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