Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween Dad!!
Sorry for no post yesterday, things get pretty crazy at Halloween, especially with kids :)
So I talked to mom, she said that Ali was with dad most of the day the other day helping take care of him and spending time with him. We've had a few people email so far about visiting him, so I think he has some visitors. Mom said he was talking about needing to pray for Deborah and Ted (his sister and brother), we don't know what that is about but we'll keep them in our prayers:) I just talked to mom on the phone and they were just starting to take David into surgery (remove the pins from his broken arm) so I will talk to her later and post more when I get some new info on dad. Hope everyone has a very happy and SAFE Halloween!!

Oct 29th 11:18 am

Dad started his physical therapy today, hooray! I just got off the phone with mom and she said that he was able to get his shirt on by himself, he pushed the wheels of the wheelchair a couple of rounds by himself and walked about 25 feet being assisted and using a walker. For his first day, this is great work! Mom has been at the hospital with him and was able to help a little with the therapy.

I forgot to mention yesterday that they had to redo his feeding tube shortly after I arrived yesterday afternoon, we think he must have pulled it out in the ambulance on his way to the new hospital...*sigh*, but they were able to remove the catheter today so I'm sure that is much more comfortable for him.

After I posted last night I stayed for a couple more hours and we wrote down some of the things he said and did so we could share them with you on the blog. He talked about the young men going on a hike this year, he mentioned someone by the name of Bob Geise (sp?), (sounded like dice but with a hard g) and how he needed to "stick around for 3 hours for construction"...we don't know what that was about but thought we would post it in case there is someone by that name:) Also, when one of the physical therapists came in to introduce herself last night she asked dad what he wanted to be called, he said "Brother Allen", lol!! He asked about the children and when the doctor asked who his oldest daughter was he said "Morgan":) Not quite, but we'll work on that:) Toward the end of the evening dad fell asleep while Jordan read my favorite book, "The Tale of Three Trees", to him.

Dad has physical therapy anytime between 8am-4pm everyday, so it would be best to visit him between 4pm-8pm. We would like to limit his visits to 2 per day if possible so he doesn't get over stimulated too quickly, he will need a lot of rest while he is working so hard in therapy. If you would like to come for a short visit, please either leave a comment on the newest post or email myself at onenjen@yahoo.com. I will try to figure out some sort of calendar to put on the blog so you will know what days are open. Thanks!!

Oct 28 (Jeny)

We are here! Dad is at IMED now and taking some time to rest. The doctor came in and looked him over, asked a lot of questions, etc. He seems like a really good doctor. The only new thing we found out from the new doctor is that there is some "moderate" tendon injury in his right shoulder which hurts him quite a bit when it is moved around. He still favors his right side. He has been talking and is doing really well so far in the new hospital. It is a very nice facility and very tall! (We are on the 12th floor and Emily and I do NOT like heights!) That is pretty much it for now. He has a lot of work to do for the next few weeks. (Oh, by the way, the doctor told us that there is no set time frame for his rehab, like we previously thought, so we don't know exactly how long he will be here. It will depend on the progress he makes. We initally thought it was a 4 week program, so we will have to see.) We will keep you updated. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.

Oct. 27 2:02 p.m.

IMED does not have a room for Levi today. They will move him at 9:30 tomorrow morning.

This program is 4 weeks so he should be home 2 days before Thanksgiving. Then we will have home rehab therapists work with him at home.

I am at home today so Levi will have a peaceful, restful day (except for the physical therapists!). Ali and I will meet him at IMED in the a.m.

Oct. 26 11:08 (Kelly)

I forget so much by the time I post to the blog so I will keep this post going all day and add as I think of things or as things happen.

So far this a.m. Levi has been up again and working really hard to take a couple of assisted steps. This is painful for him.

Dr. Hill came in to check on him and said he is doing well. He is certainly stable enough to move but it would not be before tomorrow afternoon.

Stacy, thanks for your questions. Levi is quite conscious he just wears out quickly. He answers questions appropriately but when he tries to add information(express his own thoughts) he just mumbles. We turned on the TV to see if we could find a talk to listen to and Conference was on! The Primary Choir sang I Am a Child of God and he sang along. It was a mix of words, mouthing and a bit of mumbling, but he was trying to sing it.

He just sang "Teach Me to Walk in The Light". Also, "I Love to See the Temple". And most clearly, "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet."

Yesterday I was surprised to see Elder Ballard visiting the ICU. Maybe we can include his loved one in our prayers.

I'm so sorry. I intended to post this as soon as I got home, however I found there was problem with the Internet connection. Fixed now.

The physical therapists worked Levi really hard this afternoon. He went about 5 steps forward and a couple to the side. This completely wears him out! He was really talking a lot today and we understood a little more of it. Ali and Jordan were there and they showed him pictures on their laptop. He seemed to recognize everyone. We took all the cards and decorations off his walls in preparation of his move. Hopefully he will be transferred Monday afternoon, after numerous drs. sign off on his release papers. It is now 12:12 a.m. the 27th. No cocoa tonight, I think, just right to bed.

