Thank You UMMC + Off to Rehab

Thomas was released to rehab yesterday afternoon. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank the medical staff at the University of Maryland Medical Center, especially in the Shock Trauma Unit.

We'll be quiet on the blog for a few days as Thomas settles into rehab. In the meantime, please join us in prayers of thanksgiving for all those who took care of Thomas these last 42 days.

8/27: Keep It Up!

Natalie wrote to us last night: "Planning is futile but prayer isn't, so keep it up!" A good motto, friends!

Thomas was not released to rehab yesterday, but he had another full morning in expectation of being released later this week. The main barrier right now is his nightly fever - which is not uncommon in spinal injury patients - and which they are trying to work out. Please keep this in your prayers.

The morning started off with physical therapy, then Natalie gave him a shave "so that he looks dapper when he's checked into rehab." They shared another full breakfast together. At this point, he is eating just about everything and with no difficulty. He no longer has to think about chewing and swallowing.  His swallow is no longer painful. This is incredible progress.

In the afternoon, the hospital changed out his trach for a smaller metal one. The fun surprise was that the smaller one makes using the speaking valve even easier for him. And, since his secretions were at a record low today, he was able to wear his speaking valve for a record of 5.5 hours! 

He also sat up in his chair for 3.5 hours and did great! Friends brought dinner, and were able to sit and chat with Thomas and Natalie. After a quiet evening, Natalie says Thomas was in absolutely terrific spirits and very excited to get to rehab!

Join us in prayer!

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Weekly Update: Rehab Soon!

Thomas had a very packed morning as they tried to get everything prepared for him to be released to rehab. His hair was washed, OT and PT spent an hour and a half with him doing all sorts of therapy and charting to send NRH the most up-to-date information possible.  He sat up for 2.5 hours in his wheel chair and then took a nap. Your resident blogger brought up a big meal of fresh and nutritious food, and Thomas ate a ton! 

As far as the hospital is concerned, they have done everything to meet the standards of admittance to the rehab facility: he is infection free, he is eating well, his feeding tube was removed Monday afternoon, he is no longer on the ventilator (the trach collar is accepted), he can tolerate sitting for long periods of time, he successfully made the transition to all oral meds and his secretions are improved to the point that he can get much up on his own or be assisted with chest PT rather than cough assist (chest PT consists of rolling him on his side and patting his back, or just letting him lie on his side for 10 minutes at a time to loosen secretions). 

So, they hope to be discharged within the next day or two. Please pray they don't have to stay another night, and that everything goes smoothly with the transfer. They are very ready to leave and ready for the next phase! As Natalie said to us: 

"We know the road ahead will be long, our perseverance and patience will be tested, and the outcomes unknown; but truly, we are eager to begin and filled with thankfulness to be moving out of the critical phase to the recovery phase."

As always, this couldn't have been done without your prayers and support, so thank you! And please continue to join us in prayer!

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8/24 + 25: A Piece of Chocolate Cake

SATURDAY:

After a rough first night in the step-down unit, Saturday started well, as all days should, with a big breakfast. A whole banana, nutrigrain bar, greek yogurt, and most of a Naked smoothie. They counted calories all day.

They also figured out a better balance of pain medications, so he had a much more comfortable day, and was able to take a long nap in the afternoon. In the evening, he sat in his wheelchair, while Natalie read all your notes and comments and cards. 

SUNDAY:

A quiet day of rest. They both slept in, catching up from the turbulence of the last few days. Thomas had another good sized breakfast. The feeding tube is still in, though he is not receiving any nutrients from it. The doctors are happy with the amount of nutrients Thomas is eating, so Thomas and Natalie expect it will be removed soon.

During rounds Sunday morning, one of the doctors took out the stitches of Thomas' front incision. He had a relative pain-free day, so the new pain management plan seems to be working well. His secretions were also very much improved from yesterday, which is fabulous (it's another thing they will look at to discharge him).

A local priest stopped by in the afternoon, and said a wonderful Mass in Thomas' room. And Natalie surprised Thomas with a piece of chocolate cake after dinner. Yum!

Thomas and Natalie are hopeful that he will be released to rehab sometime in the next week. Several things need to line up to make this happen (the feeding tube needs to be removed; his secretions need to be under control; there needs to be no sign of infection, etc.) -- please pray that this happens soon, and that everything goes smoothly with the transition.

