Today was a good day for Brian. He got up several times to walk around and has begun moving around much more. He is pushing himself to get better and the nurses are confident that he will be home for Christmas.
When I left him tonight he was in a new room and seemed pretty content. If you want to visit just give me a call and I'll give you his room information.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Brian's accident
By now most of you have heard that Brian had an accident (and no, he wasn't putting up Christmas lights). Wednesday the 15th He was helping a member of the branch put a roof on his shed, stepped through some insulation and fell 16 ft to the concrete floor below. He broke his collar bone, shoulder blade, ribs 2-10 (9 in all), pelvis, tail bone, and punctured his lung, along with a concussion. He has a chest tube in to drain any fluid build-up in the lung cavity.
He was helivaced into Phoenix and was admitted into the ICU at John C Lincoln Memorial. The doctors and nurses hope to have him home for Christmas.
Brian has been getting out of bed, walking and sitting up, and has some excersizes to help his lung heal faster. Right now the nurses biggest concern is a blood clot. Because he has so many injusries he doesn't want to move too much. But I think we lit a fire under him today because he seems to be a little more willing to flex his muscles and do his therapy.
Right now I am staying in Mesa with Brian's sister Cassey. I have Sydney with me and Devyn and Kori are in Tucson with my sister Becca.
Brian has had several visitors and enjoys seeing everyone. The ICU requests that no more than 2 people are in the room at a time and that the visits be kept under 20 min.
We appreciate all the prayers and support. I have had several people ask what they can do to help. The two things that I can think of that we need are help watching Sydney while I am in the hospital with Brian, no one under 13 is allowed in the ICU, and gas money because the hospital is 25 miles away and I make several trips because of nursing Sydney.
Thank you so much everyone and I will try to keep everyone updated.
He was helivaced into Phoenix and was admitted into the ICU at John C Lincoln Memorial. The doctors and nurses hope to have him home for Christmas.
Brian has been getting out of bed, walking and sitting up, and has some excersizes to help his lung heal faster. Right now the nurses biggest concern is a blood clot. Because he has so many injusries he doesn't want to move too much. But I think we lit a fire under him today because he seems to be a little more willing to flex his muscles and do his therapy.
Right now I am staying in Mesa with Brian's sister Cassey. I have Sydney with me and Devyn and Kori are in Tucson with my sister Becca.
Brian has had several visitors and enjoys seeing everyone. The ICU requests that no more than 2 people are in the room at a time and that the visits be kept under 20 min.
We appreciate all the prayers and support. I have had several people ask what they can do to help. The two things that I can think of that we need are help watching Sydney while I am in the hospital with Brian, no one under 13 is allowed in the ICU, and gas money because the hospital is 25 miles away and I make several trips because of nursing Sydney.
Thank you so much everyone and I will try to keep everyone updated.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Swimming Pool of Doom!
So, this is mainly for your benefit Sariah...you really need to join Facebook, I think you would love it.
Brian and I received an above ground pool from some friends at the end of last summer. We got all ready and got it set up but realized a hose to our chlorine generator (a saltwater pool system) was broken. I thought I could fix it but couldn't so we ordered a new one...the problem was that we had already put the salt in and we couldn't put any chlorine in so....we had a bit of a swampy mess.
Before
Brian and I received an above ground pool from some friends at the end of last summer. We got all ready and got it set up but realized a hose to our chlorine generator (a saltwater pool system) was broken. I thought I could fix it but couldn't so we ordered a new one...the problem was that we had already put the salt in and we couldn't put any chlorine in so....we had a bit of a swampy mess.
Before
BRIAN DOESN'T NEED SURGERY!
YAY! So Brian had his appointment with the surgeon, that we have waited for a month to get and the verdict is....he HAD a Perilymphatic fistula, or hole in his ear, which has healed itself improperly, making his ear think it's still there or something. So, the surgeon has diagnosed him with Endolymphatic Hydrops which he is treating with a 6 day steroid regimen, and a low sodium diet, to help relieve pressure in his ear. The surgeon believes Brian will be showing an improvement in two weeks and should be completely recovered within a month. YAY! Brian is bringing home is MRI and CT scans so hopefully I will be able to post those as well. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A light at the end of the tunnel?
