Thanks for everyone's phone calls, letters, cards, and prayers. Miracles do happen. Dad and Mom are doing better every day. Anne has been able to keep her breathing tube out and she is getting stronger all the time. She keeps asking for Physical Therapy to come do exercises with her! She was up in the chair for two hours today and had alot of activity. A speech therapist is supposed to come tomorrow to study her swallowing and see if she is ready to try liquids and maybe a little food. She is ready for food, exercise, and for things to progress a little faster than they are going. Dad is also doing alot better. He was up in the chair today for a couple of hours, but he had quite a bit of pain with his back brace. Their wonderful nurse, Julie, called to see if his brace could be re-fitted. Dad is getting really bored...and I think he's ready for a few visitors from his many wonderful friends. He has orders to be moved to the step-down floor from the ICU, but we're unsure when that will happen. The MCV staff have been wonderful to us and many nurses and doctors and therapists pop their heads in to visit with Bill and Anne and always remark what a miracle they are.They can't believe how well they're doing after such terrible injuries. Dad and Anne asked about the Muriel concert today and I told them both that tickets were selling and that everyone was looking forward to the event.
Please keep praying and thank you to everyone's thoughts, calls, cards, and visits.
Karen
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Tuesday October 30th
Today was an even better day!
Bill requested and received tomato soup for lunch. He gets to eat real food now all day long, but not yet in the evening. He got his brace put on, and even though he doesn't seem to like it very much, it is huge progress towards getting him sitting up and moving around (not weight bearing). Best news? He comes out of ICU either today or tomorrow to a "step-down" unit!
Mom was extubated for the 2nd time, and it looks like this time will be a success. She struggled a bit at first, but then started doing wonderfully. After she came off the breathing tube, she sat in a chair for almost an hour and a half and was completely patient while we all fussed over her. After a pep talk, she is now wanting to know when she gets to start PT and working out. It might be a while before that, but there is a whole lot of fight there. We keep telling her she has to keep up with Bill and get out of ICU too.
They are both AMAZING! A doctor that worked with them the first night stopped by to see how they were doing and was floored by how great they look. We are so excited and happy, it is truly incredible. Thanks to everyone who has been following their progress and praying for them, we cannot express how much we appreciate it!
Bill requested and received tomato soup for lunch. He gets to eat real food now all day long, but not yet in the evening. He got his brace put on, and even though he doesn't seem to like it very much, it is huge progress towards getting him sitting up and moving around (not weight bearing). Best news? He comes out of ICU either today or tomorrow to a "step-down" unit!
Mom was extubated for the 2nd time, and it looks like this time will be a success. She struggled a bit at first, but then started doing wonderfully. After she came off the breathing tube, she sat in a chair for almost an hour and a half and was completely patient while we all fussed over her. After a pep talk, she is now wanting to know when she gets to start PT and working out. It might be a while before that, but there is a whole lot of fight there. We keep telling her she has to keep up with Bill and get out of ICU too.
They are both AMAZING! A doctor that worked with them the first night stopped by to see how they were doing and was floored by how great they look. We are so excited and happy, it is truly incredible. Thanks to everyone who has been following their progress and praying for them, we cannot express how much we appreciate it!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday October 29th
Today was a really good day.
We finally got to talk with an attending physician who answered a lot of our questions, and was genuinely sincere-yeah! Things really seem as though they are progressing well.
Bill is waiting for a brace so that he can sit up, and his nurse seemed hopeful that he may be ready to wear it within a few days. This means he may actually get out of ICU in a few days. Fifteen days ago, I think we would have all said that would be a miracle.
Mom actually got out of bed and sat in a chair for an hour today. It looked really hard, but she did it and it was fabulous. She gets a second chance at coming off the breathing tube either tomorrow or Wednesday. If this happens, she will have made leaps and bounds as well. Keep your fingers crossed.
We also took a tour of MCV's spinal cord injury rehab center and were really impressed. It is not fancy, but they offer all sorts of services: PT, OT, counseling, speech therapy, pain management, group therapy, recreational therapy etc.. It would really be ideal if they could both go because even if they go at different times, they will still be in the same hospital. They could also end up in adjoining rooms there as well.
Both Mom and Bill would have said it was a tiring and boring day respectively, but for the rest of us, it felt like we are finally turning a corner.
We finally got to talk with an attending physician who answered a lot of our questions, and was genuinely sincere-yeah! Things really seem as though they are progressing well.
Bill is waiting for a brace so that he can sit up, and his nurse seemed hopeful that he may be ready to wear it within a few days. This means he may actually get out of ICU in a few days. Fifteen days ago, I think we would have all said that would be a miracle.
