A long overdue update

I can't believe Kevin has been home for 5 months now. Its been a long journey but he has made so much progress from where we were at back in January. I know I've been slacking on the blog, but when Kevin came home that's when all the real work began. Ok on to progress... Since June when Kevin came home. We had both an Occupational Therapist and a Physical Therapist come to the house for home heath care. That lasted for about 2 months. Then we moved on to the outpatient rehab center we've been going to twice a week out in Sun City Center. Kevin enjoys it there. He started out 3 hours a day. An hour each with the Speach Therapist, Occupational Therapist, and the Physical Therapist. Kevin has recently graduated from Speach Therapy so we were able to transfer the unused ST sessions between PT and OT. We only have about a month left and then he will be done for the year. Its possible he will get another 60 visits available when the year starts over, so Kevin will get a few weeks vacation for the holiday then back at it again in January.

It had been so long since I've updated the blog, it required me to go back and read some previous posts to give you all accurate updates. I found myself starring at the computer with tears in my eyes, realizing just how far he had come. I remember telling you how Kevin did not use his wheelchair the day he came home, and I tell you to this day that thing is still folded up next to my dinning room table. Never used, not even once!! He used his hemi walker for a while, but as of last week he has just been using a regular cane. He can get himself dressed for the most part, and in and out of the shower by himself now. His speach is fantastic and his memory is almost perfect. He remembers everything up until the day he got sick, then his memory fades until he was doing the inpatient rehab at the hospital. Frankly I'm glad he dosen't remember that part of it, as it was a time I wish I could, but never will forget. So he's got about a month and a half of blurriness. Is that a word? lol I'm going with..sure. His range of motion in his right arm has improved so much. He can raise his arms over his shoulders. He never lost his grip. Its a vast improvement to the time we were waking him up every hour to beg him to move his thumbs. He walks still using his leg brace when he goes outside. He actually got in trouble the other day for not wearing it around the house by one of his therapist. I definitely told on him. HA! He's been keeping himself busy by doing puzzles and playing games at home. He just finished a 1000 piece puzzle, and also plays the Wii. We even found one of the Wii games he used at the hospital online. I ordered that, and another trivia game a few months ago and he has enjoyed playing them. Maya even plays with him. She is also doing good adapting to everything. She has a birthday comming up. She will turn 4 on December 4th. ( I'm soooo not ready to be the mother of a 4 year old!!) Kevin has even started helping me with her more. He is able to pour cereal for her in the morning and even helps change the garbage bag. Never take for granted the little things like that because you don't realize how helpfull they are until you loose them.

As of now the hardest thing we have to deal with are the finances. Kevin finially got approved for disability, but it goes so fast its crazy. That whole process was nothing less than horrible and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy....well, maybe my absolute worst!! Im constantly telling them to talk to me like I'm 29 because I'm convinced you have to be over 50 to understand anything they have to say. I'm hoping to be able to go back to work after the new year.
At the end of January exactly one year from the day Kevin got sick Progressive will officially terminate his status as an active employee which means we will loose our insurance then too. I'm hoping I will be able to apply at Progressive then because if that worked out, Kevin will be able to keep his coverage the same. Pray on that one for me please.

Above all else we continue to be blessed everyday for all the miracles we've seen take place. Weather it be thru Kevin's continued progress and improvement. Or thru family and friends that have helped us along the way. We are thankfull for all of you. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. God Bless

With love,
The Deramo Family,
Kevin, Kim and Maya

Attention Progressive... Save the Date!!!

Next Monday June 28th Kevin has an appointment to see Dr. Zaccari. We thought it would be nice to get there early so Kevin could visit with some folks he hasn't seen in a while. His appointment is at 2pm. We will most likely get there around 12:30 pm and set up shop in the cafeteria so if you have time please come down to say hi. Kevin misses everyone very much and is sooooo excited to get to see some familiar faces again.

See you soon!!

Our first week home

Wow where do I start. Sooooo many feeling of happiness and joy followed by complete and utter exhaustion...lol Thats how I feel.

As many of you know, we got all moved into our new home on Thursday June 10th.. A HUGE thank you to my parents, Aunt Debby, Jimmy, my brothers and sister Terry, Brian, and Annette, and my friends Bobbi Lynn and her boyfriend Bobby for helping us with the move. You have all had a hand in making our new place a home. I truly couldn't have done it without you... and P.S.... I never want to again :)

Kevin was relased on Friday June 11th. I remember getting in the car and thinking the whole way there that this was the last time I'm gonna have to make this drive without him. It really hit me when I took my parking sub from the parking garage. Thats right folks, the parking garage made me boohoo. Oh this was just the beginning. I cried when I got into the elevator and hit the number 6 for the last time, and I cried when I got to the rehab center and pressed the button for permission to enter for the last time. Then I see Kevin sitting in the hallway and the first thing he said to me was.. "Ok, go pack up my stuff!!" Ha! That made me laugh. I've only been packing for the last month..what's one more room..lol So we did. And can I just say that over the last 4 1/2 months we had a huge collection of pictures, cards, gift, toys and personal belongings. I had to make 2 trips to load up my truck. After all of that and the equipment they sent us home with, I barley had room for Kevin..oops! It was a very emotional goodbye from all the different therapist and nurses. I have to say a special thank you to a very special nurse Salandra. She was the nurse that admitted us, so it was only fitting she was the nurse to discharge us. Kevin's stay was defiantly a longer than normal stay from what they usually see in rehab. That is thanks in part to our wonderful insurance company that continued to follow Kevin's progress so closley and of course prayer. When Kevin first arrived at the rehab center he was only approved for an initial 10 day trial period to see if he could keep up with the program. They told me personally that they did not expect Kevin to be able to do the work because of the severity of the bleed, and that it was more likely we would need to find a nursing home for him. That was something I really fought hard for and boy did we prove them wrong!!! Each and every week Kevin suprised them with his determination to do everything asked of him. No doubt he complained, but he continued to push himself until he accomplished what he put his mind to. The therapist there literally taught Kevin how to walk and talk again. I can't express my gratitude to each and every one of them. They will always be like family to us because they are part of the reason we have OUR family back together again. After several hugs goodbye and a looooong list of instructions and prescriptions... WE'RE OFF! So Long St Pete!!!

We pulled up to our new apartment and I went to the back to get the wheelchair out when Kevin stopped me and said " No, I'm gonna walk in" And thats just what he did. He stepped up a curb and walked to our front door. As soon as he walked thru the doorway Maya started yelling.." MY DADDYS HOME!!!" Then she ran to him and gave him a big ole squeeze. It was precious. Kevin walked right in and went to his recliner where he set up shop and just soaked everything in. Kevin really likes our new place. Everything is very easy for him to move about to, and get this... He hasn't used his wheelchair once since we've been home!! Not even to sit in it. He walks around with his Hemi Walker. Pretty cool huh?

