Day 36 hour 9

Tony went on his computer for the first time since the accident. Unfortunately I don't know if the rehab center has wifi so he couldn't get onto the internet. We watched a next generation star trek episode on it which he picked out and started on his own. Hopefully tomorrow they will do their evaluation of him and we can get him on a schedule. I really want to see them work on his eating so he can get the tach and the feeding peg removed. Tony is also wanting to try and walk again.

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Day 35 hour 11

Tony had a good day today. He was talking a lot more and his memory recall was also getting better. Phyllis was in to see him and they had a really nice visit. Tomorrow is there free day so no physical therapy. I'm really wanting to get through the physical therapy so we can bring him home.

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Day 34 hour 18

getting ready to go to the rehab center. From the physical therapist in Fresno I found out a little bit of what will probably happen in rehab. He should have about 3 hours a day six days a week of intense rehab. After an accident like Tony's the brain looses a lot of pathways to information. It's like a hiking trail in tall grass that easily shows you the way to go. When the grass is mowed you have to make new paths to connect that get stronger with repetition. The therapist said eventually they will probably have Tony do things like walk and juggle at the same time to re stimulate multitasking abilities. Right now Tony is in a phase where these paths are starting to re-connect but sometimes the information gets crossed so the mind will try and make sense of it by piecing different memories together and fabricate a conclusion. His brain is also working on getting normal functions going like getting up to go to the bathroom. (which he is not allowed to do yet because he is not stable enough for it to be safe.) so he can get obsessed with wanting to do that. He has a long way to go but every day I can see some progress.

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Day 35 hour 10

Tony transferred to Rancho Los amigos this afternoon. I just got home from the hospital a few minutes ago. It's been a very long day. Hopefully we will be able to talk to someone at the rehab center soon and get more of an idea of what will come next. Tony has come a long way but he still has a long way to go.

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Day 34 hour 3

Tony has been quiet all day today. He is in some pain from the peg feeding tube operation. they just changed out his tracheotomy tube so he is one step closer to being able to get that out. sounds like he will be getting transferred by ambulance tomorrow to Rancho Los Amigos in Downey. He is looking forward to getting closer to being home.

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Day 33 hour 22

Tony is back in his room after the surgery.

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Day 33 hour 19

Tony is in surgery right now for his peg tube so please keep him in prayer.

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Day 33 hour 7

Tony is still in Fresno. Please pray for the insurance to come through for Rancho Los Amigos. I think the plan is for him to be moved on Friday. They are going to do the feeding peg tomorrow. He was able to swallow much better today but did get a little bit down the wrong pipe. They don't want him to get pneumonia from food going down the wrong way and end up on a ventilator in the ICU again. They think the peg will be the best way to get him the calories he needs for rehab. On the bright side they may also change out his tracheotomy tube tomorrow for one that can get the button on it.
He walked about 10 steps with a walker in rehab as well as sat in the wheelchair for another 2 hours today.

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Day 32 hour 19

Tony may get moved to Downey today. The nurse told us they would be moving him today but sometimes that can mean a couple days.

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Day 32 hour 1

The mornings are getting busy for Tony. His physical therapist was in today. He had Tony take 3 or 4 steps with a walker and then had him sit in a wheelchair for 2 hours. Tony was very tired after that and is taking a little nap. Hoping his speech therapist will be in today to try some more food. She is still recommending the peg tube but one of his doctors would like to see if he can skip having that done and eat. So please keep praying. They are also talking about changing his tracheotomy tube any time now. the speech therapist says they could probably put the button on the next day after they change it. It would really be nice for him to get that out because it causes a tickle in his throat that makes his cough a lot, not to mention it hurts sometimes.

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Day 30 hour 22

we are seeing more improvements this morning in Tony. He has gotten orders to be moved out of the step down ICU into a regular room today. If he had a feeding peg he could probably be transferred to Downey right now. The doctor said he probably will be able to eat soon but it may take a week or so. He may still need the peg but were hoping not.

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Day 30 hour 1

Tony is talking a little more today. he is confused about things. We were told he would be. We need to work with him to get his short term memory again. He was able to use my iPad to type in the word "Titan". We were going to watch a DVD on the moon landing and he decided he wanted to look up Titan. He didn't get much farther than typing it in. He also was able to read the white board in his room with the date on it. Since it is the week end he won't be getting any physical therapy until tomorrow. He should also be seeing the speech therapist tomorrow and we are hoping she will clear him to eat. We are still hoping he won't have to have a tube inserted in his stomach for feeding. We are also hoping he will get what's called a "button" on his tracheotomy soon. It would replace the purple cap and if he can keep it on for a couple days straight I believe they can remove the tube for the tracheotomy and stitch it up.

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Day 28 hour 21

When we came back into Tony's room last night at 8:30 . Tony was talking again. we asked if he was felling ok and he said "menthol". We were so happy he was talking and thought maybe be didn't know the right word for what he was saying. Then he said "what are the side effects".
We realized he was talking about "mantatol" , one of the drugs they were giving him when he was in a coma. His new room here is on the 10th floor and the heat rises . The air conditioner isn't working that well and it's hot. He thought the manitol was making him hot. the nurse got him a fan for his room and he felt better. he was answering questions with yes or no with his voice instead of shaking his head yes or no. it was coming much easier for him. this morning he is a bit tired still but we got a few verbal answers from him.

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day 28 hour 6

They moved Tony into the step down unit this afternoon. We were trying to get him to talk again and figured a good place to start would be to have him say Matt again. This time in a very weak voice but clear enough for Mike and I to hear he responded to my voice saying "Matt" with the words "my brother"! He repeated the phrase for us about 3 or 4 times when we asked. Later I asked if he wanted me to change the channel on the TV and he said "no" on his own. when I left for shift change I asked him to speak again for me and I think he said "are you coming back?" Mike and I almost started crying we were so happy. Thank you Jesus!!

