Joye's Update 5/31/08

A VERY quiet day today as Andrew has managed to get completely upside down on his days and nights. He has slowly managed to stop sleeping at night and now sleeps all day long. I'm going to do my best to get him to stay awake as much as possible tomorrow. I tried really hard to do that today . . . he still ended up falling asleep on me as I talked to him, read to him, put the TV on for him, etc . . . not unlike our life in Yuma (kidding). Tomorrow I'm going to put to good use some of the movies that Ken Hewitt brought to him when we were in Phoenix; hopefully Andrew will be able to stay awake for that tomorrow (thanks Ken!). We still continue to pray for the blood clots to go away, and as always we pray for complete healing. Our faith is in the belief that God will say the Word and it will be. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/30/08

Yet another quiet day today. Andrew is going to have many days like this where his only rehabilitation efforts can be with his breathing, until his blood clots in his legs are taken care of. He seems to be fairly comfortable with periodic headaches and throat pain (still) throughout the day. I suggested today that he try watching a little TV to try and take his mind off any pain he may be having. He watched a few shows and agreed that it did take his mind off the pain for a while, so that definitely helped him through his day. I am able to use the gym at the hospital's wellness center, and was on the elliptical machine tonight when it really hit me how much I missed Andrew being next to me on his own elliptical (going much fast than I) as we did at the YMCA in Yuma . . . I also realize with God's healing, he'll be right there beside me again, very soon (making me look like I'm standing still). Andrew was also moved to another area today, basically because the space became available and it's probably the best area in the hospital as it has windows half way around the room. All the nurses wanted to get him over there to help brighten his day with the wonderful view of the trees and sunshine. It's much more cheerful over there. Thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray and please specifically pray for the blood clots to go away . . . Thank you so much for that. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/29/08

Another very quiet day. This bed rest stuff is pretty boring, but very necessary. Our kids are going to be coming in about a week and a half, so Andrew's really looking forward to that. His legs measured about 10 cm smaller today, so that was very good news. His doctor has not given us any time frame as to how long he will have to be on bed rest, so we're praying it won't be too long as to not hold up his recovery too long. Please keep praying . . . God is listening and is working on this for Andrew; and we cannot thank you enough for all the praying you have been doing all along for him . . . it's all in God's hands and your prayers are the medicine Andrew needs for his recovery. Good night and God bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/28/08

Not too much to report today . . . just a lot of rest for Andrew. They changed his trach today to see if a different type would be more comfortable and help ease his throat pain that still persists. So far there has been no relief, but it could be a day or two before he feels a difference. He was still able to wean today and (thankfully) will be able to continue that part of his rehab even though he has been ordered to bed rest until his blood clots are gone. He may actually be off the ventilator before he's able to get out of bed . . . which is fine, breathing on his own is still the number one focus right now. Andrew is setting one goal at a time as to not overwhelm himself, and his primary focus for now is breathing. He will tackle everything else one thing at a time, and he has vowed that he WILL get to everything. Andrew will do the hard work, but the glory will be to God for healing him. Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement . . . God is good and will work all this out in His own time. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/27/08

It was a very long day today. I do have some news; however, regarding why Andrew continues to develop blood clots. Andrews hematologist has discovered that he has a blood disorder that causes his blood to clot easily and then is unable to break the clot up as normal blood can usually do. He most likely has had this disorder for his entire life. The good news is . . . this is treatable and they are now treating it. This will slow his recovery down a bit; however, with all of this going on, Andrew still weaned today. He's doing excellent with his vent weans. The worst news is he will have to remain in bed with his head below 20 degrees for the time being; therefore, he will be unable to eat until his head is able to be up above 80 degrees again. He will, of course, also be unable to get in his chair for a while too. He's not discouraged, just thankful they found the disorder and are able to treat it. Although the clots in his legs are quite serious, his doctors are encouraged that he will get beyond this "bump" in the road. Please keep praying and please keep posting and emailing . . . it helps so much. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/26/08