The first week home has been both fun and challenging. Kevin has adjusted well, but I'm still struggling a little. I watch him like a new mother does when you bring your first child home from the hospital. Yes, I even check to make sure he's breathing..lol Its a lot to keep track of 10 different medications, making sure he takes the right ones at the right time. And I'm constantly affraid I'm going to do something wrong or hurt him in some way helping him take a shower or get him dressed, but so far so good. The only difficulties we have had so far is when he and Maya start to bicker. Its amazing how a 33 year old man and a 3 year old child can be very much on the same level sometimes. I actually had to seperate them once for looking at each other the wrong way. I had enough of the arguing and put Maya in one room and Kevin in another and made them stay that way for at least 30 mins...lol Its like I have 2 children sometimes. I'm pretty sure Kevin is doing this on purpose because he wants to see me pull my hair out.
We have a Physical Therapist and an Occupational Therapist come to the house 3 times a week so Kevin continues to work on his mobility. I still see improvement in Kevin everyday, even since we've been home. I think getting out of that hospital atmosphere and having his familiar surrounding around him have really helped him feel like his usual self again. I continue to thank God for allowing us to be where we are today..together agian on this Fathers Day. And for Kevin's continued progress. Its no doubt he is a walking miracle. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support.

Love Kim

Pictures of Kevin Walking Into His New Home

A Successful Move and Home Coming

The move is 90% complete but the Home Coming is 100%! The minute Kevin walked through the front door, I forgot how tired I was, well almost. Debby took some pictures so be sure to check the blog later.

The minute Maya saw her Daddy she said...."Daddy's Home" and yes of course the tears were every where.

It truly was a day to remember and one we have all been waiting on for the last many months. Seeing Kevin walked through the door was truly a miracle and a gift from God. Kevin really does a good job moving about with his "Hemi Walker". He likes the new apartment and the floor plan is perfect for him to move about in.

I have so much to say, I don't know where to begin. With the help of Debby, Jimmy, Annette, Brian, Terry, Bobbie Lynn, Bobby and a couple of guys Papa knows from work, we were able to move all the large furniture and most of all their other personal items on Thursday. Nanny helped out with Maya while we moved things on Thursday and that was a big help. Today, Debby and I went back to unpack and attempt to put things in order. It is coming together nicely for them.

Maya came home with us tonight so Kimmie and Kevin could have some time together and begin getting use to the new apartment. Maya was tired from all the events these last couple of days and she is almost asleep.

There's no way we could have done everything that's been done these last couple of days without my sister, Debby. She is my best friend and I love her as much as Maya's does. According to Maya there's no one like her Aunt Debby and her Nanny!

Please continue to pray for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya that God would continue to keep HIS protecting hands on all of them.

A big THANK YOU to everyone for all the prayers and encouragement these past several months.

God Bless,
Kathy

A successfull yardsale and the FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!

Yardsale was a success!! A million thank you's to everyone that came out, helped out, donated and so much more. We raised $750.00 which covers our first month rent and accessories needed to make Kevin's transition to our new home go as smoothly as possible. I couldn't ask for more. I have to give a special thank you to my parents and my aunt Debby, who I know worked their tails off to get this organized in such a short amount of time. Their were several people who touched my heart that day.

While it was hard to get rid of some things like Maya's baby stuff, I'm glad it will be used by others who need it more than I do. Other things were NOT so hard to part with. Like Kevin's ridiciously massive collection of Leggo's. Seriously Kev? LOL Don't worry I had his permission to part with it :) And thank goodness because I've been trying to get rid of that box for at least the last 7 years now..haha

Sooo guess what.. I'm still packing. Big shocker, I know. But we are in the days of the final count down and I can see the end in sight. I get the key to our new place this Thursday. Our case manager will submit the request for Kevin's last few days at Bayfront tomorrow. He will request Kevin to be discharged on the 14th, but they may not approve that much more time since Kevin has progressed so well. That means there may be a slight chance Kevin could be home this weekend.

This will most likely be the last update I post on the blog until Kevin is discharged. I'm going thru a roller coaster of emotions about everything. I'm filled with excitement that after 4 months he will be home and scared to death at the same time. I'm extremely happy to close the chapter on this part of our lives and start a brand new one in our new home with our family together again. I will continue the blog as Kevin comes home but I wanted to Thank everyone that has followed us on our journey so far. I know there are people not only all over the country that follow this, but also across different parts of the world too. Thats just amazing to me. I can't thank you enough for all your prayers. There's not a doubt in my mind that we wouldn't be where we are today without them.

Love,
Kim

Move Day Getting Closer...It's Yard Sale Time

Greetings everyone!

It's been a while since I've updated the blog, but Kimmie is having just  an "awesome" time packing up the townhouse to move...okay, that was my attempt at being funny!  She is not having fun at all :(

Kim has really had a lot on her plate - well let see - for the last 4 or 5 months..but she is busy packing up all the things they really don't want to take to the new apartment and we are having a huge yard sale on Saturday at Kathy's house. 

Thanks to everyone who donated to this funraiser!  I think Louann Moore loaded every free inch of my car up with stuff...you are awesome!

Friday night, Kathy, and I plan to stay up late and get everything ready for an early start on Saturday morning.  I'm actually excited, I get to have a sleepover at my big sister's house!  Maybe she will paint my toenails and make me popcorn!

Kevin is still doing great.  He is working hard in therapy everyday and he is ready to come home.  So, the countdown is on and we are looking forward to having him back home where he belongs.

Good night all.

Projected Release Date!!

I went up so see Kevin today and to go thru therapy with him. He is making so much progress its amazing.
I missed out on the speech therapy but got to talk with her a little bit and she said he's been improving everyday. During OT he was working on a puzzle game that was similar to a lightbright..(but without the light) They would show him a picture of a pattern and on his board he would have to copy the pattern by putting the right color pegs into the right places to match the picture. And he could only use his right hand. After he finished that game she brought out this piece of wood that had screws, screwed into it and nuts and bolts ( or whatever there called..sorry I'm a girl) attached to them and Kevin had to take each one off and then screw it back, again just with his right hand. That was totally right up his alley.

Now for my favorite part..physical therapy. I mentioned before that he has been using a hemi walker. I got to see him in action with it today and man did he cruise up and down the hall. They even had him walk into a bathroom that is set up to a standard apartment bathroom so we don't even have to worry about getting a wheelchair in ours now. After that he showed me how he has been practicing walking up a step!!! He walked up and down a 4 inch step, about the size of a curb or sidewalk. He is comfortable walking about 100 feet on average before he begins to get tired and sloppy. That means that he should be able to walk around our new house ok without having to use the wheelchair. The wheelchair will primarily be used for going outside or to use for things like shopping etc. Pretty cool huh?

