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[37JK]

my thoughts and prayers are with you Hoog family, to Ty's full recovery.

[airric]

Apologies for the lack of an update yesterday. It was a long day for all of us. On the good news side, Tyler had the breathing tube removed and the trachea inserted. It is a huge improvement and he looked great when I got to the hospital at 1:30AM. The downside, is that he has moved on to bitching about his collar (which was changed today). I think he is going through the list of things that annoy him and is attempting to annoy the docs & nurses enough that they submit to his will He did get a new nurse yesterday (Tom) who is something of a hard-assed drill sergeant and is pushing Ty to work & move what he can. Ty doesn't always like it, but he does it and Tom has asked for extra shifts so he can push & motivate Ty. We love the guy already!! He had a series of respiratory tests. Very good news on this front. His numbers were strong. Not strong for any of us, but strong enough that the doctors are pretty certain he'll ween from the ventilator. This is the first larger victory, as it means he won't have a lifetime on a respirator and is an indication that there is function in areas of his body that are controlled by spinal cord areas below the area of his injury (in other words, some signals are finding there way through the injured area of the spinal cord and traveling both to and away from the brain). If some impulses can get through, other may eventually find their way as well. As far as the tour of the facilities go, my dad & I picked up far too much information to convey here. The Shepherd Center in Atlanta was very impressive, as was the Kennedy Kreiger Institute. We spent almost 4 hours with Dr. John McDonald at KKI. Dr. McDonald was Christopher Reeves' physician and he's developed some of the latest rehabilitation approaches and technologies. Patrick Rummerfield, a man who sustained injuries similar to Tyler's some 17 years ago, walked with us during the tour and shared his experience. Google him and read his story. Anyway, it was educational to say the least and I feel like we are rapidly gaining a much better handle of what lies ahead. We visit Craig at 1:30 today and will make a decision on inpatient rehab sometime over the weekend. Regardless of where Tyler does his inpatient rehab, I am certain we will be sending to KKI as part of his rehab, as they are doing great work there and Dr. McDonald, Jody Luttrell (their director of services) and everyone we met there were truly impressive, and they are on the vanguard of SCI research and rehab. Moreover, their genuine interest in Tyler was evident both in our meeting and I in the time they've spent with us on subsequent calls. As for Ty today, it's been a rougher day. His numbers are still good, he breathed on his own for the more than 3 hours, but he needs to get out of the ICU and he needs to be able to speak. The combination of drugs, sedation etc, has him hallucinating a bit as he fades in and out. He's always talked in his sleep and occasionally, when he does, he seems to be flashing back to the accident. It's hard when that happens, but Kim is an absolute rock! She talks him through it and he drifts back off. She is truly amazing. Ty has asked the nurses to stand him up. He understands at he can't stand on his own, and of course he gets pissed when won't just help him be upright. On the bright side, this afternoon, he got a brace under him and he is now sitting upright in bed. That's big excitement for him and they hope to perhaps wheel him outside for a few minutes. Moving on to all of you. We are so appreciative of all the offers of help. We are just now getting to a point where the areas in which we will need help are coming into focus. With that in mind, I expect we will be reaching out soon on this front. The folks at the Reeves Foundation have taken to addressing their correspondence to "Team Tyler"... I like that, and we're going to steal it The family will be a have a Team Tyler meeting this weekend and from that will come a long list of things we'll need help in pursuing. Stay tuned. On a different note, younger son Thomas is playing in his first high school football game this afternoon and as you would guess, has said he's playing for his brother. True to his word, in the first series he had a 30 yard run down to the 2 yard line to set up the first touchdown. In the second series, he had a 35 yard run, followed by a 25 yard pass reception, capping it off with a 5 yard touchdown run. He's a tough little guy. With love & gratitude, Michael

[airric]

The headline on my friend Paul Devlin's blog was "When Life Changes in the Blink of and Eye." He was absolutely right....it does. Fortunately, there's nothing to say those changes necessarily have to be negative. In fact, sometimes those sudden changes can be incredibly heartening.

 

Today was one of those days. No.....Tyler is not walking or moving his arms.....yet, but today, after two very difficult nights of fever and dementia, he was himself again....in spades. First, let's take care of the medical update. The fever is largely under control. At the start of the day, his oxygen saturation numbers were still down down....the pneumonia was making it tough for him to oxygenate without considerable help from the ventilator. Moreover, whenever he was moved toward the left lung where the pneumonia resides would immediately drive his numbers down. However, within a few hours, he was sitting at 100% oxygen saturation even though bad ass Tom had steadily reduced the oxygen mixture from the ventilator from 65% mix to less than 40%. This is good. Moreover, twice today he was moved from the bed to a wheelchair and had the opportunity to enjoy some window time, which is a huge improvement over looking at ceiling tiles. Best of all, he was completely and totally himself.