Mom actually got out of bed and sat in a chair for an hour today. It looked really hard, but she did it and it was fabulous. She gets a second chance at coming off the breathing tube either tomorrow or Wednesday. If this happens, she will have made leaps and bounds as well. Keep your fingers crossed.
We also took a tour of MCV's spinal cord injury rehab center and were really impressed. It is not fancy, but they offer all sorts of services: PT, OT, counseling, speech therapy, pain management, group therapy, recreational therapy etc.. It would really be ideal if they could both go because even if they go at different times, they will still be in the same hospital. They could also end up in adjoining rooms there as well.
Both Mom and Bill would have said it was a tiring and boring day respectively, but for the rest of us, it felt like we are finally turning a corner.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Weekend Update
Hello all,
Saturday was a bit of a down day with lots of misinformation and miscommunication. Since that about sums up the day, all I will mention is Bill is definitely getting bored which is a good sign.
Today was a much, much better day. Mainly because the room next to Mom finally opened up so Bill was moved into the room to the right of hers. This room has a big glass partition that opens and has a curtain so they were able to see each other for the first time. They waved and called out I love you's and most of the nurses were crying because it was so sweet.
Then Mom was well enough to ask for lipstick, lotion, a mirror and a pretty nightgown. Vanity is a good thing when you are that sick! She had a new cast put on her arm and is much more comfortable. She has a small bug, but they don't think it is enough to require antibiotics. She is doing well on her breathing exercises, hopefully she will be breathing on her own soon.
Bill looks great, but he is definitely bored (completely understandable) so we are bringing both of them books on tape tomorrow. He has lost most of the fuzziness from the medicines and is almost as chatty as Mom. His night nurse said that every time she went into his room, he would say he couldn't sleep and then try to chat her up so she wouldn't leave. Hopefully they will get back on more normal sleep schedules soon.
Our biggest challenge now is trying to get an "care conference" with the attending physician and various specialty docs for both of them. Mainly we want the big picture for both of them so we can try to decipher all the conflicting information we receive. We believe they are getting great care at MCV, but sometimes getting a straight story is next to impossible.
The weekend was a roller coaster, but it ended on a very up note, so we are still very optimistic.
Saturday was a bit of a down day with lots of misinformation and miscommunication. Since that about sums up the day, all I will mention is Bill is definitely getting bored which is a good sign.
Today was a much, much better day. Mainly because the room next to Mom finally opened up so Bill was moved into the room to the right of hers. This room has a big glass partition that opens and has a curtain so they were able to see each other for the first time. They waved and called out I love you's and most of the nurses were crying because it was so sweet.
Then Mom was well enough to ask for lipstick, lotion, a mirror and a pretty nightgown. Vanity is a good thing when you are that sick! She had a new cast put on her arm and is much more comfortable. She has a small bug, but they don't think it is enough to require antibiotics. She is doing well on her breathing exercises, hopefully she will be breathing on her own soon.
Bill looks great, but he is definitely bored (completely understandable) so we are bringing both of them books on tape tomorrow. He has lost most of the fuzziness from the medicines and is almost as chatty as Mom. His night nurse said that every time she went into his room, he would say he couldn't sleep and then try to chat her up so she wouldn't leave. Hopefully they will get back on more normal sleep schedules soon.
Our biggest challenge now is trying to get an "care conference" with the attending physician and various specialty docs for both of them. Mainly we want the big picture for both of them so we can try to decipher all the conflicting information we receive. We believe they are getting great care at MCV, but sometimes getting a straight story is next to impossible.
The weekend was a roller coaster, but it ended on a very up note, so we are still very optimistic.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday October 26th
Today was a so-so day, not sure how else to describe it. It is likely just part of the ups and downs that we will need to get used to. It may have even been a good day, but yesterday was so good, today can only be rated as average.
Bill is breathing great, and he seems really strong in his upper body and moves his legs alot. He is talking a lot. He is still confused from all the medication (he was on massive quantities of morphine) and has been doing some reminiscing about the Clinton Days and inquiring after the Democratic National Party. He is as funny as always whether he means to be or not. But he seems pretty positive and is ready to go.
I think this will be the hardest part, both of them are ready to go home now, and they are both so strong willed.
Mom had a bit of a setback, but apparently it is fairly common. She was extubated, but had to be re-intubated pretty quickly afterwards. She was having difficulty breathing . They are pretty sure she has pneumonia, and this is probably why she wasn't able to keep strength breathing. They will move forward with a slower "weaning" process, let the antibiotics kick in and get her strength back before trying it again.
