Steps to Recovery : Healing the Brain

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time. Heading home after a mellow day of resting and movement. They have had Connor on a sedative for most of  today  to help with his aggressive behavior and allow him some much needed rest.  In the afternoon they performed a ventilator test to determine how well Connor could breathe without the assistance of the machine. Unfortunately he is still too agitated to pass this test, with heart rate and blood pressure spiking too much. Once he can pass this test they will be able to remove the ventilator and have him on a trach cuff to provide breathing assistance as needed. Additionally this will be the start of moving him out of ICU and into trauma recovery.  As we say goodnight to Connor, as always he is in the best of hands with the nursing staff and is resting comfortably. We are hopeful he will maintain a sleep pattern  tonight  and stay off his computer (j...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time. Morning update for Connor on Day 14 of ICU: Overnight Connor continued to wrestle with the nurses well into the night. They finally helped him to sleep with the assistance of propofol which is a sedative they had him on previously. Once we arrived he had been sleeping soundly for several hours and we did not want to disturb him. The neurosurgeon came by for a visit to remove the brain pressure valve and we had the opportunity to get his view of the progress of waking up. The process that is occurring is as difficult for us as it is for Connor. He is waking to a strange place, limited mobility, unable to speak and breathing strangely with a machine attached to him. The plan is to allow him the time he needs to wake up with minimized stress and agitation while still allowing him to become more aware of his body and surroundings without dulling the process with too much sedation. More t...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time. Wow! To say we are tired is an understatement. Connor spent the majority of  today  moving, struggling, wiggling and constantly sliding to the bottom of his bed. Normally the nurses would move him every 2hrs on schedule. T oday  they were adjusting him multiple times each hour trying to find a comfortable spot. His agitation early in the day would cause his brain pressure and heart rate to skyrocket and slowly come back to his baseline levels. By the afternoon his agitation levels were much lower and recovering quicker to the low baseline.  Tonight  we leave him with the plan from the nurse to get him into a comfortable sleep, which he needs after a strenuous day of activity. Over and out for us also. Let's continue our homework nightly to see if we can get Connor better each day.  Thank you for all the loving and caring messages.  Laura, I show...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time. Up and at it again early  today . We arrived at the hospital to find Connor wrestling with the nursing staff while they tried to get him comfortable. He is easily agitated today as we can only imagine what is happening internally - dealing with awakening to his location and condition. The neurosurgeon PA came to visit and was quite happy with all of the activity. He even was able to register her location with his eyes when she called his name out. They will leave his brain pressure monitor in for one more day and will check on him in the morning. The remainder of  today  will be keeping him comfortable while he goes through this wake up phase. Thank you for all who are helping with Quinn and Sloane. We appreciate you more than you know.  It's the little things that are helping right now.  Once Connor is up and moving, the real intense work begins for us. Kee...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time. Connor was out of surgery about 10:45am and resting after his tracheostomy. All went well and the doctor is happy with the results.  His eyes were open off and on throughout the day and he also was able to grip our hands and lift his right thumb. We would come into the room and he would have his eyes closed. Once we touched him and started talking to him his eyes would open - truly amazing!  