Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Lilypie - Personal pictureLilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Updates 28 - 22

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

#28, April 8, 2009
Andrea was able to feed Sean his supper tonight. He's progressed to the point where he can have pretty much anything he wants; in fact, the aide told us that he'd picked out his meal this evening. Somehow he got salmon and asparagus on the plate, and he didn't really care for them. He's a lot more alert today. We think that the doctors have been adjusting his medications to help him be more in tune with his surroundings. His speech is improving as he regains control of his tongue and lips. The therapists are also happy with his progress.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 7:46 PM 0 comments
Monday, April 6, 2009

#27 Update April 6th
Sean is doing better, he seems to be processing a lot. Some of the answers to questions are coming a lot faster. Granted these are yes or no answers but that is a huge step. He is very tired lately so we are hoping that is due to processing more and his brain healing more. He told us 1 + 1=2; there are neat windows of light that some signals are there, working and we are hoping/believing with more to come.He is not as combative, mainly he wants to do things on his own so he can come home. He told us yesterday that they won't let him come home. We were able to help him understand that he will be able to come home as soon as he is capable we promised. He had to promise that he would let them help him get better so that it could happen faster. A "I promise, you promise" exchange and he understood and repeated "I promise, you promise" back. He has gained back some of his weight loss so that is good.The biggest thing that has upset him lately is he now understands it is April and he has been in hospitals since January. Bless his heart!
Posted by Paul Andrea at 8:22 PM 0 comments
Sunday, April 5, 2009

#26, April 5, 2009
We went up today to see Sean, and he was sitting up on his bed, with his feet on the floor. Andrea brought along some tapioca, which had too many "pearls" for him to be comfortable with. We explained the best that we could that he needs to be able to do more things for himself before he can come home. Tomorrow will be a chance to meet with his therapists to set some weekly goals for him. It's our hope that if he understands that he needs to do more than walk and swallow before he can leave, he'll be more cooperative with the therapists and staff. Thank you all for keeping us and Sean in your prayers.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 6:07 PM 0 comments
Thursday, April 2, 2009

#25 Update April 2nd
Sean is improving but is extremely frustrated as he has had to relearn the basics of life. They are trying new medications to help with the movement he has that is like but not Parkinson's disease. The new medication made him combative and so they stopped it and will try something else. He has another urinary tract infection as well. April Fool's day was a blustery winter snow storm for us but seeing him and being able to calm him made the trip all worthwhile. Thank you again for your warm thoughts and prayers; it is making all the difference.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 2:38 PM 0 comments
Monday, March 30, 2009

#24 Update March 30th
Today was an unusual day for Sean as we were there to see him about noon. I fed him some pistachio pudding that Paulette had made and he really enjoyed it. We haven't seen him so frustrated for a long time; he was running a bit of a fever and not letting the nurse take his blood pressure. My sister Mary Lou and niece Anne got to visit for about 5 minutes as he was having a challenge and unable to explain what was upsetting him. He had 3 good therapy sessions today and walked a lot. The therapists are mainly there to steady him. They took him down the hall to the elevator, then had him walk around the first floor gym and back again, which is a pretty long walk.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 6:22 PM 0 comments
Friday, March 27, 2009

#23 Update March 27th
After the blizzard from yesterday it was a treat to see Sean this afternoon. He was talking and walked a lot today. He graduated to chopped up pieces about 1/2 inch in size of chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and applesauce. He can also suck out of a straw. I stayed to feed him and it was delightful to share the time and meal with him. He was hungry and has eaten 100 % of all of his meals today. His nurse asked him what branch of the service he was in Navy, Army or Air Force and he answered Air Force. He is making small but noticeable steps forward. He will always be one of our best achievements in life no matter what. Between him and Delaney, she "talks" more but we understand more of Sean's words; someday soon hopefully they'll be even.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 8:56 PM 0 comments
Thursday, March 26, 2009

#22 Update March 26th
Sean is relearning how to take food! He had some "nectar" yesterday without incident. Not a sirloin, but we all have to start somewhere, I guess.We met other caregivers of brain-injured people in a support group yesterday, and we feel humbled by what these people have gone through after traumatic brain injuries--falls & auto accidents in the crowd we were with. If we didn't process that this is a marathon, the experiences we heard last night brought that home. The doctors tell us that the first six months or so will bring the greatest healing and learning; due to the coma that Sean was in, that six-month clock really didn't start until he arrived at Spaulding. Thanks again for the prayer groups that you all have added Sean's name to, and thank you again for the individual prayers and positive thoughts directed our way.Due to a springtime blizzard here in Colorado, we aren't going up tonight, and we might stay home tomorrow as well. Saturday is forecast to be bright and sunny, though. We call the hospital to see how his day is, and what new things he is doing. All the best to everyone.

