Posted on 12/09/2006 8:48:18 AM PST by knittnmom
I cannot believe how well he's doing! Glad to hear it.
Continued prayers up for this tough little guy. :)
Thanks for the update.
Sorry the little guy wasn't feeling well for the Christmas visit but it sounds viral and should pass quickly.
I know the short term memory stuff has you worried but some of it may not be brain injury as much as it is stress.
It's hard to remember stuff when you are under duress and he sure has been, the accident, the seizures, in and out of ICU.
Would be enough for an adult but much worse for a little guy.
Prayers for a complete healing continue.
Oh..I am so glad you got to take him home for a while on Christmas...I am sure it meant a lot to him...
I pray that his tummy problems is just a stomach bug...and will continue to pray for his short term memory problems...
Ian, keep up the good work, champ. You are a very brave tough guy....and you will be up and ready to go, very soon.
Prayers way up for you Ian..and your family.
sleuth
Deep in the night, prayers for Ian... we are so glad to hear your glad tidings!
BTTT
Our house was turning into an infirmary by the time Christmas Day was over! Son's fiance in upstate NY reporting the same news at their house.
Thankfully, the tummy part passes quickly.
All the best to you all!
May the Lord make all things clear, both to the mind of Ian and to the minds of those who are caring for him. Amen.
Carolyn
Thank you all for your faithful prayers for Ian and his family. A couple of updates posted by his dad follow:
December 26, 2006 at 11:40 PM CST
Happy Boxing Day!
Didn't get to visit Ian much today, as we had some real-world stuff to attend to. However, I did get to spend some time with Ian, and his cousin Chip and Great Uncle Dan Hardt came up from Chicago for a brief visit.
Ian was feeling better today, but is clearly not yet all the way back. He managed to keep what he ate down today, but it seems that the problem has moved to the other end, if you know what I mean. All things considered, he had a pretty good day, and was able to complete two full therapy sessions. He once again attempted to use a walker, and while this try couldn't be classified as a success, there was progress as compared to the abject failure of the last attempt. We're hoping (praying) that as Ian gets over his bug, his strength will pick up and he will be more successful. His mastery of a walker will do a couple of things--first, it will help him keep his strength better than in a wheel chair. Second, it will make managing the going to the bathroom process much easier. I don't have a problem moving Ian around, but HJ struggles, as he's relatively long and pretty heavy, especially with that big cast on his leg. Please pray that he is able to figure it out in the near future.
Ian did show some progress relative to moving around. In his therapy session, he was able to lift his cast without a problem and he was able to push himself to standing using his arms and his good leg. Then, he was able to turn and sit in a little chair. Small victories, but victories nonetheless.
His short-term memory continues to be an area of concern. He appears to be making progress, but he still has a long way to go. He appears to be able to remember things for a while (like from morning to afternoon), but he's not yet able to keep those memories overnight. Today, his therapist hid a penny in Ian's room. Tomorrow, he's coming back. When the therapist (Joel) asked him what he thought would happen if he remembered, Ian replied "I win the game of hide and seek?" Actually, if Ian can tell Joel where the penny is, Ian gets to keep the penny. He thought that was pretty cool. We're just praying he remembers.
Other than memory, moving around, and beating the "Big D" (and I don't mean Dallas), Ian seems to be doing very well. He still makes us laugh and he's still a very sweet, precocious boy. We would like to see his processing speed increase, but he seems to be getting somewhat better at accessing the information he's stored in his head. One thing to be prepared for if you visit--Ian has become a great hugger. If you get close to him, he'll put his arms around your neck and give you a gentle hug. We love it, but I would pay a fortune just to have him wriggle out of my arms so he can go do something more interesting than hanging around with his boring old Dad.
Hopefully, he'll be able to get some rest this evening and feel better in the morning. Please pray that he recovers and that HJ is able to get some sleep as well. I keep trying to get her to come home for at least one night, but she's not buying what I'm selling. I think she needs a rest, but she contends that if she comes home, she'll just feel compelled to do wash or other things around the house. We're trying to keep up, but I guess being a man, I can ignore the mess better than she can.
We'll let you know when we have more info. Thanks to all for everything you do for our family.
