Funeral Service and Visitation

The funeral service for Dylan will be held Saturday at 11:00am at Trinity Baptist Church in Calhoun, GA. Visitation will be Friday from 6:00-9:00pm at Trinity Baptist.

In lieu of flowers, Gary and Debbie have asked that donations be made to the Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church building fund.

Memorial Service

Dylan's memorial service has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 3 at 11:00am at Wake Crossroads Baptist Church. The church is located at 3329 Forestville Road Raleigh, NC, 27616.

Arrangements for the funeral in Georgia have not yet been finalized, but they will be posted here as soon as information is available.

Update 5/31 6:30pm

Today at 4:55pm Dylan went home to be with the Lord after his long battle in the hospital. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family members. The family would like to express their deep appreciation to all of you who have joined them in prayer these past weeks and months. Your love and support have meant a great deal to them, as they will continue to in these days ahead. Although they are understandably grieving now, they also rejoice that Dylan is in the presence of the Lord Jesus at this very moment. As the Apostle Paul said, "to depart and be with Christ is far better."

Both a memorial service in North Carolina and a funeral service in Georgia are being planned, and details regarding the arrangements will be posted here on the blog as soon as they become available. Once again, the Shugart family conveys its thanks to all of you.

*Some have asked for Gary and Debbie's address for the purpose of sending cards. It is 2601-112 Garden Hill Dr. Raleigh, NC 27614.

Update 5/29 11:45pm

There still is not much change in Dylan tonight. His blood pressure and heart rate continue to drop. Continue to pray for strength and rest for Debbie, Gary and their family.

Update from tonight's visit 11:45pm

A handful of OMV church family brought dinner and dessert tonight to the family. There was a lot of hugs, tears, encouragements and prayers. There is not much change with Dylan condition except his blood pressure continues to weaken. Gary and Debbie, along with the family, just ask that you continue to pray for strength, peace, and patience on God's timing & perfect will. May God grant them exactly what they need during this very hurting time. God Bless all of you! Keep praying and encouraging the Shugart family.

Update from today's visit 5:30pm

There isn't a room available in the BMTU to transfer Dylan today. This is unfortunate as Gary and Debbie would like whatever time that is remaining to be spent in this area of the hospital because it grants them much privacy. Dylan continues to rest peacefully with no dialysis, no antibiotics and a mild sedative for pain. He sleeps a lot and is not very aware of his surroundings. At times he does recognize Gary and Debbie. Just continue to pray for the families patience and that a room would open up in the BTMU ASAP for Dylan to be transfered.

Update From Family 10:30am

Late yesterday afternoon Dylan was taken off dialysis and his feeding tube was removed. He had a somewhat restful night last night and will be moved from the ICU room back to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (BMTU) room on the 5th floor. This room is more private and quiet without all the distractions that the ICU room entails. Continue to pray that the move will go smoothly and that this more private and quiet room will be a blessing for Dillon, Gary and Debbie. Pray for the family as they continue to support Gary and Debbie, emotionally, spiritually and physically.

Update from todays visit 3:30pm

Just got back from the hospital and made the family eat a light lunch to keep up their energy. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and were glad they just did not have to think about what to eat or where to go. All the meals to the ICU waiting room are so helpful at this time when all the family can do is focus on keeping Dylan pain-free. He has slipped a little bit more from yesterday. The 4 days of restlessness have caught up with his very weakened body. Gary & Debbie are having to discuss some very difficult choices and decisions to make with Dylan's doctors. Pray for Almighty God to give them clarity & comfort & peace with todays set of circumstances. Continue to pray that Dylan will not know what is happening and will stay comfortable and pain free for this time. Words can not begin to express their thanks to everyone who continues to pray for the whole Shugart family. Our hearts have been linked through the love of Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior. Shoulder their pain & heavy burdens as you continue in prayer. God Bless.

Update from todays visit 7:30pm

Friends from OMV brought lunch & spent the afternoon with the Shugart Family. Gary's sister & her family left this morning for Georgia. They had some really sad good byes. It is getting harder & harder for Debbie, Gary & immediate family to go in to sit with Dylan. They do not want to see him suffer as he is getting weaker & weaker yet, fighting so much restlessness left in his body. Patience for the Lord's perfect timing is so hard right now. Processing all this is unimaginable. Please continue to lift up this precious family as they try to cope with each passing hour. God's grace & sufficiency are so very apparent but they are human and are hurting so much at this time. Your prayers are being heard so keep on praying.

Update 5/25 10:30pm

Sorry for the lateness of today's update, but we just returned from the hospital a little while ago. Dylan's condition is still roughly the same as it has been in the past few days, but according to Gary, he continues to get weaker. Activities like drinking out of a straw are now more than he is able to do. Still no word from doctors on how much longer Dylan has.

On a more encouraging note, tonight members from Gary and Debbie's church, along with members of their family from Georgia, had a time of Scripture reading and prayer for them in the ICU waiting room. There were many hugs, many tears, but much encouragement that God is good and can be trusted. Gary and Debbie were very grateful for these loved ones, along with all of you who have been praying for them from afar. Though this situation is very difficult, God is sustaining them physically and spiritually. Let's continue to keep them in our prayers. Also, Gary's chief prayer request for Dylan is that he not be afraid during this process and that God not allow him to suffer.

Kyle

Update 5/24 1:00 pm

We talked to Gary and as of now there is no change in Dylan's status. Gary's brother and his family have arrived, and some other friends have come in from out of town. Please continue to pray for strength and peace that passes all understanding for the Shugart family.
Kyle

Update at 5pm from family

Just to let everyone know, there has not been any changes, better or worse, with Dylan's health. Continue to pray for an extra measure of strength & endurance for the Shugart Family & friends that are surrounding them in love. If sometime does change, you will all be notified via the Blog. Pray & Press on in the Lord's mighty Power. God Bless.

Update from Pastor Kyle & Caroline 7:30pm

Dear Beloved Family and Friends,

Pastor Kyle just got a phone call from Pastor Mike Rice & Sandra. The doctors have just informed Gary, Debbie and the family that the antibiotics are NOT working against the strep infection and without white blood cells it could be a matter of hours or a day or two at the most! They are keeping Dylan in a rested, pain free state. Dylan is conscious of his surroundings and family at times, but he is not aware that he is slipping away from this earth and getting ready to meet His Heavenly Father, Lord & Savior.

Please continue to pray that the God of all comfort & peace will pour out His Spirit of mercy & grace upon our Beloved Shugart Family. Thank you all for continuing to persevere in prayer at this time and in the days & weeks & months to come. God Bless. Liz

Update 2:15pm from Debbie & Gary

I just got back from the hospital and Debbie & Gary's spirits seem lighter today. Probably because of our prayers AND their family is on the way up from Georgia! They should arrive by 4pm today & check into the SECU Family House. No matter how hard we try to fill in the gap, there's nothing better than having family right with you! :)

Things with Dylan remain the same. At this point, Dylan's white blood cell count has dropped daily from 2.0 to .7 to .2 today. (4.5 is a very low normal) The shots of white blood cells they are giving him are not able to find the others in his body & reproduce before all the 7 out of 8 antibiotics get to them. The doctors are 1st trying to fight this infection that is spreading through his body. We MUST pray for the white blood cells to miraculously come up! 2nd they are keeping Dylan's vitals stable: blood pressure, dialysis, feeding tube etc.. 3rd IF his body can conquer this infection, then next week they will try another attempt at a Liver biopsy. It's a day by day, wait & see, process.