P.S. The speech therapist will be working more with Levi to help him learn how to swallow again but until he masters that the feeding tube has to stay. They have kept him in the same room in ICU for over three weeks now as a matter of practicality. Otherwise I think they would have moved him out after the drain was removed, then back in after the back surgery, then out, then transfer to rehab. That would have been very counter productive I think. Thanks for your questions Bro. Cox.

Oct. 25 7:34 (emily)

Hey everyone! It's just mom and me today. We arrived here in time to see my dad strapped in the tortoise shell (brace) and stand up! With help of course but still he stood up and walked a little. He was able to walk in the direction that the physical therapists told him which shows that he knows left right front and back. He was having a little trouble with his right leg. He wouldn't straighten it or put much weight on it. They say that might be because of the surgery on his back. The therapist also told us to give dad more specific instructions such as "touch your head" instead of "raise your arm". Chris, Lisa and there son Jonathon came by today to say hi. Dad talked a lot while they were here. After they left, my dad was pretty quiet so we figured he was sleeping. I worked on homework until five when we had to leave. We just got back and learned that while we were gone he read the sign that we made, it says We Love You Dad! And yesterday he thought he was in Africa. lol. He will be transferred on Monday to IMED. Love you all and thank you for everything that you have been doing to help my family.
P.S. Please direct some of your comments to my dad. My mom thinks that in a week he will be reading them himself.

Oct. 24 10:59 (Kelly)

What a day! I came home last night and visited with the children. This a.m. I did "normal things" like dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, several phone calls, etc.etc. It is a little bit of sanity, let me rephrase that, normalcy. I don't think I've really ever had sanity!
I went to the hospital with Jen then came back home to have Morgan's "dinner party". Jordan and Ali made the dinner and the cake. Jordan then ran Hillary to work, Emily to a Drama Club Halloween party, and David off to a scout sleepover/Super Saturday event. This was not the end yet. Jordan and Ali invited Morgan to spend the night at their apt. They left. Then for various reasons too entailed to share now, they came back, then left, then came back, then left. Then David came back a couple of times to get "stuff". Now it is quiet. Emily is back and sleeping and I'm just waiting for Hillary to call for a ride home from work. I'm ready to go back to the hospital and get some rest!

I want to clarify that Levi is off the vent. They are, however, putting the Bipap mask back on for a little while. This is the positive flow device that helps him take deep breaths on his own. There is no tube down his throat, he is even off the little bit of oxygen they had him on.

Last night, after the operation, he began sweating profusely and his skin was ice cold. His temp was down so the nurse put warm blankets on him. After a little while his temp began to come back up to baseline. When the nurse came in to check his glucose level, she pulled back the blanket to get his hand and there was blood every where. I'm glad she chose the left hand to check. He had pulled out his IV...again! This makes 4 times I think. The nurse had spent a good deal of time trying to place that IV. She said he has a lot of valves in his veins and he had already blown the good spots. She finally got this one placed and the other nurse asked if she should tie the restraint again. Levi's nurse said," no he seems pretty calm and they are about to take him down to surgery so it should be o.k." I suggested they might want to tie the restraint as she had worked so hard to find the seemingly last spot for the IV. He is very cunning and deliberate in the removal of his lines! They agreed. I think what may have happened is The surgical techs didn't tie the ties tight enough when they returned him to his bed after surgery and we didn't catch it. I forgot to check where the line is now.

I think I've kind of gone on auto pilot now. I talk to him, crochet, wait in waiting rooms, eat meals, sleep, blog,...... I will be sooo glad to have him moved closer. I will miss the staff in Provo. They have been great! Tomorrow marks three weeks so we have had many of the nurses rotate through. We have been blessed to have a few of them stay for three days or nights in a row. As I'm coming in or leaving the ICU they ask about him or say "I hear he is improving. That's great!"

It is amazing how much and how many people care. What terrific people we are surrounded by. It's like that perfect world at Christmastime. Thank you for all your support and prayers especially. I know everyone wants to do something to help. Let me say, if you have prayed you have helped bring him all the progress he has made. The Lord has blessed us from the smallest things, that could have gone another way, all the way to Levi standing at his beside this morning. I have known from the time I was a child that God hears and answers my prayers. I learned early that those unselfish righteous desires are granted. A little later I learned that at times we must yield to the will of the Lord. Somewhere along the way I realized that I no longer have "faith" in the power of the priesthood and for the Lord's love for me, as faith is that which is hoped for but not seen. I know of a surety that God lives and that he loves us so much as to give us the authority to exercise His power here on earth through the Priesthood. I am so grateful to Him and for all of you and your faith and knowledge of the power you posses. May I just quote my mother ( if you are saying "no" I can't hear you-too bad) who said "We Mormons don't have a monopoly on prayer". So everyone again keep up the good work. We love you ALL.