Thursday, 18 December 2008
December 18th, 2008
Hi everyone! I posted a couple pictures from last weekend and Thanksgiving Day to see how Drew looks! Quite normal I assure you! :) Still handsome as ever... please go on and visit him anytime between 9 am and 8:30 pm (Visiting Hours) at Ranken Jordon off Dorsett road near Lindbergh! He will love the company... he's been bored a lot and gets sad when we leave him! Just sign your name in at the front desk, grab a visitors badge and they will tell you where his room is! It's a small hospital so you can miss it! Hugs, Alex.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Time for a new update!!!
Drew continues to do great! He had his bouts of being sick on and off... the most recent one was pretty long which prevented him from really doing anything for almost 2 weeks. Poor thing. Neverless, he seems to be back in good health and slowly improving a bit day by day! Recent Sunday, he was in a good mood, my family and I made jokes, he would show the BIGGEST smiles as if he was almost trying to laugh along with us... with twinkles in his eyes... very cute!
Today I went with Drew to St. John's Mercy with his nurse and therapist for a "swallow" test to make sure he was eating down the right tube... Don't jump yet! He can't eat yet, still on feeding tubes, BUT he can take in a bit of food and swallow it... but because he hasn't really used his tongue/mouth to eat, the food can be NASTY to him... and he tries to spit it out! The therapists will continue to try to feed him a couple times a day to help him progress to bigger stages! Today I kept him company during the whole appointment. While waiting, I would work on asking him questions, making jokes, and telling him to stop putting his head down or I'll (threatening) put a neck brace on him. He will smile and put his head down in defiance and grin... making his nurse, therapist and I laugh.
He is able to finally say NO! If you see him trying to rub his finger and thumb together, tell him NO! That he can sign "NO" perfectly as well "YES." His signs for no and yes are very good now! Sometimes he will move his head in a yes or no position instead. I tend to ask him the same question twice to make sure I understood which YES or NO he meant! Every time I visit him, I have him pick a movie he wants to watch... he always picks out something... He does TRY to sign with his left hand but it's REALLY hard for me to understand... takes time... if you ask him to sign something... he will TRY even because remember he does not have FULL control of his hands/arms/body parts.
He can fingerspell but he tends to fingerspell in skips. If the word is small/short, he will fingerspell the full word... but today for example, I asked him to say his name, forming perfect sign language letters: A N D W. I noticed this pattern a couple days ago, then I would guess the word he was trying to spell then ask him to confirm it... sometimes it's not the right word - then I will ask him to spell again! Can be exhausting but you have to PUSH and ENCOURAGE him that he CAN spell the word and communicate with us!
He can say the international symbol I LOVE YOU almost perfectly with a crooked tiny index but neverless if you say I LOVE YOU, he will certainly repeat it back! It's touching. :)
That's about it for now... til next time... give me a couple weeks... if anything worthy to report - I will try to get back on here! :)
Alex
Today I went with Drew to St. John's Mercy with his nurse and therapist for a "swallow" test to make sure he was eating down the right tube... Don't jump yet! He can't eat yet, still on feeding tubes, BUT he can take in a bit of food and swallow it... but because he hasn't really used his tongue/mouth to eat, the food can be NASTY to him... and he tries to spit it out! The therapists will continue to try to feed him a couple times a day to help him progress to bigger stages! Today I kept him company during the whole appointment. While waiting, I would work on asking him questions, making jokes, and telling him to stop putting his head down or I'll (threatening) put a neck brace on him. He will smile and put his head down in defiance and grin... making his nurse, therapist and I laugh.
He is able to finally say NO! If you see him trying to rub his finger and thumb together, tell him NO! That he can sign "NO" perfectly as well "YES." His signs for no and yes are very good now! Sometimes he will move his head in a yes or no position instead. I tend to ask him the same question twice to make sure I understood which YES or NO he meant! Every time I visit him, I have him pick a movie he wants to watch... he always picks out something... He does TRY to sign with his left hand but it's REALLY hard for me to understand... takes time... if you ask him to sign something... he will TRY even because remember he does not have FULL control of his hands/arms/body parts.
He can fingerspell but he tends to fingerspell in skips. If the word is small/short, he will fingerspell the full word... but today for example, I asked him to say his name, forming perfect sign language letters: A N D W. I noticed this pattern a couple days ago, then I would guess the word he was trying to spell then ask him to confirm it... sometimes it's not the right word - then I will ask him to spell again! Can be exhausting but you have to PUSH and ENCOURAGE him that he CAN spell the word and communicate with us!
He can say the international symbol I LOVE YOU almost perfectly with a crooked tiny index but neverless if you say I LOVE YOU, he will certainly repeat it back! It's touching. :)
That's about it for now... til next time... give me a couple weeks... if anything worthy to report - I will try to get back on here! :)
Alex
Monday, 17 November 2008
Progressing really well!!! Able to sign!