Pray that Dylan, Gary, Debbie & family will feel secure through a deep awareness of God's continual Presence in the midst of all that they are up against. The One who never leaves us is the same One who never changes. (Hebrews 13:8) As they have to release more & more into Almighty God's hands, where God will never let go of their hands, they will find such comfort & peace which no one or circumstance can take from them. Keep on praying and keep on encouraging them especially during this busy Memorial Day Weekend. They do need all of us to stand with them in the Faith that Jesus Christ saves physically & spiritually, too! God Bless and be safe this up coming weekend!

Update 9:00 AM from Gary

Just spoke with Gary and everyone had a very restless night. Dylan is dreaming heavy, waking up every 15min. and so very thirsty. One Praise is that Debbie was feeling much better by lunch time yesterday & was able to stay with Dylan last night. She either ate something that did not agree with her, or a 12hr bug. The CT Scan did not show anything new in the abdominal area. Gary & Debbie are waiting to see the team of doctors today for their opinion on Dylan's status. Continue to Pray for their strength and wisdom to know how to proceed. Another Praise is that Gary got to share the Gospel last night with one of the doctors who had come in to check on Dylan. Gary asked to Pray for more opportunities to continue to share the Gospel with every doctor & nurse that has been working with Dylan. We absolutely MUST continue to be steadfast in our prayers, stand firm in our faith and our hope in The Great Physician who heals and can still perform a Miracle. Please PRAY Jude 24-25 "To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." God Bless.

Update from Gary 8:30 am

Big Praise! Last night Dylan & Gary got a solid nights sleep. At 11pm the nurses had bathed Dylan, and even gave him a haircut, and he was worn out after and fell fast asleep. They actually pulled the curtain & shut the doors slightly and did not interrupt either of them through out the night. Just what they both needed as Gary will spend more time with Dylan today because ....

Debbie is at the SECU house fighting a stomach bug!!! She is going to Rite Aid this morning and will be taking it easy until she gets her stomach & other side effects under control. The doctors said she can visit a little bit only, as long as she does not have a fever. She's being extra careful because of Dylan's low white blood cell count. PRAY for her quick recovery!!

Today Dylan will be getting more nutrients from his feeding tube to start putting more in his stomach. The doctors want to see how much he can handle & to get his gut, intestines, and bowels moving, PRAY this all goes well with no additional bloating and swelling. Dylan's Blood Pressure has been lower than normal so they had to slow down dialysis from 200 to 150 overnight. The nurses said it was probably due to such sound sleep as this is what the blood pressure is suppose to do while sleeping. When he awakes & becomes alert sometime this morning, PRAY his Blood Pressure gets strong to continue with a higher level of dialysis. The fluids are still being removed. What an encouraging night! Let's continue to pray the remainder of the day is on positive progress for all the Shugarts! What a Savior we worship! Isaiah 43 for today. God Bless & keep praying!!

Update from Gary 9:00 am

Dylan had a rough & uncomfortable day yesterday. Apparently a lot of the Ports and catheters had to be removed & replaced to prevent any future infection and to allow the machines & drugs to work better. His body was very sore being poked & prodded all day long and he did not get much rest. His dialysis catheter had to be replaced twice as the 1st time it was not in the right position. The arterial line that keeps a constant, accurate blood pressure reading was removed from his leg to his wrist. The huge Praise is there was not much bleeding when this was removed and put into the new location. The hard thing now is that Dylan's right arm is restrained fully so he does not accidently pull this line out!! There would be a lot of bleeding if this happened. PRAY for Dylan as he does NOT like having his right arm restrained. He was understandably out of sorts all day yesterday, but Gary said that when he arrived this morning at 7:30am Dylan was already asking for Chocolate Ice Cream for breakfast! Now that's a breakfast of champions :)

The liver enzymes are still elevated so we must continue to pray the doctors find out what's going on with the liver with the Graft v. Host! The kidneys are only working off the 24/7 dialysis as they continue to get fluid from his body. Everything should be much calmer for today as a lot was done yesterday! Gary did tell me that Dylan's White Blood cells are down today at 2 where 4.5 is normal. THIS MEANS DYLAN CAN NOT HAVE VISITORS UNTIL HIS WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT COMES BACK TO THE NORMAL OR BETTER RANGE. We need to pray that this comes up quickly as this is what fights infections in his immune system. This does NOT mean we can't visit Debbie & Gary!! We can still bring lunches/dinners to them in the ICU waiting room or take them out to dinner from the 7-8:30pm when they are required to leave for Nurse Rotation. Visitors just CAN NOT go through the doors into the ICU room to see Dylan. Until his levels come back up, Gary & Debbie definitely NEED the love & support of friends filling in the gap for family!!

If anything changes throughout the day we will update the blog. Debbie is heading to the house to get so much needed sleep and will come back to join Gary later in the afternoon. PRAY that the Lord will give them all much sound sleep & rest today. Praying Psm.29:11 for today.

Update from Gary 8:45 am Sunday 5/18

Last night at 10:30pm the doctor's successfully changed out the Port they thought might have be the cause of the strep infection. X-rays after showed it was in the right location and a clean new Port is now available. Gary spent the night with Dylan & they both got a few hours of sleep here & there. From 2-5am is the toughest because many "change outs" bags, tubes, medicines, etc... take place & its hard to get any rest. Then when they do fall asleep from 5-7am, the Nurse rotation begins and Gary has to leave from 7-8:30am for the change over. Debbie called at 8am and said she set the alarm, but never heard it go off!! :) Praise the Lord for that blessing of extra sleep!! She's on her way to the Hospital to relieve Gary and he'll go back to the SECU house for catch up sleep then will join Debbie back at the Hospital by 1-2pm. PRAY he gets some much needed sleep as it is hard to sleep when it's daylight.

Dylan is not experiencing much pain from the new Port they surgically had to put in. The new, lower dose pain medicine seems to take just enough of the edge off to keep Dylan restful. This pain medicine has not had any side effects, so lets PRAY that this continues to work. They want to keep Dylan off all morphine as much as possible as this did make him cloudy & very unclear in his mind. They are continuing to empty the fluid from his stomach to be able to get a clear X-ray to find out what is possibly causing all this bloating. They only had to change the bed sheets & pads out once last night from the fluid that is still leaking out from the sores over his body. Gary said there was still a lot of fluid, but 1 time is better that 3 the night before. This means the slower 24/7 ICU dialysis is working much better at removing more liquid at a slower pace. Praise!

For family & friends that are away, this is the reason Dylan was moved back into ICU. The dialysis machine Dylan was using on an every other day process in the BMU would strain his blood pressure, so they could not do it as long, and therefore could not get as much fluid from his body as they wanted. They when he developed a strep infection, the doctors thought it best to move Dylan back to ICU because there is so much more 1 on 1 care. He is still in good spirits when we left last night after the new port was put in. He is a remarkably strong young man and such a witness to the power of Christ in Him!

Continue to PRAY for the doctor's need of wisdom for Graft vs Host, the strep infection which antibiotics do seem to be working, the build up of stomach fluid to be removed, the pain medicine at low doses & working well and much needed sound sleep for Dylan, Gary & Debbie. This will be a day of rest and waiting on results and more progress to be made! Our God has an unlimited amount of resoures! To God Be the Glory! Phil.4:19 for today. 

