Uh Oh!!!!!

I shot my mouth off too soon on that last blog entry about being done with 2007. Yep, the colonoscopy went well, but while doing my email the next morning (Saturday) - uh oh, chest pain, hard to breathe, sweats, light headed,,, Connie! She calls 911. I am having a heart attack!! Yep, quick EMT response and a fast ride to the ER confirmed it. Thought I was gonna die in the ambulance. Two stents in a 100% blocked artery restored blood flow and by Sunday I felt a lot better. The hospital kept me for observation until today and released me this afternoon.
2008 has got to be a better year.... Merry Christmas.

Nope - Not Done with Docs!!!!

I just had to get one more medical procedure this year. Actually, I submitted to having a colonoscopy today - my first. Well the worst part was the preparation beforehand - drinking the prep stuff and repeated trips to the potty. The procedure itself was a piece of cake after the long wait in the waiting room. Excellent news: Doc said it looks great - I only had one little polyp & doesn't recommend another for at least 3 years and said 5 years is okay. Hooray! Finally something went well and as planned. Good way to end a miserable 2007. Now looking forward to a family Christmas starting tomorrow night with a family get together at my brother's house in Arlington.

Done with Docs???

I had a follow up appt with my internist a couple of days ago. He says all is progressing well. He advised me to start up the exercise program again (off of it since the last surgery) and just cautioned me to ease back into it. I asked a few questions seeking some idea of how the future progress will go. Got the usual - "hard to say" but he thinks that the abdominal pain will continue to slowly diminish over the coming months as I strengthen the core muscles; the scar tissue might diminish some but will always be there; there is a good chance that I can exercise someday with minimal pain & lift at least somewhat heavy weights again; etc. Wants to see me again in six months. It seems clear that the docs cannot project how or if I will fully recover to my old self. They've all told me since the accident that they have never dealt with this before and use words like amazing & remarkable to describe my survival and recovery. I am hopeful that someday I will be pain free and able to engage in at least moderate physical activity without pain or discomfort.

Lots to be Thankful for

What a great day! Shawn & Kelly hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for 22 including all of our kids and grandkids as well as extended family. Kelly, as usual, made an awesome dinner with help from Shawn (deep fried turkey) and some desserts from the other ladies. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family (and to be here to share time with them). I hope that next year I'll be physically able to do more. Now, I'll spend the rest of the weekend feeling guilty about eating too much....

Four Weeks Since

It's been four weeks since the last surgery and no change since last week. Pain-wise, I am back to where I was before the surgery minus the lower abdominal pain. The remaining pain is okay when I'm inactive but flares up when I eat or drink and with movement (as it has since the accident) - standing up, walking, rolling over in bed, etc. I think I'll just have to live with it and hope that time maybe helps it ease up more...... I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving and having the family all together. Shawn & Kelly are hosting and planning to deep fry the turkey. I'm sure the ladies will outdo themselves as usual on all the extras.

Three Weeks Today

My last surgery was three weeks ago today. The pain has diminished a good deal although I had learned to live with it okay before. The lower abdominal pain is gone completely leaving only the upper abdominal pain which is a big improvement and it seems to continue to get better. I have not worn the abdominal support the last 3 days so all is going in the right direction. As the doctor instructed I am taking it easy - just walking, no workouts until December at least.

Back to Work

Two weeks to the day after major surgery and I'm back at work yesterday. I'm grateful to be a fast healer and look forward to some meaningful work soon. In the meantime, it's back to the internal projects. I'm being used like a sales assistant rather than being on a consulting engagement. Oh well...... Feeling pretty good although I still have some abdominal pain - hopefully it's healing from this last surgery but I suspect that it's a combination. Maybe some day, no pain. But, the pain is at a tolerable level and I'm not taking any kind of medication so that's the good news.

Hunkered Down

This is driving me crazy. Boredom is worse than ever this time. I got so bored yesterday that I pushed my self to go on a longer walk. They advised me that moderate walking is good for my recovery so I tightened the abdominal binder and took off around the block. Made it! 5 days after surgery & I estimate its 3/4 mile and about 50/50 downhill / uphill. Think I'll try it again today or maybe try to stretch 'er out a bit.

Finally Home

Made it home last night after the hospital took forever to discharge me. Short staff on a Sunday. Restless night but I haven't taken any pain meds so far. Looked at the incision last night and it's longer than I expected. But at least the doc cut on the same line as the old incision. Guess I'll hunker down for a few days of healing now.

Sunday

I'm feeling better & still hoping to go home today or maybe tomorrow. They finally gave me some solid food starting yesterday but I can't eat very much after the liquid diet. Mom & Dad visited yesterday and after them Kyle and his family visited. Since the kids can't come to the room, I walked to the waiting area to see them. I think it was a big surprise, especially for Butch. He seemed really uncomfortable seeing me in my hospital gown with an IV tower in tow. New, not so good image of Papa. Shawn & Kelly came later without the kids. Probably best that the grandkids don't all have an image of me hooked to an IV tower.

Friday - the day after

I spoke with the doctor this afternoon. He said that my belly is a mess of scar tissue! But he thinks that the surgery went well. I have some pain (as expected) that they're managing with medication. I have been up and walked a little bit today although most of the time is spent in bed. I have been on a clear liquid diet but was just notified that it was upgraded to a full liquid diet - whoopee! I'm ready for a hamburger, but I think I'll wait until the doc clears me to eat solid food. Don't push it - right?..... Looking forward to going home. He said probably Sunday, maybe Monday.

Out of surgery

Dad is out of surgery and doing just fine. They couldn't remove the gallbladder laproscopically (due to all of the scar tissue), so they had to cut him open again. The doctor said he really had to dig that gallbladder out! The good news is that Dad did not have a hernia; the "bubble" (as Dad so affectionately calls it) was caused by the skin and mesh from his accident surgery. Stuff had moved around and readjusted itself in there. The doctor was able to fix that while he was in there, so he won't have to have a second surgery. I'll keep you updated as I get word from the hospital.

Erica

Gettin' Ready

I went to the hospital this morning for my pre-assessment and pre-admission in preparation for my surgery tomorrow. Blood test, urine test, x-ray, blood pressure, etc. Getting ready was a breeze so let's hope the surgery is a breeze too. Plans are to take the gall bladder out with a laparascope procedure in the morning and be home late in the afternoon. Yep, day surgery. Unbelievable. Hope it eliminates most or all of the remaining pain. In any event, I'm ready to get it over with. Doc said that I can go back to work next week, maybe as soon as Monday, if all goes as expected.

Pre-assessment

The hospital called yesterday & scheduled me for an appointment first thing tomorrow morning for a pre-assessment for the surgery on Thursday. As far as I know, that's just a blood test and interview covering what I take in the way of meds (none) and vitamins & supplements. And, maybe a pre-admission paperwork session. Hopefully, it will go quickly.

Bummer of a Day .....

Yesterday was a bummer! I've known since I left the hospital in February that I had a hernia as a by-product of the accident / surgery and that it needed repair as soon as convenient. I visited my surgeon yesterday to learn that the hernia is huge (much larger than I thought) and that there are risks associated with the gall bladder infecting the hernia repair. So I naively asked if he would take out the GB when he fixes the hernia. Nope - too risky. So the GB gets removed next week (surgery 1) and followed in a few weeks by the hernia repair (surgery 2)..... I just wonder if the young woman who caused the accident has any idea or cares about what I've had to go through or how my life has / will be effected as a result of her carelessness. 2007 has been the worst year of my life so far & I hope it remains that way. I am looking forward to a much better 2008.

Just Another Sunday? ..... Nope!

What a Sunday! We gave our twins, Shawn & Kyle, tickets to the Ranger game which they enjoyed with their wives. Our reward was to keep 4 of their 5 kids for the afternoon. What a kick! Along with Megan (aka, Jelly Bean) who lives with us, that makes 5 of the 6 grandkids. They played in the water - kiddie pool and lawn sprinkler; chased the kitties; had a baseball game in the living room; kept Papa from his nap; and played really well together. We are so lucky to have such great kids, daughter-in-laws, and grandkids - what a family! Oops, I forgot to take pictures.

Progress!

Week two of the combined families living arrangement around here and all is well. I really enjoy having the kids and grandkid here & Megan has settled in. The only problem is created by me when I come home and get a sucker for a little sustenance - oops, Megan isn't allowed to have suckers yet, so she has a melt down. I have pledged to do better! ..... On the medical front, I have not had a prescription pain pill in nine days - only over-the-counter Ibuprofen & only one dose of that since Monday. I still have some pain but it is at a low enough level that I can tolerate it and I really do want to get off pain pills so there you go.

Big Day, Big Week

Nearly a week since Jeremy and family moved in. All is well from my perspective and I do enjoy having them around. I think the six months will fly by before we know it..... Big day yesterday (Wednesday) - I took no pain pills, not even over the counter stuff. Haven't had a prescription pain pill since Tuesday morning. I did have one dose of Ibuprofen today (Thursday) but only one.

New Day, uh Six Months

Jeremy, Erica, and Megan (aka, Jelly Bean) moved in this weekend. After many years of us being "empty nesters", the kids are back! They sold their house and the new house will not be ready for 6 months so we invited them to stay with us..... I think this will work out okay for everyone but Megan. She makes every effort to "keep the flock together". With Jeremy and me at work (where's Daddy?, where's Papa?) she focuses on Mom and Gran but finds it challenging when the two go separate ways. Her 19 month old emotions are a bit on edge these days but I think she just needs a few days to adjust.

Big Week Coming Up

I finally go back to work on Monday! Really looking forward to it...... Then later in the week Jeremy (our oldest), Erica (his wife), and Jelly Bean (aka Megan, their daughter) all move in with us until their new house is built and ready for occupancy. Connie has been feverishly preparing by packing up / throwing away / giving away all the stuff that we don't need and that has accumulated over the years in areas where they will live. It's a good excuse to clean out those rooms and to rearrange in ways that we should do ongoing. Better to do it for this reason than because we are moving!

Too Quiet!!!

