Today I'd like to start by clarifying a few things, that many seemed to have questions about. As of right now Bobby is no longer in a coma but in a vegetative state. Though I personally don't think that someone in a vegetative state can follow commands and is very obvious when he is sleeping and awake, they have yet to qualify him as "awake". Also many people ask if he's opened his eyes, through out the day he almost always has cracks in his eyes, which makes it obvious for us when he's sleeping or awake. When he's sleeping his eyes tend to roll back and when he's awake he can track and tends to be more active with rubbing his face and moving around his left arm. While sitting up, Bobby does tend to open his eyes all the way on occasion, but it's not like what many would picture someone in Bobby's state to be like when he opens his eyes, his eyes look very hazed and he looks very annoyed. I definitely think that he is aware of us and how to follow certain commands but I also believe that he is still in almost a state of shock and confusion on what exactly is happening. Also I apologize if I haven't answered anyones questions, I do try my very best to answer as many as possible!
Now for today's update! This morning Bobby woke up pretty agitated mostly likely due to the fact that he hadn't had a bowel movement in almost three days. (I'd be pissed too!) So of course, we started this morning by giving him a suppository that helped him quickly solve the issue that was bothering him. After that he was way more mellow and comfortable, which is what we like to see. Right around noon, physical therapy came in again to help get Bobby up in his chair. We have two options for wheel chairs and today we tried out a different but it didn't seem as comfortable as the one from the day before. We mainly monitor Bobby's comfort off his heart rate, in his last chair he stayed at about 75 and today he was at about 95, which is fine it just helped show us which one is the best fit for him! Once he was all situated Bobby had a lot of secretions coming out of his trach from lying down so much. This is also why it's very important that we continue to put him in a chair since his body functions more healthier sitting up right. We decided it was time to get Bobby some fresh air today. We packed up his monitor and suction, as we made our way down to the garden. It was so nice to sit outside for bit, especially for Bobby who hadn't been outside for almost three weeks. After about 20 minutes or so, he began to look very tired so we headed our way back upstairs. Once we got back to the room, speech therapy was waiting to see Bobby. We were so excited for this because today Bobby gets to try his favorite ice cream! Speech therapy was extremely impressed with how he was able to wrap his lips around the spoon, swallow at the right time and even put the spoon in his mouth with my mother assistants of course. After about 30 minutes of speech therapy, it was more clear than ever that he was completely drained. Bobby had sat in his chair for a total of 2 hours which is awesome! Keep in mind during this time he wasn't completely awake and had times of dozing like usual. We had planned to give him a shower today but decided to save it for tomorrow, since we have a friend coming in to give him a haircut! (Since we're all aware of how much this boy loves his hair) We got him out of the chair and put in bed. He looked comfortable as ever and gave him time to get some rest, that he definitely earned today. He also had NO storming again today! (Woohoo!) We still need prayers for both healing of Bobby's mind and body, as this is still a very long road to recovery. We won't know how well Bobby is actually doing mentally until he is able to speak for himself. Please, pray that Bobby's mind is able to connect back to who is as the Bobby we all know and love. Also pray that during this process of waking up, that his mind is at peace knowing that God has miraculous plans ahead of him. Another thing to pray for is that Bobby starts to gain movement in his right arm, he tends to favor his left arm, leaving the right one very stiff. Last thing! We need prayers for our family, to give us strength to whatever decisions we may have to make and give us confidence that God's plan is greater than we'll ever know. Thank you for all our prayer warriors who continue to bless our lives with their kind words and ultimately their powerful prayers. Side note: When you post in the Facebook group and it says waiting for approval, we tend to only post on the wall updates for Bobby so things don't get lost in the feed. But please, continue to post on the group page because we are saving those post to show Bobby how much love you guys have for him! 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
