Hi Everyone!!

I am so sorry that no one has written. Scott was up there last weekend. I reminded him a few times to write, but he was pretty busy at work and then must have forgotten by the time he got home with a 3 year old and all. Martha was up there during the week, but I hadn't really talked to her that much other than the same "no changes really conversation." Debbie was there and his friend Bob Beal drove up from Missouri to see him. (Oh Debbie, you will be happy to know that the nurse told Bob that he just missed dad's daughter...which was you.)

Coleman and I went up there today. He was asleep most of the day, but when he woke up, I had the RT deflate his cuff to see if we could get him to talk. The good thing is, they decided to turn his feeding tube off for two hours a day now, and 15 minutes before any sort of turn or re-adjustment. Since they have done that, every day following they are suctioning less and less stuff up. YEAH!!!!

Anyway, back to the cuff...Once it was deflated, he coughed pretty good for about 5 minutes and then he was fine. His oxygen sats stayed up and his heart rate was good. Then we tried to get him to talk. He really tried, but we just aren't getting his voice to come out yet. He is whispering and actually passing air, so its easier to understand him. We had to keep reminding him to whisper with air instead of just moving his lips. He doesn't quite have the strength yet to get enough push behind his cords to make noise.

Words we worked on though were, Jordan, shut up, beer, rare-bit burger, hi, and ribs. I tried to get him to inhale real deep and then try to push out HA! We tried Ma too. He even tried to hum. This lasted for about an hour and then he really couldn't tolerate it anymore, so we stopped. The RT says she will put in his chart for them to try that every day at least once, if not twice since seeing how well he actually did.

I caught a glimpse of his heel sore. It is all necrotic underneath now and we really can't figure out what the hell is causing it. I know it doesn't take a lot, but nothing has changed. It is so frustrating. It is also frustrating that no place in Oelwein serves pepperoni pizza, but that's another story. :)

He actually requested the TV off and no radio and wanted me to read to him. I left the book there that I was reading about the neuroanatomist who suffered a stroke, so I started reading it. I got through 3 chapters before he fell asleep. he really liked it. So, the next person who goes up and wants to read to him, start at Chapter 4.

He was happy that Bob drove up to see him. He shook his head yes when I asked him if it was nice to see someone else other than our boring faces. I really think he just likes knowing that someone is there with him, even if he is sleeping.

He seems pleased that I am carrying on his photography. He really perks up when I talk about it. I had a friend commend me on some of the seniors that I have shot recently and as usual, I am hard on myself and don't take compliments well. He sent me a link to this video on youtube that was awesome and actually made me tear up. If anyone feels like watching it, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZYlQ4Wv8lE

About 7 minutes into it, you will see what really hit me like a ton of bricks.

He still has the same trach tube in his throat as he had in Chicago. They RT has mentioned to me a few times that they don't use that kind there and she was confused why they ever even used it because it is more of an ICU trach. I thought they had removed it already, hell I can't tell the difference, but I was told today that they have tried 3 times to get it out and they can't. The kind that is in there, after awhile, the tissue in the throat starts to kind of adhere to the cuff. The RT said today that basically, you have to rip it out and it can cause pretty bad bleeding, so the doctor is going to have to do it when he comes in the last Tuesday of the month. That sounds pretty disturbing....I might have to go up there that day.

The next few weekends are pretty booked. Scotts wife's birthday, I have some shoots, our cousins wedding and then my brothers birthday. If anyone wants to take a little road trip to see him any of the next 3 weekends, that would be fantastic!!! If you do, shoot me a message and I can tell you how to get there and all that good stuff. :)