We are sure there will be more ups and downs though, and thank you so much for all of your support.
Bill is breathing great, and he seems really strong in his upper body and moves his legs alot. He is talking a lot. He is still confused from all the medication (he was on massive quantities of morphine) and has been doing some reminiscing about the Clinton Days and inquiring after the Democratic National Party. He is as funny as always whether he means to be or not. But he seems pretty positive and is ready to go.
I think this will be the hardest part, both of them are ready to go home now, and they are both so strong willed.
Mom had a bit of a setback, but apparently it is fairly common. She was extubated, but had to be re-intubated pretty quickly afterwards. She was having difficulty breathing . They are pretty sure she has pneumonia, and this is probably why she wasn't able to keep strength breathing. They will move forward with a slower "weaning" process, let the antibiotics kick in and get her strength back before trying it again.
We are sure there will be more ups and downs though, and thank you so much for all of your support.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thursday October 25th
Today was another very encouraging day.
Bill is breathing extremely well off his breathing tube. He is removing a lot of stuff from his lungs. We'd like to see his central line removed as he may not need it and it can be a source for infection. He drank a bit of water today, and by late afternoon was tolerating the feeding tube again. He looks great, and most of the time is coherent. We think the times he is not is due to all of the strong doses of morphine and other pain killers he was on. But he looks so much more like himself, it is remarkable.
Mom was a chatterbox today. She is trying to speak over the breathing tube and about 50% of the time is understandable. She said she is hungry, wants a bath and wants her teeth brushed. All good signs. She is doing wonderfully moving her arms and legs, and even though it is clearly painful, she is trying to make a fist and really use her fingers. With our help, she wrote "I love Bill" on a piece of paper, so we made sure he saw that. She is doing so much better with her breathing and lungs, there is a really good chance she will be extubated tomorrow. We can't wait to hear what she has to say.
Your prayers and thoughts are really helping, keep them coming!
Bill is breathing extremely well off his breathing tube. He is removing a lot of stuff from his lungs. We'd like to see his central line removed as he may not need it and it can be a source for infection. He drank a bit of water today, and by late afternoon was tolerating the feeding tube again. He looks great, and most of the time is coherent. We think the times he is not is due to all of the strong doses of morphine and other pain killers he was on. But he looks so much more like himself, it is remarkable.
Mom was a chatterbox today. She is trying to speak over the breathing tube and about 50% of the time is understandable. She said she is hungry, wants a bath and wants her teeth brushed. All good signs. She is doing wonderfully moving her arms and legs, and even though it is clearly painful, she is trying to make a fist and really use her fingers. With our help, she wrote "I love Bill" on a piece of paper, so we made sure he saw that. She is doing so much better with her breathing and lungs, there is a really good chance she will be extubated tomorrow. We can't wait to hear what she has to say.
Your prayers and thoughts are really helping, keep them coming!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wednesday October 24th
Today was overall a good day.
After a bit of wrangling with the various docs, we confirmed that Bill was ready to get off his breathing tube, and by this afternoon he was breathing on his own with a bit of help from an oxygen mask. His throat is very sore, but he did tell the nurse his name was Bill, and is doing a great job of breathing and staying calm. He really, really wanted that tube out, so I would say he would rate the day a 10 for sure. The neurosurgeons have cleared him for limited mobility, so he is in the same type of bed as mom. It is eerily similar to the old quarter operated beds in hotel rooms you used to see in old movies. (just kidding!) The goal now is to really make sure he can break up the secretions in his lungs to minimize any chance of infection.
Mom had another good workout day. We were all by her bedside, including her granddaughter Jessica who came down from NJ, cheering her on and asking her to wiggle fingers and toes. She was doing great with that, which is very encouraging. She is pretty good at mouthing over her breathing tube, and she must have said 5 variations of "I'm ready to go home now". I think she believes she could pop right up and walk on out of there if we would just listen to her. To me, this is a sign of what a tough lady she is and how hard she will fight. She is not quite ready to come off the breathing tube, and they think she may have some infection in her lungs, but they've already started her on broad-spectrum antibiotics and taken cultures. To beat that is really her next goal. We still won't know the extent of her spinal damage for a while, but it is encouraging we are starting to talk with rehab docs, and apparently MCV has one of the best spinal rehabs around.
Thanks again for all of the kind comments, prayers and thoughts. A very special thanks to the Federal Reserve Board and Henrico Doctors Hospital for being so wonderful about giving the kids time off to take care of them. We can't wait until they can have visitors, and everyone can give their love and support directly.
