Also, Cale’s right arm has been staying bent at the elbow and been getting tighter everyday so yesterday they brought in an elbow splint to start working it to straighten up. He hates it! Today, Beth and I took it off shortly after putting it on because his wrist was turning purple from trying so hard to bend his arm. He’s stubborn :)
Today I put in the speaking valve and had him listening to his favorite band. I was kind of hoping he would just start singing! That would have been great. Maybe one day soon!
Here’s a picture of his new bed…even though it may be only for tonight… :)
Very exciting that he is well enough to be moved. This is a giant leap forward darling Darling! can't wait for more updates. Just one day at a time sweet Jesus........
ReplyDeleteLove you honey.......
I'm happy you're finally going to be moving to WakeMed. I'll bet Cale would have a blast in that bed if he could see it! Love you both.
ReplyDeleteKathleen,
ReplyDeleteI read the article in the TriCity Herald today and knew that I needed to send you a note of encouragement. My prayers are with you and Cale.
First of all, I have come to know that there are no coincidences and secondly I have learned through experience that in all things be patient and wait on the Lord. The reason I share this with you is because my son was in an accident in 2002 and was in a coma. His name is also Caleb. He is 27 and is healthy and working in Texas as a lineman.
Caleb was in Kadlec, in a coma in intensive care for 6 weeks. During that time his doctors could only tell me that his healing would be a process and I had to be patient. He developed MRSA staff from the tracheotomy and the antibiotics resulted in his not being able to be fed via tubes, so a port was installed for IV supplements. The goal at Kadlec was to get him stable. As time went by and I waited every day for a sign of improvement, there was no encouraging signs and one of the nurses started telling me that I needed to get him moved to a rehabilitation facility. I couldn't understand how that would be better since Kadlec was keeping him alive and that hospital room seemed to be my new home and a place I knew he was safe. It became my world - day in and day out. Little did I understand how correct this nurse was. The doctor started hinting we needed to move him and I questioned "how and why"? No improvement had occurred during this time. I had investigated several facilites the nurse told me about. With little notice, one day at the end of the sixth week, the doctor told me Caleb was going to be moved the next day if he remained stable. I definitely did not believe this was a good thing. How wrong I was!
At Good Samaritan, they had a team of specialists, doctors and therapists. They had a system and a plan because dealing with head injuries was their expertise. Their job was not to keep him stable, rather their job was to get rehabilitation going. I questioned how they could do that when he was still in a coma. They began yanking all the tubes out and he was still in a coma. I couldn't believe it and I was frightened. But they had a process, plan and a schedule for him, regardless of his being in a coma.
Caleb was moved on Friday - he woke up on Sunday. I was there alone with him when he woke up. It is a moment that brings me to tears and awe when I recall it. He spent the next 6 weeks in inpatient rehabilitation. He had to learn how to walk again. His rehabilitation progressed fast once he woke up.
Cale is young and is blessed to have you as his wife. His brain is healing and God is taking care of him. It is difficult to be patient and wait for him to wake. In reading your note today and seeing the picture, the timing for Cales move seems to be the same as for my son, Caleb. After he was moved, Caleb had a bed like the one in your photo. You husband's healing process and the timing seems similar to my son's.
My prayers are with you both.
Wendy