7th day 10th hour

It was good to see Tony move his legs and shoulders but then his icp went up so they put him Back onto the paralitics. I'm not sure if that means anything but they will probably try taking off it again tomarrow

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Day 7 9th hour

Tony coughed. Good start. They have not put him back on the paralitics. The nurse says it will be a slow process. It could be a couple of weeks before we know if he will come out of it, but it looks like we're into the next process. It will be a long night until I can talk to the doctor and hear what he thinks. Please continue to pray!

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Day 7 hour 6

The nurse turned off the paralytic again at 6. We had to leave the room at 7 for the shift change and can go back in at 8:30. They will be monitoring him, if he has trouble they will turn it back on. The nurse said it won't happen at once, perhaps a twitch of an eye or leg movement. Please pray for him to come out of it.

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7th day 5th hour

Tony's vitals still good. The nurse turned the paralytic down slightly again to see how he will do. The plan again is to take him off entirely in a couple days. He will still be on other pain killers and sedatives, but his body won't be paralized.

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Bigger than Mountains

I arrived in Fresno (where Tony is) from London yesterday evening. It was a long journey, but Jesus enabled me to get on trains, automobiles, and planes that had no room for me to make the journey. It is good to be here although there is a profound sense helplessness. Probably anybody who is reading this can identify with that sense of helplessness in a situation that is so beyond our abilities or perceived abilities. In all honesty, I am thankful for the sense of helplessness. This comment may strike some of you as strange, so let me explain what I mean. Often times we think we are able to do more than we actually can. Realizing our helplessness, causes us to call out for help. But who should we call? What is the best source of help?

Psalm 121:1-2 gives us the answer in these words, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

In these verses, the Psalmist realizes that help must come from somewhere greater than himself. He looks to the hills (mountains), not because the mountains can help, but because God who made those mountains as well as heaven and earth has power to help.

When we are overwhelmed by the impossibility of circumstances, we are reminded to search for the answer, not in ourselves, but in our Maker. God is the source of help, for Jesus alone has power to save.

Are you feeling helpless right now? Find some mountains. Look up at them. Then remember that Jesus has conquered the mountains that overwhelm us for he who made heaven and earth has power to save. This is where enduring help is found. Jesus is bigger than all of our mountains.

Day 7 hour 0

Tony still seems to be holding good vitals. I left to take a short nap and just got back in his room so I'm waiting for his nurse to come back into the room. The 2nd drain they put into his brain seems to be working to control the spikes, but he still is in very critical condition. We still don't know if he will wake up from the coma when the paralytic is stopped. Mike and Matt went to empty the rest of Tony's things out of his car. The tow truck driver told them a 23 year old girl was killed instantly when she was hit by a truck in the same spot last month.

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Day 6 21st hour

Tony's CPI is staying in a good range. they would like to see it remain stable for a day or two before trying to adjust his meds again. Baby steps. The nurse seems more encouraged today.

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6th day 6th hour

Tony had a good night last night. No spikes. Hopefully they will start backing him off the paralytic again today.

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Matt

Matt just got in from London so he is here to visit with Tony for the 1st time. Mike's sister Phyllis and aunt Ann drove up earlier in the week for a visit and my sister Elisha and brother Dan came up last night. It is nice to have some family around. we also had Some visitors from family camp Where we were headed come down the mountain for a visit. We have also had a few pastors come by to pray over Tony. We have really come to realize we are part of a very large family of God. We have felt a large outpouring of love for which we are very grateful.
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6th day 8th hour

Tony is resting comfortably. They are going to leave him on his meds where they were because he is doing well and they want him to get a good nights rest. No big spikes since last night.

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Day 6 5 hour

Tony got an X-ray for pneumonia . He has a bit of a fever. The doctor told us he would get it by day 6 because of the breathing tube, so it's part of the process. They are giving him medication for that. They
Just put his paralytic dosage back up to were it was to level out his breathing, but his icp was fine. They still plan to wean him off the paralytic gradually.

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Day 6 1 hour

No big spikes since this morning. They decreased his paralytic slightly, but they may have to bring it back up depending on how he does.

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5th day 23rd hour

They are done with the scan, I haven't heard any results yet. I am encouraged that his CPI only jumped up to 25 after they did the scan. I am hoping he is getting to the down side of the swelling peak. still too early to say.
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Day5 21st hour

We just talked to the doctor. They didn't do the scan last night, they decided to wait until he was more stable. they will do one today and bring a portable one to his room. They are just checking the positioning of the drain they put in to make sure they didn't hit any blood vessels.
He was getting a medication to keep his blood pressure up to keep the blood flowing to his brain. they have stopped that one. The doctor this morning said the swelling could last a couple of weeks and should peak around 5 or 6 days.

