July 4, 2012

Brandon has been home for 2 months now. It was difficult at first getting used to schedules and routines but we've adjusted very well. He has been going to outpatient rehab since he came home and continues to improve with each day that passes. He can now move his left leg consistantly and has gained more movement in his right leg too. He is now using an ultra light wheelchair that the hospital has loaned him and is able to manuver it easily. He is waiting for his custom ultra light wheelchair to arrive soon. He has done remarkably well at rehab and is able to transfer in and out of his bed to the wheelchair independently. He has been standing at the parallel bars with support from the therapist. They now attach electrodes to the muscles of each leg and he can bicycle for 30 minutes with electrical stimulation. He is still having some short term memory problems so his doctor started him on medication that is used to help patients with alzheimers. He believes it is beginning to help him. Brandon has had an amazing attitude throughout his 6 month ordeal. It is so nice having our old Brandon back again. We are all optimistic that he will make a complete recovery, but know this may take some time. We look forward to the future when he will start attending school to begin preparations for a career. Brandon is working towards his independence day. He is such an inspiration to all of us!

You can do it Brandon!

Brandon's first day home. Brick was so happy to see him!

Brandon with Travis Wing at his niece Samantha's blessing 2 days after he got out of the hospital

Brandon at our 4th of July party

.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

I apologize, So much has been going on with Brandon lately and I have done a really poor job of updating the blog.  Brandon has done some AMAZING work in rehab over the last few weeks and you can really tell how much stronger he is getting both physically and mentally.  His right arm is really staring to come along.  He is able to use it to help lift himself and can even write a sentence with it!  Brandon has had a slight infection this last week but he is doing much better with antibiotics and it he has not let it slow down his therapy.  Brandon's lungs are doing well and they were able to take the tracheotomy out of his neck!  This is such a huge milestone for him.  Brandon is still unable to use his lower extremities and the future remains uncertain as to what ability he will recover.  However, we are excited to see that Brandon can now move his left hip voluntarily!  This is very encouraging!  Brandon was able to come home and visit for the day on Sunday.  It was so nice to have him home!  His dog, Brick, was especially excited to see him!  He is also going to go to the movies today and we are making preparations to have him home for good on Friday!!!!!
We are so excited to have him home and start the next phase of his journey.  Brandon would really love to see his friends and family now that he is home.  Just call mom or dad to let them know when you would like to stop by.

Good job Brandon, You made it Home!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday April 17, 2012

Brandon has been progressing very well in the Rehabilitation facility.  He has had another procedure to dilate his esophagus and is starting to enjoy more solid foods.  Brandon's lungs are getting stronger and he only requires the assistance of the CPAP machine at night! He has been working hard in his physical therapy sessions to gain strength in his arms, back and trunk.  Brandon is now able to sit up on his own for a very short period of time!  Brandon's strength is very important because they have given him a tentative day to go home of May 4th!  This is very exciting but there is a lot to do in order to get ready for him.  We are starting to do some remodeling on the house and are researching some equipment that will help Brandon be comfortable at home and become more self sufficient.  We are so proud of his progress and look forward to having him home again and progressing in the next step of his journey!

Happy Easter Buddy!

Tuesday April 3, 2012

Brandon finally made it to Rehab! He is finally healthy enough to go with one change from his past two attempts. The doctors now feel Brandon will do best if he has his trach buttoned during the day and put back on the ventilator at night to allow his lungs to recuit his lung capacity. He is thrilled to be back and determined not to leave until it's time to go home.

Friday March 30, 2012

Brandon is having a much better day today. He is back to having his trach buttoned which allows him to breath on his own, speak and have small sips of juice and water. He was also able to go down to radiology in the afternoon to do the barium swallow study where he found out he can now eat pureed and soft food such as ice cream and cheesecake. He had his first real meal in over 3 months! He was so excited to eat mashed potatoes, chicken soup, cheesecake and hot chocolate.

Congratulations Brandon!!!

Thursday March 29, 2012

Brandon had a rough early morning on Wednesday. He began running a fever and needed a bronoscopy to clear out his lungs again. He was then put back on the ventilator to reinflate the right lung. Results from his lung cultures showed he has another infection. This means his moving back to the Rehab has to be postponed once more.