After a bit of wrangling with the various docs, we confirmed that Bill was ready to get off his breathing tube, and by this afternoon he was breathing on his own with a bit of help from an oxygen mask. His throat is very sore, but he did tell the nurse his name was Bill, and is doing a great job of breathing and staying calm. He really, really wanted that tube out, so I would say he would rate the day a 10 for sure. The neurosurgeons have cleared him for limited mobility, so he is in the same type of bed as mom. It is eerily similar to the old quarter operated beds in hotel rooms you used to see in old movies. (just kidding!) The goal now is to really make sure he can break up the secretions in his lungs to minimize any chance of infection.
Mom had another good workout day. We were all by her bedside, including her granddaughter Jessica who came down from NJ, cheering her on and asking her to wiggle fingers and toes. She was doing great with that, which is very encouraging. She is pretty good at mouthing over her breathing tube, and she must have said 5 variations of "I'm ready to go home now". I think she believes she could pop right up and walk on out of there if we would just listen to her. To me, this is a sign of what a tough lady she is and how hard she will fight. She is not quite ready to come off the breathing tube, and they think she may have some infection in her lungs, but they've already started her on broad-spectrum antibiotics and taken cultures. To beat that is really her next goal. We still won't know the extent of her spinal damage for a while, but it is encouraging we are starting to talk with rehab docs, and apparently MCV has one of the best spinal rehabs around.
Thanks again for all of the kind comments, prayers and thoughts. A very special thanks to the Federal Reserve Board and Henrico Doctors Hospital for being so wonderful about giving the kids time off to take care of them. We can't wait until they can have visitors, and everyone can give their love and support directly.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
October 23rd Update
Bill had his fractures in the lower portion of his back fused today. I believe it was T2-T8, which was more than we originally thought. But the surgery went well and the surgeon believes that maybe there was the spinal injury was not as bad as they originally thought. Again, most of the understanding of the severity will come more from the PT & OT, and how well he responds to that. He is very heavily sedated this evening, but looks good and peaceful.
Mom is steadily waking up and they have weaned her morphine a bit. The OT nurse came today (she will come see Bill tomorrow) and asked her to do several things like wiggling her fingers, moving her arms, and wiggling her toes. We were all cheering her on and she did really well. They are suggesting (very initially) that she be a candidate for rehab, which is great. She would leave ICU and go through 1-2 "step-down" units, and then move into rehab. If Bill is a candidate as well, they may be able to go together if the timing is right. This is all very preliminary and there are more hurdles to get through, primarily getting them both off the ventilators, but is encouraging news.
I think we are all learning that this is a complicated, long process that is likely to have a lot of ups and downs. Today seemed to be more of an "up" day, so hopefully tomorrow will be as well.
Mom is steadily waking up and they have weaned her morphine a bit. The OT nurse came today (she will come see Bill tomorrow) and asked her to do several things like wiggling her fingers, moving her arms, and wiggling her toes. We were all cheering her on and she did really well. They are suggesting (very initially) that she be a candidate for rehab, which is great. She would leave ICU and go through 1-2 "step-down" units, and then move into rehab. If Bill is a candidate as well, they may be able to go together if the timing is right. This is all very preliminary and there are more hurdles to get through, primarily getting them both off the ventilators, but is encouraging news.
I think we are all learning that this is a complicated, long process that is likely to have a lot of ups and downs. Today seemed to be more of an "up" day, so hopefully tomorrow will be as well.
Monday, October 22, 2007
October 22 Update
This is being posted as an update to today's earlier information.
While Anne and Bill are still in very serious condition, and the doctor's comments were difficult for us to hear, we all still have hope and faith for positive news.
Today's comments from the doctor was simply a reality check to the seriousness of the injuries of Anne and Bill. The comments were not intended to be a final decision by any means, but rather a reality that we the family must discuss and think about.
Each of your prayers and wishes are lovingly appreciated and we thank everyone for your love and support.
Prayers & Support
We finally had doctor come by that took the time to talk to us and really give us an understanding of the situation. She said that we need to be prepared to discuss what Mom and Bill would want because there is a chance they will not improve. They were very adamant in their medical directive, they did not want to be on life support. I think we all knew the situation was grave, but this really hit home. If you are praying for them now, please kick it up because they need it.
We know they are getting the best possible care, but it is really hard because there are so many doctors, residents and students that come around, it seems like a different story every time. This was the attending physician, so it feels like a huge blow.
If you have not filled out a medical directive for you and/or your family, please make time to do so.