Things are just too quiet around here. We kept two grandkids last week from Tuesday night until Friday evening - Kyler (aka, Butch) and Mandy (aka, Sweet Pea). They were a lot of fun as are all of our grandkids. Butch ragged on me several times to take him to a Ranger game so that will happen this weekend..... Thomas Group doesn't have any work for me right now but I'm hoping to get an assignment soon. I need to become productive again & owe them a lot for their support throughout this ordeal..... So, with no kids around and no work to do, things are real quiet and boring. I am not geared to this slow of a pace of life...... My therapy is going great as we have moved to a more varied set of exercises to continue rebuilding the core muscles which go beyond just the abs. It can be humbling though. For example, John (the therapist) told me to stand on one foot for 15 seconds & switch to the other foot and repeat. Easy enough - right? No way! I couldn't stand on one foot for more than 2 or 3 seconds. John says that it's just the weakness and retraining of the core muscles that's needed. I never would have thought of that as a by-product of what I've been through! Also, a great benefit of the therapy has been a continued reduction in need for pain pills. I can sometime go 24 hours or more between pills now.

Back to Work

Last week my doctor gave me a release to return to work - finally. I am really anxious to get to doing something productive again. Right now I am waiting for the Thomas Group to give me an assignment. Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to work on one of their government programs but I'll just have to wait and see.

4 of 6

What a joy! Jeremy and Shawn along with their families visited yesterday for a little backyard cookout and R&R which means we had four of our six grandkids along with their wives / moms. We had a great time. The kids all played in the kiddie pool and the 3 year-olds even had thoughts of climbing a small tree - they need some more practice. After lunch, Moms shopped & Dads watched kids while sipping a fine Texas brew.

First Beer ***

Had my first beer in over six months last night! Out to eat with friends and neighbors & my next door neighbor, Buddy, bought my first beer. Mmmmm, it was tasty. Life is getting better by the day. I felt that I could have a beer because I'm now going 14 to 18 hours between pain pills and it had been 12 hours since my last pill when I had the beer.

Great Day!

My Internist today said that I'm making great progress and has released me to do anything I want (including working out) with a warning to take appropriate precautions and to "back off" if I feel any pain or discomfort. Therapy will continue for another couple of weeks to further strengthen the abdominals but I'll continue the exercises that the therapist has me doing even after the therapy ends to maintain the progress that I've made. The doc also gave me a release to go back to work immediately and said the next followup appointment with him needs to be in 4 to 6 months. Life is getting closer to normal bit by bit..... I am maintaining my two mile a day walk and might increase it to 2 1/2 or 3 miles just for the heck of it.... My most sincere thanks to all of my family and friends who have supported me throughout this ordeal. Also to the Thomas Group (where I work) which is a great consulting firm with an awesome HR group. I am so looking forward to getting back to work and contributing in any way that I can...... While I still have some healing to do, this closes the topic of my recovery and medical adventures as the central theme for this blog so future posts will cover other topics of, hopefully, a more fun and interesting nature.

Road Trip - Day 3

7:00am - Up and --- oops, it's raining so back to bed
8:30am - Up again & it's still raining so lets go eat
11:00am - Finished eating & packed. Still raining with a forecast of rain for the next couple of days and flash flooding today... Head northwest to drive through the Davis Mountains. Wet drive.

Well, we headed home after two days of too much rain with more forecast. Rained intermittently until near Odessa where it cleared. Then a torrential downpour between Weatherford & Ft Worth. Sleeping in my bed tonight.

Road Trip - Day 2

8:45 Loaded & ready to roll.... scratch the visit to Guadalupe Mtns NP because of the rain and not so good roads.... head down to Lajitas via Fort Davis & Alpine
11:15 Stop in Alpine for lunch
1:30 Lajitas is dead as a hammer - absolutely nobody around and most of the shops are closed
2:00 Head out on the river road for Presidio... oops, first low water crossing has quite a flow over the road - okay for trucks maybe but not my Vette... Turn around and back to Alpine for the night after getting a nice dinner at the Gage Hotel in Marathon

Tomorrow we're heading to Fort Davis and spend some time driving the mountain roads. Maybe visit McDonald's Observatory tomorrow night if anything's going on there.

Road Trip - Day 1

10:45 - Vette loaded & rolling out the drive
10:46 - Go back for Connie's cell phone
10:47 - Rolling again... stop for cash... stop for gas... head west
12:30 - Stop for lunch at the Smokestack in Thurber... Mmmm good
6:00 - Stop in Pecos and get a room... eat dinner... time to relax... update blog

Hit some rain on the way but the Vette just kept purring along... Hit the stretch of I-20 west of Midland with 80mph speed limit. Crank it up & fly - I enjoyed it - the Vette enjoyed it - thank God for cruise control or I could have left some extra cash with the boys in the black & whites. Weather forecast doesn't look too promising but we'll forge ahead in the morning. Thinking about going to Guadalupe Natl Park tomorrow & then maybe to Fort Davis.

Victory!

I am declaring victory over the wounds. The last of the wounds have closed up to the point (about the size of a pinpoint) that it no longer has to be treated. Victory!...... Gotta go load the Vette for the road trip. We're outta here.

Road Trip

Can't wait to get on the road. Tomorrow we are going to pack a bag & load the Corvette and take off on a road trip headed generally west or southwest depending on the weather. I'll post from the road if I can find internet connections. Can't afford to be gone very long but we both need to get some road time and do a little sight seeing & relaxing out in God's country. I'll have to wear out the cruise control on the Vette so I don't get the attention of the guys in the black & whites.

Jury Duty

Rescheduled! The judge decided that he didn't want to take a chance of my dozing off in court when I told him that I am on pain medication. Smart man - saved both of us some potential embarassment. He told the clerk to invite me back in six months...... Bet they don't forget.

Day After

My visit to JPS Trauma Center yesterday wasn't as fruitful as I had hoped. It was interesting to see the operation but I was more interested in meeting the people. Only one doctor was on duty and the hospital records were incomplete so they could not determine where in that massive complex I exactly was. Therefore, they couldn't tell which nurses cared for me but I did meet one nurse and a supervisor who remembered me. Oh well....... I'm still feeling good - did my 2 miles early this morning before going to therapy which went well. And now I have to get ready for jury duty this afternoon.

Big Day

Today is a big day for two reasons. First, I increased my walking distance to two miles and felt good. I felt like I could go another two miles but don't want to push it too much. Recovery is obviously going well. Second, I have an appointment this afternoon to go visit the JPS Trauma Center. That is where the ambulance took me when we had the motorcycle accident. The trauma program manager offered to show me around "from a different perspective". Since I have virtually no memory of my time there - none of ICU and only a few fleeting memories of progressive care before going to a regular hospital room for a day, it should be memorable. I am looking forward to the visit and hope to meet some of the doctors and nurses that treated and cared for me (i.e., saved my life). It will most definitely be an emotional visit for me..... Therapy is going well and I am feeling goooood! I anticipate and look forward to going back to work next month.

Busy Weekend

Man! I need a rest...... I met an old work colleague, Jerry, at Hooter's for lunch at noon Friday. Then, we had dinner with friends Friday night, BBQ at Red, Hot, & Blue - J.O., Jyl, Bob, and Pam. Up early Saturday morning did a one mile walk and then drove to Jeremy & Erica's house where we departed to meet Shawn & Kelly and Kelly's parents along with the grandkids for breakfast in Weatherford. Breakfast was followed by a trip to the Parker County Peach Festival in downtown Weatherford. Got home mid-afternoon and bought a battery for the Tahoe since the old one was failing....... Thanks for great neighbors. First, I didn't have the right sized wrench so borrowed one from Charlie (we've been neighbors for 30 years). He offered to help and given my weakened condition I gladly accepted. Well Charlie did all the work and the Tahoe is humming now with its new battery...... Then we had friends Jim & Terry over for dinner and a movie. Get to bed after midnight....... Up early Sunday morning to go out for breakfast with Bob & Pam, go home and change clothes, take old battery in for the exchange, and then meet all the kids and grandkids for a family picture session. Run home & change clothes before we pick up Bob & Pam to go for a trip looking at travel trailers. Take them home and finally Connie & I break out the grill for a dinner alone (the first time since Tuesday)..... I felt pretty good all weekend except for some pain and discomfort Saturday night after all the walking at the festival. Gotta go take a nap now. Oops, no - I first need to do my exercises for therapy. Up early tomorrow for a walk followed by a therapy session. Whew!

Therapy

I started therapy last Friday to strengthen my abdominals. The therapist, John, was really enlightening (haha) when he said - "you've had lots of trauma", or "you have swelling / fluid in the abdomen", or "we need to go very easy", or "it will take at least a year to fully heal", etc., etc. Please tell me something that I don't know or haven't heard from the doctors before! The good news is that he knows his stuff...... The bad news is that my abs are weaker than a baby's. The exercises that he gave me are so gentle as to be nothing but I quickly found out that he is right and I'm seeing some quick results - I think. Less pain primarily....... I have been lucky to find some outstanding medical professionals like John throughout this ordeal. In fact, I'm hoping / planning to go visit the trauma center at JPS Hospital where those outstanding people brought me back from the dead a couple of times. Can't wait to meet some of them.

Back in the Saddle :-)

I asked my neighbor, Buddy, to take my motorcycle for a ride today. It's important to keep the internal engine components and seals in good working order by keeping them lubricated and by burning away any accumulated moisture. As I rolled the bike out of the garage before he came over I noticed that the gas tank was nearly empty. So, I donned my helmet and rode that baby to the nearest convenience store to put gas in it before turning it over to him. It was only a 0.6 mile round trip but it felt great to be back on a bike. And I didn't fall off this time! :-) ..... I think Buddy enjoyed riding a harley for the first time (he's a Honda rider right now) as much as I enjoyed being back on one. However, it'll be a while before I'm physically ready to ride any distance so maybe some real short jaunts around the 'hood for now.

Big Day!

Well my appt at wound care yesterday was great. The last wound is almost healed & I don't have to go back for a month and only then if I'm not completely healed. Woohoo!..... Today I started therapy to rebuild the abdominal muscles so that I will be able to lift a reasonable amount of weight. It was baby steps to start. Before the accident I would have been embarrassed to do such gentle exercises but, like I said, baby steps..... I think I'm on the home stretch - finally! AND, it's my birthday. My twin sons and their beautiful families met us for dinner last night and I got some really thoughtful gifts from the grandkids & kids. What a wonderful family!!! To celebrate further, I'm going to a Ranger game tonight..... Most importantly, I'm feelin' goooood.