Tuesday March 27, 2012

Brandon has continued to ride the roller coaster of health issues. It was decided that he would wait another day in the ICU to continue to prepare to have his esophagus dilated on Tuesday. He has been working hard to stretch his mouth to allow for the bite block he needs to wear for the procedure. He is now able to fit 14 tongue depressors between his molars on both sides of his mouth. Brandon, no one can call you a big mouth!

The procedure went well Tuesday afternoon and the doctor was able to stretch his esophagus from 5 milimeters to 8 milimeters. He will have more dilations every two weeks until he gets to 18 milimeters.This is still quite small so Brandon will have a barium swallow study to determine what food he can actually eat.

Remember...Baby Steps!!

Wednesday, March 21st

Brandon spent a few days at the rehabilitation unit but was then transferred back to the ICU because he was having difficulty breathing again.  Doctor's and nurses have been working to clear out the infection in Brandon's lungs with medication, suctioning, and this strange vest that shakes him and helps loosen the mucus.......

Brandon's lungs are doing really well today.  Hopefully he can be taken off of the ventilator in the next few days and get back to rehab early next week. 

At times Brandon's spirits have been low but he is finding strength in his friends, family, and faith in the gospel.  It has now been almost 3 months that Brandon has been in the hospital and he is beginning to feel like life in the outside world is distant.  We, as a family, want to encourage any family and friends to come and visit Brandon any time they can.  Please call or text Ron or Suzy at 801-358-0627 or 801-636-5327 to arrange a time.  It would mean a lot for Brandon to know that everyone still thinks about him and is still hoping and praying for his speedy recovery!

We love you Brandon!!!!

Wednesday, March 14th

There was a change of plans for Brandon over the last few days....and nothing ever goes as planned.  It was decided on Monday that Brandon would have the first, of many, procedures to expand a restriction in his esophagus.  He was very excited about this because he feels like it has been an eternity since he has been able to eat or drink.  He was moved from the ICU to a standard patient room on the 7th floor of the hospital so that he could have the procedure done.  However, once he got there, they realized that they could not open his mouth wide enough to do what they needed to do so he was sent back to his room.  This was very disappointing for him.  We were then told that he would be moving back to the rehabilitation unit to continue with his therapies and an xray would be taken to determine the current extent of his esophagus stricture.  Later it was decided that he would stay in the 7th floor for the xray and it has been scheduled for 3:00 p.m. today.  He is doing well with his breathing but is having some congestion that he needs help removing.  Brandon feels like there has been a lot of time wasted lately and is very anxious to start working hard at the rehabilitation unit. He is in relatively good spirits, considering that he has been shuffled around quite a bit over the last few days.....

Hang in there Brandon!

Monday, March 12th

Brandon has now been moved from the LTAC facility to the Rehabilitation center at UVRMC!  This is exciting for him because he knows that he is one step closer to getting home! He was able to get settled into his new room on Tuesday but was having a bit of difficult breathing.  On Thursday, he was transferred to the NST ICU because his oxygen level was very low.  They discovered an infection in Brandon's lungs and are treating him with antibiotics.  He did very well over the weekend and is in very good spirits.  He is doing so well that he will be moving back to the Rehabilitation unit today to get moving on his therapies!  Brandon's breathing has improved dramatically and he is breathing without the ventilator and with just a little help from oxygen through his nose.  This is nice because he can spend more time talking and is sounding more like himself every day!  Another huge change in Brandon has been with his emotions and attitude.  He remains much more positive and less emotional and agitated throughout the day now.  This is a great indication that he is recovering well from his brain trauma and is now ready to focus on what he needs to do to get home!

Keep it up Brandon................                                         or should we call you Superman!

Friday March 2, 2012

Brandon has done well progressing on his ventilator weaning this week. He has been breathing independent from the ventilator with a T-Piece all week. He will have his trachiostomy buttoned today to see how well he tolerates it. We're all very excited for this next step in the weaning process. Earlier in the week Brandon was given a series of swallowing tests to see if he can swallow without aspirating into his lungs. This meant he had to swallow water with a dye followed by a suctioning of his lungs to make sure no dye showed up in his lungs. He had to pass this test three days in a row. He passed the test and was told he could now have ice chips and small amounts of water. He was very happy about this.  