Sariah and Brian's wedding was this weekend. We had a lot of fun. Devyn and Kori had so much fun they didn't want to leave Tucson. They wanted to stay in the hotel. I made the dresses they wore (which most of you know) and they turned out super cute.Brian had another round of testing on Monday. The tech said that the results were indicative of a fistula. SO.......Brian is making calls, trying to get appointments to see a surgeon. His therapist is helping, calling her Dr, the one she works closely with, to see if we can get him in and get the surgery done before the baby comes. We are so hoping that it will happen soon. Keep us in your prayers!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
April Update
Things here in Salome are pretty quiet. The snowbirds are packing up and traffic is dying down.
Brian is in therapy now and his therapist wants him to get a second opinion on his diagnosis. His therapist is very confused by a lot of his symptoms...his balance is great with his feet and his eyes, but when he closes his eyes and they put him on a moving platform he goes downhill. most of us have a working inner ear but his isn't. Now you're all probably saying well we knew that, but there are arguments as to why, which is why his therapist suggests a second opinion with new tests all over again.
As for the girls, Devyn and Kori have been learning sign language and as a result I am too. So far our vocabulary is 15 or so words, but we add new words every week. They have been playing on Starfall.com a lot and Kori can now navigate using the mouse which is a curse and a blessing because every time I come back to the computer she has opened a new window or changed a setting.
The pregnancy is going well, I am focusing on not gaining too much weight with this baby but find myself snacking way too much...I need to get more fruits and veggies so I'm not eating cookies....I love pastries *sigh*
Brian is in therapy now and his therapist wants him to get a second opinion on his diagnosis. His therapist is very confused by a lot of his symptoms...his balance is great with his feet and his eyes, but when he closes his eyes and they put him on a moving platform he goes downhill. most of us have a working inner ear but his isn't. Now you're all probably saying well we knew that, but there are arguments as to why, which is why his therapist suggests a second opinion with new tests all over again.
As for the girls, Devyn and Kori have been learning sign language and as a result I am too. So far our vocabulary is 15 or so words, but we add new words every week. They have been playing on Starfall.com a lot and Kori can now navigate using the mouse which is a curse and a blessing because every time I come back to the computer she has opened a new window or changed a setting.
The pregnancy is going well, I am focusing on not gaining too much weight with this baby but find myself snacking way too much...I need to get more fruits and veggies so I'm not eating cookies....I love pastries *sigh*
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Brian has a diagnosis!
So, Brian got more testing done. He met with the neurologist on Monday and was told he has a dysfunctional utricle (utrical). It is a very, very new disorder. So recently discovered in fact that there is no definitive treatment for it. The 'treatment' right now is to aggravate the symptoms in a controlled environment and hope the brain gets sick of the reaction and basically ignores the utricle.
The doctors estimate is that it will take 3-6 months of thereapy to relieve the symptoms. Hopefully it takes less but in the mean time he is still staying with his grandma in Mesa. We are grateful that he has the family to support him there.
As for us I have had the realization that when I am stressed my uterus contracts. So, I have to keep myself calm and serene when dealing with the girls, and it has actually helped me a lot! The week I was alone with the girls I felt like they were listening better, but that could just be me. Last week I had Dad here to help and this week Becca has given up her spring break to come help me clean my house. It feels very good to get rid of the clutter.
We are grateful to all who prayed for us, and lent their support. We love you all!
The doctors estimate is that it will take 3-6 months of thereapy to relieve the symptoms. Hopefully it takes less but in the mean time he is still staying with his grandma in Mesa. We are grateful that he has the family to support him there.
As for us I have had the realization that when I am stressed my uterus contracts. So, I have to keep myself calm and serene when dealing with the girls, and it has actually helped me a lot! The week I was alone with the girls I felt like they were listening better, but that could just be me. Last week I had Dad here to help and this week Becca has given up her spring break to come help me clean my house. It feels very good to get rid of the clutter.
We are grateful to all who prayed for us, and lent their support. We love you all!
Monday, March 2, 2009
The neurologist...
I have to say, this guy was Brian's favorite doctor by far! He was very personable and in depth with everything...he even ran Brian through some minor motion tests to get an idea of his limitations.