Duaine

Trippin'

On Sunday (after the grandtwins birthday party on Saturday) we drove to visit Connie's sister in west Texas. A good visit that included an outing Tuesday night to see "Texas" (the play) in Palo Duro Canyon..... Home Wednesday in time to take friends to the Rangers July 4th game last night (they trashed the Angels - woohoo!). Then it took an hour and a half to get home (usually a 10 minute or less drive) because we couldn't get out of the parking lot! The idiots were certainly in charge there last night!!!..... And the good news is that I functioned better than ever with a normal to less than normal number of pain pills. It is sooooo good to function even a little better. I left the cane home throughout this and only missed it when climbing the stairs at the ballpark (needed a helping hand from Connie for that)..... Today is wound care doctor and dentist day. Yuk!

Duaine

Stepping Up

Making progress here. On my morning walk, I made two laps around the block (up from one). Still feeling better & trying to cut down on the pain pills. Now, I just need to get to where I can lift some weight & start working to get back to normal some day.

Duaine

Grandfatherly Responsibilities!

I take my responsibility as a grandfather (call me "Papa") seriously. For example, my beautiful daughter-in-laws had all the grandkids together today for a "cousins day" which they do regularly. I want my grandkids to experience the finer things in life such as gourmet foods, etc. So, today I introduced them to the world of gourmet "Twinkies". It was a hit. A couple of weeks ago I introduced the 3 year olds (3 of them) to gourmet "Tootsie Roll Pops", the world's best lollipop. Rest assured as they grow older that Papa will continue to see that they experience the best things in life.

Papa

P.S. - I'm feeling pretty good these days.

No Doctors This Week - Finally

No significant developments. Wound care doctor said last Thursday that the second wound is about healed - no more packing - it has only a scab. The last wound has progressed well & is close to being healed. It still has to be packed and dressed daily but hopefully that will be over in the next 3 to 4 weeks..... I still have some abdominal pain and swelling but I'm getting better at controlling it. Internist said on Friday to get a back support belt (used by workers lifting heavy weights - I call it my "man girdle") to wear when I walk. It seems to have made a big difference in having less pain after a lap around the block. He also wants me to see a therapist to start trying to rebuild some muscle tone in the abdominal muscles. Have to proceed carefully because of the hernia. Otherwise, I am feeling pretty good and continuing to make progress. Getting to the point of being able to travel by plane (issue is lifting luggage) is the last hurdle to returning to work. Woohoo - no doctors this week!

Duaine

Father's Day

It was a really nice family gathering today. I had a bit more pain than normal - probably the result of holding the grandkids and not eating right. The pain is pretty well under control now..... My brother surprised the family by marrying his fiance at my parent's house today. Obviously a small, family only wedding but very nice and we're very happy to have Karen in the family.

Duaine

Holy Cow!!!

I'm learning. I've learned to exercise very moderately or it hurts. I've learned to take my pain meds with me when away from home. Yesterday, I got up and felt great; had a good morning; met a friend for lunch. On the way home from lunch I called Connie and moaned to her how bad I was starting to hurt - the pain meds aren't working as well as usual. Wrong! She looked on the sheet where we record all meds as taken. HOLY COW!!! It's 1:00PM and I hadn't taken a pain pill at all yet. In fact, I hadn't had a pain pill since the night before - something like 14 or 15 hours. Good news but I took a pill when I got home & never quite got back to good. Feeling better this morning. New resolution - take pain pills with me when I leave the house.

Duaine

Wound Care Update - June 7

The wound care doc gave me mixed news today. The smaller of the two remaining wounds he declared adequately healed so no more packing - just a bandage. The bigger wound at the navel still has 3 to 4 weeks before it will be healed. Not sure why it has slowed but he doesn't seem to be concerned. Connie will still have to pack and dress it - dang I'm gettin' tired of this routine.

Duaine

2 Steps Forward & 1 Step Back

I took the good news from last Friday too seriously. The swelling in my abdomen seems to have increased. So, I am stopping the new med for swelling and going back to the old med. Also, I had increased my walking distance but will cut it back a bit to see if that helps too. Oh well, two steps forward & one step back.

Duaine

June 1 Update

Two doctors appts in the last two days. Wound care doc yesterday says all is going well & remaining two wounds should be healed soon (maybe as soon as 2 to 3 weeks)...... Internist today said healing is going well. My only remaining symptoms are abdominal swelling and pain both of which can be managed to tolerable levels with medications. Doc said these symptoms should slowly diminish and I can go back to work in 2 or 3 months depending upon progress. He stated, as other doctors have, that full healing will take another 8 to 9 months. Also approved me starting a "very easy" exercise program to help speed the rebuilding of my strength. For the first time since the accident I am really optimistic about my recovery. I've noticed a big improvement in the last couple of weeks.

Duaine

Ho Hum

Not much has changed since the last blog entry. Still trying to stretch the pain meds with limited success. I tried getting out more over the holiday weekend visiting family and friends. The price was significantly increased pain this morning. So I have pounded down some pain meds and plan a lazy day in the recliner. It is really frustrating to limit my activity..... Oh well, I still believe that the recovery is going okay. I have Dr appts Thursday (wound care) and Friday (internist) & hope that I get good feedback from both.

Duaine

One Little Hurdle Cleared *****

Today was Wound Care Center day. Good news all around with the wounds continuing to heal & one wound is healed up - no more bandages for that baby! One down and two to go. Doc says all is going well..... Other than that I am seeing some progress with the pain since I am able to sometimes stretch the time between pain meds beyond the 4 hour minimum.

Duaine

On The Road Again

Well, I think I'm back on the road to recovery. Had a pretty good weekend. I'm getting around better and even driving the car again. The pain meds are working well and sometimes I find that I can spread them out beyond the minimum time (4 hours between doses)..... Seems like the wounds are continuing to heal. I'll see what the folks at the Wound Care Center say on Thursday but I expect good news..... I'm starting to walk more which should help the healing process. Last week I asked the surgeon if I could start working out again and he said very light cardio & nothing to stress the abdomen (which just about eliminates the weight lifting). He seemed reluctant to even approve that but gave the approval with stern instructions to go EASY. Personally, I think he's being over protective but I will follow his instructions - more or less.

Duaine

Good News? Bad News?

I saw the surgeon again today. The meds that he gave me eased the pain somewhat so I was focused and inquisitive. In short, he believes that the remaining pain is the result of adhesions / scar tissue. As he said, my body has a LOT of scar tissue and has suffered a LOT of trauma. The medication worked to take the gall bladder out of play. That & the hernia may have to be fixed at some point in the future or maybe not. That's the good news..... He said that it can take up to a year for the body to completely heal and the pain to subside so I might be living with it for quite a while (thank God for pain pills). However, he expects most progress in the first six months. That's the bad news...... He will allow me to start a very moderate & easy exercise program. Hopefully that will help speed my recovery...... Now the wounds need to finish healing. After that I can live with the help of my pain pills & hope that there are no more setbacks.

Duaine

Mom's Day

Two of our three sons along with their families came over for Mother's Day (the third had sick kids) and made it a great day for us - lots of fun...... I still had abdominal pain but it was at a level that I could tolerate thanks to the pain pills. Have an appt with the surgeon again Wednesday. In addition to the pain, a rather large lump has developed and grown at a very fast rate at the base of my breast bone in the area of the pain. Maybe scar tissue? I'll see what the doc says about the pain & the lump.

Duaine

Healing Too Fast???

The wounds are continuing to heal & the head nurse at the wound care center said yesterday that the smallest of them is healing a little too fast! She put something on the wound to slow the healing a bit but expects it to be fully healed in a couple of weeks (hopefully followed closely by the other two)...... The abdominal pain continues to vary up and down with no hint as to cause other than the normal healing process. It now seems focused in the muscle structure of the abdomen. Keeping my fingers crossed...... Connie talked to the Nurse at the Internist's office yesterday too & found out that the culture from last week came back clean. The staph infection is gone!!! ..... Here's hoping to have my Speedo body back in time for swim season. :-)

Duaine

New Surgeon

I saw a new surgeon today about my abdominal pain. Good guy. Told him that I have been eating only potatoes (my "spud diet") and only two meals a day. That diet along with the pain medication has enabled me to manage the pain better than anything else that I've tried. The doc thinks it is the gall bladder but gave me some medication that will reduce any inflammation or swelling of the gall bladder. He also wants me to "liberalize" my diet meaning go back to a low fat diet eating normal meals. We'll give it a week &, if there is no improvement or the pain gets worse, he will operate to remove the gall bladder. Finally, a doctor with a plan!

Duaine

Wounds Gettin' Better

I did my Thursday visit to the wound care center today and got the news that the wounds have started healing again since the infection is gone. Should all be healed in 4 to 6 weeks barring any more setbacks..... The abdominal pain has worsened over the last couple of days so I'm going to see a new surgeon - hopefully next week. We'll see what he says.

Duaine

Back on the Road to Recovery???

I had an appt with my Internist today. The primary purpose was to get a culture to ensure that the infection is gone. We'll find out in a few days..... I continue to improve and we discussed my challenges with the pain over the last 2-3 weeks. I told him that I solved my own problem no thanks to the 3 surgeons that I saw. After listening, he concurred that I fixed my problem although he disagreed with my diagnosis. His diagnosis and explanation made sense so I defer to him. The thing that really ticks me off is that he had shared his diagnosis with one surgeon who apparently chose to ignore it. If the abdominal pain recurs, we know the likely cause (a hernia) and that it can be corrected with a relatively simple surgical procedure. But you can bet your last dollar that it will not be done by any of the 3 that ignored my input on the pain.... Maybe now I can get back to the recovery process and hopefully have no more setbacks.

Duaine

Tests & More Tests!!!

Yesterday I had yet another test. This one required me to get a shot of radioactive dye followed by an IV while I spent 1 1/2 hours laying in a machine with instructions to be perfectly still. It would be a pretty good form of torture! The results will be to the docs on Monday..... The pain has eased enough that I don't feel the need to go to ER but is still constantly present. It limits my ability to sleep, to move around, etc. The pain meds have little effect on it. Hope it continues to ease up. The last couple of weeks have been really difficult & I can only hope things will get better.