 

After a few visits from friends, he asked me to let them leave so he and I could listen to some more of Drew Brees' book on his recovery from shoulder surgery. We never made it to the book. Tyler, Kim, Ty's aunt Khara and I started chatting and Ty showed us just how amazing he really is. Some of what follows may be lost in translation, but I'll do my best to convey the sense of levity in the room. For starters, he was smiling almost constantly....and if you know Ty, you know he has always had an incredible, infectious smile (I think it's gotten even better as he has become more expressive with his face to help him communicate). We were talking about who would be staying with him tonight, and let him know it would aunt Tami (he loves aunt Tami). Somehow, the conversation turned to the fact that he should get some good rest again tonight and that we'd have have to let Tami know to curb the chatting a bit. She loves to talk (sorry Tami). We looked over and Ty's lips were moving a mile a minute and I thought "oh crap, now what." Khara looked and said "Are you being aunt Tami". He nodded and broke into a huge smile. Later, we got on the subject of all the support he's received from the community. He wanted to watch the video from the football game again, asked to see the news stories and asked to read some of the Facebook posts. By the way, he would like all of you to post any pictures you have of you and him together on the Hope for Hoog page. He'd like to see them. At one point, he peeked at Kim from the side of his face and with a wry smile, said (in the joking tone that he uses so well) "See....I'm kind of a big deal." Kim and I laughed and, as we always would, said.... "Yeah, yeah, yeah.....not that big a deal". In response, Ty gave us an even bigger grin and said: "Wow....no way you just dissed the crippled kid." We were stunned for a moment and then all of us, Ty included, broke out into laughter that lasted for what seemed like an eternity. For the next 20 minutes we talked and joked and laughed until it was time for Tom to get Ty back to bed.

 

We know there will be some difficult and frustrating times ahead for all of us, but in that moment and with those words, all the fear, concern and sorrow melted away. Tyler's body is changed....for now, but he is, amazingly, unchanged. If there is a stronger, more secure, more peaceful kid than Ty, I'd love to meet him...or her. I can't tell you how many texts, emails and others messages I've received encouraging me to "stay strong." I think I am, but I realized today, Ty possesses a strength of character and heart that far surpasses mine. It is a great comfort to know....not think, but know...that Tyler will be just fine, whether he is running the bases (slowly, as always) come this spring or whether he is touching people's hearts from a wheel chair....he will be just fine.

 

One final note, and for this I give all credit to Kim and to Tom. While we were talking, Ty started listing to the right. He asked Tom to come over and straighten him up so we could could keep chatting. Tom did and I watched as a moment of genuine gratitude passed between them. Tom handled him gently as he righted Ty in his chair and Ty closed his eyes, smiled and mouthed "thank you." No resentment or embarrassment that he couldn't do it himself, just gratitude for the act that was done and the respect with which it was performed. I have always loved my son, I've always been proud of him, today, I am in awe. With love and gratitude, Michael

[airric]

Shorter update tonight.  Not that it wasn't a great day with much to report...it was.  However, Kim and I have a shot at 8 hourstonight and the recharge would serve us well.

 

Medically, Ty made headway today.  The pneumonia is in check, the c diff is being treated, the oxygen saturation is back up and the fever, though persistent, is coming down.  As a result, Ty was in good spirits again today and had the chance to catch up with friends and family throughout the day.  I know he is mentally ready to move on to rehab.  He's had enough of the ICU to last a couple lifetimes. Physically, my sense is that he getting closer to being ready to make the move.  We're hoping that stringing together a few more good days will have him ready to roll by Monday. The small victories are mounting and we're just a few away from being ready to get on to the next phase.

 

Aside from the medical inroads, Ty picked up today where he left off yesterday...making jokes and laughing.  For a few years now, when he and his friends are screwing around in the house and Kim or I walk into the room, he (and his friends) will freeze...arms out...like somehow we can't see him if he's not moving.  He'll stay that way until Kim or I tell him to knock it off, he's not a damn tree...at which point he'll grin and slide out of the room before we remember why we'd come to talk to him in the first place.  Today, he was sitting his chair talking with Kim when I came back into the room.  Kim whispered,

 

"Ty, dad's here.  Tree".

 

Ty laid his head back agains the headrest and closed his eyes like he normally does.  After a second, he peeked out at Kim and said,

 

"quick, lift up my arms."

 

Might be one of those "you had to be there" things, but if was funny as hell if you were.  At any rate, it was a good day for all.

 

Changing gears, I would like to offer just a quick note of thanks to everyone for the support they're showing Ty.  He showed every visitor that came in today the video from the Skyline/Longmont football game.  He was extremely touch not only by the show of support, but that it had been documented so he could see it. So...from Ty and the entire family....many thanks!  It seems like every time we check FB, someone else is doing something else that is simply amazing. Thank you.

 

Finally, on the "his momma raised him right" front, I was showing him a picture of Thomas carrying the football in last week's game with his "Hope for Hoog" bracelet looped through his belt.  Ty was looking at the picture when it suddenly dawned on him that Thomas was wearing a varsity uniform.  His eyes opened wide, he looked at me and mouthed, "Varsity?" I nodded.  His eyes immediately filled with tears. For a moment I was concerned that it might have hit him that he's in no shape to play baseball at the moment and that he might be upset or jealous. I should have known better, because just after the tears hit, he said "I'm so happy for Thomas that he got to do that!" He stared at the picture forma little longer then asked to see the film of Thomas' plays before turning the conversation to the fact that he might actually be faster getting around the bases in a wheelchair than he is on foot.  Had to just shake my on that one....in part out of disbelief at how he's handling this and in part because if you've seen him run, you know he might be right.

 

All in all, another strong day.  Looking forward to another one tomorrow.

 

With love & gratitude,

 

Michael