So, according to Dr. Fife (the neurologist) there are two possible explanations for Brian's symptoms. One of them is a series of holes in his inner ear that are causing improper pressure changes and fluid mixtures. The other option is a malformed bone in his inner ear. I'm not quite sure why it would wait till now to show up but the doc wants to rule it out with a CT scan. The other condition will be tested with a series of physical and balance tests.
At present Brian has been able to resume some work. He has been given a position at DPS headquarters in Phoenix, which unfortunately means that he is living there for the time being, and since his parents moved to Texas this weekend the girls and I have nowhere to stay that is big enough for two whirlwinds, so we're home in Salome.
To make the situation more complicated I was experiencing some contractions last week, I spoke with me OB about it and she told me to drink more water and try to be a little less active. I think part of the problem was the shear amount of stress that Brian's situation has caused, along with of course the responsibilities of raising two toddlers who have a hard time sitting still for more than 5 minutes at a time. We are just praying that things will be resolved soon and that Brian can come home!
So, according to Dr. Fife (the neurologist) there are two possible explanations for Brian's symptoms. One of them is a series of holes in his inner ear that are causing improper pressure changes and fluid mixtures. The other option is a malformed bone in his inner ear. I'm not quite sure why it would wait till now to show up but the doc wants to rule it out with a CT scan. The other condition will be tested with a series of physical and balance tests.
At present Brian has been able to resume some work. He has been given a position at DPS headquarters in Phoenix, which unfortunately means that he is living there for the time being, and since his parents moved to Texas this weekend the girls and I have nowhere to stay that is big enough for two whirlwinds, so we're home in Salome.
To make the situation more complicated I was experiencing some contractions last week, I spoke with me OB about it and she told me to drink more water and try to be a little less active. I think part of the problem was the shear amount of stress that Brian's situation has caused, along with of course the responsibilities of raising two toddlers who have a hard time sitting still for more than 5 minutes at a time. We are just praying that things will be resolved soon and that Brian can come home!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Brian's diagnoses...
So, we had an appointment with the ENT on Monday to find out the results of the MRI and other tests Brian has done. The prognosis is......none of the above. Apparently Brian's symptoms touch on all of the before mentioned medical problems but none point to one definite diagnosis, so we are off to yet another doctor, a neurologist this time to hopefully find out what is going on in Brian's head.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Salome Annual Chili-cookoff
Well, today was the McMullen Valley Annual Chili and Salsa Cook-off. The community showed up in droves. There were art exhibits, entertainment, music, singing, dancing, a classic car and hot rod show (Brian's Favorite) and even an exhibition on precision motorcycle riding. There were also model airplane shows and a huge water balloon fight for the kids. It was all around a good day.
This thing threw us for a loop...it's called a t-rex, if you
want more angles of it Brian got a bunch (of course) Maybe
I'll have him post some more of his favorite cars he saw.
This thing threw us for a loop...it's called a t-rex, if youwant more angles of it Brian got a bunch (of course) Maybe
I'll have him post some more of his favorite cars he saw.
Our life in February
So, a couple of months ago Brian had a few days where he was dizzy and a little uncoordinated with a plugged ear. The episode passed and things went back to normal. The ear stayed plugged so we rinsed it out with warm water and peroxide and that seemed to help. At the end of January beginning of February Brian got a cold followed by what we were told was an ear infection, with the symptoms of dizziness/ nausea, ear blockage and the ringing. Brian went on an antibiotic and ear drops hoping they would help the symptoms. After a week they hadn't helped and his dizzy episodes were getting worse so we took him back into the Doctor and were told there were a few explanations for his symptoms. The first and least invasive is positional vertigo, the next is meniere's disease, and after seeing an ENT (ear, nose & throat) specialist were told it could also be a tumor. So after several visits and an MRI, balance and hearing test...the doctor will tell us on Monday. But until then if you could keep Brian in your prayers and ask that he might be able to return to work soon we would appreciate it very much.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A new baby update...
Well, I have waited my allotted time and now I have to post something new.
The pregnancy is going well. I had an appointment 3 weeks ago and got some pictures I kept meaning to put up of Skeletor baby. In the first one you can see "his/her" eye sockets and face and such. In the second one the baby is actually cuddling with the umbilical cord. It was actually really interesting to see. I had a medical student doing the ultrasound and she said she had never seen anything like it (probably because she was a medical student).
