My parents met with the medical team yesterday. On January 6, Paul will have an MRI to check his optic nerve and to hopefully determine a visual prognosis. The following day, he will have surgery to repair the air leak in his brain. He has to have part of his skull removed and they will be removing some tissue from his thigh to fill the area in his brain. After the procedure, they have to wait for the muscle to shrink before they put the bone back in his head. The doctor has told my parents that he will be able to fly home three weeks after the operation and this is very good news.
Paul is still struggling with a diminished appetite. He does not want to eat much at all and is losing a lot of weight so they will be increasing his PEG tube feeds. He continues to progress with communication. He has been talking about his next surgery and acknowledges that it involves his head, but he does not ask why or what is being done. He is walking well and was able to shave independently with an electric razor. He can also brush his teeth, but still tires very easily and sleeps a lot. We are very please to have recieved this new timeline because we were previously told that it may be another two months before he could return home.
My folks want to again express their gratitude for all of the letters and support.
Tara
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Week of 12.14.09
Paul went back to the Alfred Hospital today to have his left arm cast removed and a CT scan done. My parents had a meeting with the Neurosurgeon who explained the CT scan results which revealed that Paul still has air in the front part of his brain.
My Mom has told me Paul has been very pleasant lately, sleeping well at night, and eating a bit better. My Dad brings him watermelon every morning and he loves it! Today he asked my Dad about how various sports teams were doing. He also talked to Ryan on the phone for a few minutes and that went very well.
On Friday, Paul went for another CTscan and to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to determine how this air leak can be fixed. They are hoping to be able to do a procedure through his nose to fill this in. He will not be able to fly home until this is fixed.
My folks are very appreciative of all of the positive thoughts and email they have recieved. Keep it coming!
Tara
My Mom has told me Paul has been very pleasant lately, sleeping well at night, and eating a bit better. My Dad brings him watermelon every morning and he loves it! Today he asked my Dad about how various sports teams were doing. He also talked to Ryan on the phone for a few minutes and that went very well.
On Friday, Paul went for another CTscan and to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to determine how this air leak can be fixed. They are hoping to be able to do a procedure through his nose to fill this in. He will not be able to fly home until this is fixed.
My folks are very appreciative of all of the positive thoughts and email they have recieved. Keep it coming!
Tara
Sunday, December 6, 2009
12.6.09
I recieved this email from my mom last night:
HI Tara,
It is the weee hours of the night for you while I am writing this. I'd rather call you but since its so late I can't. The past 2 days have been great for Paul: He has been eating a decent amount of 2 of his meals each day, (along with the tastykakes that Jeff Duvilla sent him)!! They were a big hit with Paul. Butterscotch krimpets and peanut butter tandykakes!! He will eat about 1/2 of one cake after his meal. Then Dad asks him if he knows who sent them and he answers "Jeff". He also says "mmmm good". He has been out of his room and sitting in the lounge here a couple of times now. He stays for about 15 minutes then gets tired and asks to go back to his room. He usually falls right to sleep. It is so nice to see him wanting to do this:) He has been mentioning not being able to see even more often now. We tell him he cant see yet, and he is o.k. He is definitely the same Paul when it comes to shower time, when the nurses try to get him in there he says "no not today , maybe later or tomorrow. This week he will be getting his arm supports off!!! He will be thrilled after this happens.
Oh forgot to tell you , the other night when the nurse was helping him back in bed, he told her he really wanted to sleep in his tent!! He seem disappointed when she told him his tent was not here and that he had to sleep in the bed.
The other day he asked me if you were here....... it came out of no where, we had not mentioned your name. As I thought about it I realized that he has never yet asked us if anyone in particular was there.
The only thing he has done in the past is to acknowledge someone when they came in the room after they introduced themselves.
I am hoping we can find out more info. on when Paul can fly home soon. Kirsten said you need to make your flight arrangements soon. Have to get off now. Love Mom
HI Tara,
It is the weee hours of the night for you while I am writing this. I'd rather call you but since its so late I can't. The past 2 days have been great for Paul: He has been eating a decent amount of 2 of his meals each day, (along with the tastykakes that Jeff Duvilla sent him)!! They were a big hit with Paul. Butterscotch krimpets and peanut butter tandykakes!! He will eat about 1/2 of one cake after his meal. Then Dad asks him if he knows who sent them and he answers "Jeff". He also says "mmmm good". He has been out of his room and sitting in the lounge here a couple of times now. He stays for about 15 minutes then gets tired and asks to go back to his room. He usually falls right to sleep. It is so nice to see him wanting to do this:) He has been mentioning not being able to see even more often now. We tell him he cant see yet, and he is o.k. He is definitely the same Paul when it comes to shower time, when the nurses try to get him in there he says "no not today , maybe later or tomorrow. This week he will be getting his arm supports off!!! He will be thrilled after this happens.