Way to go Brandon!


                         

Tuesday, February 28th

Brandon has had his ups and downs this week.  He has been working really hard with physical therapy but it is not easy work and he gets discouraged at times.  He is gaining strength in his right arm now and is able to do most anything he needs with his left!  We were able to bring his dog, Brick, in on Wednesday to see him!  Brandon had mixed emotions because although it was good to see him, it made him really homesick.  Medication has been an issue again this week.  It is so difficult to find the right balance for Brandon.  He is now able to type on the computer and was able to let us know that he has been having horrible nightmares every night.  This may be because of his medications so they are changing things again.  Because of this, the last couple of days have been difficult for Brandon because he has been agitated and emotional.  Hopefully things will calm down soon and he can get back to working hard to get home!  Brandon is doing wonderfully on his breathing right now.  He is working towards being able to talk in the next few days and possibly being off of the ventilator completely in the next 7 to 10 days!  Even more exciting.......Brandon was able to move his feet!!!! This is extremely exciting because we know that the rest of his body is beginning to wake up!

This is a picture of the door in Brandon's room that was decorated for Valentines day.  It won first prize!

Billy and Cassie decorated Brandon's room for his birthday!

We were able to bring Brick in to see Brandon this week.  He had mixed emotions about this.  He was happy to see Brick but it made him really homesick.

Brandon can now type on the computer with both hands!  This is great because it allows him to let us know in more detail how he is feeling! It is also very good for strengthening his hands!

Keep working hard Brandon! We Love you!!!!

Wednesday, February 22nd

Brandon had a very busy and exciting day yesterday!  It has been a bit of a struggle to get the right types of medicines and dosages to Brandon at the right times.  Over the last few day things have been improving and he has become much less agitated and more calm.  This has allowed him to use a T piece instead of the ventilator for breathing and work harder to do it on his own.  The T piece also allows him to be attached to a mobile oxygen tank so that we can move him around the hospital!  Yesterday he was able to get into a wheelchair and go downstairs to do some physical therapy with a hand bike.  This is extremely exciting and exhausting for Brandon but we hope that it will be a motivation for him and help him to understand how well he is doing.  It has been such a long a difficult couple of months and it is sometimes hard for him to see how much progress he had made.  Today we are planning on bringing Brick, his dog, to the hospital so that he can see him! 

                You are AMAZING Brandon!!!

Friday, February 17th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!
Today is Brandon's 23rd Birthday!  He has had a lot of friends and family come and see him today and is a bit overwhelmed with all the activity.  He is working hard on his breathing right now and they hope to advance him one step closer to being off the ventilator tomorrow!     Brandon is progressing nicely through the steps of coming out of a coma.  He is currently in a bit of an agitated state  but we know that with time and patience (from both him and us) we will get through this trial together.

We love you Brandon !!!

Tuesday, February 14th

Brandon is adjusting to changes at the new care facility.  He is still making great progress with both his right and left hand and is beginning to show more strength with his left arm!  The respiratory therapists have explained to him what he will need to do in order to get off of the ventilator so that he can speak.  We continue to try and understand the words he is mouthing to us but communication is still very limited.  This is very frustrating to Brandon. Because of this agitation and other changes that Brandon is going through, we ask that any visitors call or text Mom or Dad before they come to see him.  This will ensure that he is awake and not in the middle of a therapy and up for visitors.  The best times for visiting will be in the evenings. Brandon loves to have people come and see him and we know that it brightens his spirits!

Mom's Cell 801-358-0627
Dad's Cell 801-636-5327

Thursday, February 9th

On Tuesday, Brandon awoke from his feeding tube procedure and began to try and speak! This was quite a surprise to us and we all scrambled to figure out what he was trying to say. Because of his breathing tube, Brandon is not able to vocalize right now. This is very frustrating to him and we are working to find ways to help him communicate. Brandon is still working hard with the physical therapists and has really started to gain control of his right hand! The plan is to move Brandon to the Utah Valley Specialty Hospital tomorrow. They will help wean him off of the ventilator and continue his physical therapy. We hope that move will help to brighten his spirits. Brandon has been struggling the last few days to understand all that is going on with him.

