Baby Steps.....

I visited Ron again today, his breathing tubes were removed 40 minutes before I arrived. He can only mumble due to all the tubing down his throat. The nurse and I couldn't understand his jabbering. His wonderful nurse Michelle at IMC has worked several 12 hour shifts with Ron. She is so sweet and really great at what she does, all the nurses and staff have been so wonderful. She kindly explains Ron's changes and progress. She told me today that it is quite normal for him to try and talk and he may say some silly things because he is still very confused. The heavy drugs needed to keep him sedated through the multiple surgeries as well as the pain from his accident (impact) will take some time to clear his body and mind.

Ron looked at me several times and tried to talk to me. I put my ear up to his mouth several times and kept talking back to him even though I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me. He makes lots of facial expressions, mostly squinting as if he is in pain or confused. I brought two of my sons with me to see Ron. Preston and Payton, they had a really hard time seeing Ron in his condition. They didn't really want to stay by his bed for too long. When I told Ron they were with me, he lifted his head to try and see them and made a puzzled look at them like "I can't believe how big you guys are!" The nurse did say that he may recognize people and the next minute be confused. Jim stopped in for his daily visit and to check in, and he told Ron not to move very much because of the pain. Ron nodded his head up and down as if to say "okay". These are all "baby steps," he went a week and a half with barely responding to commands by the nurses, and not much going on with his eyes and face. These small steps he is making are progressive and very exciting to watch as he comes out of the "coma-like state" he has been in.

Yesterday he had one last surgery (8/05/14) to add another screw to the left side of the pelvis where the doctor felt he needed more support. I will add that x-ray at the end of this posting. Jim witnessed the first real progress of Ron opening his eyes yesterday morning. He got it on video and I wanted to go visit to see if he would look at me. Yesterday he got out of surgery at noon. This one was shorter, 2 1/2 - 3 hours. The nurse really didn't think he would wake up for me. He did wake up at about 7pm and looked at me. I told him he had been in an accident, he made a really confused look on his face. Kerri and Brad came while I was there and when I went to leave I told him I loved him and that I would see him tomorrow, He nodded as if to tell me okay.

Second surgery on pelvis to add additional screw on left side