Join us in prayer!

Sunday

Brothers and sisters,
You have forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as children:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.”
Endure your trials as “discipline”;
God treats you as sons.
For what “son” is there whom his father does not discipline?
At the time,
all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain,
yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who are trained by it.

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees.
Make straight paths for your feet,
that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed.

- Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13

Christ Crucified by Velasquez

 

The Novena of Thanksgiving concluded yesterday! Thank you for praying with us, and please do continue to pray for Thomas and Natalie, for their caregivers, and for all those who are injured similarly but have no one to pray for them. Blessed Sunday to you all!

Update 8/23: Thom's Toes Wave Hello

Yesterday was a big day at the hospital. With Thomas off the ventilator, they decided to move him to what they call a "step down room" -- a smaller room within the same unit for stable and improving patients. This is a big step, and confirmation of the tremendous strides he has taken in the past week or so. From here he'll move to a rehab facility -- hopefully very soon!

He is off the ventilator, but still on the trach collar, which provides 5% oxygen and humidity to keep secretions soft. The feeding tube is still in, but they have started counting calories, and adding things like Ensure to his diet to see if he can take in enough so the tube can come out (hopefully) in a few days. Still no thin liquids, sadly. It was a day of progress, but also trials, so please keep praying for them!

But the really big news is:

This is the real deal: completely and totally voluntary! Thomas and Natalie offered up prayers of thanksgiving, and ask that we all do the same! 

The Novena of Thanksgiving continues. Join us in prayer!

Update 8/22: Still Flying!

We have some great news to share: Thomas is STILL OFF THE VENT from Wednesday morning! They're just letting him fly! At this point they won't put him back on the ventilator at all! This is incredible news -- the first major step to being released to rehab.

Thomas has been eating - french toast and sausage for breakfast, peaches, applesauce, and a mini 3 Musketeers (because dessert is a must). A few people have asked how Thomas is getting his nutrition:  he has a feeding tube which, now that he is eating during the day, they only use at night. It is likely this will be removed in the next day or so. After breakfast he sat in his wheelchair for two and a half hours.

When he was back in bed, Natalie gave him a shave (first one since before his surgery, so he was going a little crazy!)  To do this, he has to lay flat, and they remove the front of his neck brace, and he has to lay very still....but he did great and so did Natalie!  (She emails: "He looks fantastic :)")   Natalie also cut his nails and soaked his hands / exfoliated them to get all the dry callused skin off. Thomas told his nurse that he felt he had been taken to the spa. (Natalie is also learning how to help his nurse change his trach dressings and the interior pads of his neck brace.)

Please note: Thomas and Natalie cannot receive any more packages at the hospital. Their room is full! Please refrain form sending them there. If you want to send something, please send it to:

Thomas Peters Recovery

National Organization for Marriage

2029 K Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

The Novena of Thanksgiving continues.   Join us in prayer!

Update 8/21 - Soft Foods

The Novena of Thanksgiving continues!  Join us in prayer!

Thomas had a good day overall. Natalie and Thomas had breakfast together; Thomas called it their first "breakfast date" since his accident.  He was able to try a variety of foods during the day including: pudding, fruit cup, thickened orange juice, raspberry greek yogurt, lasagna, mashed potatoes, carrots, salad, and applesauce.  Not bad for day 2 of eating!  Natalie is brainstorming about ways to boost the unexciting hospital food.  A friend is coming today with some food items that Thomas specifically requested to try.

Thomas was able to read a little more on his Kindle again - turning pages by himself.  He sat in his chair for 3 hours while Natalie read cards and notes and they enjoyed chatting together.  3 hours was a bit too much and he was in a lot of pain for the rest of the afternoon.

As of the update Natalie sent us, Thomas was still off the vent - they were shooting for 24 hours!  We will let you know as soon as that goal is hit!

As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Week Five: Eating Mush!

It's been five week's since Thomas' accident, and two weeks since our last update. This time last week, Thomas was in the middle of his second surgery, and this week, though hard, has been very good as well.