Update 5:15pm from Gary

Dylan was moved from the BMTU to ICU at 12:30am this morning. They got him resting quietly by 4am. The good news is that Gary & Debbie were able to check into the SECU Family House where they have been staying in the past. We got all their personal items moved out of the BMTU to the house around 7pm. Because Dylan was so very,very upset about going back to ICU (because his parents can't stay overnight with him) both doctors signed the official forms to allow 1 parent to stay with Dylan overnight in his ICU room. This greatly relieved Dylan's anxiety! Both Gary & Debbie were with Dylan last night for the transfer and Gary finally headed to the SECU house at around 3am. Debbie stayed with Dylan and they both fell asleep from 5-7am! Then the new ICU nurse rotation came in from 7-8:30am. Gary came back to the hospital at 9:30 to relive Debbie & she went back to sleep & shower at the house for awhile. The Lord is surely sustaining them. Thank you, Jesus!

The good news is the 24/7 dialysis machine is taking the fluid off Dylan! His blood pressure remains steady & strong on the ICU dialysis machine. The doctors are still concerned about the fluid & gas building in his abdomen. They may have to do another colonoscopy, but will wait until after the weekend. The transfer alone was enough for Dylan's body. The antibiotics may be working on the strep infection and they will have more results tomorrow. The doctors want to see Dylan having more of the liquid diet going into him than the nutrients from the NG tube. Dylan slept from 8am-2pm with only 1-2 times having to be woken up for changing the port where the doctors think might be the cause of the strep infection. He will get a new one put back in either tonight or tomorrow. The plan is to rotate who stays with Dylan overnight, so it's Gary's turn tonight. In ICU they watch & take care of Dylan much closer, but being able to sleep & rest is a challenge. Pray as they are there for at least 5-6 days, they will get everything they need to improve Dylan's health. Pray for everyone physically, emotionally & spiritually to stay strong in the Lord's Mighty Power & Strength. Dylan was awaking while I visited as was in very good spirits for sure. He drank a whole apple juice, watered down in 1 hour. Pray he will be able to continue to keep liquids down & not get nauseated and also that his breathing remains strong. His body is still leaking fluids, but the dialysis is beginning to help relieve the pressure and pain. This is the time to recover from some of the little set backs from last week and continuing to pray for Wisdom from above for ALL his doctors. God is Faithful & Good! Psm.5

Update 5/16 5:45pm

Here's the latest on Dylan, as of about an hour ago:

Dylan underwent about 4 hours of dialysis this afternoon to remove more fluid. Two doctors have said that they would like to move Dylan back to ICU where the slower and more effective dialysis process can take place. It's not clear yet whether he'll make that move or when.

Also, Dylan had another restless night. He woke up every hour for 10-15 minutes and then fell back asleep. Fortunately, he slept solidly from 7-10:30am this morning. Please pray for rest for him, Gary, and Debbie.

Dylan is in a good bit of pain whenever he has to be moved, which can be as much as 7 times/day just to change his sheets alone. His skin is very sensitive due to all the blistering, and the fluid on his lower body causes discomfort when he is moved. Please pray for this fluid to be removed (perhaps thru ICU dialysis, if this is best), so that Dylan's pain subsides. Improved kidney function would be even better.

Doctors also told Gary and Debbie today that the tissue sample they collected from Dylan's liver biopsy yesterday turned out not to be large enough. No word yet on whether they'll take another larger one, or how they would do this. The doctors are a bit frustrated, Gary and Debbie are tired, and it's probably as important as ever that we intercede for them. Let's pray that God would sustain them with His comfort and give them the faith necessary to meet these challenges and continue to praise and trust Him regardless.

One bright spot: Dylan's blood pressure and heart rate have increased to healthier levels and stabilized. It's very possible, according to the doctors, that this indicates that the antibiotics Dylan is taking are effectively treating the strep infection in his blood.

Thanks to all for your prayers. We'll update as we know more.

Blessings,
Kyle

Update 5/15 10:00pm

We saw Gary and Debbie tonight, and they had just received some serious news. Today doctors discovered a strep infection in Dylan's blood that has them concerned. They have started him on some antibiotics in an effort to treat this, but Dylan certainly needs our prayers for the antibiotics to work effectively and quickly as the blood infection is a serious problem.

Let's pray for God to comfort Gary, Debbie, and Dylan during this time. Thank you!

Kyle

Update 5/15 2:20pm

There's not much news as of about 30 minutes ago when I talked to Gary. Doctors did perform the liver biopsy this morning on Dylan, and Gary hopes they'll have the results by day's end tomorrow. Dylan slept better and longer last night than he did the night before, but he still woke up several times and has been sleeping some throughout the day today. Let's pray for a more restful night tonight. Also Dylan's skin is still leaking fluid, so we need to keep this before the Lord in prayer.

Thanks again to all who have been praying consistently for the Shugarts. I know they are appreciative.

Kyle

Update 5/14 2:30pm

Spoke with Gary a few moments ago and he said that Dylan had a rough night last night. He woke up a good bit and had some bad dreams that made it difficult to sleep. Apparently, he was able to sleep some during the day today, which is good, but Gary and Debbie would prefer him to be on a normal sleep cycle. The prayer request here is for God's peace to fill Dylan's mind so that he will be able to get a good night's rest.

Also, the nurses have had to change Dylan's sheets today several times already because of the fluid his body is losing. Apparently, fluid under his skin forms blisters, which burst and cause a good bit of discomfort. Although it's certainly good that Dylan is losing fluid, this doesn't appear to be the optimal way to do it. Let's pray that dialysis and functioning kidneys will remove the rest.

Dylan's blood pressure was down today, and because of that dialysis may not be possible. Again, let's pray for his blood pressure to rise and stabilize so that dialysis is possible.

One bit of very good news: Gary had a meeting today with two of his professors to discuss the coursework he had missed over the last several weeks. Both were very gracious, and it appears that Gary will be able to earn credit from these classes for the semester. He still has at least one final exam to take, but he has received a lengthy extension on the due date to make this possible. Let's praise God for these two men who showed so much kindness to Gary.

Kyle

Update 6 AM ... from last nights visit

Last night I learned that Dylan is no longer on a liquid diet. He is only allowed sips of water as they continue to remove the fluid from his stomach with the NG Tube. His mouth is so very dry and his saliva in minimum. They will be doing Dialysis sometime today for 2-3 hours to try to get more fluid from the rest of his body. The liver & kidneys doctors do want to schedule another Liver biopsy for Thursday, 5/15 depending on how strong & stable Dylan stays today. Yesterday, Dylan had to stop working with the physical therapist because his blood pressure dropped a little lower than they wanted because his body is so weak.  But, they will try again today and they have set up that new Wii game to strengthen his upper body. :) Visitors watch out .... I know Dylan will love to take you on once he masters this game! Continue to pray for Debbie & Gary as they are sleeping with one eye open these days. Pray that the fluid that keeps building up will be removed successfully today through Dialysis and that Dylan stays very strong through this process and the remainder of the day. His Spirits are brighten with a room full of cards, pictures and the prayers & well wishes posted on his blog site. Keep them coming! Please keep praying for all the different doctors. They need collective wisdom from above in figuring out the treatments and continued course of action for Dylan. Yesterday's prayer requests still apply for today. Remember ... "His mercies are new every morning and Great is thy Faithfulness, O God!"  Blessings back to you ....  and Psalm 22:24 for today.

Update 9:00 AM from Gary

Just spoke to Gary and Dylan had to have dialysis yesterday because his kidneys are only functioning at 10% and the doctors need them to be at least at 20%. He is scheduled for dialysis MWF of this week. They had to give him medicine before dialysis because his Blood Pressure was low and they were able to stabilize it with medicine. Dylan's liver enzymes & billy rubin counts continue to go up! The doctors are frustrated & hope to find a course of action today. The Liver biopsy may be back on because of this either today or tomorrow. No one is sure yet. You can only imagine if the doctors are getting frustrated, just how the Shugart's must feel even as they Trust in God to provided. (If you have not visited yet, please pray about making an effort to visit this precious family. They need the human comfort & encouragement.) 