Duaine

Back Home

The doctors sent me home after ER handled my pain with an IV pain killer. This is maddening! I've had two surgeons look at CT Scans, Xrays, blood tests, etc. and both can find no reason for the intense pain. The latest guess is that it is a drug interaction problem. Therefore, they told me to stop all antibiotics and continue the pain meds. I'll see how this works & hope that they are right. And also hope that the infection is gone.

Duaine

Goodbye Recliner

As of this morning, Dad is back in the hospital. His blood pressure went up, and he was in a lot of pain, so Mom took him in this morning. He is only in a holding area in the ER right now. There has been discussion about a possible operation but nothing concrete yet. Let you know as soon as I do.

Erica

Hello Recliner

My hospital stay was short - Friday night until this afternoon. They could find nothing to explain the pain that I experienced although it was easier to manage in the hospital. They changed the antibiotic and the pain killer both and it worked much better than any other to date. Unfortunately, the antibiotic can only be administered by IV & the staff doctor refused to prescribe the pain killer..... He sent me home with instructions to resume the old antibiotics & pain killer except to double the dosage of the pain killer. I am very skeptical that this will work and fear that such a large dose could have some negative repercussions. So we'll be talking to the Internist tomorrow about other alternatives...... I suspect that the hospital needed the bed & the Doc believed that I was the best candidate for at-home care. On the other hand, maybe it will work. In any event, I'll know by tomorrow.

Duaine

Hospital

Dad's still in the hospital and will be until at least Monday. They have him very drugged for the pain, and he's on a heavy dose of IV antibiotics. At first they said he might need additional surgery, but nothing is scheduled as of today. The wound care doctor will be in tomorrow to give us more information.

Update

Mom called at 7:00 a.m. this morning to let us know that she took Dad to the hospital overnight due to pain. They drugged him, and when she left him (she went home to get some sleep after being up all night), he was sleeping peacefully. She said they are keeping him and might have to do surgery again. We'll keep you updated as soon as we hear anything.

Erica and Jeremy

Pain! Pain! Pain!!!

It turns out that the antibiotics required to fight this staph infection disrupt the absorption of my pain killer. Pain is greater than ever. What to do? ..... Doc prescribed a new pain killer (Percocet) which is highly controlled. It requires a special prescription and many pharmacies don't stock it. Connie found a pharmacy that stocks it & takes our insurance - whew! ....... It cuts the pain better but still not completely. And, it has side effects - sleepy, nausea, woozy, etc. So here's the new cycle - take a Percocet which takes about an hour to kick in, sleep 3 hours, wake up & suffer for 2 hours, start the 6 hour cycle over again. I'm starting day 4 of a 10 day course of treatment - long way to go! ..... So I sleep half the time and hurt half the time. Oh glorious sleep!

Went to wound care yesterday. The infection had caused a set back with every wound. Each had gotten deeper / larger as the infection ate away at them. Good news is that the wounds have started to show progress again. Will this never end!?

Duaine

Staph Infection!!!

I had an appt with my internist today. He said the infection is a strain of staph called MRSA. He has no idea where I might have gotten the infection, but the good news is that it is an old strain that normally responds well to the antibiotics that he prescribed. I have a 10 day course of the new antibiotics then he wants to culture it again to ensure that there is no further infection. Keeping my fingers crossed..... Woohoo! No doctors tomorrow..... It's back to the wound care center (which I now call the "pain infliction center") to see Dr "Pain" er Tran on Thursday. :-)

Duaine

Good News - Bad News

Since the doc cut into my abscess last Thursday, things have improved. The wound care center did the cleaning, packing, dressing on Friday and this morning. They arranged home health care to send nurses to do it over the weekend. The nurse this morning said it is healing nicely and the other wounds look really good.....The bad news? The Internist cultured the infection last week and got the lab results back this morning. His office called and it turns out that the antibiotic that I am taking is not the best for that type of infection. So, I have two new antibiotics to take starting tomorrow morning. They said the new antibiotics are targeted to treat the type of infection which they said is very aggressive..... I guess I'm lucky that my immune system has been strong enough to fight it off with minimal help from the existing meds. If these new meds work as expected, it should really accelerate the recovery from the infection. Man - it would be so great to feel better & regain my energy!

Duaine

Doc Was Right!!!!

My Internist was right. I went to the wound care doctor today and, thanks to the ctscan, they had pinpointed an abscess in the abdominal wall a few inches below the bottom wound around my navel. Unfortunately, the treatment involved cutting. Using a local anesthetic the doctor cut into the abscess and scraped it out, vigorously. Holy @#%& that hurt. I can't imagine how painful it would be without an anesthetic. And, he left the cut open so that it can drain! ..... It now means we go back to home health care as a professional nurse is required to "pack" the abscess & dress the wounds. (Connie doesn't seem to be disappointed at losing her daily job)..... Doc did say that any further advance in the infection will require a hospital stay since stronger antibiotics can only be given intravenously..... Just another bump on the road to recovery - a big one, and I hope the last one..... But, it is good to feel better & not have fever, sweats, etc. Keeping my fingers crossed that I get over this hurdle with no more "events"..... I'm sure it would also help if the Rangers could get on a winning streak.

Duaine

Setback

The last several days my condition has begun to change in multiple ways. For example, loss of appetite, loss of energy, tenderness in the abdomen, etc. It culminated yesterday and last night with an afternoon bout of chills followed around 10:00PM with fever and night sweats. Still had the fever this morning, so my doctor wanted me to come in. He suspects an abdominal abscess (infection). So he gave me a shot of antibiotics along with a prescription. They took a culture from the wound nearest the tender spot on the abdomen and scheduled me for a catscan this afternoon. When the lab & scan results come back, he should know what it is and be able to treat it. I just hope the treatment doesn't involve any cutting on me.

Duaine

Easter Weekend

The weekend started with a Saturday drive to Alvarado (about 40 miles each way) for my grandson's first birthday party. We stayed about two hours and I paid the price with pain later. (Didn't get much sleep Saturday night thanks to the pain.) Was it the ride, sitting upright too long, or the grandkids climbing in my lap? Don't know but it was worth the pain..... Sunday Shawn and Jeremy (2 of our 3 sons) brought their families (that's a tally of 4 grandkids) over for a backyard Easter egg hunt. Again, lots of fun followed by pain. It looks like sitting upright might be a major cause of pain..... I think I'm learning more about pain management. I need to push myself enough to condition the body to increased activity level and just enough so that the pain isn't too great. Thank God for pain killers! ..... I feel like my recovery is trending in the right direction as long as I don't push so hard as to cause a set back. I'm looking forward to seeing the wound care doctor on Thursday & hope that the wounds are continuing to heal.

Duaine

Another Visit to the Wound Care Doctor

I had my weekly appointment with the wound care specialist today. Nothing new & that's good. The open spots on the incision are continuing to heal & show no signs of infection. He debraded the "wounds" which means he scraped out the dead skin cells and any discharge from the wounds. Thankfully they deaden the wounds so there is no pain. Connie is doing a great job of cleaning and dressing the wounds daily. Prognosis hasn't changed so I will continue the weekly visits for the next few weeks until healed..... On the other hand, the pain is back under control by going back to the hydrochodone based pain meds. So I'm back to my routine living in my recliner.

Duaine

Oh my God!!!

Switched to my new pain medication this morning. It's a once a day pill that the doctor prescribed. He also prescribed Darvocet as a back up in case it didn't work well enough. I took a Darvocet at noon since the morning pill didn't work. Oh my God!!! The Darvocet didn't work either. I was in too much pain to eat or sleep. It hurt to breathe! Worst pain that I have experienced. I was just sitting in my recliner in a semi-fetal position trying not to cry from the pain. Connie called the doctor and I went back to the old pain pills (hydrochodone) at 3:00PM (I'll take the undesirable side effects). Started to feel the effects in 20-25 minutes and got quite a bit of relief in about 1 1/2 hours. The pain is now almost back to normal - tolerable.

Duaine

Good Day

I think today was my best day since the accident. I slept better and longer last night than usual and followed that with a morning walk where I stretched the distance to about twice my previous longest. Walked about 2 blocks. It felt good even though I was pooped when I got home....... Followed that with a visit to the doctor (the internist, not the wound care specialist) where it was all good news. My blood test was good. All that transfused blood was disease free. He also tapered the heart medicene off some more and said that we could stop it altogether (assuming no problems) in 7 - 10 days..... My pain medicene has had some undesirable side effects so he is changing to a different medication and expects no side effects. Really good news! ..... And the best news of all, he cleared me to drive if I feel like it and to be able to pick up moderate weight. So I can pick up my grandbabies again (the little ones) and hold all the grandkids (including the 3 year olds) in my lap...... It's good to finally feel that I am on the mend & that I might actually reach a normal lifestyle again some day. Keeping my fingers crossed that the visit to the wound care dude (Thursday) brings more good news.

Duaine

Wound Doctor

I had an appointment with the wound care specialist this afternoon for further treatment on the incision. The open spots are starting to heal & show no signs of infection. Looks like another 6 - 8 weeks until they are completely healed. I think I'm a fast healer so I'm thinking 6 weeks or less.... The treatment includes a lot of probing and scraping, especially on the belly button spot. But they do deaden it so I feel discomfort rather than pain when the Doc is performing the treatment.

Duaine

Nurse Connie!!!

Connie has been tending to the open spots (they look gross!) on the incision since I last saw the wound care doctor & is doing a great job. The spot around the belly button has to be packed (don't ask for details - it's yucky) and all 3 spots must be medicated before being dressed..... We'll see what the wound care doctor says tomorrow but I bet he agrees that she's doing a good job..... Now I base my assessment on what she tells me because I have become a sissy. The whole process, especially the packing, is gross. So, how do I cope? I put my headphones on, hook them to the Ipod, crank up the volume, & go to my "happy place" with the Eagles, CCR, Rolling Stones, etc. Oh, I also cover my eyes so that I don't accidentally peek at the wrong time. Hey, don't laugh - it's my way of coping...... More tomorrow after I see the wound care doctor.