The pregnancy is going well. I had an appointment 3 weeks ago and got some pictures I kept meaning to put up of Skeletor baby. In the first one you can see "his/her" eye sockets and face and such. In the second one the baby is actually cuddling with the umbilical cord. It was actually really interesting to see. I had a medical student doing the ultrasound and she said she had never seen anything like it (probably because she was a medical student).
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Pregnancy
I figure I should let everyone know how baby #3 is doing. I have signed up for a weekly e-mail updating me on how the baby is growing and the like. My favorite part is a section where they compare the baby's growth to different foods. http://www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size. Week twelve has the baby at the size of a lime. you can check out the rest of the slideshow...it's pretty funny to see what fruit or vegetable they compare the baby to next. More to come. My first Dr's appointment is the 27th. Wish me luck.
Christmas & New Years
Well, I figure it's about time for another update.
Brian and I have had a parade of people through our house over the last month. Christmas eve came with a sick Devyn, and most of Brian's brothers and sisters. We had a birthday dinner with 13 people in our small Salome home. We borrowed quads from a member of our ward and entertained most everyone that way. Christmas morning was a whirlwind...I may have been opening presents but for the most part I didn't realize what I had gotten until Monday the 29th, after all the traveling was done. We had everyone leave by Saturday the 27th along with me and the girls who headed down to Tucson to see little Liam's blessing. It was great to see everyone and spend time with family and friends. On Monday we went to the park and got some fun pictures.
We left Monday night, Dad and Viv stopped by for the night on Tuesday and left Wednesday morning for Utah and Becca decided to come visit us on New years day! The girls loved having her here and it was nice to have her company. She left on the 9th. Then Brian's sister Cassey came for a visit Monday the 12th intending to leave Wednesday morning but we sucked her in 'till today (Friday). We took her out to Quartzsite to see a huge swap meet that takes place there every year. (we also took Becca but we went too late in the day and didn't get to see much) We saw lots of shops found some great t-shirts that change color in the sun (from a shop called Del-Sol that has locations all over) and even got a chance to see baby turtles. We have decided that they would make great pets and are going to get three. We just need to buy the tank and some other supplies, then we'll go back and buy our cute little guys. They already have names too. Devyn will name hers "Mr. Pettybones" Koris will be called "Turtle" and Brian and I will name ours "Tank"(as in a steel vehicle with a gun not a fish tank). They are Red eared sliders if you want to look them up. Way cute and very friendly. The girls won't be able to play with them much for the first year until their shells get thicker and the turtles are hardier but after that they will be hands on!
Brian and I have had a parade of people through our house over the last month. Christmas eve came with a sick Devyn, and most of Brian's brothers and sisters. We had a birthday dinner with 13 people in our small Salome home. We borrowed quads from a member of our ward and entertained most everyone that way. Christmas morning was a whirlwind...I may have been opening presents but for the most part I didn't realize what I had gotten until Monday the 29th, after all the traveling was done. We had everyone leave by Saturday the 27th along with me and the girls who headed down to Tucson to see little Liam's blessing. It was great to see everyone and spend time with family and friends. On Monday we went to the park and got some fun pictures.
We left Monday night, Dad and Viv stopped by for the night on Tuesday and left Wednesday morning for Utah and Becca decided to come visit us on New years day! The girls loved having her here and it was nice to have her company. She left on the 9th. Then Brian's sister Cassey came for a visit Monday the 12th intending to leave Wednesday morning but we sucked her in 'till today (Friday). We took her out to Quartzsite to see a huge swap meet that takes place there every year. (we also took Becca but we went too late in the day and didn't get to see much) We saw lots of shops found some great t-shirts that change color in the sun (from a shop called Del-Sol that has locations all over) and even got a chance to see baby turtles. We have decided that they would make great pets and are going to get three. We just need to buy the tank and some other supplies, then we'll go back and buy our cute little guys. They already have names too. Devyn will name hers "Mr. Pettybones" Koris will be called "Turtle" and Brian and I will name ours "Tank"(as in a steel vehicle with a gun not a fish tank). They are Red eared sliders if you want to look them up. Way cute and very friendly. The girls won't be able to play with them much for the first year until their shells get thicker and the turtles are hardier but after that they will be hands on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