Oh forgot to tell you , the other night when the nurse was helping him back in bed, he told her he really wanted to sleep in his tent!! He seem disappointed when she told him his tent was not here and that he had to sleep in the bed.
The other day he asked me if you were here....... it came out of no where, we had not mentioned your name. As I thought about it I realized that he has never yet asked us if anyone in particular was there.
The only thing he has done in the past is to acknowledge someone when they came in the room after they introduced themselves.
I am hoping we can find out more info. on when Paul can fly home soon. Kirsten said you need to make your flight arrangements soon. Have to get off now. Love Mom
Saturday, December 5, 2009
12.5.09
Hello everyone, I haven't heard any updates from my parents, but I want to share a note that I recieved from Paul's friend Amy who visited him last weekend:
Hi Tara,
I wanted to send you a note after visiting with Paul last weekend. I haven't had internet access this week but wanted you to know that I had a really promising visit with him on Sunday. I saw him for a bit on Saturday and he knew who I was and we had a brief conversation.
On Sunday night I visited him and we walked down the hall twice and he had extended moments of absolute clarity on what had happened and where we were. He is becoming more aware of the bandages on his arms and is frustrated that no one will remove them. But I think it is also a sign that he is becoming more aware of his body and injuries. I fed him some dinner and gave him a foot rub and he was awake and alert for about 1.5 hours. He made statements that expressed that he was aware of his state. For example, he would say after sitting up for a period of time, "I really feel like hell...my whole body hurts." Also, on our walks, which he was walking very quickly and had a lot of energy, he said "you have no idea what is going through my mind right now...all my thoughts are scattered."
There were also moments where he was truly Paul. He had a banana energy drink that tasted awful. I told him he should really drink it b/c he needs the energy and he said if I taste it and like it he would drink more. :) I didn't like it either.
I thought of you that night and how much you would like to be there with him and I just wanted to tell you this. I hope you get to see him over the holidays and I truly believe, though at times progree is slow, Paul will return to us.
Amy
Hi Tara,
I wanted to send you a note after visiting with Paul last weekend. I haven't had internet access this week but wanted you to know that I had a really promising visit with him on Sunday. I saw him for a bit on Saturday and he knew who I was and we had a brief conversation.
On Sunday night I visited him and we walked down the hall twice and he had extended moments of absolute clarity on what had happened and where we were. He is becoming more aware of the bandages on his arms and is frustrated that no one will remove them. But I think it is also a sign that he is becoming more aware of his body and injuries. I fed him some dinner and gave him a foot rub and he was awake and alert for about 1.5 hours. He made statements that expressed that he was aware of his state. For example, he would say after sitting up for a period of time, "I really feel like hell...my whole body hurts." Also, on our walks, which he was walking very quickly and had a lot of energy, he said "you have no idea what is going through my mind right now...all my thoughts are scattered."
There were also moments where he was truly Paul. He had a banana energy drink that tasted awful. I told him he should really drink it b/c he needs the energy and he said if I taste it and like it he would drink more. :) I didn't like it either.
I thought of you that night and how much you would like to be there with him and I just wanted to tell you this. I hope you get to see him over the holidays and I truly believe, though at times progree is slow, Paul will return to us.
Amy
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
12.1.09
Friends and family:
I have some positive news to spread today. I am learning that this process, much like life, is filled with a lot of ups and downs. Paul is slowly coming out of the amnesia. He seems to be more and more aware every day. My Mom said he had a really good day yesterday. He was not agitated and sat outside with my parents for a short while. He gets tired very quickly, so he can only engage in talking or an activity for about five to ten minutes.
Since many people have been asking me to talk more about the minutiae or small details of Paul's abilities, I will tell you what I know. I was able to get some clarification on his walking ability today. He's been walking down the hall and back with only contact guard or guidance, he does not need physical assistance with walking. As I've mentioned before, some moments he is really alert and aware and others not so much. My Mom said he asked my Dad to take him to the bathroom yesterday and talked to him about the Phillies and the Eagles. He still thinks the Phillies are in the playoffs, but that makes sense as it was around that time that he had the accident. He also talks a lot like he's at work. He'll say things like, "How many kids do we have coming in today?" and he'll say to my parents, "You guys need to leave because I have to go to a team meeting."
A sad note is that he has started to ask about his vision. He knows he can't see, but he doesn't ask why yet. He just says things like, "Mom why are you working in the dark down here?" or "Give me my glasses" or "give me a flashlight, I know I have one in my bag over there" or "turn on the lights." When he does this, the staff told my parents to be honest with him and tell him he can't see right now. When they say that he does not ask why. He has also been perseverating on his arm casts and is difficult to redirect when it comes to this topic. He continuously asks when they will be taken off and at times gets really angry that they are there.
He was medicated last night in order to help him sleep and he seems to be improving with better sleep. He has also started to eat small amounts again.