We love you and are here for you Brandon : )

Monday, February 6th

  This is the smile that brightens our day!

He let me snap this picture of him yesterday!  Brandon has been fighting a fever the last few days and the nurses have been doing their best to keep him cool. He is scheduled to get the feeding tube removed from his nose and put directly into his stomach tomorrow.  This will help him be more comfortable as they continue with his therapy. Yesterday, we removed Brandon's boots to help bring down his fever.  To our surprise, there was a slight twitching movement in both his right and left feet!  This is the first time we have seen any movement in Brandon's feet and we are so excited!!!!  Brandon also gave mom a good chuckle today.  Mom decided to trim his finger and toe nails.  When she finished up with his hands, she moved to his feet.  Mom looked up at Brandon and noticed what looked to be him holding up his middle finger and giving her 'the bird'.  She said, "Brandon you shouldn't do that, are you giving your mother 'the bird'?  She walked up to him and noticed that she had missed clipping his middle finger......! She said, "Oh good, I though you were giving me 'the bird' and every one else an 'I love you'.  He quickly gave her the 'I love you' sign : )

Saturday, February 4th

Brandon completed all three days of plasma replacement therapy successfully.  It was a long procees and really wiped him out so we are really hopeful that he will react positively to this treatment.  Brandon has been sleeping a lot over the last several days but always tries really hard during his various therapy times.  During speech therapy today he was able to answer each of the questions asked with a nod 'yes' or 'no'.  He was also able to mouth the words 'one, two. three' and his name, 'Brandon'! This was really exciting to see because we know that he can mouth the words and should be able to speak them when the time comes!  Brandon is also making huge strides with physical therapy!  He has now started using the muscles in his left arm and shoulder and is getting really good with his left hand.  Throughought the day today he has been randomingly making the sign for 'I Love You'! 

We love you too, buddy!

Brandon has been running a slight fever the last few days and is being treated with antibiotics.  We hope that this will help him feel better soon so that he can prepare to move to the Neuro-Trauma Rehabilitation Unit here at the hospital!  Rumor has it that this may happen as soon as Tuesday, if he is feeling better!

Tuesday, January 31st

Brandon is doing very well.  He slept most of the day on Friday and Saturday but tried really hard to work with the physical therapists when they were in.  On Sunday Dr A decided that it might be beneficial to do the plasma replacement therapy again to make sure that there is not any autoimmune issues that could be causing inflammation.  None of Brandon's tests have shown anything like this but he did seem to react well to the therapy last time. 

Sunday afternoon Brandon really perked up and was giving big smiles and thumb hugs to everyone!  He has also learned to make kisses with his lips and move his eyebrows up and down!  Some of the most exciting improvements for Brandon have been with his head and left hand.  He can now use his left arm to move his wrist and hand and can curl his fingers!  We now call these 'hand hugs' instead of 'thumb hugs' because he has gotten so strong with his left hand. Brandon has been working really hard during physical therapy to hold up his head and move it from side to side.  Yesterday mom and dad were talking about how exciting it will be when he can nod his head 'yes'.  They looked over and Brandon nodded!  They were so excited and asked him if he could shake his head 'no'....and he did that too!  We are so excited and proud of Brandon's hard work.

Keep it up......All your hard work is paying off!!!

Friday, January 27th

Brandon has continued to do well over the last several days.  He has gained more strength and control in his left hand and making progress with his right.  He can now touch each finger to his thumb and move his thumb across the palm on his left hand! He is doing physical, occupational, and speech therapy every day to get stronger.  Brandon can also try and balance his head, just a little, while he is sitting up in bed.  All of this hard work has made Brandon very tired over the last few days but the doctor's say this is to be expected.  He is showing great improvement and we know that he is fighting hard to get back on his feet.

Brandon's bright smiles and constant 'thumb hugs' give us comfort and visions of things to come. We are grateful for this opportunity to show how much we care about Brandon and hope that he is comforted by us as much as we are comforted by him.


We Love you and are so Proud of you Brandon!

Tuesday, January 24th

This picture says a thousand words! We are so Proud of you Brandon!!