On to business. Moving day is June 10th. Right now, Kevin is approved to stay at Bayfront until May 30th. At that time, our case manager will request a final 2 weeks for Kevin which will put his release on June 14th. Can't believe I just typed that. Kevin will be home on June 14th!

Family visit, more walking and more packing!

A ridiculously busy week with still sooo much to do... what day is it?


First off my sister Pam and brother in law Mike brought my nieces Arianna and Liese down for a visit. We had a good day relaxing at the beach on Monday night and Tuesday with them and the rest of the family. Maya loves loves loves her cousins, no doubt about that. I do not however, love my sunburn...lol Kevin was amused by it though. I walked in Tuesday afternoon to see him and he started pointing and laughing at me...funny guy he is.

Kevin has been using a Hemi walker. It looks like a cane with four feet at the bottom for more stability. He started out walking 30 feet one day and 50 feet another, but on Monday he walked 204 feet!! He is able to get out of his chair and into bed all by himself now. And his speech is coming along great. I'm going up early tomorrow to go thru therapy with him again so I'll let you know all the new stuff he's been working on.

I'm still packing. Bobbi Lynn came over today and we knocked out 2 big rooms..completely done. ( Thanks Girl!!) But Ohhhhh sooo much more to do. Moving day is sneaking up on me fast.

Oh and I need boxes..lots more boxes! Please and Thank you!!

A walking brace

Went up to see Kevin tonight with Maya. He's been doing soooo good. He got fitted for a walking brace for his right leg a few days ago and it came in today. He used it to walk a little bit and he says its comfortable for him and really helps with support. Its just a clear plastic brace that fits into his shoe and goes up to about his knee.

I also spoke with our case manager and he said that we got approved for another extension at the rehab center. Right now he's approved until May 30th. Our move in date is June 7th. He is confident they will approve another short length of time for Kevin to stay there until we are moved into our new place. Our 4 year wedding anniversary is June 9th. What an anniversary present that would be!!!

Still packing...

Just a quick note to say we're all still here. I've been busy packing.. well, trying to pack as you can see Maya is not making this easy one bit. Seems like everytime I get a box packed, she empties it and takes it hostage for herself.

Kev is doing well. No special news to report. Sometimes no news is good news. Ok back to packing..

Approved!!

So my favorite word of the day was.... Approved!!! Yes! We got approved for our new apartment. All fee's have been paid and we are scheduled to move in no later than June 7th!! Its a 2 bed 2 bath 1120sq feet. Split floorplan, no hallways and completly open and accessable for Kevin. You know I've never in my life doubted the power of prayer, and after this you can rest assured that I never will. I just called Kevin earlier and told him the news. He was very excited. Now Maya, not so much! When I first told Maya that we were going to get a new home, the child was absolutley distraught!! Screaming ..( with real tears now ) NOOOO YOU CAN'T TAKE AWAY MY HOUSE!! THIS IS MY HOUSE!! Yeah, I totally didn't see that one coming. But after I sat her down and told her that her new house has 2 playgrounds....She immediatly stoped crying and wanted to move in today...lol

On to even better news.. I called and spoke with our case manager at the hospital. I told him we got approved and gave him the dates. They are already planning that once we get moved in, they will allow Kevin to come home for an overnight stay to see if there are any limitations that may need to be worked out. If all goes well, they will start his discharge and Kevin will be coming home to stay!!! Somebody pinch me!

Now there's so much work to be done. I'm off to start packing...ew!

Love, Kim

A Mothers Day Outing

What a special Mothers Day!! We got permission to take Kevin on an outing for the day. He actually got to leave the hospital grounds for the first time since Jan 26th! We decided to have our Mother day outing at the St. Pete Pier. It was Kevin, Maya and I, and mom and dad. Everything went absolutely flawless. We strolled the pier, went to the aquarium, grabbed a burger and an ice cream cone, then back outside to watch some folks fish and enjoy the view. It was perfect! I'll never forget Kevin reacting to hearing music on the radio for the first time in over 3 months. He was bobbin' his head...lol Its little things like that, that make you think... wow what else has he missed out on all this time.
I couldn't have asked for a better day. It was definitely one of my favorite Mothers days...granted I've only had 3, but still. Thanks to my folks that helped make this day so special for us. Mom, thanks for always being there for me in the good times and bad. I couldn't make it through this without you and I love you sooo much! I also wanted to say thank you to Ralph from Progressive who went up to see Kevin this weekend. I can already tell that Kevin's short term memory is getting better because he remembered your visit even after the next day. I saw your name on the visitor log so I asked him who came to see him. He said Ralph did and is going to bring him back some ribs to eat one day....lol!! That made me laugh.

Kevin Walks!!

Its been exactly 100 days since Kevin got sick. Today is National Prayer Day. And Today, KEVIN WALKED!!

He walked..no no he POWER WALKED around this funny looking parallel bars thingie he has been working with. He did about 75% of the work on his own. His physical therapist put his right foot in a walking brace, Kevin stood up and held on to the bar with his left hand...then off he went. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was thinking I was gonna count his steps but he just kept going around and around this thing. I stopped counting at 30 but Kevin was still going. I just stood there and cried like a baby ...and he's still going. Nothing short of a miracle. We practiced our transfers a lot today. They had a simulation car there and we practiced transferring him from his wheelchair and into the car. After we accomplished that, she told me to go get my truck and pull it up to the front of the hospital where we practiced getting him in and out of my truck. We did everything with no problem at all completley by ourselves.

During OT we practiced some stretches that help with his shoulder. He's been getting better at helping get himself dressed. He can actually put his shirt on all by himself now, brush is teeth, shave and all those ADL's that we have to do everyday. His speech is coming along so much better. His therapist would give him scenarios and ask him how he would respond. A lot of .."What would you do if's.." and Kevin would answer her questions in complete sentences.

They are really pushing and preparing us for Kevin to be released back home. I'm in total panic mode because we currently live in a townhouse and I need to get us into a handicap accessible apartment. Like yesterday!! I've been looking around for something accessible and within our budget and I think I may have found something. Literally right down the street from where we are now. I went today to look at the model and picked up an application that I'll be dropping off tomorrow along with the fee's. Please pray that we get approved for this place, as it is essential for Kevin to be able to come home.

Today was absolutely amazing.. by far his best day yet. Thank you so much for all your continued prayers.

Love Kim

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Mom picked Maya and I up to go visit Kevin and brought Moe's for dinner. One of his favorite. Thanks mom. I go up for more "family training" tomorrow. At first I didn't like the name of that, but by the looks of this pic it seems as if Maya is attempting to attack me from behind for hugging on her daddy. Maybe we need some family training after all :)

Can't wait to report on any new progress.

