August 15th and 16th

Sorry this is a day late. I could not get my computer to work last night. Matt is doing so well. He ate real food yesterday and said that it was good. For breakfast he had pancakes and sausage. He is also able to drink coffee now. He says that the hospital coffee is not very good. Our brother-in-law Larry has been waiting for him to be able to drink coffee. He says that the next time he comes to the hospital he is going to bring Matt Starbucks coffee. It is very exciting to see him eating and drinking again. He looks better and sounds better too. Hopefully it won't take to much longer and he will be well enough to go home. I hate that I have to leave him every day and go to work, but sometimes we don't always get to do what we want to in life. Anyway, sorry about that it was a little pitty party for me and I need to get over it.

This morning we got him up and he used his legs to help wheel himself down to the dining area and he did really well. He had eggs and cream of wheat this morning along with apple juice and coffee. Once again, the coffee was not very good. He is also getting some other nutrition through his PEG while he is building up his strength so that he is getting enough calories. I am really happy to see that he is doing so well and I know that it is because you are keeping him in prayer. God has been so wonderful to us and we can never repay the debt that we owe Him. It seems like every time I write I am thanking you for praying and telling you how specical you are to us and I hope you know that every time I say that, it comes from my heart and that it is not just words. I am truely thankful for every one of you that prays for Matt, because if you were not praying I don't know where we would be at this point. I love you all and thanks again.

August 14

Man oh Man!! What a day Matt had today. He has started transfering himself from the bed to the wheelchair (with some assistance). He was able to take a shower today, a real shower not a bath in the bed. He used his legs and rolled himself down to the dining area. He shaved himself. After all of this what could be better, well just wait!?!?!?! He is going to start eating chopped up food on Friday. He has been getting liquid food through his PEG, but now he will start getting chopped up food. They are going to be giving him 6-7 small meals/snacks a day and then supplement with the liquid food through the PEG at night. He is also able to take water from a cup now, anytime he wants. This is all very exciting. He is trying to do stuff so that when I come from work I will be happy and proud of him. I told him that I was proud of him no matter what he did or didn't do. He asked me to tell him what really happened to him tonight. I felt like if he was asking that he was ready to know, so I told him. He cried when I told him about the first night, but then I explained how from there that he only got better with a couple of minor set backs. He said, "I did not realize just how sick I was and that I was that close to death!" This brought tears to my eyes and I think what got him the most was that the boys were told that he would not make it through the night. I know that is the part that gets to me everytime I share Matt's story with someone. Please continue to pray for strength, that is a request from Matt. I would like for you to continue to pray for patience and for him to get stronger and stronger everyday so that we do not have to stay in the hospital very much longer. You all are the best and I am so glad that you all are in my life and in the life of my family. Thanks again and I will keep you posted on Matt's everyday progress, he is doing just fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

August 13

I am writing you from the 8th floor, better known as the rehab floor. Matt is doing great!!!!! I know that I keep saying that, but each time I come back from work he seems to get better since the morning. He is able to pucker his lips today and that was a surprise that he saved to show me when I got to the hospital. It is so good to see him smiling and being proud of what he is doing. I think that he knows that he is getting better and I think that he is proud of himself. When one of our pastors came by today, he asked Matt what they needed to pray for and Matt told him Strength. Whenever our pastor would come up to the hospital he would ask me what to pray for and I would always tell him what I thought we needed to pray for that week. It was kind of cool that Matt was able to tell him what he wanted to pray for. In the past when Matt would talk his voice was very raspy and hoarse sounding. His speech has gotten so much better and he is even talking to people on the phone and it is pretty easy to understand him. Once the rehab people have him on the floor for a few days the are going to start taking out the tubes that he has left in his body. The only thing that they will leave in is the feeding PEG in his stomach and that will stay in until he is taking in enough real food to sustain him. So if you all will join us in praying for Matt's request of strength I would appreciate it. He is working so hard and is making great progress. Keep those prayers coming, because this is when the real work for him starts. He is going to need all of the strength that God can give him. Thank you all for your continued prayer and support.

August 12th

Matt had a GREAT day. He worked for almost an hour with the PT people and then he worked again this afternoon with OT. He is talking more and is moving his legs and arms so much better. I know that he is getting better, because as many of you know when a child is sick and then starts to feel better they start to moan and complain about different things. Well that is where Matt is at right now. We are happy to announce that as soon as they get everything approved again from the insurance, that Matt is once again moving to the 8th floor or better known as the rehab floor. Sometime on Wed. he will move up to rehab and will start working on coming home. The rehab doctor came in late tonight and said that he was impressed with the way Matt was recovering and that he was ready for him to move and start on the road to coming home with us. What a blessing, I have been praying and asking God to let this happen by mid week and guess what Wed. is? God is so AWESOME!!!!!!! I also went back to work today, and I was very nervous because I am working in a new building with a whole new group of people. Today was great, everyone was so welcoming and the special ed teacher that I am working with is very sweet. She has already told me to be prepared to help with everything that she is doing. I am also doing my student teaching with her and I am very excited about the chance to work with her and a different age group. Thank you everyone who pray for rehab to come soon and for those of you that I have talked to about going back to work. I must tell you that walking out that door this morning was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do, I cried all the way to my house, but Matt was fine and he did very well today. Thank you again for praying and we are so excited about the improvements that we are seeing daily in Matt. We love you all.