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Today started off like the usual except this morning we decided to sit Bobby up to help him become more alert while we brush his teeth and wash his face. We've realized that when he is sitting up, he does a lot better at staying awake and being able to help participate. Throughout the morning, he was pretty mellow and laid back which is what we like to see because that show's he's comfortable and not in pain. Towards the afternoon, physical therapy came in and decided it's time to put him in a reclining wheel chair! Not only did we put him in his wheel chair today but we also got to put him in a Hawaiian shirt and some shorts, which I can tell you he probably prefers much more than a hospital gown. While he was sitting in his chair, we monitored his heart rate to make sure he was comfortable and once we decided he was ready, we took him around the 8th floor! It's so nice seeing Bobby be able to look around and see surroundings outside of his hospital room. After sitting in his chair for about an hour, it was time to move him back to bed to get some rest. Speech therapy came in once Bobby got all settled in and wanted to see if Bobby was able to swallow. They began by putting small drops of apple sauce with juice on his mouth to see if he could swallow on his own and he was able to! This is a huge step forward. Speech therapy currently ranks him at a 2 and we would like him to be a 3, which will help him qualify for rehab. Tomorrow when speech therapy comes in again they want to give him some ice cream, so of course we got him the best ice cream around for him! We also got word today on the medication that we want to put him on to help him be more alert and awake, they have approved and will start him on it tomorrow morning! This medicine could take a couple weeks to kick before we see how the medication affects him. Today we also had no storming! Which is exactly what we're looking for. Bobby has discovered that he can use his mouth to try and bite the sock off his hand, not a good thing but hey that's pretty clever! Throughout the day Bobby continues to show us all the new things he's learned to do such as him able to find our nose and ears on our face. With each day Bobby surprises both the staff and us with everything he is able to do.
Please, continue to pray for no storming and for complete healing of both Bobby's mind and body! Also give thanks to the Lord for the healing he's already done in him. I continue to strengthen my relationship with the Lord with every little step Bobby takes and with each small battle I have to conquer through this journey! A huge thank you for everyone who continues to follow this journey with us and prays for him through out their busy days. It's so clear now than ever how strong the power of prayer truly is! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 Today wasn't great but definitely wasn't a day to complain about either! Last night and this morning Bobby was storming, leading him to get little to no sleep. We have learned from our care meeting the other day that storming is a bad thing. "Storming" is when your brain is misfiring and struggling with what is happening within your body, we want as few episodes as possible due to this prolonging Bobby's recovery. With that said, please pray that Bobby's episodes of storming will come to an end and that God will calm Bobby's mind during times of confusion as God continues to heal Bobby's mind and body. Storming continued from 6 am to about 2 pm on and off. It's hard to see these episodes of storming because it's clear that he is confused, frustrated and in pain, yet there's nothing any of us can do which only leaves us feeling more helpless than anything. Bobby has been put on a small dose of medication for "storming" but they are trying to pin exactly what time these episodes occur so that they can prevent them with a larger dose. During episodes of storming, Bobby tends to sweat quit a bit so we decided to give him a bath to help cool him down. Giving him a bath is definitely a big task, that can be very exhausting to Bobby. Once Bobby was back in the room, we lotioned him up and got him smelling more like a young man and less like a hospital bed. When Physical Therapy came in we discussed how we felt like Bobby could participate if only he was more awake and alert. We came to the conclusion to put him on a medication that will cause him to be more alert and awake, since this is what's holding him back from qualifying for rehab. We are currently waiting for the trauma team to approve this medication than we can see how it affects Bobby's ability to participate in physical therapy. Today we got our first visit from speech therapy to talk about the trach and the steps it takes to be able to remove it. The main step includes, lowering the pressure of the balloon at the base which is currently protecting his airways until Bobby is able to do so on his own. Today Bobby wasn't as awake and alert as the last few days, we think the main cause is due to the episodes of storming that leave him in complete discomfort and pain.
