Wed July 29

Jon has't been sleeping or talking much the last couple of days. He has been out of ICU in a room w/ a window for the last couple of days. Yesterday they capped off his trach and his oxygen has been great (97% and up)! He has refused to have the mask on for a breathing treatment during the night and told one of the nurses that came in that he wanted a "real" nurse to take care of him and wouldn't let her take his blood. They sent in a different nurse and he let her do it! Rehab is in his near future...he hopefully will make the move today if everything is still going well when the doctor does rounds. We are so thankful! Please continue to pray for Jon and Melinda. Our God is truly an awesome God!

moving day

Jon is moving out of ICU today. He had a good weekend. He gets tired easily. Jon has been giving the nurses a hard time and they love it! It is so good to see him acting more like himself. One of Jon's nurses played basketball at OU and so I told him to ask her where she played and she told him. He said, "That sucks!" She told him that they beat OSU everytime. Jon said,"That's impressive." They then began talking about his birthday. He asked her, "So what ae you getting me?" She asked if he would accept an OU hat. He said, "I would burn it and do a dance around it!" He was smiling the whole time. We were a little concerned Friday night b/c his oxygen was around 93 so Saturday morning Mom asked the doctor about it and we found out that he is down to 28% on the oxygen cap. This is very close to what we breathe. He also explained to her that Jon may seem tired and like he doesn't feel very well b/c he doesn't. He said it would be like if we had the flu over the weekend and went to work on Monday. We feel tired and not like talking to other people. He said that Jon feels like this but about 100 times worse! Anyway, Jon is much better and we are so thankful for all of his improvement! Please continue to pray for Jon and Melinda. Rehab is going to be a very trying time for Jon! It is going to take so much work and determination on his part! Thanks for all of your kind words and prayers--they mean so much to us!


Also, Jon's 21st birthday is coming up! It is on August 5th. If anyone would like to send him a card, please mail it to our home address: Jon Mann, P.O. Box 18, Arnett, OK 73832. Thanks:) We are going to surprise him w/ these on his birthday!

Wed and Thurs

The past couple of days Jon has worked very hard during PT and OT.  The physical thearapist has been helping Jon to stand briefly and then sit in a chair for a few minutes.  He is very weak.  His right leg does not want to bend and his left leg wants to stay bent.  They are working with him to get them to both bend and stay straight.  OT is helping him by doing stretching exercises.  Jon keeps saying how tired he is and is trying to sleep a lot!  Jon's doctors have been consulting with the rehab doctors.  We are not sure exactly when he is going to be moving out of ICU but it is in the near future!  Jon's oxygen is staying good.  On Friday morning they are going to change his trach to a cuffless trach.  This will allow him to be able to talk a little more.  I got to hear him talk for the first time yesterday (Thurs).  It is so exciting.  I don't think Jon understands why all of the nurses and doctors and us are so excited about these little things! Hopefully one day he will.He is ready to be able to come home! We keep asking him what he wants mom to cook for him.  He is much more quiet than he was last weekend.    Each day he is making small strides!  Please continue to pray for Jon.  He needs strength to continue to fight this battle.  He is working so hard and we are so proud of him.  

7-21-09

Jon had a good morning with PT.  He was able to get into a wheel chair and go for a short walk around the floor this morning. He was in the wheel chair for about 45 minutes. While Jon was up exercising his oxygen sats were still between 90 and 93.  While they were wheeling him around it was around 96.  This is very good.  Jon's doctor is a little concerned b/c Jon will cough until he gags and throws up. He is concerned that Jon could aspirate when he does this.  We do not want him to aspirate anything!  It could cause a setback for him.  The ultrasound they did on Jon's arm earlier still shows that he has a blood clot in his right arm so he still has to take the shot in his tummy.  The rehab doctor will come by tomorrow.  They are going to put the voice thing on his trach later today.  He will require closer supervision w/ this b/c it would make it easier for him to aspirate b/c they have to loosen the cuff when he uses it.  Hopefully they will be able to remove the trach soon!  