Tara
I have some positive news to spread today. I am learning that this process, much like life, is filled with a lot of ups and downs. Paul is slowly coming out of the amnesia. He seems to be more and more aware every day. My Mom said he had a really good day yesterday. He was not agitated and sat outside with my parents for a short while. He gets tired very quickly, so he can only engage in talking or an activity for about five to ten minutes.
Since many people have been asking me to talk more about the minutiae or small details of Paul's abilities, I will tell you what I know. I was able to get some clarification on his walking ability today. He's been walking down the hall and back with only contact guard or guidance, he does not need physical assistance with walking. As I've mentioned before, some moments he is really alert and aware and others not so much. My Mom said he asked my Dad to take him to the bathroom yesterday and talked to him about the Phillies and the Eagles. He still thinks the Phillies are in the playoffs, but that makes sense as it was around that time that he had the accident. He also talks a lot like he's at work. He'll say things like, "How many kids do we have coming in today?" and he'll say to my parents, "You guys need to leave because I have to go to a team meeting."
A sad note is that he has started to ask about his vision. He knows he can't see, but he doesn't ask why yet. He just says things like, "Mom why are you working in the dark down here?" or "Give me my glasses" or "give me a flashlight, I know I have one in my bag over there" or "turn on the lights." When he does this, the staff told my parents to be honest with him and tell him he can't see right now. When they say that he does not ask why. He has also been perseverating on his arm casts and is difficult to redirect when it comes to this topic. He continuously asks when they will be taken off and at times gets really angry that they are there.
He was medicated last night in order to help him sleep and he seems to be improving with better sleep. He has also started to eat small amounts again.
Tara
Monday, November 30, 2009
11/30/09
To all of our friends and family:
We appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers and kind words. My parents have told me that they have been getting emails that infer that Paul is doing a lot better than he actually is. They asked me to let everyone know that while Paul is making some progress, he has suffered very severe and devastating brain injuries. He may never be the same again. This does not mean we should give up hope, but I need to clarify that I have just been posting what my parents tell me, but I am not there and it is difficult to interpret all of it. Paul still cannot see and is still very disoriented. He has periods where he is oriented; however, that is variable. His friend Amy visited yesterday. I was told that he was alert when she came in and did recognize her voice, knew who she was and hugged her. He was only alert for about five minutes though and then he ran out of gas and went back to sleep.
Having said that, it will be quite some time before we know which of his injuries will be permanent and which may improve. I also want all to know that although he is in “rehab,” this means he is no longer in need of acute hospital care. He has not started the “rehab” process as he still has problems associated with severe traumatic brain injury that are preventing the process from starting such as extreme agitation and sleep/wake cycle disturbances. There is so much that is unknown right now and it is too soon to make any type of prognosis, so we just have to hang tight with what we know at this time and hope for a better future for Paul.
This is a very difficult time for our family and we appreciate all of your prayers and support.
Tara
We appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers and kind words. My parents have told me that they have been getting emails that infer that Paul is doing a lot better than he actually is. They asked me to let everyone know that while Paul is making some progress, he has suffered very severe and devastating brain injuries. He may never be the same again. This does not mean we should give up hope, but I need to clarify that I have just been posting what my parents tell me, but I am not there and it is difficult to interpret all of it. Paul still cannot see and is still very disoriented. He has periods where he is oriented; however, that is variable. His friend Amy visited yesterday. I was told that he was alert when she came in and did recognize her voice, knew who she was and hugged her. He was only alert for about five minutes though and then he ran out of gas and went back to sleep.
Having said that, it will be quite some time before we know which of his injuries will be permanent and which may improve. I also want all to know that although he is in “rehab,” this means he is no longer in need of acute hospital care. He has not started the “rehab” process as he still has problems associated with severe traumatic brain injury that are preventing the process from starting such as extreme agitation and sleep/wake cycle disturbances. There is so much that is unknown right now and it is too soon to make any type of prognosis, so we just have to hang tight with what we know at this time and hope for a better future for Paul.
This is a very difficult time for our family and we appreciate all of your prayers and support.
Tara
Thursday, November 26, 2009
11/26/09
Paul has been at the rehab for about a week now. Not much progress has been made so far; they want to give him more time to come out of this PTA state before working with him. He has been sleeping alot and has not been very responsive. My parents met with the rehab team yesterday. They said it could be 18 months before we will know what his permanent functional status and cognitive abilities will be. The plan is for him to fly back to the States when he is medically cleared to leave. My parents will meet with the neurologist on or around December 15 to try to determine when this will be. There is not too much that we know for sure right now except that he has a long, difficult road ahead of him.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thank you for all of your support.
Tara
Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thank you for all of your support.
Tara
Sunday, November 22, 2009
New Email
My parents are now set up with a new email address. They can be reached at:
kjbailey120@gmail.com
Please continue to send words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers.
Thanks,
Tara
kjbailey120@gmail.com
Please continue to send words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers.
Thanks,
Tara
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
New address
Paul has been moved from the hospital and is now at the rehab center!