Dylan's stomach started building back up with fluid and they don't know why, so they put the NG Tube (feeding tube) back in through his nose into his stomach. Dylan is still on a liquid diet, but the NG Tube can also be used to stuck up the fluid from his stomach through the NG tube in his nose. It is helping, but not a fun process. The back pain was really bad yesterday & they'll be looking for some relief today. The 5-6 good days seem to be gone in 1 set back day. Continue to lift up everyone & especially Wisdom from above for the doctors in finding a course of action to take to fight this Graft vs Host disease which they believe is causing a lot of the problems.

On a Praise Note: Gary's Dad passed the heart stress test & they sent Paw-Paw home to be watched carefully yesterday! Thank You, Lord! Press on Prayer Warriors, press on. Gal.6:9-10

Update 10pm 5/11

We just got back from an evening visit & had to share this special Mother's Day surprise! When we talked earlier with Gary & Debbie, they were in the BMTU family room eating yummy leftovers. While they were out of Dylan's room, he had the nurses help him out of the bed and into the lounge chair, sitting up waiting for them to come back. When Debbie went into the room, she saw they empty bed & immediately started scanning the room! There was Dylan smiling with a big "Surprise, Happy Mother's Day!" He stayed in the chair for 30min. then the nurses lifted him back into his bed. He was worn out, but delighted to give his Mom a surprise!

While were we visiting, Gary got a phone call from his brother. Gary's Dad had been feeling bad yesterday with pains running up his right arm. Tonight they took him to the hospital and are doing blood test & checking his heart. They will keep Paw-Paw overnight for observations. The doctors do not want to take any chances and it would be hard for Gary's mom (Nanny) to get him back to the hospital should an emergency arise. Pray that the test results will show what's going on and how to treat him. Pray for Gary, Debbie & Dylan as this was unsettling news and may make Dylan even more restless. They all could used a really good dose of sleep tonight. 

Long days and weeks ahead. Just keep on praying for ALL the Shugart's. 2Peter 1:3-4 God Bless!

No Changes Sunday 5/11 Mother's Day :)

Just got off the phone with Gary. They were finishing up a late lunch or early dinner of left over Chicken Enchiladas courtesy of the Cardon family.  Gary said it was just as good as last nights dinner, if not better the second day. There are no changes to report. We should continue to pray for Dylan to try to sleep at night as he had another restless night. Prayer warriors,  pray for the kidneys to continue to improve and start removing fluid on their own, the sores in his mouth not to worsen, and his liquid diet to continue to nourish him. His liver is regenerating on its own, but the enzyme count is still a little elevated. Visitors are welcome as Dylan continues to be alert & awake. Just call ahead of time. Any lunches & dinners are very much appreciated seeing that Gary & Debbie are by Dylan's side 24/7 in the BMTU and can break away for a little while to eat & fellowship. There is no way to know when Dylan can go home, so continue to lift up the Shugart family and make an attempt to visit to encourage them in person if you can. Thanks & God Bless!

Update from Debbie 3:00pm

Talked with Debbie and Dylan is in Dialysis as I write for 2-3 hours. Gary & Debbie have a small window to go outside breath some fresh air and continue to process & pray. The doctors are seeing that his kidneys are functioning a tiny bit more on their own. Because of this, they will finish the dialysis for today but the Tuesday appt. may be cancelled to see if Dylan's kidneys will continue to respond on their own without the help of dialysis. Sunday & Monday will be crucial to see Dylan be able to relive fluids on his own. Debbie & Gary do not want to see more fluid start & continue to build up while they are waiting to see if his body can do it by itself. Otherwise, they'll be back to where they started and lose the progress he has made. PRAY that Dylan's whole body will start working as God created it to work on its own, releasing the fluid build up properly.

Debbie did say that Dylan's liver enzymes are elevated today but that could be because they are trying to work with the kidneys OR the Graft vs. Host Disease is affecting them. They are giving him medicine just in case. PRAY they return to normal and continue to process the blood to his kidneys properly. Dylan also has some tiny sores starting in his mouth that could also be a side effect of Graft vs. Host. PRAY that these would absolutely go away so that it will not hinder Dylan from eating when that time comes. Right now the feeding tube fell out again! and they have decided not to replace it and put him on a liquid diet. Dylan's nausea has passed and was caused from his feeding tube being in the wrong spot when they put it back yesterday! 

Dylan is so very alert, awake and talking up a storm. He is in good spirits, all things considered, and the physical therapist is working him hard on strengthening all his muscles. Lower back still is sore from being on his back so much. Debbie did want us to PRAY that at night, when it is time to go to bed, Dylan would not become anxious. Last night he was very anxious & getting wired up instead of winding down. He needs to be able to continue to Trust God to give him perfect, resting sleep. This will also help Debbie & Gary as they are sleeping in the room with him now. Thank you for your continued prayers! Remember Jeremiah 32:27 .... God Bless!

P.S. Hi Nanny, Paw-Paw, Sheila & Jerry ... the kin-folk Yankees miss ya'll! xoxo

Update from Gary 11:45am

Dylan was transfered from ICU to the Bone Marrow Transfer Unit at 5:30pm yesterday. The new address would be: Dylan Shugart

                                         BMTU Room 5718

         5th Floor Anderson

        101 Manning Drive

        Chapel Hill, NC 27514

His 3-4 hour dialysis went well. They will be continuing this every other day until all the fluid from his chest-down is back to normal. He still can not stand on his own from the fluid. His heart & blood pressure remain strong. That's a Praise!

Today, Dylan is not feeling good. He is nauseated from the contents of his feeding tube and the nurses have given him medicine for the nausea so he can keep some nutrients down. He is also passing a little blood in his stool and they are watching this closely. This morning they took the urine catheter out because it was clotting and painful. Gary is not sure if they will put another one back in? Gary & Debbie keep rubbing & putting a warm wash cloth on the sores on his legs.

They both got 4-5 hours of sleep in the room last night with Dylan. (Being out of ICU is a lot harder on everyone.) A muscle therapist is going to start to come by to try to build up strength in Dylan's hands & arms. His whole body is very weak from lying in bed 1 month. They can not work on the legs until the fluid is gone. 

There are no set backs to report, but still many challenges to face and deal with. They all need an extra measure of God's abundant supply of strength, hope and continued endurance. Pray for his team of doctors to have God given wisdom in figuring out how to treat Dylan's on going health issues. Please continue to reach out to the family with encouragement on the Blog Site and always call before a visit, as, like today with Dylan being nauseated, may not be a good day for visitors. Stay steadfast in your prayers. They need this the most! Let's pray Romans 15:13 for today as their Spirit's need a little lifting up! Thanks for all your continued support! God Bless.

Update from Gary 11:30am

Just spoke with Gary and the Family members have just said their goodbyes and are heading back to Georgia. It's an 8 hr. drive and rainy the whole way. Pray for extra safe travel mercies.

They have a room for Dylan in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and he is on his way right now out of ICU! Praise the Lord! He will still have to continue Dialysis once he gets settled and this machine is a lot faster than the slower 24hr. one they use in ICU. We definitely need to PRAY that Dylan's heart & blood pressure remain strong for this faster way of Dialysis. It was what they were using before Dylan was put into ICU. 