Kinda of a rough day today. Andrew's urine is much, much clearer; however, because of the bleeding, he had to be taken off his blood thinner. Because of this, he has a lot of swelling in his legs and has developed some more blood clots. Luckily, because of the clearer urine, he is able to get back on his blood thinner and he does still have a filter in place (that he received at St. Joseph's) and it will keep a clot from going to his lungs, heart and/or brain. They just have to watch his circulation in his legs very closely. Please continue to pray . . . it's all in the Lord's hands. Andrew continues to pray and when I asked him if he'd like me to read from his book tonight, he said, "no, just read from the Bible to me." So that's what I did until he finally was able to relax and go to sleep. He's staying strong and keeping his faith in God. That's all I could ask of him at this time. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/25/08

Again, a quiet day. Andrew's urine has less blood in it, but he was unable to get up today as they didn't want the bladder to spasm and cause more bleeding. He ate breakfast and dinner today; he wasn't hungry for lunch. He had 2 good weans and his throat is beginning to feel much better. If the blood in his urine doesn't decrease considerably by Tuesday, he may have to undergo another surgery where they will scope his bladder to see what exactly is going on. Andrew is feeling a bit tired today and really needs to be lifted in prayer. Please pray for his strength and determination to continue on. God is hearing our prayers, we just need to keep it up and have 100% faith in the Lord. Thank you so much for your prayers. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/24/08

Yet again, another quiet day. Andrew is still pretty tired today. He was, however, able to wean once and he was also able to eat breakfast and dinner. It was determined today that he has blood in his urine, and after many tests, they said it was not an infection. They are thinking it's being caused from spasms happening in his bladder, so he is being given medicine to help with that. It's not causing him any pain, thank God. Other than that, I am to chapter 4 in the book I'm reading to Andrew (I've already finished it myself), and it's very inspiring. Even through all of these medical things that have popped up in the past week, Andrew's faith is still strong and he continues to pray (as do I) constantly. God is going to heal Andrew, I'm positive of it. Keep praying, God hears you. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/23/08

Today was a very quiet day. Andrew had the upper GI done this morning and was back to his room by about 1:45pm. He was very sleepy from the anesthesia and he slept most of the afternoon. The results of this procedure came back as negative, so they've ruled a gastric problem out for causing Andrew the pain in his throat. Again, our prayer request to you is to please ask God to cure his pain in his throat so that he can move beyond this and concentrate on getting off the respirator. I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day and we thank you for your prayers. Good Night and God bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/22/08

Well, although it was an exciting day in weather here in Colorado, it really was pretty quiet for Andrew. For those who don't know, there was a tornado about 50 miles from Craig Hospital today. Andrews nurse had to leave a little early today as it went right through where her home is. Andrew ate a pretty good lunch today (his largest meal to date since being here). He had a big turkey leg, potato cheese soup, cantaloupe, strawberries, and Gatorade to drink. He did well, but didn't have much of an appetite for dinner, which is to be expected for a while. Andrew will be having an upper GI done tomorrow so they can take a look and see if his sore throat is being caused from acid coming up from his stomach. It could very well be as Andrew has battled acid reflux for quite a few years now. If it is this, they feel confident they can get it under control and it will most likely take care of itself as he's eating now. Believe it or not acid can be a bigger problem when you have noting in your stomach than when you do. Other than that, Andrew is still enjoying my reading his book to him and he's still praying and has 100% faith that the Lord will heal him. Thank you again for your continued prayers and encouragement. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/21/08.

Well today was a "mixed" day with regard to news (a little good news a little not so good news). Andrew has been having an enormous amount of pain in his throat, basically ever since he got his tracheotomy done. It's been far enough out since that surgery that he should not be in the amount of pain he's in. And, because of this pain, he's still having to have a lot of pain medication which is making him sleeping and just sort of "out of it," making it difficult to continue with important rehab stuff like weaning and gym activities. So, he had what's called a broncoscopy which is where they put a tube down his nose with a scope on it to let them look at his throat and lungs. He had many of these while in the CCU at Thunderbird and these things are not pleasant to say the least. So on to the good news first. They found that (amazingly) his pneumonia is GONE! Prayer works . . . that's all I have to say about that. The not so good news . . . they found nothing wrong with his throat that would be causing this pain. Everything looked fine, so they are sort of perplexed about that. They are going to do a different type procedure on Friday that will allow them to take an even better look (I can't remember what they called it). So . . . our prayer request for tonight is that whatever is causing this pain in his throat be healed and gone for good. If Andrew can get off of some of these pain medications, he could really concentrate harder on weaning and getting off the vent and then on to some really hard work with physical and occupational therapy. God is hearing these prayers . . . He heard the prayers to heal the pneumonia (that's just so obvious to me), He has given Andrew the ability to swallow, and He got Andrew to this wonderful hospital, and really so very much more. God is working on this for Andrew, there is no doubt. I was also able to read chapter 2 of "The Miracle Man" to Andrew tonight. It's such a great book. Thank you again for your prayers, it's making the difference! Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/20/08

