Benefit Results

Thank you to all friends and family who came out in support of Troy at the Music Benefit last night. It was a great time! Many got to sit down and visit with Troy and I know he appreciated you coming. And we heard some fantastic music! Thank you to all those who were willing to get up and share your talents with us. We had 50-60 in attendance and raised $1,680.00! I know this will be a great help to Troy and his family. Thank you again. Troy has finished his therapy at rehab; the rest of his strength building is on him. He has exercises to do at home. He is taking his blood sugar tests regularly and learning how to keep it in line. He is getting stronger and his appetite is coming back. Our prayer is for him to have the willpower and desire to stick with a diet and exercise program. I am confident he can do this, but it may be the biggest challenge of his life. This may be one of the toughest times for Troy. He may need to find a dependence on God like never before. A lifetime of eating style...extremely hard habits to break, especially if certain things don't taste good to you. You can not remove yourself from food. This is a battle he will be faced with everyday several times a day. Conscience choices must be made at every snack and meal. He was in an unconscious battle while in the hospital; his body was fighting the battle. Now begins the conscience one, where he is in control. This probably won't come as a shock to you...but Troy is headstrong! He doesn't always listen to the loving advice we try to give concerning diet and exercise. This is his battle. We can't fight it for him, or believe me, we would. In many ways, we must just watch and pray for him to be victorious. Pray for us as a family to have wisdom to use the right words and actions to help him stay the course. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Week at Home

Troy has been home for a week. He sleeps and rests a lot still, but he is more comfortable than the hospital because he can move from room to room and bed to sofa. He is going to therapy twice a week. He has exercises to do at home...pray for him to have to will to actually do them. He is still very week. For example, he called me Saturday and was telling me that he almost dropped a gallon of milk. It takes a lot for him to lift it to the counter. His muscle strength will come back with time and dedication. His endurance is low at this point. Keep praying for him. He is home, but he still has a journey to get back to where he was. Also pray for him to be encouraged; to find blessing in the small successes. In high times and low times "Our God is an Awesome God"

Gosple Music Benefit

Troy is home! He has taken a big step on the long road of recovery. We are happy to have him out of the hospital. Bill and Tammy have been singing gospel music for years and Bill sang country long before that. Every year he comes to Louisville to have a jam session with some the people who used to play music with him. This years session is being held on Labor Day weekend and they would like to make it a benefit to aid Troy and Robin. All proceeds from this event will help pay for medical expenses. You can imagine the strain on a family when going through a serious illness. Combine medical prescriptions with a lowered income, and that can cause some stress. But God has been good. This is something that God has laid on Bill and Tammy's heart and we are here to spread the word. There are no tickets, donations will be taken. Please prayerfully consider contributing to Troy, and come out and enjoy a good time with family and friends. Refreshments will be served. It will be at Cloverleaf Baptist Church, 4401 Manslick Rd, Louisville, KY, 40216, on September 4th, 7:00 pm. If you can not attend and would like to contribute, please send contributions to 8312 McKenna Way, Louisville, KY 40291. Please make checks payable to Troy Clayton. You may call 502-937-7007 with any questions. Thank you for your love and support. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Home

Troy was in better spirits today; much better than last week. He got to leave the hospital yesterday on a day pass and go home. He was sleeping on the couch when I checked on him around noon. He told me today that the day went really well, even better than he expected. He got to eat food that he liked. He got a haircut. Some friends came over. And the dogs were very excited to see him. He was in therapy when I arrived today, they were really working him hard. He is doing everything well. The struggle is endurance; he tires quickly. He is walking alone and will not be taking a walker home, as originally discussed. They were going to come in some time today and remove the feeding tube from his abdomen and the pick lines from his arm. They are expecting that he will be leaving tomorrow before noon! I can't believe this day is finally coming. His recovery since he has been in the rehab hospital has been amazing to watch. My job as blogger is almost over! I will keep you posted for a few weeks after he is home, because I some times wonder how people are doing after a serious illness. And the doctor says it will be 6 months to a year for a full recovery from this. But I probably will not post everyday. Thank you for all of your prayers. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Down Days

