NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED

As you can see from the photo below Stevie has joined the broken bone club here at the Larsen home. Last night while jumping on the bed with Jonny he took a tumble. He fell from the bed INTO an aquarium that the two boys placed on the floor to look at...little did they know it would literally break his fall...more specifically his left collar bone. He landed head first with his shoulders on the frame of the aquarium...the aquarium sustained no injuries. Stevie is a trooper though...he hasn't left the couch all day, watching one video to another. He knows if he moves anything above his waist it will hurt..so he hasn't moved all day.

For those of you keeping count...Stevie is now the youngest in the family to have a broken bone. Jonny was the reigning youngest broken bone member with the break of his right leg on his 2nd birthday...Stevie won't be 2 for 2 weeks. The kids are all helping by waiting on him hand and foot and Dad has held him most of the day.

Speaking of Mike...he's still on unable to work. We've seen his two main doctors in the past few weeks and they have scheduled an appointment to have his Psych. exam in mid January. This test will last about 5 hours and is the key to releasing him to work and to drive. We were hoping to have had this exam earlier this month but the doctors wanted to wait until January. This testing is standard for all patients who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. It will test his memory skills, stamina as well as physically and mentally.

Mike has finally started back with the physical therapist to start stretching and strengthening his right arm. Since he wasn't able to do much of anything with 2 surgeries so close to each other he lost a lot of mobility and range of motion. He's glad to be back in therapy.

Mike has had a good last few weeks. He did a great job on the last blog entry but is very humble to talk about his accomplishments. With the last break (10/24) he needed a bone graft from his hip and restructure of the bone. The doctors put back in two plates and 14 new screws to give his arm the strength it needs to heal itself. The recovery from this surgery was much easier on him and with less pain. We saw the ortho-surgeon yesterday to get a 2 week post operative update and to get his staples removed. The doctor let me remove the staples (and yes it was fun...not in a cruel way but one less thing to practice when I eventually go to nursing school) and he gave Mike the clearance to use his arm as he wishes...this means he can start some strength training...Mike's really happy about that. He's been on a "no weight baring" order from his doctors up until now. This allows him to final start working out and building back up his muscles.



On another "great" note...Mike has regained about 70% of his facial muscles and nerves back. His smile gets bigger each week and can now close his eye with out using his hand. This is huge! We are now eliminating the possibility of needing the eye surgery. We saw his ENT dr earlier in the week and he is just blown away at Mike's progress. He told us he can now say with confidence that he thinks there's no reason Mike won't get all of his movement back...but if he didn't he looks really good...he looks and sounds "normal". He had also mentioned that Mike's voice is much clearer (almost back to were it was before the accident) although he still can't yell. This is because the right vocal nerve is still paralyzed but the left is compensating quit well.

Mike has also had another great accomplishment. Last night he left to go on his first camp out since the accident with Tommy, Mikey and the scouts. I don't know who was more excited...Mike or our boys. The camp out was suppose to be for our 12-13 year old scout group but had 3 tag alongs, Mikey and two friends (high adventure scouts)..they all wanted to be there for Mike's first trip back.

In the next few weeks we will be celebrating many things. On Thanksgiving Day we will be celebrating Mike's 6 month anniversary of recovery and a few days later we will celebrating out 16 yr Anniversary. Mike and I are grateful everyday to have each other and our family together.

A Little break...

I went in on my birthday to have the staples removed and we discovered the break. This slows us down alittle but it was better to discover this now instead of later that the bone wasn't healed at the top of the breaks. Good news that all the other breaks have healed and are good. So now I have only 2 plates put back in my right arm. Much better than what was there. I have been very thankful for all the blessings and help I have received. I would not be here doing as well as I am if it were not for our Heavenly Fathers help. I hope that this experience can help us all to grow stronger with our Heavenly Father and our Savior. I would also like to say thank you to everyone out there that has helped my family and I. For all your prayers and support. Thank You.

Million Dollar Hardware

Well Mike's surgery got moved up a week and yesterday morning (10/09/07) Mike underwent a 3 hour surgery and the surgeons successfully removed all of the hardware in Mike's arm. In all there were 19 screws, two metal plates, a washer and a wire. (See photo below of hardware) The surgery was a success. They even had time to look and reset the Ulna nerve back to it's location. The surgeon feels this will help the nerve heal quicker and Mike can regain more feeling and strength back to his hand and arm.