The address where he can now receive cards and packages is:
Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Center
1 Yarra Boulevard
Kew, VIC Australia
3101
Keep that support coming! Now is when he needs it the most!
- Kesi
The address where he can now receive cards and packages is:
Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Center
1 Yarra Boulevard
Kew, VIC Australia
3101
Keep that support coming! Now is when he needs it the most!
- Kesi
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
11/17/09
Paul is now eating a full soft diet. The therapist told my Dad he walked 200 meters; however, that sounds really far (I think it equals 600 feet) and my Dad was not completely sure he got that number right, but it sounds great! He is still in the same place cognitively, but he is supposed to be transferred to the rehab tomorrow where they will be working with him intensively. A couple of people have asked me about his vision and it has not returned yet. They still haven't made a diagnosis or prognosis with his sight. I've also had a few folks ask me about having a fundraiser or beef and beer. My family is going to plan something that will probably take place in January or February. We are currently working on this and I will keep everyone posted on this via the blog.
Tara
Tara
Monday, November 16, 2009
11/16/09
Paul started drinking fluids through a straw and is able to eat small diced fruit. He is also sitting upright for short periods of time. He can correctly answer where he is (Australia), who he is, the general time of year and his birthday. He was not able to answer questions like "what do you wear on your feet?" and this may be due to the PTA. They plan to transfer him to a rehab center on Thursday where he will recieve intensive rehabilitation services. I will get the contact information there and add it to the blog ASAP.
Tara
Tara
Thursday, November 12, 2009
11/12/09
In the last post I mentioned that Paul had surgery to place the bone back on the front of his skull. I haven't had much to report because he has been sleeping a lot as a result of the sedatives and morphine that were used during the surgery.
He still has symptoms of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). He is supposed to be evaluated by the rehab center today with the possibility of transferring there on Monday for a minimum of five weeks.
As far as his vision goes, one of the main doctors here thinks he has "Traumatic Optical Neuropathy" which is very rare and occurs in only 1% of brain injury patients. This has not been officially diagnosed yet, but if this is the case, there is a 50% chance of him getting his vision back. He is also scheduled to be seen by an Opthamologist today and after that they plan to do an MRI at some point.
Other than that, his brain scans look normal and good. He has the peg tube back in his stomach and the sodium is somewhat controlled now.
Thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, kind deeds and good energy...
Tara
He still has symptoms of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA). He is supposed to be evaluated by the rehab center today with the possibility of transferring there on Monday for a minimum of five weeks.
As far as his vision goes, one of the main doctors here thinks he has "Traumatic Optical Neuropathy" which is very rare and occurs in only 1% of brain injury patients. This has not been officially diagnosed yet, but if this is the case, there is a 50% chance of him getting his vision back. He is also scheduled to be seen by an Opthamologist today and after that they plan to do an MRI at some point.
Other than that, his brain scans look normal and good. He has the peg tube back in his stomach and the sodium is somewhat controlled now.
Thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers, kind deeds and good energy...
Tara
Monday, November 9, 2009
11/9/09
Paul just got out of surgery where they successfully placed the bone back on the front of his skull. This was removed so that his brain would have room to swell. We are told that the surgery went well and he just returned to his room. My Dad said the MRI was not done yesterday, but we do not know why at this point. He was able to say who my Mom was by her voice yesterday. Other than that, no other news right now.
Tara
Tara
Sunday, November 8, 2009
11/8/09
Paul is having an MRI today to try to determine why he cannot see. His sodium was dangerously high so they had to remove the tube feeding, but I believe it is stable now. I hope to have more of an update by tomorrow.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers...
Tara
Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers...
Tara
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
11/4/09
Paul is awake now and has been frequently moving his arms and legs in the bed almost as if he were climbing. He has also begun to say words and sentences although what he says is not usually coherent.
Currently, his right eye is completely open, but his left remains closed. They do not think he can see right now, but they are hoping this is temporary and due to nerve damage.
Paul is experiencing symptoms related to "post-traumatic amnesia" which we are told include confusion, disorientation, agitation, restlessness, and repitition of words, ideas or actions. It sounds like he is repetitively moving his arms and legs and verbally focused on getting the casts off of his arms as he keeps saying, "I have to get these things off of my arms."
The doctors are anticipating that they will not be able to fly him home for about three months; however, they are beginning to discuss transferring him to a rehab center in Melbourne. We do not know when this will be yet. They are also planning to transfer him to a private room in the hospital to minimize noise which may agitate him in his current state. The doctors say this state of post-traumatic amnesia is normal and should subside at some point.
Tara
Currently, his right eye is completely open, but his left remains closed. They do not think he can see right now, but they are hoping this is temporary and due to nerve damage.
Paul is experiencing symptoms related to "post-traumatic amnesia" which we are told include confusion, disorientation, agitation, restlessness, and repitition of words, ideas or actions. It sounds like he is repetitively moving his arms and legs and verbally focused on getting the casts off of his arms as he keeps saying, "I have to get these things off of my arms."