At this point we are still trying to do what is best for Jon and his long term recovery process.  In order to respect Jon's privacy during this time, we are still asking that visitors are restricted to our immediate family.  We truly appreciate people stopping by the hospital to check on him and us...this helps to lift our spirits and we can tell Jon who stopped by.  As Jon recovers more and becomes stronger, we will begin to allow limited visitation.  I know everyone may not understand or think that we are being overprotective, but it is what we feel is truly best for Jon right now.  Jon knows that we are sometimes overly cautious...the other day he was coughing and we got RT and the nurse in his room. When he finished coughing, he told RT that his mom is overly cautious.  It is so hard to know what is always best, but we have to go w/ our instinct.  

Please continue to pray for Jon.  He needs to continue to gain strength and not have any setbacks.  We appreciate all of the support!

Weekend and Monday

This weekend Jon was full of it!  He had so much to say to all of us.  He is starting to remember things that were going on at the time he got hurt.  Jon got really worried about his tests.  He looked at us and said "I have tests this week!" and was worried about how he was going to get them taken.  We told him that we have talked to his teachers and that he has extended time to work on them.  They continued to lower the pressure support all weekend.  Jon wants to know what the nurses and medical staff are doing and why.  When they explain to him, he is much less anxious.  He kept asking all of us to take him home.  The doctor on call this weekend told us that he is in the "recovery" stage.  We are  so thankful.  We told Jon all weekend that he would have to ask his doctor when he would be able to go home...we are closer each day.  The doctor took his neck brace off this weekend.  Jon's doctor put it back on this morning and said that another doctor would have to ok it.  Jon likes the people who come for PT but he does not like the people for OT.  He told us that he thought that they were weird.  The OT people told Jon if he kept taking the vent off they would have to stop and so he kept pulling at it!  Jon is hard to understand b/c he can't talk out loud yet.  He is trying to talk over the vent and is mouthing everything else. He becomes frustrated when we don't understand.  He asked mom if "she understood English" and she told him that she was trying.  Jon shook his head and then said "never mind."  This morning (Monday)  Jon's doctor took him off the ventilator.  PT is going to stand him up later this week.  They said to try to get some stuff that would make Jon feel more normal like shorts and boxers...  The other doctor came in and took his neck brace off.  The doctor said that rehab people will becoming soon to evaluate Jon.  Everyday we can see such improvement in Jon.  His strength is returning each day!  We are so thankful!!  Jon still needs prayers.  We are so thankful for everyone's continued  support and prayers.

Many changes

Everyday Jon's improvement is becoming more and more apparent.  Last Saturday his hand shook the entire time he moved it to his face.  Today, he does it without shaking and much more quickly and efficiently.  He is starting to communicate with us much more.  He becomes frustrated sometimes b/c we don't understand him.  The pressure support on the vent is on 12.  The doctor assesses him daily and then they lower it by 2 every twelve hours depending on if the Dr gives the okay.  They really think that his fever is due to being on the ventilator and his elevated liver enzymes are due to some of his meds.  All of his tests are coming back good.  Earlier this week the doctor told us that one day soon it is going to be up to Jon...his recovery would depend on what Jon put into it rather than the treatment that the doctor was/is giving to him.  All of the doctors and nurses are so happy to see Jon and see his improvement.  It is so hard to leave him alone.  It seems like we have so much catching up to do!  Jon is being his normal self and making some somewhat inappropriate comments to the nurses and us...:)  It is good to see (I think?)  Jon is not "Jon" yet.  It is easy to paint a picture that is different than reality.  Jon is still on some strong medications.  It can be deceiving to hear about all of his improvements and in your mind imagine that he is about to walk out of the hospital door.  Jon is MUCH better and we are so thankful, but realistically Jon has a long road ahead of him to regain his strength.  Please continue to pray for Jon and Melinda.  Your prayers are the most precious gift.  One day Jon will be able to understand and know that so many people have prayed for him and know how lucky he is to be here with us today.  Today one of the nurses talked about the day that Jon came to Baptist and said that being on the rotorest bed probably saved his life.  They talk about how close to death he was when he came.  We can only attribute his recovery to God's will.  We are so thankful.  So, when your faith waivers and you doubt the power of prayer, remember Jon's story.  God does answer our prayers; we must be open to hearing His answers.  