Another great day today! Andrew had a swallow test today and he passed; he can now eat! The test was done in radiology where he was given all different kinds of foods with different kinds of textures (and liquids) to swallow and they viewed it on an x-ray to make sure he was not aspirating the food (sucking it into his lungs). He did great with every swallow. And he was in complete heaven eating those foods and drinking the liquids. His eyes were so lit up and he was just smiling and smiling. He was so excited and I could tell he just wanted to say something to tell me how great it felt, so he mouthed "I love you" to me to show me his excitement. It was so sweet and a really precious moment. He was up for 4 hours today in his chair, which tired him out a lot, so he wasn't able to eat his dinner tonight because they didn't want him to eat his first meal while being so tired as that can be dangerous. He was okay with it though; he just wanted to sleep. And, he will still be receiving his tube feed at night until he is able to eat at least 3,000 calories a day in food. So his first meal will be breakfast tomorrow. He was also too tired for me to read another chapter in the book I'm reading him "The Miracle Man," but I was able to read through the 7th chapter on my own (I couldn't help it). I cannot tell you how similar the experiences that this man endured are to the experiences Andrew has gone through while being hospitalized. Not everything is the same, but a lot is. I can't wait to read more to Andrew. God is awesome and He is listening and He is healing Andrew. There was a time when we were told that Andrew would not be able to eat as his swallow reflex and gag reflex were not there . . . God is healing him, it is evident. Thank you for your prayers and your blog posts and for the personal emails we've received; they mean the world to us. Good Night and God bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/19/08

Another pretty good day today. Andrew weaned twice (30 minutes each), and they were going to try and get another wean in tonight after I left for the night. I wanted to begin tonight having Andrew listen to the audio book I have for him "90 Minutes In Heaven," but instead, he wanted me to begin reading the other book I had ordered "The Miracle Man" written by Morris Goodman. It's a true story about a man who crashed a small airplane and should not have survived and though he did he should never have been able to do anything but lay in a bed on a ventilator. He not only survived, but he now breaths and walks and has recovered beyond anyones (including doctors) wildest expectations. I will read Andrew a chapter each night; Andrew listened very intently tonight to the first chapter. It's a very inspirational story of a mans will to recover. I know that Andrew (too) has the will to recover and with his faith in God, I have no doubt he will be the next miracle man. I told him that when he recovers we will write his own book called "The Miracle Black Man." He laughed and thought that was a pretty good idea. Please continue to pray, God hears our prayers. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/18/08

We have a new record! Andrew weaned today for 30 minutes straight. He was very tired after, but it is a really great thing that he's able to do this now. He also sat up in the chair for 2 hours. He did end up with a headache, but I rubbed him and coaxed him into relaxing a little and the headache didn't last as long. I know it doesn't seem like a lot is happening, but these little improvements are really huge. It will take a little while, but I know Andrew can get off the ventilator . . . he's improving everyday with it. His determination is amazing and he's keeping the faith. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. God is good and is his healer. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/17/08

Andrew had a pretty good day today. He weaned twice and was up in his chair for 2 hours. He had a headache for a small portion of the day, but is learning to relax his shoulders better to help with that. They've determined that his headaches are as a result of a lot of tension in his neck and shoulders. Andrew has to remember to relax and let his shoulders down to keep the headaches from happening. I rubbed his shoulders a lot today and that seemed to work pretty well at getting rid of the headache. Andrew still has an iron will and he is still very determined to beat this. We've had a lot of opportunity in the past few days to communicate, and Andrew has relayed to me that his faith in the Lord is still as strong as ever and he believes God will heal him in His own time. Andrew also said that he feels very blessed that so many people are praying for him. Thank you so much for that. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/16/08