Dylan has some really bad back pain & the doctors have given him Perkaset to help. Gary & Debbie want to stay away from any morphine because this makes him cloudy & crazy at times. Pray for healing & relief as we are not sure what is causing the back pain. Now that Dylan is out of ICU he has asked his parents to stay with him overnight now. Gary & Debbie still have the room at the UNC Family house until Monday 12th, so they will continue to use it for showers, naps and maybe a good nights sleep if Dylan lets them go. For now, they will stay in his new room as they were before ICU. They will need Prayer for extra endurance & strength with the room change. 

Dylan is still very alert, awake and talking more & more each day. Being moved out of ICU is great news, but he will also not have that level of attention he has been getting 24/7. Pray for a Peace & Trust in the Lord's provision to continue to take care & watch over Dylan. 

Visits can be set up with Gary ahead of time, now. Just call & ask if it's a good time and good day and you MUST NOT have been around anyone who has been sick for at least 1 week! The Bone Marrow Unit has extra precautions for all the patients safety. Keep praying! Dylan is certainly improving, but not out of the woods. Have a Blessed day!  Isaiah 41:13

Update from Gary 9:45 am Wednesday

Gary & Debbie arrived at the Hospital this morning to find a wide awake & alert Dylan just waiting for them to get there. He slept very well and all his vital signs keep improving! Thank you Jesus! Gary was waiting to call to update the blog site until they received confirmation, but the doctors have not arrived as 10am this morning. So the plan is ... that Dylan would be well enough, either today or tomorrow, to move out of ICU and back into the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. They will continue with Dialysis, even if he is moved, in order to remove the fluid he still is retaining. If this plan goes forward, the 4 family members will head back to Georgia Thurs. 5/8 in the morning. It is an 8 hr. drive home, so pray for their travel mercies. With the family members scheduled to leave, Gary & Debbie & Dylan will need the continued support of their church family and friends for visit, lunches & dinners. Whatever can work with everyones schedule. Just let Gary know what you'd like to do. Also, I can not tell you how much they LOVE reading your posting comments & prayers on the blog site everyday! Keep those encouragements coming. "Nanny" thanks everyone for her prayers on her birthday yesterday. The family is so happy to see Dylan improving during their week long stay. If Gary finds out anything different from the scheduled plan above, he will call to update. Otherwise, continue to stay steadfast in prayer for Dylan's process for complete healing. God Bless You! Matthew 7:7-8

Update from Gary 8:00 am Tuesday 5/6

Gary called to say Dylan had another great day yesterday! They did take the tube out of his mouth and he is breathing on his own now. He is able to whisper-talk to everyone and continues to be very alert. This is just a blessing to the whole family! The Blood count & Liver counts continue to stay strong. The doctors have decided to WAIT on a liver biopsy for today to allow Dylan's body to continue to get stronger, but they are pleased with his progress these past 4 days. Please continue to pray for no more setbacks and that God would restore Dylan's whole body. As the family heads off to the hospital this morning to see how Dylan did overnight, lets pray that today is even better than yesterday! 

On a side note..... today is Ms. Jill's (Nanny's) Birthday!!!!! Pray for an extra measure of blessings on her today and that Paw-Paw, Shelia, Jerry, Debbie, Gary & Dylan can rejoice in a special way. Remember Isaiah 40:25-31. Thanks and God Bless!

Update from Gary 9:00 am Mon. 5/5

Spoke to Gary this morning and Dylan had another good day yesterday. He was very alert & aware and totally breathing on his own with the tube still in his mouth. The doctors said the tube can come out today! Pray he continues to breath strongly on his own. Dialysis continues to remove excess fluids and blood pressure was strong all day. Even after a little incident last night when the nurses were changing the sheets & bathing Dylan, they accidently pulled out his catheter that is in his neck for Dialysis!! They had to stop Dialysis, put in a new one & start him up all over again. Dylan's pressure remained stable and then rose up again for Dialysis. This was a good sign of his body working & not fighting! The Doctor's said it was a blessing in disguise because the port of the catheter can get infected sometimes and it's good to have a clean port. (If you remember, this is the port they could not stop bleeding from for days & Gary said there was not much blood during the change!) They gave Dylan a tiny dose of morphine for the pain which his liver normally has a hard time processing, but it worked like a charm and by 8pm Dylan was alert, instead of wiped out and not feeling much pain.

Today Dylan will continue Dialysis and have the tube removed from his mouth. The doctors said that if his total body blood count stays consistent & strong today they will move forward with the Liver Biopsy tomorrow. Let's continue to pray that every hour Dylan improves and thank God for His Faithfulness! It has been 4 weeks, today, that Dylan's been in UNC Hospital. The family continues to spend 12-14 hours in the hospital a day, so pray that these last 3 days of no setbacks will be a big encouragement as they press on in the Lord's strength. Our prayers and comments on the blog site are greatly being answered & helping the family to face the long road ahead. Thank you dear family & friends ....  Psm. 27:13-14 and Zec.4:6 for today.

Update for Sunday 5/4

Dylan continues with successful Dialysis today. They have increased the level to 150ml from 8oml yesterday and fluid is slowly being removed. Dylan is breathing on his own although the tube for the ventilator is still in his mouth just in case they have to put it back suddenly. They hope to have it all taken out tomorrow if Dylan stays strong in his blood pressure and breathing. He is much more alert & awake today and feels a little of the pain from all the remaining fluid still left in his body. The doctors may stick a needle into Dylan to help released more fluid quicker, but they are cautious because this could cause more unnecessary bleeding. So far, Dialysis is working great, but it is very slow because of the past drop in blood pressure. Dylan is certainly NOT out of the woods but at least he is not experiencing any set backs for the last 2 days. There is still the question of another liver biopsy on Tuesday should Dylan be strong enough for this procedure. We need to continue to pray for the whole family as they wait upon the Lord, doctors, results and the unknowns. Have a Blessed day in the Lord ... Isaiah 41:10!

Update from Gary 10 am Sat. 5/3

Praise God! Gary just called and Dylan's blood pressure has remained strong since 10pm last night. The doctors were able to start a very slow dialysis this am at 50ml and now increased it to 80ml and Dylan's blood pressure remains strong. This is a slow process, but it will help in taking the 60lbs. of fluid that Dylan's body is retaining. Pray that Dylan continues to remain blood pressure & heart strong so they do NOT have to stop Dialysis. He is greatly holding steady and fluid continues to very slowly be removed! :) Dylan is still sedated and will be for the remainder of today while this procedure takes place. Everyone got some much needed rest and they can feel our prayers. Press on & persevere in prayer O Saints of the Lord! Thanks! 2Cor.4:8-9

Update 5/2 6:00pm

Great news! I just spoke with Gary, and Dylan's blood pressure rose back up about 45 minutes ago and has been holding at that level ever since. Gary sounded very much relieved and expects, if all continues well, that Dylan will be able to receive the dialysis treatment tomorrow. Although no one knows at this point what caused the drop in Dylan's blood pressure, we, as Christians, certainly know Who fixed it. I hope that each of you is encouraged to see how God has graciously acted to answer His people's prayer at the time they were interceding for Dylan. Let's continue to pray that God would sustain Gary and Debbie's faith through this difficult and trying time.

Kyle

Update 5/2 4:20pm

Gary called, and it sounds like Dylan needs our prayers now. The doctors wanted to run the dialysis machine today, but they weren't able to because Dylan's blood pressure has dropped too low. It's important that they perform the dialysis to remove the excess fluid from his body. Dylan now weighs 185 lbs, much of which is fluid weight. Fortunately, the fluid seems to be largely concentrated in his lower body now, rather than in his lungs as before, but we need to pray that his blood pressure will rise so that dialysis will be possible to remove this fluid before it accumulates around his lungs. According to Gary, the fluid is building up at a moderate pace, so it will be important that Dylan receive dialysis tomorrow, since today will not be possible.