Updates 21-15

Sunday, March 22, 2009

#21 Update March 22nd
Yesterday he wasn't talking very much. Today he stood by himself for a few minutes while they were transferring him to his walker for physical therapy. He can walk down the hallway with assistance and "walk" himself down the hallway while sitting in his wheelchair. He was talking a lot more today and a good percent of the words you could understand. Sometimes when you ask him a question you can see him processing it, if you wait you might get an answer. I read him some of his Consumer Report Magazine. He listened and sometimes made comments which was great.Thank you again for your continued prayers and support.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 7:48 PM 0 comments
Thursday, March 19, 2009

#20 Update March 19th
Before I share today Thank you to Aunt Judy, Bev, Sheila and Paulette who brightened Sean's St. Patrick's Day by their thoughtfulness.Today was both informative and challenging-knowledge is power yet it still hurts.Sean's brain damage is located in the middle of his brain the Caudate nucleus and Globus pallidus; both the right and left side are affected. The middle of the brain is the control center for the other parts of the body. The high functions are not affected except by the overall control he needs from the center area. There is no time table for how long it will take or how much will heal at this point. Usually the first 6 months are the most healing but it can take a year to 18 months as well, time will tell. How long it will be before he is discharged from rehab is unknown as well. He is responding and progressing but it is definately a journey.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 7:43 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

#19 Update March 18th
Sean isn't sleeping very much only about 3 to 5 hours a night. Today he walked up and down the hallway and I understood him when he was telling me about it. He was talking a lot today but the nurse and I were having trouble understanding him. Paul and I go see him tomorrow during his physical therapy and speech therapy sessions so maybe we will be able to learn more then. The rash he has been dealing with on his legs is doing a lot better and he isn't itching so that is GREAT!
Posted by Paul Andrea at 7:37 PM 0 comments
Monday, March 16, 2009

#18 Update March 16th
Today was the first full day of therapies for Sean and he did AMAZING! He has 1 hour of speech, 1 hour of physical and 1 hour of occupational each day and we were there to watch occupational today.He didn't sleep very well last night 3 hours at most. Probably because he wasn't understanding what is happening & where he is at even though we tried to explain it to him. They took him off all of the sedating medications so that he is fully awake and able to process as much as possible. He has been very emotional, it is hard to see him so upset. The therapist said that whatever their disposition before they had brain damage is greatly exaggerated afterwards. They(his team) can tell that Sean has a big heart, is tender and loving by his emotions.Last night we told him he could come home after he learns to walk and eat again. Before we left he told us he wanted to walk. We can only stay for 15 to 20 minutes now. As he progresses we will be able to stay longer.He walked up & down the hallway 4 times behind his over sized wheel chair with assistance. He read all of their names aloud from their badges, the team was impressed. He spelled "deer hunting" to the nurse as well.He was less emotional today with us, excited to see us and actually said, " I will learn to swallow again." When we told him goodbye, we'd see him tomorrow and we loved him; he repeated he would see us tomorrow and he loved us and didn't cry. We think after having his therapy sessions today he understands he needs help to learn to do things again. It was so much easier leaving him tonight, he is at the right place and moving forward. Thank you for continuing to pray for him and us it helps so much.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 8:39 PM 2 comments
Saturday, March 14, 2009

#17 Update March 15th
Sean has settled into his room. Since he is off the Percocet his skin looks much better. One side effect of this med is itching, and since Paulette had that reaction, we mentioned it to his doctors, and they have him on alternate medication. When we saw him, he looked almost as though he was in bed at home; almost all of the tubes and lines that he had been hooked up to have been removed, except for the feeding tube. He is aware enough to be kind of overwhelmed by what has happened to him. He asked us several times, "Why?", and we did our best to explain the things that he has undergone. Talking is still difficult; it's possible that either when they put in the airway to help him breathe, or when he pulled it out that there may have been damage to his vocal cords--or else, he's just out of practice.The staff is starting to evaluate his base position for speech, occupational and physical therapy, and we'll be talking with them on Monday. So far, we're very impressed with how well he's being taken care of.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 9:57 PM 0 comments

#16 Update March 14th
Sean did very well yesterday making the move, confused but he is adjusting to the quite environment of Spalding. He slept through the night and will have more evaluations today. We will go up later to see him. They have him in the brain injury unit, they control the environment with absolutely no noise of any kind at first. It gives the brain the rest it needs and helps it to process better. Delaney won't be able to see him for awhile because she has so much energy which is overstimulating for an injured brain. They will tell us when he is ready to see her again. He can tell them his name which is wonderful, he is talking more. When I saw him last night he was responding to some questions and following commands. He is assigned one nurse that stays with him at all times currently until he progresses more. He can have visitors only 1 or 2 at a time. He isn't able to swallow yet but the speech therapist will be working on it with him; so he can have his feeding tube removed. He now has lost 65 lbs, he will be very surprised I'm sure. We are on the right track and moving forward. The therapists had him standing at Triumph yesterday and he patted one of them on the head. He still needs prayers as he faces relearning everyday things now. Thank you for your love, prayers, warm thoughts and kind words. I give him all of your messages and print them out for him to see later.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 8:12 AM 0 comments
Thursday, March 12, 2009