The doctors are anticipating that they will not be able to fly him home for about three months; however, they are beginning to discuss transferring him to a rehab center in Melbourne. We do not know when this will be yet. They are also planning to transfer him to a private room in the hospital to minimize noise which may agitate him in his current state. The doctors say this state of post-traumatic amnesia is normal and should subside at some point.
Tara
Monday, November 2, 2009
11/2/09
Paul is now completely off the sedatives and is breathing on his own. The swelling in his brain has also gone down significantly, and he is occasionally opening one eye and yawning. His is still not fully alert and his responses are variable, but he is once again responding to simple commands and has even added an audible "Mmmhmm" in addition to nodding.
Although we still have to wait and pray for him to continue to improve, everyone is very pleased with the progress he's made so far.
Kesi
Although we still have to wait and pray for him to continue to improve, everyone is very pleased with the progress he's made so far.
Kesi
Friday, October 30, 2009
10/30/09
The results of the brain scan were normal. I'm not quite sure exactly what that entails other than that normal sounds good. My parents are on their way over to the hospital now as it is morning in Melbourne. I don't have any other news a this time, but I will update everyone as soon as I do.
Tara
Tara
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Update 10/29/09
My mom said it's a bleak and rainy Friday afternoon in Melbourne. Everyone is a little down because Paul has had a few setbacks today. His response to stimuli is variable and therefore not consistent enough to move ahead at this time. He is not as alert and responsive as they would like him to be aftering removing a lot of the sedatives. The doctors are also concerned with his eyes because he is not responding appropriately when they examine them. He will be having a brain scan today and we will know the results in a few hours.
The medical team has instructed us that setbacks will happen and that we need to be patient at this time. I know this is a disappointment to all of us who love Paul and want to see him pull through this quickly, especially after all of the progress that he has made.
Have hope for a better day and send prayers, thoughts, and love his way today.
Love,
Tara
The medical team has instructed us that setbacks will happen and that we need to be patient at this time. I know this is a disappointment to all of us who love Paul and want to see him pull through this quickly, especially after all of the progress that he has made.
Have hope for a better day and send prayers, thoughts, and love his way today.
Love,
Tara
Update 10/28/09
Friends and Family:
The medical team began to gradually remove both the sedation and the respirator recently. These weaning processes are both going well.
Currently, Paul is still on the respirator, but he is doing alot of the breathing on his own. They cannot remove the breathing tube completely until he is less sedated because sedation can reduce his respiratory drive. They also have to monitor the pressure in his head during the weaning process.
He continues to look better everyday and the swelling is coming down after all the reparative surgeries.
I should speak with my parents today and post more information this evening or tomorrow.
Thank you all for your love and support,
Tara
The medical team began to gradually remove both the sedation and the respirator recently. These weaning processes are both going well.
Currently, Paul is still on the respirator, but he is doing alot of the breathing on his own. They cannot remove the breathing tube completely until he is less sedated because sedation can reduce his respiratory drive. They also have to monitor the pressure in his head during the weaning process.
He continues to look better everyday and the swelling is coming down after all the reparative surgeries.
I should speak with my parents today and post more information this evening or tomorrow.
Thank you all for your love and support,
Tara
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Update 10/27/09
Friends and Family:
On behalf of my parents, I want to express their sincere gratitute for all of the heart-warming letters they have recieved at the hospital. They are very touched by the love and concern they have recieved from everyone. My mom reads the letters daily for hope and encouragement. Being so far away, it means so much to know that so many people are thinking of them at home. The hospital staff said Paul broke a record for the most letters recieved by a patient there. Keep them coming, they need all of your positive, uplifting thoughts and prayers!
Right now, they are on their way over to the hospital as it is early in the morning on Wednesday in Australia. They expect to recieve a lot of news today. The facial surgery reportedly went well yesterday; however, his blood pressure and the pressure in his head have increased as a result which was expected. They plan to remove the ventilator soon and start weaning him off sedatives. I will get more information hopefully later this evening.
Much love,
Tara
On behalf of my parents, I want to express their sincere gratitute for all of the heart-warming letters they have recieved at the hospital. They are very touched by the love and concern they have recieved from everyone. My mom reads the letters daily for hope and encouragement. Being so far away, it means so much to know that so many people are thinking of them at home. The hospital staff said Paul broke a record for the most letters recieved by a patient there. Keep them coming, they need all of your positive, uplifting thoughts and prayers!
Right now, they are on their way over to the hospital as it is early in the morning on Wednesday in Australia. They expect to recieve a lot of news today. The facial surgery reportedly went well yesterday; however, his blood pressure and the pressure in his head have increased as a result which was expected. They plan to remove the ventilator soon and start weaning him off sedatives. I will get more information hopefully later this evening.