Another special visit

Kevin had a really good visit tonight. A few mins after Maya and I got there, Jim Mary.. one of Kevin's buddies from Progressive...came to spend some time with Kevin. These are two peas in a pod. They were cutting up and joking around. He had Kevin laughing again..which was good to see. He even misbehaved while signing the visitor log. Kevin really got a kick outta that one. Typical Boys! It was a much needed fun night! He also "expanded" our 3 year olds vocabulary quite a bit...Thaaanks for that Jim! lol Kevin showed off what he can do now with his right side to move his hand, arm and leg. My next appointment to go up for family training is Thursday so he can show off some of the new stuff he does this week. Can't wait. A big thank you to Mr. Mary for coming out to see Kevin tonight. He really enjoyed it.

Kim

It's Dinner Time - You Couldn't Find A Happier Family

Sunday Afternoon Visit

This afternoon's visit with Kevin was great. Kevin looked good and he was glad to see us and the cuban sandwich we brought for him. Even the nurse was glad to see the sandwich because Kevin didn't eat his hospital dinner. I guess after almost 3 months of hospital food I would be tired of it too.

A huge "Thank You" to Debby and Jim for the game system. Kevin had a good time and hasn't lost his touch nor his love for video games.

Yesterday, Terry purchased Kevin the movie AVATAR so we brought it up with us this afternoon. As soon as Terry showed the movie to Kevin he said "SWEET"....just like the old Kevin we all know and love! Before we left this evening, we set up his portable DVD so he could watch his movie. He had a smile on his face when we left this evening.

Kevin is doing very well. He is stretching his right side more and more even when it causes him pain. It is amazing to see what he can now do. Kevin told us tonight he is going to tell his therapist he is ready to start working on walking this week. I believe Kevin's determination along with God's help, he will be walking very soon. Believe me, the day that happens you will hear a shout all the way from St. Petersburg.

We continue to give God all the glory for Kevin's progress and we know that greater things are still to come!

Please continue to pray and know that as a family we are grateful for all the prayers and genuine concern everyone has for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

God Bless,
Kathy

Let The Games Begin

Greetings everyone.  Take a close look at this picture...and what do you see...Kevin holding a game controller in his hand.  Yes, we finally made his wishes come true tonight.  Kevin has a game system for his room.  It's not an Xbox, but I really don't think he cares...he had the biggest smile on his face when we got there and set it up for him.

We got him a Super Mario game, and he started playing right away.  He was so intent on playing the game that he didn't speak to anyone for about 20 minutes.  Maya kept asking to play....but daddy wasn't giving up the controller!!  But it was okay, because Uncle Jim brought 2 game systems and Maya was able to play with the smaller one.

Jim also brought him up a bag of candy, with tootsie rolls in it....which induced another smile from Kevin and a speech from his nurse!  I told him he is only allowed one piece a day...and he replied "yea right".  Maya also enjoyed a tootsie roll pop!

We had a really nice visit with Kevin, Kim and Maya tonight.  Kim brought Kevin up a Subway Sandwich for dinner and helped give him his bath while we played with Maya.  I love playing silly games with her like "I spy with my little eye".. she always tells me what she is "spying"..lol!

Needless to say, when we got ready to leave, the game controller was back  in his hand and he looked settled for a good long game.  Kim was exhausted so she packed up little miss Maya and took her home.

It was great to see Kevin enjoying himself and not being..."so bored".

Kevin misses his friends...

So I'm starting to feel a bit more human again...I was sick as a dog for a few days there. I went to visit Kevin today and Mom brought Maya up a little bit later. He's talking so much better now. He's still having a little trouble with his short term memory. For example he knows who everybody is, remembers events and dates. But he may not be able to tell you what he had for breakfast or lunch that day. And he also has been having trouble remembering visitors. One of his therapist asked that we do a visitor sign in log, because they want to test Kevin's memory. There's a folder in his room and whenever anyone comes to visit, you just have to write your name and the date and time you were there.

Kevin also mentioned tonight that he's been missing his friends. All visitors are welcome to come see him and I know that Kevin would love to see some folks he hasn't seen in a while. Its important that we try to keep things scheduled because we also don't want to overwhelm him. Visiting hours are between 4pm to 8pm everyday but can be a little bit more relaxed on the weekend. Basically as soon as he's finished with all of his different therapies for the day then visitors are welcome. So, if you'd like to brave the drive just let me know. You can email me at KimmieK215@aol.com to exchange phone #'s or set it up. Or Progressive folks can always get with my mom. Whatever is easier.

Also we've been moved back down stairs to our old room on the 6th floor again. Yeah that move was a big ole waste of time but what do I know. He's in Room 648. He's got his own room again. The section he's in is secured so there's a white button you have to press outside the main door to page the nurses and they will unlock the door. As soon as you hear a beep you can open the door and come on in. I know Kevin will be happy to see some new faces. He's prolly tired of looking at my mug all the time :) All that's required is that you sign the visitor log.

Happy Visiting!!!

Dorito's Yummy!!

Kevin hasn't been too impressed with the food from the hospital lately so we've been trying to ask him some of his favorite things to eat. Last night Debby got him his favorite smoothie and suggested a bag of chips and Kevin was quick to tell us he wanted dorito's so that's what he got.

On our way up this afternoon, Terry and I got Kevin a bratwurst and onion sandwich. We arrived just in time to save Kevin from a piece of dried up fish. Believe me it looked horrible. As soon as Kev saw the sandwich he said..whooooo! We also brought more dorito's which made him smile even bigger. Maybe he can make a dorito's commercial one day.

Kevin has lost so much weight he needed some new work out clothes so Terry and I went shopping. His new work out clothes fit him much better! He is going to look good in the gym!

We are so proud of Kevin. He's outlook is so positive and he is working hard during his sessions. I tell him all the time how much he encourages others and that he has made a difference in so many people's lives! Kevin know the Lord is taking care of him and his family!

After Terry and I left Kevin, we took Kimmie and Maya to the Urgent Care Walk-In. Kimmie has an appointment on Monday, but she really needed to see a doctor today. She has bronchitis and Maya has allergies. Both are now on antibiotics. Maya is spending the night with us so Kimmie can get some much needed rest.

Please continue to pray for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya because it's your prayers that have gotten all of us to where we are today!

Thank you to everyone who always ask about Kevin, Kimmie and Maya. We have so much to be thankful for and we know that God has a plan in place for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

God Bless and Thank You for caring so much about my family!

Kathy

80 days of tubes...jeeze!

OK.. Peg is out. Today is day 80 and we are officially tube free. Mom and Aunt Debby are up there now. I spoke with him on the phone, he sounded really good. I heard he was doing a little misbehaving.. can't wait to get the dirt on that later..lol Just wanted to give you the quick update on the last tube being out. I'm going back to the couch to waller in my sickness :(

Kim

Taking out the PEG today

Kevin is suppose to be getting his PEG out today...thats the feeding tube he hasn't even been using but it had to stay in for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks before it could be removed. They tried to take it out at bedside but it started to cause him some pain so they stopped. They are going to do an "endoscopic something or other" ..later this afternoon to remove it and guide it out. (something or other is my own name for it because I'm too sick to remember what she said and I can't even read my own writing as I tried to scribble it..lol )

Since Maya and I are both sick and contagious we can't be there but not to worry, I've got the phone next to me. His nurse knows to call me as soon as its done and I'll update you guys when I know all is good. I'll also be sending in reinforcemt for his afternoon visit since I can't go.

"ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE"

Matthew 21:22 says... If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

I mentioned in my last post that we were waiting to hear about getting more time approved in rehab thru our insurance company. Let me tell you about a phone call I got from Chris, our Case Manager today.

He called and told me he has some very good news for me. He said he spoke with the rep from Aetna whom he has been working with since day one. He said she has been nothing short of helpful and has been so diligent about getting the necessary information completed in such a timley manner everytime they have been in contact. He said the rep advised him that she knows how devestating this was and that she will continue to work with his case closley to ensure Kevin gets to take full advantage of everything that his benefits will allow. Chris told me he was so pleased he even spoke with her supervisor to compliment her. Chris told her today that all the doctors and therapist have agreed at their meeting this week that Kevin will benefit from another 2 or 3 or even 4 more weeks at rehab and after that time they are predicting he will have gained enough strenght back for me to be able to take care of him at HOME!!!!! My baby could be back home to us in a MONTH!!!

So here's our action plan right now. Today Aetna approved Kevin for another 14 days. ( Thats the longest block of time they have approved him for yet.. it started off every 7 to 10 days) So we just got the first two weeks approved. When that time is up and if its needed they will approve another 14 days to complete the 4 weeks they are estimating Kevin will need to complete his inpatient therapy at Bayfront. The most encourging thing he said on the phone today was..it's their goal and they are confident that Kevin will be able to go from where he is at now to returning home to his family. And there should be NO NEED to put him in another facility.. which is a nice way of saying nursing home that I was warned of before. Sooooo, Take That Charge Nurse!!! MMhmm! LOL

The power of prayer is amazing.. Thank you for all of your continued prayers.

Love Kim

Movin' on up...

Maya, Mom and Myself when up to visit Kevin yesterday afternoon and we had a good visit. He got moved upstairs to the penthouse on the 7th floor. Bayfront has 2 different rehab centers. The one on the 6th floor where he was previously was specifically for Brain Injury rehab. And the one on the 7th floor was for everything else like spinal cord injuries..etc. I spoke with the charge nurse and she said if they don't have enough patients one 1 floor they will combine the 2 rehab units into one. So thats what they did. Its actually a lot nicer up there. Their bedrooms are much larger. They have a whole bunch of different rooms patients can go in. Some have computers, one has a piano. They even have a bigger gym up there too. So it kinda turns out, we were missin' out all along...lol Kevin has a room mate now. His name is Alex and it turns out we kinda have a connection. Its one of those friend of a friend thru my mom kinda connections but its nice because they are closer in age and can relate to each other. Poor Alex though, I've lived with Kevin for almost 11 years now so let me appologize in advance for Kevin's snoring...lol I met Alex's wife, Janet about a week ago when we we're both downstairs. Such a warm and wonderful person. She approached me in the hallway and asked me if my name was Kim.. I said yes, and she said I've read your blog and saw you on TV. ( LOL I was recongnized from TV....SCORE! LOL ) She told me she had a really good conversation with my mom over the phone and everyone has met now so its kinda cool that we turned out to be roomies :)

As far as Kevin goes, he's continuing to improve everyday. His speach is getting better. He's standing up to transfer to the chair even better than before and they also started him back in the regular wheelchair again as of Monday. I also spoke with our case worker yesterday and he just faxed over the paperwork to our insurance company to request more time there. Please pray that we get approved again. I've been stressed out latley about it because I was "warned" by a particular nurse to start to look for another facility for Kevin because they generally don't see insurance companies approving more than 30 days at that type of facility and Kevin has already surpassed that. After that extremely upsetting little convo.. I called and spoke with our case worker and he told me he wished that conversation never took place ( ps ..as do I) because as long as Kevin continues to show improvement ( which he has by leaps and bounds) , he has no concern that they we will have a problem getting more time for him. Lets just pray that it works.

So on another note.. I have a few more thank you's to give. Eariler this week there was a card left on my mom's desk at work that said to Kimberly... I opened it and it it said "You can't get water from an empty bucket, you must frequently go back to the well" It had some money in it and said to take it and pamper yourself so you will be fresh for the long haul. There was no name but whoever did this thank you so much. My well has been dry for a little bit now and lately I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't a ticking time bomb.. I just try to do it behind closed doors ;) So thank you so much for caring. I also want to thank those of Kevin's family that have helped out as well. Everything received so far has gone to gas to drive to St. Pete or for bills. Again thank you all so much.

Sunday's Visit

After church this afternoon, I took Maya up to see her Daddy since Kimmie was already there. Kevin wanted a "whopper hamburger" so that's what he got and boy did he enjoy it!!

Just seeing Kevin lying in bed you would never know what he has experienced these last several months. He really looks good and his confidence and determination is amazing. I asked Kevin this afternoon if he is noticing his lost of short term memory and he replied....no joke this is just what he replied...."yeah, sometimes I notice it but it will come back if I just keep working on it"! I just stood there for a minute and smiled at him. He is without a doubt a miracle and he knows it.

This afternoon, Kimmie, Kevin and Maya were playing words games. Kevin was doing great but after a while he would just look at them with an expression that said....."really girls do I have to do this again". Kevin and Maya both have the same attention span... slim to none!

This morning I assisted with the 3 year olds in Sunday School. Of course Maya was in the class with me. We had 14 little boys and girls and they were full of energy today. After I read the bible story which was on when Jesus helped the man walk, I asked the children what does Jesus do for them that makes them happy? Some of the children said they get toys, but our little Maya said "he makes my Daddy better". The other teacher in the class just looked at me and through my tears I told Maya...."that's good Maya and Jesus is going to make Daddy better and better". Sometimes it hard to believe Maya is only 3 years old! Needless to say after church and lunch this afternoon, Papa and I took Maya to the book store and she picked out 2 books, a paint set and a new toy.

We are so grateful for the miracle God has allowed us to experience and we continue to give HIM all the glory.

We have another prayer request. Our nephew, Jeremy Nicholas is leaving for the Army in the morning. Please pray that he will return home safe to his family and friends.

God Bless!

A full day of therapy

How Awesome is this pic?!?! I KNOW!!!!!