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Thank you

We would just like to take a moment thank everyone for their comments and prayers. We have been reading everyone and they have given us some comfort. I also want to thank our almighty God keeping Tony alive.

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Day 5 hour 20

We just got Bach in with Tony. His levels look good. Icp(inter-cranial pressure) is a 0 right now. The nurse said he was going to get another scan last night, we are just waiting to talk to the doctor.

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5th day 15th hour

Tony's swelling was up to 36 when I came into the room but the nurse said she had just done something that made them go up. It is back down to 5 right now.

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5th day 13th hour

They finished the procedure. It is working as intended

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5th day 11th hour

The doctor is preparing to do the operation right now. Tony is still spiking. It should take about an hour. Please pray.

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Day 5 hour 9

Just spoke to the nurse, THey are going wait to do the surgery until he spikes again. She said their are a lot of risks with the surgery and the meds are still working so keep praying. She said maybe to today or tomorrow the swelling could slow down. They just don't know. Please keep praying for a full recovery.

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Day5 8th hour

Still waiting for the surgery. Shift change is going on now, hopefully at 8:30 we can get another update.

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Day 5 hour 4

Tony had another big spike 45. They need to clean his tubes and turn him and even though he is sedated he doesn't like it and it causes the swelling to spike. The meds are still bringing it down. they gave him some meds that will thicken his blood for surgery but it didn't thicken it yet so they are giving him some more. They will be giving him a tube that will extend to the middle of his brain and drain fluids from there. We are just waiting til he is ready.

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Day 4 24 hour

They are giving blood right now, they are going to put another drain in his brain to control the swelling. Hopefully that will stabilize things enough so they can take him off the paralytic and hopefully he will wake up. The one doctor told us today she didn't think he will wake up, our God is an awesome God and through him all things are possible. So please pray that the Lord will grant us this one miracle.
Thank you all for your prayers and support.

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Fervent Prayer

I just got off the phone with my mom who just spoke to the doctor. The doctor doesn't think Tony is going to make it. They will have another doctor later today give a second opinion.

Medically speaking, there doesn't seem to be any hope of recovery. Every time the swelling spikes, it is causing more damage and the spikes keep coming.

We cannot simply trust in the power of doctors to heal. Their power is limited. They cannot grant life, and this is out of their power to heal. HOWEVER, this is not beyond Jesus' power to heal. Jesus gets the last word. Pray for Tony now. He is in need of Jesus' healing power.

Please continue to pray for Tony in this fight for life.

Day 4 20th hour

Just spoke with the doctor. Please pray. She says because of the spikes she doesn't think he will wake up.

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Day 4 21st hour

Tony had another spike last night around 36, they increased the meds so he is at 2 right now. We are waiting to see the doctor right now for an update. We got a lot of rest yesterday so physically I'm feeling stronger today. Thanks for your prayers.

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Day 4 hour 8

Tony's CPI has been spiking to around 45 but he still is responding to the increase in meds to bring it down. He is at 10 right now which is good. 45 is very dangerous so they probably won't take him off the paralytic tomorrow. They like to see the CPI remain low consistently for awhile before they try to get him conscious. We just have to take things day by day because Tony has a lot of places in his brain that are injured and it's very hard to predict when things will happen.

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Day 4 hour 5

Tony's icp went up to 40 for a little while today after he got back into his room, probably as a result of being moved around for the procedure he had. THey got it back down to 4 which is good. He is still in critical condition but the meds are still working.
Mike and I are spending a lot of time resting today so we can stay healthy. So far the doctors have asked that we not stimulate him because they want him to be in complete rest to keep him from swelling. There will be a point where that will change and we need to be ready.
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Day 4 3rd hour

Tony is back in his room. The nurses are changing shifts right now so we will see him in a little while. PLease pray for Mike an my health. We were both getting over a cold when all this happened. We have been wearing masks when we are with Tony to protect him. We have been spending less time in his room today because of this but all I really want to do is be at his side.
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4th day hour 0

Waiting for the doctor to come. They are taking Tony into surgery in about half an hour so they can put in something like a strainer to filter his blood for clots. Normally if someone is lying in bed like this for so long they would give him a blood thinner. Since they don't want his brain to start bleeding again, they can't do that. His meds are still controlling his swelling for now.

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Day 3 22nd hour

TOny is still in critical condition. Hopefully they will still be able to stop the sedation tomarrow, it is possible they may have to wait a little longer as people sometimes do swell at a different rate. So far the drugs are still working and he doesn't need the bone surgery yet, but he still may.

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Day3 hour 15

Tony is still responding well to meds.

