friday and saturday

Friday morning at 10 they moved Jon to Select Specialty Hospital. Jon had a really great day yesterday. He was assessed by the doctor, the pa, and different therapist. Jon really responded well. He did everything that they asked. He moved fingers and toes on the right and left side according to what they asked him. He was talking more. He wiggled his tongue. They were all very happy with how Jon responded. He was able to sit up in a special chair for a while. This hospital is bright and clean. Jon has three big windows in his room. Someone told us that there was a small window for things to reconnect and we are in it. The doctor said we need to get Jon up and going so he can get out of here:)...

Last night Jon started to get a fever. By this morning it was at 105. His pulse rate was also up. Jon is also breathing fast. They have him on a cooling blanket and have started antibiotics. They haven't gotten the results from his blood cultures back yet. Jon is coughing up a lot of stuff. They also are taking his pic line out and putting a central line back in in case the pic line is a source of infection. They said that this is common but it still worries us. Yesterday was such a great day; this feels like such a set back...Please say an extra prayer or two for Jon.

5/27/09

Jon is going to be moving again soon. He will be moving to Select Specialty Hospital. The doctors explained to us that Jon is not sick enough to be in an acute care center such as OU Medical but not well enough for 8 hours of PT at Jim Thorpe. Select is a step down unit. Jon will be able to get as much therapy as he can tolerate. Yesterday Jon was able to take a wheel chair ride out to the pond at the hospital. He has been up again today. They are still reducing his meds. Last night Jon spiked a fever and they discovered that he has a UTI. They started him on antibiotics.

Jon is making many advances and we are very thankful. It is so easy to misconstrue Jon's condition. Jon is not full awake. It is like he is in a daze and not aware of most of what is going on around him. His eyes are open but he doesn't "talk" or respond all of the time. He will track us sometimes. Jon isn't Jon again yet...please keep praying that he comes back to us soon. I miss him so much!!! We will love him unconditionally but my selfish side wants to see him and talk to him and tell him how much we love and miss him!!! There is so much he has left to do in this world. Thanks for all of the prayers and continued support...lots of love to everyone:)

5/26/09

Jon had another busy day yesterday. PT and OT sat him in a wheel chair for almost 1 1/2 hours. His oxygen and pulse stayed good while he was sitting up. We got to wheel him around the 5th floor. It was so exciting to us...I am not really sure what Jon thought of all the excitement. Mom discovered after I left that the oxygen was not making any noise...It had been empty. We do not know for how long but Jon's numbers did not indicate that he was having any problems. I should clarify that Jon is not able to have conversations or "talk" all of the time. He sporadically will say something. It is hard to hear him b/c he does not have the voice thing on his trach. He is allowing mom to brush his teeth. He opens his mouth up and lets her clean his mouth. Yesterday, Jon was fidgeting in his bed and I was sitting next to him. I asked him if he wanted me to move and he did not hesitate in shaking his head yes! He was also trying to snap his fingers. The doctors are going to meet and discuss the plan for Jon's continued recovery today. They are still lowering his meds all the time. Please keep praying.

Movin' on up...

Saturday evening about 7 they moved Jon to the 5th floor. He is in a room that has a sitter. The sitter sits in a room that has a camera on Jon and watches him and one other patient. Yesterday (Sunday) they reduced one of his meds by 1/2. They are completely taking him off of it today (Monday). It is a medicine for his agitation. Jon is MUCH less agitated. Thank the Lord!!! This morning Jon actually talked to Kem. Kem asked him if he was in pain and he said, "No." He asked Jon if he was uncomfortable and he said, "yes." Jon said, "help me" and Kem told him that we were helping him. The doctors and nurses are doing everything they can for him and that he had been in an accident. Kem asked him if he was going to tell Mom hi when she got here and he said , "yes." Jon seems much more aware today. Although he is much aware, they told us to not over stimulate him. Lots of talkin could be overwhelming for him. We so thankful for all of these things. Keep up the prayers!

5/23/09

Jon has had some good days lately. He is less agitated than he was in the past. Yesterday when the therapist had him in the chair they told him that he was going to leave and ask Jon if he could wave bye to him. Jon waved a finger. Later a therapist did the same thing and Jon waved his hand. Jon is not consistently responding to commands. He looks kind of like he is in a daze when his eyes are open. He will track people. As soon as they have a sitter available Jon will get to move to the 5th floor!!! They said that maybe by the end of next week Jon will be moved to a rehab facility. They may even be able to take his trach out soon? All of Jon's vitals are good. It is so good to see him less agitated. He has started to moan some. The therapist that came in and worked w/ Jon's ankle today said that he would sit in the chair later today. It is such a good thing to get to be moved to the 5th floor but it also seems a little scary:) We are so used to the nurses in ICU and know that they work so hard to take good care of Jon. (Part of me wishes that he could just stay w/ them until he is well enough to go home...I know this isn't best for Jon though.) Each new step is exciting and we are so thankful. The doctor said this morning that they are pleased with Jon's progress so far! The RT said that Jon is a miracle child. God is still performing miracles on earth so please continue your prayers...

5/20/09 afternoon

Today Jon was taken off of the ventilator. They were going to do trials but when they had the oxygen collar on him his oxygen level was as good or better than with the vent so they took it away!!! They also took out his ART line. The ART line was a line inserted into an artery to measure his internal blood pressure. Jon got to sit in the chair again today. He is still agitated and gets upset. Mom thought he was more responsive/aware today. We are so thankful for these advances.

I think that when most people think of someone being in a coma, they think that they just "wake up". This is not always the case. With brain injuries there is never any particular way that things occur. The doctors don't give certainties...they don't say that if this happens that will be the result. The process Jon is going through is the "waking up" process. This is what we refer to as Jon being agitated. Agitated is not just a simple rise in blood pressure or heart rate. It is thrashing around in the bed/chair. He moves his hands/arms and kicks the bed. He tries to sit up and get out of bed. He tries to pull the feeding tube out of his nose. He grimaces. He looks completely uncomfortable. These "agitated" episodes don't last all of the time but they are exhausting. They say that this can last anywhere from one to two days to a few weeks. Jon is not talking yet. He has mouthed a few things to us, but cannot verbally express himself yet. Although he has his eyes open he is not fully aware of everything. We are thankful that he is responsive. He is not fully awake or back to his old self again. He has such a long road of recovery ahead! Continue your prayers:)

Busy Day today!!

Jon has had a busy day today! He was agitated this morning and so mom stepped out of the room for a few minutes and when she returned they had him sitting in a recliner. He stayed there for about an hour. They also did their first ventilator trial with him. They put the oxygen collar on him for two hours this afternoon and he did VERY well! They put him back on the vent after the hour. They will continue this and keep increasing his time off the vent...They are also talking about having to put him back on some sedation because of his severe agitation. There is a fine line between what we want him to be doing and what is out of control and not healthy for him. He needs to be able to settle down and rest so that his body can continue to heal. If they put him back on the sedation he will have to stay on the ventilator so we really hope that he will not have to go back on the sedation! We are so excited about Jon's progress today! Praise the Lord!!!! It is so easy to focus on the many steps forward that Jon has had. He still has so much recovery time ahead of him. We are so thankful for his progress but also aware of the long road of recovery still ahead....