He is not yet tracking with his eyes related to commands or people speaking, but he is looking around the room more each time. We have to explain each time to him that he is in the hospital and has been in an accident. They are uncertain yet if he is aware of his surroundings to remember each time. They say it helps to explain to assist with his anxiety. We have not heard of any major plans for  tomorrow  other than possibly turning down his ventilator to test his breathing a...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time. As we start today, we struggle to get moving with the burden of each day dragging on us. We arrived at the hospital early today to see Connor off prior to his scheduled tracheostomy this morning. His head looked less swollen. He is holding head pressure and bouncing back from being moved quicker.  His eyes were open wider and moving around the room more than the evening before. Dave felt Connor's hand grip him as he talked to him but it was unclear whether or not it was a reflex movement as we had seen happening in his feet. As we left to go to get something to eat, we received a phone call from the trauma Dr. He wanted us to come back to the room to see his activity, not knowing that we had seen all of this while we were there. The tone of his voice reflected his enthusiasm at seeing this activity and how important this was for Connor. Thereafter we received a call from the nurs...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   After a day of ups and downs, we got to end it with Connor's eyes. He has been opening his eyes more  today  than he did all day  yesterday . Still not focusing on anything and not reacting to commands but slowly making progress. His vitals are holding steady and his brain pressure numbers continue to go down - all good items. The move to the latest ventilator went well and is allowing Connor to do the majority of the breathing, while the machine is only assisting.  Tomorrow morning  they will be taking him into surgery for a short procedure to install a tracheotomy which remove all tubes from his throat and allow him an easier transition to breathing on his own, once he awakens fully. His process has been slower than desired and we are struggling to maintain sanity in a sea of questions with no answers. The small steps are progress and all that we curren...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Update  this morning : Overnight Connor had good numbers and continues to do well with the hammer ventilator. We arrived early this morning in an attempt to catch the neurosurgeon. But he did not visit  today . We did get an opportunity to see Connor's eyes open and jaw moving for about 30 minutes  this morning . This moved into a grimace on his face as he started to show signs of agitation and awakening to the overall situation. They then increased his sleep medication and allowed him to drift back to sleep. The Dr rounds have completed and the plan is to move him from the hammer ventilator to the original ventilator. With his lungs virtually cleared, fever down to under 99 and his brain pressure numbers staying low, they are also going to move him to a different type of medication that will be easier for him to continue the wake up process. This is happening cu...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Day 10 ends on our marathon ICU visit - update on Connor: After a depressing day of little Dr interaction and no new news, we finally got to see activity signs from Connor. After returning late this afternoon to the room, we got to hold his hands and cry as his eyes partially opened and his jaw moved around. There is no focus to the eyes and no recognition but it was the beginning signs of awakening that the nursing staff had been waiting for. He has now slipped back asleep and continues to maintain his great vitals including head pressure (under 10!). We needed a boost today - maybe he heard us talking too loud and recognized our voices, not sure. We will leave hopeful that his awakening process continues and we can get to see him awake soon. As always, we feel your love and appreciate all healing energy and prayers sent.