Troy was very discouraged when I got there Thurs afternoon. He was upset because they told him is discharge day was set for Tuesday, if everything continued to go well. He had his heart set on leaving the end of the week. He was angry. He didn't even want to do his therapy. As hard as we tried to lift his spirits and encourage him, nothing seemed to work. He just wanted to go to his room and sleep. He was trying hard to convince the nurses that he was ready to leave. Then the doctor came in and put him back on an IV drip because he was dehydrated. He said he had to stay until Tuesday. His hopes were squashed. Our family meeting was scheduled for Friday, and I thought he was just having a bad day and would be better by then, but he wasn't. Pray for his spirits to be lifted. The therapists say that when people get down, it makes them just want to lay around, especially when they go home. This can really hinder their progress. They must keep up the therapy to get strength back. The temptation is strong at home to just lay on the couch when they don't feel good. He gets to go home on a day pass Sunday. We hoped this would make him happy and look forward to something, but he still seems angry that he is not getting to go home. We can not give up on him now, we have come to far. This is just another challenge for us. We must be the ones to make him persevere. Pray for us to have the right words to say to him. Pray for Robin. Even in the difficult times, "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy had a biopsy done this morning on his pancreas. The CAT scan results showed some cysts and they wanted to check them to see if medications needed to be changed. He was eating lunch when I arrived this afternoon. He got to rest for just a bit before they came to get him for an hour and a half of therapy. He is still doing remarkably well. Strength building is a main focus at this point. Continue to pray for his recovery and for the family. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy got his trach completely off yesterday. And they took away the walker. They are being very aggressive with the therapy. He is eating, trying to intake enough calories to get off the tube feedings. He says things taste ok, but he has no appetite, so eating is not that easy. He is trying to keep it up though. He has been sleeping a little better at night, but is looking forward to going home. He thinks he will be able to improve more when he is home. We have not gotten results yet from the CAT scan. Pray that he will have a smooth transition to home life and that he will adjust to a new diet. His 1st week in rehab has been amazing. His improvement...I don't know how to describe. It's funny how you ask God for something and then your amazed when it happens. To see this recovery-from how bad he was, to where he is now-is a miracle. I thank you once again for being there with us and for all of your prayers. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy didn't have therapy today, but he will have 3 hours again tomorrow. They had given him some weights to work with today in his room and he has some putty that he is supposed to be squeezing to improve his hand muscles. When Byron and I arrived this evening they were giving him some liquid with medicine in it, in preparation for a CAT scan he was going to have tonight. They are checking the condition of the pancreas. Everything else is going really well. He hasn't been sleeping well at night and he says he dreads the night time. Pray that he will get some restful sleep at night so that he can have more strength for his therapy sessions. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Talk Talk Talk!

Troy was sitting in the wheelchair when Byron & I arrived tonight. Kim & Ronnie came shortly after us and Troy wanted to walk down the hall to the sun room. We were still sitting there when Robin arrived. He was very talkative. He even said at one point how he was surprised that he wasn't getting tired from all the taking (which proves that he is getting stronger). He talked for a solid hour and a half!! We even joked to him about how he was making up for lost time. We couldn't get him to talk for so long and now we couldn't get him to stop! He called Bill on the phone and got to talk to him for a while too. He and Byron and Kim were telling stories and laughing about childhood memories. It was a nice visit. "Our God is an Awesome God"

A Record!

3 Great Days in a row! Robin just called me and said, "Guess what I am doing? Watching Troy eat!" He was having turkey and mashed potatoes! The swallow test went perfect this morning and they started him on a food diet. He said it tasted good. The doctor said they will be testing the pancreas some time this week, so please keep that in your prayers. Byron and I will be going up later tonight; if I have anymore news I will post it. This is so exciting!! "{Our God is an AWESOME God"

Another Great Day

Troy had another great day. They took the trach out today. There is a plug in the hole right now and his voice is much stronger. If he does well for 24 hours they will remove that also. They were checking his oxygen level at lot, since they took it off, and it was in the high 90's every time. Today the speech therapist did a swallow test, which went very well. She gave him a bite of ice, applesauce, and diced peaches. Tomorrow, they will do an xray swallow test. Based on the result, they will decide the proper diet for him. She seemed to think that by Monday he would be eating some kind of food. When that begins, they monitor how much of his plate he is eating and cut back on the tube feedings accordingly. They make sure he his getting the right amount of nutrition each day. We went on to occupational therapy and physical therapy. He had a busy day and was tired at the end of the afternoon. After he was back in bed, I left so he could rest. We are grateful that he is in this rehab and making the progress that he is so quickly. The therapist, and nurses are so nice and they say he is doing great. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Great Day

