Joye's Update 7/31/08

Andrew is still going strong on day 3 being vent-free. The hospital staff have a new name for Andrew . . . they now call him The Big "Weaner" at Craig. I've even heard talk of T-shirts :) It got very comical today as people were thinking up what could be put on a T-shirt (I'll let you use your imagination). Andrew laughed a lot today, that's for sure. Tomorrow is Craig's annual "Hobi Day." Most of the patients and their families go out to this lake (called Cherry Creek I think) and, believe it or not, go sailing. They do it every summer and it's quite the event. We are going to go on the early shuttle as Andrew has to get back by 2pm to have an injection done in his jaw. Even though it's supposed to be the hottest day of the summer here tomorrow (103 degrees) he's looking forward to going. I told them what real heat was in Yuma. God has so blessed Andrew and I have faith more blessings are to come. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/30/08

Well we are going on 38 hours vent free now and Andrew is still going strong. A blood gas was done on him earlier today to make sure he was taking in enough oxygen and blowing out enough C02 and that came back as perfect according to his lung doctor. Andrew is quite proud and a lot of hospital staff have stopped by to congratulate him and see the miracle for themselves. He's once again, quite the talk of the floor. And what's exciting is that we know God has more in store for him. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/29/08

Another pretty good day today. Andrew will do his first 24-hour wean today and will continue this way if all goes well. His numbers have been so good that they decided he was ready and so our prayers were answered and he is ventilator free as of this day (Thank You God). He will soon begin his therapy to get his trach out too. I'm sure you all know what this means . . . God answers prayers . . . it's as simple as that. I spoke with Denny Harkins today and his question to me was, "what should we now specifically pray for?" I told him that it is my understanding that as Andrew recovers, what "should" come next will be biceps. According to what I've learned, feeling and movement work downward and elbow movement should be next. So, my prayer request tonight is for you to please pray for Andrew to regain elbow movement. I know God heard and answered our prayers for him to breath . . . many around here say that was most definitely a miracle, and I know God will answer this prayer as well. I know it's hard to imagine why elbow movement would be so important, but being here and seeing the difference between a person who can and who cannot move and feel at that area is huge. It would mean he would be able to feed himself, scratch his face, give a hug, open a door, brush his teeth, wash his face, swat at a bee . . . I'm telling you this list goes on and on. It would be such a blessing for sure. Even if he didn't have feeling and movement in his hands, all of this is possible with special devices; it's amazing what they have. We thank you so much for all your prayers . . . we don't discount for a moment that it's the reason Andrew can now breath on his own. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 7/28/08

It was a good day today. Andrew is excited that they are going to let him wean for 22 hours today. He's having no trouble so far, so I'm sure he'll be able to do it. They will put him back on his vent at around 5:30am for a couple of hours and he will begin his wean again for another 22 hours. They said they will do it this way for a few more days and then he will be able to go for 24 hours a day once he's ready. He will have to work on developing a better cough before they can consider taking the trach out though. At this point they say he will most likely go home with the trach, but will still be able to work on getting it out there. I believe God will give him another miracle and Andrew will soon get the trach out as well. Andrew and I continue to pray together for God's healing and our faith is getting us through this. Your prayers and encouragement are also getting us through this as well. We thank you so much for all you are doing for us. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/27/08

It was a nice day today. Andrew and I went to church and then watched a little TV in his room today. This afternoon I shaved him before his shower and then left somewhat early tonight as he was very relaxed and ready to go to sleep. He's still weaning 20 hours and is doing very well. Andrew is feeling so blessed for getting his left side of his diaphragm back and together we have given thanks to God for that. We continue to pray and praise God for all He is doing for Andrew. Please keep praying for Andrew . . . God is hearing us and will answer our prayers in His time. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

P.S. As we are getting closer to coming home so many of you have already helped with so many things to make our homecoming possible, and we cannot thank you enough for that. One thing I am being faced with now is choosing a number of physicians Andrew will need immediately on his arrival. I am finding this task especially stressful as it is so very important that we find the right people to take charge of Andrew's medical care in Yuma. If I could please ask you, Carrie, to email me at joye.lynn@adelphia.net I would really appreciate it . . . Andrew says you should be an expert in this area. Thank you so much, I hope I hear from you soon.