Duaine

Milestones

It's funny how things that I used to take for granted I now view as milestones in my recovery. And, interestingly some milestones are probably perceived as insignificant by many people. The past week (especially the weekend) saw several new milestones for me. For example;
- About a week ago I moved from a walker to a cane to assist my mobility.
- Last Thursday night we went out to eat with friends for Connie's birthday (my first time in public). The car ride & sitting in the chair caused me to be awake most of the night coping with pain but it was worth it. We have some terrific friends.
- Friday afternoon I walked out to the front yard and saw our neighbor Tom (two houses down) working in his front yard. I walked down and chatted with him for about 5 minutes before walking home and collapsing in my recliner exhausted but happy. My first venture out of my yard! & did a repeat on Sunday with the next door neighbor Buddy.
- I started walking to the bathroom and standing long enough to brush my teeth & shave. Takes a couple of chores off of Connie.
- Rode to the bank with Connie yesterday & happy to report that, although it's a short drive, I suffered more discomfort than real pain.

My milestones might seem ridiculous to many but to me they are signs of progress. I am coming to grips with the JPS doctor's estimate that it will take at least 6 months to recover. At the time, I just couldn't believe that it would take me so long to recover but now I am much more realistic about the recovery time. I'm happy to be alive and trending in the right direction!

The best things about my recovery are the visits & phone calls from friends and family so don't forget me!!!

Duaine

Another New Doctor - Grrrrrr

Today I saw the wound care specialist that my doctor referred me to. There are two spots on my incision that are not healing properly. One is basically on track but the other is a bigger problem. The Dr. is trying some treatment to see if it helps but he might have to open the wound up and clean it out - minor surgery. Anyway, he said to expect another 2 to 3 months to resolve the problem. Right now and for the near future at least it is weekly visits to the wound care center. Rats!

Duaine

New Doctor

I went to a private practice physician yesterday since I wanted to shorten the drive and the wait times necessary at JPS Hospital. Good decision! ..... Dr McGowen came highly recommended by some good friends and I was very pleased with the results. First, he is going to start weaning me from the heart medication. Neither he nor the JPS doctor can see any reason to continue the medication. At least Dr McGowen had a rational explanation for why they might have put me on the medication to begin with. Second, he has referred me to a wound care specialist to treat the two spots on my incision that are not healing properly. (I had asked the JPS doctor about that option and he refused to refer me)...... I continue to progress in my recovery. The ride in the car was less painful than before. Also, I finally feel that I am starting to regain some strength and am managing the pain more effectively. Still have a long way to go but I'm going in the right direction.

Duaine

Update on Connie

Connie had a Dr visit yesterday & they took the cast off of her hand - yea! ..... She has a little weakness and soreness in the hand from lack of use but it should recover soon with a little therapy / exercise. She bought a brace to wear part time until the hand fully recovers which seems to help..... So, she is pretty much recovered from the accident. We are both thankful for her recovery and look forward to her being completely back to normal soon.

Duaine

Doctor Visit

I spent 3+ hours yesterday waiting for my 15 minutes with the doctor. What a pain in the neck! He did indicate that my recovery is progressing okay although he will not give a projection of when he expects me to be fully recovered or to resume my normal routine. It has to do with the severity of the injuries and he said that makes it difficult plus he said internal injuries are the most difficult recovery to predict...... The lead trauma surgeon did tell Connie last week that he was amazed that I survived & that my injuries were the worst "blunt force trauma" that he had seen anyone survive. Makes me feel tough - at least until the pain hits again..... At least I am still here and my recovery is progressing although much too slow for me.

Duaine

Bored but Better

Well, I am feeling well enough to do my own post, but it's getting very boring being confined. However, I am slowly getting better & am getting out of the recliner to walk around the house and yard a little more. Still have a ways to go but I'm optimistic. Only one complication in my recovery & that is a couple of spots on the incision that are not healing. I have a Dr appt tomorrow so we'll see what he has to say....Connie is doing well slowed only by the cast on her hand. She has a Dr appt Thursday & we're hopeful that the hand has healed enough to remove the cast.

The real positive out of this life changing event has been the prayers, support, and help from our wonderful family, friends, and neighbors (they are like our extended family). I know that the prayers had a big part in pulling me through because I certainly don't merit another chance on my own. I really enjoy the visits and phone calls so feel free to stop by or call. And stay tuned for an update from the Doctor visits.

Afternoon Fun...

Yesterday Kyle had to work a full day and with the kids having been sick I let him decide whether or not we would go for the Saturday afternoon visit with Gran and Papa, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Shawn, Austin, Alex and Gage. When Kyle got home when he called Papa I believe the phone call went a little like this, "Hey, how are you doing today?" "I am bored, get over here". SO, Kyle got all pertied up and we piled in the car to play with Gran, Papa and family. It was well worth it, everyone had fun and it seemed to do good for everyone's spirits. Uncle Doug and Aunt Debbie came by too and we enjoyed getting to visit with them also.

Afternoon Visit...

The kids and I took Gran and Papa lunch today. He actually let me bring him something to eat!
It was cute because he had a kids meal from Whataburger just like the kids! They each got a burger , fries and a toy! Of course Papa happily gave the twins his.
He said his appetite is coming back slowly.In fact he woke up hungry at 2am but Mom was asleep!
Mom changed his bandages after lunch.Good thing it was after or I might not have been able to eat! If you have yet to see his stomach let me tell you it sure is a sight! But not for the weak!
Before we left Papa walked out to the back yard and watched the kids play.
It was a nice afternoon and so good to see Dad looking more like himself.
I don't even want to think what we would do without him. Its hard to believe that we came so close to losing him just a month ago.
Remember Dad loves visitors! Just a subtle suggestion!
Kelly

All's quiet over there

We sure missed Papa and Gran at Mandy's birthday party, but it's nice to know that he was home recovering so he can make it to the birthday party next month. We're supportive of the "take-it-easy" recovery.

Last week when Dad went to his follow-up appointment, he was queasy during the car ride. However, this weekend Mom and Dad went for a car ride around Arlington and Mansfield, and I heard he did pretty well. He's even feeling well enough to have a Whataburger!!!

He sure enjoys all of the phone calls, emails, and visits. Have we said that before???

Dr. visit

Dad had his first follow-up appointment this morning. They took the staples and stiches out of his belly, which has got to make him feel better. The dr. finally refilled his pain meds (thank you dr.) and said he's healing up very well. We choose to think the phone calls, emails, visits, and grandkiddos have a lot to do with it!

Walker?....OR....Jungle Gym?!

Papa gave us permission to put these pictures on the blog so that he could show how much the grandkids are "helping". But it sure was fun, who need a park? We took a chocolate cake with fudge icing up for after Mandy's birthday dinner....Papa loves chocolate. This was the only time she will get cake without eating much her dinner! Papa talked his physical therapist out of coming back, they both think he is moving along so well that he should save his money. He is making about two trips a day to the mailbox depending on weather. He got up and walked around quite a bit while we were there, he can even keep up with Gran moving down the hall these days. He was telling stories from what he remembered at the hospital and all had a great visit.

Good times...

I know I know. We don't get to go visit Dad as much as the rest but we go everychance we get. We got up there Sunday afternoon for a couple hours and had a good time. Dad told his nurse how much seeing the grandkids helped him to heal faster. She told him he needs to drink more fluids which he was just sure that was one thing he was getting enough of. Kelly, Shawn and their kids were there when we arrived and Dad had just settled in from his cruise around the driveway before we arrived. The kids had a great time running circles around Dad. Mom was on the move behind them with us close by to make sure she didn't over do it. Yes, we are still a little protective of her too. I will try to log in as often as I can but lives are hectic these days this is the first time I have been still for what seems as long as I can remember.

On the Move...

We all went for a visit today and Dad looked great! He even took his walker outside for a stroll to show the kids that he is okay.His appetite is not what it used to be by far but that is to be expected.He eats very small meals and his stomach is already full.His stomach probably shrank after 11 days of not eating!
All and all though he is doing good.He is in pain of course but its getting better and easier to move by the day.
Mom is doing great also.She got another cast put on , after 6 hours of waiting though! The new cast is not as long so that made her happier.
Dad has said he loves visitors so please feel free to go by.He said its good for him because he naps less in the day and sleeps better at night.
Mom goes for a chest x-ray tomorrow to check on her ribs.
It was a good visit and Dad just loves seeing his grand kids.I think they make him heal faster!

No updates?

Whoa...sorry. I went out of town, and haven't had a chance to talk to Mom and Dad for an update. I'll get one as soon as I get back. SORRY!!!! I bet they have something to say....

Busy day!

Dad's looking more awake and alert. What a difference Mom, the recliner, and a big screen TV makes!

They had several little visitors today. Alex, Austin, Gage, and Megan (oh, the parents too, but we know we don't count!) entertained Papa this afternoon and evening. They can't climb all over him, but it really doesn't matter to them.

Dad is aware of just about everything now. We can't keep anything from him (not that we were trying to). The doctors have talked to him about CPR, he knows about ICU, and how we were told there was a chance he wouldn't make it.

I'm going to see if he'll let me take a picture to put on the blog...check back tomorrow to see if I won that battle! :) ~Erica

Home sweet home

When I last saw Dad he was in his recliner, drinking orange juice, watching the Texas Tech vs. Texas game, and telling me that Bobby Knight was a schmuck. Good 'ole Dad trying to push my buttons...In other words, he's home and as comfortable as he can be. He'd love to have phone calls and/or visitors. We'll rig up a mini office in the front room soon so he can be in email and online. He's really looking forward to that! ~Erica

Extra! Extra! Dad's coming home!

At 6:00 tonight Dad will be released from the hospital! He's going home! Don't run up to room #614 B...there will be a stranger to greet you! Since Dad will be home and have access to his laptop, I'm not sure how long he'll let us keep updating his blog. Watch out!

No laptop

Although he would LOVE to have one up there, Dad does not have this laptop - yet. Mom brought him some magazines, and he has a roommate to talk to, but we're his computer connection for right now.

Blog comments

Some of you have asked about having to register to leave comments on the blog. I said I would change that setting about 2 weeks ago, yet I never did (sorry Bob). The thought came to me tonight, and well, it's done. Comment away without having to register! (Hey, keep it clean...don't make me have to change it back!) ~Erica

Grandkids Galore!