Troy looked great today! He was awake and in the wheelchair getting ready to go to physical therapy when I arrived. He was very alert and talking well. His voice is still soft, but it is above a whisper. We went to the gym, where they had him do some arm extensions to test his range of motion. He also did some strength tests; he had to squeeze this device that measured lbs of pressure in his hands and fingers. The technician said there was a lot of work to do, and he estimated 2-3 weeks to get him where he should be. The next stop was speech therapy. In that room asked him a lot of questions, some word associations and some yes/no questions. One of them was, "Which is lighter books or feathers?" He paused of a moment. I got a little nervous; he had been doing so well on this test. Then he said, "It depends on how many books you have and how many feathers." She told him 1 book and 1 feather, and he had no problem answering it. He completely aced the test. The therapist said she was amazed at how well he did and that they would be able to devote all of their time to swallowing therapy and getting him ready to eat, since his memory was fine. When we got back to the room, he wanted to take a nap. Once we got him all settled back into be, he started to go to sleep and told me to go home. He did well today. It was such a relief to see the progress. "Our God is an Awesome God"

New Room

Troy was moved to rehab this evening. Robin says his new room is really nice. He asked her earlier today if she thought he would get a better bed. She told him definitely. He has been approved for a 6 week stay, but hopefully he will not be there that long. He will be going to therapy 3 hours a day in 30 minute increments. He will have physical, speech, and occupational therapy. He will be required to get up and get dressed every morning. He will be shaving and brushing his teeth himself. When able to eat, he will go to a dining area and eat at a table. One of the therapy rooms has a car in it! He will be learning to do everything he needs to go home. When he got into his room a nurse came in and said she needed to see what he could do. He took his shoes off, got in bed, shifted around in the bed to position himself. She was still talking when suddenly, he sat straight up in the bed, and did this little pose. As if to say, here is what I can do. She started to laugh. His medicine was reduced again today, so he was more alert. They will continue to wean him off the meds and be removing the trach very soon. We will be getting a cat scan in the future to determine the condition of the pancreas. Please keep that in your prayers. That will determine when he will be able to start eating and get the feeding tube removed. We are very positive about this move and excited to see the progress. Pray for him as he begins this part of his recovery. Pray for him to have strength, endurance and the will to proceed. "Our God is an Awesome God"

A Walk Outside

Troy was awake this afternoon for almost 2 hours. He was in the wheelchair when I got there, waiting for them to find a portable oxygen tank so he could go for a walk. Byron pushed him and Kim rolled the oxygen along the side. We went to a window first and looked out. We were telling him how hot it was outside. He got impatient with the window, so we went to the lobby. He kept pointing to go outside. We told him we couldn't stay, but we would walk out the door for a second. As soon as we rolled through the doorway and he felt that heat he was pointing to go back inside. We stayed down in the lobby for a bit. He wanted to sit in one of the chairs down there. I still think he's trying to find a place to get comfortable. He is so tired of that bed. He tried to lay down on a love seat in the lobby! We were going to walk upstairs to see the gym where he has physical therapy, but he got tired and wanted to go back to his room. I think he was worn out. He asked for Tylenol and then went to sleep. He has no fever, so they are planning to move him tomorrow. Hopefully a new bed will feel better to him. Just pray for a smooth move. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Better Day

Troy's fever was down today and his color is good. They said if he goes 24 hours without fever he will be ready to go back to Baptist East for rehab. Kindred's objective was to get him off the ventilator and now that is done. He will be moving back to Baptist to have the trach removed, finish getting off the medication and feeding tube, and for rehab. 9 men from his Sunday School class came up tonight to pray over him. They surrounded his bed and prayed. Troy was awake, but not talking. I'm sure this was encouraging to him and we thank them for coming. Bill has been back to visit, and is spending a lot of time with him too. The medicines were reduced again today and we hope to see him more alert because of this. Thank you again for all your prayers; they are being felt. Robin has been dealing with an enormous load. I have wondered at times how she is able to keep going from day to day. But tonight she was telling me how at peace she was and how God had been there for her is such a real way over the last week, sending sermons to her with words that she needed to hear. And amid all the stress, tension and impatience that other family members are feeling, she has found a calmness that can only be from the Holy Spirit. I ask you to pray for a smooth move to Baptist and that he will be moved soon. We are anxious and ready for more progress to begin. "Our God is an Awesome God"