Gary and Debbie also received the results from a biopsy of Dylan's colon, which showed Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) in his colon. The disease is a complication often found in bone marrow transplant patients and can last up to 5 years following a transplant. Doctors hope to be able to treat it with medication only, but there is some concern how Dylan's liver will be able to handle the medication. Please pray for the medication to be effective and well-received by his liver.

The Shugarts could really use our prayers right now. Let's pray that God would give Gary and Debbie the strength to face another setback and to continue caring for Dylan and representing Christ so well at the hospital. Let's pray that their faith in the Lord would be strong and that as they commit their concerns to Him, they would experience His peace that passes all understanding to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Gary expressed today how grateful he was for all of the comments you have left on the blog. He and Debbie read them every night before they go to bed, and using their laptop at the hospital, they even read them to Dylan by his bedside. Although Dylan isn't often able to respond, there's a likelihood that he's able to understand very much of what Gary and Debbie are saying to him. I think it would be especially appropriate if we left Dylan words of encouragement today.

Kyle

Friday, May 2, 2008 12:30pm

Just spoke with Gary and not much has changed. They are still waiting on the biopsy results from the colon/bowel area of 2 days ago and the CT results from 2:30am are not back either. Pray for these to come back so the doctor's really know what course of action to take with Dylan. They are keeping Dylan sedated and on a ventilator because they are getting ready to start Dialysis to relive a lot of fluid that has built up again! The sedative helps with the extreme pain he would otherwise be feeling from the fluid and the ventilator will help with the strain the dialysis is about to have on Dylan's breathing and heart! They are going to go as slow as possible so not to drop his blood pressure. Please pray that as they start Dialysis the fluid will begin to move out and Dylan will hold strong for the whole procedure. Dylan is not really aware of what is happening, but he does recognize his family that is at his side night & day. Continue to pray for Gary, Debbie, Paw-Paw, Nanna, Sheila & Jerry as they are all in a "hurry up & wait & be patient" mode. They all need continued rest & encouragement! Remember John 10:10 as we rely on God.

Update 5/1 9:45pm

I just received an update from Gary. The doctors decided to keep Dylan sedated and using the ventilator all day today, and they plan to do the same tomorrow. Twice today Dylan passed a good bit of blood through his bowels, and while the liver doctors are not particularly concerned about this, another doctor has ordered a CT scan tonight to make sure nothing is abnormal. Gary and Debbie should be able to get the results by about 4:00am. Also, doctors had to give Dylan 4 units of blood today (and 4 yesterday), so it's clear that he's losing blood somewhere in addition to what was passed today. Pray that the doctors will have wisdom and skill to find the source of the bleeding, and pray for a CT scan that reveals nothing abnormal in his bowels.

Gary and Debbie plan to go back to their room to get some sleep tonight (albeit only until 4am), so let's also pray that their sleep is very restful.

Thanks to all who are praying for the Shugarts around the US and around the world. They are so grateful for your love and support.

Kyle

Update 5/1 11:00pm

Gary called this morning with an update. Dylan is doing better than yesterday, and doctors plan to take him off of the ventilator this afternoon so that he can breathe on his own. They are also gradually taking him off of the sedation medication today as well. Dylan's blood pressure continues to maintain at healthy levels without the use of medication, which is also encouraging.

This afternoon doctors plan to conduct a procedure in which they insert a needle into Dylan's abdomen to extract excess fluid. Hopefully, this will relieve some of the pressure Dylan is experiencing. Dylan's colon is still enlarged from the buildup of pressure yesterday, and Gary encouraged us to pray that no surgery will be needed to correct this, since Dylan is in a weakened condition. Please also pray that Dylan's bowels will resume functioning like normal.

Gary and Debbie spent the night at the hospital last night, but feel pretty good today, all things considered. Their families arrived safely about 6pm last night.

Also, Dylan's liver numbers are stable, which perhaps indicate that the liver will mend on its own and Dylan will not require a liver transplant. Let's keep praying for it to heal.

Kyle

Update 4/30 4:30pm

Gary just relayed an update. Not much has changed in Dylan's condition since the procedure this morning. He is sedated and resting now, and Gary and Debbie are with him. The doctors expect to keep him sedated for another 1-2 days.

It seems that there have been a series of different problems these past weeks with various organs--kidney, lungs, colon, etc.--which have prevented doctors from making progress on the liver issue, which is the reason Dylan was initially admitted. While this may seem frustrating to us as human beings, we should trust that this whole process is operating on God's infinitely wise timetable, and what appear to be unforeseen setbacks to us do not take Him by surprise. Let's continue to pray that God would sustain Gary and Debbie with the faith needed to handle whatever comes their way.

Also, please pray for safe travel for Gary and Debbie's families, who are traveling in from GA today.

Update 4/30 12:15pm

Good news--the doctors just came in and informed Gary and Debbie that the procedure to remove the air from Dylan's colon was successful. The tube insertion went very well and didn't aggravate any additional bleeding. This is an answer to prayer. In fact, the doctors were even able to leave the tube in his colon in case future air removal is needed.

The cause of the pressure buildup, they suspect, is normal bacteria in the colon that produce air, which Dylan isn't able to expel b/c his bowels are not working properly. Doctors are trying to figure out now why Dylan's bowels are not operating as they should. Pray for wisdom as they attempt this diagnosis. Dylan is sedated for now and resting in his room.

Update 4/30 11:25am

Here's the latest update on Dylan. Gary and Debbie would certainly appreciate your prayers.

The doctors are performing a procedure right now to try to alleviate some of the pressure in Dylan's colon. They think that the expanded colon is pressing up against other organs and may be the cause of some of Dylan's symptoms. However, they're not sure what is causing the air pressure to build up in the colon. The procedure itself is somewhat dangerous, in that they will be inserting a tube to try to remove the air, which could cause bleeding. We need to pray for skillful insertion of the tube by the doctors and wisdom to discover the cause of the air pressure.

The CT scan also revealed that there were no noticeable tears or ruptures in Dylan's colon. That's good news. Also, Dylan's heart rate has increased to normal levels, and he is maintaining that heart rate on his own w/o the help of medicine. He is still using a ventilator to breathe. We'll let you know more as info becomes available.

Kyle

Update 4/30 9:00am

I just received a call from one of the UNC hospital chaplains. She informed me that this morning Dylan's heart rate and blood pressure dropped very suddenly and doctors placed Dylan on a ventilator. They're planning to do a CT scan very soon. I asked the chaplain if she could give me an idea of the seriousness of Dylan's condition, and she said that she didn't know. I'm headed up to the hospital now and will post more updates as they become available. We need to lift Dylan, Gary, and Debbie up in our prayers this morning.
Kyle

April 29, 2008 5:30pm

Hi friends and family! I spent the day with the Shugart Family and a lot was done over the course of 5 hours. A colonoscopy was done today and several biopsies and samples were taken for testing. It could be 1 of 3 things: 1) Infection in the colon 2) Graph vs. Host Disease or 3) an insult to the colon due to his low blood pressure. The results should be back tomorrow, hopefully. He is still quite uncomfortable with a lot of pressure in his abdomen. Please pray that he can get some relief from this gas pressure and not be too uncomfortable to keep him from resting tonight. Dylan was not on dialysis but they were using the dialysis machine to clean his blood. Fluid is building back up in his feet and legs. They will start dialysis again tonight or tomorrow. Please keep praying for comfort, rest & more sleep for everyone. Thanks!  God Bless. Psm 33:18-22

Update 4/28 3:00pm

A short update on Dylan: Gary said that Dylan was able to sleep soundly through the night last night and that in fact, he slept until 10:30 this morning. This is certainly a praise, as Dylan had been getting very little sleep over the past week. Gary and Debbie also got a good night's rest and are beginning to feel somewhat recovered from their sleep-deprived past week.