Day 28 hour 1

Tony sat in the wheel chair for 2 hours today. He was crossing his left leg on top of his right leg. More movement than I've seen before on the left side. The physical therapist asked him what his brothers name was and he mouthed "Matt". The therapist didn't know what Matt's name was and asked us if that was his brother's name (it is)! Later I asked him to say it again and he made a noise with his voice as well as mouthed it! Mike is jealous that his first word wasn't "dad". We still would like him to be able to eat before he goes to rehab so they don't need to put another tube in him so please keep praying.

Day 26 hour 23

Tony spent over 2 hours sitting in the wheel chair today for physical therapy. they are still tying him in with sheets so he doesn't fall out but he didn't need a collar to hold his head up today. he was moving his left leg on and off the foot rest of the wheel chair as well. that was the most I've seen him use that leg so it was exiting. eventually they will try and get him to walk with the walker but they need to get his back and neck muscles stronger first. the wheel chair helps to do that. his left arm is getting stronger every day.
They stopped giving him the adivan and the pain killer " on a regular basis " a couple of days ago. right now his is on pain killers "as needed". every time they ask Tony if he wants something for the pain he says no, so he hasn't had any of those drugs for about 2 days.
when we went in to see him this morning we had to put on a yellow gown and gloves. he is on quarantine. He has some kind of a bug that is drug resistant which I guess is common in the hospital. they are letting his own immune system try and fight it off. they can't really say how long it will last. at this point they are not majorly concerned but that could change.please pray for that to go away.
please also pray for him to be able to swallow correctly and also move towards talking. They want to make sure when he eats the food will not go down the pipe so he can eat. he's had what they call the purple cap on his tracheotomy for a whole day now. that basically is a one way valve that let's air out but not in. his feeding tube goes through his nose right now. a lot of rehab centers don't take patients unless the tube is going directly into the stomach. if he can swallow correctly and eat, I think they will take the feeding tube out, otherwise they will have to put one directly through his stomach before he leaves the hospital.
Thank you Lord for being here every step of the way and thank you all for praying for Tony.

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Day 26 hour 3

Just spoke to the doctor. Tony will be going into step-down any day now. If all goes well he will be in Fresno about another week and then transfer to Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Downey via ambulance. It will be good to get back home.

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Day 25 hour 22

Tony has been off the ventilator for a whole day. They have moved the ventilator out of his room and he has been cleared to go to a step down room. The rooms are pretty full right now so he hasn't been moved yet. They put the valve back onto his tracheotomy this morning that should allow him to talk but he hasn't yet. The speech therapist said one of the bleeds in his brain was located in the speech area so he may have to learn to speak again. It's a bit early to tell as he has only had it on a few hours. His physical therapist took him outside in a wheelchair today. I think he enjoyed it.

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Day 25 hour 1

Tony had a busy morning today. He sat in the chair for an hour and a half and he has been breathing on his own most of the afternoon. His muscles are getting a bit stronger. They put what's called a purple valve on his tracheotomy today. That allows air to flow over his vocal cords. He should be able to talk soon. His started with the speech therapist today. She said she heard him say Hi. It was almost like a whisper. He didn't say anything else but she said sometimes they need to hear their voice cough and make noises before they are ready to try on their own. I did hear him make a groan noise. Thank you Lord for another baby step!

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Day 24 hour 8

They got another sample from his lungs today to try and find what is causing him to have a fever. They have been checking different places but so far have not found the source. They gave him a bit more Ativan because getting a sample can be painful. It can also make him sleepy.

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Day 23 hour 22

Tony has been awake for a couple of hours this morning. We turned on some of his music for him today and tried to watch a video with him but I don't think it was one he wanted to watch because he put it on pause. The nurse gave him some tylenol a little while ago so he is getting a little sleepy. Hopefully the physical therapist will be in today to put him in a chair.

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Day 23 hour 4

Watched a movie on my iPad today with Tony. I was holding my IPAD up for him to see and he moved my hand over a little because I think he was trying to get it at an angle where he could see the screen better. I also had the volume bar showing on the screen and he moved the volume up with his finger and tapped on the screen to make the icon go away (he knows I don't know the little tricks to make things go on it). His control is shaky but he definitely knew what he was doing. He also lifted his head a bit higher to see the screen than he had before. Very exciting for me to see! Mikes cousin Arlene drove down to see him today and we had a nice visit. Yesterday one of Tony's co workers came by. Tony isn't quite to the point were he can visit but hopefully he will get there soon. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

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Day 22 hour23

Tony is resting. the doctor said they will move him out of the ICU soon. Either to a intermediate place for a couple of weeks where they can wean him from the ventilator or into rehab , depending on where he is.

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Day 22 hour 7

They had Tony breath on his own again for 30 minutes. The next big hurtle will be for his pneumonia from the breathing tube to get better and for them to wean him off the ventilator. Please keep praying for him as he is still in critical condition. Getting off the ventilator will be a big factor in determining were they put him next. The physical therapist says insurance companies don't usually want patients to stay in the icu longer than 4 weeks and we are concerned where he will be moved to. If he is still on the ventilator he will need to be in an acute care facility.

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Day 21 hour 23

They just took the drain out from Tony's brain. A step in the right direction. they had him breathing on his own for about 30 minutes today. I think Tony is a bit more relaxed today. Thank you Lord for his progress!

