Thursday

We had a great day today. All the therapists had a chance to work with him and he showed increased progress even from yesterday. The therapists met with the doctor and they decided he would be here for about 2 more weeks. That is their best guess but could change depending on his progress. He is remembering more and more everyday. He answers most questions with "well probably...." then he answers the question. Sometimes he is right on and other times not so close. Mom and Mandy had a really good conversation with him about what has happened to him and how long he has been here. He seemed really interested and asked questions. He even had a phone call with his friend Dirk today.

Wednesday

Dad is doing really well today. He has been evaluated by all the therapists today and they will all meet with the doctor tomorrow to try and decide how long he will be here. We really like the rehab facility, the therapists and all the nursing staff here. Dad has a headache and the nurse gave him two options Tylenol or oxycodone.... He wanted a cherry shake to make him feel better!! We walked to the gas station and got him some cherry chocolate ice cream. It didn't make his head feel better but he sure enjoyed it.

Welcome to rehab!

We started out the day thinking we were just going to hang out at the hospital. Next thing we knew they were taking out his feeding tube and moving him to rehab. They took him in an ambulance down the street to the rehab center. He is all settled in and ate a good dinner which he fed to himself for the first time. He will start therapy in the morning. Mandy got here about 2:00 today and dad smiled and was really talkative to her. He asked about the flight and how grandpa's little boy (Ryker) was doing. She brought him a seashell from Ryker that he had found on the beach for grandpa. Hopefully tomorrow we can get a better idea of how long they plan to keep him here.

Playing the Waiting Game

We are just waiting for Larry to get into the rehab center.  We have to wait for a spot to open up and that won't be until at least tomorrow or maybe longer.  It is supposedly a wonderful rehab center that people come from all over to attend.  He seems to be having a better day today than yesterday.  His spirits are a little better, but still seems a little down.  He has been sitting in a chair most of the day today and walked a short distance. 

Larry's dad and Melise have made it to the SLC airport finally after 1 1/2 hours of delays, but have landed safe and sound at least.  Mandy will be headed to Orlando tomorrow.  We will write when he makes it into this rehab center or if there are any other changes, but we might not have much to report for awhile. 

Third Sunday in the hospital

This morning Larry wasn't able to remember who Marilyn or his dad were. He thought Marilyn was his doctor. The doctors noticed a change in him as well. His Neurologist seemed pretty concerned and ordered a CT scan. When he returned from that he had a nap. When he woke he was able to say who Melise was and his mothers name. He is doing better but still seems down. We finally got the results back of the CT scan it was unchanged which is good. He is doing really good with eating and keeping food down and might have his feeding tube removed tomorrow. The Pulmonologist put a cap on his trach that blocks the airflow through it. He is now completely breathing on his own. They will keep the cap in place for a few days to a week to make sure he does okay breathing then remove it. After removal it will automatically close itself within 24 hours. Tropical storm Beryl is moving in tonight. We are a little worried about Melise and grandpa flying home in the morning. Mandy will be coming to Florida on Tuesday.

Happy Birthday

 Last night Larry had his first meal in two weeks and three days. Wow I can't even imagine how that would feel.  Today is Larry's birthday and he is going to be able to have some birthday cake.  The cafeteria made gave him a piece of chocolate chocolate birthday cake and we bought him one also.  He watched the birthday video that we made him and he smiled a few times.  He was the happiest we have seen him for a few days.  He received flowers, balloons and chocolates which he appreciated so much.  They sure did alot to brighten his room.  His daughters made him a poster with pictures of the family, he sat and looked at the pictures for a long time it made him smile again.  Grandpa gave him a stuffed dog because he knows how much he loves dogs.

He has been a little down the last couple of days, we think he is feeling discouraged.  We are hoping he will feel better when able to go to rehab next week and learn to do more things for himself.   Yesterday he was feeling a little restless, and we would jump everytime he moved wrong. We were afraid he would pull out his feeding tube again.  One time Grandpa was right there in his face, and he finally looked at grandpa and told him to "Back Off" and then he would smile.  The nurse asked him if he was having any headaches and he pointed to mom. (We hope he was just teasing again)  All in all the doctors are very pleased with his progress and the accomplishments he has made.  The doctors also say the changes in his mood are normal and will go up and down throughout this process.  Thanks to all of you for your love and concern at this difficult time.