Much love,
Tara
Monday, October 26, 2009
Update 10/26/09
Friends and Family of Paul:
I spoke with my Dad and cousin Kirsten tonight, both reported that Paul is looking better everyday and making small positive signs of improvement. Last night, while friends and family were visiting, the physical therapist began calling his name and asked him to push her hand away as she had it placed against his foot. Paul is still in a very heavily sedated state, but was able to respond to this command by moving a bit and pushing her hand with his foot. My Dad reported that Paul's friend, Yael, told him she was going to make him a big breakfast and asked if he wanted bacon and eggs, to which he nodded his head slightly to say, "No." My mom also asked him if he knew she was there and he nodded slightly, "Yes."
Despite these signs of improvement, the medical team is still emphasizing that we do not know what Paul will be facing when he comes out of the induced coma. He is still in the very early stages and although these responses are considered very positive, they are minor. He is having a major surgery today to repair facial fractures. This may be completed today, but there is a possibility that it will require two surgeries. When he is stable after surgery, they plan to start weaning the sedatives. This will probably be at the end of this week and is a very slow process. They will have to monitor his pressures and if the pressure increases they may have to increase the sedatives.
I will continue to update this daily as I recieve information from my parents.
Thank you for your continued love and support,
Tara
I spoke with my Dad and cousin Kirsten tonight, both reported that Paul is looking better everyday and making small positive signs of improvement. Last night, while friends and family were visiting, the physical therapist began calling his name and asked him to push her hand away as she had it placed against his foot. Paul is still in a very heavily sedated state, but was able to respond to this command by moving a bit and pushing her hand with his foot. My Dad reported that Paul's friend, Yael, told him she was going to make him a big breakfast and asked if he wanted bacon and eggs, to which he nodded his head slightly to say, "No." My mom also asked him if he knew she was there and he nodded slightly, "Yes."
Despite these signs of improvement, the medical team is still emphasizing that we do not know what Paul will be facing when he comes out of the induced coma. He is still in the very early stages and although these responses are considered very positive, they are minor. He is having a major surgery today to repair facial fractures. This may be completed today, but there is a possibility that it will require two surgeries. When he is stable after surgery, they plan to start weaning the sedatives. This will probably be at the end of this week and is a very slow process. They will have to monitor his pressures and if the pressure increases they may have to increase the sedatives.
I will continue to update this daily as I recieve information from my parents.
Thank you for your continued love and support,
Tara
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Update 10/24/09
Paul had surgery to repair his wrists yesterday. The surgeon said he had never seen wrists in such bad shape; the bones, like pieces of a broken mirror, were completely shattered into many small bits by the impact. The surgeon worked until 11pm to complete the surgery because he had to piece many tiny fragments back together again and reset the pieces with plates and pins. He remarked that Paul's wrists were a small sacrifice to his brain. If he had not covered his face with them, he probably would not be alive today.
Post surgery Paul has acquired a low-grade fever (99-100) which is most likely due to an infection in one of his wounds. This is still being evaluated. The pressure in his head was also up for a while, but has been brought back down to about 10. The doctor said this is not abnormal and could have been a result of all of the shifting around. The Orthopedic surgeon feels Paul will have a positive result and should have good mobility in his wrists again; however, he will require six months to a year of therapy. Paul is scheduled to also have surgery to repair bones in and around his face because the compression of the hit fractured many of them. This has to be done soon before they start to heal improperly; however, the medical team is waiting for him to stabilize first. He is still in the induced coma, which I believe he will not be weaned out of until he is stable and his surgeries are completed. My family has been very impressed by the medical team at Alfred Hospital where they have been providing world-class care, support and kindness. My family is more than grateful for the time that they spend explaining everything and for their overall dedication to providing top-notch care.
--Tara
Post surgery Paul has acquired a low-grade fever (99-100) which is most likely due to an infection in one of his wounds. This is still being evaluated. The pressure in his head was also up for a while, but has been brought back down to about 10. The doctor said this is not abnormal and could have been a result of all of the shifting around. The Orthopedic surgeon feels Paul will have a positive result and should have good mobility in his wrists again; however, he will require six months to a year of therapy. Paul is scheduled to also have surgery to repair bones in and around his face because the compression of the hit fractured many of them. This has to be done soon before they start to heal improperly; however, the medical team is waiting for him to stabilize first. He is still in the induced coma, which I believe he will not be weaned out of until he is stable and his surgeries are completed. My family has been very impressed by the medical team at Alfred Hospital where they have been providing world-class care, support and kindness. My family is more than grateful for the time that they spend explaining everything and for their overall dedication to providing top-notch care.
--Tara
Friday, October 23, 2009
News Article about Paul
Here is the Link:
http://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/rock-climber-injured/1657345.aspx
Rock climber injured
23/10/2009 8:43:00 AM
ARARAT - An American rock climber was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital with two broken wrists and severe head injuries after he fell from a cliff face in the southern Grampians on Tuesday.