Joye's Update 7/26/08

It was another good day today. Andrew is still weaning . . . he will end his wean at 20 hours if all goes well. We spent the day together outside of his hospital room. We sat outside for a while and then we watched TV in my apartment for a while too. It was nice to have the alone time. We continue to pray and to believe that God is working on healing Andrew, and we thank you for your prayers as well. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/25/08

It was another pretty good day today. Andrew is weaning for 20 hours today and is doing very well. He's very excited about getting the left side of his diaphragm back and is recharged and ready to get off that ventilator. God's perfect timing with this is evident . . . Andrew was starting to get discouraged especially last week when his doctors told him he would be returning home with a night ventilator. He was feeling a little defeated and God gave him this wonderful gift. He's found that strength and determination and is ready to beat this. I'm very proud of him. Again, we thank God for this answered prayer and we thank your for all you prayers. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/2408

ANOTHER PRAYER ANSWERED AND THIS WAS A BIG ONE! They did another "flutter" test on Andrew this past Tuesday . . . it's probably got another more medical name, but that's what they called it. Anyway, it's done in radiology where they can see if the diaphragm "flutters" or not when Andrew breaths. When they did this test before, only his right side of his diaphragm fluttered which is how they knew he only had the right side of his diaphragm. When they did the test this week, they found that the left side is now fluttering too; therefore, he has his entire diaphragm now. This greatly improves his chances of getting off the ventilator for good now. And, I have to tell you . . . this is a rare thing; his respiratory therapist said he'd only seen this one other time and he's been here for years. Because of this, Andrew is now able to wean for 20 hours a day. They will hold him there for a while until his left side catches up with the right. Once he's going strong at that time, they will take him off the vent all the time and watch him carefully to make sure his lungs stay healthy. Once he's able to do that for a good while, and he's developed a good enough cough; he has a chance to get his trach out. So this answered prayer changes a lot. Today was also Andrew's first outing. We went to a museum and a movie. Everything went really smoothly . . . we didn't even have one wreck. So, it was a great day today and we thank God for this day. I have no doubt that the Lord heard and answered this prayer. So thank you for all your prayers . . . please continue to pray for Andrew. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 7/23/08

It was another good day today. Andrew is doing great with his breathing, his therapies, and his driving. I didn't go over to see him today until about 3pm. I rested some more as I still had some stomach issues and my head is still pounding. I was able to go over with him and meet with an oral surgeon that has been called in to look at Andrew's jaw. He is going to try to treat it with some injections next Wednesday. The MRI of his jaw didn't show much, but did show something with the disc in his jaw that could be causing the problem. Hopefully this will work so that other, more invasive, procedures don't have to be done. We are still praying and keeping our eyes on God as we know this is all in His hands. And we thank you so much for all your prayers. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/22/08

It was an okay day today. Andrew is doing really well with his breathing and is up and moving in his chair again. I wasn't able to spend much time with him today as I'm feeling a little under the weather. Just upset stomach and a bad headache. Andrew's nurse said there is a virus going around like that, so she wanted me to stay away for the afternoon in case I had it. I feel a little better tonight . . . but, I definitely miss not seeing Andrew much today. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. Thank you for your prayers . . . it means everything to us. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/21/08

It was a pretty good day today. Andrew's chair was finally fixed this morning so he was able to get up today; he is weaning strong again as well. His doctor is thinking his medications for his muscle spasms were maybe too high a dose and that may have caused Andrew to get so tired and spacey the other day. So, they lowered the doses on the medications that help control the muscle spasms. They can't take the medicine away as the spasms can be quite painful for Andrew, so hopefully a lower dose will still help with the spasms and won't cause him to be too relaxed. I was able to shave Andrew's head and I even "Magic Shaved" his face today. I promised James I would keep it up and I am. Andrew was much more relaxed about it today. Andrew and I resumed our study of the healing scriptures today. We studied PHILIPPIANS 2:13 For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure. I believe this passage says that God is working in each of us to will as well as to do for His good pleasure. I also believe God will heal Andrew and his health is God's good pleasure. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/20/08