TREATMENT OF THE INJURY
The surgery was successful, as you all know. What you may not know is that, incredibly, the injury in his neck is completely fixed! It's rather extraordinary that a surgery can just fix things entirely. Don't get us wrong: he has a lot of work to do: he has to strengthen his neck and shoulder so he can hold his head up better, but he can turn slightly, looking to the left and the right, and mobility will improve as the weeks go on, and his neck pain will diminish. The neurosurgeon even cancelled Thomas' post-surgery MRI, deeming it unnecessary. He is in a neck brace, and will continue to be so for at least six weeks.

RESPIRATORY CONCERNS
Thomas continues to work towards being entirely off the ventilator. Though he had the breathing tube for the two days of surgery, this didn't really slow him down, and every day he spends longer and longer off the ventilator. Monday he was off the ventilator for 19 hours; Tuesday off for 18.5 hours; today's goal is 24 hours. To be released into rehab, he needs to be off the ventilator for several days without assistance.

EATING + SWALLOWING
As we reported yesterday, his swallowing test was positive, and Thomas was cleared for eating soft soft foods / thickened liquids (like applesauce).  Yesterday was his first try, and he ate a few bites of food at lunch, dinner, and dessert.  Just for yesterday, blue food coloring was put in everything he ate -- a precautionary measure -- if no blue showed up when he was suctioned, they knew all was well. Pretty clever.

Thomas did better at dinnertime than lunch, and will continue to improve with practice. They are definitely taking baby steps with eating as he relearns how to swallow and works on those muscles. They are exploring different textures of foods provided by the hospital; some textures are more challenging than others.

PAIN + FEVER
His pain medications seem to be at a much happier balance now, which is great! He continues to have fevers starting around 2/3pm and lasting through the night. They have been watching these closely, giving him Tylenol, and looking into causes. They're 95% sure he has no infection causing them, so it's most likely because of his injury which they said is not uncommon.

MOBILITY + PHYSICAL THERAPY
Thomas is browsing and reading on his kindle now, which is awesome! He and Natalie devised a way to prop it up and he can use his right pinky knuckle to scroll pages, return to his home library, and select a different text! So cool!

Every other day Thomas has a visit from either physical therapy or occupational therapy. These teams alternate exercises to stretch and strengthen his upper and lower body. They have also taught him exercises for his hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders that he can do on his own, and some exercises that Natalie can help him do as well.

REQUEST: TRAVEL
Most of Thomas and Natalie's family has been able to visit while Thomas is in the hospital, thanks to the generosity of family and friends. Natalie's sister and brother-in-law are still hoping to come out and visit sometime in the next couple weeks. If anyone has airline miles they can spare to help purchase a plane ticket, please email us at the blog address. (A lot of companies let you donate miles, but there is a pretty high charge for this. What we're looking for specifically is having someone redeem their miles for two flights.)

As always, thank you for all your generosity and prayers!

The Novena of Thanksgiving continues. Join us in prayer!

Update 8/19

A quick update from the hospital: Sunday was a quiet day -- Thomas took a day of rest. A priest from their parish came up and said Mass. He decided not to try sitting in the wheelchair. He and Natalie and her parents watched a movie in the evening. Thomas was off the ventilator for a full 12 hours, as well.

Monday morning, Thomas had a lot of shoulder tightness and pain. Just in time, Physical Therapy showed up and were able to incorporate massage/relaxation into their therapy routine for his upper body. Thomas worked hard on all of the exercises and did really great! (After that he felt great enough to post once more on FB and Twitter!)

In the afternoon, he had a post-surgery swallow evaluation, and he was cleared for soft mushy foods - the doctors are still consulting about whether they are comfortable starting him on liquids, so we'll stay tuned.  

The biggest news of the day: the doctors decided to let him go as long as he wanted off the vent and he made it for 19 HOURS!  

NOVENA:

Mother Theresa encouraged all those who prayed novenas to pray nine days in prayer and then nine days in thanksgiving. So, we are starting a novena of thanksgiving to Luisa Piccaretta. Follow along here.

Tomorrow, a longer (and long overdue, since we skipped last week) Weekly Update!

Join us in prayer!

Sunday: Paper Rosary

The last two days have been quiet ones. Thomas was off the ventilator both Friday and Saturday for 12 hour stretches.

On Friday 2 of his 3 post-surgery wound drains were removed (which is great: they are painful to lay on). He was also weaned off IV pain meds and all but one dose of antibiotics; so subsequently, his pick line and 1 of his 2 IVs were removed. Yesterday the 3rd wound drain was removed, and the antibiotics ended, so he's down to one IV for fluids to keep him hydrated!

