August 24, 2005

I grabbed the oxygen and turned it on and put it near his face. But his stats didn’t change. So I proceeded to wake him up. I stretched his arm and shook him a little and he started to wake. He looked like he was trying to gag, so I turned him on his side and he threw up. (That would have been the 4th time that day he had thrown up.) As soon as he did, his stats came right back up. Then a few minutes later they dropped again, but this time down into the low 80’s. Again he looked like he was gagging, so I turned him on his side and he threw up again. And his stats returned to normal.

Well, his bed was a mess, so I said I would hold him while the nurse changed the bed. As I picked him up, I realized he was totally relaxed. I put him on my lap, sitting up, with his hips bent, his knees bent and his head resting back on my shoulder. He just sat there looking around for about 15 minutes. He didn’t posture once. And then he sat there another 15 minutes dozing off to sleep. It was so wonderful I couldn’t hold back the tears. It was the first time since the night before his accident that I was able to hold him and rock him in a relaxed state like I do every night. I sang to him and even repositioned him a few times and he remained perfectly calm. It was a gift and I was so very thankful for it.

They said he slept until 6 am and then they gave him some Zyprexa and some Clonadine and he went back to sleep from 9:30 am until 2:30 pm when I finally woke him up. He woke up in an awful mood. He has been doing that the last few days and will wake up more “angry” than I have ever seen him. It seems to subside within an hour or so, but I do not understand what is causing it and I don’t like it.

Then we went down for an hour long test to check for reflux and then an hour of therapy. He is still having those “seizures” and they are scheduled to do his EEG tomorrow. He bit his check pretty badly today during one of them and they are a little scary to watch. I will be glad when they figure out what they are. I am also concerned that he may be having these new symptoms as a reaction to the Zyprexa they started giving him about 3 nights ago. From what I read, it is a bipolar, schizophrenic medication that is sometimes used to sedate the elderly in nursing homes. I am concerned about that and some of the side effects it can have. I am going to talk with the doctors about it tomorrow.

Otherwise, it has seemed like a very short day because Samuel slept so much of it. His surgery for his G tube is scheduled for next Tuesday. Also, the cast on his one arm should come off either Friday or Monday and will be replaced with a splint. Then they can get working on the other arm.

I started to write a post earlier today and didn’t end up posting it. But I basically wanted to share with everyone how thankful we feel for gospel and the comfort it has brought us over these last weeks. We have been so blessed to come to truly know that God is watching over Samuel and that whatever happens will be his will. It is the most comforting feeling in the world to know that someone who cares more for Samuel than I do is watching out for and in control of his future.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please keep them coming because they are working.

We love you all!

Love,

Teresa & Samuel