It was a pretty okay day today with exception to the fact that I had to take Dawn to the airport today to return home; I will really miss her company and help. It was great having her here. We did hear that Andrew's discharge date will most likely be in the first week in September, provided he continues on the same path he's now on. He could have to stay longer if he has something medically come up to set his progress back or, on a more positive scenario . . . if he gets a new muscle group back (feeling and movement) that could benefit from more rehab, he could stay longer for that. At this point, his discharge plan is for him to go home being able to breath and talk and eat during the day, and then he will be placed on the ventilator at night only. The night vent serves more than one purpose; it helps to open up his lungs and to keep them healthy as well as rests his breathing muscles during the night to keep him breathing strong during the day. Although this is not what we hoped for, it's by far better than having no time at all off the vent and we are thankful to God for that. We continue to pray together nightly for Andrew's healing and we feel privileged that Dawn joined in on those prayers with us while she was here. We will never take our eyes off the Lord and we continue to give thanks for all that we do have. Although we now have a "new normal," we are so thankful to have one another and we cherish our time together . . . and I know there are probably a lot of you worried that "Andrew" or "Drew" or "Langley" or "Big Dog" (whatever your favorite name for him is) has changed; I don't want you to be too worried. He's still a "jokester" and he's still full of life. You will get one look into his eyes and you will see your same ol' friend. He amazes me daily at how well he is dealing with all of this. I'm very proud of him and again, although our "new normal" is now quite different . . . I'm looking forward to every moment I have with this great man. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

dawn's update

Since this is my last night here, Joye has decided that I was going to do the update again. Andrew had another good day. When we left his room he had been weaning for 12.5 hours. Yesterday he did a total of 12 hours. So today he said he wanted to do at least 13 hours. We will find out in the morning how long he weaned. When we got to his room this morning, he was ready to get into his chair. On the weekends there are fewer staff so Joye and I got him ready to be put in his chair. When the tech came in, she went to unplug his chair, and a short happened. After this, his chair could not do the weight shift that he has to do every 20 minutes, so he was in bed the rest of his day. He did sit up quite a bit and we all had a good visit. Since the wheelchair can't do the weight shifts, he will be in his bed tomorrow as well until his chair can be fixed, hopefully on Monday. Andrew is working on getting his muscles stronger while he weans. Since he was on the vent for about 36 hours from Wednesday to Thursday, he has to work to get the muscles back to where they were. He worked very hard today, and it was another good day. Oh, to explain the weight shift, his chair has to recline to almost a laying position every 20 minutes, for at least 2 minutes. So when the chair could not recline, he could not do the weight shift which is important so he doesn't get bed sores or skin issues. These can be extremely hazzaderous for him.
Andrew was again still joking aroung today even though he was working harder on his weaning. Tomorrow may be another difficult day due to the issues he had on Wednesday and Thursday. Monday should be somewhat easier.
I have learned a lot while I have been here. Joye really made me help out so she would have yet another body to help when they return home. I was more than happy to learn and understand why "things" had to happen a certain way. She has really had to learn basically numerous medical terms and techniques and is so knowledgeable when she was telling me what had to be done. By the end of the day, I felt a lot more comfortable doing the "things" that needed to be done.
While I have been here, Joye and I have had some really good "girl time." We have talked so much and I have really come to understand the power of God. Our talks have gone all the way from just really enjoying catching up, to some really deep conversations. It has really been a great visit!
Please continue to keep both Andrew and Joye in your prayers. My prayer request is for Andrew to continue to improve on his weaning. I pray each night that he will be able to be free from his ventilator. Please pray with me for this. Continue to lift Joye in prayer as she is Andrew's rock. You can see this in his eyes. No words needed. Not only is she the lady he chose to be his life long partner, but she is truely his best friend.
So I will end tonight to get ready for my journey home. It is going to be really hard to say "see ya all when you get home," but there is work to be done there as well. I am going to find it hard not to be able to talk to them both each day. I know that sounds strange, but I have to say it again, it has been a very good visit. A very special time. Those that have been here know what I am feeling tonight.
So to close, once again, as Joye would say, Good Night and God Bless. dawn