Please, pray that these episodes of "storming" will come to a complete stop, allowing Bobby's mind to heal with no disruption. Pray that during these times of frustration for Bobby's mind to be at ease knowing that the Power of God is greater than the pain he's suffering during his recovery. Also pray that Bobby continues to progress in physical therapy, allowing him to begin rehab, pray that not only does he qualify but that God gives Bobby the physical and mental strength to push through his rehab sessions as well. I give thanks to the Lord, for all that He's already done in Bobby's healing. I continue to praise God every morning for the healing He is doing in Bobby's body and each of our own hearts. 8 The Lord himself will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will never leave you. He'll never desert you. So don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. Deuteronomy 13:8 Last night was way better than the night before thanks to the sock that we put on Bobby's hand in order for him to not grab his oxygen tube. Who knew socks could be so useful! This morning started off like normal, exercise/stretches, opening blinds and washing Bobby's face which he is trying to help with. We still think Bobby may be a bit confused with day and night so hopeful with this consistent routine, he's able to decipher the two.
After work I came straight here in hopes, I could make it in time for Bobby's physical therapy. Once I arrived, Bobby became very alert and responsive! I took this to my advantage to ask him if he could open his hands nice and wide than close tightly, as I was asking him to do this I was showing him the motion with my own hand as well and he did it! Through out the day I continue to ask Bobby to show everyone his new move and he was excellent at following this command. I began to think how frustrated I would be if I was trapped in a body and wasn't able to speak so I decided since Bobby is so good with his head turning that he would be able to use that as answers for yes or no. I played Bobby's music from my speaker and asked if he could hear it, he didn't move. I than turned it up two and said if you can hear it now can you turn your head to the left and he did! This is a huge step because I can now get a better idea of if Bobby's comfortable, whether he needs a break or what not. As noon rolled around it was time for physical therapy, they decided today that he was ready to be in a cardiac chair for a bit. This is an extremely big step for Bobby because sitting up allows his body and mind to function more normal in an upright position vs lying down all day, it also helps him be more alert as well. Bobby stayed in the cardiac chair for about 45 minutes which is great! During this time I started to comb his hair for him, as I rested my hand with the comb on his lap Bobby grabbed it from my hand and tried to comb his hair! With my assistants to help lift his elbow he was able to comb through the front of his hair. Another WONDERFUL purposeful movement we can add to our now long list. He continued to show us how he can open and close his hands as well. In Bobby's left corner I was writing on the whiteboard Bobby's accomplishments for today and as I was talking to him he completely turned his head in my direction and watched as I wrote another of accomplishment he had done today. As my parents went to a care conference, I stayed in the room with Bobby in his cardiac chair. I felt as though Bobby was getting tired and wanted back in bed. I than asked Bobby if he was tired, he turned his head left (yes) and than I asked if he wanted to go back to bed, he turned his head left again by than I was more than positive it was time to put him back in his bed. Once Bobby was back in his bed it was clear that he was very exhausted and needed some well earned rest. He slept comfortable for about 2 hours straight. Since than he's just been relaxing, occasionally becoming more alert again and able to follow some commands before dozing back to sleep. I can not believe how much progress Bobby has made in a short 3 days but that just goes to show how we should never doubt the Great Physician! Thank you God, for another beautiful day full of healing. I can't wait to see how far the Lord will take Bobby in the next week. Isn't it amazing that we all get to witness God's miracle happen before our eyes and within our hearts? I'm so thankful for the strength the Lord has given my family during this tragedy and how He continues to bless our hearts with the love and support we are receiving from across the globe. Thank you God for the healing You've done in Bobby's mind and body. I will never forget these moments I see each day with Bobby's progress and I'll also never forget the Heavenly Father who gave them to me. Let's