Day 21 hour 21

Tony is resting comfortably. the nurse said he had a big Mucous plug that came out during the night so he is breathing easier. Yesterday he had a hard time remembering who people were. that could have had something to do with it. Today he is remembering who family members are so that is good to see. They did a breathing test on him today and he did fine( breathing on his own). The respiratory therapist is going to try putting a traich collar on him this morning and letting him breath through pumped air instead of the ventilator.

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Day 21 hour 6

Tony was more confused today. The doctors told us we would have up and down days so I pray tomorrow will be better. The physical therapist put him in a wheelchair for an hour today. His muscles are very weak after being in bed for so long and he is trying to get him to be able to sit up on his own. They may take his drain out tomorrow. They decided to keep it in one more day. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

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Responses

I'm sorry but I am having some technical difficulties responding to the posts. please know we appreciate them.

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Day 20 hour 21

Tony is feeling better this morning. He is awake a lot more of the day now.

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Day 20 hour 9

Tony had another good day recovery wise but not such a good afternoon. He is in a lot of pain after the tracheotomy. He finally fell asleep at 9:30 pm. Please pray for a good nights sleep for him as well as some relief in the morning.

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Day 20 hour 3

Tony's tracheotomy went well. Thanks for you prayers.

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Day 20 hour 2

Tony is getting a tracheotomy right now so please pray for him.
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Day 19 hour 21

Tony is fairly alert this morning. They haven't done the tracheotomy yet but they are planning to do it sometime today. He should be able to talk once they can wean him off the tracheotomy (not sure how long that will take) Mike was asking him last night if he remembers family and friends as well as co workers. He shook his head yes. That was nice to see. He seems to be comprehending most of what we say. It will be nice when he can talk again. The doctor clamped off the drain to see how he does And they will probably take it out soon. the physical therapist said he did really well yesterday. his head muscles are weak but they should get better with time. They are going to put him in a wheel chair again today. Thanks again for your prayers. Please keep them coming as he has a long way to go.

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Day 19 hour 8

We just spoke to the doctor. They have decided to do the tracheotomy tomorrow after all. Mike and I were concerned because we thought that he was doing so well breathing on his own. The doctor said he is doing very well and may not need the tracheotomy to function for too long. They want to get the tube out because it has been in too long and they don't want to take the chance of him not getting enough oxygen. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors as to how to treat him and please pray the surgery goes well.

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Unwavering

It’s the middle of the night here in London. I’ve been back in the UK about 33 hours which means jetlag is in full swing. As I lay wide awake in bed my mind was meditating on unwavering faith, specifically the faith that Abraham had in Romans 4.

God had made a promise to Abraham, a promise that seemed impossible to keep. In fact in Romans 4:18, we read that Abraham hoped against hope. In other words, he had hope in a hopeless situation. What gave him this hope were the promises of God.

In watching my brother’s slow recovery with its good days and bad days, it would be easy to find myself wavering or staggering at God’s promises. My hope must rest in that which is certain. This is what Abraham did. In Romans 4:20-21, we read that “no distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”

If you find your hope wavering, it’s possible that it is placed in the wrong source. Abraham placed his hope in the promises of God. God does not lie nor change his mind. What are some of his promises that we can stand on in this roller-coaster recovery as well as your own hardships?

• God is good and he works good in our lives. The Bible tells us in Mark 10:18 that God is good and in Romans 8:28 we see that everything he does is for the good of his people. I have very limited knowledge. I am not the Lord’s counselor, so I am in no position to tell him how he should act. Some of you may remember the film, Bruce Almighty. Not having God’s wisdom and trying to play the part of God, he found that rather than doing good in people’s lives, he was harming them. This is how it is when we try to tell God what would be good in our lives. It is for us to trust his goodness.
• God is love and he works his love in our lives. The Bible tells us that God’s very character is defined by love (1 John 4:8) and that even the difficulties in our lives are actually fingerprints of his love at work (Proverbs 3:12; James 5:11). Even when I do not see the purpose in what God is doing, I can stand unwavering knowing that God loves Tony as his own son.
• God is committed and he sees his work to completion in our lives. Sometimes it seems like the difficulties never end. But the reality is God sees his works through to completion. He is unlike so many of us who begin projects and never finishes them. He completes everything he starts (Philippians 1:6). Whatever work he is doing in Tony, and the rest of us, God is positively relentless in finishing the work. He doesn’t abandon us.

If you find yourself wavering in difficulties, have you considered who your God is? Is your God faithful in his promises? If you trust in Jesus, you can stand unwavering knowing that as the Scripture says, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Day 19 hour 2

Tony had physical therapy today. They asked Mike and I to leave the room for this one today because they put him in a wheel chair for a while so his body could be in a different position. Because it was his first time in a chair, they weren't sure what would happen and they didn't want us to get scared. Tomorrow we should be able to stay in the room during his therapy. Tony hasn't moved too much today because I think the therapy wore him out. We are just letting him get some rest.

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Day 18 hour 20

Tony's fever is down. He still has some bacteria growing in his lungs from the breathing tube but they are letting his body fight it off right now instead of giving him antibiotics. His breathing tube is still in but they gave him another test this morning where they turn off the oxygen for awhile and he did fine. He hasn't had any icp spikes yet but he has a little bit of fluid draining.
They will probably be taking out the drain soon. He was moving his left arm more this morning which is good to see.

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Day 18 hour 9

Tony has been getting stronger and more responsive by the hour. They have music they can turn on for him in his bed. They had classical on for him and I said "oh, they have nice music on for you". He shook his head yes. He has been opening his eyes when the nurses ask him to. The nurses have all been excited to see his progress. One nurse told us it was really a miracle to see his progress because they didn't think he was going to make it.