Another pretty quiet day today. Andrew had a headache again today. He still was able to get up for about an hour and then he was pretty wiped out the rest of the day. It will take a while for him to get over his headaches until his neck and shoulder muscles are in better shape as he's getting up regularly now. Hopefully he will feel better again tomorrow. Thank you all for continually lifting Andrew in prayer . . . it's what is needed most at this time. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/15/08

Andrew is back on track again. He felt much better today. His head still hurt a bit, but nothing like it was yesterday. He got up in his chair for 2 hours and 10 minutes. He then slept for a while and then he did a vent wean. He is scheduled to have a swallow test early in the morning to determine whether he has use of the right muscles to swallow correctly and then hopefully he will soon be able to eat food again. They will just have to put a different kind of trach in to allow this function. So lets pray he has use of the right muscles for that. He is also scheduled to be up for a longer period of time tomorrow and he should have at least 3 different vent weans scheduled as well. The book (90 Minutes In Heaven) should be here tomorrow and Andrew's actually looking forward to listening to it. The TV in his room has not been turned on one time since we've been here; Andrew's had no interest in watching it so far . . . which, for those of you who really know Andrew know this is completely out of character for him. I asked him why he doesn't want to watch anything and he says he just doesn't know why, only that he doesn't want to. He was in a pretty good mood tonight, joking around with everyone; so I know he's definitely feeling better. He still prays all the time and he continues to have 100% faith that he will walk again . . . his strength is amazing. I didn't think it was possible to love him anymore than I did, but I love that man more and more everyday as I watch him fight this fight; he's so wonderful. Okay, I got gushy there for a moment :) I was able to finally catch him up after a few days on your posts today . . . he was happy to hear from you all. Thank you again for all your prayers and words of encouragement, it is making such a difference in his recovery. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/14/08

Well, Andrew had kind of a hard day today. After he was up in the chair yesterday he started getting a headache, which is not unusual. He had the headache all night last night and it really got bad by this morning. They were worried at first because his head hurt worse in the front rather than the back, so they ordered a cat scan to make sure he didn't have any bleeds anywhere in his head. That test came back negative, so that was a relief. The headache slowly moved from the front of his head to the back of his head, which kind of told them that it was more of a tension migraine. They figure his muscles in his neck and shoulders are tense due to being up in the chair yesterday for so long. The physical therapist massaged his neck and shoulders for a while and they are giving him some meds to help his muscles relax. He was finally feeling some relief by the time I left his room tonight . . . so hopefully he will feel better tomorrow and will get back on track with his weanings and getting up in the chair. I know that God is healing him, and He will return his body back to the way He intended it to be . . . I have no doubt about that. Keep praying; it's the answer to everything . . . God is listening. Good Night and God bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/13/08

Andrew had a very busy day today. He did a vent wean early this morning, and did very well on that. Soon after, he had his trach cuff deflated (a balloon type thing in his throat that keeps air from going in or coming from his nose or mouth) so that he can start to get used to having it open to begin talking and eating. It will be very hard for him to get used to the feeling of having air come through his mouth and nose from the ventilator . . . it will take time and practice to get used to this. It was weird to hear his voice for the first time since April 4th, although most of the sounds coming from him were from him coughing. Then he went through a very intense neuro assessment, and finally he was lifted out of bed with a special lift and placed into a wheel chair for 1 hour. While in the chair, me and his nurse gave him a tour of the hospital. Once he was put back in bed, he was very tired and his head was hurting pretty good. This is normal as he had extra pressure on his neck while being up. He was supposed to have another vent wean at that time, but they postponed it until tonight due to the headache. He's improving with every weaning. Today was very cold . . . it snowed early this morning and rained the better part of the day. It's clearing up now, and it's supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Well that's all for now . . . I'll check in again tomorrow. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/12/08