A week prior we took the family to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had a lot of fun with the kids looking at all of the sea life and spending time with each other. We are slowly beginning to feel like our family is getting back to what some would term "normal". Mike's facial nerve is allowing him show more expressions and gives him more confidence. (No improvement in the eye yet) The kids are starting to get relaxed and emotions and fears are slowly dieing down (although we had a few very nervous about dad going back into surgery).

Mike's doing really good post surgery. He, of course has pain in his arm (they had to reopen the entire prior incision, about 8-10 inches over his elbow) and we won't be able to count the staples until Friday when we can take off the bandages. We are all anxious to get his arm healed and get his strength back. I can't believe that it's been four and half months since the accident. We are continually counting our blessings and thanking our Father in Heaven for all he has given to us.

A DAY AT THE BEACH

It's hard to believe that it's been 4 months since the accident...Sometimes it feels like it's been a year. As you can see from the picture below Mike's facial nerves are starting to connect. (Although there isn't any improvement in the right eye lid yet) Sometimes it's hard for him not to smile. :) We are all so excited to see his fuller smile.

We saw two different doctors today. First we saw his Physical Medicine doctor. We conducted another nerve study on the muscles and nerves in Mike's right arm from his neck to his fingers. This entailed sticking a 3" needle in about 1 1/2 inches into the muscles in his arms (in about 10 different locations). The doctor would then send a small current thru the needle to see how his muscles would react to the nerve being stimulated. Yes it looked painful! I'm sure it was. This went on for about 45 minutes and we found out the the # 8 nerve in the elbow has been damaged whether by the brake in the humorous bone or due to the surgery to repair the break. This damaged nerve will result in him having a weaker arm and hopeful over time (about a year) it will heal it self...if after a year there isn't a significant increase in the strength of his arm they can preform surgery to take a closer look at repairing the nerve. We are hopeful he won't need the exploratory surgery.

On that note...we saw the Orthopedic Surgeon today right after his morning appointment and Mike is scheduled for surgery in mid October to remove all the hardware in his arm. That's right all the hardware. His doctor said he had consulted with another doctor and they both feel his bone has healed and removing the hardware will allow his arm to heal and be used more effectively. Mike has had some pains that are directly related to the hardware (one wire, one 5" plate and about 14 screws). Let's just say that while he's not quit looking forward to the surgery he's looking forward to getting it all out.

Our goals are to continue getting him stronger, thru his next few surgeries and maybe back to work before the end of the year. We are so grateful for his rapid recovery and our continued strength from our Father in Heaven.

Moving Along

Mike had a few new doctor's appointments last week. We first saw a hand therapist and began to work with his wrist and hand for the first time. A normal grip strength for a man his age and size would be about 25# of grip strength. Mikes right hand (due to the injuries to his wrist and arm and due to the fact that he hasn't been able to use it for over the last 3 months) is at 8# of grip strength. His therapist has given him some weight barring exercises as well as some strength training exercises to increase the strength and range of motion. She was very optimistic considering the injuries and with how far he's come from the accident. We will be seeing her about every two weeks.

Mikes graduated up from using the gym at Kaiser to being able to return to our own gym. We hope to start a regular workout time together 3 times a week. He is looking forward to working out in a normal gym and at his pace. The fun part is that I can work out along side of him.

Mike also saw another Physio-doctor, (I think that's what they said he was) anyways...he works with patients who are physically recovery from major injuries and works directly with the healing of nerves. He conducted a preliminary (45 minute) nerve test (as Mike described it ...with a taser gun) on Mikes hand and arm. He said this was not fun. They determined the nerves are healing at an appropriate rate and the Ulna Nerve isn't damaged like they thought it was...this is good. The Ulna Nerve controlls the thumb and pinky finger and Mike has struggled with getting full control of these two fingers (he still can't get them to touch the two to each other. They will conduct another nerve test in a few weeks but next time they will actually put wires into the muscles to see how they react with the nerves. He is not looking forward to this.

On a more positive note...Mike has had a very small but noticeable improvement in "one" of the muscles on the right side of his face. After looking in the mirror about 2 weeks ago he came out and asked if I was seeing what he was seeing...while trying to smile there was a very slight twinge in the muscle between his mouth and nose. I told I could also see and Mike has a very slight but noticeable movement resulting in a slight smile. This is very encouraging that the nerves really are beginning to heal. This was a great bust for him and the family. He hasn't had any other improvements in the right side of his face and are still on track to schedule him for surgery on his right eye sometime in November. We are continuing to pray and are hopeful.