Day 18 hour 4

Tony is having a good day today. He opens his eyes for about a minute at a time about every couple of hours. they just gave him a scan to see if maybe he has a blood vessel on his left side that is constricted because he isn't moving his left side as well as the right. When they got there the nurse asked him if he was doing ok and he nodded yes. Then she asked if he was in pain and he shook no. he also raised his right arm to find his breathing tube and this time he found it and was able to place his thumb and index finger around it. what an amazing day! Such a change from yesterday. God is good!

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Day 18 hour 2

Praise Report!
The doctor was just in and said she was really happy with how well Tony is doing. She told Tony the reason he was having trouble talking was because he had a breathing tube in his
Mouth. She says they are probably going to take it out tomorrow morning! Thank you Jesus!!!
Thanks for your prayers and please keep praying!
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Day 17 hour 21

The doctor just came in. She says Tony is moving in the right direction. She says he hasn't had to have the drug to reduce his ICP for 48 hours so she is going to meet with the trauma team about pinching off his drain and see how he does. If he doesn't have trouble they will remove his drain soon. She is also talking about removing his breathing tube as well as bringing him off the medication and trying to wake him up. The physical therapist is here right now. he had said Tony needs to be to a point where he is following commands before he can work with him. Looks like Tony is moving towards that so he is starting the preliminaries. The next phase will probably be to move Tony to a step down status. That would be in a different part of the hospital because he would be at a point where he doesn't need the level of care of the ICU anymore but he still needs a high level. At some point when he is stable enough they will move him by ambulance to a hospital closer to home. Baby steps. Thank you all for praying. Please continue to pray!

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Day 17 hour 20

Tony put up 2 fingers for the nurse and the doctor and moved his toes!

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Day 17 hour 4

The physical therapist once again told us what the doctors have told us all along. It was a low point of the day but we are on the uphill side of the roller coaster again. His doctor just told us they are going to give Tony some time before they do the tracheotomy because he is showing some signs he may be able to breath on his own soon! A few days after we got here one of his night nurses said something I have been clinging tightly onto. She has been working in the ICU for 10 years. She said what the doctors are telling us is based on the statistics of people with severe brain injuries like Tony's. They don't take into account that we have an awesome God and she has seen people do well they never expected to survive. God has his plan in this and
I will trust in him.

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Day 16 hour 21

Tony is having a slow day. He isn't responding much today. This may be because he is exhausted. The physical therapist came by and spoke to us regarding Tony's recovery. He said it is too early to estimate the level of Tony's overall recovery. He could end up in a full time care facility, or he could end up with minimal longterm damage. or God could bring him to full recovery.

I fly back to London later today. I packed my stuff this morning which included my suit. I flew over expecting a funeral, but praise God there hasn't been one. There is still a chance Tony won't pull through but he is becoming more stable. Today or tomorrow they will do a Tracheotomy as well as a Gastrostomy. These are both temporary and/or long term solutions depending on the extent of recovery.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and loving support in this difficult time.

Day 16 hour 9

Tony had a good day today. He has been moving his right arm and right leg and we also saw him move his left shoulder. he also has been opening his eyes a lot. He is still very weak but his breathing is getting stronger. It is so good to be able to see his eyes open and see his muscles move. We are not sure what any of this means yet but the nurse says he did good.
the doctor took him off the opium based sedatives and put him on ativan and percocet which he gets orally through a tube. the doctor will check his drain in his head sometime this week and pinch it off to see how he does. If he does well they will remove it. Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray for his recovery.

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Day 16 hour 0

Tony's right arm seems to be getting a little stronger. He lifted it up to his breathing tube which is a good sign. Instinct is to want to pull it out so they will put a light restraint on that arm whenever we are not in the room. They don't think he has the strength yet to pull it out though. Looks like he is starting to track a little with his eyes. His left eye is not dilating as well as his right and he hasn't had a lot of movement on the left side yet. They are watching that. They are going to reduce his sedatives some more today. The doctor will probably sign an order to remove the med lines from his chest and put an iv in his arm instead. The one in his chest is a bigger source for infection and since he has been running a fever they want to take that one out. Thank you Lord for his progress! He still has a long way to go.

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Day 15 hour 20

Praise Report!
The nurse said Tony followed a simple command! Right now most of his movement has been on his right side. Please continue to pray.

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Responding to Commands

Great news this morning! Tony is responding to commands. He was asked to give a "thumbs up" which he did! It was a lot of work for him and there is a long road of recovery still ahead of him, but this means there are mental functions connecting with motor functions. Again there is still a long road ahead, but at least we have a little more clarity as to which road we are on.

Thank you for praying... Keep it up!

Day15 hour 18

Tony has been opening his eyes half way this morning on his own. He can't respond yet to requests to move toes or fingers. He has a bacterial infection growing in his lungs which they are treating. His brain is still swelling some but the drain is working and they are occasionally increasing his sedation for short periods of time to control his icp. He is still on half the sedation his was on before. He hasn't used his lungs for 2 weeks so the muscles are weak but he's breathing . The plan is to leave the breathing tube in for 5 days and then give him a tracheotomy so they can ween him to breathing on his own. Thank you Lord for bring him this far. Please continue to pray for a full recovery.
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Day 15 hour 8

We are waiting and praying. Tony is still in critical condition and he is still in a coma. The paralytic is still off and he is on half the sedation he was on yesterday. He was on the medication for a very long time so his muscles are weak and it will take a little while for the medications to get completely out of his system. The next couple of days should give us a better idea of where he is.