dawn's Update 7/18/08

I made Joye take the night off so this is dawn posting Andrew's update. He had a good day today which is a great thing since he had a rough couple of days. When we got over to his room, Andrew was already weaning and was in the physical therapy gym. He was working on his driver's license. I know Joye explained a little about his wheelchair, but I'm going to get into it a little more. She has already told you Andrew drives it by a "sip and puff" method. I watched Andrew do this. To get the chair going, Andrew has to blow a strong "puff" to make it go. But to turn right, he has to then do a soft "puff." To turn left, it is a soft "sip." To go back it is a strong "sip." To stop it is two strong "puffs." He did really good today and we took a trip through the hallways. The straw that he uses to do this is VERY sensitive, so if he puffs or sips too hard when he is trying to turn, it does fast sharp turns. But he is really trying to work on getting this just right. After lunch he then had physical therapy. He did develop a headache later in the afternoon, but his nurse gave him something for it. He was weaning when we left, which at that time he was up to 8.5 hours. If he didn't get too tired, he had the option to go to 18 hours. So today was a good day.
I also want touch a little more about Craig Hospital. The staff at this hospital is GREAT. Joye has already said that the staff really loves working with Andrew. Yesterday when we got to the hospital, one of the techs really enthusiastically told Joye that she was Andrew's tech for the night. Then today, each person that worked with Andrew has that same attitude. Of course he joked around with each one. The staff is also really good to Joye. If either of them have a question or want to know something, the staff really will explain and follow through with things. This really is the perfect place for Andrew.
I also got to joke around with Andrew today. We have had this long battle over many years over who looks better for their age. Andrew and I are basically the same age. He is three months older than I am. I got to spend my birthday today with Joye and Andrew. So when he and I were discussing, arguing, teasing, who looks better for our age, Joye shut us both up by saying she did. Andrew and I both knew that this was true, so that ended that. :-) Of course she IS 4 years younger than us, but still, discussion over.
God is really watching over Andrew. He is also watching over Joye. Please continue to pray for Andrew's strength. Also to keep Joye strong. She is truly an amazing wife and friend. So as Joye would end this, Good Night and God Bless. dawn

Joye's Update 7/17/08

Was another difficult day today for Andrew. He was still very sleepy first thing this morning, so he had to stay on the ventilator today. He started feeling better around 2pm and they were able to get him up in his chair at that time, but felt it was better to keep him on the vent until tomorrow morning. They tested his blood, x-rayed his chest, and many other medical tests today and have no good answer for why his was so sleepy and out of it for that day and a half. They actually do not believe it has to do with his C02 levels. So, for now it's a mystery . . . I'm just glad he seems to be feeling better. I picked up our friend, Dawn, from the airport tonight . . . it is great to have a girlfriend here to have some girl time. It was fun having James here, but he's no good at girl talk :) We are praying for a much better day tomorrow and Andrew is really concerned he won't be able to wean as long as he has been due to being on the ventilator for over 24 hours now; however, his lung doctor told him today that he could go as long as his body would let him. That made him feel better. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/16/08

