Week 8

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!  We have much to be thankful for this thanksgiving day.  Daniel finished up on Monday with his last therapy evaluation.  Wednesday was his last occupational therapy session for this year.  They will be focusing on speech and physical therapy.  Couple of things we have noticed in Daniels recovery is he seems to get frustrated (a little upset) in planning for activities that involve preparation.  He states "why do we have to do this?"  Then we notice he disappears into the living room or family room and is found in a chair reading a book.  It appears to be the same response with his speech therapy assignments.  He gets frustrated after a short period of time (10-15 minutes).   We are also noticing and working with Daniel along with speech therapy on objects.  We noticed at the dinner table when asked what a particular vegetable was, he couldn't remember.  It was broccoli.  Daniel is slowly getting stronger as he continues to exercise.  Physical therapy will be focusing on extended balance and endurance.  We are thankful for his continued improvements and for your continued prayers on his behalf.  He is doing wonderful!  We're all watching the miracle.

Week 7 Part 2

Daniel's had an exciting week.  On Wednesday Daniel got his feeding tube (peg) removed.  YEAH! He said it was very painful when they took it out and it hurts every time he moves his stomach, sitting in a chair, standing back up, moving side to side, etc.  Thursday appointment day for the neurologist.  We have been waiting for this.  As he meet with the doctor and the doctor reviewed his records, and had Daniel tell him what happened with his brain trauma accident, the doctor was AMAZED at Daniel's recovery.  He did an evaluation on Daniel's current status and set him up for physical, occupational and speech therapy.  He indicated that speech (connecting the dots/recognition/word association) therapy would be the most needed but will be reviewed after the therapist evaluation of Daniel.   Friday he went to speech and physical therapy.  Monday he set up for occupational therapy.  After the evaluation from the neurologist therapy, schedules will be set up daily and weekly.  In speech therapy their focus for the upcoming week at home for Daniel is to manage his own schedule.  Time he gets up, appointments throughout the day, where he needs to be without parents and or others reminding him to get ready, to be on time from his schedule.  This is very important as Daniel retrains his brain on daily events.  In physical therapy their focus at home for Daniel is regular exercise, light to moderate weight lifting to build his muscles and stamina back up.

Week 7

We got the results for the blood work from last Tuesday's doctors visit.  All of his levels are in line.  Potassium levels are perfect, so no more potassium pills.  On Friday he went back to the doctor and took a balance test.  He passed with no concerns from the doctor.  The only recommendation that was made is that he doesn't walk backwards or turn quickly without being supervised.  He is walking and able to talk with full sentences.  He is still doing his two 10 min walks a day on the treadmill.  He is climbing stairs eight to ten times a day.  The things we are working on is occupational therapy mostly, he is doing good physically.  Things we are working on with him for occupation therapy is recognizing objects and saying what they are.  For example showing him a grapefruit, he didn't know what it was.  Asked him to get a hammer that was laying on the ground with a few other tools.  He picked up the hammer and said, "I think this is it."  So we are working on the thought process of what objects are.  This isn't with everything, some things he can tell you what they are with no problem.  He looks at a clock and you can see him trying to tell what time it is but just can't get it.   BUT he can read words like there's no tomorrow.  You show him the word grapefruit and he can read it.  Show him the word hammer, clock or any other word and he can read it.  He is reading an hour a day.  So occupational and speech therapy is helping him in the connecting process.  We are looking forward to our consolation on Thursday the 17th to start therapy.  Daniel has said that there are three things that bother him most of the time throughout the day.  Daniel stated, "My eyes seem always tired and it hurts moving them side to side", "Can't think as clearly and I'm not as strong as I used to be" and "Today was the first day I woke up without a dry mouth".  All part of the healing process.

Week 6

We have been extremely excited about having Daniel come home.  We need to update everyone on how he has been doing this week.  Tuesday was a doctors visit to get blood drawn, to see how his potassium levels are etc. Waiting for test results. Re-Hab consultation is set up for next Thursday, Nov. 17th. In the mean time we have been doing physical therapy and occupational therapy at home.  Occupational therapy has consisted of reading, identifying objects or items to their name, and putting puzzles together.  Physical therapy consists of walking on the treadmill for 10 min a day, walking up and down stairs, and push-ups.  The first day he was able to do half a push-up, the second day this week he did 2 push-ups, and the 3rd day he almost did 4.  Today we increased his walks on the treadmill to twice a day for 10 min each.  Daniels glucose levels have been getting back in line.  We look forward to early next week when he can get his gut feeding tube out.  It has caused a couple of sleepless nights due to discomfort. Daniel has indicated that he is tired and cold most of the time.  When he sits down on a hard chair he uses a pillow because it hurts his back.  The bottom of his heals have been hurting from walking.  All of this is part of the process of building his body back into normal routine.  Thank you for your continued prayers, we still have a ways to go.