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Some Response

I saw Tony open his eyes and move his arm about 10 minutes ago. The nurse induced some pain on one of his fingers to see if he responds to pain. This is a normal test that they do. Since Tony is off the paralytic medication so he can respond to some sensations. His responses are good responses. His body is quite weak as he hasn't used any muscles in over 2 weeks and he is still heavily sedated with pain meds and anti-anxiety meds. It is still too early to tell whether or not the responses are just reflex. This is another one of the baby steps in this marathon.

I also just spoke with one of his doctors and she is encouraged. It doesn't seem that Tony has any infections thought they will continue to monitor him for infection as he has a bit of a fever and an increased white blood cell count. His color is good, his vitals are good. They have reduced some of the sedation (coma) meds as well.

Day 14 hour 21

The paralytic is turned off. They hopefully will be able to leave it off unless his pressures go up.
They have to wean him off the sedatives slowly. He has a lot of drugs in his system and has been on them for awhile so it could be slow. He has moved his fingers on his right hand, opened his eyes for a second and maybe tried to cough! We have along way to go before we can tell if he will come out of the coma so please pray!

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Day 14 hour 20

Tony had a good night last night. They are reducing the paralytic right now so please pray for Tony.

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Successful Surgery

Tony is out of surgery now and we are told it was successful. Thanks for praying!

We will be watching his ICPs to see if they respond by decreasing which is what we want.

Tony in the OR now.

Tony is now being taken into the O.R. for his surgery. This should take about an hour, so we will update you all when it is finished.

Another try at brain surgery

The doctor said Tony is in the 3% of patients that still have swelling after 2 weeks. The procedure they did yesterday is done all the time here without many complications. Tony is the exception.  They ordered a special CT scan for him and are going to try and re-insert the probe in the middle of his brain via guidance from the CT in the operating room because of the difficult angle in which it needs to navigate.  They are trying the least invasive procedures first.  Getting this probe in right is really important. They have been unable to get the probe in right on the two previous attempts.


Thank you for standing with us in prayer. Please pray for Tony as he undergoes a third attempt today.


We trust God is faithful and is working out his sovereign plan, also understanding that part of that plan is for us to seek him and intercede to him, standing in the gap.

Day 14 hour 13

The attempt at repositioning the probe was not successful so they put the old bolt back on. If his pressures still continue to rise, they may try to re-insert the probe in the operating room with a ct scan to guide them. At the moment his icp is at 4. Please continue to pray for Tony.

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Day 14 hour 10

The procedure the doctor just did on Tony does not appear to be positioned in the right spot. The doctor is going to have to try to reposition it using the same drill hole. He said Tony is not responding like most of his patients do. Usually they have stopped swelling before now, so he is not sure this will work. Please keep Tony in prayer that they will find the right spot and he will respond well to the treatment.

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Day 14 hour 4

The doctor is taking out the old bolt and putting in the other probe right now. He mentioned three places in the brain where Tony had bleeding (not new bleeding)and it looks like all three areas are shrinking (improving). He says they may only leave the probe in for a day and then remove it depending on what it reads.

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Day 13 hour 23

Tony is back in his room from the scan. The scan looked good . It did not appear to have any additional swelling and it appears He has some signs of improvement.They haven't taken out the bolt yet because he must still be monitored. The bolt is not usually in this long so they are concerned it is not functioning properly. The other probe apparently is a much more accurate devise. They gave him an anti-clotting drug and they want to wait 6 to 12 hours to insert the new probe.

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Tony is going into another surgery now

Thank you for your prayers regarding the surgery Tony underwent yesterday. The surgery was successful and we thank God for that.

The doctors are concerned that they are not getting the right intracranial pressure (ICP) reading. They are going to take out the bolt for monitoring the ICP. They fear it may be reading inaccurately, so they will remove this one, drill another hole in the skull and put a new bolt in which should monitor the ICP more accurately. This surgery has some real risks as it involves drilling into the skull and sticking probes around the brain. For those interested, here is a diagram of what this procedure looks like.

Please continue to pray for Tony. Yesterday's surgery went well and we know many people were praying. Continue to pray through this one as well.

Thank you all!

Day 13 hour 18

Still waiting on the Lord. Tony got meds at 12pm and 4am.
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Day 13 8th hour

They should have some idea tomarrow if the test they took today shows any infection but it will take two days or so to identify the best antibiotic if there is an infection there.
The last time he got the diuretic was around 2:30 before the spinal tap. Right now his icp is fluctuating between 10 and 25.
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Surgery successful

Thank you for praying. Tony's surgery to extract some CSF from his spine went well. It was a fairly straightforward procedure but the risks involved were substantial. But they got what they needed. Now they need to run a culture on his CSF to see if there is an infection there as well as what type of antibiotic to give for the specific need.

Tony is going in for surgery right now

The doctors have concerns that Tony's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may have an infection which would be a serious hinderance to healing. In order to treat an infection of the CSF, the neurologists need to draw out some of the CSF to run it through a culture and make sure he gets the right anti-biotics. In order to do this, they need to perform a lumbar puncture. Essentially they need to go in through Tony's lumbar vertebrae with a syringe. This procedure has some risks, and especially since Tony's intracranial pressure (ICP) may be high. Some of the risks are paralysis (if the neurologists nick a nerve), spinal cord compression, or an uncal herniation (essentially meaning death).

Please pray for Tony right now as he is undergoing this procedure as I type this.

Day 13 hour 1

I just spoke with the doctor. She spoke with the nuero doctor and they decided to go ahead and do the spinal tap. His numbers have been low enough to reduce some of the risk and the test will help them figure out what kind of antibiotics they should be giving him. Please keep him in prayer that all goes well. they just gave him some medication to bring his icp down and will wait to do the procedure until it is low. She is hoping to have it done sometime tonight.