New Floor

Larry was moved to the neurology floor today. He has his own room and more space. He passed his swallowing test and will probably get to start eating soft foods tomorrow. If he tolerates that okay they will remove his feeding tube. He will be very excited to get rid of that. He has taken it upon himself to assist the nurses in the removal of the feeding tube more times than we can remember. He keeps asking for pizza and can't wait until he can have some. Mom promised him a HUGE pizza party when they get home and you are all invited. They are going to see how he does tomorrow with his trach covered and possibly have that removed within the next few days. The doctors said he will be moving to the rehab floor mid next week, just waiting for a bed. The pulmonologist saw him today and was extremely surprised after reading his chart history from the ICU days to see how far and how well he has progressed.

Thursday May 24

Larry's day was similar to yesterday, except he got his stitches and staples removed today. He will be going to rehab as soon as possible. Melise got here around 5. We had some members of the church here pick Melise up from the airport and bring her to the Hubbard House. We were very grateful to them. Larry was very excited to see her and so was Marilyn. Fairly uneventful day which we are learning to appreciate while he's in the hospital.

Wednesday

Larry is improving beyond the doctors expectations.  The physical therapists had him sitting in a chair today and are just amazed at his progress.  The rehab facility at the hospital has been evaluating him to see if he is ready for rehab.  They are thinking he might be to that point by next week.  Melise is flying out tomorrow to see him and stay for the weekend.

His old self is shining through!!

He is making more progress each day.  His physical therapists have been working him pretty hard and he has been improving.  They ask him lots of questions and he responds by nodding his head or pointing with his finger.  He raised both of his arms up at the same time.  His eyes are open a little bit more than they have been.  He really surprised us when he started to tease again.  Grandpa asked if he knew who mom(Marilyn) was and he shook his head NO but then had a huge smile on his face like he thought he was so funny!!  It is so good to hear about such good progress and that he is back to his teasing.  When we took him to the hospital when he was first sick and disoriented he was joking around when they would ask him questions.  They were such silly questions that he thought he would have a little fun with them.  Finally Merrilee explained to him that he had to be serious so they could see how crazy he was. 

Another Good Day!

Mom hasn't been feeling well so she hasn't been able to be in with Dad today.  Grandpa has been over there with him though and has lots of good things to report.  They got Dad up in a chair this morning and moved him around quite a bit.  He opened his eyes!  Not for very long, but he did and the PA had him follow her with his eyes.  She asked him if he knew who Grandpa was and he nodded his head yes.  He has given a thumbs up and has waved to them as well.  We know it is going to be a long road ahead, but are thrilled with the recent progress! 

Tender Mercies of the Lord

Yesterday was definitely a hard day on our mom (Marilyn). She was having a day of disappointment and discouragement. From the disappointing new room for dad where he now has a roommate, with only enough room for one visitor at a time, and less one-on-one care from the nurses to discouraging attitudes from the doctors.

“The tender mercies of the Lord are real and do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence.”

There have been so many gifts from our Father in Heaven during this hard time. Most I am sure we don’t even recognize. One gift came when my Mom received a phone call yesterday evening from a doctor on a church mission in Orlando. Mom was grateful for his call and he has already been a big help to them. By the time she had finished the call, got back over to the hospital, talked with a friend of dad’s, this doctor had already sent the missionaries over to see them. This friend of our dad’s that she talked with was a huge blessing to her as well and a miracle that he even found them. His name is Brian Collard. He works for Ford and was friends with Dad. He now lives in Florida, about an hour away from Orlando. He heard about Dad from a friend of a friend (miracle how he even found out) and decided to come to Orlando with his family. While his family went to Disney World he went to the temple and then came to visit dad. Mom was so grateful he came! About this time is when the missionaries (one of the missionaries even happened to know Larry’s dad-He was a bishop to this missionary when he was a small boy) showed up and they all went back to dad’s room and gave him a priesthood blessing.

Today we have wonderful news! Mom was talking with Dad this morning and asked him to squeeze her hand and he did! She asked him a question and he nodded his head yes. He has since squeezed all their hands and nodded yes a couple times. He tried very hard to open his eyes. Just by doing these few things took all the strength he had. It seems so small, but is so HUGE! We are so grateful the Lord gave him the strength to be able to do this for us and give us the hope we needed. We thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers, and especially for those of you who participated in the special fast on behalf of Larry last Sunday.

Poem found at The Hubbard House

The light of God surrounds me;

the love of God enfolds me;

the power of God protects me;

The presence of God watches over me. 

Wherever I am, God is.

Anonymous

Moving out of the ICU

Dad is getting moved out of the ICU today.  He was able to stay off the ventilator all night last night.  They are still giving him oxygen.  His vitals are good but he is still unconscious, hasn't squeezed the nurses hand or tried to open his eyes since Wed.  He is scheduled for another MRI on Monday or Tuesday to check for neurological issues.  We just have to be patient!!  Thanks for all of your support.