#15 Update March 12th
Sean will be moving tomorrow Friday to Spalding Rehabilitation Center. Paul and I checked it out today and again he will have access to the same doctors at The Medical Center of Aurora should he have the need; continuity is vital to the plan. He stood up 3 times today with help. They did the swallowing test and he is unable to swallow at this time so they will leave the feeding tube in for awhile longer. They will put him in the brain damage unit where it is quieter and he will have one on one assistance for awhile until he is able to do things on his own. He was talking a lot today mainly one syllable words yes, no, on. He is still itching but they are giving him Benadryl which helps a lot. Craig Rehabilitation Hospital doesn't have a bed available for 3 weeks. After visiting Spalding we need to move him now to keep his progress moving in a positive progression. This has been our ultimate goal to get him to rehab so that he can have the opportunity to have a life on his own again.

Updates #14-9

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

#14 Update March 10th
Sean is very restless; he has a yeast infection on the back of his right leg especially and a reaction to his new medication so he is itching like crazy. The nurse gave me some Benadryl allergy cream to put on his rash and that seemed to help. She also stopped his new medication and gave him some Benadryl. He stopped squirming quite so much. Anyone who has every had a yeast infection knows how much it itches, poor guy. He is a lot more comfortable before I left. He had the speech therapist today so we should see him talking a lot more now. One of the medicines they took away that controlled his tremors is noticeably making a difference. He is having tremors again in his hands, not as bad as before though. It is a little unnerving for me to see him step a little back but I will endure and pray. It has been hard these last couple of days, I want my Sean again.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 9:55 PM 0 comments
Saturday, March 7, 2009

#13 Update March 6th
Sean was calmer this evening, but is still trying to remove his oxygen line from his ears; the tube loops around them and then connects under his nose. His "meals" are given for a half hour period through the feeding tube, since he is prone to gagging if it comes any faster.We're looking forward to letting Delaney see him and, more importantly, to his seeing her. He seems to perk up when she talks to him.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 1:45 PM 0 comments
Thursday, March 5, 2009

#12 Update March 5th
Quite a day, Sean is trying to talk more, tried to climb out of his bed 3 times and the doctor from Craig rehabilitation came to evaluate him. He has lost 56 pounds as of March 1st. The doctor from Craig will come back in a week after he has been off of several medications to reassess him. He felt the medications were inhibiting his movements and responses. I told him he had a bald spot in the back of his head when I washed his hair and his eyebrows raised.
Posted by Paul Andrea at 9:25 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, March 4, 2009

#11 Update March 4th
Sean is more alert and can track you when you enter his room. Today when cousins Bev and Geno visited him he had just finished sitting in a chair for 2 hours. He isn't talking a lot, but he is checking out all of his monitor lines and other lines attached to his body. Bev asked him if he was going to stop playing with one of the tubes today and he said "no". He now wears a mitten on his left hand. When I got there this afternoon he was sleeping. He slept off and on, he tried to say something to me but I couldn't understand him; then he fell asleep again. I am currently reading one of his books to him even when he is sleeping. The book is pretty interesting. I bet he can tell me all about the plot and characters. I definitely would never have read this book if it weren't his for sure. Someday soon he is going to talk a blue streak I just know it. Thanks again for your prayers and support, words simply aren't enough.Andrea
Posted by Paul Andrea at 1:11 PM 0 comments
Sunday, March 1, 2009

#10 Update March 1st
Sean is more alert today, and seemed to respond to us. Andrea brought some lotion to put on his feet, and gave him the squeeze dispenser to handle. He took it from her hand and pulled it closer to his face, then lost interest in it. We should get more information about his pneumonia and MRSA status tomorrow, and with luck, he'll be back doing his therapies.Thanks again for all of your prayers and good thoughts; we'll never be able to thank you all enough for them, both for him and for us.Paul, Andrea, Paulette, Delaney & Sean
Posted by Paul Andrea at 9:09 PM 0 comments

#1-9 Updates Feb 28th
Hello,Paulette created a blog page for updates so that you can keep up to date at your leisure. http://pkknott.blogspot.com/Sean was moved to Triumph Hospital late on Thursday evening. He still has pneumonia; he started coughing a lot with some blood involved so he is semi-sedated so he won't cough and also has MRSA (a super bug) so we need to take precautions around him. BUT he is doing a lot better and stable.The move last weekend went amazingly well thanks to a lot of people. There were about 20 of us between cousins, aunts, uncle and friends that packed & loaded into the truck Sean's apartment on Saturday. Then on Sunday 12 agents from the office came to unload and it took a mere hour and a half. Thank you everyone that helped. Words are simply not enough for what it meant. When this is over and done we will have a HUGE party to celebrate Sean's victory and survival.Friday, Nina, Delaney and I finished finalizing Sean's apartment. Delaney and I spent some time with him then headed home.When Paul and I went up today he woke up several times, looked around for a few minutes then he'd fall back asleep. He is getting some needed rest.