start with last night because it was definitely a rough one. Through out the night Bobby was extremely agitated, sweating and vitals were high. Luckily, he finally calmed down around 3:30 am and rested for about 2 hours before starting up again. This "storming" behavior followed through out the morning. During this "storming" period Bobby was visited by multiple doctors, who all said that his arm movements were definitely purposeful and not reflexive. About 11 am, he became calm again and was able to rest comfortably for a bit, until he got a visit from Ronin his favorite hair dresser who came up from California! While she was here Physical Therapy came by and decided it's time to sit Bobby up for the first time since his accident. Between Ronin, PT and myself, he had no other choice but to participate in some activity. Once we sat him up, he became very alert to his surroundings. He responded to commands like, wiggle your toes, hold your neck, turn your head and hold your knee up. These were so exciting to see that PT decided to hand Bobby a wash cloth and ask him to wash his face and HE DID! Not like you and I would but he's getting there! Bobby was able to grab the wash cloth and wipe the left side of his face by himself! Truly amazing. While sitting up Bobby also opened his eyes about 3/4 wide which is a lot more eye visibility than we've gotten in a while. After sitting up for about an hour, we decided it's time to give him a rest. We laid him back done in hopes of him getting some rest after working so hard with PT. Than in a short 30 minutes PT was back, wanting to move/stretch Bobby's legs around this is when he showed that he can hold up his left leg all by himself, yup Bobby still has that muscle! Bobby was up and activity for a total for 1 hour but to qualify for rehab he needs to be able to stay up for 3 hours without dozing off. They've given us till Friday to see if Bobby will be able to qualify if not than he'll be transferred to a skilled nursing facility until he's able to start rehab. Once PT left again you could tell that Bobby was exhausted and needed some rest. After playing some meditation music for him he looked very much at peace for the next few hours. Today we also decided that it's time Bobby gets a real bath! We moved Bobby from his bed into a portable bathtub were we took him into the tub room and gave him a real bath for the first time in weeks. After we got Bobby all cleaned up the nurses got ready to straight cath him until Bobby showed her that he could pee half of it all on his own! (Wooohoooo!) The rest of the evening will be spent keeping Bobby calm and comfortable in hopes that we don't have a repeat of last night.
Please, continue to pray that Bobby is able to stay active for 3 hours or more in able to qualify for rehab! Thank you Jesus, for the accomplishments he has made today we know it's only by the Power of God that Bobby is able to achieve these goals with the injury that he has had. I pray that Bobby continues to keep progressing in hopes that by Friday he is more than ready to take on rehab! I give thanks to the Lord for not only the strength that He has put in Bobby but also the strength that He's put in all our hearts to stay positive and have full trust in the Lords plan. Thank you Jesus for another beautiful day! 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 Today was very busy but also another great day for Bobby! We started this morning again with music, opening the blinds and doing some stretching. As my mom began to stretch Bobby legs, he decided to help her out and his leg bent! (Woohoo!) After his leg stretches he left a surprise, a bowel movement. This is awesome because he currently isn't on any stool softeners, this is all him! I've said it once and I'll say it again. We love this sh*t! Around noon, we got moved to the 8th floor. The environment on the 8th floor is so different and just such a happy place! We really love it. His vitals have been really good all day and Bobby seems to be very comfortable. After moving Bobby around for quite sometime, he seemed to be a bit upset at us, he was literally doing a pouty face! (It was actually pretty cute for a 17 year old young man) The physical therapist came in just around 4 pm, were he typically becomes more active. While she was here she did some leg stretches and Bobby showed her how he can help bend his legs for her. She was very impressed about it! About 30 minutes ago, I was bugging Bobby, like I always do asking him to follow commands and what not. Than I decided let's test his neck, I went to his left side and asked him to look at me than BAM he did! It was amazing! Another command Bobby is following and the best part was the nurse was there to see it as well. These are all huge steps to Bobby's recovery!