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   The doctors didn't have much to say today. They are ordering an ultrasound for his legs to make sure no clots are forming due to not being able to be on anticoagulants. He is tolerating lower pain meds. His pupils look good. They are still working on his edema. He is not worse. Dave and I are really feeling the heaviness of this past 10 days. It didn't help that we were the last room for rounds today. We arrived this morning to no great news from the nurses. And then we had to wait forever for the doctors. So. We continue to love on connor, talk to him and wait for his eyes to open. Thank you for your continued love, support and healing energy.

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   So another day ends and we wait impatiently for Connor to improve.  Latest info: The trauma doctor decided during rounds this morning to shutoff the paralytic medication and allow Connor to start moving again. The medicine will disappear over the next 12hrs from his body. They have already started to see movement in fingers and toes which is great. They are keeping the hammer ventilator on him as long as he will tolerate it. This will keep the mucus moving out of the lower regions of his lungs and allow the nurse to suction it out. With the paralytic being stopped, he can cough again to also help with this process - All good.   His body temperature has remained low grade (under 100) all day which has been exactly where the nursing staff wanted it to be. He still continues to fight the infection in his lungs with a strong body and a good reaction to the...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Made it to the hospital this morning after clearing out yesterday's cobwebs. Connor has had a restful night of sleep and stable numbers throughout. The new ventilator is working well to assist with cleaning the mucous from his lungs and keep his breathing level. His fever has reduced while maintaining a low level just under 100. The plan currently for today (may change after Dr rounds) is to keep him paralyzed for the day and allow his brain to rest. The neurosurgeon came early before our arrival to check on him and was happy with his levels and where he is at overnight. Will update once we have any further info. Thank you for all the beautiful outpouring of love for Connor and for us.  You don't realize just how many people are affected by your presence until something like this happens.  The love and energy being sent our way is incredible.  And thank you t...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Two steps forward - one step back... Update tonight on Connor - Been a rough day to put it mildly. We had hopes of his numbers being better after surgery #2. His day started as we had mentioned this morning and continued that way for the remainder of the day. In the mid-afternoon it was decided due to a low heart rate that was trending even lower, to utilize a paralytic medication to put Connor in a paralyzed state. This would allow the brain to take a complete rest without being bothered with any of the bodies functions. Once this medication took full effect (roughly 4-5hrs), his brain pressure number has dropped significantly to the lowest level in a week. We are hopeful his rest is comfortable tonight (it has been difficult to keep his numbers on track after they move him every 2hrs) and he continues to maintain low numbers for reduced swelling. Good night and hoping...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   After a restless night of horrible sleep on our end, we have returned to Connor's side at the hospital this morning. Unbeknownst to us, overnight the surgeon was called back to the hospital to provide assistance to the night nursing staff to get Connor comfortable and to lower his brain pressure readings (over 25).  This morning the initial briefing was rough with his pressure numbers high and the day nurses evaluating a course of action for the day. The neurosurgeon assistant has now left the room after providing us both an overview of the overnight report along with their assessment of the early morning CT Scan. The results of the scan do not reflect any changes in the brain - which is a positive thing. The adjustments the surgeon made overnight helped to bring brain pressure numbers down to a more acceptable level and they will continue with this action today. ...

Connor is out of surgery and in post-op.  The neurosurgeon and assistant just left us and they both were very happy with the results. They removed more bone over the top of this right ear and also opened the Dura mater which is the membrane surrounding the brain beneath the bone. Once this was opened, his brain seemed to breathe and relax while filling the extra space.  Upon completion of the surgery they already were seeing reducing brain pressure numbers which reflects that the surgery was exactly what he needed. They will do a CT Scan early in the morning and will check him  around 7am  to verify that all is well.  We are headed back to see him and to say a quick goodnight. Thank you for your continued prayers.

As we returned to Connor's room to say goodnight, we were met by the neurosurgeon and assistant. Based upon the findings on the MRI and installing the brain pressure monitor  this evening , they have determined that the best course of action is to take him back to surgery now. His pressure numbers are too high and the swelling is not going down. They will remove more bone over the top of his right ear to make more room for his brain to swell in lieu of pushing against the bone. He is being prepped now, will have update once surgery is complete.

We got the update from the trauma doc.  They are going to do an MRI on his neck and head in order to rule out any damage from the fall.  Since they can't get a verbal from him whether his neck hurts, a clean MRI will enable them to remove the neck brace.  The CT scans show no damage to the spine, so they don't anticipate any surprising results. Connor's fever is trending down this morning.  The medication seems to be taking hold.  The mucus in his lungs is clearing out already.  So they aren't going to do another bronc today.