Not only did Papa get to see Kyler and Mandy tonight, but Austin, Alex, Gage, and Megan, too! All six grandkids in one night...the 6th floor didn't know what hit them!

We sort of ignored the "3 visitors in the room at a time" limit...8 just sounded like so much more fun. The 4 kids did very well and were pretty darn quiet for being squished in a small room for 45 minutes. Papa talked to each one of them and gave several rounds of "knuckles." The kids love that! We figure he'll sleep well tonight.

The rows of pictures of the little ones can only do so much. It's neat to see Dad's face light up when the grandkids are around. He just loves our kids, and we are so lucky they have such a great Papa.

Wanted: Visitors!

Dad has put in a request for anyone and everyone to come visit. He said he is SO bored, and looks forward to visitors all day. Now Mom, the kids, and grandkids have been pretty good about visiting, but apparently that isn't enough! Pack room #614 B! (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) He'd probably enjoy the visit even more if you'd bring a diet Dr. Pepper! ~Erica, Kelly, Taryn

After supper visits...

Tonight Kyler and Mandy got to see Papa for the first time since his accident. Kyler was a little timid at first but then Papa told him how he fell of his motorcycle and got some boo boos. He asked Kyler if he had ever fallen off of his bike, trying to help him make a connection, but Kyler said, "No, I hold on really tight!" It was cute. Papa got a giggle. Papa really got Kyler's attention when he asked Kyler to do him a favor and push a special button on the bed to make him feel better, Kyler thought that was great! They had a good chat and Mandy just popped right into action and Papa got a kick out of her pigtails. She took a few steps for Papa but wouldn't talk except to ask for more milk in her almost 1 year old ways. Papa reminded Daddy that he needed to feed Sweetpea because every time he saw her she was hungry. The biggest challenge was keeping Mandy in our arms because she was determined to nose dive into bed with Papa wanting to take her milk with her! That was our cue to head out to the car but they sure did enjoying seeing him and it seemed good for him too. ~Taryn

Sunday afternoon visit

Megan, my dad, my brother and I just got back from a trip to the hospital to see Papa. He can now have little people visitors "as long as they're quiet" the nurse said. Megan was very excited to see him. She gave him BIG smiles, and told him several "stories" in 1 year-old gibberish. He is happy to be in a room: with a window, without strict visiting hours, and that is the next step to getting out of there! When we first got there he was asleep, so I apologized for waking him up. He said no reason to apologize...he'll wake up anytime for visitors; he can sleep any other time. He found out that his fractured ribs are from CPR. Another doctor told him that if you don't have fractured ribs from CPR, then they didn't do it right! He laughed and said he'd take the fractured ribs then. ~Erica

Moving Day!

Dad has moved out of PCU! He now has a room with a window view. He is now in room #614B. His phone number there is 817-927-1526.
He is doing great and is aware of all visitors now.If you have some free time please go by for a visit.He has said many times how he loves visitors because it gets pretty lonely.Good news is there is no structured visiting time anymore during the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.Feel free to visit whenever.
Erica,Kelly,Taryn

Some new news

We didn't know this before, but after the 2nd x-ray they found that Dad has fractured ribs. We don't know how many, but they're causing him to be very uncomfortable. The good thing is that they are not cracked or displaced.

Thursday p.m. and Friday visits

We've all gotten pretty good conversation and interaction at our visits. He's still funny, that's for sure. Sometimes it's hard to tell when he's joking or being serious, but that's nothing new.

Last night Kelly had beef broth dinner with him. Yum.

Dad's taken a few phone calls from family and friends. He is very appreciative each time we visit him. We can't imagine how bored he must be just sitting there all day! He said he's watched enough TV that to be all caught up on the Anna Nicole stuff. That's a lot of TV!

Word from the noon visit is that he could be up and walking around on his own this evening. The past few times he's been up walking he's had a little help. It's going to be all him tonight.

Duaine Updates (2-15)

When the accident first happened, we were so overwhelmed with phone calls and emails wondering about Mom and Dad's condition. I already had a blog set up for our daughter, Megan, and since many family and friends already had the link, I just "borrowed" it from her. We were not prepared for the overwhelming response. I get a kick out of hearing, "I saw on the blog..."

Until now, I haven't had time to create a blog for Duaine's updates, separate from Megan updates/my ramblings. (I normally keep a photo and narrative blog of Megan's adventures for our family and friends; in fact, Duaine checks it every morning and gets onto me if it isn't updated near daily!) Now that things have settled down a little bit and Dad is doing better, I have created a blog strictly devoted to Duaine and Connie's recovery. All detailed updates will be posted by Kelly, Taryn, or myself until Dad can take over the updates (we hope soon!). To ease the transition, I will post the link here http://duaineandconnie.blogspot.com/ as well as at the top and on the margin of this blog. You're more than welcome to keep visiting this blog as I will continue to give "Papa updates," but I don't want you to have to read about Megan's adventures or my motherly mishaps if you don't want to.

Thursday (2-15)

Dad had several visitors at noon today. He was alert and talkative. We found out that he sat in the chair at the foot of his bed for a few hours today. He also walked around for a while (15 feet in his estimation). He told us last night that he never thought it would take so much work to just sit on the end of the bed! If you're going to go visit, you ought to go when Jeremy goes. For some reason, Jeremy does not pay attention to the visiting hours. He goes in at the right time, but he just will not leave! Last night he stayed 20 minutes past; today was 30 minutes. Oh, and he'll sneak you in past the posted hours, too! Word on the street is that he'll be "ambulatory", meaning up walking, eating, etc, by Sunday. We sure hope so!

Wed. afternoon (2-14)

Jeremy called about the noon visit. There wasn't any walking, but Dad was alert, awake, and conversational. They did a "swallow" test, and he passed, so food is on the way. I doubt it's food that Dad wants, but it'll be food nonetheless. As far as his memory goes, right now he doesn't remember the accident. He asked Kyle why he was in the hospital, and Kyle just told him they were in a motorcycle accident and Mom was okay. He mentioned this morning that he figured he had been in the hospital for 2 days, not 10. Kelly's mom told him it was Valentine's Day, and he said he guessed he needed to go see his wife. He's keeping the family pretty entertained with his little quips here and there. I think we're all just glad he's finally making sense!

Update (2-14)

We each get a "different" Dad when we visit. Some of us get an awake, chatty guy and others get a morphined snoozer. Luck of the draw, I guess. The results of the scan showed no infection, but he's still on antibiotics. He's hungry, and is making the best out of the ice chips they'll let him have every now and then. I heard a rumor that mom snuck in a diet Dr. Pepper. He asked Mom to be there for the noon visit because they're going to have him get up to try to walk around. The noon walk has not been confirmed by a doctor or nurse, but he made it sound convincing.

Monday p.m. (2-12)

Jeremy and Erica had a good visit with Dad this evening. He was responsive to questions and joined in the conversation. He said he was hungry and thirsty, so the nurse fed him ice chips. He got ticked when she said he couldn't have anymore. He opened his eyes and said he knew who was visiting him. When shown the pictures of the grandkids, he said he didn't want to see pictures, he just wanted to go home. That was his response to several things...he wants to go home. They did a scan to try to find the infection, but the doctor hadn't seen the scan yet. Hopefully we'll get the results tomorrow.Whew...we spent most of the day Sunday and Monday worrying, but tonight's visit helped assuage some of our fears. ~Erica, Kelly, Taryn

Monday (2-12)

Sorry for the lapse in updates. We're not quite sure what to update. As each one of us goes to visit, we might get some bit or piece of information. He's been moved to the Progressive Care Unit, but since then, information has been sporatic and progress not so great. He no longer has a nurse in his room 24/7 to field our many questions. We just have to hope one comes through during the 30 minute visit. We were able to gather that Dad has an infection, but as of 4:00 p.m. we still have not found out where. They took him at 2:30 for a scan to try to find it. Jeremy and Erica are headed up to the 8:00, so maybe they'll find out. Dad has been the least responsive today than ever, which is very disappointing. We are hoping it is just a combination of the morphine and antibiotics. We have been warned that in serious cases, like Dad's, it is often 2 steps forward 1 step back in the progress. More as we find out tonight.... ~Erica, Kelly, Taryn

Sunday (2-11)

Well, we're not getting the reaction and interaction that we want, but things are still okay. Dad keeps "responding" but won't open his eyes or really talk to us much. It's disappointing for us because we are ready for things to be back to normal, so we are trying to understand that it is on injury recovery time, not our time! While they moved the pictures of the grandkids to his new room, their version of move did not match our version! They were found in a crumpled pile next to the sink. Jeremy and Erica carefully peeled and salvaged what they could. They put up what remained. We had a scare w/pnuemonia today, but the nurse was mistaken! Mistaken? :)

Saturday (2-10)

Today has been a day of waiting. We are just waiting for Dad to talk to us like he normally would, but he has been in a "fog" when we come in to visit. Jeremy spent the majority of the day just sitting in the waiting room only to have Dad sleep through most of the 30 minute visit. Later in the evening, Dad started waking up a little more. He doesn't understand why he can't get out of bed. Mom came to visit and got the funniest reaction out of him. She was talking to the nurse and he said, "Connie...all you do is talk, talk, talk..." That had us all laughing!We're in a much better place than we were a week ago. It seems so strange that only a week ago they gave us such little hope. None of us expected this much of a turn around.Can't wait to post the next funny story about what Dad has to say.

Friday p.m. (2-9)

Sorry for the delay in posting today...our lives have been nuts! Between working, chasing after our kids, some of which are sick, driving back and forth to the hospital, and other family obligations, we're plum worn out!At the 4:00 and 6:00 visits, Dad was out of it. He responded somewhat, but really didn't say much more than he was hurting. We got him some pain meds, but that's about all that happened. While we're a little disappointed that he didn't just sit up and start telling us what to do, we know that will happen soon enough! :) Jeremy, Kyle, and Taryn were there for the 8:00 visit and he seemed to be reponding more. He said he wants to go home!Shawn, Kelly, and the kids went to have dinner with Gran tonight. It went very well. The kids have a hard time understanding why Gran can't pick them up, but even at they're little ages, they know something is up.Just a little side note, when the doctor came out of the surgery last night, he said that he really didn't think he'd be standing talking to us telling us that everything was okay. We are such a blessed family! ~ Erica, Kelly, Taryn

IT'S OUT!!!

