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!