Day 37: November 6, 2011

Daniel is so excited to be at home and in his own bed.  We will be setting up therapy this week to continue rehab.  We have talked with Daniel about the past month and he doesn't remember anything from when he was in ICU.  He doesn't remember everything from rehab either and somethings are just not very clear.   We look forward to his continued progress in the months ahead. 

Day 36: November 5, 2011

Wow, we don't have to wait until Monday.  Daniel is on his way home as we are updating this blog.  Thirty-six days ago the accident occurred, three days later they told us he was brain dead and there was nothing else that could be done, twenty days later reference was made that we should probably plan for a nursing home due to the fact that he was just not waking up from his comas.  In less than a short two weeks after being in rehab Daniel is on his way back home to be with his family and friends.  Although the journey is not over it has been a remarkable and miraculous one.  Daniel will continue to progress in the next days, weeks and months as he continues therapy from home.  We look forward to updating you as Daniel continues to progress.

Day 35: November 4, 2011

Daniel continues therapy.  He is now able to put his shoes on!   Big news Daniel may be coming home Saturday or Monday!  Yes, we said Daniel is coming home!  He is doing well enough to continue therapy in the Flathead valley!

Day 34: November 3, 2011

Daniel had another low last night with his glucose levels.  At 8:30am we had a consultation with the therapist and it was agreed that Daniel could be put back on his diabetic pump.  Now Daniel gets to regulate his insulin to maintain his glucose levels.  They will watch over the next two days to see how he does with it.  For Daniel's progression for therapy today Daniel had to pass some tests.  His room is on the sixth floor and today for lunch they gave him a pass to go to the cafeteria on the first floor.  He got to go down by himself following the signs which directed him where to go, wait in line, pick out what he wanted to eat and pay at the cashier (who asked him what his name was so he wouldn't have to pay).  Then he got to find mom in the dining room and they had lunch together.  He did really good.  The rest of the day was therapy and progression.

Day 33: November 2, 2011

"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.  And his disciples asked him, saying Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." John 9: 1-3  We find comfort in knowing Daniel is a miracle because he is able to help manifest the works of God.
Late yesterday afternoon Daniel had a follow up cat scan.  The results came back good.  There is still swelling on the brain which is normal, it will just take time to go down.  The bleeds and clots are disappearing.  Daniel had two more lows yesterday with his glucose levels and one more at 4:00am today.  He is getting six times the amount of normal insulin intake because of the stress in his body from coming out of the coma.  Also he has been eating meals and being feed through the feeding tube.  So maintaining good glucose levels has been a challenge.   However, Daniel was feed from his feeding tube for the last time at 2:00am.  He will still have the tube connected to him for a few more weeks but won't be feed from it.  Daniel has been on a blood thinner to prevent clots in his legs and will be until he leaves the hospital.  He is also still on heart medicine from when they had to stop and restart his heart.  He is now down to two does a day, so he has been coming off of this slowly.  Some exciting news:  Daniel dressed himself for the first time today.  It took some time but he even got his socks on.  Maybe next time he will be able to get his shoes on.
Daniel is still having trouble with his short term memory.  He is forgetting things and mixing people up from day to day.   We are truly grateful for our miracle.  We are truly humbled by all of the support, love and prayers from family and friends.

Day 32: November 1, 2011

Not much sleep for Daniel last night.  Now that he is eating three meals a day and eating all of it, we are trying to recalculate Daniel's glucose levels in order to give him the right amount of insulin.  Unfortunately at 4:00am Daniel's glucose bottomed out at 49.  Not so good.  On a great note, After morning physical therapy Daniel was cleared to "roam the halls".  He has been cleared to walk the floor he is on without supervision.  In a short five days Daniel's stability has increased so he can be on his own.  Today Daniel ate what he called "man food" a turkey sandwich.  Today is also the first real day he is eating on his own without being feed, another great step!   Thank you all for your continuing prayers.