November has been an amazing month for Drew!! Sorry if I haven’t been here for a while. I have so much to report that finally I am here! The last 3 weeks have been really amazing… My family and I continue to visit Drew everyday and try to work with him. So far Drew has been trying to sign for some time – with his left hand. Unfortunately, it is VERY hard to read his signs but you can comprehend/make out what he’s trying to say. He is able to try to say no by rubbing his index finger and thumb together… yes by trying to fist up his hand or move his head in a yes position. He is able to fingerspell words if you ask him to say something simple (we can’t over stimulate him too much yet). He was able to spell many words but takes time. Sometimes he really tries to SIGN things but he has limited movement but you can notice he TRIES! It’s so hard but we continue to encourage him and to be patient – that it will take time for us to understand him.
His left side of brain is a bit MORE slow to respond so he cannot move his right side that much at the moment. However, the doctors are very pleased with his recovery. They expect him to have a FULL recovery eventually in the months to come. He continues to work with physical therapists during the week Monday to Friday. My family and I bring him new movies, things to do and entertain him when we can. Recently, I brought scrabble pieces last Friday – he is ABLE to pick out letters if you ask him to spell something – but you cannot give him too many letters or he will be overloaded and start picking wrong letters to just please you. I would ask him to spell our names… and add just 3 or 4 more letters. Sometimes I would work on the sign language ABC with him one by one for him to try out.
Also, I created many BIG INDEX cards with a bunch of questions on them – with cards that even say NO or YES on them. You can ask him small questions and he will TRY to answer it – but if you ask him something and expect him to reply in fingerspelling or sign – you will not be able to understand. Ask him questions that lead to a no, yes, I don’t know or something you know he WILL answer to. It’s pretty amazing. He can even SMILE or give a HUG if you ask him to. It’s incredible. Drew had a LOT of visitors on Saturday and Sunday that the poor thing was completely exhausted and couldn’t do anything today (according to my mom!) Oh yes, at one point last week, my family and I would let Drew try out air hockey (in Ranken Jordon's activity area) and he TRIED to lightly "kick the puck" with his left hand (in a wheelchair) many times!
He had another MRI scan for his brain last week – so far the doctors say he is progressing very nicely… and he is able to move his head to the right or left, much more attentive to people around him.
Another note to make - one day, he was in some kind of cooking class, the doctor asked him to pick up cilantro and put it in a bowl – and he did! The doctor turned off his DVD player and asked him to turn it on – and he did! So very small steps but GIANT for him!
Continue to pray for his speedy recovery!…. HUGS!
His left side of brain is a bit MORE slow to respond so he cannot move his right side that much at the moment. However, the doctors are very pleased with his recovery. They expect him to have a FULL recovery eventually in the months to come. He continues to work with physical therapists during the week Monday to Friday. My family and I bring him new movies, things to do and entertain him when we can. Recently, I brought scrabble pieces last Friday – he is ABLE to pick out letters if you ask him to spell something – but you cannot give him too many letters or he will be overloaded and start picking wrong letters to just please you. I would ask him to spell our names… and add just 3 or 4 more letters. Sometimes I would work on the sign language ABC with him one by one for him to try out.
Also, I created many BIG INDEX cards with a bunch of questions on them – with cards that even say NO or YES on them. You can ask him small questions and he will TRY to answer it – but if you ask him something and expect him to reply in fingerspelling or sign – you will not be able to understand. Ask him questions that lead to a no, yes, I don’t know or something you know he WILL answer to. It’s pretty amazing. He can even SMILE or give a HUG if you ask him to. It’s incredible. Drew had a LOT of visitors on Saturday and Sunday that the poor thing was completely exhausted and couldn’t do anything today (according to my mom!) Oh yes, at one point last week, my family and I would let Drew try out air hockey (in Ranken Jordon's activity area) and he TRIED to lightly "kick the puck" with his left hand (in a wheelchair) many times!
He had another MRI scan for his brain last week – so far the doctors say he is progressing very nicely… and he is able to move his head to the right or left, much more attentive to people around him.
Another note to make - one day, he was in some kind of cooking class, the doctor asked him to pick up cilantro and put it in a bowl – and he did! The doctor turned off his DVD player and asked him to turn it on – and he did! So very small steps but GIANT for him!
Continue to pray for his speedy recovery!…. HUGS!
Monday, 3 November 2008
Football on Sundays with the Family
Sunday, November 2nd, my sister Courtney, husband David (Drew’s brother in law) and Bella (Drew's 3 yr old niece) were in St. Louis for the weekend. My Uncle Brian and Aunt Cindy, mom, and all the siblings except for Amanda (stuck working in KC!) were all at Ranken Jordan to watch the football game with Drew. What a moment! We had a couple friends in during the day as well.
We took over a big section of the "lobby area" outside of Drew's room - he was in his wheelchair - always moving his head (stubbornly - later on - always putting it down), his left arm and legs... he still can't really communicate with us but he watched the game and let us talked to him sometimes. I saw Drew's main doctor come over and talked to mom about various things - when I asked what it was about - Mom said that this is one of his best recovery weeks so far - because he has been really moving a lot more and got his breathing tube thereby breathing completely on his own. The doctor even said – that he expects Drew to make a FULL RECOVERY one day! So this is really good news but let’s continue to pray for his health! Just a bit of an update. Hugs. Alex
We took over a big section of the "lobby area" outside of Drew's room - he was in his wheelchair - always moving his head (stubbornly - later on - always putting it down), his left arm and legs... he still can't really communicate with us but he watched the game and let us talked to him sometimes. I saw Drew's main doctor come over and talked to mom about various things - when I asked what it was about - Mom said that this is one of his best recovery weeks so far - because he has been really moving a lot more and got his breathing tube thereby breathing completely on his own. The doctor even said – that he expects Drew to make a FULL RECOVERY one day! So this is really good news but let’s continue to pray for his health! Just a bit of an update. Hugs. Alex
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Drew getting better day by day!