Since the surgery, he says his hands are feeling stronger and he is beginning to feel individual fingers - and is working hard to try and move them individually (he hasn't been able to yet, but this is a great start).  He also said his swallow feels so much better post-surgery. They have him scheduled for a swallow evaluation for Monday and we're hopeful he will be cleared for liquids and food!

Yesterday he sat in his wheelchair for about 2.5 hours, and was even taken outside for a bit of fresh air! Unfortunately they are still trying to get his pain meds right, so for the first hour he was in the chair he was in a lot of pain. They are working to find the right balance. In the meantime, he's getting lots of rest, working on physical therapy exercises, and enjoying a visit from Natalie's parents.
 

We are witnesses, through your comments and emails, of the incredible generosity in faith and prayer of all of you reading this blog, whether you know Thomas and Natalie personally, or not. Likewise, Thomas and Natalie are receiving get-well cards and gifts from people all around the country and the world! Natalie tells us each day how grateful she is! We wanted to start sharing some of these gifts, prayers and stories with all of you, too!

One of the most extraordinary gifts they have received is a hand-made paper rosary from a family in Tomball, TX. Dedicated to the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, every decade focuses on something different; every paper bead is a different prayer intention: decade 1 thanksgiving, decade 2 movement in each finger (literally each of the 10 beads says "that you may continue to gain strength in your right index finger," and so on, decade 3 & 4 healing of various things (trach, coming off vent, lungs, halo, etc.) witness to others, ability to blog again, etc., decade 5 growth in virtue and grace.

Needless to say, Natalie was completely overwhelmed by this gift, which arrived during that first, difficult week that Thomas was in the Halo. (When she wrote to us about it she was at first completely speechless - saying only that they got the most incredible gift - and leaving us bloggers to wonder what it was till the pictures arrived!) We are so very grateful for everyone's generosity and love.

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.

- Hebrews 12: 1-2

 

Join us in prayer!

Post Surgery Update + Benefit Concert

The surgery, though it was done in two parts over two days, was successful, as we reported yesterday. Dr. Peters, Thomas' father, was there during the surgery, and reports that when the surgeons directly visualized the injury, they found considerably more tissue damage than had showed up previously. "I take that discovery as yet more evidence that something—I am thinking a guardian angel—extraordinary must have stopped those bone fragments from doing great damage to the more delicate spinal cord itself." The CT scan showed that everything was in order following the surgery. 

Immediately following the surgery, Thomas was in a lot of pain. It was a rough evening, as they sorted out how best to manage the pain. He was able to visit for a while with his dad and two brothers, who left yesterday morning. 

Thomas slept pretty well through the night, and by morning he had been weaned off all sedation. Unfortunately he woke up in excruciating pain once more. The staff are working hard to finesse the right balance of meds + dose times. (They went through the same thing after his halo was installed — we'll get there!) Once he was more comfortable, they got him right back to his usual morning respiratory treatments, just like before his surgery. He did great.  

Physical therapy spent 45 minutes stretching out his lower body. Meanwhile, Natalie translated for Thomas as he asked the therapists questions about therapy goals while in the hospital and what rehab is like.  After PT they sat him up in his wheelchair—Natalie says: "you should have seen the look on his face when they told him they wanted to do this: 'are you crazy? do you realize I just had surgery?' 'can we discuss this!?'  They really get ya moving in this place!" He sat up for about 2 hours, and he did well, but was very ready to get back to bed.  For the rest of the afternoon and evening he was off of the ventilator for eight hours, resting and chatting. A friend stopped by with the latest stack of get well cards, which Natalie read to Thomas.

BENEFIT CONCERT

Meanwhile, we were busy in Washington DC. The Catholic Information Center hosted a benefit concert for Thomas and Natalie. Featuring the acoustic singer/songwriter, Luke Spehar, the benefit drew a over 100 people to a beautiful rooftop in downtown Washington, DC, and raised over $4,000!

Luke, who is about to issue his third album, talked about how touched he was by the story of Thomas and Natalie—their young marriage and their incredible faith. He sang mostly new work which will be part of a new album release later this fall (we'll let you know). Luke gave an intimate, captivating and rich performance—deeply personal, faithful, and encouraging to Thomas and Natalie, and to all those present.