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Day 12 hour 22

Just spoke to the doctor. she says no change from yesterday. The trauma group and the neuro group are going to have a meeting today and discuss doing a spinal tap. His white blood cell count is up which means he probably has an infection somewhere. They did a culture of his lungs for pneumonia and now they don't think he has pneumonia. They think his ruptured spleen might be infected, but their is a risk that doing a spinal tap at this time would kill him because his pressures are not stabilized yet.

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Day 12 20th hour

Tony had to get the medication 3 times during the night. It appears his fever is down at the moment. Waiting for the doctor to come in.

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Day 12 hour 8

Still waiting on the Lord. The nurse just gave Tony a diuretic so we start the clock again, but it is working to bring his vitals in line.

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Day 12 hour 4

Back with Tony. He got the diuretic 3 hours ago. Right now he is at 13. Just waiting on the Lord for his timing with a renewed faith.
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Day 12 2nd hour

Mike, Matt and I are sitting in the Lobby of "Terry's House" waiting for the change in shift. Of course we are feeling down because we will have to wait longer for them to try and bring Tony out of the coma. The Lord just sent us some comfort in the form of a beautiful young girl who works here. She just told us she was in a car accident a year ago and her parents were like us. Believers who were praying for her recovery and staying in a house just like this. She said she was in a medically induced coma for a month before she came out of it. She says she came out just fine. We really needed to hear something like that at this exact moment. Thank you Lord.

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Day 12 hour 1

They just gave Tony some more diuretic to bring his pressure down. That starts the clock over. The nurse says she has lots of room on the meds to treat him. They are debating whether or not to put the other drain back in. I guess we wait. Right now his icp is at 14
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Day 11 hour 22

Just got some clarification from the nurse. His icp doesn't have to be 15 for 24 hours, they just want it below 25 for 24 to 48 hours consistently before they try to wake him up again. They are also trying to coordinate his ventilator with the right mix of oxygen because of problems with his lungs. Right now his icp is at 12.

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Day 11 21st hour

Just spoke to the doctor . He is still in critical condition, they still don't know if he will come out of the coma. They are looking for an icp around 15 for a consecutive day before they move on to the next step. she doesn't think his brain is swelling anymore but it is still swollen. She also doesn't think the spikes he just had did additional damage because they were of short duration.

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Day 11 hour 20

Tony's Icp is at 21 right now. Waiting for the doctor to come in so I can get an update.
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Day 11 hour 10

Tony's icp is back at 10

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Day 11 hour 9

Tony's icp has been going up to 30 again. the nurse says it's because they are trying to get his breathing in sync with his vitals.

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Day 11 hour 8

Tony's fever is up again so they are trying to bring it down. His icp is at 17. Hopefully he will have a good night.

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11th day 5th hour

Tony's numbers are still looking good. They had to give him a little of the diuretic a couple of hours ago because his breathing treatment for his pneumonia caused his numbers to go up. Mike and I were concerned when we came into the room because his icp machine was reading negative numbers. The nurse was checking with the doctor on what to do and he suggested changing out the monitor with a different one. Seems like a reboot fixed the problem. Being a software engineer I think Tony would appreciate that.

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Day 11 0 hour

They got the new iv to work, so they are just waiting for the X-ray to show everything is ok to start using it. They do that because you risk infection if you leave one in for too long so they move locations periodically. That one was for his medications.
They still haven't replaced the drain to the middle of his brain yet. The doctor said most likely they will replace it because when they start reducing his meds Again it will help him. His icp is at 13 right now. The nurse said she has been able to use the sedation meds to control his icp today. He is still on the paralytic and the dehydrating meds but she hasn't had to increase them to keep the control. That's a good thing. The doctor just checked in with the nurse. She's poked and prodded Tony and not had a big reaction. The doctor looked at me and said "good, hopefully we are turning a corner.". . Thank you Lord!

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Day 10 hour 21

Just spoke to the doctor, he tried again to get the drain going to the middle of his brain to flush but it didn't work so the just took it out. He is probably going to put another one in this afternoon but he is going to wait until his icp is up. Right now it is at 1. He also said the catscan they took last night did not appear to show the brain still swelling so that is good news.

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Day 10 hour 20

They took a ct scan last night to see if he was still accumulating fluid in the middle of his brain. he is not, so that is good. The doctors are going to meet today about taking out the drain that is not working. his temperature is down and his breathing sounds better today. he is still in critical condition but we sincerely feel that it has been your prayers that has gotten him through this far. Please continue to pray.

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Day 10

Waiting until I can get in to see Tony. "standing on the rock that is higher than I". Psalm 63

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Day 10 hour 8

The doctor was just here trying to clear the 2nd drain but couldn't. We weren't able to talk to him. Tony's icp is at 16 right now. The nurse just came on shift so she couldn't give us a lot of info on how he is doing yet. Just want to take a moment to thank the Lord he is still here and his vitals are good.

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Day 10 hour 6

Tony's icp is at 19 right now. It had been climbing into the low 30s but came down with meds. Thanks for you prayers. Matt has been a real blessing to me since he arrived. I am so glad he is here.

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Day 10 hour 4

they came in to fix Tony's iv line a couple of hours ago. His icp's are still ok. Please pray for wisdom for the nurses and doctors as to how Tony will respond best to things. It kind of reminds Me of when I first brought him home from the hospital as a baby and I had to discover which positions he liked to be held in the best in order to sooth him.