Andrew had a pretty good day today. More rest, as usual, and he did 2 vent weanings. He did better on the second than the first and his numbers are still looking good. There's going to be a lot of days like today; much rest and weanings throughout the day. Nearly everyone in my family as well as many of our friends have read a book that my step mother gave me when Andrew was first put into the CCU at Thunderbird Hospital. It was an incredibly inspirational (true) story and I could hardly put the book down once I started it. The book is called "90 Minutes In Heaven" and is written by Don Piper and Cecil Murphy. I've since ordered the audio version for Andrew to be able to listen to it. I think he will appreciate the story and gain inspiration from it for his own recovery. If you have not read this book, I recommend you pick up a copy and read it. I will also (soon) be taking time out each day to have Andrew listen to the audio Bible that Denny Harkins gave him before we left Phoenix. Denny wanted to make sure that the Word of God stays within Andrew, and I will make sure that happens once Andrew is a little more comfortable and has a little less pain medicine in him. Andrew is slowly gaining his confidence and is feeling safer. We had a long talk tonight and it seemed to help him hear me to reassure him that this is all in the Lords hands and God will take care of him . . . and that he just needs to try hard to relax and turn it over to the Lord and heal. He's feeling better, but still needs to be lifted in prayer to feel more secure. Thank you for your prayers for security and healing for Andrew; I believe the Lord will soon show everyone his glory with a miracle for Andrew. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/11/08

Today was an okay day. Andrew's "numbers" are looking better with his breathing and we did find out results of the test that measured whether or not he has use of his diaphragm. We all have one diaphragm that has a right side and a left side; Andrew has full use of the right side of his diaphragm and his left side is paralyzed. This is not bad news . . . he can breath with only having his right side, so this is a blessing for sure. This means he should definitely be able to get off the ventilator . . . and of course we are continually praying for more use and function, so I believe he will soon have use of his left side diaphragm as well. One thing that is happening is Andrew is feeling a bit insecure. His confidence level is low as he has a fear that he may stop breathing (understandably). My prayer request to you, if you will . . . is to please lift Andrew in prayer and ask God to restore his confidence and his feeling of security. This hospital is very good about letting family stay in patients rooms when they are particularly in need of someone being there, therefore, I will stay part of the night and my brother-in-law will stay the other part to give me some rest. I know that Andrew will have better days than others and tonight, he's just needing a little security and he can rest easier knowing we're there to hear the alarms if need be. I also should mention that Craig has a wonderful alarm system. As many of the patients here are quadriplegic and on ventilators, therefore unable to speak, they have a device that is placed near their mouth that the patient can blow air into (doesn't take much) and that calls the nurses station. Someone immediately comes over the intercom . . . if they get no answer (which if no one's in the room with Andrew, that's what they'll get), then someone immediately goes in. They also have settings on the ventilator and the thing that measures his oxygen and heart rate that alarms at certain levels that also sends people in immediately. I've seen it in action and they do react very quickly; it's just going to take Andrew a little time realize that this system is very good and he's very safe. God is awesome and He is working on this for Andrew . . . we never fail to believe and our faith is our comfort. I believe that God led us to bring Andrew here because this is the best place for Andrew to be once God heals him. This is the place best equipped to help Andrew once his feeling and mobility is restored. I've heard miracle stories everyday that we've been here and I really feel the presence of the Lord here. There's no way anyone could work here or even be here and not be a believer. This is a place where miracles happen all the time . . . it's an amazing place to be; Andrew is so blessed to be here. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/10/08

Yet another quiet day again today. The main focus is of course fighting the pneumonia; they feel it is getting better though. Andrew is doing a lot of sleeping as he is sick with pneumonia and it is taking a lot out of him. He does seem to be resting pretty comfortably though. We are told that the first week can be pretty quiet like this as not much is changed at once. They like to change one thing at a time so that they don't overwhelm him . . . so it seems like things aren't moving very fast. They are, however, pleased with his progress in pushing air from his diaphragm; he's already improved by over 100 cc's of volume in the 2 days he's been here. Other than that we are still praying all the time and our faith in the Lord is seeing us through this. Andrew knows he will walk out of here . . . there isn't a doubt in his mind. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/9/08

A pretty quiet day today. Most of the early part of the day, they did a lot of medical tests on him. He was pretty tired for the remainder of the day after all that. They will be doing some more tests tomorrow and then they may begin his weaning program from the ventilator. Andrew has been very nauseous and he's still getting accustomed to breathing at this altitude; hopefully that will pass soon. Other than that, there wasn't a whole lot going on today. I asked Andrew if he feels he's in the right place, and he says he feels very confident with his care here; he's just anxious to get going on his rehab program. Thank you for all your prayers . . . we know God is going to see Andrew through this. Good Night and God bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/8/08