So far Drew is responding well. He continues to recover slowly and has a lot of great feedback from the nurses and physical therapists who are working with him. Mom says he has therapy Mon to Fri every day during the day.
There is not much to report – he has his bouts of depression – you can see it on his face but he is starting to look very healthy. His hair really grew fast!!! He has his really wide eye attentive days and droopy eyes days or even a mix of both! – it all depends on how hard his days are - therapy wise and the visitors he might have. He is starting to move more and more such as his head, left arm and leg. When I propped him up last night, he look like he was determined to get out of his bed, poor thing. We all continue to encourage him to move, move and move as much as possible.
Yesterday, he is supposed to get the breathing tube off his neck – but it was still on when I visited him – a nurse said most likely will take it off today – very good news – this means he is now breathing very well on his own. They closed his breathing tube a couple days ago.
My family and I continue to visit him daily, as much as possible, talk to him/chat with him, read to him by putting his favorite books in front of his face to be able to read and putting on dvd movies for him before we go – I’ve been holding up his Manga books in front of him at a certain distance and flipping the pages when he closes his eyes – it’s hard to tell if he understands you but so far – he catches little things… I told him to blink slowly when he wants me to flip the page… don’t automatically think he can really respond by blinking… it isn’t always certain.
Another tiny good sign mom told me about was – he was asked to cough to check something and he did!
If you can visit him – please feel free to wake him up if is sleeping; make him comfortable if he doesn’t look comfortable; ask the nurses any questions if you you’re uncertain about something; always encourage him and give him “pep talks!”
Til the next posting! :)
There is not much to report – he has his bouts of depression – you can see it on his face but he is starting to look very healthy. His hair really grew fast!!! He has his really wide eye attentive days and droopy eyes days or even a mix of both! – it all depends on how hard his days are - therapy wise and the visitors he might have. He is starting to move more and more such as his head, left arm and leg. When I propped him up last night, he look like he was determined to get out of his bed, poor thing. We all continue to encourage him to move, move and move as much as possible.
Yesterday, he is supposed to get the breathing tube off his neck – but it was still on when I visited him – a nurse said most likely will take it off today – very good news – this means he is now breathing very well on his own. They closed his breathing tube a couple days ago.
My family and I continue to visit him daily, as much as possible, talk to him/chat with him, read to him by putting his favorite books in front of his face to be able to read and putting on dvd movies for him before we go – I’ve been holding up his Manga books in front of him at a certain distance and flipping the pages when he closes his eyes – it’s hard to tell if he understands you but so far – he catches little things… I told him to blink slowly when he wants me to flip the page… don’t automatically think he can really respond by blinking… it isn’t always certain.
Another tiny good sign mom told me about was – he was asked to cough to check something and he did!
If you can visit him – please feel free to wake him up if is sleeping; make him comfortable if he doesn’t look comfortable; ask the nurses any questions if you you’re uncertain about something; always encourage him and give him “pep talks!”
Til the next posting! :)
Monday, 6 October 2008
My Visit with Drew
Back to UK! My time in St. Louis was very precious. I visited my brother about three times between October 1st and the 2nd. When I arrived, he was in therapy surrounded by people checking on his stats. While I was so happy to see him, it broke my heart to see him in such a delicate state. He seemed healthy and was awake with his adorable glasses on. I tried to sign to him as much I could while trying to get his eyes to focus on me. Sometimes I knew I was signing too fast and would remember to repeat things slower. I have to say the hardest thing was leaving my brother when I went back to say goodbye to him Thursday morning before going to the airport.
I asked so many questions about what happened and his health between my mom, younger sister Amanda and the nurses taking care of him. His broken bones are healing but his wrist is healed. He wears a removeable brace on each hand halfway to his arm to keep him from clenching his nails into his middle hands on and off. I would massage his hands when I got the chance with his lotion and his wrists lightly. Feel free to do this if you can! Mom has a bag of his things in a closet in his room with all the little things. Sometimes I would put lip balm on him because his lips can get dry. He doesn’t eat on his own yet and has a feeding tube coming out of him.
It is hard to communicate with him, he tends to blink a lot but he will focus on you as much he can. One time, mom wrote on this scribble board, “Move your arms,” and you have to hold this board in front of his face for a long time, then he attempts to move his arms! It’s amazing. The first time I went, it was with my mom and Amanda. The second time, I took my younger sister Ivy with me, then two of my friends showed up to visit and would keep me company, talk to him a bit and we would chat in front of Drew. Mom came with my brother Clark later on as well. During this time, he really kept his eyes open, I would explain a bit about what my friends and I were talking about every now and then while comforting him in little ways. I had Ivy bring a couple of his favorite books – they’re like comic books – still don’t quite understand them but I would flip a page into his face to look at for a few minutes before moving on to a new page. He does move his eyes around the pages I put in front of him!
