Praying still.  Sounds like he is really coming along.  Hope you are able to
see him and that he does recognize you.  Keep us posted.

Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "BD" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2006 9:53 PM
Subject: Andy update Sunday


> I called Andy's mom. Here is the latest update. They took him for a walk
> down the long hallway, and he did very good. Leaned a little to one side
> but overall very good. They have him sitting up a lot. His head wrap is
> off. They have him strapped in the chair when he is up so he doesn't hurt
> himself somehow. He is very loopy yet from the meds and it is uncertain
> yet if he recognizes people or not. His fiance brought in  his one year
> old son but he didn't  respond much. Andy does talk although  not always
> making sense. He knows his mom but that might be because she has referred
> herself to him as mom so often. He knows his name and birth date but can't
> remember why he is in the hospital. He gets agitated some and will say
> stuff like... "Mom I need to sit down"  when he is sitting down but then
> puts his pillow on the bed. They think his reference to sitting down is
> him meaning he wants to put his feet on the bed while sitting in the
> chair. They said he has a lot of bruising of the brain in the frontal
> area, which controls behavior. Bruising is not repairable in the brain and
> we can only hope  it isn't too severe. I guess the nurses well know he
> remembers how to toss out expletives, but they say this is common in head
> injuries. His mom said he will sit and he is a bit anxious  trying to lean
> forward and reposition himself and etc. The nurses said when he goes for a
> walk he is very content afterwards so the exercise and just getting out of
> bed or the chair probably helps. We just continue to pray his brain isn't
> damaged to a point of not being able to function but in all our wishing,
> we have to remember it hasn't even been two weeks since his accident and
> he is doing great in recovery. They are getting him ready to go to another
> floor, the floor  to begin rehabilitation. Andy has a pretty big hole in
> one elbow they need to do surgery on, as well a couple cracked collar
> bones they need to fix up. Then they figured about 3 to 4 surgeries on his
> head which they'll do last. I am going to head over there Wednesday night
> and get in late and hopefully Thursday go see him if not on the weekend. I
> plan to go in and not tell him who I am to see if he recognizes me. Then
> I'm going to grab his hand and pray with, or for, him, perhaps silently as
> to not cause him distress if he can't understand what  I'm saying, we'll
> see. I appreciate your continued prayer for him for a full recovery. They
> indicated there will be a time when he will have need  for assisted living
> facility as he'll be too healthy for the hospital but not well enough to
> care for himself without supervision. Oh and they took the feeding tube
> off and he is eating well with a good appetite, I believe they are feeding
> him and he is not yet feeding himself. So that is the update for now. I
> was thinking of bringing him a new fishing  rod and reel because Andy
> loves fishing, but  I'm not sure that would be good yet. If I knew he was
> understanding everything, I thought it would be a neat thing for him to
> look on leaning in the corner of his room as incentive to bust out one
> day, but he's got a way to go yet.
>
> Brad
>
>