Camping Once Again

We took the family up to Prosser Lake in Truckee, California last weekend. My parents, both brother, my brother in law and his kids and some good friends of ours went with us. We spent two night and three days enjoying the nature around us as well as alot of ATV riding (not Mike of course, but he wanted to) and fishing.

It's always nice to get away from all the commotion and get back to what important...family! Mike had the opportunity to cook in the dutch ovens, he loves to do this...sometimes it drives me crazy but I know he loves it.

While we were camping, well before we could even get unpacked both our van and the Wiscombes had a flat tire and then a few hours later we both had dead batteries. We all took this in good humor and Mike had actually packed everything we would both need to fix the problems. He's a little more in tune to listening to the spirit and following the promptings that he gets. We don't take anything for granted any more...we recognize every prayer and are grateful for all the blessings we have been given. We knew we were blessed to make it home on the spare tire (a 100 mile drive), but realized it on Monday morning when we went to Sam's Club to get a new set of tires to replace the one bad one. We asked to keep the old/good tire but were told by the mechanic that it wouldn't be any good...when he removed it he found 2 nails still in the tire and a third one had gone thru the side wall but hadn't punctured the tire. I told Mike we really made it home on a prayer this time. I thought we were blessed not to have any problems with the spare...I'm glad I didn't know about the nails in the other tire until after the trip.

Mike's brother Roger and his family will be coming up next weekend (Labor Day weekend). We will be Ordaining Tommy to the office of Deacon and Mike is happy to be able to do this with his brother by his side. With all that his family has done for us this summer it means even more that they can join us in this event. Tommy is really looking forward to this big day.

Still Enjoying His Workouts

Mike is still working out weekly. Sometimes we don't always make it the gym but he's getting more active around the house.

We saw his Physical Medicine doctor this week and she has extended his work release forms until February. She said we will review his status in late November and go from there.

He's looking forward to seeing the Orthopedic Surgeon on Friday as well as seeing the Audiologist, which will give him hearing test. This will be the first one since the accident and we are curious to see the level of hearing loss due to all the breaks around the ear. We know there is some level gone...the TV is always on high...maybe that's to drown out the kids...but it would be nice to know.

Mike Took His First Jog!

Mike is doing well. He has continued to strengthen his lower body with physical therapy and last Thursday his PT "Bob" said it was time to try jogging on the treadmill. Bob said this is the one piece of equipment in the gym he gets his patients on last because it takes more than just strength and coordination to use. I have to admit I was a little bit nervous about it...there's a little more for me to worry about than Bob does, and Mike and Bob could tell when Mike got on the treadmill by the look on my face.

Mike began with a fast pace walk for about 5 minutes and than began a fast jog...it lasted for about 1 minute and then Mike brought it down to a slower jog for another 2 minutes. This wiped him out. He finished his trek on the treadmill with walking for the remainder of the time (about 12 more minutes). I was so proud of him. He said it felt really good but was hoping to make it longer than a 3 minute jog. Bob and I reassured him that this is HUGE progress considering where his was just less than 3 months ago.

Mike usually has to take a nap after his therapy sessions. We are still going 3 times a week plus the visit with Bob. He's managed to get his weight up to 182 now. He says it's all going to his gut...I told him that's the last place it leaves and first place it returns...for everyone. He has a great sense of humor about this all and continues to crack jokes.

Mike has taken the opportunity to look at photo's from his accident and has a hard time seeing himself in the pictures. He says he doesn't like looking at them. He has yet to read the blog or even the journal that I kept during all this. He says in time he will. I know this will be his final hurdle. It's him realizing what the kids and I went through, and I know it is, and will be hard for him to see the reality in it all. I know he will read it all when he's ready. We have had a lot of good conversations about what he calls his "dreams". These are times that people or I would be with him and he has no conscious memory of. He remembers them as dreams and they are very choppy. He'll describe a "dream" to me and then I tell him if it really happened or where it was. Even these are hard to listen to for him. I can't imagine what it would be like to have no or little memory for 3 weeks of my life.

The kids are continuing to enjoy having dad home all the time. Especially Stevie. He's really become attached to daddy's lap. And that's a good thing.

Mike's Enjoying His Work Outs!

Mike has been able to work out in the gym at Kaiser 3 times a week. His physical therapist (PT)set him up on an exercise routine that will help increase his endurance and stamina as well as strengthen his legs. I take him to the PT Gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and then he also works with the therapist on Thursdays. He does really well in the gym and is getting stronger each day. His physical therapist (Bob) wants to be an aid in getting him physically ready and back into the best shape he can be in to take the Fire Academy Physical Ability Test.