One Step Back for Grandpa

That's right!! I said Grandpa!! David called Troy today with the news. Troy is going to be a grandpa. April is expecting. I'm sure Troy is excited; I only wish he was having a better day physically. The fever continues; today it was 103. They are going to do some tests in the morning. His lower back has been hurting. Probably all results from the kidney infection, which they say is common when a catheter is removed. He really was not feeling good today. We had thought the trach would possibly be out by now, but this infection has stalled progress for a bit. We ask for prayer for the fever, the infection and the back pain. Pray we have good test results. Pray that the medication is able to be reduced soon so that he can perform his physical therapy and get stronger. And keep David & April in your prayers over the next several months. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy was awake tonight! He has been so sleepy the last few days when I have gone in the afternoon; I went tonight with Byron hoping to see him awake. We was very restless. It seemed he couldn't get comfortable. He wanted to sit up, then lay back, he wanted a pillow, then 2, then 3, then none. He wanted to go for a walk in the wheelchair. He got up, got in the chair, had Byron put his shoes on, but then they couldn't find a portable oxygen tank for him, so we didn't get to go. He was listening to some old sermon cassettes from the 80's that Byron gave him. He seemed to like that. He has an infection and they are giving him antibiotics. He is still on 2 anxiety medications that are contributing to the sedation. The doctor says they must wean him off slowly because abruptly stopping them could cause convulsions. They nurses say he is doing really well. Pray for his continued healing. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy was asleep almost the entire time I was with him today. I tried to wake him a few times, but he was so sleepy. He managed to open one eye and look at me, but that was it. He has been asleep a lot lately. They are still giving medicine that makes him tired. They say they are cutting back on it, but it seems to be going slow. Pray for a speedy recovery. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy was very tired today. He said he didn't sleep good last night. He was awake some of the time, but slept part of the time I was there. He had been to therapy and that had made him tired also. Before I left he asked me to tell the nurse he needed something for a headache. Byron went to see him tonight and he remembered me being there today, which is another affirmation that he is getting better and better. He remembers things that have happened earlier. His room was very cold today, but the nurse said that was the way he wanted it; even though he asked me for another blanket! They are going to do a chest x-ray in the morning just to make sure that there is nothing in his lungs. He has a bit of a fever today. Please pray that everything is ok and we can continue to improve. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Leap Forward cont.

Robin just called me after her visit tonight and she got to take Troy for a walk around the hospital tonight. He rode in a wheelchair and they went all around the hospital and he got to look outside. She was excited to tell him that the doctors are talking about him going home in terms of weeks now and not months; but he seemed a little discouraged. To him weeks sounds really long. She said he was not quite as perky tonight, but the doctors have removed more of the sedation drugs and his moods are a bit down sometime. Even so, our spirits are not quenched. We are encouraged at his progress and hopeful for the days ahead. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Leap Forward

Wow! I had a great visit with Troy today and I have good news to share. He is so much stronger with each visit. It's amazing. You can see a difference in him each day. We had an actual conversation today...not just me talking and asking him questions, but with him initiating the conversation and asking me things. And his voice...he had such strength in it today. I could hear him plainly from my seat by the bed without leaning in to his mouth. He had been to physical therapy twice today, and he was tired. He said it was hard, but he walked 100 feet on his own! The doctors are saying at the pace he is going he should be off the trach in a week. All the blood tests are looking good for the pancreas, but we won't know the exact condition until another cat scan is done. We have no scheduled time for that yet. I feel a sigh of relief today; like we see light at the end of a long dark tunnel. We are going to make there. God has lead us, guided us, pushed us, carried us, and maybe kicked some of us. We have learned lessons of humility, priority, patience, mercy and grace. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Ventilator Gone