I felt, during this experience, stimulation is a really good thing so I will try to visit him every day when I get back to the states and expose him to different things as much I can – his favorite books, games, pictures, do some storytelling, etc. Visiting him will always be hard but I know he will love the company. Can you imagine just sitting around not being able to do anything, trapped in a body that can’t seem to coordinate with your brain? I truly believe that he wants to respond in more ways but can’t. The extent of his brain damage is unknown because his brain was moved/shaken up in the accident, due to this, knowing how fast he can recover is unpredictable right now. However, everyone around me said the signs are very good.
His hospital room has a few memoirs such as pictures on his closet, football helmet from Brentwood High School; at home – more sweet gifts. One thing that really touched me was his Gallaudet football helmet – a note with it says – this is yours until you recover along with a football signed by everyone on Gallaudet’s football team. Amazing how supportive everyone is.
I hope to meet some of you very soon and please continue praying for his recovery and visit Drew if you can. Hugs.
I asked so many questions about what happened and his health between my mom, younger sister Amanda and the nurses taking care of him. His broken bones are healing but his wrist is healed. He wears a removeable brace on each hand halfway to his arm to keep him from clenching his nails into his middle hands on and off. I would massage his hands when I got the chance with his lotion and his wrists lightly. Feel free to do this if you can! Mom has a bag of his things in a closet in his room with all the little things. Sometimes I would put lip balm on him because his lips can get dry. He doesn’t eat on his own yet and has a feeding tube coming out of him.
It is hard to communicate with him, he tends to blink a lot but he will focus on you as much he can. One time, mom wrote on this scribble board, “Move your arms,” and you have to hold this board in front of his face for a long time, then he attempts to move his arms! It’s amazing. The first time I went, it was with my mom and Amanda. The second time, I took my younger sister Ivy with me, then two of my friends showed up to visit and would keep me company, talk to him a bit and we would chat in front of Drew. Mom came with my brother Clark later on as well. During this time, he really kept his eyes open, I would explain a bit about what my friends and I were talking about every now and then while comforting him in little ways. I had Ivy bring a couple of his favorite books – they’re like comic books – still don’t quite understand them but I would flip a page into his face to look at for a few minutes before moving on to a new page. He does move his eyes around the pages I put in front of him!
I felt, during this experience, stimulation is a really good thing so I will try to visit him every day when I get back to the states and expose him to different things as much I can – his favorite books, games, pictures, do some storytelling, etc. Visiting him will always be hard but I know he will love the company. Can you imagine just sitting around not being able to do anything, trapped in a body that can’t seem to coordinate with your brain? I truly believe that he wants to respond in more ways but can’t. The extent of his brain damage is unknown because his brain was moved/shaken up in the accident, due to this, knowing how fast he can recover is unpredictable right now. However, everyone around me said the signs are very good.
His hospital room has a few memoirs such as pictures on his closet, football helmet from Brentwood High School; at home – more sweet gifts. One thing that really touched me was his Gallaudet football helmet – a note with it says – this is yours until you recover along with a football signed by everyone on Gallaudet’s football team. Amazing how supportive everyone is.
I hope to meet some of you very soon and please continue praying for his recovery and visit Drew if you can. Hugs.
Love, Alex
Monday, 29 September 2008
The Author of the Blog will be Visiting Drew!
Hello all!
I thought I would write a quick note. I am very excited about flying back to the states for a very short time this afternoon. I will be in St. Louis for 24 hours to visit my brother Drew this Wednesday Oct 1st and will be sure to report any news to you!
I encourage everyone who knows Drew to pay him a visit! So far, my mom and younger sister Amanda said that Drew is "starting to come around." He attempts to move his hands but can't... also he moves his head a lot now. Positive news! Since I will be traveling for the next few days... bear with me, I will try to put up a new post by next week.
God bless and hugs,
Alex
I thought I would write a quick note. I am very excited about flying back to the states for a very short time this afternoon. I will be in St. Louis for 24 hours to visit my brother Drew this Wednesday Oct 1st and will be sure to report any news to you!
I encourage everyone who knows Drew to pay him a visit! So far, my mom and younger sister Amanda said that Drew is "starting to come around." He attempts to move his hands but can't... also he moves his head a lot now. Positive news! Since I will be traveling for the next few days... bear with me, I will try to put up a new post by next week.
God bless and hugs,
Alex
Friday, 19 September 2008
A couple great projects for anyone to contribute!
Hello once more!
I spoke with a good friend's mom who gave me a few great ideas. Her son, when he was 11, was hit by a car at 40mph while riding his bike, no helmet, hit headfirst on the windshield then several feet/yards AWAY on the pavement headfirst AGAIN. She was told her son will NOT survive... but after a long grueling year, tons of support and many prayers, he did and fully recovered his memory! He was in a coma like my brother was. While some of you might not understand, she shed some light on trying to understand my brother's condition a bit more.