Well we made it. I can see why they call this Gods country . . . it's beautiful here. The ride in the jet was okay. Everything was fine until the moment we got over Colorado and the clouds caused a lot of turbulence. Then as we got into Denver we had to fly through a thunderstorm and that was really rocky. I just closed my eyes and prayed. Andrew did fine, it was me who was air sick. The crew kept teasing him, telling him that I was flying the plane. It was a tiny little jet that barely fit Andrew, me, the pilot, and two nurses. I'm so glad that part is over. They were ready for Andrew at the hospital and immediately began doing there assessments once we arrived. EVERYTHING is different here. I don't mean that in a bad way because they were great to Andrew at Select (Good Samaritan). They have lifts for moving him and all kinds of devices specifically designed for making someone with a spinal cord injury more comfortable here. His breathing is a little different here as the altitude comes into play. They say it takes 24 to 48 hours to acclimate. The have already confirmed one suspicion that arose in the last couple of days in Phoenix . . . he has pneumonia in his left lung. They had already started antibiotics in Phoenix and they are now giving him big breaths from the ventilator, plus they will do a different kind of vent tomorrow that is called a coughing ventilator to take care of the pneumonia as Andrew is unable to cough enough to loosen up what needs to be. They aren't too worried, just wanting to get it taken care of asap so that they can get on with weaning him off the vent. Andrews skin is in perfect condition; they did a great job at Select making sure he was turned often and given good skin care treatment during his stay there. Everyone was very impressed (almost shocked) with how good his skin looked for the amount of time he's been in bed now. While doing their assessments, the nurse asked Andrew a lot of questions . . . one of which was "what is the goal you'd like to reach during your stay at Craig?" He said, "To walk out of here." Then he was asked, "if that cannot happen, what is your next highest goal you'd like to reach at Craig?" He said "To walk out of here." She said, "Okay then," and went on with her assessment. He's still quite focused and determined. He's not actually talking when he answers, just moving his lips, but they are all very good at reading lips around here. It will be more assessments tomorrow and then rest to take care of the pneumonia over the weekend. He's happy to finally be here and is just looking forward to working hard to get on his feet. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouraging posts . . . it means so much to both of us. I feel that God's purpose is being revealed with so many of you praying and worshiping in the Lord. We know that God did not make this happen, but He is definitely seeing Andrew through this. Good night and God bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/7/08

Andrew had a good day today. He was able to sit in the Cadillac chair for nearly 1.5 hours and then he was able to rest nicely for the rest of the day. The trip to Colorado has been confirmed to take place tomorrow morning; we will leave at 6:30am. Denny Harkins came by one last time before we leave to pray with Andrew. We have appreciated Denny and his wife Christine so much in these past few weeks; they have really been there for us in so many ways. For those of you who do not know Denny, he is a (recently) retired Warden with Az Department of Corrections and is also a Pastor. He has been there for us in the capacity of a friend and a Pastor during this time, and I cannot tell you how much his unfailing faith and support have helped us. A while back, Denny e-mailed me a prayer that I've gone back to many times; it has given me much hope and comfort. I'd like to post it tonight in the blog . . . please pray his prayer with me now as we go off to Denver for the next phase of Andrews recovery.

Dear Lord ... I want to first thank you for who you are and the fact that you continually work in our lives. I know that nothing happens to us ... and around us ... that you do not use for our good. I know sometimes all of these things are very hard to understand. I do not understand all mysteries and ... do not know why we feel led to do certain things. Right now I feel led to pray for Drew in a certain way. I am praying that no sickness, injury, power or presence will be able to prevail against him. I pray that you would take all of these things and send them completely away from him and never allow them to return. I thank you that You are more powerful than all forces, powers, dominions, thrones, sicknesses or injuries. I know that you have authority over all of these things and that if You just say the WORD it will be done. I am asking you Lord to say the word and bring complete healing to Drew ... Spiritually ... Emotionally ... Mentally and ... Physically. I pray for the deliverance and the setting free of Drew in the name of Jesus Christ ... who at His very name every knee shall bow and tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Lord again ... just say the WORD and it will be so! Amen

