at 256-435-1855 home or my cell is 256-283-6016 (cingular). I don't mind you calling. We will continue to post updates as we get them. I can't began to tell you how the outpouring of love and support has brought comfort to us. Yesterday while in the MICU waiting room the Pastor asked, "Who are all these people that you speak of?" I smiled so proudly and said, "They are our OH FAMILY!" Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Okay, I just received another update while typing out this post. The nurse came out and asked Randall to sign a paper granting permission for them to do a bronchostomy on her. This could be very dangerous as Joie is already in a weekend state. The nurse said that it could cause her to go downhill, but the test needed to be done. Thanks again for everything. Love to all, Becky ________________________________________________________ Update 1/10/2006 Am Tuesday 8:15am Joie Update I just spoke with Randall. He said that Joie had a peaceful night and continues to improve. Her Oxygen Saturation is still at about 92% with the Ventilator, so that still has to improve. The doctor's told him that it will take about 48 hours for the antibiotics to beging to really do their job, so by tomorrow, there should begin to be signifigant improvement. Randall got a good night of rest. He slept on a cot here in the hospital. Brenda and Glenn got in last night and were there with him. You can tell from Randall's voice that he is more rested and ready for what today holds. I spoke with Brenda briefly as well and she promises that she will let us know of any changes. And of course, please remember this family in your prayers! _________________________________________________________ Update 1/9/2006 (Becky) What a day! We have seen God's miracles happen before our eyes today. Thank you all so much for your prayers, concerns and phone calls today. They are much appreciated. A little after 8 this morning Randall called hysterical and said that Joie had coded and that she was holding her own. Doctors told him to call everyone in that he needed to call that she could die. By the time Mike and I could get back down there, she had begun to show signs of improvement. All through the day we continued to see improvement. However she is still very critical, the nurse said that she had never seen someone so close to death turn around in such a quick amount of time. That, my friend, IS prayer! The doctor said that Joie definitely had pneumonia in both lungs and in upper and lower quadrants. They told us that her lungs look very bad. Someone asked if Joie is a smoker and the answer is no, she is not. Randall saw a glee of hope after visiting with her at 5:30PM. He told her that he loved her and asked her if she could see him. She opened her eyes really wide, looked at him and shook her head. This was very encouraging to him. After this she was given medication so that she could rest peacefully. Please keep them in your prayers. I will post another update in the morning after the doctors come by, unless we find something else out tonight. The experiences of today has me really thinking. You see just 3:30AM I was talking and praying with Joie and in just a couple of hours she was unconscious and knocking on death's door. We are not promised our next breath. If we were to leave this world this very moment how would our loved ones and our friends remember us? Would we leave with unfinished business? Does our children know that we love them? Does our spouse know how important they are to us? Would we leave a friend with bitter feelings? These are questions that I have been asking myself and wanted to share with each of you. For me, I sure hope my family know how important they are to me and that they are the love of my life. For you, my extended family, EACH one of you, whether you are an active poster or someone who emails me privately hold a very special place in my heart. I love each one of you dearly and would do anything in this world for either of you. There are some that we have had a difference of opinion and to you and I believe you know who you are without me calling your names, I would like to apologize to you and to tell you that I am sorry if I have offended you in any way. Life is precious and it is short lived and todays events made it very clear to me that we should be living each day, each minute as if it were our very last. I thank those of you who have touched my life through this site and I ask God's blessings for you. You may continue to call me if you would like in regards to Randall and Joie. My home number is 256-435-1855 and my cell is 256-283-6016. I realize that posting these numbers is a violation of the TOS rules at OH and I am hoping that for this time it can be overlooked. Love to each of you. Becky __________________________________________________________ Update 1/9/2006 Evening A bit of encouraging news tonight. Lisa(Fish) and Randall were in to see Joie a short time ago. Lisa spoke to Joie and asked if she knew who she was and if she knew she were there. Joie was able to squeeze Lisa's hand to acknowledge her. Randall then told Joie that he was there and he squeezed his hand as well. He told her that he loved her and her eyes opened widely and looked at him. The nursing staff asked that they not try to get her to respond too much as this will cause them to have to sedate her more heavily. It is good that Joie is responding and I am sure that Randall feels much comfort in knowing that she knows he is there and that he loves her. There has been some stabilization of her vital signs but there is still work to be done with them as well. Of course, she remains on the ventilator for respiratory support. At this time, there does not appear to be any neurological damage. Lisa said that after they see Joie again (Last visiting hours of the night) that they plan to try and get Randall settled to get some rest tonight. They have a cot set up and waiting for him. There will be someone with him through the night tonight. They have had a tremendous