The Smell of Support

Hi again,

I just wanted to write a quick note to everyone and say thank you for all of the beautiful flowers that have been sent to Cathi's room...It makes our day every time another one is delivered...It is amazing also that the entire room has begun to smell of fresh flowers; all of Cathi's nurses consistently comment on the smell and how beautiful all of the arrangements are...Some of the other arrangements can be seen in the posting below this one...We are running out of room to put the flowers...It is a great problem to have, thank you all sooooo much....

You can also see my little make shift bed against the window ledge...There is a chair in the room that I have converted to a sleeping space...This is where all of the writing gets done...I am fortunate to be able to stay here with Cathi day and night with no complaints from the nursing staff...I don't get much sleep here due to the consistent check-ups from various nursing staff and doctors throughout the night, but it is much better than being away from Cathi...Oh, did I forget to mention, that multiple times throughout the night, I also have the pleasure of watching Bayflite just outside my window...The windows rattle a bit from the loud noise, but it's cool to see the helicopter all the time....

Thanks again

Logan

Home Away From Home

Hello Everyone,

Cathi and I want to start off by saying that we more than appreciate all of the phone calls, emails, and offers for assistance during this most difficult of situations...Never in our lives have we been suffocated by so much emotion...The pain of loss is certainly overwhelming; however, Cathi and I remain very positive about the two remaining children that Cathi is working so hard to keep in so they can grow strong and healthy...

Many times in life we are all faced with challenges that truly test us and the ones that we love...However, we all have a choice as to whether we give in to the obstacle and collapse, or rise above what is in front of us and overcome what seems to be the impossible...The loss of our son is something that neither of us will ever quite overcome, on the other hand, we see what our son has given us...Raiden has given his little brother and sister a better chance at a healthy life and for that we are very thankful...There are blessings in almost every tragedy and this situation is no exception...Since Raiden has passed away, his little brother, Ryker and his little sister, Gywn are flourishing...There heartbeats remain around 150 - 160 beats per minute...Cathi is on strict bed rest and has no privileges...As hard as it is for her, she has remained in the best of spirits and we are both thankful for every additional day that she goes without complications...I have been staying at the hospital every day and night trying to help Cathi the best way I know how...I feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful person in my life...I am so thankful that Cathi has been consistently up-beat and steadfast through this entire ordeal...It is because of her, that I have been able to hold myself up these past few weeks...

Cathi is now 23 weeks and two days...Halloween is the next benchmark...On 10/31/08 the babies will have a chance to survive in the outside world in the event they are born prematurely...Obviously this is not the best scenario, but it is the first of many short term goals we have set in what seems to be an infinite journey...

Again, thank you all so much for your thoughts, prayers and support...Cathi may start seeing visitors soon; however, right now it is still difficult and we are mostly trying to get to the benchmark of viability...Please do not hesitate to write an email or post a comment on this blog...We are checking it everyday in the hospital room and I am doing my best to keep everyone updated via this site...

Take care,

Logan

Too Good For This World

Hello,

Cathi and I appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers that have been bestowed upon us by all of you in the past few days…Cathi was doing awesome this morning, to the point where they began to unplug a lot of the machines that she was plugged into…Unfortunately it was a little too soon…Today (10/17/08) at 1443 hrs, my first born son was brought into this world…He was 15oz and came out kicking and punching like a little warrior…I actually watched as his heart beat inside of his fragile chest…Cathi and I were able to talk to and hold onto our precious son Raiden Landon Long for one full hour as his heart beat and he tried to gasp for air….Little Raiden was born at 22 weeks; two weeks before the date when he could survive outside of the womb…Raiden passed away in our arms an hour after he was born…Raiden now rests with us in our room, swaddled in soft clothing with angels on them…Cathi and I believe Raiden sacrificed himself so that he could protect his little brother and sister who are still fighting to make it…Cathi is back on the meds and plugged back into the machines….

The other two of the triplets are still doing great and Cathi is maintaining her composure and strength…This experience I can say without hesitation, has shaken us both at our very core…This pain has scarred our souls and cannot be mended even with time….Raiden will remain in our hearts and souls until we meet him again in heaven…The pain has only been comforted by the fact that we are still holding on to our other two precious blessings…I will tell you all that Raiden is the most beautiful child I have ever seen…His features are absolutely perfect and he fought so amazingly to stay alive even though nothing could be done, he was way too good for this world and we were not ready for such an amazing person…

I appreciate having our extended family at the department to vent with…all of you keep asking what you can do…Cathi and I ask that you not visit, for we are not in a place to see others…You can visit by sending Cathi flowers…The flowers already sent have fragranced the room and it is a welcome change to the sterile smell of the hospital….We also ask that you pray for our other two children who are still growing…We know Raiden is watching over them and that he will help us…
Cathi and I will have a burial service for Raiden in the future when we have overcome the remaining challenges that we face…Donations for the costs associated with the service are also appreciated but not expected, we know times are tough these days...It is a surreal time we are in now; having to grieve for the loss of our son, but remain excited for the son and daughter that remain…Children are a wonderful gift to those who are blessed to have them…Cathi and I realize that and feel blessed to have had the single hour we had with Raiden, we would not have changed it for anything... I am not an overly religious person, but I know this is somehow all part of God's plan…I did not realize today how much one could love another person…Please again, pray for our children and pray for Cathi and I for we do not know how to do this; we do not know how to manage the stress of the coming months…This obstacle is far from accomplished, and we are falling apart more everyday….Our love has truly held us together and gets stronger with every moment of this joyful and painful rollercoaster.

Lastly, I would ask that you all look at your children when you go home and tell them how much you love them and remind yourselves how blessed you are to have to change diapers, or listen to crying at night, or argue about some obscure adolescent problem…As much as that can be a pain, it is truly a privilege to experience…Cathi and I pray we will experience it soon…
Again thank you all for your thoughts and prayers…

Logan Long (Proud New Father)

Defying All Odds

Hello everyone,

I apologize for not writing sooner, but things have been getting crazy. The baby showers are over and most of the nursery is done and thank God because a few days ago, Cathi was placed on permanent hospital bed rest...Once in the hospital, one of the babies' sacs started to come through her cervix and an emergency surgery had to be performed to save the babies...

During the surgery, Raiden's (triplet A) sac burst open, which helped slightly by creating more room in the Uterus...Raiden is okay and so are the other two babies...

The surgery was successful and Cathi and I are now at the hospital taking day by day...Multiple drug injections and IV drips have helped calm the contractions and Cathi is doing great so far...There was a risk of infection due to the burst sac; however, with anti-biotics and constant rest, Cathi is not experiencing any signs of infection...Please keep us in your prayers as we hope Cathi can maintain for a few more months and deliver strong healthy babies...

Cathi is 22 weeks tomorrow; we are trying at a minimum to get to 28 weeks before delivery although we know they can deliver at 24...Cathi has been amazing through this experience and continues to defy the odds...