Andrew had sort of a hard day today. It began with a headache last night that would just not go away . . . even throughout the night and early morning. He woke up very tired this morning, but still began his wean and he also got up in his chair early as well. He had physical therapy at 10am and then I met him at his tetra topics class (tetra stands for tetraplegia which is essentially what he has . . . also known as quadriplegia). The moment I saw him I knew by the look in his eyes that he was not pushing enough C02 out. His eyes get very glassy and you can tell he's just not tracking very well. I immediately took him out of class and got him back to his room to have his respiratory therapist check his numbers. His C02 level was very high, but he wanted to keep going on his wean for a while longer. We went to an electronics meeting where they showed us all the electronic gadgets available for Andrew. He will be able to turn on and off the TV, turn channels, open and close the front door, turn on a light or a fan, and even use the telephone. It's amazing what they have. By the time we were finished with all of that, Andrew was beyond tired so I took him back to his room to get him back into bed. His lung doctor examined him and decided to put him back on the vent for the rest of the day to give him a chance to relax those breathing muscles. She said the biggest reason patients begin to hold on to C02 is simply muscle fatigue, so we shouldn't look on this as a failure or a sett back, but rather a necessary activity that needs to happen every once in a while. She felt certain he'd be much better tomorrow. I'm sure the rest will do him good and he'll be ready to begin again tomorrow. Due to the circumstances we weren't able to study another healing scripture today . . . but I'm sure we'll be able to continue tomorrow. Please pray for Andrew to regain strength and resume his weaning regimen. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/15/08

It was another pretty good day today. Andrew weaned for 18 hours, was up most of the day in his chair and he did pretty good with his driving lessons. I usually have to leave when he's having a lesson because watching him and his close calls for wrecks makes me crazy . . . so I actually didn't see how he was driving, I only heard he did very well. I'm not sure if I've ever explained how he drives his chair or not . . . but, I thought I would do so in case you may be wondering since he has no use of his arms or hands. He has a straw that is called a sip and puff device that he holds in his mouth. He is learning the commands for sipping and puffing in the straw to move the chair forward, backward, right, and left. When he is just sitting in his chair he has to do weight shifts every 20 minutes so that he can take the weight off pressure points and avoid skin issues. He shifts his weight by reclining the chair way back for a couple of minutes and then he can resume his normal sitting position for another 20 minutes. It saddens me to see him in a wheel chair, but at the same time I'm so thankful the option exists. Andrew and I studied the next healing scripture today that I'll provide here for you. JOSHUA 21:45 Not a Word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken . . . All came to pass. Dodie Osteen wrote how this scripture helped her so much. She said it stayed on her mind day and night and she knew God's Word would come to pass. Not one word would fail. Andrew and I continue to pray for his healing and our faith tells us God will do this for him. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/14/08

It was a pretty good day today. Andrew's weaning nicely again, so they are letting him increase to 18 hours as long as his C02 stays low enough. They won't let him get over tired before they decrease him again. The healing scripture I posted for Andrew to read today was PROVERBS 4:20-22 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Dodie Osteen said, "The reason the Word of God is so important when you're fighting a battle for your health is because in many cases it's the only hope you have." That was so in her case. She also said, "Give God's Word first place in your heart because it is life and health to your body." Although Andrew is in a wonderful hospital, we know his health is in the Lord's hands. We pray daily for his healing, and are really focusing on the Word of God. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/13/08

It was a nice day today. We went to church this morning, a minister from a local Calvary Baptist church conducted service. He too was once a patient at Craig. He had a lower level injury and was once a paraplegic. He now walks with a cane and is very thankful to the Lord for his healing. Andrew has been insisting on getting out of bed and into his chair very early in the mornings lately (so I found out today). His rehab tech, who comes on day shift at 7am says Andrew is always the first patient wanting out of bed . . . nothing has changed there; he's always been an early riser. I don't usually get over to his room until 10 or 11 am (I'm not such the early riser) and I had no idea he'd been doing this. He's the wonder and talk of the floor again as patients usually have to be coaxed out of bed each day. As I wrote a few days ago that I would do. . . I began today writing down the healing scriptures for Andrew to view and for us to use as part of our daily confession. In Dodie Osteen's book, she listed 40 of them and I've chosen number 19 of the 40 to be our first as it really spoke to me. It is MATTHEW 18:19 . . . Jesus said I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. With regard to this passage, Dodie Osteen wrote "This is such an important scripture! if you are married, have your husband or wife agree with you for the healing of your body. Don't let negative thoughts come between you. Jesus said, When you agree in prayer, it will be done for you by your Father in heaven. After you have agreed and you've asked God to heal you, look up to heaven and say, Father, we've done what You've told us to do on earth. Now take over and perform it in heaven." Andrew and I read the scripture together and prayed together tonight. I hope you will also agree with us for his healing in prayer. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/12/08