One Day at a Time

There is not too much new to report today, which sometimes that is a good thing.  He is off the ventilator right now, but they did have to put it back on him yesterday afternoon and during the night.  They finally got him a longer bed (brand new) and looks much more comfortable.  He is off most of the pain medication now.  He hasn't responded by command, but Marilyn saw him move his legs and yawn really big! 

Thursday's Update

They are supplying oxygen through his trach but he is breathing on his own.  He may need to go on and off the ventilator for the next few days until his lungs get stronger.  He hasn't been as responsive today but is resting.  The doctors say we might have a few days like this because his brain needs a lot of rest to repair itself.  They weren't able to place his PEG tube yesterday and will have to do that in the OR within the next couple days.  The doctors also removed the drain in his head today.  He is stable and there has been discussion about moving him out of the ICU within the next week.

The Hubbard House

This is the Hubbard House where mom and grandpa get to stay.  We can't say enough about this wonderful home away from home.  It is run off donations and volunteers.  It is across the parking lot from the hospital so very convenient for going back and forth for meals or just a quiet break.  They serve 3 meals a day, have an exercise room, library and laundry facility.  There are some wonderful people in Orlando!!

Wednesday's Update

Larry had a cat scan today and it showed much improvement.  They have a drain that is keeping the fluid off his brain which was causing his brain to shift again. At 1:00 today he is going to have a Tracheostomy and a PEG tube (Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy).  These will help get the tubes out of his nose and throat.  This morning he was able to sqeeze the nurses hand, lift his arm and tried to open his eyes.  The doctor is very encouraged with his improvement.

Surgery #2 Finished!

Larry is out of surgery now.  They ended up not having to remove the piece of bone they had planned.  The surgeon is much more optimistic now than he was this morning.

Tuesday's Update #2

The MRI showed Larry has had a stroke and has more bleeding and pressure in his brain.  He is going in for more surgery this afternoon to remove a portion of bone to allow the brain more room.  The nurses are preparing us for the worst, making sure we realize he is in a coma (not just asleep) and there is a possibility he won't wake up.  We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers on his behalf and can't begin to thank everybody for their thoughtfulness.

Tuesday's Update #1

Last night Larry was suppose to have an MRI to see if he has had any strokes during all of this.  We should have the results back today.  He also had a test recently to see if he has been having mini seizures, but we haven't received the results back from that yet.  The doctors and nurses say even if he is they are already giving him anti-seizure medications so that is being taken care of.  He did have a seizure towards the end of surgery, but that is farely common.  They tell us it is like he has had a severe brain injury.

Marilyn is staying at a place just next to the hospital called The Hubbard House.  It has been wonderful!  It is $40 a day and includes 3 meals.  It is for people in our situation and run mostly by volunteer and donations.  Larry's dad is staying there with Marilyn for now.  His kids and grandkids have all returned home, but hope to return when possible and needed.  We plan on always having somebody there to stay with Marilyn.  They have no way of telling us how long he will have to be here, but could be weeks to months.

Trip to Orlando Extended!

On Wednesday, May 9th we took Larry in to the ER because he had been very sick the night before.  He became very disoriented, had loss of balance and didn't even remember being sick.  Upon doing a CT Scan, they found a Subdural Hematoma (collection of blood on the surface of the brain).  They don't know how he got this, but say it can be caused from simply bumping your head on a door/cabinet.  He has been suffering from headaches since February, which may or may not be related to what happened.  Most likely it is related and was worsened when he rode a rollercoaster at Universal Studios a few days before he got sick.  (The word "rollercoaster" is a swear word to the doctors around here).

They quickly transported Larry by ambulance to Orlando Regional Medical Center, which is Central Florida's only Level One Trauma Center.  He has received excellent care at both hospitals.  He had surgery that evening to remove the hematoma/blood and reduce the pressure in the brain.  Thursday, May 10th (post-surgery) he was responsive, but by friday morning his brain function had pretty much been diminished due to swelling in the brain.  They put him on a ventilator because his brain was having a hard time telling his body to breath.  They worked at decreasing the swelling in the brain and put what they call a "bolt" in his head to monitor cranial pressure.  He was heavily sedated during this, but they have stopped most of the sedative drugs and are pretty much waiting for him to wake up.  He hasn't been responding much when the doctors and nurses do their stimulation tests (which doesn't necessarily mean he never will), but he does move a little (usually after they have been bugging him).  We are waiting "patiently" for him to open his eyes.  His neurologist has repeatedly told us "Patience is a Virtue!"