She gave a great analogy – she said think of it this way – he is breathing on his own AND he has opened his eyes after ONE month – which are very good signs. Also his body is healing well. She said, it’s like a BIG DARK HOUSE, a light will come on in ONE room of the house, when it does, Drew will pick this up and put it into his brain (like a file box). Like breathing on his own – light one, opening his eyes – light two, moving his arms more – light 3?? And so forth! How long it will take him to fully recover… is different for everyone.
She said she was with her son EVERYDAY for three full months. Talking to him… (hearing) when he woke up – she start bringing in all his favorite things – video games, toys, etc… to stimulate his mind. Even if he couldn’t do ANYTHING, she or others would do it themselves and let him “watch.” I will share this information with mom – if you guys have ideas, give them to the coordinator of the project (to be named in the end of this posting). I hate being left in the dark, just like some of you! I am looking forward to my SHORT visit on Oct 1st to see him and will share more news with you then!
So the idea: for those who know Drew well, for those who are too far to visit in person, I have TWO ideas: ONE) Let’s create videos – use your camera – use the video on it – be creative! Talk about anything – start off saying “Hey Drew – this is (name) – how are you doing? I am really looking forward to you recovering so we can do this and that… like we talked about… “ Then talk what you have been doing in your life… then talk about memories you both have together in detail…. Take as long you want!
TWO) Make a slideshow of pictures of ANY pictures you have of activities you did with Drew: TI Camps, MDO Camps – use ALL pictures, before you start the slide show – Label the slide before the new set of pictures, i.e. “Christmas party 2002 at (name) house”… show pictures of everything during that party… then new slide “TI Camp 2003,” and so forth!
I know this might be a bit time consuming – but it will be worth it. It will STIMULATE Drew’s mind – I will gather up these DVDs when I am back in the states around Oct 1st for a short trip (24 hours!) and again around Oct 14th or so. I will put the DVDS in a DVD case and hand them to the nurse with Drew’s portable DVD player and ask that the DVDs be played when he is awake in order – to take turns with everyone’s DVDs! Heck, if any of you decide to visit – play them for him!
Craig Aslin, bless his heart, will coordinate this project for me. Please email him at craslin636@yahoo.com for mom’s address to send the DVDs to! Any questions, ask him!
Hugs,
Alex
I spoke with a good friend's mom who gave me a few great ideas. Her son, when he was 11, was hit by a car at 40mph while riding his bike, no helmet, hit headfirst on the windshield then several feet/yards AWAY on the pavement headfirst AGAIN. She was told her son will NOT survive... but after a long grueling year, tons of support and many prayers, he did and fully recovered his memory! He was in a coma like my brother was. While some of you might not understand, she shed some light on trying to understand my brother's condition a bit more.
She gave a great analogy – she said think of it this way – he is breathing on his own AND he has opened his eyes after ONE month – which are very good signs. Also his body is healing well. She said, it’s like a BIG DARK HOUSE, a light will come on in ONE room of the house, when it does, Drew will pick this up and put it into his brain (like a file box). Like breathing on his own – light one, opening his eyes – light two, moving his arms more – light 3?? And so forth! How long it will take him to fully recover… is different for everyone.
She said she was with her son EVERYDAY for three full months. Talking to him… (hearing) when he woke up – she start bringing in all his favorite things – video games, toys, etc… to stimulate his mind. Even if he couldn’t do ANYTHING, she or others would do it themselves and let him “watch.” I will share this information with mom – if you guys have ideas, give them to the coordinator of the project (to be named in the end of this posting). I hate being left in the dark, just like some of you! I am looking forward to my SHORT visit on Oct 1st to see him and will share more news with you then!
So the idea: for those who know Drew well, for those who are too far to visit in person, I have TWO ideas: ONE) Let’s create videos – use your camera – use the video on it – be creative! Talk about anything – start off saying “Hey Drew – this is (name) – how are you doing? I am really looking forward to you recovering so we can do this and that… like we talked about… “ Then talk what you have been doing in your life… then talk about memories you both have together in detail…. Take as long you want!
TWO) Make a slideshow of pictures of ANY pictures you have of activities you did with Drew: TI Camps, MDO Camps – use ALL pictures, before you start the slide show – Label the slide before the new set of pictures, i.e. “Christmas party 2002 at (name) house”… show pictures of everything during that party… then new slide “TI Camp 2003,” and so forth!
I know this might be a bit time consuming – but it will be worth it. It will STIMULATE Drew’s mind – I will gather up these DVDs when I am back in the states around Oct 1st for a short trip (24 hours!) and again around Oct 14th or so. I will put the DVDS in a DVD case and hand them to the nurse with Drew’s portable DVD player and ask that the DVDs be played when he is awake in order – to take turns with everyone’s DVDs! Heck, if any of you decide to visit – play them for him!
Craig Aslin, bless his heart, will coordinate this project for me. Please email him at craslin636@yahoo.com for mom’s address to send the DVDs to! Any questions, ask him!
Hugs,
Alex
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Visitation is now open to anyone!
Hello all!