Monday

Jon had another good day today.  Jon's doctor said that he was pleased with the weekend.  He wants Jon to continue getting up each day.  He started going down on the pressure support again today.  They did another ultra sound of Jon's gall bladder and liver.  Jon was busy all day today but tolerated it well.  Jon has such a long road ahead of him. He needs to continue to get stronger.  Please continue to pray for Jon and Melinda.  They have each come such a long way.  We truly appreciate everyone's support!

Friday,Saturday, and Sun Morning

On Friday morning Jon's respiratory rate increased close to the 50s and his heart rate also increased.  The doctor ordered an EEG and an EKG.  The results from these tests showed that Jon's heart is just fine.  It is pumping properly.  They will give him heart rate medicine for it.  The doctor really thinks that Jon is just becoming more and more aware of what is going on.  He could also be having some withdraws from some of the medication.  Saturday Jon had a good day.  He didn't want much to do with anyone.  He seems to be upset and doesn't really want us loving on him...he is really out of luck w/ this one!  They were planning to run the high intensity scan on his liver and gall bladder Saturday.  When it was time, they came to his room.  They put Jon flat and told him not to move.  They then told us that he would have to be still for 4 hours.  This was never going to work so after a little while they stopped the test.  It was not Jon's regular doctor that ordered it. It was a GI doc...we are not really sure what he was thinking??? This is not how we understood that the procedure was going to work.  Saturday afternoon he rested comfortably. Jon had a good night. Jon was doing well Sunday morning as well.  The infectious disease doctor does not think that Jon has an active infection even though the psuedomonious grew in his sputum.  It is not causing him to have pneumonia.  She went ahead and started him on inhaled antibiotics.  Jon's white count was down in the 10,000s today.   Please keep praying that Jon continues to be infection free and continues to have a full recovery.  

Thursday and Friday July 8 and 9

Jon is still doing very well. He is receiving PT everyday. This is helping him to become stronger. They are reducing the pressure support by 2 every 12 hours. He is tolerating this change. He must be getting better b/c he has let Mom know that she is getting on his nerves:) Please continue to pray for Jon's recovery. Prayer is a valuable tool that everyone has access to 24/7.

Wednesday July 8

This morning the doctor said that Jon's chest x-ray looked better than he had ever seen it!! Jon's white count was down. They are going to insert the peg in Jon's stomach after lunch today. This will make Jon VERY happy! Yesterday, Jon was able to sit up on the edge of his bed for a little while. It will take him a while to regain his strength. Continue to pray for Jon and Melinda. God is answering our prayers and we are so thankful!

7/7/09

Today they are completely removing Jon's sedation. They are going to remove the fentynal drip and use a patch for his pain relief. They are also going to put the vent on pressure support so that Jon is breathing on his own but has the vent as a backup. Jon's liver enzymes are down today. Please continue your prayers.

Monday, July 6

The doctor decided not to put the tube in Jon's stomach today. Jon's white count was up a little but the infecious disease doctor said that nothing had grown. It is better to wait and make sure all is well rather than to rush things. The neurologist fired himself today. He said that Jon didn't need his services right now:) Jon didn't really respond to his regular doctor today but the nurse told him how Jon had been responding to us. He is still responding to Mom and Melissa. He wanted his glasses on but didn't want to watch TV. Physical Therapy came today. Jon's right knee didn't want to bend and they forced it. Jon's liver enzymes were up again today. The doctor will do another test around the end of the week on his liver. (They did tell us that his liver is NOT failing which we are very, very thankful for.) We continue to have faith in the Lord and his plan for Jon and our family. His plan is playing out each day in front of us. He continues to answer our prayers and heal Jon. It is such a blessing! I can't say enough times how thankful we truly are! Please remember to keep praying during the good times. Jon's road to recovery is not going to be a short one. Jon needs our prayers just as much today and tomorrow as he did the past few weeks. Words are not enough to express our feelings to our friends, family, and God...we simply say thank you and we love you all!