It's been another pretty quiet day today. Andrew is breathing better, but is still very tired. They did a chest X-ray and found that a small portion of his left lung has sort of collapsed and does have fluid built up . . . as they suspected was happening due to his shallow breathing yesterday. They have decided that his wean time will have to be decreased to 14 hours until further notice. This will give his lungs a bigger rest and hopefully the bigger breath when he's on the vent will help to make his left lung healthier. So basically, today was just a "rest" day for Andrew and we didn't spend much "together" time today so he could get a lot of rest. We are planning on going to church in the morning, and we're hopeful for a better day. Starting Monday, our schedule will be much fuller with more education classes that will prepare us for home. Speaking of home . . . work began there today. My sister (the woman in charge), brother-in-law (the man who does what the woman in charge tells him to), nephew (demolition man), and good friends Jeff (contractor from Wickenburg), Jay (floor man), Deborah (another woman in charge), and Tammie (interior designer) completed all the demolition work today. They are going to widen the door to the master bedroom and replace that door with one that swings open 90 degrees so that Andrew can push it open with his chair from either direction; they removed the door to the master bath and will replace it with an arch opening; they took out the garden tub in the master bath for a larger shower area; they removed half the linen closet and the full closet from the master bedroom area to provide more room; they removed the carpet in the master bedroom and will from the den, and they will replace it with wood flooring; they will replace the carpet area in the living room with ceramic tile; they will put a ramp on all three exterior doors; they will put a fence around the pool; and they will also put in a back-up generator system for the things that are necessary during a power outage. It's a big job, and I'm so thankful for my family and my friends for helping us out with this huge undertaking. I'm so grateful and we are so blessed to have this done before we return home. We also feel so blessed for all of you that are praying for Andrew. God is seeing us through this and our faith is keeping us going. Not for a moment have we taken our eyes off the Lord. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/11/08

It was kind of a hard day today for Andrew. He started off his wean this morning okay, but by about noon he was beginning to breath too shallow and was not blowing enough C02 out. It was making him very sleepy and we were having trouble keeping him awake during a lot of the day. When I left tonight, he was doing better, but they are going to watch him closely tonight and may decide to take him off his wean and put him back on the vent early. Please pray for Andrew to regain strength again to continue weaning . . . I know God is hearing our prayers and will see Andrew through this. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/10/08

It was a pretty good day today. Andrew woke up this morning kind of tired as he said he didn't sleep well last night. He weaned 18 hours and was up in his chair about 6 hours today. I had to take James to the airport this evening . . . Andrew was sad to see him go, as was I. It was great having him here. Last Sunday at church, I received 3 books from the pastor's ministry and I've finally had a chance to read one. It's the story of Dodie Osteen's cancer healing. It is a wonderful story of how by faith and through prayer she was healed from liver cancer after having been given only weeks to live . . . that was over 20 years ago. In the book, she provided 40 healing Bible passages and an explanation of each and how she prayed with each. I've had a chance to read Andrew some of her story and we've decided that we are going to study each of those passages (one per day) to assist us with our prayers. I will also provide each daily verse here on the blog so you can keep up with what we're studying as well. Our pastor, Barry, told me that it was up to me to keep the Word of God in Andrew and I think this will be a great way to do just that. I will also write out each verse on a card and I'll tape one to Andrew's TV every day to be in his view for him to read throughout his day. I believe that God will heal him . . . we just need to continue to pray with faith that He can and will do this for Andrew. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Marconato's Update 7/9/08

This is "Marco" (AKA James Marconato), Andrew's friend and co-worker from Yuma. Today we went to the car show that the hospital put on for the patients today. Andrew found a car he wanted to buy . . . a new yellow corvette. We had barbecue for lunch and then we went to occupational therapy where Andrew is trying to get his "driver's license" for his chair. Then I used the rest of the afternoon for some grooming time. I shaved his head with clippers and shaved his face with "Magic Shave." When I was finished I gave him a mirror so he could see how and looked, and then he said, "that's the Big Dog." After that Andrew was in La La land and ready for bed, so we left for the night. It was a good day, his spirits are really up and he's like his normal self. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Good Night . . . Marco.

