Saturday night update

Amy and Mike came home about 11:00p and reported that even though Saturday was suppose to be a day of rest for Dick he had his own agenda that evening. They had changed the ICP sometime around 6:00p and from 6:30 - 8:00p no one is allowed in his room while they change shifts and do reports. Mike and Amy had just returned at 8:00p and found Dick had just shortly before decided to sit up and start removing his IV's and tubing's. No worries he didn't get far. Nurses are always just outside his door. He did however cause quite a stir. They had just gotten him quieted down and were in the process of fixing any damage when Mike and Amy returned to find he had increased blood pressure and a raised temperature. Luckily, once Mike and Amy got there both of those returned to normal. (They have a wonderful calming effect on him) The nurse increased Dick's medication and he was resting comfortably within a short time. Amy reported that the pain medication had also been stopped for a short time that day to see how he would react, which is a normal procedure. He immediately became uncomfortable making leg and body movements and the medication was started again and this movement stopped almost immediately. He is reacting to pinches and pin pricks and moving his feet and hands when asked. We just can't get him to come around. But all of these signs are good. We want him back with us but we must remember that while he is not fully awake he is still healing. As hard as it is for us we must trust in the higher power that holds him and we must have patience.

Saturday Feb 28 - Day Five

Today was a quiet day. Dick had a lot of activity yesterday so his nurses were not going to bother him too much today. Family were allowed to talk to him and see if he would respond to their voices but other than that he was just left to rest. Although at 2:30p they did talk about changing his ICP drain, it had not been done by 5p. He looks a lot better since they have inserted the trach and removed the intabation tube. Dick's friend from Miami visited today, he would be happy about that. We know the rest is good for him but we are all anxious for him to open his eyes and acknowledge us. We have been told that when he wakes up he may not know any of us right away. That is a little scary. But thankfully, he will not remember the accident either..... but we will.

Day four - more good news

On day four about 11:30p the night nurse called just as Mike and Amy returned home for the night. The call came with immediate fear but the news was amazing. Although, Dick is still in the coma and has the intabation tube, they remove him from the medication that induces the coma each day for a short period to check his reactions. When his night nurse called he said he asked Dick to squeeze each hand and Dick did it. He then asked Dick to give him a thumbs up and he got what he asked. This means that Dick is understanding. He still has many miles to go, this was just a very small step and maybe this was a fluke but we will hold on to it as hope. He does react to Mike and Amy sometimes by leaning toward them when they talk or at times his blood pressure actually will fall slightly when they speak to him. This evening they have removed the intabation tube and replaced it with a trach. This will make it more comfortable for him. The swelling in his face is lessening. The road rash on his head and hands is healing. He does have pneumonia which is not unexpected because of the dirt and blood from the accident that found its way into his lungs, but they do not think this will be a problem. He is strong and in good health and should be able to fight this off. Keep the prayers coming for Dick and for all the healing hands that touch him.

Day Three - Continuing progress

Dick had a good day. He had a bit of coughing which was difficult with the intabation tube but it aggravated him enough to make him sit up in bed unexpectedly. This was actually a very good sign. He was immediately given medication to calm him down and put him back under again as to not do harm, but everyone was excited for this small moment. It didn't seem like a good thing at the time but the doctor's say it shows he is reacting. We will take any small step.

Ongoing Recovery - day two

The second day that Dick was in Tampa General Hospital they placed an ICP (intercrainial pressure) drainage tube in his head. This tube allows them to remove the pressure on his brain and to drain any fluid build up. They do not want the pressure to be over 20. Good news. So far the pressure has never been over 12. He has been on a ventilator to help his lungs heal. This way they can regulate the oxygen but he is definitely breathing on his own. He has not responded to voice yet. They also had told us that he has some fractured ribs that we did not know about before. So far none of his bones fractures are displaced so he hasn't had to have anything set. Even the bones of his face they say should be able to heal as they are. Luckily, this is a complication he doesn't need at this time. The nurses at TGH are terrific they have let us come into his room more than two at a time this first couple of days. But tomorrow we will only be allowed in two at a time.

On Tuesday, February 24 Dick, Jerry and Judi were enjoying a ride on their motorcycles through the small town of Lake Wales, Florida when the day was tragically interrupted by an accident. A car ahead of Dick was cut off by another and Dick tried to avoid running into the back of the car by swerving off of the road on to the shoulder and was thrown from his bike. He was taken to Lake Wales emergency room and was treated for severe head injuries, facial fractures and severely bruised lungs. He was then transported by helicopter to Tampa General Hospital where he is now being treated in the Trauma ICU. At this time Dick remains in an induced coma, he is in stable condition and all of his vital signs are good. We would like to thank all of the people from Lake Wales Hospital and those who were at the scene of the accident from the police and fire department for everything they did to help. Dick's children, Amy and Mike are here in Florida along with other family members. We will continue to update this blog as possible.