The ventilator is gone from the room!! Troy was awake the whole time Byron and I were there today. Respiratory therapy came for a treatment and he sat up on the side on the bed for that. Then, he wanted to get in a chair for a while. The therapist said now that the ventilator is gone they will go through a time of weaning him from the trachea tube. He is still getting some oxygen through there. He told me about Whitney getting a job at Chuckie Cheese. He wasn't talking much, but he was alert and aware of any conversation going on in the room and if you asked him a question he would answer. Please pray for Robin still, who is under an extreme amount of pressure. And I would like to ask for extra prayer for healing of Troy's pancreas. All the other organs seem to have been repaired, but there are still some issues with the pancreas. Our prayer if for healing without any surgery required. We have come so far. I told him that today. He only has a few tubes now, when there were many at one time. It was good to see that vent. machine out of the room. Truly, "Our God is an Awesome God"

Good Day

Troy looked great today. His eyes were brighter. I was there during therapy; so they have him up doing exercises and he is very alert. His personality was really showing through today. They had him lifting some hand weights and he started moving his hips, like he was dancing. It was so good to see him be playful. He is getting up and down out of the bed well and they said he should be going downstairs to therapy next week. They have more activities for them down there and he will be able to get stronger. He was feeling the tube in his throat, and asked to see a mirror. Kim was there with me and she explained that it was going to come out soon and he would only have a small scar. I stayed for a while and was standing by his bed, when he suddenly waved bye to me and then Kim. I asked if he wanted us to leave. Then Kim asked if he didn't want us there because he was tired or if he wanted us to go because he thought we had stuff to do and we didn't need to stay with him - like it was an inconvenience to us to be there visiting him. He raised his finger in a number 2, to say the 2nd reason. Then he put his hands together to say pray. Then he did the finger motion to make a church, and open the door, and see all the people; and he pointed at me. I said, "Are you asking me if I went to church this week?" He nodded. I told him we had been out of town, but I would go this week for sure. Troy has really been onto me about church attendance in the past months. He knows we are not as active as we used to be or should be and always asks if we are going. He amazes me, laying there with tubes going in and out, and trying to make sure that I am where I need to be spiritually! Thanks to everyone for your prayers. "Our God is an Awesome God"

I was with Troy today for a while after work. He was sitting on the side of the bed when I arrived. He raised his hand to me when he saw me. He was moving around quite a bit and using a lot of hand motions. The ventilator was turned off; there was only oxygen going in the tube. He was doing all of the breathing on his own. A nurse told me that typically when the machine is left off for 3 days, they remove it from the room. He continues to make progress. He is still coming out the fog of sedation. They are reducing the medicine amounts, but he is still on some of it. He was using hand motions to tell me he wanted the bed up, then down, then another pillow, then only one...at one point I didn't understand so I gave him paper. He wrote "Hi". I laughed and said hi back and he just shrugged his shoulders. He seemed like he was struggling to keep his eyes open, so I told him he didn't have to try to stay awake because I was there. I told him if he wanted to rest he could. He immediately laid his head back on the pillow. A nurse came in and gave him some shots of insulin and he never woke up. I told him several times how good he was doing and that he is getting stronger every day. The nurse said that therapy had been in that morning and exercised with him, and she gave him an alphabet chart and asked him to spell his name. He did it fine. Continue to pray for a speedy recovery. You don't know how much it means to us to have your support through prayer. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Update

I want to apologize once again for the delay in posts; Disney World did not have free Wi-Fi!! I need a blackberry! I have been getting some encouraging news from Robin and Kim and am excited to share with you. Saturday Robin said they were going to leave Troy off the ventilator for 2 hours, but he stayed off for 5 hours! The therapist said they were going to discuss with the doctors leaving him off for longer periods. On Sunday, he was off twice for a 4 hour period each. He was wanting to call Byron. Robin said he wanted Byron to pick up his car and drive it home. She told him that Byron already took care of that, and then he rested and went back to sleep. I don't think he realizes the amount of time he has been gone. Although, one day when he was off the ventilator he asked Robin why he was in there and how long it had been, but I don't know how much of that he remembers. Monday he was off the ventilator for 12 hours and Tuesday for 16 hours! He was moved to a different floor of the hospital because he is now off the heart monitor. And, he is allowed to have ice chips. We think he may be going to the gym today for exercise. He has asked about a walker. He is walking a few steps to get to the restroom. He is having some type of allergic reaction and his hand is swollen, not sure what is causing that yet. And his lip is looking better from the stitches. He is following commands, but Kim is concerned about him being discouraged. Continue to pray for encouragement and speedy healing. Depression can be a concern for patients who have extended stays in the hospital. I want to ask for extra prayer for Robin. It seems when so much energy and prayer is focused in one area of our life, Satan will attack another area. Running the household single handed is enough pressure and when Satan throws other obstacles at us it can be overwhelming. Pray for strength for her and for a protection of angels to watch over them while Troy is recovering. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Yesterday Troy seemed discouraged. Now that he is awake, a new battle has begun. His body was fighting before he was conscience, but now that he is aware, he begins a battle of the mind and will. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort and support him. He did well off the ventilator that first day, but on other occasions his stats have not remained at the levels they need to be and he has had to go back on it. Pray that his lungs gain strength and his stats remain at the appropriate levels. Pray for him to have the breath he needs when he tries to speak. He is fighting the battle; God is with us; we will remain faithful when weary. "Our God is an Awesome God."