The tube is out and he is breathing on his own!What a relief , he really is going to be okay.He was on morphine for the visit but the next visit he may be able to speak.Will let everyone know what his first words are!Erica,Kelly,Taryn

Friday a.m. (2-9)

Dad has been breathing on his own since the first 6:00 visit (could've been before then, but the boys forgot to ask). The tubes are still in, just in case he gets tired, but that's the longest he's been on his own. They are going to leave the tubes in until they are absolutely sure he won't need help; they don't want to have to put them back in! It may be today; may be tomorrow. We'll let you know! We've had "fun" (as much fun as we can right now) speculating what Duaine will say/do once he gets to talk. Mom was up at the hospital last night, and she is doing very well. She rested most of the day Thursday. She said she appreciates the phone calls, visitors, food, and flowers she has received. She said to me yesterday, many times, she overwhelmed at how wonderful her family and friends have been through all of this. ~Erica, Kelly, Taryn

Back together again! (2-8)

Great news! Dad is all sewn back up!They were able to use his own skin but put a layer of the other skin underneath for support so there would be no more hernias.They are going to try to take the tube out tonight.The latest will be in the morning for sure.We can not believe that he is still here with us and making these great strides each day.There was no way to go but up from Sunday.Thanks again to all of you, for it was your prayers that got Dad through this.Erica,Kelly,Taryn

Thursday update (2-8)

Dad is in surgery as we speak.The Dr. said he will close him tonight.If his skin wont stretch enough they will have to use donor sterilized skin..Sounds gross huh?The strain of all the swelling has given him a hernia so they think it best to get him closed in whatever way they can.He will be taken off the ventilator by the morning and moved to another room.This is such a blessing..Now for the big news!!! If all go as planned Dad can be home in about a week! We are all shocked and just thrilled.We did get the accident report back too. Yes , the driver did have insurance.The driver was actually a young female with 2 small children in the car.All of them were okay.The wreck is sited as being her fault.When Dad gets out of surgery I will update.Erica,Kelly,Taryn

Thursday a.m. (2-8)

Duaine is doing fine this morning. We are all anxiously awaiting the wash-out surgery. They've been giving him medicine to reduce his swelling, which has produced visible changes. We don't know what time he'll go in for surgery, but in the past we've been given about an hour's notice. We'll let you know asap!As a family, we've decided not to post the hospital or Connie's home information on this blog site. However, we don't have email addresses for some of you that have questions. Please feel free to email at ericagoulding@tx.rr.com (Erica) or jtgoulding@sbcglobal.net (Taryn) and we will respond as soon as we can.

Info (2-7)

Tonight Uncle Doug and Aunt Debbie brought a wonderful stew (I learned that soup has noodles; stew has potatoes) for dinner. Thank you!We have Thursday's lunch and dinner scheduled. We can't thank you enough for volunteering.There was a rumor floating around tonight that Duaine moved rooms, however, that is not true. His roommate was moved out of ICU, so he had the room to himself most of the day. He's still in ICU on the 3rd floor.Yes, we want him closed up! Kyle is excited that Elizabeth, the very strict respiratory therapist, is back tomorrow. He's ready for her to work Dad to get those tubes out!More tomorrow...Erica, Kelly, and Taryn

Results (2-7)

The X-Ray's came back good! Just another hurdle that Dad is leaping past.The nurse also told Shawn that his kidneys seems to working good and they have no concern with them at this point.The wash out and possible closure will probably be in the morning.We will keep you up to date with that.Please say a prayer tonight that the Dr. is able to get him closed tomorrow.Thank you to all of you.Erica,Kelly,Taryn

Update (2-7)

Not much to report on Duaine. We're mainly just waiting for the closure surgery tomorrow and for him to be weened from the breathing assistance. They took him for a spinal x-ray. We knew this was coming, and is just to rule out any injuries that we may not already know about. As soon as we get the results, they'll be up.Jeremy, Erica, and Megan went to visit Gran (Connie) today. She looks great! She even had make-up on!! She is moving around very well and even wanted Megan to sit on her lap. That made all of us cringe, but she did just fine. We visited for a while before she left to go see Duaine. Jeremy mentioned as he left that it really helped him to see that she was doing so well. He also said, "It's hard to imagine she was thrown off the back of a motorcycle 3 days ago!"Erica, Kelly, Taryn

Suggestions for helping (2-7)

Us girls are having to get back to our kids and jobs now.Our poor babysitters are exhausted! Its extremely hard for us to leave not only Dad but the boys as well.If anybody needs help its them and we are stuck here lending support on the phone.The boys have really enjoyed seeing their friends between visits.I know its hard to make time to get there with work and your own family lives but little visits here and there are a welcome break.Even if you can just stop by for 10 minutes and talk football it really is a nice break.Again , we can not begin to thank all of you enough.I truly believe that all of your prayers is the reason Dad is still with us and making such amazing progress.Erica,Kelly,Taryn

General Info (2-7)

I just read emails and listened to phone messages, so here are a few things that have come up:We are not a family to ask for help, but people keep asking what they can do. I know part of the healing process is to do something, so here are a few things that you could do to make it easier for those at the hospital. Again, we will not ask for them, and are okay if we don't have them, but it would really help. First let me explain the set up. Duaine is in ICU, therefore there are visiting hours every even hour from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (6, 8, 10, 12, etc). The family members then spend the next hour and a half in the family waiting room. There are chairs, TVs, and other families, but other than that we're our own entertainment. We use the time to return phone calls, check on kids, eat, etc, but it can get very boring. Visitors are always welcome. Visitors: We are on the 3rd floor ICU. The hospital is nuts, especially in the evenings. Don't be intimidated. Just come in the big revolving door, walk quickly past the ER (don't look), and take the elevators to the 3rd floor. More than likely we'll be visible from the elevators. If you plan on seeing Duaine, come close to the even hours, or else you'll have a long wait. If you park in the parking garage, bring your ticket in and we'll get you a sticker (then it's only $1 to get out). Food: The only food available for dinner on site is McDonalds. We agreed this morning that some of us will never be able to eat there again, which is not a bad thing. If it's not the food, it's the constant smell wafting around the hospital. Any food other than McDonalds, even snacks, is welcome and appreciated. The boys are not picky!Travel: We complained about having to go from ICU to the ER and then to the room to see Connie, but now it's even harder to see her since she is at home. The boys are holding down the fort at the hospital, but would like to travel to see her too. The "girls" (daughters-in-law) have had to stagger babysitting for the kids, therefore are traveling back and forth as well. My neighbor gave me us a gas gift card yesterday, and it has already come in handy. Enough letting you know what would help, some of you have asked about helmets. Yes, they were wearing them. The rumor Sunday was that Duaine's helmet split down the middle. That rumor is not true, as we now have his helmet. It was cracked down to the styrofoam on the left side, and scraped to the paint all the way around to the right side. It actually looks like a design on the helmet. We have it, have touched it, and some of us have even hugged it! Okay, I think I'm finished for now. As I get questions, comments, suggestions or random thoughts in my head I'll update this info. Kelly and Taryn, feel free to add or change!Erica

8:00 visit (2-7)

Whoa, if you haven't slept in the ICU waiting room at a public hospital, you are lucky! Never a dull moment. The security guard told me that there are 7,000 people, 38 clinics, and 3 security patrol officers. Does that make a lick of sense? I don't know how the boys have done it for 3 nights!Duaine is responsive and he even told his nurse, Nathan, that his throat was dry. I said, "You could understand that just from him moving his lips?" and he said, "Hey, it's taken years of practice!" I told him to please get all the family secrets while he was at it! They've taken Duaine down to 30% oxygen, so the weening process is progressing. They've been telling us that they can take the tubes out when he's closed up and able to breathe on his own, so we think that maybe it's a good thing that they didn't close him last night and have to leave the tubes in longer (does that make sense?). Then maybe by Thursday he'll be closed and ready to be "untubed."Some of you have asked about how the boys are doing, and actually, they're all doing very well under the circumstances! Jeremy came home to take a shower and play with Megan. Shawn went home last night to play with the kids and to reenergize. Kyle took a break yesterday afternoon. Connie said that she is so grateful for their non-stop care of Dad. It has really helped her be able to rest knowing that they are taking care of him. More as soon as it is available! ~Erica, Kelly, TarynP.S. - We'd like to take credit for some of the wonderfully worded and informative posts lately, but I've got to give credit to my mom, Kathi. She's made us all sound so good!! :) Erica

Good morning...(2-7)

Literally, it is a good morning. Although the surgeons decided to wait until Thursday to 'close' Papa, they did come out with some good news. The area where the spleen was removed and the liver sack was repaired is nice and clean and healing nicely. Swelling is the reason for the wait. We've become close to a wonderful family that has been going through a similar situation. Their son, Alex-22 years old, has injuries about like dads. His family has been a great source of strength, information, and comfort. Last night they told us that he had gone through several 'wash-outs' and was open for about 5 days. We're pretty darn proud of Papa to be hangin' with the 22 year old! Seriously, hearing that this treatment isn't as strange as it seems, is reassuring. At the 6 am visit, Duaine was very responsive and alert. Connie is doing well and was at her home with Kathy last night. She plans to come up to the hospital this afternoon sometime.We don't mean to sound repetitive, but it is impossible to come up with words that would ever convey our gratitude for all the love, concern, support and prayers that have been extended in our behalf. We MUST give our thanks and appreciation often. Please know that it is sincere. You're all great and we love you for it!Erica, Kelly, and Taryn

Latest on Papa (2-6)

All of the pictures of Papa's kids and grandkids must be doing his spirit good. Erica called to say that the nurse caught him reaching for them and so she handed him two. We don't know which two and it doesn't matter but what does matter is that he loves having his family with him even when we can't be. That alone means a lot to those of us who can't be there all the time. It is a reminder to him that we are cheering him on in spirit with love and he recognizes that. As of the last visit of the evening they did not get to see him because the doctors have taken him back into surgery to wash him out again and if all is well they are going to close him up! Keep your thoughts and prayers coming because they are really helping him and his family.Erica, Kelly and Taryn

We're not withholding info...(2-6)

As of 7:30 pm, Duaine had still not been taken back for the wash-out procedure. When this type of delay has happened before, it has been because another, more urgent trauma or surgery has taken precedence. This is a busy place up here.We aren't holding back information, and we don't want anyone worrying unnecessarily, we just don't have anything new to add as of yet. Oh, wait...there was one thing....when asked the standard neurological testing questions such as: Is this the month of November? Is this the month of February? Is Carter the President? Is George W. Bush the President, etc....Duaine did great! We promise to post again, as soon as we know anything.As always, we sincerely appreciate all prayers, comfort, and good wishes.Erica, Kelly, and Taryn

Wash-out (2-6)

They are going in an hour or two to do the wash-out procedure and hopefully close him up. We think they're getting anxious to do this so they can get the tubes out of his mouth which will allow him to talk to them. They had to start up the breathing machine for a while, but took him off of it again for at least an hour. We're on our way back up for the night!We don't mean to leave people out when mentioning "thanks." We appreciate everything, I promise. Each time we get a chance to talk to each other, we're able to mention another nice deed from a friend or family.

