Living with spinal cord injury

2008-11-05T14:28:00.002-06:00

Here's a photo of my son Garrett. He is still in the hospital recovering from pnuemonia. He is having trouble keeping his oxygen saturation above 90%, so he will be wearing the oxygen for a while. He is very congested. The respiratory team gives him treatments every 4 hours and he has a bi-pap and cough assist machine to help make breathing easier. He is getting stronger, but still not quite well enough to go home. He says he is very bored in the hospital. I know he gets tired of being here, but I want him to be completely well before leaving. Hopefully, we can get him up and take him downstairs in a day or two. At least that would be a change of scenery. The hospital has a train set and giant fish tank downstairs on the first floor. I think he will enjoying seeing it. The doctor is supposed to come by today and tell us when we might go home. I haven't seen him yet. It is really hard to be patient, when you've got nothing to do but stare at the walls. Maybe we'll get to go home by the end of the week. I'm going to keep praying for the best.

2008-11-05T13:44:00.002-06:00

Here is a list of websites about spinal cord injuries:

www.spinal-cord.org
www.asia-spinalinjury.org
www.spineuniverse.com
www.centerforspine.com
www.spinal-cord.org/spinal-rehab-centers.htm
www.spinal-cord.org/classification-terminology.htm
www.paralysis.org
www.christopherreeve.org

Christopher Reeve quotes (American Actor, Film Director and Activist. 1952-2004)

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

“Don't give up. Don't lose hope. Don't sell out.”

“At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable.”

“Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean.”

"So many of our DREAMS at first seem Impossible, then they seem Improbable, and then when we Summon the Will, they soon become Inevitable.”

“Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.”

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”
George Sheehan quotes (American physician, author and running enthusiast, 1918 - 1993)

Living with spinal cord injury

2008-11-05T13:41:00.001-06:00

Living with spinal cord injury
http://www.carepages.com/carepages/garrettandgavin

2008-11-02T11:22:00.002-06:00

Stop the habit of wishful thinking and start the habit of thoughtful wishing. ~ Mary Martin

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Goals are dreams with deadlines. ~ Diane Hunt

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. ~ Pamela Vaull Starr

Not Eating yet

2008-11-01T20:16:00.001-05:00

We are still in PICU but showing some signs of improvement. Garrett is using bi-pap at night. It seems to be helping. He is still very short of breath at times. The doctors said he could eat anything he wanted by mouth today if he felt up to it. I ordered him a tray with nachos and cheese, jello, and chicken noodle soup. He only ate 3 nachos with cheese. The nurses offered to bring him anything he wanted to eat and he still didn't want anything. I think he's probably still a little weak. He said he just didn't want anything. We'll have to rely on the feeding tube a while longer.
Thanks to everyone who called and talked with Garrett on Halloween. I really appreciate that you all are saving him a treat bag for when he comes home. I know he will enjoy all the goodies from trick or treating. I think he is getting frustrated and discouraged being in the hospital. He asked me yesterday if he would be out of the hospital in time for Christmas. I felt really sad for him. I told him I was almost certain he would be home for Christmas. If not, I said we would bring presents to him in the hospital. He said, "No way!" I told him to try to relax and concentrate on getting better so he can go home soon.My friend Christy took Gavin trick or treating. Gavin had a great time. She said he went to sleep about 5 minutes after they left. I miss being with Gavin, too. I feel guilty sometimes trying to divide my time between the boys. I hope I don't miss Gavin's milestones because I'm so focused on caring for Garrett. I guess I'll just do the best I can. It's worked so far.