UPDATE

First, I want to apologize for the late post; I am in Florida and the condo has no internet!! Troy was moved to his new room on Friday. Marc was there as he got moved in and said things were going ok. The nurses are nice and it seems like he is making progress. He is more awake and alert. We had been concerned about the move, even though it is progress, because the nurses are farther away than in ICU. We were afraid they may not watch him as well, as he is still very groggy. And, on Tues, he fell out of the bed again! This has been the 3rd time. This time he busted his lip and had to get stitches. Kim immediately got things under control and now he has been moved to a new room straight across from the nurses station and has a sitter around the clock! He is still being weaned from the ventilator. He was off about 4 hours at one point. Praise the Lord. Yesterday, he was not able to be off that long, but they say this is normal. When the ventilator came off the first time, Robin was there and got to hear his first words. She said his voice sounded the same. 5 weeks with no talking, I'd like to say he spoke some profound words, but actually he said, "That smells horrible." They give some type of medicine puffs when they take off the ventilator and it smells like rotten eggs! He is writing some messages now. He wrote this to Robin "God is good. God is in this place." What a testimony! He is still being the head of his household, being the strong supporter, being the Christian husband to Robin, even as he lays, unable to speak. He has communicated that he wants food and is ready to go home. These are both positive signs and we are encouraged. Keep praying for him and the family. It's working! "Our God is an Awesome God"

New Room

Troy is going to be moved out of ICU! We thought it was going to be tonight, but it looks like it will be tomorrow. They said when he gets to the other room that they will be cutting back on some of the medications. This is a big step. We are excited to see the progress we know is just around the corner. Thank you for continuing to pray for us. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy was awake and tying to communicate last night, but we still have trouble understanding what he is saying. I am sure he thinks he is saying what he wants, but his mouth is not moving clearly enough for us to understand. The hospital gave us some picture charts. Kim tried to hold them up so he could point to what he wanted, but that was not successful either. Bill came in town to see Troy. I know this has been hard for him being in Virginia. Pray for him to have safe travels back and forth. We also need special prayer for Troy's pancreas. The newest CAT scan shows it is still inflamed. Our prayer is that it will heal itself and not require any surgery. They made another adjustment to the ventilator today, so he is breathing more on his own. They will watch the oxygen levels and CO2 levels to make sure he can handle this adjustment. If all is well, they will turn it down some more. He still has a journey...pray for strength and will to keep fighting. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Troy had a restful day. He was sleeping when both Robin and Byron were there. When Byron sat with Troy, he tried to wake him, but got no response. When Robin was there she decided to turn on the TV. She was watching a preacher. She noticed that every time the preacher asked a question ("have you ever felt...") Troy would nod! He didn't open his eyes, but apparently he could hear. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Fourth of July

Troy was quite active today. He is staying awake for longer periods of time. He was trying to say something to Byron, so Byron gave him pen and paper, but he was not able to write anything. Then a little later, after Byron left, he fell out of the bed! He likes to throw one leg off the bed. We had put it back up 3 times last night. He was getting twisted around in the bed and the other leg was very close to being off also. Before we left, Byron pushed a chair over to the side of the bed so he couldn't move his leg off while we were gone, but I guess today he managed to get both legs off. He seemed to be OK, but they were going to do an x-ray to be sure. Keep us in your prayers. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Good Day

Troy was very alert today, and a bit restless. Robin said he was getting agitated this afternoon..wanting to sit up, and getting very frustrated. She could tell he was getting angry; he was even hitting his fists on the bed. She held his hands and said, "Troy, you have got to calm down." Then, very plainly, he mouthed the words, "No, you calm down." It was their first argument in a month! Tonight Byron turned on the TV and he and Troy watched a UFC fight together. Byron would turn and ask him "Are you watching this?" and he would open his eyes and nod. We have had 2 good days in a row. "Our God is an Awesome God".