Joye's Update 7/8/08

It was another pretty good day today. Andrew's good friend, James arrived today and he really enjoyed having him here. Andrew was practicing his driving in his chair while I was picking James up from the airport today and he had a pretty good wreck into a wall. No broken bones though, so I'm still able to keep my title as "crash." I can't imagine what our walls are going to look like at home once we're there; I pray we both get better at driving before we're sent home. Please continue to pray for Andrew . . . specifically for him to gain enough strength to develop a better cough which will help him to get fully off the ventilator. He's still weaning tonight as I write and the goal is 18 hours if his C02 remains at a decent level (the ideal level is in the 30's or 40's . . . anything higher is not so good). Thank you so much for your prayers. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/7/08

It was another good day today; very similar to the past few days. Andrew weaned for 16 hours, was up for about 7 hours, we had class, and he had his therapies. Andrew is very encouraged that they have decided to up his wean time to 18 hours, starting tomorrow. He can now be up in his chair without his C-collar on, so I'm determined to get Andrew to let me shave his head and his face. Maybe he'll let me do that this week. We pray daily and nightly and are keeping our eyes on God. Our faith is in Him . . . we know He will take care of us . . . it's in God's hands. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/6/08

It was a nice day today. We went to church this morning, Andrew weaned for 16 hours, and he remained up in his chair for about 6 hours today. Church was nice; each week a different pastor from bible based churches in the Denver area conduct the service here at the hospital. Today's pastor actually once was a patient here at Craig as he was hit in his car by a drunk driver about 25 years ago. He was standing tall and able to walk and only had slight signs (physically) of ever having had a spinal cord injury. He preached on the topic of prayer and how by faith and God's grace can a miracle happen . . . he was proof of that. It was an inspiring sermon for sure. God is good and I know that He will heal Andrew. We have to continue to pray in faith that God can and will do this for him and He will show us all His glory. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 7/5/08

A pretty uneventful day today. Andrew weaned for 16 hours, got up in his chair for about 6 hours, and we basically just hung out in his room today because there are no classes or therapies on the weekend. We are planning to attend church tomorrow morning, and Andrew is really hoping that on Monday his respiratory doctor decides to up his weaning time. His respiratory therapist that he's had for the past couple of nights told me tonight that she felt Andrew's cough is really becoming strong. That is really good news because a good cough can mean the difference in whether or not he will be able to get his trach out. If his cough is not strong enough, he may have to keep the trach in for suctioning secretions in his lungs even if he is able to get totally off the ventilator. His home care will be much easier and safer for him if he's able to get the trach out. We are now on the list to go into a room on the east side of the hospital. That's where he and I will live together in a small apartment type hospital room so that I can become accustomed to taking care of him throughout the night, on my own. This will really prepare us for home. I believe we should be able to get into one of those rooms sometime in August. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm a little nervous too. The good thing is, a nurse is only a few steps away as there is a nurse's station right outside the room. We continually pray that God will heal Andrew, and we also pray daily for the Lord to take care of us as we go through this life-changing ordeal. We know that God will heal Andrew in His own time and we definitely feel the Lord taking care of us each moment of every day. We could not get through a minute of this without Him. We also know that your daily prayers are being heard and answered . . . we thank you so much for that. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 7/4/08