When my body feels like giving in, 

oh my mind is at a breaking point, 

oh my legs refuse to take another step, 

I know you’ll pull me through, 

for my strength it lies in You

— The Champion (video)

We're very grateful for Luke coming—he drove through the night to get to DC in time for this show. You can purchase his albums by clicking their titles: NO OTHER WAY + BE STILL. (This is an Amazon affiliate link, and a small percentage of your purchase will go to Thomas and Natalie.) He also donated part of the proceeds from album sales at the event to Thomas and Natalie.

Many thanks to Meghan Marie Photography for capturing this great evening! (You can click the photos to see larger images.) Meghan's own brother, Austin, suffered a similar injury last year, and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. He is now walking! So, we are especially grateful for her support and encouragement. (And do say a quick prayer for Austin, while you're at it!)

Join us in prayer!

Surgery Update - Success!

SURGERY

Quick update from Natalie:

Surgery was a success. (CT Scan and MRI this afternoon to verify.) Still has the breathing tube, but they are taking that out this afternoon. He is in more pain and is more swollen today, so please continue to pray for pain management and for the swelling to go down. His father and brothers are here now, too.

We'll update tomorrow with more details. Thank you for your prayers!

NOVENA

Today, day 9 of our novena, we thank God for the blessing of Thom's successful surgery, and pray for his continued recovery.

BENEFIT CONCERT

If you are in the DC area or know people who are, please spread the word about this concert that will benefit Thomas & Natalie! It's tonight at the Catholic Information Center in Downtown Washington, DC. -- featuring indie singer/songwriter Luke Spehar.  Thank you in advance for attending or encouraging others to attend! And if you can't attend, you are still welcome to donate by clicking the paypal button below.

Join us in prayer!

Surgery Update + Benefit Concert

Thomas is out of surgery, but only the first half of the surgery was performed. Phase one was completed, and Natalie heard that it went well. The surgeons thought it best to put the breathing tube back in, which took a full two hours, so they ran out of time to perform the second half of the surgery. They will do phase two tomorrow.

Natalie asks especially for your prayers for Thomas' state of mind when he awakes from the surgery and finds he has the breathing tube again, and has to have surgery again tomorrow. We cannot thank you enough for your prayers! Please continue them tonight and tomorrow!

BENEFIT CONCERT

If you are in the DC area or know people who are, please spread the word about this concert that will benefit Thomas & Natalie! It's tomorrow night at the Catholic Information Center in Downtown Washington, DC. -- featuring indie singer/songwriter Luke Spehar.  Thank you in advance for attending or encouraging others to attend!

Reminder: We are on Day 8 of our Novena.

Join us in prayer!

Surgery NOW + A Miraculous Story

Thomas went in for surgery this morning at 7:30 am. Please pray that the surgery may be successful, and his recovery continue! Please keep in your prayers the doctors -- that they be alert and have dexterity -- and for lack of complications during the surgery.

As Thomas is in surgery, we wanted to share this incredible story with you, to show how efficacious your prayers have already been! This story comes straight from Natalie:

The night Thomas arrived in Trauma, Dr. A was the one who spoke to me about his condition, and tried to prepare me for possible outcomes and scenarios that could arise over the course of the night.  He was kind, focused on Thomas, and spoke directly - three things I was deeply grateful for that night when everything was happening so quickly, as we spoke surrounded by the chaos of the Trauma unit.   

Over the last two weeks, I've seen Dr. A nearly everyday along with the larger team of doctors tracking Thomas progress - he is always kind and concerned about Thomas, us, and our families. 

On Sunday evening, Dr. A stopped by Thomas' room; it was his last day in rotation at University Maryland Hospital and he's heading back to his own hospital.  He had a gift and a card for Thomas and he wanted to say goodbye. Thomas was asleep, and rather than waking him, Dr. A stayed and talked with me. He said he wanted to personally encourage Thomas of how truly remarkable his recovery up to this point has been, he said, in fact, it's miraculous.   

Dr. A told me more about the terrible state Thomas was in when he first arrived in Trauma - details I had never heard. Although he didn't say this at the time, he said when treating Thomas that night he thought it very likely Thomas' outcome would be ventilator-dependent, vegetative state. He said through the night they worked to do everything possible. In the early morning he stopped by to see Thomas and when the nurse said "he's awake, you can go right in" he asked her if he was in the right place! He said he could not believe it - Thomas was conscious and so soon?!  HOW? 