Friday-Sunday July 3-5

Friday--I don't know that the Jon's liver enzymes were high...I thnk that they are elevated. The scan showed that Jon's liver is okay; it may be his gall bladder but he is not having all the symptoms of a bad gall bladder. They are continuing to lower sedation.

Saturday--They did not change any sedation today. The doctors have all decided to let Jon's body run its course. They are not giving him tylenol for his fever or heart rate medicine. They said that this can help them determine if there is an infection and where. Jon gave Mom a kiss today. He seemed very agitated today. His "waking up" process has been different this time. He seems to be VERY uncomfortable. The highest Jon's temp got to was 103. The doctor consutled w/ cardiology about Jon's heart rate b/c it was in the 160's. The cardiologist said that in a healthy young man w/ a healthy heart that he would not treat it. This still makes us feel nervous. They started Jon on tube feeding again today! This is a good step for Jon's recovery.

Sunday--Today was a great day!! The GI doctor came in and said that he may be able to have the tube in his nose remove the tube in his nose and put a tube into his stomach. This will be much more comfortable for Jon. They will do this procedure some time early this week if Jon tolerates the tube feed on Sunday. The infectious disease doctor does not see any infections in Jon right now. This is a VERY good sign! Jon's temp could be related to medicines, agitation, or his gall bladder. Jon's regular doctor is VERY pleased with Jon's progress this weekend. When the dr went in this morning, Jon reached up and tried to shake his hand. Jon responded to us all day long. He gave me a hug and several kisses. He understood what we were talking about. He even said, "yup" a couple of times. Jon got very frustrated when he couldn't communicate with us what he wanted to. Jon was being honery today when the neuro dr came in. He wouldn't respond to him when he asked him to look at him. I told the dr that he would look at us. So I talked to Jon and he looked at me so the dr asked if he would look over toward Melissa. She started to talk to him and he looked at her. The dr said "ok" and left. Jon was smiling and teasing the nurse. Jon was much more clear today. He was clearer today than when he arrived at Select. He still is not back to himself. He has a long, long road ahead of him. Someone told Mom that he will have one week of PT for every day in ICU...that is over one year of therapy. Jon's lungs are MUCH better but still need to become more plyable and some of the aveoli are still not functioning properly. These can heal and when they do, it will be much better for Jon. He is very weak, but seems very determined. He was uncomfortable and moved himself in the bed. Please continue to pray for Jon's recovery. God has answered so many prayers and we are so very thankful. We appreciate all of your prayers and support!!!

7/2/09

They have cut Jon back on all of his sedatives and pain medication. He is moving much more. They are going to continue to remove the sedatives and pain meds. Jon's pulmonary status is still good. The doctor has not been ordering ABGs or xrays everyday. He did order an xray this morning though. They did a CAT scan this morning on his liver and gall bladder because his liver enzymes were high today. Jon's temperature is still getting high (up to 102ish). Please pray for Jon's recovery and for the medical staff. Please don' stop praying now.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Jon has had a couple of days where things were up in the air. He has had a temperature of up to 103. They are not sure why. Nothing has grown in his spudum culture and his white blood count is still normal. They determined that the bacteria that had grown from a blood culture was from a contaminated container. Jon is still reacting to coming off the sedation. They have removed all of one of his sedatives. They are trying to find the best medication to treat Jon. Jon's pulmonary status is remaining good. They tried lowering the vent yesterday. The doctor said he didn't think that Jon was ready but to try anyway. He was not off for long and they put him back on. It feels like things are up in the air right now as to how to treat Jon most appropriately. Please pray for the medical staff and for Jon and our family.