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