The doctors will run more tests and X-rays on Dylan today as they consider how to treat him and his infection. Let's be in prayer for them to have wisdom.

Update 4/27 5:40pm

Gary just called with the latest on Dylan. Today, doctors discovered a urinary tract infection, which they believe is the likely cause of his blood pressure problems, rather than the dialysis. Because of this, there is some discussion about continuing the dialysis longer.

However, the infection is definitely a setback. The doctors plan to use antibiotics and fluids to flush it out of Dylan's system, but because of the problems with his liver, the infection is more serious than it would be in someone with a healthy liver.

On a positive note, Dylan is sleeping now and has been for the past hour. This is good, since he hasn't slept in two days.

Let's pray for Dylan to continue to get sleep and for this infection to go away.

Thanks,
Kyle

April 27, 2008 1:30pm

Dylan has had a rough couple of nights and is very uncomfortable. Please pray that he gets some restful sleep.  Dylan's blood pressure has been elevated today and the doctors are going to try to lower it with medicine. If they can't then Dylan will have to be taken off dialysis as this is a major contributor to causing the blood pressure to rise. The doctors were planning on taking Dylan off dialysis tomorrow, Monday 4/28 and see how his kidneys perform. If Dylan remains at a constant weight then fluid is not being stored and the kidney is working well. Please pray that if Dylan is taken off dialysis whether it is today or Monday that the kidneys will function on their own.  Also last night Dylan pulled the feeding tube out from his nose and the doctors just put it back in at noon. He will have to undergo an x-ray to make sure it is positioned in the proper place. Dylan keeps asking when he is going home. Gary and Debbie are trying to explain to him that he is going to be here for a while. Due to Dylan's clouded state he is having trouble processing this truth. Continue to pray for Gary and Debbie's strength: emotionally, physically and spiritually to be steadfast in their faith and the Lord.

4/26 4:20pm

The Rices spoke with Debbie this afternoon and emailed us this update. Through the dialysis, Dylan has had 30 pounds of fluid removed. The feeding tube is still in place, but on his own, he was able to drink broth and a small amount of a "slushy." The dialysis will continue at least another 24 hours and Doctors will then consider ceasing the process. Dylan stayed awake all day Friday but did not sleep as well as hoped for Friday night. His memory continues to return but the events of last week are still a blurr to him. Dylan even asked if he could get up and walk today but due to the number of tubes, monitors and his own weakness, walking will be contine to be postponed for now. Obviously Gary and Debbie are encouraged at Dylan's progress, but at the same time, they are extremely drained physically and emotionally. However, they rejoice at God's goodness in the darkest hours of the past week through today's progress. Nothing was said in regards to the condition of his liver.

Update 4/25 8:30pm

Gary called tonight with an update. The best news is that Dylan's lungs are completely clear of all fluid. Dylan is also more talkative today than in days past. Gary said that he and Debbie spent most of the day in the room just talking with Dylan. I'm sure that was a welcome blessing for them. Dylan is still a little disoriented, but doctors have assured them that won't linger. He'll continue the dialysis treatment for several more days, Lord willing, before being moved back to a room in the bone marrow unit.

A few more highlights:
The feeding tube is in and working now.
Dylan's liver numbers are maintaining, which is a good sign.
Gary and Debbie's families are leaving tomorrow morning, so we can pray for them to have a safe trip back to Georgia.

Update 4/25 4:45pm

For those of you checking back for an update, we still haven't heard from Gary or Debbie today. We've left them voicemails and will post an update as soon as we can after we hear from them.

I join you in rejoicing in what our God is doing. Let's keep the Shugarts in our prayers!

Update 4/24 8:55pm

There's more good news on Dylan. The CT scan revealed no infection, and much of his disorientation is gone. Turns out that was a lingering effect of the medications in his system, which his liver was slow to process. He's now much more alert and able to converse with Gary and Debbie. He's also able to breathe on his own, so doctors have taken him off of the oxygen. Dylan has also lost 23 lbs. of fluid, and the amount of fluid in his lungs is significantly less. Doctors still want him to lose another 27 lbs., however.

Dylan will be in ICU for another 5 days, after which he'll be moved to the bone marrow unit. Doctors aren't sure how long he'll be there. During his remaining time in ICU, Dylan will be hooked up to a dialysis machine. The dialysis machines are for priority patients, so Gary asked that we pray that Dylan will be able to keep the machine, even though he's improving.

A few other bits of info:
Dylan's liver is still the same.
He's not in any discomfort right now (other than perhaps the feeding tube)
He's regaining his strength
Gary and Debbie will get another good night's rest tonight

Update 4/24 11:50 am

Gary called in with another update this morning. Dylan continues to be more alert than in previous days, although he's still disoriented at times. He remembered several facts and names and even asked to see his grandmother. Gary was able to read to him from the Scriptures and a devotional book, and the Shugarts had a time of family devotions at the hospital. Given how bad things were in previous days, I'm sure this was a real blessing for Gary and Debbie. Dylan is still breathing well and a good bit of the fluid has been removed from his body, although the doctors still have not said how much. Removing the rest of it could be a lengthy process, according to Gary, but things are headed in the right direction. Gary and Debbie were able to check the blog last night, and he asked that I express his gratitude to each one of you who has been praying for them. As he reminded me this morning, God is good and does what is best not only when He grants what we are asking, but even when He doesn't. He would have been good even if Dylan's health had not improved, but in this case, they praise Him that He has seen fit to grant the prayers of His people.

Update 4/24 9:00am

I spoke with Gary this morning, and Dylan is "holding his own" today. He's still on dialysis, and they will find out later today how much more fluid has been removed from Dylan's lungs. His liver has not worsened and seems pretty stable. The doctors also did the CT scan late last night on Dylan's stomach, and Gary and Debbie are awaiting results from that. The purpose of the scan was to check for possible infection. Doctors also inserted the feeding tube, and while Dylan is not especially fond of it, he has been alert enough to understand why Gary and Debbie have said it is necessary. We should pray that the nutrition Dylan receives from the feeding tube helps him regain his strength and begin to heal. On the whole, Dylan seems more alert today than yesterday, although there is still some disorientation. He's swollen and not particularly comfortable right now, but he's not any worse.

Gary and Debbie were also able to get 5-6 hours of sleep last night. Not a lot, but certainly an improvement on earlier this week. Pray for them to have continued strength and energy. They've been through an emotionally and physically exhausting week.

Kyle

Update 4/23 10:00pm

Well, the update as of tonight is that I haven't received an update. For now, we're assuming that things are the same. I'll check back in with Gary tomorrow morning and post whatever I find out. Often, Gary and Debbie are very busy meeting with doctors and caring for Dylan, and it's hard to return voice messages. Many of you may have left voice messages over the past few days, and while they would like to return them all, there simply isn't time. Posting on the blog is actually a better way for them to hear from you. They are so grateful for all the outpouring of love and support. It has been great to see how God has specifically answered many of the things you've been praying for. Let's keep it up!

Update 4/23 1:00pm

Thanks to everyone for your prayers. The doctors just informed Gary that Dylan's lungs were 50% better from yesterday in terms of the fluid that is in them. In fact, b/c of this progress, they don't think a bronchoscopy will be necessary. However, they are concerned that Dylan is still confused and disoriented. They want to check to see if an infection could be contributing to these problems, and they'll conduct a CT scan on Dylan's head for this purpose today. Pray that the scan would be conclusive in helping the doctors determine where the infection is located so that they can know how to treat it.