Kevin and I had a really good day together. It was my day to come up and participate in all of Kevin's different therapy sessions. First we had some Occupational Therapy. She told me that Kevin is doing really good helping to get himself dressed in the morning. They are showing him how to use his stronger side to his advantage. She showed me more of the stretches and how to do them with Kevin on our own. He's getting so much movement back on his right side, its amazing. He can make a fist, grab something to hold on to and raise his arm to about a 45 degree angle by himself. After that we had Physical Therapy. His therapist told me he's doing really well with his transfers...that's moving from the chair to the mat or from the chair to the bed. No more harness at all. He's standing up and piviting to sit down on something else. Their going to try out the normal wheelchair again next week. We played with some bean bags again today. She put about 10 bean bags on the floor under where Kevin was sitting. She would ask him to bend down at the waist and pick up the color bean bag she asked for. He would pick it up with his right hand..this is the bad hand...raise himself back up, transfer the bean bag to his left hand and throw it to score a basket. He did it every single time!!! After that we went into the hallway where he stood up a few different times. We even posed for a pic :) He's totally supporting himself standing up. I was just there to guide him back into the chair to sit down. After OT and PT we had ST...dontcha love all the lingo... Speach Therapy. This is not Kevin's favorite because he gets aggravated when he messes up but he's actually doing really well. The therapist had him reading sentences and asking him to circle yes or no and the end of the sentence. For example.. Do you have to plug in a candle...then he circled NO. After that she played another word game with him where she would name off some companies and he would say what they made. Like GE makes appliances, Gillette makes razors, Hanes makes socks, and Campbell's makes soup. Those we're just some of the answers he gave. He was good at that game. Thats all the work on his end for the day. After all his therapies were over, I took him downstairs to get a smoothy and outside for a little bid. Its nice to get a change of scenery. I gave him a shower today all by myself. Man that was hard..lol He's lost a ton of weight but man is he solid. We got setteled into bed then Mom and Maya brought up some dinner and saved him from the Salsbury steak...yuck! Thanks Mom! It was a full day and I am tired! Lets see how long I get the bed to myself tonight before Maya comes sneaking in. I'm betting less than an hour. Goodnight all :)

A Bunny Blessing

Yeah I know he's really gonna hate me for this one day..but I don't care, its totally worth it..lol "Here comes Peter Cottontail..hopping down the bunny trail...." Ahh good times!

We had a good Easter. Maya and I went to church in the morning with Mom, Dad, Annette and Brian. We did the Easter Egg hunt and Dinner on Saturday so after church on Sunday we could go see Kev. He's doing really well. He's getting more and more movement back on his right side. I think him standing up a little bit these last few days( with a side of prayer ) has really helped get his blood circulation going again because he has been able to move his right leg more, even bending it at the knee a little bit. I can't wait until he takes his first step. I know I don't wanna get ahead of myself and it may be a while still.. but its kinda like waiting for your child to take their first steps all over again. Just kinda feels like its gonna happen anyday now. Kevin was in good spirits for Easter. We brought up some plastic Easter Eggs and he could tell us what each color was. He's forming his sentences better now and eating normal. Its such a blessing...a "bunny blessing"

Easter has been a special time for us. It was 4 years ago on Easter when we told our family we we're expecting Maya. We dyed Eggs and wrote on them.. Welcome Baby Deram0.... and set them on the table until someone noticed what they said. Since my family is not the most "observant"..lol ( sorry guys, love ya!!) We ended up just announcing it at dinner. This Easter we have something different to celebrate. Just the fact that Kevin is with us today to celebrate another Easter is all I can ask for...everything else is just a bonus prayer answered from above.

Another Thank You!

I had another good visit with Kevin today. They took out another tube this morning.. so we actually only have one more to go before we are completely tube free from head to toe :) The only thing he has left is his feeding tube in his belly, but their not even using that anymore as long as he eats at least 50% of each meal. And trust me, he has no problem with that. The feeding tube has to stay in for a minimum of 6 weeks before it can come out. He had the procedure done on Feb 19th so tomorrow will be exactly 6 weeks. Hmm.. I think I'll remind the Doc of that tomorrow so maybe we can get that in motion. Kevin was very animated tonight. I brought him Boston Market for dinner and we relaxed and watched TV.

After I left the hospital to pick up Maya, mom brought with her the Easter Basket Ms Sandra Ellison and all the wonderful people in the Customer Service/phones unit at Progressive made up for us. It was beautiful. Filled with candy, a puzzle for Maya, and a ton of Easter eggs filled with money in each one. You guys are such a blessing to us. The card was beautiful. Thanks to each and every one of you for all the prayers and well wishes. It still amazes me what people do for us. Thank you so much!

Girls just wanna have fun!!

Today was a fun day!! Maya and I decided we would take the day off and just have a girls day at home. One of my best friends in the whole world Ms Bobbi Lynn brought over Kaiah for a playdate :) These two had soooo much fun together. We saw them pull up and Maya ran over to the car and was jumping with excitement before they could even get out. Someone close to her age to play with! I'm sure she gets board hanging out with grownups sometimes so this was a good change. Kaiah is 4 and Maya is 3.. ( Isn't Kaiah tall? I see modeling in her future :) They played so well together. They played with dolls, jumped on the trampoline, slid down the slide and even cooked in the Dora Kitchen... and chased each other up and down the stairs....for which I'm sure they will sleep good tonight! Thank you Ms Sara..thats Kaiah's mama..for letting her come over to play. Maya had sooo much fun and I was happy she got to have a special day. And a big thank you to Ms Bobbi for putting this together for us. She's always been there for me, no matter what and I'm blessed to have her as a friend.

As for Kevin...he had a good day too. I called a couple times to check on him. He was relaxing in bed watching tv last time I called. I know he's in good hands there and feel comfortable enough to take a day off once in a while for us girls. ;)

The Blessings Keep Coming....

This afternoon I received a call for a long time friend/co-worker, Sandra Ellison. Sandra asked me to stop by her desk before leaving for the day because she had something for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

When I met up with Sandra, she handed me a decorated Easter Basket full of plastic eggs and various kinds of goodies. Sandra explained she and many others within the phone unit wanted to do something for Kevin and went on to explain that the plastic eggs contained money. I was speechless.

I explained to Sandra, God continues to provide and that this gift was truly a gift from God!

Our Progressive family is so important to us and the encouragement, gifts and most importantly all the prayers for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya have made a difference to our family.

We continue to pray that lives would be changed and that God will receive all the glory as Kevin continues to improve. Kevin's recovery is truly a miracle from God!

Thank you to everyone for all you have done and all you continue to do to encourage our family.

God Bless!

He Stands!!