Just spoke to mom. She said it would be ok to stop the visiting list and allow anyone to go. She thinks it would be good for him to have friends who can sign to him. He is now more aware and always keeps his eyes on the person talking to him. There have been signs of him moving his hands... trying to talk by moving his head or such... but it's still very early. His brain damage is unpredictable and can even take even two months before the doctors will know how much he will be able to "recongize or remember".
Visiting hours are somewhere like 9 am and 8:30 pm. Just check yourself in and tell them who you are visiting. A special note if I may from mom: when he looks like he is becoming sleepy, then that's the hint for time to go! :)
It is a joy to continue hearing from his visitors how Drew is doing... it is a painfully SLOW recovery but we couldn't do it without all of your support... I pass on comments from visitors to mom often, so thank you...
Another side note: a couple of Drew friends want to host a BBQ party to fundraise money for Drew on a Saturday in October... more details of this will come soon.
Hugs,
Alex
Just spoke to mom. She said it would be ok to stop the visiting list and allow anyone to go. She thinks it would be good for him to have friends who can sign to him. He is now more aware and always keeps his eyes on the person talking to him. There have been signs of him moving his hands... trying to talk by moving his head or such... but it's still very early. His brain damage is unpredictable and can even take even two months before the doctors will know how much he will be able to "recongize or remember".
Visiting hours are somewhere like 9 am and 8:30 pm. Just check yourself in and tell them who you are visiting. A special note if I may from mom: when he looks like he is becoming sleepy, then that's the hint for time to go! :)
It is a joy to continue hearing from his visitors how Drew is doing... it is a painfully SLOW recovery but we couldn't do it without all of your support... I pass on comments from visitors to mom often, so thank you...
Another side note: a couple of Drew friends want to host a BBQ party to fundraise money for Drew on a Saturday in October... more details of this will come soon.
Hugs,
Alex
Friday, 29 August 2008
Moved to Ranken Jordan and Visiting List
Drew has been moved to the new rehab. The information is as followed: Ranken Jordan, 11365 Dorsett Rd., Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Please feel free to send any cards/gifts, etc at this address as well.
My mom and the doctor do not want too many visitors right now, so only ONE visit per day (two people max at a time) for 15 minutes or less. Due to the wonderful overwhelming response we have received from many people after his accident, please understand that we would like his visitors to be people who know Drew very well to help him settle in his surroundings better. He still does not have any awareness of anything so it's important that we allow him to have people closest to him visit him gradually one at a time.
If he is doing ok, then we can certainly add on much more. It is important for Drew to stay calm in order for his blood pressure to get better and keep from being agitated. Visiting hours is somewhere between 9 am until 8:30 pm. Please email me at Avetor@t-mobile-sidekick.co.uk to get on the visiting list then I will email you back if the day is available. Then I will post your name on the list on the right side of this blog. Again, please be patient if the list is long. Many thanks for all of your support once more.
Alex
My mom and the doctor do not want too many visitors right now, so only ONE visit per day (two people max at a time) for 15 minutes or less. Due to the wonderful overwhelming response we have received from many people after his accident, please understand that we would like his visitors to be people who know Drew very well to help him settle in his surroundings better. He still does not have any awareness of anything so it's important that we allow him to have people closest to him visit him gradually one at a time.
If he is doing ok, then we can certainly add on much more. It is important for Drew to stay calm in order for his blood pressure to get better and keep from being agitated. Visiting hours is somewhere between 9 am until 8:30 pm. Please email me at Avetor@t-mobile-sidekick.co.uk to get on the visiting list then I will email you back if the day is available. Then I will post your name on the list on the right side of this blog. Again, please be patient if the list is long. Many thanks for all of your support once more.
Alex
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Tuesday August 26th 2008
Hi everyone! I was away on a trip to Germany doing some freelance work - just got back recently - alas the lack of updates! My brother is in room 450 at St. Johns in St. Louis - according to my mom today - his eyes are open but does not show any awareness. I believe his eyes opened three days ago. However he did show just a TINY bit of awareness when mom asked him to blink his eyes yesterday. She's at the hospital again and just texted me that he WILL be moved to a new place - to a rehab tomorrow. I will get everyone these details. JUST for TODAY - you can try to visit him BEFORE 10 pm if you like - at St. Johns. Mom thinks it would be good for him to see faces he knows... but he doesn't have the capability to be able to recognize yet so please remember this ok? I will be back with more updates tomorrow. Have been trying to catch up from being gone for 6 days. Please continue praying for him! Hugs... Alex
Monday, 18 August 2008
Monday, August 18th - Moved to St. Johns in St. Louis
Hello all,
I am sure you guys are all waiting for more updates. Drew continues to be stable. Some of you have been asking me if he is in a medically induced coma - or a real one. To confirm this, it is real so there is no way of knowing for sure when he will be out of his coma. When I mentioned 2 weeks, this is based on previous patients experiences...
He has been moved to St. Johns in St. Louis as of Saturday. (http://www.stjohnsmercy.org/) Just found out now from my sister Courtney. He is in ICU - he cannot recieve any gifts if any of you are wishing to send him one... it is best to wait until he has been moved to acute care or rehab. Courtney will try to get more information from mom today for me: such as the address, ICU visiting hours - if any, etc to you as soon we can ok?
