Paul's Update - 03/15/06

Dear Friends:

I am back from my sister's house today. I have to apologize if for some reason you haven't been receiving my emails for the last two weeks. Since I was away I was unable to use my own computer to access the internet or use my Outlook account where all the email addresses I've been sending to are kept. If you are interested in finding out what happened over the last two weeks, let me know and I can resend the letters I sent out while I was away. Today was a pretty good day but it started out with a bit of a scare. Paul had OT first thing this morning after the nurse came in and gave him his medicines. Once they got to the therapy room Paul was having difficulty getting started. He continued to have difficulty ... not only doing the therapy but just staying AWAKE!! The therapist was concerned and they took him back to the nurses station where they took his blood pressure. It was 80/50. This is WAY too low!!! The doctor immediately ordered a CT and some blood tests to make sure there was nothing serious. He told Dad that he had increased Paul's muscle relaxers but he wasn't sure that was the problem. Once the results from the tests came back clear the doctor decided that it WAS indeed the medicine. He has decreased the dose back to what it was yesterday and will leave it there for now. We are relieved of course ... and Paul has done so well the last week that we don't truly understand why the meds were increased. PT got cancelled because of the testing. Speech therapy went OK. He ate some popsicle. She put the popsicle stick in his hand and he put it to his mouth and took a bite then took the stick back out of his own mouth. He took too big a bit though and the therapist decided that was too dangerous and so she will feed him for a while longer. They did a little peanut butter again. He did OK with it but he didn't stick his tongue out to lick it off his lips. She continues to stimulate his tongue with a stick that massages it. She is still concerned that he is not controlling his swallowing more than 50% of the time so he cannot be given real foods yet. We continue to get responses from him that are so rewarding. Tonight Tabby was telling Paul about an incident with his brother (she tattled on him!!). As soon as she told him about the incident ... he smiled. I said "you know something...but you aren't going to rat on him are you?". He shook his head with a definite "NO". Bobby's secret is safe!! LOL Tomorrow we will all be at the hospital ... all 6 of us. The family meeting is scheduled for 11 am. All of the doctors and therapists are suppose to give a report of what they believe Paul's status & outlook for the future is. The doctors have been pessimistic about Paul's prognosis for recovery right from the beginning. We are (and always have been) aware that he has a LONG recovery ahead of him. God has shown us miracle after miracle throughout this ordeal and we expect Him to do more for Paul than anyone can predict! Thanks for your continued prayer ... we will need it to hear the "predictions" of the "professionals".

Love & Hugs, Lynne & Carl