August 11

Well it is another late night, before I got a chance to write. Matt is doing well. OT/PT both came in today and worked with him for about an hour. The PT person brought in a machine that helped him to support himself and stand up. He did very well and was able to stand for a minute of so, that does not sound like a lot, but when you haven't been out of bed for several weeks that is a lot of time and most of all a lot of effort. Later on in the day he was complaining that his shoulder hurt, I was very encouraged to hear this. When his shoulder hurts from the workout it tells me that all the nerves and sensations from his brain to his arm are reconnecting and working on healing themselves. Then he sat up in a chair for another 2 hours. While he was sitting in the chair the Speech person came in and wanted to work with him as well. She was pleased with the way he was swollowing. She gave him ice chips and a little bit of water. He did very well and is now able to have ice chips when he wants them. They were going to try some other textures, but decided to work with him a few days before they gave him anything else. Thats ok, he is thrilled with the ice chips. He has been waiting for those ice chips for a couple of days now. Matt has some weakness on his left side and has a tendancy to lean to the left with his head, so working on keeping his head straight and tall is a lot of work also, but I cannot tell you how much better his is getting at holding his head up and keeping it aligned. This is important so that when he swallows everything goes down the right pipes and it does not go into his lungs. All of his doctors were in today and they are all impressed with his progress. They are so impressed that they are ready to release him to rehab as soon as the doctor up there has a bed for him. I was hoping that would be today, but no such luck. Dr. Reddy came in today and asked me if I was ready for him to go to rehab and I asked if we could go now. He told me to call the physical therapy doctor and let him know that Matt could go when he had the room. I have not heard from that doctor yet, but should hear from him on Tuesday. Lisa, Matt's nurse, was back today and she has not seen him in a few days and she was thrilled to see him smile, talk and even a chuckle came out today. I can also tell that he is getting better, because he is beginning to complain about how he is laying and that his butt hurts. I give him a hard time about complaining, but then I tell him how happy I am to have him complaining about stuff and not just laying there. I will gladly take the complaints over the nothing is bothering me that was going on a week or two ago. I am so extremely excited at the progress that Matt has made, and I connot wait to see what he can do when he gets up to rehab. I have to go to work on Tuesday, and I am kind of sad. I hate to leave him and I feel guilty leaving him, even though his Mom will be here to help out, I still feel like I should be here for him. I am planning to leave the hospital in the morning at about 6:00 and be at work at 7:30. After work I will go home and get my stuff together for the next day and then go back up to the hospital and stay with him for the night. God is still working miracles and I am still very excited to see each day what God is going to do today. Thanks so much for all your comments and I love hearing from you. Keep praying for him, he is improving daily. Rehab will start and he will really need your prayers through all of that work that they will put him through. Thanks and we love you all very much.

August 10th

Today is another good day. Matt is becoming more and more himself. He is making jokes and his sense of humor is back He is doing so well and the doctors have been in today. Both of the doctors that are caring for him are saying that he is ready to go back to the rehab floor. They have both written orders for the rehab doctor to come in and evaluate him again. The last time he evaluated Matt he was ready that same day to take him to rehab, but we were waiting on the other doctors to get on board. Now all we need is for the rehab doctor to come in and he will be on his way to rehab again. Matt is starting to want to do things for himself. I found out last night that he still has the ability to write. I could not understand what he wanted me to do and I had him try and write down what he wanted and he did with no problems. He started to day out smiling at me and I must tell you that his smile is the best thing I have seen in a long, long time. The feeling I get when he smiles at me is the same feeling that I got when the boys were babies and were learning to smile. Your heart just fills with love and you are just so excited to see that smile over and over again. I have been saying that I cannot wait to get a hug from him, well today I got my hug. I was moving him over in the bed and I had my arm behind his neck and was centering hiim in the bed and he took that chance to give me my long awaited hug. I am so thankful that God has been so gracious to me and that he has given me my Matt back. There were things that use to make me mad and I really don't think that those things will ever bother me again. I am reminded daily just how precious life is and that it is to short to get mad about little things. We need to live everyday like it is our last and never forget to tell the people in our lives just how much they mean to us. God has given us life and we need to be thankful and not take if for granted. I feel like the luckiest person in the whole world. If you had asked me a month ago how lucky I felt I don't know that I would have been able to answer that question. Please continue to pray for Matt and please pray for Dr. Chen and his partner as the look through Matt's tests and put together a plan of action for the repair of the AVM. We are also praying of a quick move to rehab and that once he is there that he will exceed all of their expectations and be able to come home soon. Thank again for all your support and your prayers. We love you all and are so glad that God has put you in our lives.