One step ahead

Troy had a better day today. He was alert this evening and we were able to understand that he wanted to sit up. The nurse adjusted his bed some, but he must stay at a certain elevation because of the ventilator. They said he took his first step today toward getting off the ventilator...they adjusted his setting and did fine. Although they did stress that he would have bad days and good days, it felt good to have a good one today. His feedings are going well and he no longer has an IV drip. He still gets medication when needed through the IV, but nothing continuous. One less tube! Thank you Lord for giving us a good day. "Our God is an Awesome God"

:/

Well...He's all moved in. His new room has a window close to his bed. The view is only a roof top, but at least he can see sun or rain...if he is awake. He had to be sedated again today; he pulled his IV out this morning! They don't like to restrain their patients...the nurse said it took her an hour to get it back in. He really needs to stay calm when he wakes up. We are in an adjustment period. We were used to the way things were done at Baptist East and Kindred has a different approach. We are going to trust the doctors and nurses and pray that God will give them wisdom to take the steps needed to get Troy home as soon as possible. Also pray that infections trying to attack his body will go away. As always..."Our God is an Awesome God"

Moving

Troy is moving to Kindred tonight. We are anxious for what lies ahead. One of Kindred's main objectives is to get him off the ventilator. We can't wait for him to be able to talk to us again. We have discovered that we are not very good at lip reading. A few nights ago, he was saying something. And his lips were moving the same over and over; he was definitely trying to tell us something. Byron thought he was saying, "I can't talk", I thought he was saying, "I gotta go", and Robin thought he was saying, "I love you". The only word we could all agree on was, "I". This must be so frustrating for him. Pray for strength and encouragement for Troy, and pray for Robin. "Our God is An Awesome God"

Moving Day...Almost

Troy was sound asleep today. He was a bit active during the night and early morning; tried to pull out some tubes! (I'm shocked, that doesn't sound at all like something he would do!) They gave him medication to calm him. We were told he was going to move this evening, but it got canceled because they didn't have an open bed in the ICU at Kindred. Maybe tomorrow. Continue to pray, pray, pray. We appreciate that so much! And don't forget, "Our God is an Awesome God".

Smile

Troy smiled at me this afternoon! It was so good to see recognition in his eyes. He stayed awake for a bit before difting off to sleep again. They were giving him some blood today - his count was a little low. They don't seem to be alarmed by that, but they are keeping an eye on it. Pray for the blood count to stay up and that no issues develop. We try to encourage Troy and tell him how good he is doing, but the look on his face seems to say he doesn't believe that. He doesn't know how far he has come! Pray for us to speak the right words to bring him comfort. "Our God is an Awesome God"

Praise

Troy was much more alert tonight. He was not heavily sedated and responding to questions. He was calm today when he woke up and they did not need to use more sedation. Praise the Lord! He was expressing emotion...some sadness...but it was good to see him be awake enough to feel emotion. We know he will have sad days and angry days and good days to come. We will take each day one step at a time. Remember, "Our God is an Awesome God".

Last night

Troy's nurse last night was very postitive. She talked about the small successes he has had. She was able to get him off the insulin pump; now he is getting regular insulin injections. Our prayer for now is for him to be able to stay calm as they bring him out of sedation. He has been getting very anxious when he wakes up and his numbers start going up and they end up having to sedate him again. (Some of the medication causes amnesia, so he may not understand where he is or what is going on. He starts to panic and breathe too fast) So we need the Peace of God that passes all understanding. We need God's loving hand on Troy to calm him so he can come off the sedation. Then the next step will be to get off the ventilator!! He will be moving to Kindred sometime this week. We have heard good things about them and feel that this is in God's plan.
Remember "Our God is an Awesome God".

Beginning

On June 7th Troy was taken to the hospital in severe pain. Amazingly, it was his fourth attack of pancreatitis. Many people don't live through one. It has been a roller coaster of events. He has gone from being critically ill to being on the road to recovery with God's merciful healing hand. We start this blog now, June 27, and take our friends on this journey because we have fed off your strength, prayers, and thoughfulness.