Two Ararat State Emergency Service crews were sent to assist with the rescue, but were not required due to the remoteness of the location and the Warrnambool based south west rescue helicopter was used to winch the man out.
Ararat SES controller Geoff Dunmore said the climber had been climbing at Mount Abrupt when his climbing protection ropes dislodged from the cliff face, causing him to fall backwards. Ropes still attached to the cliff face prevented him from plummeting to the ground, but when he swung towards the cliff face he broke both wrists trying to protect himself. He also received serious head injuries.
Two fellow climbers lowered the man to the ground and hiked an hour to the road to raise the alarm.
The new south-west emergency helicopter was called on to winch the man out and slashed many hours off what potentially could have been a lengthy carry-out operation by SES crews.
Mr Dunmore said it is estimated that the chopper only takes between 15 and 20 minutes to reach the Grampians area from its base in Warrnambool.
''If we had to go in it would take about an hour and then the carry-out would take about three to four hours,'' he said.
The MICA paramedic crew winched the man out of the area and then landed the chopper again, stabilising him before flying him to Melbourne for treatment.
Here are two more links from ABC News:
Rock climber critically ill after fall
US tourist rescued after cliff fall
http://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/rock-climber-injured/1657345.aspx
Rock climber injured
23/10/2009 8:43:00 AM
ARARAT - An American rock climber was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital with two broken wrists and severe head injuries after he fell from a cliff face in the southern Grampians on Tuesday.
Two Ararat State Emergency Service crews were sent to assist with the rescue, but were not required due to the remoteness of the location and the Warrnambool based south west rescue helicopter was used to winch the man out.
Ararat SES controller Geoff Dunmore said the climber had been climbing at Mount Abrupt when his climbing protection ropes dislodged from the cliff face, causing him to fall backwards. Ropes still attached to the cliff face prevented him from plummeting to the ground, but when he swung towards the cliff face he broke both wrists trying to protect himself. He also received serious head injuries.
Two fellow climbers lowered the man to the ground and hiked an hour to the road to raise the alarm.
The new south-west emergency helicopter was called on to winch the man out and slashed many hours off what potentially could have been a lengthy carry-out operation by SES crews.
Mr Dunmore said it is estimated that the chopper only takes between 15 and 20 minutes to reach the Grampians area from its base in Warrnambool.
''If we had to go in it would take about an hour and then the carry-out would take about three to four hours,'' he said.
The MICA paramedic crew winched the man out of the area and then landed the chopper again, stabilising him before flying him to Melbourne for treatment.
Here are two more links from ABC News:
Rock climber critically ill after fall
US tourist rescued after cliff fall
Update from Melbourne
first of all, i want to thank everyone for all the love and support that has been shown. i went to the hospital twice today, and the second time, paul's parents were starting to get emails that had been sent to the hopsital. It really meant a lot to them to see all those people loving their son. So thanks to all ya'll. In terms of updates, today was a pretty good day for paul. His vitals are stable and have been for 24 hrs. The swelling in his brain is down from yesterday, and still falling, which is a good thing. Also, just looking at him today was encouraging. When i first saw him a couple days ago, he was super swollen, and today you can see the color coming back in his face, and the swelling leaving. He's starting to be recognizeable as the paul we know and love again. The neuro doctors have decided to start to wake him up. I had a vision of this being a quick process, a couple hours kinda thing, but turns out i'm wrong. By waking him up they mean, slowly cutting the meds back and checking his response to stimulus. It takes a couple days aparently. But i saw him move more today in the hour i spent there, than i had in the last three days. So it was really encouraging. I'll try to keep ya'll posted as much as i can. Again, thanks for all the love. Keep it coming. His parents really apprecitate it, as do all of us over here.
-Sarah
-Sarah
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Picture greetings to Paul!
Yael, who is over in Australia and is going to see Paul tomorrow (Australian tomorrow), had a wonderful idea:
They will be taking Paul out of the induced coma in a few days, and it would be great to have something nice for him to look at. So Yeal is going to get one of those digital picture frames and wants people to send some picture greetings to Paul. This can be anything: a picture of you, some sort of digital card, a picture of something he likes, etc. Be creative. But remember it's going to be sitting on a bedside table in a hospital, so be tasteful.
Try to do this quickly. In the next day or so. Email the picture directly to Yael and she will put it in the picture frame: ykgirard@gmail.com
Let's send some good cheer to PB!
They will be taking Paul out of the induced coma in a few days, and it would be great to have something nice for him to look at. So Yeal is going to get one of those digital picture frames and wants people to send some picture greetings to Paul. This can be anything: a picture of you, some sort of digital card, a picture of something he likes, etc. Be creative. But remember it's going to be sitting on a bedside table in a hospital, so be tasteful.
Try to do this quickly. In the next day or so. Email the picture directly to Yael and she will put it in the picture frame: ykgirard@gmail.com
Let's send some good cheer to PB!