Joye's Update 5/6/08

The Lord likes Thursday better. We heard today that Wednesday will not work for Andrew to be admitted to Craig Hospital. They tried very hard early this morning to get a jet here to get him, but it was not successful, so it will have to be Thursday. Andrew was okay with that . . . he knows he's going and he's thankful for that. He rested a lot today, so that was good. I spent a lot of time today on the computer doing research (as I've been doing constantly) while he was resting; there is a lot of encouraging information out there. I'm pasting a link here (I hope it works for your to view, you should just be able to click on the link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0NQHro8jBY
This man's level of injury (C-7) is just a little lower than Andrews is (C-5/C-6 area of his spine). There is a lot of information online regarding the doctor (Dr. Carlos Lima) who is doing this adult stem cell procedure at the Lisbon's Egaz Moniz Hospital in Portugal. Please understand this procedure is done by using regenerating cells that we all have in our nasal area from our own bodies . . . this is not the same as embryonic stem cells derived from an unborn fetus. You know I will continue doing extensive research regarding this and other remarkable spinal cord injury medical breakthroughs that are taking place every day. We are praying for another restful day tomorrow and a safe trip for Thursday. I feel that God has lead us there and he will see us there safely. Thank you again for all of your prayers and encouraging words . . . those loving words are so helpful to us both. Andrew loves hearing them and it always warms my heart to hear that so many people are praying. Good Night and God bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/5/08

Well, we have some news today . . . our trip has been postponed until Wednesday. We were lacking a signature to get Andrew transferred to another state, and it didn't come until late today, so plans had to be changed. But, it's okay; I just took it as a sign from God that Wednesday was a better day to travel than Tuesday. Everything is signed and sealed now, so we're happy about that. Andrew was disappointed, but is happy to know he only had to wait one extra day. He rested well today and he had no fevers. We've read and heard from many of you that you are wanting to visit him in Colorado, which is great . . . I think he needs people around him. Andrew did express to me today that although he does want people to visit, he really wants to get further into his recovery before people make the trip. His desire is to get off the vent, get talking, and be in a better position to be able to visit with people the way he'd like to. Not to mention his regimen for weaning off the vent is going to be drastically different at Craig. It will require loads and loads of rest and small periods of time with very hard work to strengthen the diaphragm followed by loads of rest, and so on. This weaning regimen is a completely different protocol that has been developed for patients who have a spinal cord injury and will be relying solely on the diaphragm to breath. It's much different than the regimen he's been going through at Select. The key is GOOD rest; just like a person who is a body builder . . . they lift heavy weights and then rest the muscles a lot, and then repeat. So I ask you to please understand, he does want to see people, he just wants to have a little control himself as to when that is. Since the beginning of this ordeal, I've made it a point to try very hard to make sure he doesn't feel that he has no choices or no control as to what is happening in his life right now. Andrew is my very best friend and I know that I am his . . . I respect him so much and the most important thing to me is that right now he always feels as though he is my husband and that I am his wife and although I am giving him all the care I can right now . . . I never want him to feel as though my role has changed to just that (caregiver). I will preserve our marriage and our friendship and our love; I just also happen to be the one providing him care as well. Andrew has a lot of pride and he is a very strong man . . . I will make sure that he always knows that will never change. He is my big, strong, kind, loving man and he will always be. We have our faith in God and, of course, that faith has only grown stronger since this has happened. We know that Andrew is in the fight of his life right now and with your prayers and encouragement, and with the love he and I have for each other . . . he's going to get through this just fine, I just know it. God is good and He hears our prayers . . . He is working on this for Andrew. Good Night and God bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/4/08

Another pretty quiet day. Andrew is still pretty wiped out from fevers yesterday and last night. He did not sleep well last night either. I think he just got over tired yesterday and it really set him back a lot, just as the doctors said it would. I kept things quiet for him today and he did a lot of resting. . . we definitely want him strong enough for his journey Tuesday. His mother will be leaving tomorrow . . . he'll miss her praying with him and reading to him. After a while she will be able to visit him in Colorado . . . we just aren't sure how close the hospital is to lodging, etc. and I will not have a vehicle for a while; so I will check things out once I get there. I know it will be hard for her to be away from him in the mean time. If he's up to it, my sister is going to shave his head and trim his beard down as far as she can for him tomorrow so he'll be spiffy for his trip; besides the hair is itchy for him. I am trying to get packed for colder weather and don't worry . . . I've packed Andrew's tennis shoes for him to walk out of there in. Our faith is in God and His promise to us. We know that God has a purpose for this and we are seeing daily how many people are turning to the Lord . . . prayer is an amazing gift from God and it can bring much comfort and tremendous results. Keep praying and worship the Lord, I believe it's what He wants most from us. Good night and God bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/3/08