Mike's attitude, appearance and color has changed so much since he came home from the hospital...all in a good way. His hair is growing back around his scare and Mike told me this morning, "I never thought I would have a comb over." (Mike changed the direction of his part to cover the scare on his head.) He still continues to make me laugh...seeing the positive in everything.

Mike has yet to begin on his physical therapy for his wrist and elbow. It seems like no one wants to give the okay to allow ANY weight on the injuries. So he is still unable to use it or do anything with it. He reminds me and the therapist each time it comes up "I know it will take a little time but I'll get it back." He's very determined and optimistic.

This week we went swimming a few times and Mike actually got in the pool with the kids. He even initiated a splash fight by spraying me with a water gun just after I told the kids and their friends to be careful about not splashing dad. I then told all the kids and their friends it's open season on Mike, don't hold back. I think this was the first time he became fully engaged with the kids and their friends since the accident. It was like the old Mike was back. He had everyone smileing and laughing. This day at the pool and the water fight may seem like a small thing in comparison to everything in the world but it gives our children a huge sense of confidence that dad is doing well and on his way to returning to the dad they had before the accident. We thank our Father in Heaven each day for all of his improvements and for the blessing of his recovery.

Trecking Along

Mike is continuing to make improvements daily. As you can see from the picture on the right Mike has made enough improvements that we were able to go up to Girls Camp (where Marissa has been all last week) and spend the night. There is another photo below of the two of us in the campgrounds. Mike was able to make it all around camp, walking up and down the slope from upper camp to lower camp (about a 100 foot slope), visit with allot of friends and play dominoes until 11:30pm. He was really looking forward to the dominoes. I'll give a break down of his appointments and progress below:

ORTHOPEDICS - Mike got his cast off his wrist and is now wearing a splint to give it extra support. We got to have a copy of his x-rays and found out that there's about 14 screws in his upper arm, 2 of which are causing him some discomfort at times. When he bumps or puts pressure on these areas he gets a sensations that runs down his arm into his hands. Similar to hitting your funny bone. Only all he has to do it rub over it and it sends tingling down his arm into his fingers. The Ortho-surgeon said they will remove 2 of the screws around December, they have to wait at least 6 months for the bones to heal.

PHYSICAL MEDICINE - Mike had a check up with his regular doctor this week. He has come off his steroid medications (prednizone) and was able to also discontinue his blood pressure medication. He's officially OFF all prescription medications.

PHYSICAL THERAPY - Mike started physical therapy and occupation therapy this week. He will begin his Hand and Elbow therapy next week.

ENT & AUDIOLOGY - We will be meeting with these doctors and specialist this week to discuss his slight hearing loss and progress and treatment of the paralysis on the right side of his face.

OPTHOLMOGY - We met with the Ocular Surgeon last week and will re-evaluate the paralysis of the right eye. He will probably have surgery to place a weight in the right eye lid to aid in it closing.

NEUROLOGY - We will meet with his Neurosurgeon next week.

Mike loves being with the kids. We have created a new relationship between the two of us. It's been really good. We both have a new appreciation for each other and our marriage.

I'll probably update the blog once a week. That way I can update after all his doctors appointments and activites of the week. Thank you for your prayers and emails. Mike loves hearing form you all.

The Kids Are Home!

The 5 youngest children arrived home today around 3pm. Alee was the first to walk in and be surprised by mom and dad being home. Rissa came in second followed by the boys, Tommy, Jonny and Stevie. (Mikey is up at scout camp until Saturday)

Everyone gave mom a hug at the door and than went stright to Mike. I don't think Jonny's been off of his lap or left his side except to get a quick hair cut and bath. Stevie keeps walking around saying "Daddy and Doggie". Marissa after hugging us went straight to her room to change and with in minutes her best friend, Ciara was at the house and they were off to celebrate the 4th of July. I don't know who she's missed more, Mom and Dad or Ciara. What can I say she's 13 1/2 yrs. old.

As you can tell by the photo on the right the kids are very happy to have their daddy home. Our house is back to being noisy and that's a good thing. A noisy home is a happy home. I was just telling Mike this morning that it's way too quiet here. We both love the commotion and ciaos. We're so happy they're all home. (Well almost all of them!)

Home For Good!

Mike was discharged from the Vallejo Rehab Center this morning. We arrived home just before noon and this time it's for good! Mike has made so much progress in the past 10 days. He has surprised all of his doctors and therapist. We finally got to the point that the therapist had nothing for him to do except go home and begin our new life.

