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!