Tomorrows a very big day! Physical therapy will come and asses Bobby to see if he qualifies for rehab. This is vital for Bobby's recovery because the longer we wait in between the harder it will be for Bobby to recover. To qualify, he needs to be able to follow commands and show that he is alert enough to start rehab, such as his head turning! Please, continue to pray for the complete healing of Bobby's mind and body! Pray tonight that Bobby will qualify for rehab and be able to follow any command that the PT ask of Bobby. Thank you Jesus for giving Bobby the strength in his mind and body to show that he can follow the commands asked of him! Thank you Jesus for the healing you've already done and continue to do in Bobby. We give all great to the Great Physician our Heavenly Father! Thank you for all the prayer warriors, we continue to pray for Bobby through out the day. Thank you for another beautiful day. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:15 Today has been an unexpectedly eventful day. We started this morning like normal, washing Bobby's face, playing music, doing leg/arm exercises and letting him know it's time to rise! While my mom did leg exercises with Bobby, he lifted both of his legs as if to do an intense ab wokrout than pulled them towards his chest! This is the most movement we've seen him do by myself with his legs. (Amazzzzingg!)Once he got settled back in we got a surprise visit from the doctors, saying that they're going to change Bobby's surgical trach to the regular one, at that very moment. This means going from a size 8 to a size 6 which will be way more comfortable for Bobby. After the doctors finsished, they than did their morning rounds. Here they informed us that we will be moved to the 8th floor tomorrow morning and out of the ICU! (Yessss!) We will stay at the 8th floor for about two weeks than from there we should be able to transition home, depending on Bobby's progress. Towards the afternoon, Bobby became very alert as he was yesterday. We asked him to squeeze the nurses hand and he gave her a great squeeze! Than he proceeded to squeeze my mom and dads hands later today as well. This is so important because it shows that Bobby is gaining more consistency and making obvious purposeful movements! Thank you Jesus! Since Bobby was doing so well at tracking with his eyes, we decided it's time to put his favorite movie on. We played Furious 7 through the iPad in front of him and he was totally watching it and tracking the movements through the small cracks in his eyes! (Woohoo!) Keep in mind Bobby watches Furious 7 almost on a daily so I'm sure even when he's sleeping he's listening to every scene! Bobby also has became very curious to the objects attached to him. He has began feeling around his chest and trying to grab his oxygen tube with his left hand, though not exactly what he should be doing it does show purposeful movement! Please, continue to pray for these constant purposeful movements so that way the doctors can qualify him out of coma!
Thank you Jesus, for the healing You've done in Bobby's mind and body! It has been so clear these last couple days that we should never doubt the Power of God. With every hand squeeze, heavy blink or leg movement I find myself diving deeper in my faith with our Heavenly Father. I can not believe I am witnessing a miracle before my eyes. As if Bobby wasn't a miracle himself, I'm also watching several people a day tell me how Bobby's story has made them come closer to Christ than I realize I'm witnessing more miracles than I'll ever know. Thank you Jesus for turning a tragedy into something beautiful! There is Power in the name of Jesus! 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 "This is the day that the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it" my mom used to start every morning saying that to us and today I understood it. I would like to start todays update by thanking everyone for continuing to pray and follow along on this journey. Today at the fundraiser I realized how in the midst of a storm, faith can bring complete strangers together for something beautiful. The fundraiser was a complete blessing and words will never be enough to explain how grateful we are to live in such a loving community. Now for Bobby's update!
Last night Bobby slept really well! We decided to take that opportunity to make it very apparent when it's night and day. We started this morning by opening the blinds and washing Bobby's face as well as playing worship music to show him it's time to rise! Throughout the day Bobby's vital were really good. Thank you Lord! While we attended the fundraiser, my Aunt Heidi and Uncle Jay stayed with Bobby playing him all sorts of good music! Once we returned back to the hospital, Bobby was extremely alert. (Still in a "coma") His left eye was slightly opened, allowing him to follow the directions asked. I than asked Bobby to squeeze my hand and he was able to bring his thumb in, we feel this is purposeful movement!(Woohoo!) Once we see consistency I have no doubt that he'll be able to convince the doctors the same. After so much movement with moving his eyes around and trying to squeeze our hands, he's a bit exhausted and should sleep well again! Please, continue to pray for our sweet boy! God continues to show us the healing he is doing in Bobby's mind and body with every little sign we see each day. How lucky are we to have such a loving and healing God! 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 Last night was rough. Bobby had a lot of stuff going on yesterday which I think may have led to him to be extremely restless through out the night. My mom was also having a hard time as well which we believe Bobby felt, also playing a part to his restlessness. At 1:30 am my mom, helped the nurse give Bobby a bath hoping to help him not be so restless. Through out the night my mom had a hard time sleeping with the new noises that the trach brought, his coughing and gurgling sounded a lot like choking, leaving her paranoid last night. This morning started off like usual, a lot of poking from the doctors in hopes of getting a purposeful reaction. Today was very calm. His vitals have been good through out the day, which we are very thankful for! He finally got the stables removed from his head. (Woohoo!) As of right now he is only on 30% oxygen, his G tube and the occasional dose of Tylenol. He has not been on any sedation meds at all today but continues to be in a deep sleep. We have not seen him open his eyes today like he had showed us yesterday. These next 2 weeks are vital for Bobby to wake up. Please, pray for Bobby to wake and show consistence in purposeful movements. We need our sweet boy, to open those eyes and show those doctors that the Bobby we know is there is back!