The kids don't know yet they Mike is home from the hospital. They think he won't be coming home until next week, so when the arrive tomorrow afternoon it will be a huge surprise. Neither one of us can wait to see the look on their faces.

I told Mike that we have a new meaning for Independence day...No longer needing the help or assistance from all the doctors, nurses and therapist. No more medications or IVs around the clock. Just the kids, myself family and friends to care for him and help him further strengthen his mind and body.

Sometimes it seems so surreal...Exactly 6 weeks ago today I was told it would take him 6 months up to walk, months to relearn how to speak and eat, more surgeries and to expect him to change things if his body wasn't cooperating. He sure has proved them all wrong. The spirit and will of Mike wouldn't accept any of this, neither would I, and either would all of you. Thank you SO MUCH for all your prayers, your faith and belief that his recovery would be possible in the time frame of our Father in Heaven and not of the doctors.

Mike has a major change in energy level and stamina from what he had before the accident. This will all return with continued physical therapy and the ability to put more weight back on. Mike will continue to have progress for the next few months and then they say it should tapper off over the next 6 months. The doctors give a time frame of 1 1/2 - 2 years for a full recovery. I've learned to realize that Mike is setting his own time frame for recovery. Just being home I know he will continue to progress and thrive.

Mike will not be returning to work for 6-9 months. He would love encouraging phone calls, emails, cards and visits for those who would love to spend some a little time with him. (He already has two close friends coming over on Thursday for a game of Domino's) It will be a nice break in the day. If you would like to visit please call ahead of time to make sure he up to the visit.

Thanks again for all of your love and support.

A Weekend Pass...

Mike has made so much improvements this past week he was able to earn a "Weekend Pass" to come home for one night and trial of home life. We arrived home around 1:00pm on Saturday 6/30 and it was good to be home. Mike had requested home cooked meals only and I happily agreed. He asked for B-B-Q Pork chops last night and will be getting a Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes tonight. We also managed to make a double batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies. There won't be anything "Lite" around here for awhile, Mike has a long way to go to get all his weight back on.

Saturday night was a quiet night spending it with family that dropped in. My mom and dad stopped in for a visit and installed a few grab rails (with the help of Roger), one by the front door and another in the master bath. Mikes parents are currently back in Sacramento so they were back and forth all day. And then my brother Steve and his wife Jennifer stopped by with their little one Reed. Mike enjoyed seeing the baby. Probably because we both miss the kids so much.

It was rather empty without the all the children home. We were able though to have Mikey here. He is up here early so he could pack and get ready to leave for Scout Camp on Monday (7/2) morning. All of the other children will be home on Wednesday the 4th. We can't wait to have them home. It's been really hard to not have them around.

Mike's doing really good. Our weekend pass is only good thru tonight 7/1 and we will have to be back in Vallejo by 8pm. We have really enjoyed the time away from the hospital and the time to be home. He especially enjoyed sleeping in his own bed. Mike should only have to be at the Rehab center thru the rest of the week. He's able to walk now without the aid of any devises, walker/wheelchairs. His face still has the paralysis but he's dealing with it. As soon as he is discharged he will then be able to continue his eye care with his doctor's in Sacramento. He will need to have surgery on his right eye to have a gold weight placed in the upper lid to allow it to close all the way. He still can't close it due to the paralysis. At times it really bothers him.

We were able to attend church this morning and it was a awesome homecoming. We had a lot of hugs and a lot of tears of joy to see Mike. We had only told a few people we were coming so it was a surprise to many. It's been 7 weeks since we've been to church due to the hospitalization. Mike and I have never gone longer than a 2 weeks without attending church. It was the only request of things to do while we were home this weekend. It was really nice to be back.

Mikes appitite is Back and many more Things

Mikes Appetite is Back More Many Things. Mike is progressing very well. In the past few days we have stopped several medications that he is no longer in need of. When we left UC Davis he was on around 12 medications, we are now down to 2! Mike is getting his appetite back with a vengence. The hospital food is no longer acceptable. (who could blame him). I try to go at least once a day to get him some real food from a local restaurant (Apple bee's, Panda Express, Pizza...) Tonight's request is steak. The doctors need him to eat as much as he can handle...the more the better. He has a lot of weight to gain back and the more calories he brings in will give him more energy to strengthen his body. He's almost up to eating the whole meal that I bring in. Which means no more left overs for the next meal. I've also been taking Mike down to the cafeteria to get meals as he's hungry, it's a nice break from the room.