Tom and HJ
The second update from Ian's Dad:
December 26, 2006 at 11:47 PM CST
One final note, primarily for my Mom, who worries about me (really, she worries about everything, which is part of the reason we love her).
HJ made a doctor's appointment for me today, because I seem to get really tired and my head tends to swell (no smart comments, please) around the area of my injury, and I have a big spot on my head that is numb (yeah, yeah, I know...). I also tend to forget some things (short-term stuff, like where I put our checkbook) and can't always concentrate like I could before the accident.
The doc said that there is some nerve damage from the laceration and that the numb area should shrink over time. He also said the other symptoms I described were all typical symptoms of Post Concussion Syndrome and that they should go away with time. It doesn't bode well for studying for and passing an exam for a securities license in the next couple of weeks, but I'm going to give it my best shot anyway. He also told me I shouldn't do any risky activities (i.e., skiing, snowboarding) for at least a month, or I risk going back to square one.
Now that I have this information, I'm confident that it will start snowing and not stop for about three weeks...then the temp will rise to 60 and melt it all. Seriously, though, I would appreciate an occasional mention in your prayers, though I think Ian is the guy to worry about most. Old, hard-headed guys from the "suck it up" school like me figure that we can push on through--prayers help a lot, though.
BTTT
I can't believe he's doing so well. Head injuries are nothing to mess with. He needs to slow down a little. (I'll pray for that!) ;)
Okay, Dad....Prayers up for you...you need to take care of yourself...and prayers for Mommy...
Ian, I pray you find the penny and that you are on your way full recovery...
Prayers for all...and thank you so much for the updates.
sleuth
Prayers for Ian, Tom and their entire family.
OK, Tom's on the Parish Prayer list for this week, too!
Prayers for Ian and his entire family. I hope Mommy and Daddy remember that they too must rest and eat properly. Their little one gains strength through them.
Our very best wishes that the New Year will bring all that they pray for.
"TT", Beth & Nana
When I stopped in last night, Ian was happily watching "The Emporer's New Groove". He'd had a rough night with lingering effects of his tummy trouble (diarrhea), but had eaten a good supper. After the movie, and his medications, he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face. It was so sweet!
HJ and I talked until Erin arrived, and then the three of us had a nice chatfest. Dema stopped in, because he'd promised Ian earlier in the day that he'd come back to visit him. He was asleep by then. Dema said the ER was having a busy night. (Dema is one of the children's leaders. He also works full time at the UW, and is a student.)
HJ's big worry last night was Tom-he has whatever bug Ian had, along with the continuing effects of his concussion, so was very miserable. He took some of the medication prescribed for the dizziness of the concussion, and slept most of the day.
There is talk of Ian being discharged as soon as Friday or Saturday. Of course, if Tom is still sick, or the bug strikes another member of the family, it would be risky to take him home. Those factors would be considered in any decision to discharge him.
Prayer concerns:
Insurance. If Ian is discharged, he will need to continue therapy as an outpatient. Their insurance provider offers therapy only at a clinic that is a 55 mile round trip from their home - and only has therapists available on a part-time basis. Their pediatrician has written a referral for Ian to get therapy through the UW system, which has a clinic only a few minutes from their home. Please pray that it will be approved.
Financial. The family checkbook has not been seen in over two weeks. Tom had it after the accident, so they know it isn't in that vehicle. However, he has not been up to his usual self, so has not been able to find the checkbook, and take care of the family finances. Also, there will be a great many things to file and track related to the accident, including engaging the services of an attorney. Please pray that Tom's health will improve rapidly, and all the financial details will fall into place so that the focus can be on getting Ian back to where he was before the accident.
Medical: Please continue to pray for Tom's and Ian's full recovery from this accident.
Praise: The family has been upheld by prayer, surrounded by love, and blessed with excellent medical care. There have been answers to prayer every day since the accident. Each answer is a miracle, and God has blessed us with his healing presence.
Thank you all for your continuing prayers!
BTTT
Continued prayers of healing for Tom and Ian. May God continue to open doors and windows for them as they are needed.
I definitely will continue to pray for Ian, Tom and the whole family.
Thank you so much for the great updates...it helps to know what they need prayer for...
sleuth
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