We had a pretty good 4th of July today with exception to the news that Andrew's X-ray came back that he has a small fracture in his foot from our wreck yesterday. There isn't any really bad swelling and, of course, Andrew is in no pain. There isn't much they can do about it except keep it elevated and they will have to be careful when they lift him and transfer him. I feel just terrible about it, but Andrew is still just laughing and joking about it that it's my driving. The hospital had a barbecue today that we went to and then tonight there was a 4th of July celebration on the roof of the parking garage with music and fireworks. It was nice and Andrew had a good time. It was also nice to know that I can handle things with Andrew on outings without all the support of the hospital staff. I was nervous about it, but it all went fine and I managed not to break any more bones. I pray that Andrew will continue wanting to go out on outings and will be up for that type of thing once we get home. Well, that's all for now . . . I'm exhausted; it's been a very full day. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/3/08

Another good day today. Andrew weaned for 16 hours, had therapies, and rehab on his jaw. They are still working with me to prepare us for home . . . there is a lot to do. We will have to do some modifications to our home and there is a lot of equipment and supplies we'll need as well. They are doing a great job at preparing me for all of that. Andrew is trying to decide what kind of chair he wants, so they are letting him try all the kinds there are to choose from. I was trying to move him from one side of the room to the other today in one of the chairs he was trying and it moved forward and I couldn't get it to stop. I ran him into a cabinet and it turned his foot inward a bit. They don't think anything happened, but he'll have an X-ray tomorrow morning to make sure. I felt terrible . . . I hope it's not broken. Andrew has never broken a bone in his life, and I may have broken his foot while the poor guy was in a wheel chair. He just laughed at me and called me a "woman driver." Andrew's nurse told us many other stories about many other patients who've wrecked in chairs around here . . . it didn't make me feel any better though. His foot hadn't swollen or anything by the time I left his room tonight (thank God). And, his occupational therapist looked at that chair and did find a problem with the attendant driver on it . . . it still didn't make me feel any better either. We continue to pray for God to fully heal Andrew and Andrew's faith is strong in that the Lord will take care of him. We have not given up on God whatsoever . . . by becoming prepared for going home; we just know that we have to go on living and make the best life for us and our family as we can until God heals Andrew. Andrew is doing very well with this and is going to make the best of things; he has no intention of giving up or not enjoying his life or his family. He's at peace with things and knows God will see to it that he is taken care of. He is doing so well with his situation . . . I'm very proud of him. Thank you for all of your prayers . . . God is hearing them and He is working on this, I'm sure of it. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye

Joye's Update 7/2/08

Another successful day! Andrew weaned for 16 hours, was up for 6 hours, and also had class and therapies. They will keep him at 16 hours for a while longer until they feel he can move on from there. His CO2 numbers are looking good, so I'm sure he will be able to proceed. We have met a lot of other patients and their families here at Craig. Believe it or not, there are many who are in worse condition than Andrew . . . I feel so bad for them and their loved ones. I pray for all of them. There are also a lot of people who are here and have literally lost everything (house, cars, jobs, etc.) due to their injury. We also see many people who are trying to make it through this journey without the Lord. I really pray for them . . . I could not imagine going through a tragedy like this without God. We feel so blessed to have so many of you praying for Andrew and sending your encouragement and love to us each day. We thank God for you. Good Night and God Bless. Joye

Joye's Update 7/1/08

Another pretty good day today. Andrew weaned for 16 hours, was up in his chair for 5 hours, had 2 hours of therapy, and we had 2 hours of class. He also had an hour of therapy for his jaw. He says it's starting to feel a little better, but that will take a lot more time to heal. The classes are very informative and will definitely help us to make decisions of what will be needed for Andrew to be comfortable and well cared for at home. We continue to pray for healing and we have concentrated our prayers on Andrew's weaning. His doctors continue to be amazed and it's so evident that God is answering our prayers. We have learned that it is very difficult for a person to breath with only half a diaphragm for as long as Andrew is able to, and especially doing so without causing the side that is not working to become unhealthy. Andrew's left lung is doing very well, which means he is using his ability to breath in a healthy way by drawing air from his trach, mouth, and nose . . . and most importantly, by not drawing air into the right side that works from the left side that does not. It's very common for patients who only have half a diaphragm to do this and it causes the non-working side to collapse. Andrew is breathing very strongly and is quite determined to get off the vent. We thank God for this and we thank you for all your prayers. Good Night and God Bless you all. Joye