And the latest...(2-6)

Just got an update from Jeremy. Taryn put pictures up of the grandkids in Duaine's room, and he actually turned himself (as much as he could) in that direction and opened his eyes. Jeremy said that's the longest he's seen him keep his eyes open. He LOVES those kids!He's been "joking" with his nurse. She asked him if he was ready to do some work and breathe on his own. He shook his head no and then smiled very big. While they were in visiting, the nurse turned off the breathing assist, and he was able to breathe on his own. The twins, Jeremy, and Taryn had to leave shortly after, but at least while they were there, he was still breathing on his own. They are feeding him through a tube instead of just the IV. The goal right now is to get rid of the breathing machine, which requires tubes down his throat, so he can talk! He keeps moving his lips, but as Taryn and I said last night, it's our turn to talk and his turn to listen! :)*11:30 a.m. - They put Duaine back on the breathing machine, but will continue to decrease the amount of help it provides. Connie got a shower, and visited Duaine before she was released.*

Latest (2-6)

Just got word that Connie is feeling better. The doctor visited with her, and they are going to release her sometime after lunch today. She just wants a shower!! :) The boys are going to take her up to see Duaine before she leaves (she hasn't seen him since Sunday afternoon when things were very scary). Aunt Cathy is going to take her home and stay with her. We're sure she'll be back and forth between the hospital many times!Some of you have asked for room numbers. Connie's room number is 508 for right now, but not for long! Duaine is just in ICU. He can't receive flowers, but cards and pictures are welcome! We're working on a "Papa Wall" for his room. The nurses said he can have pictures, etc...they don't know what they started! :) We'll at least leave the machines visible...Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of our friends and family that have helped in any way! We continue to be amazed at the love and support. WE appreciate everything from meals to loaded coolers with drinks to watching our kids to keeping us company while we sit and wait to text messages and emails letting us know that you're thinking and praying for us, etc. Thank you! - Erica, Kelly, and Taryn

2-6 a.m. visit

Jeremy, Shawn, and Kyle spent the night up at the hospital last night, so they were there for the first morning visit. Jeremy said Duaine is even more responsive than last night. They told him what time it was, etc, and he tried to "sit up." Shawn told him to relax and be still; he knew he wanted to get out of there. They said he nodded his head emphatically! He is on oxygen and a ventilator, but we got good news about that last night and this morning. At 6:00 p.m. he was on 75% oxygen and the machine was doing a lot of the work. At 10:00 p.m. he was at 65% oxygen and the machine was still doing a lot of the work. Overnight, the nurse cut him down to 55% oxygen, and decreased the amount of work that the machine was doing. He is tolerating all of this very well.When I last talked to Jeremy, they were going to visit Duaine again at 8:00 a.m. and then go check on Connie. Her visiting hours begin at 8:00. I'll update as soon as I get info.(T - I came home to sleep. The boys took the couches after Alex's family left last night, so they were comfortable. You'll get there before me, so please put up any pictures you brought and don't wait to take those video/voice clips in there...but PLEASE call to let me know how it goes!)

Latest updates on Papa

Tonight dad is really reacting and recognizing his visitors. He opened his eyes many times for many of the loved ones that came to see him. He is waving and squeezing hands, moving his arms and wiggling his legs and feet quite a bit. The nurses and all of us family are just amazed at the progress he has made since this morning. He truly is showing everyone his determination and strong will to survive and get up out of that bed. Which yes, unfortunately, he did try to do a couple of times. We settled him down and reminded him to save his strength and that he is surrounded by family and friends. If you feel there is something you want to do for him please go donate blood in his name. Carter blood center is taking them just give them his name, Duaine Goulding. Thank you for all of your prayers, support and good thoughts they are truly appreciated.

Even more response

The drugs seem to be wearing off and he is responsive to everyone who comes to see him. This is such a great sign and means more to us than he will ever know.He is trying to open his eyes and even tried to sit up some when he heard Kyle talking to him.Soon we will have some audio of his grand kids and if anything will open his eyes it will be their sweet little voices calling his name.Please say a prayer for Mom.She is not doing to good with the pain and the medicine makes her sick.I'm sure after she gets some solid foods in her though that will turn around.Will post more as new information comes to me.Erica,Kelly&Taryn

Family Request

Several of you have asked if there is a need for blood donation. We really appreciate you thinking for us and now have an answer for you. Duaine required at least 30 units of blood when they were first working on him. We've been told that every 2 people that donate (I hope I have this right) will equal one unit of blood. The donation will need to be made in his name for him to get the credit. If you (or anyone you know that makes regular donations or that has a connection to a blood drive) would like to give blood, we would be grateful. If the donations exceed our need, we know that others will be blessed by it. Our eyes and hearts have been exposed to a world we are usually very sheltered from by being in this trauma/emergency/critical care area of the hospital. We are so thankful for those that donated blood ahead of our need so that it was here for Duaine.Now for the updates: We are hoping to take Connie to see Duaine during the next visiting hours. They are on different floors, so it is a little bit of a trek for her. She is still having some nausea from the pain meds and is feeling sore, etc., but over-all is doing well.Duaine has been taken off of all meds except for pain medicine and they are lessening that periodically. A couple of family members have been in and out of the room with him and he has been responsive to their questions and comments. He knows that his grandchildren love him and wait for him to come play. He has squeezed fingers when asked if he knows what happened to him. These signs are thrilling, but we also have been told that 72 hours post-trauma is the time clock we're working with. Thank you, thank you for your continuing love, care, prayers and support.Erica, Kelly, & Taryn

Post surgery news

Duaine is out of surgery and there were no new findings as far as other internal injuries. He is still in his fancy plastic wrap, waiting for the swelling to go down before they can close him. He has shown signs of knowing people are in talking to him. Mixed news is that our family is no longer the 'most critical' in the hospital, so we've been moved out to another area. Our hearts go out to the newest family, tho'.Connie is sporting a cast on her left hand. The pain medication she received made her pretty sick, so she asked that they wait on that for awhile. She has been moved to her own room. She is hurting, but counting all blessings.We are happy to see that their news and updates are getting circulated to loved friends and family. Thank you for posting comments and letting us know that you've heard. We especially thank you for your thoughts and prayers and good wishes. We deeply appreciate all of the visits, calls, encouragement and support we're receiving. You will never know how much it helps!With gratitude,Erica, Kelly, and Taryn

The latest....

There was mistaken info this morning. We thought Duaine had gone in for a surgical procedure, but found out that the O.R. had been very busy and he had to wait. He is now in surgery and they will be checking for any other internal injuries and will be accessing his progress. As posted before, he is showing signs of movement after being taken off of the one med. Taryn, Erica, Jeremy, & Uncle Don were in with him before he was taken to the O.R. and saw him moving his feet to adjust for comfort. What joy the simple things bring! Erica, Kelly, & Taryn

Encouraging News

The Dr. took Dad off the paralyzing medication.When asked to squeeze their hand if he could hear them he did! I am told that he also has wiggled his toes.All of this ,although a small victory ,is a miracle!We are waiting to hear from the Dr. at this point to see what the next step is.As soon as I get the call I will update.As for Mom she is being admitted.Her hand X-Ray came back and her wrist and fingers are fractured.She was having some breathing problems last night so they did another chest X-Ray.We are still waiting to hear those results.The good news is she will be getting her own room.When she is moved I will post the room number.That is all I have at this point but I promise to update when more calls come in.Erica,Kelly,& Taryn

Update on Duaine and Connie

This is just a quick posting to let everyone know how Papa (Duaine) and Gran (Connie) are doing.As many of you have heard, they were in a serious accident yesterday (Sunday, Feb. 4) morning around 10:30. They were riding the Harley to meet friends for a Lunch Ride. Around I-30 and 820, a mini-van came from the far right lane heading toward them in the far left lane. Duaine had to lay the bike down in order to avoid being hit. They were both wearing their full-face helmets.The short version is this: Connie suffered 3 broken ribs, a bruised lung and a possible fractured left hand. She was moved to a room and is under observation. Duaine took the brundt of the force and underwent surgery to remove his spleen and to repair the sack around his liver. He was bleeding, and received 30 units of blood. By late evening, he was clotting on his own, had regained a normal body temperature, a more normal blood pressure and better coloring in his face. His full-body x-rays showed no broken bones and he had a clear CT scan. While all of this is good news, he is still in critical condition.This morning, he underwent another surgical procedure to clean the internal area and look for other possible damage. He will most likely have other procedures throughout the next several days. For now, and the near future, he will be under a medically induced coma to keep him still and give his body a chance to help itself.We GREATLY and SINCERELY appreciate all of the love, concern, and heart-given prayers that have been uttered in behalf of our family. Thank you all! Our faith is strengthened as we see His hand working in so many ways...both big and small. From the kind woman who stopped in the middle of the highway to retrieve mom's purse, to the medical teams, to friends and family who rushed to our sides.We will update this blog as we get news. Please understand that we are trying to network our information through phone calls, this blog, etc....and we don't mean to leave anyone out.Most sincerely,Erica, Kelly and Taryn