We know they are getting the best possible care, but it is really hard because there are so many doctors, residents and students that come around, it seems like a different story every time. This was the attending physician, so it feels like a huge blow.
If you have not filled out a medical directive for you and/or your family, please make time to do so.
Monday afternoon update
Today is a depressing day.
Mom is out of surgery. Apparently, it went pretty well from an operational standpoint. They have screwed a long metal plate into from high thigh to the top of the knee. There is another smaller plate covering below the knee half-way down her leg. They determined that a cast would be enough to heal her wrist and that her collar-bone will heal on it's own. She is heavily sedated right now and we are hoping she stays asleep. The bad news is her femur was completely shattered and it will be 3-4 months before she can do anything other than go from bed to the wheelchair. Then she would be able to start physical therapy and learning how to walk again. So long term, it will likely be a year before she is walking again.
Bill has been pretty agitated all day about his breathing tube. He is fairly alert and focused, which is good but bad because you can tell he is very scared. They finally gave him some Ativan to calm him down so he is mostly sleeping now. The good news is it looks like he will go for his spinal surgery tomorrow so only 2 (hopefully) more days on the breathing tube. I think it will be a big relief for him to get it out. The bad news is right now, they don't really know the extent of the injury to his ankle. They won't really look at it for a few more weeks. But he also won't be able to walk for at least 3-4 months either at best.
About the only bright spot is the room next to Mom may open up today, so the staff has said they might be able to move Bill there. There is a glass partition that can be opened to make it essentially one room.
Mom is out of surgery. Apparently, it went pretty well from an operational standpoint. They have screwed a long metal plate into from high thigh to the top of the knee. There is another smaller plate covering below the knee half-way down her leg. They determined that a cast would be enough to heal her wrist and that her collar-bone will heal on it's own. She is heavily sedated right now and we are hoping she stays asleep. The bad news is her femur was completely shattered and it will be 3-4 months before she can do anything other than go from bed to the wheelchair. Then she would be able to start physical therapy and learning how to walk again. So long term, it will likely be a year before she is walking again.
Bill has been pretty agitated all day about his breathing tube. He is fairly alert and focused, which is good but bad because you can tell he is very scared. They finally gave him some Ativan to calm him down so he is mostly sleeping now. The good news is it looks like he will go for his spinal surgery tomorrow so only 2 (hopefully) more days on the breathing tube. I think it will be a big relief for him to get it out. The bad news is right now, they don't really know the extent of the injury to his ankle. They won't really look at it for a few more weeks. But he also won't be able to walk for at least 3-4 months either at best.
About the only bright spot is the room next to Mom may open up today, so the staff has said they might be able to move Bill there. There is a glass partition that can be opened to make it essentially one room.
Monday AM October 22
The orthopaedic surgeon has come by and cleared mom to go into surgery, probably around 7:30 am. They will start with her femur and tibia, and then possibly do her wrist, but they are not sure yet. It is a painful and long surgery, so she will heavily medicated. She is sleeping soundly now and hopefully she will just stay asleep for the rest of the day.
Bill was awake this morning, but much calmer. I spoke with the trauma team, and he is definitely ready for spinal surgery, but we haven't seen the neurology team yet. Apparently it is a scheduling issue. So if we are lucky, he will go in today. If he does not, it looks like Thursday. To the best of my understanding, if it is Thursday, they will go ahead and extubate him today. He is breathing pretty well and I am sure he would be happy to get his tube out.
Bill was awake this morning, but much calmer. I spoke with the trauma team, and he is definitely ready for spinal surgery, but we haven't seen the neurology team yet. Apparently it is a scheduling issue. So if we are lucky, he will go in today. If he does not, it looks like Thursday. To the best of my understanding, if it is Thursday, they will go ahead and extubate him today. He is breathing pretty well and I am sure he would be happy to get his tube out.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sunday Evening Post
Both Mom and Bill have been pretty awake tonight. Bill really focused his eyes on me when I stood right over his head and Mom's been waving her arm around. I think Bill must have telepathically told her to start making a stink about her breathing tube too. Maybe they think if they both raise caine, somebody will come by and take them out. They both have great nurses for the evening and I think it will be a good night. The neurologist team makes their rounds about the same time Mom will be going in for her surgery, so I am sure we will try to get some type of answer about when Bill's surgery will happen. Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow. Good night.
Sunday Afternoon Update-October 21st
Bill and Anne are both still fighting, and they have both been conscious at different times over the last 24 hours. They both got new beds. Bill's bed is a little wider so he is more comfortable when being turned in different positions. Mom's bed is one that changes positions every so often to help loosen up chest congestion.