Today was an okay day. Andrew felt better in the morning than he did in the afternoon. He was quite tired and spiked a fever, but is doing better now. A lot of times the fevers come from getting over tired and they really wipe him out. He's still very excited to be going to Colorado, as we all are. Andrew's faith is still his strength and he continues to pray all the time. Sometimes I see his eyes closed and then he opens them . . . I ask if he's sleeping and he says no and smiles; I know that he's praying. I'm so proud of him and in awe of how strong he is. He's so faithful and absolutely positive that he will walk again. His will and his perseverance amaze me daily. I was laying down last night trying to imagine what he is going through. As I lay there, I tried to feel what he could be feeling while only being able to feel from the chest up, and not have the ability to move arms or legs. The first thing I realized was that my face became itchy and I had no way to scratch it. When I got to the hospital today I asked him if he'd like me to scratch his head and his face, which by the way is a full beard now. He shook his head yes in a way that showed me he needed this in a bad way. I scratched his head and his face, and rubbed his ears for a very long time and he looked as though he was in heaven for just a little while. I did this several times throughout the day as it's just one thing I could think of to make him more comfortable. So many things we take for granted like just being able to scratch an itch when we need to. Well, just 2 more days until we leave . . . thank you for all your prayers in getting him there . . . I believe it will mean the difference in his recovery. God lead us there, He will give Andrew the strength to do the work, and we will soon witness the miracle . . . this I believe. Good Night and God bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 5/2/08

We're in!!!! We leave early Tuesday morning for Colorado. They want Andrew there by 12:00 noon. Andrew was really happy today; he's really wanting to get there and get to work. We will be there for at least 4 months, and of course the prayer is that he walks out of there at that time or before. I have faith that God will heal him and give him the strength to just that. Our God is an awesome God who gave us His promise and I believe Andrew will be a testimony to it. Andrew has not wavered in his faith that God will heal him. I will continue this blog throughout Andrew's journey, so please keep posting . . . it has done wonders for Andrew's spirit. A lot of people say it's their lifeline to him, when really your posts are our lifeline to you . . . it keeps us going. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement, we cannot thank you enough. Good Night and God bless. Joye

Joye's Update 5/1/08

We have good news today. The representative (Sue) from Craig Hospital came today and evaluated Andrew. She spent the better part of 3 hours explaining Craig's entire program to us. She also provided us a lot of hope for Andrew's recovery. I think by the time she was finished, Andrew was ready to get on a plane with her today and go to Colorado. The very best thing I took from her today is the fact that Craig's program is designed purely for someone in Andrew's condition. That is what they are focused for and are best equipped and staffed to manage. So, she of course, is recommending Andrew for the program and as long as his insurance is in agreement . . . then he may be going as soon as next week to Colorado. I will be provided a place to stay as I am told my involvement in his rehabilitation is crucial to his success. I will be able to fly in the air ambulance with him (which eased his mind a lot . . . not so much mine as I REALLY hate to fly). We will also be encouraged to get our kids up their at some point so that they can learn how to help him as well. Any family member with whom he lives will be involved . . . the main goal is to get him to the most functional and "normal" living conditions he can get to. We're still going for the gold and that means 100% functionality, so don't worry about that. And, I know it's a very long way away, but he can have visitors on weekends as there is time set aside from the rigor of rehab for that. During the weekdays it will be quite a rigorous schedule for him. He's looking forward to it and is quite determined to do whatever is asked of him. I'm telling you, he would have gotten on the plane with her today if he could. We are now just praying that we have to insurance issues. Thank you all again for all your prayers . . . God is hearing us and responding. God Bless you all. Joye

Thank You from Andrew and Joye

I wanted to wait until I was with Andrew to write this thank you note. It's Thursday afternoon and I'm here with Andrew and we want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for the fund raising and donations. Julia from Personnel and Sandy (OHN) from ASPC-Yuma came up Tuesday and delivered the $1,315 that you all raised for us for financial assistance with this ordeal. We cannot thank you all enough for your kindness and hard work. You have truly touched our hearts with your thoughtfulness, and all we can say is "may God bless you all." This will help us tremendously right now. Thank you so much. With all our love, Andrew and Joye.