Hugs,
Alex
I am sure you guys are all waiting for more updates. Drew continues to be stable. Some of you have been asking me if he is in a medically induced coma - or a real one. To confirm this, it is real so there is no way of knowing for sure when he will be out of his coma. When I mentioned 2 weeks, this is based on previous patients experiences...
He has been moved to St. Johns in St. Louis as of Saturday. (http://www.stjohnsmercy.org/) Just found out now from my sister Courtney. He is in ICU - he cannot recieve any gifts if any of you are wishing to send him one... it is best to wait until he has been moved to acute care or rehab. Courtney will try to get more information from mom today for me: such as the address, ICU visiting hours - if any, etc to you as soon we can ok?
Hugs,
Alex
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Updates as of Thursday, August 14th, 2008
Hello all, I know it has been a while... because there has not been any significant updates to report. My brother continues to be in a stable condition. Amanda (the third eldest sibling) told me today that they are waiting for a doctor in St. Louis to accept Drew as a patient at St. John's. They are hoping to have him transferred by this Monday but will see. Mom continues to be by his side in Indiana. It is probably for the best that he continues to be at the same hospital where doctors/nurses fully know him. He continues to be in a coma but hopefully he will be coming out of it within 2 weeks as the doctors originally predicted. This is not a sure bet so please don't assume that he will wake up. I will be in touch again with new updates as they develop. God bless you all and keep my brother in your prayers. Hugs. Alex
Another one from my sister Courtney:
Hello all,
I talked to my mom. Overall, Drew continues to be stable. Bad news is he still is having some fevers. Good news is the doctors took him off the vent today and pulled his central lines. He is breathing on his own. They are placing a PICC line - which is an IV line that can be used long term. Still talking about transfer, most likely next week.
Another one from my sister Courtney:
Hello all,
I talked to my mom. Overall, Drew continues to be stable. Bad news is he still is having some fevers. Good news is the doctors took him off the vent today and pulled his central lines. He is breathing on his own. They are placing a PICC line - which is an IV line that can be used long term. Still talking about transfer, most likely next week.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Brief Update...
Hi all,
My brother's operations with his other leg and arm went well... Still in a coma though. He will be moved as soon we find him a hospital in St. Louis... watch for upcoming updates later on in the next few days....
Hugs,
Alex
My brother's operations with his other leg and arm went well... Still in a coma though. He will be moved as soon we find him a hospital in St. Louis... watch for upcoming updates later on in the next few days....
Hugs,
Alex
Monday, 11 August 2008
Updates as of Monday, August 11th
From Courtney Vetor:
Good Morning,
Drew continues to be stable. He has a small fever this morning so they will be concentrating on keeping him cooled down today with tyenlol and cooling blankets. For all you girls who loved his hair, they will finish shaving, as my husband puts it "sexy mop," off today. He was looking a little like bozo the clown after they shaved the top front to put the monitor in. Its for the best anyway... easier to wash. Trauma team will round tomorrow at 7 am. I'll keep you updated. Again, thank you for your prayers.
11 August 2008 08:57
Good Morning,
Drew continues to be stable. He has a small fever this morning so they will be concentrating on keeping him cooled down today with tyenlol and cooling blankets. For all you girls who loved his hair, they will finish shaving, as my husband puts it "sexy mop," off today. He was looking a little like bozo the clown after they shaved the top front to put the monitor in. Its for the best anyway... easier to wash. Trauma team will round tomorrow at 7 am. I'll keep you updated. Again, thank you for your prayers.
11 August 2008 08:57
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Updates as of Sunday, August 10th, 2008
I just spoke with my mom and sisters. Andrew is in stable condition and still in a coma. This week we hope to move him to a hospital in St. Louis. Tomorrow he will be going through another operation for his other leg.
From Courtney:
Hello all,Thank you so much for all of your thoughts, prayers, and support. I'm Drew's oldest sister. I spoke to my mom a little while ago. Drew continues to be stable. His head pressure has not changed so they are going to remove the ICP monitor this evening. She spoke to the neurosurgeon and he said it may be a couple of weeks before Drew wakes up, but is positive he will wake. The orthopedic said Drew's bones will heal with good care. Ironically, they will heal faster because of his brain injury. I'll try to keep you all updated. Again, thank you. Courtney
10 August 2008 18:10
From Courtney:
Hello all,Thank you so much for all of your thoughts, prayers, and support. I'm Drew's oldest sister. I spoke to my mom a little while ago. Drew continues to be stable. His head pressure has not changed so they are going to remove the ICP monitor this evening. She spoke to the neurosurgeon and he said it may be a couple of weeks before Drew wakes up, but is positive he will wake. The orthopedic said Drew's bones will heal with good care. Ironically, they will heal faster because of his brain injury. I'll try to keep you all updated. Again, thank you. Courtney
10 August 2008 18:10
Saturday, 9 August 2008
Drew aka "King Krew" by friends...