Bill is definitely fighting and we are convinced he is ready to have his breathing tube out. The good news is it is amazing how much strength he has when trying to get to his tube and he is pretty much breathing on his own, the bad news is they've had to tie his hands down which I am sure is not making him very happy. His color is really good and Karen, Erin and John have all had an opportunity to talk to him today. Karen let him know what happened and that Anne is OK and he has lots of people pulling for him. His stomach has healed up fairly well so to the best of our understanding, he is ready from a trauma perspective to move forward with the spinal neurosurgery. We are pretty frustrated because we have heard 2 potential dates for surgery, Monday or Thursday, and we can't seem to get a hold of any of the neuro docs. The longer he goes without surgery, the more risk he has for increasing instability, and we aren't clear on the hold up. We will continue to try to follow up.
Mom is sleeping a lot and wakes up every so often. We think the bed is maybe making her a little uncomfortable. They have decided not to try to take her breathing tube out today as they would just have to re-intubate her prior to the ortho surgery (femur, tibia, wrist) she is scheduled for at 6:30 am tomorrow. We are really trying to let her rest as much as possible and talk to her mainly when she is already being woken up by the nurses and staff. She does seem upset when she wakes up and cries a little bit. I think she is mainly just scared and probably very worried about Bill. She was lucid at the accident scene and she may have a better understanding of what happened. We think this, along with being in a lot of pain and in a scary place, may make her upset. We keep letting them both know the other is OK.
I will post more information later this evening. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
Bill is definitely fighting and we are convinced he is ready to have his breathing tube out. The good news is it is amazing how much strength he has when trying to get to his tube and he is pretty much breathing on his own, the bad news is they've had to tie his hands down which I am sure is not making him very happy. His color is really good and Karen, Erin and John have all had an opportunity to talk to him today. Karen let him know what happened and that Anne is OK and he has lots of people pulling for him. His stomach has healed up fairly well so to the best of our understanding, he is ready from a trauma perspective to move forward with the spinal neurosurgery. We are pretty frustrated because we have heard 2 potential dates for surgery, Monday or Thursday, and we can't seem to get a hold of any of the neuro docs. The longer he goes without surgery, the more risk he has for increasing instability, and we aren't clear on the hold up. We will continue to try to follow up.
Mom is sleeping a lot and wakes up every so often. We think the bed is maybe making her a little uncomfortable. They have decided not to try to take her breathing tube out today as they would just have to re-intubate her prior to the ortho surgery (femur, tibia, wrist) she is scheduled for at 6:30 am tomorrow. We are really trying to let her rest as much as possible and talk to her mainly when she is already being woken up by the nurses and staff. She does seem upset when she wakes up and cries a little bit. I think she is mainly just scared and probably very worried about Bill. She was lucid at the accident scene and she may have a better understanding of what happened. We think this, along with being in a lot of pain and in a scary place, may make her upset. We keep letting them both know the other is OK.
I will post more information later this evening. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Muriel Anderson Concert on November 18th
I wanted to let everyone know that Muriel Anderson is one of Mom and Bill's favorite musicians. Prior to the accident, Bill was working with Martha Jones (Director of Music at the Church of the Holy Comforter) to organize a concert featuring Muriel on Sunday November 18th.
We would really like for the concert to be a success because we know how much it will mean to Bill, and with some good fortune, maybe both he and Mom will be able to attend. Please consider purchasing tickets to this event, and help us make it the success we know they would want it to be.
The concert begins at 7 pm, and will be held at the Church of the Holy Comforter on 4819 Monument Avenue. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Plan 9 in Carytown and on Midlothian Turnpike. You may also purchase tickets at Muriel's website. The link is http://www.murielanderson.com/pages/showTickets.html The link for the Church of the Holy Comforter is hoco.org
Muriel is a wonderful artist, and the concert is sure to be extremely enjoyable.
We would really like for the concert to be a success because we know how much it will mean to Bill, and with some good fortune, maybe both he and Mom will be able to attend. Please consider purchasing tickets to this event, and help us make it the success we know they would want it to be.
The concert begins at 7 pm, and will be held at the Church of the Holy Comforter on 4819 Monument Avenue. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Plan 9 in Carytown and on Midlothian Turnpike. You may also purchase tickets at Muriel's website. The link is http://www.murielanderson.com/pages/showTickets.html The link for the Church of the Holy Comforter is hoco.org
Muriel is a wonderful artist, and the concert is sure to be extremely enjoyable.