He said seeing Thomas every day, Thomas and I together, and our moms, was a powerful reminded of why he does this every day. He believes Thomas has a special path ahead and will have a powerful story to tell - we just don't know what it is yet. He believes Thomas will be an inspiration and already has been. He said he's a Christian and was touched by the faith and prayerfulness of our family and knows full well he may be the doctor but it's really up to the Lord. And the night Thomas came in, the Lord definitely had a plan all His own. He wished us all the best and asked me to encourage Thomas to not become discouraged on the long, challenging road ahead of us, but instead, to be assured that he has already made incredible and miraculous progress. I promised him we would stay in touch and that I would tell him Thomas' story. 

Please continue to pray for Thomas, Natalie, his doctors and his treatment! We'll update as soon as we can post-surgery.

Join us in prayer!

Update: Surgery Scheduled

Reminder: We are on Day 7 of our Novena

Thomas' CT Scan from yesterday showed no signs of infection and he has been cleared for surgery.  At the time of this post, the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, Tues. Aug. 13 at 7:30 am.  This can change if any emergencies arrive.  Thomas is eager and ready for the procedure. The surgery takes 6-8 hour and involves 2 main phases. 

Phase 1:
Remove Halo
Go in from the front, left side of his neck, remove broken vertebrae and put in its place a titanium cage
A metal plate, spanning the C4, 5, and 6 vertebrates will be secured to the C4 & C6 vertebrae for stability
Front incision will be stitched closed

Phase 2:
Go in to the back of his neck and insert bars on either side of the, now fused, trio of vertebrae, stabilizing with screws at the C4, 5, and 6 vertebrae
Back incision will be stapled closed (these will be removed 2 weeks later)

Post surgery, he will have to wear a surgical collar for about 6 weeks.  Once healed, he is expected to retain 90-95% of his neck mobility and there are also no expected setbacks regarding his trach/respiratory progress.

Again, we ask for your prayers for him, his family, all his medical care givers and all who are undergoing similar surgeries, including the many traumas that were brought into the Shock Trauma Center over the weekend!

Join us in prayer!

Update: Aug. 9 & 10

Reminder: We are on Day 6 of our Novena

FRIDAY

Thom was off the vent for 12 hours!  From 10am - 10pm.  Natalie, the Respiratory Techs and all of us are so proud of him!
 
In the afternoon the medical team opted to put in a pick line in a large vein in his right bicep.  This large IV is able to handle the volume of fluids and antibiotics he is receiving, allow them to draw blood, and will last until he is discharged.  Up until now, they have had to put a new IV in his hand or wrist every couple days.  No more sticking!  :) 

SATURDAY

Thomas had a quiet Saturday.  Lack of sleep from the night before left him pretty sleepy and he rested most the day. Despite the sleepiness, he did another 12 hours off the vent.  He is feeling better and better breathing off the vent, so they will continue to add hours each day!  Rumor has it the next goal might be 16 hours!  Thom also used his speaking valve for about an hour to visit with 2 friends who came by - so great!

Natalie said the most exciting part of their day was being able to put Thom's wedding ring back on his finger!  And yes, she recited the words once more :) 

They ended the day with a movie together.

Join us in prayer!

Update: 8/7 & 8/8

Reminder: We are on Day 4 of our Novena!  

Thomas has had two good days. He enjoyed having his mom and sisters in town for a visit and was in good spirits. 

Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy teams have been working with him the last two days on exercises to strengthen & stretch his hands, wrists, and elbows.  When he is ready to be out of bed again, he will need to be able to support himself on the edge of the bed by extending out his hands and keeping his elbows taught - so they are getting started now!  And, as you may imagine, he is very very focused on  any exercise for his hands ... being able to type once again is one of his biggest goals.

Thomas had some amazing sessions off the vent for 8 hours and 8.5 hours! He also used his speaking valve for 10 minutes to talk to Natalie and his family.

And great news for today, the team monitoring his infection gave his trach/neck the green light!  YAY!  This information will be passed on to the Neurosurgery teamwho will determine when surgery can happen.  A CTscan with contrast will be done on Sunday, just to be sure there are no signs of infection below the skin.  We are hopeful surgery will happen next week!  We will keep you posted.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support!

Join us in prayer!