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Anxiety

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word anxious is a Latin word. It’s derived from angere which means “to choke”. To be anxious is to be worried, nervous, or uneasy about something. In times of adversity, we are stripped of the illusions of control and are confronted with the truth that we are not in control. We read in Proverbs 24:10 that “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” This helplessness (lack of strength) causes anxiety. We realize that our power is “choked”. To choke is to cut off a necessary supply. If our world is based on our control of events, our world begins to crumble. We assume power, control, strength, but those assumptions are tested in the crucible of adversity. Thus we feel anxious when someone/something we love is threatened because we cannot control circumstances or outcomes. The reality is that none of us are really in control, but the result does not need to be anxiety. Philippians 4:6-7 exhorts us with these words, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What is it about praying to God that slays the dragon of anxiety? It isn’t simply praying, but praying to the Maker of heaven and earth. It is praying to the one who redeems His people with His own blood. In other words, we begin to look to the one who is in control instead of looking to ourselves. To lay our lives and anxieties in Jesus’ care is leave the things we are anxious about in the hands of Him who is capable and him who loves us. When we can trust God, his power, his wisdom, and his good plan, we can cease from worry and have peace.

It is when we finally leave those things that worry us in God’s capable hands, that peace replaces worry. We do not cease to care, but rather begin to care enough to allow God to have control, for He alone has power to accomplish the need at hand. If you have entrusted your life into the care of Jesus, then you can have the peace He gives (John 14:27) and the confidence that God is working (Psalm 121:4). You can say with King David in Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Look to Jesus for your peace. Let Him take ownership of your worries and trust His everlasting arms to accomplish what concerns you today.

Day 10 hour 0

They changed The location of Tony's iv line this morning but it's not working so they will probably have to do it again. They don't take out the old one until they know the new one is working so he is still getting his meds. the drain that goes to the middle of the brain is still not working. Sometimes they get clogged. They are going to decide today if they should take it out. It is in a location that is at risk for infection, and if it's working they can do a culture through it to see if there is one. Since it's not working they can't do that. If they take it out, they may put a new one in later. They need to see how he does. Sounds like he didn't have a lot of pressure problems when they changed his lines earlier so that's good.

Day 9 hour 20

Tony's vitals are still under control. His white blood cells are up. They are trying to identify why. They are going to postpone trying to wake him up today.

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Day 9 hour 17

In with Tony.  just talked to the nurse.   The 2nd drain they put in still doesn't appear to be working but it could be that there is nothing to drain.  She says she is not overly concerned at this point because they are able to control his vitals with his meds or changing his position.  They may have to take it out and re insert it but that would contain it's own risks so they are just watching it at this point. Tony just had an routine x-ray to check his lungs because of the pneumonia. 

9th day 16th hour

Waiting to see Tony. They are in there doing an X-ray now.

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9th day 8th hour

Please keep Tony in prayer. The doctor cleared the line but is not sure if the valves in the drain are working or if Tony doesn't have much fluid to drain. He is monitoring him to see if he has to redo the drain.

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Day 9 hour 8

Tony's vitals are good. They increased the paralytic and it seems that it worked. The also are sending someone up to clean the lines on one of his drains. At this point they are still planning on taking him off the paralytic again tomorrow to see how he does. They got his ct scans back. No new bleeds.
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Day 9 6th hour

We just had a little scary moment. Tony's icp spiked up a bit but it's down again. He's had a great night nurse the past 2 nights that seems like she has a lot of experience. I was so happy to see her walk in the door. One nurse was telling us that just moving his head or putting some rolled up towels under one side or the other will help bring his icp down. While all the staff here have been wonderful, it's most comforting to have a nurse that has been doing this for many years.

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Dealing with Life’s Crises

This past week has been a roller-coaster emotionally. I find the sheer intensity of emotion exhausting (my jetlag is probably also playing into that). We are spending a lot of time in the ICU and in the off hours we are at the hospital accommodation (for people with loved ones in critical condition). Having spoken to different people both at the ICU unit and at the hospital accommodation, there are certain themes that become very obvious. Evaluation of life is taking place in various family members of various families as the ones they love are in critical condition. Some are on the mend, others are still in the dark. Conversations I have had with people these past few days brought Ecclesiastes 7:3 to mind which reads, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.”

This means that in sorrow and hardship, the realities of life must be addressed and dealt with. There is a certain realness and authenticity in those who are in the throws of hardship. This is no time for games, but time for reflection and contemplation. And those reflections rightly applied are ultimately turned to gladness. Here are some of the things I am seeing.

1. In crisis people re-evaluate those things that are truly important in life. Life is full of diversions. Many things cry out for attention. To give one thing your attention is to withhold that attention from something else. Unfortunately it often takes a crisis to strip away all the veiling things in life to get to its core.
2. In crisis people come to grips with their own frailty and begin to turn to God. As the saying goes, “there are no atheists in foxholes.” Everyone I have spoken with regarding their loved ones in critical condition is saying things like, “We are praying.” GK Chesterton, the famous British author once said, “The worst moment for an atheist is when he has a profound sense of gratitude and has no one to thank.” It could also be said that the worst moment for an atheist is when he has a profound sense of helplessness and has nobody to call upon. It is interesting that so far everyone I have spoken with is quick to say they are praying for their loved one, and nobody is refusing prayer.
3. In crisis people must deal with their own mortality. Our society does many things well, but we are very poor at preparing one another for the reality that 10 out of 10 people will die. As a society we elevate youthfulness because when we are young, we think we will live forever. We try to botox away death. We do not know how to deal with this inevitability, so we ignore it. In the 18^th century, several years after the revival of John and Charles Wesley, the Methodists, as they aged, began to die in great numbers. One doctor who attended many of these Methodist Christians on their death beds said to John Wesley, “Your people die well.” Rather than ignoring their mortality all their life, they spent their life in preparation for it.

