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"