Using the Blog
For anyone who is not familiar with posting comments on a blog, it is very simple. Just click on the particular posting (for example, "Thursday the 18th" post), and you will see any comments already published. There will also be a form at the bottom where you can leave a comment under your name or post anonymously. Once you have finished filling your comment in the form, you click "publish", and then your comment will be included with that posting.
This is my first blog, so I am certainly no expert. If anyone can provide everyone with better advice, please jump in.
This is my first blog, so I am certainly no expert. If anyone can provide everyone with better advice, please jump in.
Friday the 19th and Saturday morning update
Both Anne and Bill are still in critical condition, but we see evidence of them fighting hard and are very proud of them.
Bill is still on the ventilator and is heavily sedated. We are still waiting to find out when he will have his lumbar surgery, the latest word is potentially this weekend or Monday. His stomach needs to continue to heal. At this point, that should be his last surgery as they are going to let his ankle and ribcage heal naturally. He has spiked a fever and has a high white blood cell count, so there is some concern about infection. On a positive note, he does continue to look better, some of the swelling has gone down and he has opened his eyes to commands.
Mom is also still on the ventilator. She had surgery on her fractured vertebrae yesterday, and the consensus is the surgery went pretty well. The procedure only took about 20 minutes and they were able to fuse the vertebrae together with a metal plate. We won't really know the extent of the spinal injuries until she is able to get into rehabilitation. Apparently, the surgery and x-rays will only reveal so much. She is having some breathing problems today. We were hoping that she may come off the ventilator today, but it is not looking like that will happen. She is scheduled to have surgery on her broken femur, tibia and wrist on Monday.
Bill is still on the ventilator and is heavily sedated. We are still waiting to find out when he will have his lumbar surgery, the latest word is potentially this weekend or Monday. His stomach needs to continue to heal. At this point, that should be his last surgery as they are going to let his ankle and ribcage heal naturally. He has spiked a fever and has a high white blood cell count, so there is some concern about infection. On a positive note, he does continue to look better, some of the swelling has gone down and he has opened his eyes to commands.
Mom is also still on the ventilator. She had surgery on her fractured vertebrae yesterday, and the consensus is the surgery went pretty well. The procedure only took about 20 minutes and they were able to fuse the vertebrae together with a metal plate. We won't really know the extent of the spinal injuries until she is able to get into rehabilitation. Apparently, the surgery and x-rays will only reveal so much. She is having some breathing problems today. We were hoping that she may come off the ventilator today, but it is not looking like that will happen. She is scheduled to have surgery on her broken femur, tibia and wrist on Monday.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday October 18th
This was the email update from Thursday:
Hello,
Hopefully I've managed to get everyone on a single distribution list.
Today was a good day. The OR is still operating on a very limited basis, but they actually brought the whole OR team to Bill right in his ICU room. Talk about room service! They were able to clean up his stomach AND sew him back up. The general consensus was it went really well so that is excellent. Now they will just wait until they can operate on his back. He will need to lay on his stomach so he needs to comfortably heal up from today.
Mom is still about the same, and hopefully she will make it into surgery for her spine/neck tomorrow if the OR space is not too limited. They have not made a decision on any orthopedic surgery, but we are hoping they can do both at once. Either way, they will try to wean her off the breathing tube tomorrow.
Again, thank you so much for all of your prayers and support.
Kelly
Hello,
Hopefully I've managed to get everyone on a single distribution list.
Today was a good day. The OR is still operating on a very limited basis, but they actually brought the whole OR team to Bill right in his ICU room. Talk about room service! They were able to clean up his stomach AND sew him back up. The general consensus was it went really well so that is excellent. Now they will just wait until they can operate on his back. He will need to lay on his stomach so he needs to comfortably heal up from today.
Mom is still about the same, and hopefully she will make it into surgery for her spine/neck tomorrow if the OR space is not too limited. They have not made a decision on any orthopedic surgery, but we are hoping they can do both at once. Either way, they will try to wean her off the breathing tube tomorrow.
Again, thank you so much for all of your prayers and support.
Kelly
Wednesday October 17th
This is the email update that went out Wednesday:
Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We will try to keep you updated as often as possible.
Both Mom and Bill were to go in for surgery today: Mom on her spine, and Bill to refresh his dressing in his stomach and look for any additional internal bleeding. There was a fire at MCV this morning that shut down the OR, so they were unable to go in for surgery. Unfortunately, the last news at the hospital was the OR will be open on a very limited basis tomorrow as well, so they are unlikely to have surgery until Friday.