We also made another mile stone earlier in the day...POSSIBLY NO MORE WHEELCHAIR! He got a temporary okay to be able to walk to all his classes. He keeps the wheel chair in the room so it's available if he should want or need it. We are hoping that walking to and from the gym will help increase his stamina and allow him to raise his endurance.

On the way back from one of the physical therapy sessions one of his doctors met us in the hall and said, "Oh my goodness, Mike, you almost look like a visitor. You sure have come a long way since I saw you over the weekend." We are hoping that each day he will continue to get stronger and be able to do a little bit more.

Of course just as I speak of the progress he's made (I think it's a jinks...His doctors let me know just a few minutes ago, (as I'm typing this) they want him to use the wheel chair to and from therapy sessions, but they will incorporate more walking in therapy. His main therapist would like to see him walking more but they are concerned about his Blood Pressure being high....so the only concern the doctors and therapist have at this time is that Mike's blood pressure at times is still on the high side.

If you could please keep this thought in your prayers, we need Mike's BP to come down and stay normal only then he would be allowed to do more. only concern the doctors and therapist have at this time is that Mike's blood pressure at times is still on the high side. If you could please keep this thought in your prayers, we need Mike's BP to come down and stay normal only then he would be allowed to do more.

We're Finally Here!

Mike arrived at the Physical Rehab Center at Kaiser In Vallejo on Wednesday 6/20 around noon time. We got settled into our room and started meeting many doctors and nurses. They said this would be his day of rest to prepare for a full schedule starting on Thursday. We got settled into our room and he slept most of the day. I have been offered a place to stay from a lady in the Vallejo 1st ward. Her name is Carina and she has a 14 year old daughter. They are really nice and have offered me a bed each night. (saving me allot of money on a hotel room)

Thursday morning I got to the hospital by 7am to get Mike ready for his day. His first appointment was with his OTP (occupational therapist). By 9:00 we had met another doctor, his Neurophsycologist. After talking for about 20 minutes he asked to speak with me in his office to get more information about Mike before the accident. Mike's nurse came in and let me know she wold be getting Mike to Physical Therapy (PT) so I could meet with the doctor. Well after meeting with the doctor for about 20 minutes I headed back down the hall to the gym where Mike was. About half way there I heard over the load speaker "CODE BLUE, 3RD FLOOR, PHYSICAL THERAPY". I walked a little fast and when I got to the gym there was about 15 doctor, nurses and therapist around Mike. He had fainted before his therapy had even began. They got him onto a bed and back to his room and for the next hour had nurses buzzing around him running all sorts of test. Everything came back negative (this is good) and his doctor and I came to the conclusion that because Mike has lost so much weight and is hardly eating anything, he doesn't even have the energy to sit for more than 10 minutes without becoming faint. She let me know that if we can't get him to eat more he'll be bumped off the Rehab floor and back to a medical floor. I immediately talked to Mike and decided he would have to eat something every two hours whether he wanted it or not to try and get his energy up to sustain his activities, this was the only way he would get strong enough to get home to the kids. They put all of his therapy on hold for the rest of the day. He got his cast changed and they continued to run more test just to make sure everything was okay. I went to a local restaurant and got Mike some real food and he was able to eat and drink much more now that he knows it's his only was of getting his energy back.

Today (Friday) I've had better luck in getting him to eat more. They are only allowing him to do in bed therapy to make sure they aren't pushing him too fast. I've been able to run out and get a few things at the store and probably from tonight on I will be staying with Mike at the hospital. The nurses brought in a bed for me and I'm now allowed to use the shower in his room. They, we all agreed that me being there, getting him to eat and slowly get up more during the day is the fastest way to get him home. All of his nurses and doctors are so nice and this facility is much nicer than a regular hospital.

Mike still misses the kids, so I've put a calendar on the wall with important dates, like when the kids are returning and the day his cast will come off to help remind him it's really not that far away. We have access to a computer with Internet in the dining hall and will be getting Mike up to it starting on Monday so he can receive emails. He / I would love to have him read emails from anyone who would like to send a word of encouragement and of well wishes. His email address is: rpmlarsen@msn.com

Still Waiting...