It has been a very exciting couple of days for Brandon!  He is really starting to wake up!  He has regained quite a bit of control of his face.  Mom asked him to make sure to give me a smile when I came in to visit him this morning.  I was greeted with a great big cheesy Grin! It really brightened my day.  The physical therapists came in this morning and, as you can see, they got him sitting on the side of the bed with their assistance!  He is also able to move each of his fingers when asked and can now communicate by giving a thumbs up!  Brandon will be getting a visit from the speech and occupational therapists today to start to work with him.  Mom and Dad will be meeting with a consultant next week to find the best place for Brandon once he is released from the ICU!  Words cannot express how wonderful it is to see so much improvement!

Way to go Brandon!!!

Sunday, January 22nd

After a couple of days of good rest and not much activity, Brandon is much more active today.  He has been opening his eyes and trying to focus for several minutes throughout the day!  Mom and Dad held up his picture with Brick (his dog) and he followed it with his eyes as they moved it around.  This type of following gaze is very exciting to see!  He also seems to have gained quite a bit more control of his tongue and he was able to stick it out past his teeth when mom asked him to! More great news......the ventilator has been switched to standby!  This allows Brandon to breath entirely on his own with some additional oxygen to keep his levels high enough.  They will continue to put the machine on standby intermitently until he no longer needs the additional oxygen and then they can take him off of the ventilator completely! Dr. R stopped by this afternoon and is still very optimistic about Brandon's progress and recovery.  He told us to bug Brandon at any time to get him to respond and wake up during the day. This is actual permission, from a professional, to pester our little brother!

We love you Brandon!!!

Friday, January 20th

Brandon continues to have his eyes open for small periods throughout the day. Yesterday he even started to try to communicate with the nurses! They called mom and dad in the night to let them know that they asked him if his head hurt and to blink his eyes once for "yes" and twice for "no". He blinked once so they were able to give him something for the pain. They also asked for him to move his tongue and he did it! While we are not certain that he is communicating, we are hopeful that these actions are intentional. We will keep asking him "yes" and "no" questions to recognize whether or not he is truly communicating and keep you posted!

We expect for Brandon's progress to come slowly and expect there will be days in which there is not much to blog about. Don't be alarmed if there is not a post every day but rest assured that we will write about any changes as soon as they happen.

Our family would like to thank our friends and family for all of the prayers that have been offered for Brandon. We have faith that God is watching over Brandon and our family during this difficult trial. We appreciate your love and encouragement and words of prayer.

So much love....all for you buddy!

Wednesday, January 18th

What comes next......

Now that Brandon is awake, many friends and family are asking the question "what comes next?"  Mom found a really great website that identifies 8 stages of a coma recovery and what we can expect as Brandon wakes up.  It is located at http://www.waiting.com/rancholosamigos.html.  We feel he is currently in between stage II and III of his progression. We are reminded by the doctors that Brandon's recovery will take some time and we can expect some up and down days.

Brandon had another MRI today of his brain and spine.  Dr R. says that the scan showed improvement!  He remains confident that Brandon will fully recover from this trauma in time.  The scan took approximately 4 hours and exhausted him for most of the day.  However, there were a few moments today when he did open his eyes.  One of the student nurses, who did not help with Brandon yesterday, assisted with the MRI today.  Halfway through the scan, while she was turning him, he suddenly opened his eyes! This startled her and she asked, "when did he start doing that?" He also opened his eyes for about 10 minutes this evening!

Another bit of great news today is that the biopsy from the mass removed from Brandon's brain came back as a benign cyst! This means that there should be no further treatment necessary in regards to this mass! 

Whoo-hooo!  You are on your way Brandon!

Citation
Attorney Gordon S. Johnson, Jr./Los Amigos Research and Educational Institute (LAREI). (1990). While you are waiting...... Retrieved from http://www.waiting.com/rancholosamigos.html
             

Tuesday, January 17th

He's Awake!

It feels amazing to be able to say that!  We still do not know what level of consciousness Brandon is experiencing but we do know that he can hear us and is responding to voices and stimulation!  At several points during the day Brandon had his eyes fully open and would turn them to the sound of our voices!  With so much stimulation we can see that he is exhausted and resting well this evening.  While this entire experience has taught us to be cautious for the future, we are humbly grateful for today and look forward to tomorrow.