2008-10-31T21:36:00.003-05:00

I truly believe I am being tested. I have had nothing better to do the last few days but think of ways to get my son well and figure out how to settle my thoughts. Each day I go into Garrett's room thinking of how I can make his life better, make him happier, improve his quality of life, and get him back home again. I have to admit even though I am a Christian, I have never read the bible cover to cover (at one sitting). I have studied parts of the bible and I have read it although I read it in bits and pieces. Now I am trying to re-read various scriptures and really interpret the meaning. One of the verses that has stood out to me lately is Isaiah 53:5. I have read almost every verse I can find on healing and the power of faith and how to practice patience. The chaplains have been helping me also. I told my husband that if I have learned anything from this experience is it to have no regrets. I have discussed with James starting new family traditions, like taking a vacation each year and eating dinner every Sunday. A good sit down dinner where everyone eats and talks about what we are thankful for and how the day was. I think in our house we kinda got caught up in working chasing that dollar rather that working toward strengthening family ties.
Some of my favorite memories growing up are those when we all ate dinner together in the evening and my parents would ask how things were going and everyone would catch up on the day's events. That dinner was a time to reconnect with each other, too. I never realized until recently how important eating together as a family was to me until we all got grown up and my brother and sister and I moved out of my parents home. As we got older and started our own families, we only get together on holidays and at times that's a challenge getting us all together at the same time. I would love to start "family night" with my children because it was really important to me as a child. I know that I will tell people I love them more often than I used to. Time is precious and you never know when you might see them again. I think I will get in the habit of telling others how much they mean to me and how important they are in my life before it's too late.
My dad passed away last year, but I still miss him everyday. I know he's in a better place. If your parents are still alive, hug them and tell them you love them as much as you can. Daddy told me once that you should honor people while they are living, because it's too late when they are gone. I am going to try to live by his philosophy. I spent some time in the chapel today alone with God and my thoughts. It was nice to have some private quiet time to cry and pray. I decided today that I will no longer feel sorry for myself. I'm just going to take each day as it comes and pray for a good outcome. Someone told me once that worry is like praying to the devil. I'm gonna try to stop worrying so much. I will instead try to make things better and see what I can change.I mentioned to someone the possibility of me returning to work. A dear friend told me that work would be there whenever I was ready to go back, my children may not be. That kinda put things in perspective for me. I have spent a lot of time trying to give both of my kids the things I thought they wanted and I guess I've always believed you can have anything you want if you work hard enough, but I realize I can't get back time with them. I really hope to make some positive memories with my boys when Garrett heals, instead of leaving them with my mom or the sitter so I can go to work and earn money to buy more "stuff."
Garrett told me yesterday that he went to heaven while he was sick and he saw his pawpaw. He said he could hear me and his daddy talking to him while he was sick. He said his pawpaw told him he loves it in heaven and that he is doing ok. Garrett said he saw God. I said what did he look like? He said God is beautiful. He said his pawpaw told him he needed to come back to Earth because he could see that we were all sad. Garrett said he could see that we were sad that he was sick so he came back. I believe that Garrett did see God and heaven and his pawpaw. I think children are much more open minded to the "spiritual or supernatural" phenomenon than adults. When Garrett told me this story, my eyes welled up with tears. It was emotional for me listening to his story. Garrett was able to leave his hospital room and actually go outside for the first time since the accident. He was thrilled to see the outdoors. Gavin has an appointment for MRI to see how his abdominal tear is healing. Otherwise, Gavin is doing wonderful. He wears his brace and plays as usual. We are hopeful that both boys will make a full recovery.

2008-10-31T20:53:00.000-05:00

Garrett and his famous eyebrows!!

2008-10-31T20:31:00.000-05:00

Gavin dancing!

2008-10-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

Garrett in his Halloween "Stitch" costume. He feels much better today. Hooray!!

2008-10-30T19:41:00.000-05:00

The tube is finally out!! The doctors removed the tube earlier today. Garrett is off the ventilator and the CPAP for now. He is getting 2 liters of oxygen by nasal cannula right now. He is doing much better. His Xray looked clearer and both lungs were less cloudy. He still struggles with breathing at times, but he has improved since yesterday. He's not talking yet. His throat is pretty sore from the tube. He has developed yeast in his mouth and on his tongue from all the antibiotics. Otherwise,he is doing ok. He is smiling and in better spirits this afternoon. We are staying in the PCCU for another day or so, just so the doctors can monitor him closely. He hasn't had fever all day so far, so that's a good sign. We will keep everyone posted when we can. Thanks for the prayers!! I know it is working and he will make a speedy recovery.

2008-10-30T14:00:00.001-05:00

Here are a few photos of my sons and me. I hope you all like the pics as much as we do!!

2008-10-30T12:33:00.000-05:00

My son Gavin with my mom

Garrett and his dad Garrett at the pumpkin patch

My son is still in the hospital. He is having breathing difficulties. He has lots of thick mucus in his lungs. He is having a hard time keeping his oxygen levels above 90. He is working hard to breathe and becomes tired easily. He is angry because he will not be going trick or treating. I've tried to comfort him. I think he just wants to be mad at someone. Physical therapy got him up in a chair today. His IV has infiltrated and he has to get a new one put in today. He is not happy about that. He is audibly wheezing and very congested. The doctors want him to stay in the pediatric intensive care unit for several more days. It is taking too much effort for him to breathe without assistance. We are hoping he will improve each day and recover soon. Please post any comments or suggestions on this blog. I am a newbie and would really appreciate feedback. Thanks in advance!!

2008-10-29T19:47:00.000-05:00

I am the mother of a four year-old son that has a C6 spinal cord injury. He was injured in a car accident in July 2008. He was in the hospital from 7/20/08-9/25/08. He is currently in the hospital now, recovering from aspiration pneumonia. He is improving, but it will be a few days before we move out of the pediatric intensive care unit to a room. He had his endotracheal tube removed this morning. He is now getting oxygen by nasal cannula to help him breathe easier. He is very brave to be 4 years old. I am proud of him. I also have another son that is 18 months old. He is at home with my mom. She is taking care of him while I am in the hospital with my older son. I am a nurse, but I haven't worked since July. Right now, I am trying to find a career where I can work from home so I can earn an income without leaving my house. It has been difficult to find an at home career due to so many scams on websites. I will continue my search, though.