This morning we got another delay handed to us. Mike and I were both very hopeful that he would be moved but didn't get to make the trip yet. At 9am this morning we were actually told it might not happen until Thursday. This mad Mike even more frustrated and right after the nurse left the room he told me, "Just please go get the car, so we can go home. I know I can walk to the door, I want out." My heart ached! About an hour later the same nurse came back in and said okay things have changed he'll be leaving tomorrow (Wednesday 6/20) at 10:30 for Vallejo. For the first time since Sunday Mike had a smile on his face. He responded with, "Well one way or another I'm leaving tomorrow." I really hope they mean it this time.

I spoke with most of the kids tonight. Some are home sick, and others are having so much fun. I know the kids are in really good hands and have family around them at all times to hug and kiss where Mike and I aren't. I know this is only temporary and also know it will bring us closer together in the long run.

Since I will continue to be with Mike and working with him in rehab I probably won't be able to blog but every other day or so. Please be patient and know that I haven't forgotten my updates. I will try to get to them as often as Mike makes progress or as I get time.

Waiting To Go To Vallejo...

Mike's continuing to do well. He's begin to have some depression that is going along with his frustrations. He ready to go to rehab and it can't happen soon enough. We were told last night (Saturday) that he might not get moved until Tuesday morning. This didn't help. Yesterday and today layed in bed and slept allot. He only got out of bed a few times today to walk. When he is awake he tells me repeatedly, "I just want to get out of here." or "Can you please get this (cast) off of me." He knows going to Vallejo is the next step to coming home. (He really hates being in the hospital.)

His appetite isn't coming back as quickly as his nurses would like to see. Since the accident Mike has lost a little over 35 pounds. I keep telling then that he's only been eating for 5 days now and at that he's only eating pureed food. Believe me I don't think I would be that eager to eat either. I've asked them to please ask the doctors to allow him to eat solid foods. We'll find out tomorrow.

The kids left this morning with Mike's parents to go to San Diego. They saw Mike for a little while this morning and than had a tearful good bye. Mike and I both know this will be a good break for them. They've only been gone 12 hours and I can't believe how much I miss them already. We've never been away from all the kids for more than a night or so.

Please keep up the prayers for Mike. I keep thinking each stage of the recovery process will get easier but some how it becomes more physically and emotionally draining. In the beginning I felt so helpless sitting and watching him while he was physically injured and unaware of what was going on. But I've realized watching someone who you love go through frustration and depression and knowing that there's nothing I can do is an even more helpless feeling. All I can do is pray for him, love him, reassure him and be there for when he's ready for my help.

Thank you for all the cards and prayers offered so far. It has been very humbling to read and hear how this experience has touched your lives and all of those around us. Mike hasn't been ready to read the cards sent so far but I am keeping them all as well as all of the emails for him. When he's ready I'll show them to him.

He Takes His First Steps...

Yesterday and today have both been big mild stones or should we say boulders for Mike. He began with yesterday afternoon, while meeting with his physical therapist he took his first few steps. He was able to walk with the assistance of Juliann (P.T.) and myself to the door of his room and back to bed (about 10 feet). Luckily a good friend of ours (Sean Farrell) was their with us got a few photos for me.

After making it back to bed (very exhausted) his doctor came in and she removed his trachea tube. He's now completely off all breathing assistance's. With all the improvements of the day Mike felt he should continue with the progress and tried pulling out a few other things. Sean, Mike's aunt Chris and I had to restrain Mike and he had his first fit of anger about not being able to things he wanted. Let me tell you this was very hard to see. You all know Mike is a quiet and fun going guy, this anger is something I've never seen and very hard to handle. The doctors and nurses assure me this is part of the brain healing it self. It's not easy but is one of the steps we must take.

Today was much better with Mike's inability to control his anger and frustration. His doctor and I spoke today about stopping the "fits" before they happen. Looking back on yesterday he had signs that led up to the fit. Today, having this knowledge of knowing what to look for we were able to divert from repeating it again. I know we won't be able to control them all but each one diverted is one less to emotionally go through.

Mike was walking much better today. He will still need an aid in walking but he will need this for some time. A couple of times he would sit up in bed, swing his legs over the side and start to stand up. I would jump up to help him and asked where he wanted to go, he would then say , "Nowhere, I just wanted a hug." (YES, there were lots of tears of joy!) Mike was also able to loose all his wiring and tubing as well. This includes feeding tube, catheter, O2 monitor as well as his heart and respiration monitor. He only has his IV. Believe me he's much happier without all the wires. This also makes it easier for him to sleep, meaning now that all the tubing and wires are gone he can now sleep on his sides and not forced to sleep on his back.