Our family also wants to take a moment to recognize the fabulous NST ICU staff that have been there for not only Brandon, but us as well.  We have great confidence and respect for the doctors that are treating him. The nurses, technicians, and therapists have treated us with care and sensitivity and have offered us words of encouragement when we need it most.  The care that Brandon has been receiving is outstanding and we know that he is in the best place he can be.  Day after day they have done amazing work and deserve recognition for all the crap that they deal with (figuratively and literally.......ewwww!)

To Our Friends in the UVRMC NST ICU....Thank You!

Monday January 16th

Today was a good day for Brandon. He had a CT scan of his stomach in the morning and everything looked good. This means that the doctor's will be able to insert a feeding tube into his stomach so that they can remove the one from his nose. This will make it much more comfortable for him as he continues to wake up. The nurse said he opened his eyes some of the time he was getting his scan. He also spent more time with his eyes open on and off during the day. We believe he was more awake today. Although he doesn`t show signs of recognition we believe he may understand what is being said and the nurses have stated that we should see more of this as he progresses. Mom spent a lot of time talking to him today, updating him on what has been happening with the family and his dog. I guess this means we can't talk about you while you sleep anymore :) Just kidding, Brandon!

We love you and can't wait to tell you what you have missed!

Sunday, January 15th

Not much change with Brandon today. They did another CT scan of his brain and chest and took out the IV they were using for his plasma replacement therapy. This means that they are done with that treatment for now. He also continued to twitch and blink as he would try to open his eyes throughout the day! It was a very quiet Sunday at the hospital by Brandon's side; offering him our words of love and encouragement!

Saturday, January 14th

Brandon started his day with some irritation to his breathing tube.  The doctors and nurses did a thorough evaluation and have assured us that everything will be fine with it.  He had his 3rd treatment of plasma replacement threapy today.  He did give us a pleasant suprise when they were finishing up.  He was trying very hard to open his eyes a little bit and was doing some blinking!  It was a wonderful moment for us to see his eyes and know that he was struggling to wake up.  He was also reponsive when the nurses were clearing his breathing tube and as Dr. R. gave him a pinch!  Dr R. has scheduled another MRI for him on Tuesday and continues to assure us that he feels Brandon is going to be okay.  We are so very encouraged by this assurance and his fabulous progress today!

Way to go Brandon!

Friday, January 13th

Doctor's are exploring the possibility of an auto-immune response in Brandon and have begun Plasma Replacement Therapy for him. The simple explanation is that they are filtering out the potentially unhealthy plasma from his blood and replacing it with healthy plasma. The tests to determine whether or not certain unhealthy antigeuns exist in Brandon have been sent out and it will take several weeks to get the results. Past experience with this type of therapy can produce positve results so we are anxiously watching him for signs of improvement. As the respiratory therapist was changing the bandages on Brandon's neck today it must have been uncomfortable because his faced winced. This type of response is very encouraging and is what the doctor's have been trying to get out of Brandon for some time! All of us that love Brandon are being given a test in patience and endurance. Every sign of improvement is precious to us and gives us faith and hope that he will be back to us soon.

Love ya, Brand!

Thursday, January 12th

Today has been a very busy day for Brandon. When Doctor C. came in this morning he checked his reflexes and seemed to get some eye movement when he pushed on one of Brandon's fingers! The doctor's have also decided to do some further testing for some auto-immune related causes that they have not previously checked for. Brandon had a short surgery this afternoon to remove the breathing tube from his throat and place it in his neck. This will allow him to be more comfortable by reducing some irritation in his throat. The procedure went great and he is breathing on his own today. We are also very excited to be able to see his handsome face more easily!

Wednesday, January 11th

After all of the excitement yesterday evening, Brandon must have worn himself out.  He seemed to be resting peacefully for most of the day.  His fever was a bit high in the morning but came down through the day.  He also did some breathing on his own today.  Not much improvement today, but very stable and we hope he is resting up for the days to come!