With a charming and outgoing personality, he is loved by many. Always there to lend a hand when he can... there isn't a time he wouldn't do something for you. Andrew is the fourth oldest of eight children. He just graduated from Brentwood High School in St. Louis, Missouri and was set to leave for Gallaudet University (In Washington D.C.) in one week as a freshman (first year). Additionally, he just won Mr. Olympian of the year at MDO (Mini Deaf Olympics in Kentucky) about a week ago which shows his love for sports.
An avid atlethic, he is an excellent wrestler with a proven record. Among other sports, he has done American football and track. He was going to play American football and a wrestling club for Gallaudet but his injuries will prevent this for a long time.
This will be a shock to him once he wakes up and realizes his loss... yet he is a very determined and strong individual so he will pull through, especially with all of your kind support and prayers.
An avid atlethic, he is an excellent wrestler with a proven record. Among other sports, he has done American football and track. He was going to play American football and a wrestling club for Gallaudet but his injuries will prevent this for a long time.
This will be a shock to him once he wakes up and realizes his loss... yet he is a very determined and strong individual so he will pull through, especially with all of your kind support and prayers.
Recent News as of Saturday, August 9th, 2008
Amanda Vetor wrote at 11:53pm
Clarification to below. Trach is NOT something to worry about. It is progress. Sorry. this is David signing under amandas name
Amanda Vetor wrote at 11:45pm
Hello everyone. I am Drew's brother in law. I was with him 20 min ago..about 11pm Indiana time. He hadnt opened his eyes but did move his mouth some and seemed to be trying to swallow. Having the tube oiut of his mouth has got to feel good to him. He is breathing through a tracheostomy tube now (hole in the throat) still on the ventalator.. That is progress and something to worry about. He also has moved his head a little side to side. Encouraging .....
Amanda Vetor wrote at 2:28pm
Drew just got out of surgury on his left leg. The surgery went well. He's yet to wake up but were all hoping that he's going to be okay, but we won't know right away. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers it means a lot to everyone. I'll try and post any changes in his conditions.
Kristine Pudlowski wrote at 10:25am
I just recieved news from LaBoo who spoke with Drew's mom, Marie... this is the info I would like to pass on to all who are concerned and are praying and hoping for Drew's quick recovery....Drew was driving home and while in Illinois he crossed the grassy median and was hit by oncoming traffic.... Emergency personnel responded and Drew was airlifted to a hospital in Evansville Indiana that specialize in head trama situations...He was on meds and now they've lowered the doses, but he's not yet woken up... He is wearing a head moniter to check for damage.... but (good news) he has responded with performed and purposefull movement, meaning he's pulled at his medical tubes and pushed away when touched... thats positive, huh? This morning, Friday, Drew had a CScan test and there has been not enough time to get the results yet.... He really needs us to pray for him and keep he in our thoughts.. and don't forget about his family and friends.. We should help in any way we can.. thanks to all!
Clarification to below. Trach is NOT something to worry about. It is progress. Sorry. this is David signing under amandas name
Amanda Vetor wrote at 11:45pm
Hello everyone. I am Drew's brother in law. I was with him 20 min ago..about 11pm Indiana time. He hadnt opened his eyes but did move his mouth some and seemed to be trying to swallow. Having the tube oiut of his mouth has got to feel good to him. He is breathing through a tracheostomy tube now (hole in the throat) still on the ventalator.. That is progress and something to worry about. He also has moved his head a little side to side. Encouraging .....
Amanda Vetor wrote at 2:28pm
Drew just got out of surgury on his left leg. The surgery went well. He's yet to wake up but were all hoping that he's going to be okay, but we won't know right away. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers it means a lot to everyone. I'll try and post any changes in his conditions.
Kristine Pudlowski wrote at 10:25am
I just recieved news from LaBoo who spoke with Drew's mom, Marie... this is the info I would like to pass on to all who are concerned and are praying and hoping for Drew's quick recovery....Drew was driving home and while in Illinois he crossed the grassy median and was hit by oncoming traffic.... Emergency personnel responded and Drew was airlifted to a hospital in Evansville Indiana that specialize in head trama situations...He was on meds and now they've lowered the doses, but he's not yet woken up... He is wearing a head moniter to check for damage.... but (good news) he has responded with performed and purposefull movement, meaning he's pulled at his medical tubes and pushed away when touched... thats positive, huh? This morning, Friday, Drew had a CScan test and there has been not enough time to get the results yet.... He really needs us to pray for him and keep he in our thoughts.. and don't forget about his family and friends.. We should help in any way we can.. thanks to all!
Friday, 8 August 2008
Surviving the Accident
On August 6th, 2008, Andrew Vetor was on the way home from Kentucky after visiting a friend. At some point in Illinois, he lost control of the car and crossed a highway median and hit a truck head on. He had to be airlifted to a hospital immediately to Evansville, Indiana to ICU. Serious injuries include two broken legs, his right arm, 3 ribs which are punctured along with head injuries. As of Friday, August 9th, 2008: a recent CAT scan shows that he suffers from potential brain damage, it is still too early to tell how "severe" it will be. He is still in coma but has shown signs of pushing people away when people try to work on him. He went through operation on one of his legs today as well. On Monday he will go through another operation for his other leg. Please keep Drew in your thoughts and prayers during this time.
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