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Early morning update on Connor: We met with Dr Soledavilla early  this morning , who is the neurosurgeon and who performed the initial brain surgery. He has informed us that Connor is on a different road than the doctor would like. He is taking the scenic route. Where the doctor is like Dave and would like to drive straight through with no bathroom breaks. Both routes end up in the same place - one just takes longer.  Understand that his head trauma was way worse than originally understood from the CT Scans they performed upon arrival and was not clearly understood until the surgery was performed. We are being informed now that they will keep him sedated for the next week in an effort to assist with brain swelling reduction. They will continue to evaluate daily but this is the path they believe we will be on.  In young people, the brain is much larger with les...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Update for  this evening  on Connor: We have had a relatively uneventful day of rest. After the Bronc procedure  this morning  for his lungs, the initial results of the quick tests have revealed that he has an infection in his lungs. Since this procedure, his temperature has gone from 99 to 102, they have given him a new round of antibiotics and have put a cooling pad under him to assist his body. He is more active than we have seen him in 6 days with right arm and legs due to the sleep med reduction. His brain swelling is still a concern and will be watched all night. We will turn him over to Wendy  tonight  for the overnight shift and head to the house with hopes of seeing his eyes  tomorrow . Thank you all for your continued love, prayers and healing thoughts.  Connor is feeling each and every one of them.  I read each message to...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   We want to thank everyone for your continued support, well wishes, prayers, healing energy, shout-outs and everything else we have received.  We continue to pass on loving notes that we receive on FB and texts - so know that your messages are being received. Sloane and Quinn are still having a really hard time comprehending this whole thing and would rather not talk about Connor as it is so upsetting that they just cry when they have to talk about him.  So please direct any questions or concerns to us and/or read here on this blog. Sunday morning  update on Connor: We had a long discussion with the neurosurgeon assistant who had evaluated the CT Scan from earlier  this morning . They are seeing improvement on his brain in the past 24hrs with the swelling reducing but they are not at the point yet to move forward with the wake up process.  Additiona...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   I'm certain everyone is as anxious as we are this morning - early update on Connor: He had another restful night and his numbers were stable and even has reduced brain pressure numbers. We are awaiting trauma doctor rounds to hear the plan for today and let everyone know once we hear. Mid-morning update for Connor: Trauma team has come by for their morning rounds. They have made the decision to reduce the sleep medication and see how Connor's vitals react - more than likely  today  will not be the day they wake him. Will update later  today  once we have more info.

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, Connor is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Ok afternoon update on Connor: The neurosurgeon has come by to assess where we are. They are happy with his brain pressure numbers but concur with trauma team that they want his swelling to reduce before attempting to reduce sleep meds. They are increasing his sodium levels in an effort to draw more of the fluids out of his skull but are struggling against Connor who has a young healthy body working overtime to repair itself and fight against the doctors. Hopefully he will relax today and the swelling can go down and the wake up plan can be implemented in the morning. So at the end of Day 4, the latest on Connor: He has had a restful day with stable vitals continuing. They were even able to fit him with PT splints which will help to manipulate his feet and joints as he lays in bed. This was to have happened yesterday but he was not able to maintain his vitals while being stim...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, he is not accepting any visitors at this time.   This morning, Friday July 21, 2017 , Connor has had an uneventful night and is reflecting lower brain pressure numbers.  His overall numbers are still stable and he is resting comfortably.  We are awaiting the doctor rounds this morning to hear about their plan for his care for the next 24hrs.  We will be updating later in the day once we have more information.   11:30 am Luck of the draw today - they started rounds on our hall so we have an early update on Cornelius: The plan for the next 24hrs is to keep him asleep and allow him an additional day of swelling reduction. All doctors involved are happy with his numbers and would like to see this continue for the remainder of today. They will revisit in the morning tomorrow whether they will begin to wake him up.  We are expecting the neurosurgeon later this afternoon and will update. Until then we will...

Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, he is not accepting any visitors at this time.   Update for  this evening  as we say goodnight to Connor: All of his numbers are doing well. They sat him up late  this afternoon  and that seemed to help stabilize his brain pressure numbers - the lowest  today . The night nurse (same from last night) is quite happy with the difference  tonight  and will be maintaining his comfort and let him rest.  Today  was a better day, small improvements but huge items - on to  tomorrow  which will be a better day. Goodnight all

Thank you for visiting and being concerned about Connor and his recovery.  Currently due to his condition and being in ICU, he is not accepting any visitors at this time. I'll just dive in and list the things that have happened so far and then try and keep this up to date as time goes on. Connor had a skateboarding accident on Monday, July 17th in Lincoln City. He fractured his skull causing a severe head trauma and was airlifted to Legacy Emanuel Trauma Hospital in Portland that evening. Upon arrival he was put into a medically induced coma in an effort to allow his brain an opportunity to rest while the doctors assessed his condition. On Tuesday, July 18 , the neurosurgeon performed surgery on his skull in an effort to drain the blood that had pooled on the right side of his brain.  It was discovered at that time that his injuries were more severe than had been reflected on the CAT Scans.  The surgeon then proceeded to remove more of the skull bone, creating a fl...