Tuesday , January 10th

Brandon's breathing is really improving! He spent 9-10 hours on his own yesterday and has been breathing unassisted for the majority of today. They will turn the ventilator on tonight so that he can get some rest but we are very encouraged by his progress. He has also maintained his blood pressure and temperature very well today. The most exciting news is that as Billy came in the room this evening he said, "Hey Brandon, how are you doing?"  Brandon's eyes blinked open halfway a couple of times!!!! His eyes are now closed again but this was an obvious response to his brother's voice!
Keep it up, Brandon!

Monday, January 9th

Not much change today. Brandon is still fighting to keep his temperature down, even though it has been more on the lower side. The good news is he is breathing more on his own. Another EEG was done today and we should have some results for that in the next couple of days. There was some excitement in Brandon's room today as his cooling blanket leaked water all over the room. He also had a bloody nose today and has kept his nurse really busy. She was really cute...maybe he was trying to get her attention : ) We are so grateful for all of the well wishes we have been receiving for Brandon and also those wanting to help him financially. Mom and Dad have created a fund at Zions Bank for anyone wishing to donate money. Contributions will be accepted at any Zions Bank under the name of the Brandon R Brown Donation Fund. Not much change today, but another day closer to waking up!

We love you Brandon!

Sunday, January 8th

Brandon's fever has come down significantly this morning and his white blood cell counts have also dropped. His other stats are becoming more stable as well. The Respiratory Therapist switched him off of the ventilator and over to the CPAP setting this morning to test how well he can breath on his own. He was able to sustain this for about an hour! He is now back on the ventilator and appears to be resting. We are so proud of the amount of effort he is showing and I am sure he is exhausted. Although he is still not responding to commands, he appears to be trying to opening his eyes a bit more. We, and the doctors, all feel that these are very encouraging signs!

Saturday, January 7th

It actually snowed this morning and with Brandon’s temperature being so high his window is open.  Brrrrrr………Mom and Dad are wearing coats.  Dr. R had us take a look at the MRI scan from last night and compared it to the last one.  He was pleased to say that there does not appear to be any further signs of decline and hesitated to say that there might even be some improvement.  He proceeded to say that his “gut” feeling is that all of what is going on with Brandon is reversible.  Dad said it best with “We hope your gut is right.”  We also noticed that Brandon’s eyes and eyelids are fluttering a bit and his hiccups are coming back.  We are hopeful that these are all signs of him trying to wake up.  We put on his iPod, hoping that his music will help him feel better.

 You can do it Brandon! It is time to wake up!

Friday, January 6th

Brandon spent the entire evening monitored by an EEG and being videotaped.  From what I saw of the video, it was a real nail biter : )  Dr. R came in to visit us first thing this morning.  He reiterated to us that he does not feel that Brandon has had a Stroke. From his extensive experience of actually operating on the human brain, he does not feel that Brandon displays the symptoms of a classic stroke victim.  The current theory of Brandon’s prognosis is that the tumor in his brain leaked to the surrounding tissues.  This type of chemical meningitis is causing him to have high fevers, difficulty breathing, fluctuating blood pressure, and a lack of response.  The results of Thursday's angiogram showed that the vessels surrounding his brain are working properly.  This is fantastic news!  Dr. R mentioned cases in which patients have woken after months with this type of trauma and urged us to wait patiently. Dr. R is anxious to see the results of the MRI of his entire brain and spine that Brandon is going to have later today.  We felt comforted with Dr. R’s prognosis when he left today.

Dr.  C showed up a little later in the morning and sat down to review the EEG that had been running through the night.  He pointed out the patterns of brain activity and some areas of synchronization which likely means some random minor seizure activity.  This type of seizure can be expected with this type of brain trauma. He verified with the nurses that Brandon is on Dilantin to treat the seizures and recommended that we continue running the EEG until Brandon was taken for his MRI.  During the day Brandon’s fever continued to fluctuate and his breathing and blood pressure were very erratic.  They were able to get his fever under control with the help of a cooling blanket.  His scan was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. but he did not actually go until 6:30 p.m.   The scan was scheduled to take approximately 4 hours so we do not anticipate any results until Saturday. 

We hope that tomorrow will bring good news from his MRI and improvement in his fevers and breathing.