Update from My Parents 10/22/09
I spoke with my Dad this evening and recieved some updated information on Paul's fall and status:
My parents were able to speak with a police officer that was involved in the rescue. He reported that when the rescue arrived, Paul was alert and on a ledge of the mountain. He was able to state who he was and where he was from. He also reportedly scored a 14/15 on a cognition test; however, his condition did begin to rapidly deteriorate due to swelling in the brain. It took the crew about two hours to get him off the mountain and one hour to fly him to the hospital in Melbourne.
When he arrived at the hospital they performed surgery to help the swelling in the brain. They also had to do some surgery to repair some broken bones around his eye sockets. Both of his arms and wrists are broken because he pulled them in front of his face when he fell. This was a good step on his part because the damage could have been much worse if he did not. They are going to be repairing his wrist bones by putting in a plate or some type of screws in the near future.
The doctor reported that the first four days are when swelling will reach its peak so he will stay in the induced coma for at least this amount of time to help expedite healing. They also reported that they are trying to keep the pressure in the brain below 20 and he's been fluctuating between 8-10 and that is good news.
My parents were at the hospital last night and today and reported that Paul looked much better today than yesterday. My cousin, Kirsten, who is a permanent resident of Australia has also said that Paul has made significant positive changes in his appearance from one day to the next.
Right now, this is a waiting game, but the good news is that they are not concerned about his survival. He will definitely survive this, but we don't know what long term disabilities could result from the brain injury.
Thanks for all of your love and support for Paul and our family. We need all of it!
Tara
My parents were able to speak with a police officer that was involved in the rescue. He reported that when the rescue arrived, Paul was alert and on a ledge of the mountain. He was able to state who he was and where he was from. He also reportedly scored a 14/15 on a cognition test; however, his condition did begin to rapidly deteriorate due to swelling in the brain. It took the crew about two hours to get him off the mountain and one hour to fly him to the hospital in Melbourne.
When he arrived at the hospital they performed surgery to help the swelling in the brain. They also had to do some surgery to repair some broken bones around his eye sockets. Both of his arms and wrists are broken because he pulled them in front of his face when he fell. This was a good step on his part because the damage could have been much worse if he did not. They are going to be repairing his wrist bones by putting in a plate or some type of screws in the near future.
The doctor reported that the first four days are when swelling will reach its peak so he will stay in the induced coma for at least this amount of time to help expedite healing. They also reported that they are trying to keep the pressure in the brain below 20 and he's been fluctuating between 8-10 and that is good news.
My parents were at the hospital last night and today and reported that Paul looked much better today than yesterday. My cousin, Kirsten, who is a permanent resident of Australia has also said that Paul has made significant positive changes in his appearance from one day to the next.
Right now, this is a waiting game, but the good news is that they are not concerned about his survival. He will definitely survive this, but we don't know what long term disabilities could result from the brain injury.
Thanks for all of your love and support for Paul and our family. We need all of it!
Tara
Share your stories and pictures of good times with Paul
With Paul's many friends spread so far apart, several people have mentioned that they wished we had a way to share stories, pictures and video of Paul with one another. This site will continue to offer updates about Paul's condition and a place to donate to Paul's family, but rather than trying to keep in touch over facebook or other social sites, we have created a place online to share our stories with one another and be together as a community. It doesn't require any sort of log in, and its really easy.
Click here to check it out
Click here to check it out
Paul's Financial Situation
Although Paul did have accidental insurance, it appears at this point that his coverage is maxed out at $35,000. It isn't clear at this point what type of expenses he will incur over the coming months but they will surely be far more substantial. Many of us love Paul so much because of his willingness to live his life plainly with intention and compassion. I've never known Paul to ask anyone for a donation or a hand out. But he isn't in a state to refuse so when he wakes up, he can give it all back to us if wants to be that stubborn.
There is not a lot of clarity regarding what the total costs will be. However, many of us may know someone who has undergone this type of treatment and it can be financially debilitating. Many of Paul's closest friends are akin to him in our need for a life that is based on taking care of those around you and having a really good time doing it. Therefore, most of us don't make a killing and don't have a lot to spare. What I'm trying to say is donate what you can. More importantly ask all of those people you love if they can lend a hand.
Thanks-
Paul's friends.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Paul's accident and status as of 10/21
Paul took a significant fall while rock climbing and hit an overhanging rock landing on his face. He was knocked unconscious immediately and needed to be helivaced to
Paul fractured his skull and many of the bones in his face. The most recent surgery was to ease the inner cranial pressure and to allow his brain to respond to the trauma of the impact. They had to put Paul in a drug induced coma for the next several days to allow his brain to recover from the trauma.
There is little known about the extent of the trauma in his brain until he is removed from the drug induced coma. However, there were no bone fragments in his brain and no brain tissue needed to be removed during the surgery. His spine is intact and everything below his arms is not seriously injured. I want to emphasize that Paul’s baselines are stable currently and the coma he is in was induced by drugs.
His Parents are on their way to
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