Waiting

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I do hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

In a situation like Tony's, there is a real sense of helplessness. All we can do whether 6000, 400, or 1 mile(s) away is wait on God and hope in his promises. I am choosing to wait actively on God who makes all things beautiful in his time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

I write this because it may be of some help and encouragement for some of you. What does waiting on God in a situation like this look like? Here's what it looks like for me right now.

Realize my own powerlessness - not just in this situation, but in all things. My breath, talents, family, even when, where, and to whom I was born are all gifts of God. Nobody is the Invictus, captain of their fate and master of their soul. Therefore, since my own power is an illusion, I look to him who has all power. This causes me to ask God (pray) for my brother's life. I cannot grant life. My positive thinking might change my outlook, but it doesn't change circumstances. I have no power. Even the power the doctors have is a gift from God. It is to God that I must pray. At the end of the day, Tony is better off in God's hands than in mine.

Rest in my storms - my soul can wait even in urgency when I realize that God is in control. Waves can crash about and gail force winds can blow with such force that would cause uncertainty, despair, and confusion. But the soul that finds rest in God alone, is the soul that weathers the storm, for God gives strength in place of our weakness. My prayer is that God would sustain myself and all those in this storm, especially Tony for whom this storm is most real. Jesus was able to sleep in the storm on the Sea of Galilee while the disciples were in panic. I need to keep looking to Jesus who is the giver of real rest.

Rely on God's word - I find comfort, direction, encouragement in God's word (Bible). My thoughts can get carried away, but God's word is a plumb-line that brings me back to the place of a quieted soul which is trusting in the reality of God's truth.

3rd day 8th hour

Because of the swelling spikes earlier in the day the doctor was concerned that there was enough room for the expansion so they took another scan to see if they needed to remove a piece of bone in Tony's skull to make room for the expansion. The piece would be put back later a few months down the road. Fortunately, this scan looked better than the last one, so for now they opted not to do the surgery. His numbers are still looking good. We are going to try to sleep now so probably won't blog til morning.

Day 3 hour 6

The hospital got Mike and I into "Terry's House" which is a Ronald mcdonalds house for family's like us who are out of town to be with a family member in the hospital. it is only $30 a day and is right across the street from the hospital so we will be sleaping in a bed instead of hospital chairs. the nurses are changing shifts right now so the critical unit will be closed to visitors for 1.5 hours while the staff update the incoming on the condition of their patients. Tony is still responding well to the meds right now.

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Day 3, 5th hour

Tonys swelling has gone up again a few times (as the doctors said it would) but the meds are still working well to control it and bring it back down with a diuretic. His vitals are still where the doctors would like them. The prediction was that swelling would increase though tomarrow. Then hopefully move to phase 2. He is still on the critical list.

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Day three 2 hours in

The swelling on Tony's brain went up last night(as the doctors predicted) but the good news is they were able to adjust it by increasing his meds. He is still in critical condition. If they are able to keep things under control, they are planning to take him off the medication that is sedating him on Tuesday. The doctor said that if a person is going to come out of a coma, they will usually do it within 3 days after this happens. It might take Tony a little longer because he is on very strong meds. Once he is conscious, they can start to assess any damage that might have occured as a result from the trauma to his brain. From the ct scan it shows something on the frontal lobe and on the right side of his brain. they cannot tell from looking at the scan if any of this is permanent or not. It will be a slow process and we will have to take it one day at a time.

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Not Out Of The Woods

I just got off the phone with mom and she says that Tony's "signs are where they want them to be." This is encouraging news, but he's is still in critical condition. The next couple days should tell us a lot.

Please continue to pray to Jesus for Tony's recovery.

The Accident

My little brother Tony was in a serious auto accident Friday, shortly before noon. On his way up to the family vacation, he was in a car accident with a semi-truck. Tony was air-lifted to a hospital in Fresno, CA where they had to put him into a medically induced coma.

Tony's brain was 50% swollen, so the doctors put a tube in him to drain the fluids on the brain. The swelling dropped to 20%, which is was obviously much better. At the moment it has dropped down to 6% swelling which i good news. However the doctor has said that the next four days are critical (life and death). The brain can swell a great deal over the next few days.

Tony has some other injuries (such as to his spleen), but the doctors are concentrating on the brain right now.

It is too early to give timelines, but the doctors say that if he makes it through these four days he will have a long recovery.

Please pray for Tony in this time. God is good, even in the worst of life's seasons.

My mom or I will be updating this blog when information comes in so you can all be up to date.

If you have prayer networks, please put Tony on the list. If you're not a Christian and you have Christian friends, please ask them to pray for Tony.

Thank you.


My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26)