With today being day 25 since the accident, it was really the first day that Mike was awake enough to sit up and hold a pretty good conversation (you're lucky to be able to hold a 5 minute conversation with someone who's had a brain injuries and this is how long our talks would last). He even talked on the phone with his brother Roger for a few minutes (this blew Roger away when I told him someone wanted to talk to him. Roger assumed I was talking about one of the kids, needless to say he was so happy when Mike started talking to him.) We talked about the kids and rehab. I explained why he's going and thankfully, he understands. Mike still doesn't want to know anything about why he's in the hospital. I know this will take a lot of time.

Mike will be heading to the Rehabilitation Center for Head and Spinal Cord Injuries on Monday June 18th. I'm so excited that he's made so much progress in such a short amount of time and that fact that he'll be in rehab before he even hits his one month date of the accident. All his nurses are so excited to see his progress and keep telling me he'll do so good there.

We are getting ready for the next chapter of our lives. It will be the physical and mental part of Mike's recovery. His pneumonia is gone. His incisions have all healed. He even got a haircut to round things off. Technically you could say he's walking out the hospital a changed man, we all have changed. Our journey now is to help him rebuild his body and mind so he can return home with our family.

Mike Eats, Sits and Stands For the First Time

Mike made great progress today. First we/he worked with his speech therapist and he was able to say a few more things today. Today's words were a little more clear but still quite soft and muffled. Mike is able to repeat words that are prompted to him but is having difficultly answering questions with words (anything more than a yes or no). This is normal for his injury, they say it will hopefully improve with time.



After speaking he tried a swallow test. He passed it. He successfully was able to swallow a jello-applesauce combination. When he was asked how it felt and tasted he responded with, "It's good." Next he tried chewing on ice chips and then cranberry juice. He was able to swallow it all. I don't think he wanted to stop eating. Tomorrow we will try a few more things.



Next came in the physical therapist. I was excited for her to come in. She asked Mike if he was able to pull himself up and sit in the bed. (I have been working with him and he's getting pretty good at it.) He nodded yes. After sitting himself up she asked him to swing his legs over to the side of the bed. The last time we tried this we was unable to sit without help. We helped him get into the position and let go and he sat with his legs over the side, head up and without any help. (I asked the nurse if I could please take some pictures and she said of course. I had wanted to show the kids since they weren't here to see it for them selves.) Before I knew it she was asking him "Are you ready to try and stand?" He nodded yes and she helped him up. He stood for about 5 seconds and then she helped him back to sitting on the bed. She did this a few more times allowing him to stand a little longer than the time before. On the 4th time she let go, he stood a little wobbly by himself, holding with one hand to the bed. I was so excited to see this. She sat him down, let him catch his breath and then asked him to stand one more time and this time to take a few steps in place. He took about 2 steps with each foot. We were both so amazed. She said she would continue to push him until he couldn't go any further. He was so exhausted by the end, and we had only worked with him for about 20 minutes. After he got back in bed I leaned over and gave him a hug and a kiss on the check and told him how proud I was of him. He looked back at me and rolled his eyes with a "big deal" look on his face. It's a good thing he still has his sense of humor.



A few minutes later I met Dr. EsTell his physical medicine doctor. She gave him an assessment and let me know that she was amazed with his progress. We talked a little bit about the rehab. center in Vallejo and she said she would like to start the paper work to get him there as early as the beginning of next week. She said it would take a few days to get the paperwork ready and wanted to have it all in place so they could move him as soon as he would be physically ready.



It was sure nice to have a positive day today. It's hard to believe that 3 weeks has gone by already. Mike has made so much progress in such a short amount of time. I keep hearing from doctors how remarkable or miraculous his recovery has been. For example, I spoke with the ENT doctor, Dr. Chen on Saturday and after comparing Mike's right and left side he stood up and said that's interesting. I asked what he was talking about and he explained to me that he had looked at the CT of his head just before coming in (especially the right side by the ear because that is where his fractures are) and told me that his right ear canal was collapsed and his jaw was dislocated on both sides. (I let him know that no one had ever told me this, it was new to me.) After doing his assessment and exam and expect to see this in person. He said for that injury to heal so quickly was remarkable. He said the paralysis on the side of the face was due to the nerves being damaged from swelling and irritation from the fractures and that was to be expected but never thought he'd be looking 2 1/2 weeks after the accident and find his collapsed ear canal and jaw intact and in alignment.



I immediately thought to myself "Wow, all the prayers and blessings are working. It's truly amazing to see the power of prayer and faith first hand. I know this is the work of our Heavenly Father. Only with him are all things possible.