Today was full of surprises, excitement, and just plan fun. I gotta say I'm even tired from all of todays festivities. Lets see, first and formost.. Kevin stood up today for the first time. Amazing. With some help form the therapist and him holding on to a bar attached to the wall, he stood up and supported his own weight. He did this 3 times today for 1 minute each time. Such a blessing! They tried him out in a regular wheelchair today. Normally he uses the kind that reclinds back a little bit. He did really well for most of the day. Had a little tiny mishap in the afternoon where he went for a little slide, but all is well. He even laughed it off and got back in his other chair. They said they would try the normal chair again in a couple of days. His trunk...the muscles you use to hold yourself up...are getting much stronger. He's using the harness less. Today I saw him scoot himself from his chair..to a board he can sit on..and then to another bench where he did some recreation therapy. He played a game called Sequence. Its a card matching board game. He did really well. Durring speach therapy she would hold up some cards wth a picture on it and ask Kevin to tell her whats happening. This helps him form sentences and such. Some of his answers even made me laugh. Some of his answers were..
A girl is doing the dishes.
A lady is fixing her hair.
That woman is cooking.
and my favorite one.. "That dude's just washing the car." Yeah even his therapist laughted at that one. Another exercize they did was with categories. She would say two words, and then he would have to think of two words that would fit in.
She said...Georgia and Texas...He said Massachusetts and Colorado
She said... green beans and corn... He said Peas and Carrots ( yeah I know, not even kidding)
She said... Chevy and Ford.. he said Toyota and Lexus.

After all his therapy sessions we got permission to go off the floor ( on a field trip if you will ) for a little while all by ourselves. Sooo we're off.. the first place we went was down to the NICU to see all the nurses that took such wonderful care of us when we first got there. I almost miss them..ALMOST! We got down there and saw Ms Wendy, Ms Danita, and Mr John. All very special people to me. They we're all amazed at his progress. He showed them how much moving he can do now and thanked them. It brings me to tears just thinking about where we we're just 2 months ago, we we're in that room trying to wake him up every 2 hours and begging him to just hold up 2 fingers. Now look at him..nothing less than a miricle! After we left the NICU, we went down to get a smoothy a the bistro, then outside to stroll around the building. It was nice to be outside hospital walls together for the first time. Kevin was getting tired, as I was getting tired of pushing so we went back and set up shop for the night. Mom and Aunt Debby brought Maya up tonight along with the yummy cake.. Thank you Ms Katherine. We all had a good visit. Overall today was a really good day.

Good Times

I wished everyone could have seen Kevin this evening. He looked absolutely wonderful and when he saw the chocolate cake Ms. Katherine sent him tonight he was all smiles!

Tonight's visit was one of the best yet! Kevin is speaking in sentences and his words are clear. He has his Daddy skills back in action as he had to speak to Maya a few times tonight or even better yet, a couple of times he just had to give her the "Daddy Look" and she knew right away I better get my act together!

God has been so good to our family! I can't imagine anyone going through something like this without Faith, Family and Friends as Kimmie has mentioned before.

Our family miracle continues to get better and better each day and we continue to give God all the glory for what He is doing through Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

What a great way to end the day!

Let Me Eat Cake!

Today after work, Kathy and I picked up Maya and away we went to take Kevin his cake that Kathy Schneider made for him.  He was all smiles when he saw that cake...and so was Maya. 

He had a really good day in therapy today, Kim said that he stood up on his right leg today, and he sat up in a regular wheelchair.  There was a little mishap with the wheelchair, but he got through it. 

We had a really great visit with him tonight.  I told him that all the Admin Girls at Progressive said hello and he got a big smile on his face.  I think he misses seeing people...he can have visitors after 4 p.m. so if you are interested, let us know and we will give you the details on how to find him...he is a little locked up right now.

Kim got to take him outside for a walk today and they both enjoyed that.  Everyday, we see something good happening and we are all so very thankful.

Another good visit

Just sitting here having a good visit with Kevin. I brought him his meatloaf last night and he loved it. Even Maya ate it, but then again she will eat anything she can dip in ketchup. What 3 year old doesn't. Tonight Kevin has done nothing but complain about the dry fish they gave him for dinner. I hope he's not expecting gourmet meals every night... His bill will be high enough. Speaking of bills, did you know it cost over $13,000 bucks to fly 26 miles in a helicopter from one hospital to another? Got one of his first bills in today and just had to laugh as I read it because this was literally only the beginning. Kevin has a view of the helicopter landing site from his room at the hospital. I told Kevin about the bill and every time one landed tonight he would call out "there's another 13g's!!" See, he still has his sense of humor but I say..Thank God for insurance!!! I can't wait to get the actual hospital bill. I'm gonna frame it. My money is on Kevin will be a 3 million dollar man by the time all is said and done.

Looking forward to tomorrow. I get to go in early to go thru therapy with him again. I'll let you know how it goes.

He wants food!

Tonight Maya and I went up to see daddy and had dinner and a movie. Aren't they cute :) We watched Cars..Kevin got a kick outta Maya knowing all the words to the songs and singing along. Tells u how many times we've watched it at home huh.

I actually got a call from Kevin the other day demanding food..lol The first time he calls me one of the therapist was there and got me on the phone and advised me that his diet had been upgraded from "soft foods" to a regular diet. And that we could actually bring him in food and have dinner with him. Sooo.. the therapist hands Kevin the phone and the first thing he said was.. " I want food " lol Not hi, how are you? How was your day? Nope, I want food!! What the boy wants, he gets. So his first night of real food was Red Lobster! One of our fav's. I ordered some take out and we had date night at Bayfront. Hot huh. Tonight Maya and I brought him some KFC while we watched our movie. As you can see he left the hospital tray of mystery meat covered. He asked for meatloaf for dinner tomorrow. Spoiled much? Yeah I already got the stuff to make it for him.. this must be love because I am not a fan of meatloaf..blah!

10 more days!

Had a good visit with Kev tonight. We watched the movie 2012. He's defiantly starting to get frustrated with some of his disabilities. Sometimes when he starts a sentence, he will have trouble finishing it. This really aggravates him because he knows what he wants to say, but sometimes the words just don't come out right. Speach therapy will help with this. I've seen him when they do their word play games and he has no trouble giving 1 or 2 word answers, but putting sentences together is where he is struggling right now. It's hard to see him get mad because I know his temper and have seen it several times already at the hospital. Sometimes he just wants to throw in the towel but I try to tell him how far he's come in 8 weeks and how blessed we are for him to even be here today. This seems to give him the encouragement to keep fighting. He knows what happened to him. If you ask him why he's in the hospital...he will tell you " I had a double aneurysm "

To help matters I found out today we were approved for another 10 days at the rehab center. This is great news because he really is improving everyday and as long as he continues to show progress our insurance company will continue to approve more time. I'm proud of him because it shows how hard he's working.

Kevin's Comments

After work Maya and I drove over the bridge to see her Daddy and had a very nice visit. Kevin was full of himself tonight.

Kevin and I began talking about things he wanted to do when he got out of the hospital and he quickly said..."Party Like It's 1999" and then laughed out loud! I assumed from the way he was laughing he already knew it was 2010.