number of phone calls and visitors today and it has been difficult for them to keep up with everyone. Lisa said that Randall is very appreciative of each and every call and visit. They have been keeping a record of everything in hopes of remembering this all and in order to show Joie just how much everyone loves her and cares for her. Several people have written and left notes for Joie, at the hospital and they plan to share those with her as soon as she has recovered enough to do so. Please continue to Pray that God will heal Joie and will keep his hand on Randall and the rest of the family. These will be trying days for them and with God's help, things will work out according to God's plans. Friends and family are important to them and they will need the support from all of us as they work through this. Thank you all for being there for them. Carolyn~ ____________________________________________________________ Update 1/9/2006 Mid-day I have just spoken with Becky. She and Mike are at the hospital with the Culpepper family. They have been told that there has been "Dramatic" improvement over Joie's condition of earlier this morning. She is still sedated and on the ventilator but making progress. Her condition is still critical and there is a long way to go in this battle, but for now there appears to be a ray of sunshine in the clouds. There is still not a definite diagnosis, but they are beginning to lean towards ARDS which is Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. It will still take some time to determine if this is the actual diagnosis and cause for Joie's problems. For those who would like more information on ARDS, below is a couple of links that can provide you with basic information on it. Bear in mind when reading this information, that this is a suspicion of a POSSIBLE cause and not a DEFINITE DIAGNOSIS. Again, thanks to you all for your prayers and patience as the physicians work to bring Joie through this very critical time in her life. Carolyn~ http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic503.htm http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000103.htm ________________________________________________ Update 1/9/2006 I had posted on the main board and someone from there suggested that I post on the Christianity and Men's board as well. It is understood that most of you are familiar with Randall Culpepper and his wife Joie. They are such a blessing to the Alabama board and I am sure that likewise they are a blessing to all of you. Joie has become very critically ill. Last week, it was thought that she had some type of virus and was hospitalized with a high fever. Joie was released from the hospital on Sunday and had been home only a short time when her condition worsened and an ambulance had to be called and she was readmitted to the hospital. At this time, she was diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs. Joie was struggling to breath and her heart was beating rapidly to try and compensate in this situation. During the evening and night, her condition continued to worsen. Joie was transferred to another hospital that could provide more acute critical care. This morning Joie was placed on a ventilator to assist in her breathing. About two hours ago, Joie suffered a complete cardiac/respiratory arrest. She was resuscitated and is on a ventilator at this time. Randall had been advised to call the remainder of their family to come to the hospital. The outlook is not optimistic and this family is in need of a miracle from God. I spoke with Randall about an hour ago and he said he is standing on his faith that Joie will be healed and trusting God to handle the situation. My heart is heavy for this family. They are special. Please, please do remember them in your prayers. Thank You. Carolyn~ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, the following has become necessary: I know that everyone here loves Randall and Joie and are very concerned about Joie and her sitution. Hoping NOT to hurt anyone's feelings, it has become necessary to ask that you please do not call Randall's cell phone for updates on Joie. Understandably so, Randall is very stressed at this time and would love to speak with each and every one of us personally, but the situation is such that he is unable to do so. Randall needs to try and get some rest and needs to be alert to the situation around him. While he appreciates every phone call that has been made, it has become a distraction to him to have the phone ringing while trying to keep up with what is going on and when trying to have discussions with the doctor or with family. Gail--Dakota Mom has been with Randall this morning. I am sure she will update as soon as she possibly can. Becky and Mike Bellamy are on their way to Montgomery at this time. Becky will call or post with updates as soon as there is any change in Joie's condition. Family has now arrived at the hospital and Randall needs this time to be with them and for them to be there for each other. I am sure you all understand how emotionally exhausting this is for this family and that you will respect the need for our consideration of them at this time. When it is determined what the best location would be, an address will be posted where you can send cards and well wishes to Joie and the family. Again, thank you to each one of you for your love and concern, and especially for your understanding of this delicate situation. Carolyn~

Thanks for the update Carolyn! This must be very difficult for all of you who are close to Randall and Joie. Please send Randall my love and tell him that Joie is constantly in our prayers. I am praying that God will touch everyone in this difficult situation and meet them at their greatest need. I love you all. God Bless, Lynda Phil. 4:8

Hi Carolyn. I am continuing to pray. Love, Peg

thank you Carolyn for including this update. And thank you for linking all the posts together so that I could follow the whole story. I will continue to pray for Randall, Joie and their family. Kathy from MO