According to Gary, we should still pray that Dylan's liver will begin to heal and function on its own. The other option is a liver transplant, and Dylan simply isn't able to handle one right now. He's improving, but he's still in need of our prayers.

I will need to leave the hospital soon, and updates may be less frequent than they were yesterday. However, I'll pass along information as soon as I'm able. We saw Debbie today also, and she looked much-refreshed after a good night of sleep. Gary's parents and Debbie's sister and brother-in-law arrived safely last night, and they've been a big encouragement to Gary and Debbie. Let's keep praying that Dylan will continue to improve.

Kyle

Update 4/23 11:25am

Good morning, all. We just got to the hospital and talked to Gary. Turns out there's some more good news this morning. The dialysis was effective at removing some fluid from Dylan's lungs, and the hope is that as it continues to run today, more will be removed. According to Gary, Dylan is more alert and able to recognize them.

The feeding tube that doctors planned to insert has not been inserted yet b/c doctors are planning to do a bronchoscopy today as well. Because both of these procedures require sedation, the doctors want to do them both at once and only sedate Dylan one time. Pray that the feeding tube will provide the nutrition Dylan needs to regain some strength. Doctors will also do an EKG this morning. Will let you know once we hear the results from that.

The nurses told Gary that Dylan rested very well last night, and Gary observed that he seems much more comfortable. The fact that he rested is a very good thing b/c he hasn't gotten much more sleep than Gary and Debbie these past few days. Along those lines, Gary and Debbie were also able to sleep well last night and get some much-needed rest. He greeted us with a smile today and seemed to be refreshed. Let's pray that God will allow them several more nights of rest like this. I'm sure they're still operating with a big sleep deficit. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement for them.

Kyle

4/22 9:45pm

Dylan is resting, his vitals are improved from earlier today. The chances are high that they will put in the feeding tube tonight. They will continue dialysis throughout the night, however he is still very sick. Pray for a restful night for Gary and Debbie as they will be staying at a hotel tonight close by.

Update 4/22 6:05pm

I just saw Gary, and there's a bit of good news this evening. The doctors in ICU have put Dylan on a slower dialysis process that is less taxing on his body. They believe that by doing this, they can run the dialysis treatment for 24-48 hours and remove a good bit of fluid. Let's pray that this is just what takes place. Gary and Debbie have been very pleased with the ICU staff and the individual attention they've been able to give Dylan. I think they are confident that he's in very capable hands.

Another piece of good news is that Dylan was more responsive this afternoon and even recognized Gary and Debbie. I'm sure that was a morale booster for them.

Also, many of you have been praying that God would give Gary and Debbie wisdom on when to take a break and get some sleep. It looks like He providentially answered that question today--ICU rules prohibit all visitors (even family) from being with the patient between 9pm and 9am. Gary and Debbie will check into a local hotel and be able to get 9-10 hrs of much-needed sleep tonight. Out of courtesy to them, I'd suggest not calling on their cell phones between 10pm and 7:30am.

Gary and Debbie's families are en route from Georgia as we speak. I think they should arrive before Gary and Debbie go to the hotel tonight.

Finally, doctors said that if the dialysis treatment over these next 24-48 hrs. is not effective at removing fluid, this could indicate a possible infection. Gary asked what they would do if this proved to be the case, and the doctors said that their method of treatment would depend on the type of infection. However, Gary seemed to believe there was a likelihood that an infection could be treated with medication.

Gary had a chance to sit down and read all of your comments to this point. I could tell it really encouraged him to see how friends from so many places were praying for him. He just left the waiting room and is going to relay your messages of encouragement to Debbie. Thanks again for ministering to them! Keep praying that their faith would remain strong.

Kyle

Update 4/22 5:00pm

Still no word from Gary and Debbie. The dialysis started later than I expected today (about 3:00pm), although I'm not sure the reason for the delay. According to Gary, Dylan is only strong enough for about 3-4 hours of dialysis because the treatment raises his heart rate and blood pressure. I expect that the dialysis will run through 6:00 or 7:00pm. If there's an update at that time (or sooner), I'll post it. In the meantime, we should be praying that the dialysis would be very effective at removing fluid from Dylan's lungs. Thanks to all for your prayers.

Update 4/22 2:00pm

For those checking back for updates, there's still no update right now on Dylan. Gary and Debbie are with him while he receives his dialysis treatment, and I'm in the waiting room at the hospital. They've had to move out of the room they've been in and will likely move to a new room in the ICU area following the dialysis. Please continue to pray for Gary and Debbie, that their faith would remain strong and that they would experience God's peace that passes all understanding to sustain them (Phil. 4:6-7). While most of us cannot comprehend the difficulty of what they've been through in these past several days, our God is up to the task of comforting and sustaining His children. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3). Thanks to the network of supporters all around the country who are praying for them.

Kyle

Update 4/22 10:50am

Gary just called with an urgent prayer request. Dylan's breathing has gotten worse, and he is unable to acknowledge anyone at this time. The doctors are taking him right now for dialysis, but they are not sure whether his heart can handle it. The Shugarts need our prayers now as much as ever!

Update 4/22 9:30am

Gary just called and said that the doctors are putting Dylan in ICU this morning because of breathing problems. Because he is retaining so much fluid, part of which has begun to build up in his lungs, Dylan's breathing is very labored at this time. The doctors will use another dialysis treatment to remedy this, although one was not originally scheduled for today. Currently, Dylan is only able to use a portion of his lungs for breathing, so we need to pray that the dialysis treatment would be effective at removing the rest of the fluid from his lungs. Please join us in praying for Dylan in this way today.

Also, although they still had to stay up most of the night with Dylan, Gary and Debbie were able to get about 3.5 hours of sleep last night. Let's pray for opportunities for them to get more sleep soon!

Gary and Debbie both want to express how much they appreciate all of your prayers and support. It really means a lot to them. Thanks!

Kyle

4/21 Update

Hello all,

Several of us were talking today about the best way to get information concerning Dylan to the most folks in the least amount of time. The answer was this blog. We hope it's helpful to you, and even more so, that your comments will be helpful to Dylan, Gary, and Debbie.

Here's the update for today (4/21): Dylan had a dialysis treatment this morning, but b/c of a high heart rate, the dialysis did not last as long as the doctors would have hoped. As a result there is still some fluid buildup that remains. Doctors also did an endoscopy to check for internal bleeding, but didn't find anything.

The doctors would like to insert a feeding tube for Dylan so that he gets the nutrition he needs and gets rid of the fluid he's retaining, but the real challenge with this will be the discomfort of the tube and keeping it in place. Pray for a solution to this problem.

So far, there's no change today in Dylan's liver function. The doctors said that there could either be a very slow process of healing for the liver, or it could rapidly deteriorate. Of course, we're praying for the former. As of now, the doctors are concerned that Dylan is not healthy enough to undergo a transplant. Let's pray that 1) the liver will heal itself, and 2) that Dylan will begin getting stronger just in case a transplant is needed. A piece of good news is that doctors said that Dylan's kidney looked just fine today.

Other prayer requests: Gary and Debbie (along w/ Dylan) got no sleep last night. They're running on only a few hours sleep in the last 48 hrs. Pray for time to sleep and wisdom to work out a schedule for sleeping and being with Dylan. Gary and Debbie will be trying to make these decisions soon.

We'll post more updates in the future as they become available. Thanks to all of you for your faithful prayers!

Kyle