God, please I know You hear me, I know You love me but I need help. I'm struggling. I would love to say that this journey is easy but it's not. Please, give me the strength and courage to walk this rough path ahead of me with my head held high in confidence that Your plan is perfect and that I will feel Your arms wrapping around me in comfort during times of doubt. God thank you for another day here on earth with my sweet brother. Please, God wake him, so he can continue to spread Your love with the world. These song lyrics have been speaking volume to me these last couple days Thy will by Hilary Scott I’m so confused I know I heard You loud and clear So, I followed through Somehow I ended up here I don’t wanna think I may never understand That my broken heart is a part of Your plan When I try to pray All I’ve got is hurt and these four words Thy will be done Thy will be done Thy will be done I know You’re good But this don’t feel good right now And I know You think Of things I could never think about It’s hard to count it all joy Distracted by the noise Just trying to make sense Of all Your promises Sometimes I gotta stop Remember that You’re God And I am not So Thy will be done 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 This morning was very challenging if anything. During the meeting with all the doctors and nurses, the scans showed that Bobby had more bruising on his brain. This of course brings us back to the feeling we had on day one, of feeling absolutely helpless. As my mom sits in a room full of doctors and nurses who only go of statistics, my mom asks herself what good could come from this. After many tears and very few questions, she came to the conclusion that everyday with Bobby is a blessing. Just a few hours after the meeting Bobby was off to surgery for his trach and the G tube in his stomach. Both surgeries went well! Thank you Jesus. He came back to the room, looking very peaceful and comfortable with the trach. It's nice to see Bobby's face without an apparatus attached to it. We're looking forward to seeing those gorgeous eyes and smile once again! The room quickly filled with all of us, excited to see how he looked! Bobby's eyes began to flutter, something we had not seen before. After moments of fluttering, Bobby opened not one but both eyes! Of course looking for my mom, as she whispers how much she loves him. This is the first time we have seen Bobby open both his eyes! Though this does not mean he's quit "awake" just yet this is a huge step towards it. We need to continue to see this constantly and that he can follow commands in order to really qualify him as awake. We were brought to tears after watching him opens his own eyes for the first time since the accident. Defiantly a moment we will not forget! Another thing we will not forget is the prayer gathering we had tonight. Thank you so much for everyone who was able to make it, it's amazing how God can bring complete strangers together during such tragedy. Once we made our way back up to Bobby's room, the nurse had informed us that they think it's time to unhook the ventilator from Bobby's trach! I know how crazy does that sound but they were convinced that he will continue to breathe on his own with no problem. After a few big coughs, the nurse was correct Bobby can breathe all on his own without the ventilator! (Woohoo!) Bobby is now only receiving oxygen through his trach at 30% which is still incredible. They'll continue to watch him for the next 24 hours to make sure that he is alright without it.
These times have been more difficult than you can imagine but we continue to have faith in our Heavenly Father and know that Bobby is in the best hands possible. Thank you God for another day of being in Your presence and being wrapped up in the comfort of Your arms. Please, continue for healing over Bobby's brain and that he can follow commands. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 |
From your dearest sister, LexiBobby, I've created this blog to inform friends and family of your journey to recovery. It may be long but we will never lose faith. God has healed the broken and Bobby he will heal you. We love you so much and I can't wait for you to read this journey I've written for you, though I know your watching it all happen already. Forever in my heart and mind. I'll be with you everyday. |