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 !!!