The good news is Bill was moved right next door to Mom last night, so they are now in adjacent rooms in one ICU with excellent nurses. Both are fairly stable with some ups and downs, but they are clearly fighting. We have stereos set up in each of their rooms with their favorite CDs and I think this is really helping.
Our apologies for not being able to respond to everyone directly. Thanks again for your support and prayers. We will keep you updated as often as possible.
Kelly
Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We will try to keep you updated as often as possible.
Both Mom and Bill were to go in for surgery today: Mom on her spine, and Bill to refresh his dressing in his stomach and look for any additional internal bleeding. There was a fire at MCV this morning that shut down the OR, so they were unable to go in for surgery. Unfortunately, the last news at the hospital was the OR will be open on a very limited basis tomorrow as well, so they are unlikely to have surgery until Friday.
The good news is Bill was moved right next door to Mom last night, so they are now in adjacent rooms in one ICU with excellent nurses. Both are fairly stable with some ups and downs, but they are clearly fighting. We have stereos set up in each of their rooms with their favorite CDs and I think this is really helping.
Our apologies for not being able to respond to everyone directly. Thanks again for your support and prayers. We will keep you updated as often as possible.
Kelly
Tuesday October 16th
This was the update email from Tuesday:
Hello,
Today was a good day. Bill is doing much better and responding through hand squeezes. He will have surgery tomorrow to repack his stomach and check for any additional bleeding. Then they will continue to wait for the swelling to go down and close up his stomach and begin working on other things. Mom is doing well and is coming off sedation. She will have surgery tomorrow to fuse her vertebrae and hopefully stabilize her neck. Once that is complete, they will begin to address other things as well. We are telling them both about all the people that care about them and are pulling for them. Hopefully tomorrow will be another good day.
I am picking up additional email addresses so that hopefully everyone can stay up to date.
Thank you,
Kelly
Hello,
Today was a good day. Bill is doing much better and responding through hand squeezes. He will have surgery tomorrow to repack his stomach and check for any additional bleeding. Then they will continue to wait for the swelling to go down and close up his stomach and begin working on other things. Mom is doing well and is coming off sedation. She will have surgery tomorrow to fuse her vertebrae and hopefully stabilize her neck. Once that is complete, they will begin to address other things as well. We are telling them both about all the people that care about them and are pulling for them. Hopefully tomorrow will be another good day.
I am picking up additional email addresses so that hopefully everyone can stay up to date.
Thank you,
Kelly
Monday October 15th
This is the first email sent out to everyone to update Anne & Bill's status:
Thank you to everyone for your prayers for Anne and Bill. We have computer access in the waiting room so we will try to send everyone updates this week from my gmail account. If there is anyone you notice who should receive this email but is not on the list, please forward on and let me know to include them.This evening, the doctor from yesterday evening said that Bill has really turned a corner, and while he is not out of the woods yet, the signs are definitely improving. Mom is still in stable condition with not much change. They are holding off on surgery for either one of them until at least Wednesday to give them additional time to recover. Please keep sending strong, positive thoughts their way.
Thank you to everyone for your prayers for Anne and Bill. We have computer access in the waiting room so we will try to send everyone updates this week from my gmail account. If there is anyone you notice who should receive this email but is not on the list, please forward on and let me know to include them.This evening, the doctor from yesterday evening said that Bill has really turned a corner, and while he is not out of the woods yet, the signs are definitely improving. Mom is still in stable condition with not much change. They are holding off on surgery for either one of them until at least Wednesday to give them additional time to recover. Please keep sending strong, positive thoughts their way.
Sunday October 14th
Anne and Bill traveled to Oklahoma the weekend of October 12th for Bill's 50th reunion for the class of 1958 from the University of Oklahoma. They attended the Oklahoma-Missouri football game. The Sooners won 41-31.
They had flown out of BWI and were traveling home Sunday afternoon on southbound 301. Approximately 10 miles from the 95 interchange, they were involved in a car accident with a car turning to go northbound on 301. They were medivacced to MCV around 5:30 pm.
Both Anne and Bill were lucky enough to be treated by one of the top trauma surgeons here at MCV, and he probably saved their lives. A big thanks needs to go out to the Caroline County EMT as well.
They had flown out of BWI and were traveling home Sunday afternoon on southbound 301. Approximately 10 miles from the 95 interchange, they were involved in a car accident with a car turning to go northbound on 301. They were medivacced to MCV around 5:30 pm.
Both Anne and Bill were lucky enough to be treated by one of the top trauma surgeons here at MCV, and he probably saved their lives. A big thanks needs to go out to the Caroline County EMT as well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)