The bottom line is that in crisis, people get real. I myself am writing from the seat of crisis. But the beautiful thing is when we look to Jesus, he doesn’t waste the crisis but uses it. I trust God is using this crisis that we (and especially that my brother Tony) are in. Please continue to pray for Tony. 

9th day hour 3

The nurse says Tony's lungs sound better today than yesterday. His numbers still look good. His blood pressure is a bit high but they gave him meds to adjust it. He has a nurse that only works with one or two patients at a time as well as a respiratory specialist watching his breathing constantly. They are really taking good care of him.

Day 9 hour 1

Tony's friend Daniel from High School came up today to see Tony. It was very nice to see him.
He is in with Mike in Tony's room right now. They did the cat scan already but probably won't have the results until tomorrow morning.

Day 8 20.5 hour

Just spoke to the doctor. He says for most people the swelling starts to go on the down side by day 8. Some take shorter some take longer. They are going to wait another day and let him rest before they try and take him off the paralytic again. He is still in critical condition. Around day 10 they will probably give him a tracheotomy. It is the normal chain of events for cases like this. It is a shorter tube and has less chance of introducing bacteria than the breathing tube.
They have isolated which pneumonia strain he has and adjusted his antibiotics for it. We continue to thank God for getting us this far and pray for a complete recovery.

Day 8 hour 20th hour

Tony's vitals are still doing ok today. He will get another cat scan today. Waiting for the doctor to come in for an update

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8th day 8th hour

Tony didn't like having his bed turned, but the machine is still working well to break up the congestion in his lungs, that way they can just suction it out of his breathing tube. His numbers are still good and he is resting well. I think I will try and get a good nights sleep tonight so I'm ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
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Day 8 hour 5

Tony is still resting comfortably. The machine that breaks up the congestion in his lungs is working well, soon they are going to start tilting his bed 10 degrees to see how he tolerates it. when your laying on your back all day it's like a pool that sits stagnant so the want to keep it moving. Apparently there are a couple of pneumonias that tend to thrive in the hospital setting,
So they took a culture to see which one he has and they are giving his antibiotics specifically for that strain. The nurse says it usually takes 5 to 7 days to get rid of it.

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Day 8 3rd hour

Tony is still resting comfortably.

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Day 7 hour 23

Just talked to the neurosurgeon. he said he didn't want to give False hope but that his latest scans look good in that there is no new bleeding. Also, the fact that he was having trouble with the ICP (IntraCranial Pressure) and blood pressure spikes shows that he has some brain activity going on. His body is aware he is in an unfamiliar place and is trying to communicate with his brain. That's why things were shooting up. They are going to keep him on the paralytic for the rest of the day and get his breathing under control. The machine they brought in to break up the congestion in his lungs seems to be working and his numbers look good.

Hope

This is a word that gets a lot of play. When we use the word hope, we usually mean that we should cross our fingers and wish for the best. Hope then becomes nothing more than positive thinking. But the Bible gives us a different perspective on the word hope.

Hope carries the idea of an expectation of good. Hope is coupled with certainty, that is to say, certainty regarding the future. The question then is not one of IF, but of WHEN. Romans 8:24 says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” Hope is based in what is coming. It is far deeper than the mere crossing of fingers with earnest longings.

In the midst of tragedy, we can have hope. Hope that is anchored in Jesus brings confidence in God’s goodness, and thus peace in our soul. Even when the product of that hope is veiled, the certainty of that hope is sure.

How do we apply this in these circumstances?

1.) God has promised to do good in the lives of Jesus’ followers.

Romans 8:28, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

We may not understand the why’s and how’s but we trust in the who. 

2.) Ultimately, our hope is the God of power himself, not just what God can do. 

Jeremiah 32:17, ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. 

When we see how great God is, the things that seem so big to us are put in their right proportion. Tony’s condition is a big deal in our eyes, but God is bigger and we expect good from God, and trust that God knows what is good more than we do.

3.) The hope for the Christian is stronger than the grave.

1 Peter 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

This hope is not temporal. In other words, anything in which we place our hope in this life will ultimately fail us, whether today, tomorrow, or forty years down the line. But the hope that comes through Jesus conquers the grave and is eternal.

What God is doing in Tony’s life right now, we cannot say. But we can rest in hope. Hope that God is good, God is bigger than the crisis, and that God in Jesus conquered the grave which means there is hope of life.

We continue to pray for Tony’s full recovery to the God in whom we hope.

Day 7 hour 21

Tony is not having a good morning. The pneumonia in his lungs is making it hard for him to breath. They are bringing up a machine to try and shake some of it loose.

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Day 7 hour 20

Just talked to the nurse, they just tried reducing the paralytic again and he's not ready, so we wait.

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Day 7 hour 5

Wanted to get into see Tony before the shift change at 7 but the receptionist doesn't appear to be at her desk so I may have to wait until 8:30. From the pamphlet they gave us about head injuries, it says the first few days is one critical period to make it through. The next critical period will last a couple of weeks or more while the brain continues to swell. I think they will continue to try what they did last night and try to get some responses from him and assess what kind of damage was done. The nurse last night had said that maybe by morning he will open his eyes.
His swelling started spiking so they had to put him under again before we had a chance to see if that would happen. We get a little bit of information at a time and do our best to interpret what is happening. As I keep hearing over and over again they just don't know. One article I read on the Internet says there is a saying in neurosurgy. " If you've seen one head trama case, you've seen one."
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