I also began talking to him about all the people from work who ask about him daily. I asked Kevin if he remembered Katherine Schnieder and he replied "yes". I told him Katherine wanted to know if he wanted her to make him one of her famous chocolate cakes and this time the reply was....."ohhhh yeah"...so Ms. Katherine I guess you better start baking!! I mentioned everyone's name at work I could think of and he smiled. He also said he was ready to go back to work, however, he also said he needed a vacation!

Another funny moment was when Kevin called me a "goof ball". I told him my big toe on my right foot was hurting me and when I pulled my foot out of my shoe he saw that I had a hole in my sock. He just looked at me and began laughing again and said I was a goof ball. It's a good thing I'm OK with him laughing at me :)

You should see us when we leave for the evening. It's such a production especially when Maya is there. She doesn't like for anyone except herself to tell her Daddy goodbye or kiss him goodbye. Do you think she is spoiled???

We are thankful for another good visit and we continue to give God all the glory for what He has done and continues to do for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya!

Please continue to pray for our family miracle!

A thank you and a visit

What a weekend. Kevin is a local celebrity..lol I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone involved at Bayfront and ABC Action News for giving our family this opportunity and for sharing our story. Linda Hurtado is such a warm and wonderful person and it was an honor to sit down and speak with her. I know that one day we will be sharing a different story with you. While it's true, we still have a very long road ahead of us, we will continue to stride and one day will be an example to another family who may be going through something similiar to show them its not impossible and miracles really do happen everyday.

Tonights visit was fun. Aunt Jan and Uncle Greg came up to see Kev and brought some goodies. Some new board games and his new favorite thing in the world... a smoothly! Its true, he is a simple man..lol Then again, I don't blame him after some of the food they try him with. Seriously! He enjoyed that, and got some good laughs in as well. Thanks guys!!

New link

http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/taking_action_for_you/story/Recovering-from-a-traumatic-brain-injury/oOigHfsqn0WUUCim70KkSg.cspx

Here's a link to the story itself and also the video

Here's a link to the video

If you missed it, you can go to www.abcactionnews.com and in the upper right hand corner they have a video section. Its already up and the first one on the page titled " Recovering from a tramatic brain injury" Just press play :)

5pm Today!!!! ABC Action News!!!!!

Just got done filming with Linda Hurtado and ABC action news. They will air it on the 5pm news tonight!!!! They filmed Kevin during one of his therapies, watched us toss a balloon around and then sat down with Kevin and I to do an interview together. Soooo much fun, Kevin did great. He said a few words. I was a nervous wreck!! But I'm so happy and proud and blessed for Kevin to have this opportunity and can't wait for the world to see him.

Tonight at 5pm!! ABC action news or http://www.abcactionnews.com/

Kevin's Opportunity

Dear Kevin,

I'm praying that tomorrow will be a great opportunity for you to encourage someone and their family who may have recently faced what you have experienced these past weeks.

You are a blessing to our family and so many others. You continue to amaze everyone and we know your recovery is because God has something special in store for you, Kimmie and Maya!

Do your best tomorrow in therapy and show the world the power of prayer!

I love you so much and I'm so proud of you!!

St. Patrick's Day With Kevin - It Was A Fun Night!

Lights, Camera, Action!!

Here's a pic of Kevin feeding himself lunch today. Aint he cute!! LOL

Anyway, ok big announcement!! Kevin is gonna be on TV!!!!!

Every year the rehab center we are at has a reunion for their former guests to celebrate their survival after a brain injury. One of our local news stations ABC Action News will do a story on the center and have asked to feature Kevin. They want to film him in action durring one of his therapy sessions and have also asked about a possible interview with Linda Hurtado, who will be doing the piece.

This is soooo exciting!! Now, I can't guarantee he will do the interview because it just depends how much he's feeling like talking that day and he is still having trouble getting out of some his words but at the very least you will be able to see him durring one of his therapy sessions. Filming will be this Friday. Not sure yet when the story will air but I'm sure i'll find out durring filming and will let the world know as soon as I do. For friends and family not local, the website is http://www.abcactionnews.com/ and they have a link to watch full episodes on there so everyone will be able to see him get his shot at fame :)

Trach is out!!!!

Dr Luciano just came up and took out Kevin's trach. Day 51 we are trach free and eating on our own. He had his first meal yesterday for breakfast.. Biscuits and gravy and applesauce and some juice. ( Prolly not is first meal of choice but I know he was glad to try anything again.) He did ok with it, he wasn't really interested in lunch because he was having a little bit of pain in his right shoulder from all his workouts. They tried again this morning and he had some oatmeal and was feeding himself. Great Work!!

Teaser Alert!!!!
Look for a special post tonight. I just got a call from someone in the Public Relations department at the hospital asking me to come in and speak with her later this afternoon about a special project we may be involved in. I got a few details but will update everyone later tonight after I get all the info.. Here's a hint... " if your local, make sure your TV's are working :) Sooooo exciting!! I'll let you guys know tonight!!

Approved!!

Congratulations Mr. Deramo, you've just won another 10 fun filled days and nights at "Club Bayfront"!!!!
Yes, our insurance company has approved to allow us to continue rehab at Bayfront since Kevin is progressing so well. Another prayer answered. Actually tonight we got quite a few prayers answered. Kevin had his swallowing test today.. passed it with flying colors and will be allowed to eat solid food again tomorrow. Huge!!! Also since they started capping his trach durring the day and he's maintained so well, they will continue to keep the cap on at night and if all goes well they will remove the trach completly this Wednesday!!! Even HUGER!!!

We had a good visit tonight. I brought him up a bag of goodies. Some new clothes, a new movie to watch, a puzzle and some flash cards. When I took out the flash cards he kinda gave me a dirty look. Then when I held up the first one..( A for Apple )....he said, " Are you kidding me?? " LOL We both laughed. He humored me and played along until we got to C for Cat, then he was done just laughed at me for asking him these stupid questions. I agreed to put the cards away as I think we're past this stage now. It was too cute, but boy if looks could kill...

Maya Tells Me....He's My Daddy!

My time with Maya this afternoon was great! After picking her up from her sitter she and I ran some errands and of course given the time of day the traffic was horrible. I made the mistake and called a driver behind me a stupid jerk and Maya was quick to use both words every chance she could. Of course I was trying to explain I made a mistake and should not have called the other person a name etc., but Maya was also quick to tell me there are a lot of drivers that are jerks. I promise you I am not making this up.

I was trying to change the subject of our conversation so I began talking about her Daddy. I told her I was so happy that Daddy was feeling better and that I loved him so much! Once again she was quick to tell me... you can't love my Daddy because HE'S MY DADDY and I love him enough!

I have to agree with her on this one. Maya loves her Daddy and Mama so much and it's so darn cute to see her love on them. Don't think for a minute that she doesn't have a problem telling both of them when she isn't happy about something. One thing about Maya...she isn't afraid to share her feelings about anything.

It's good to laugh more often these days and once again we owe it all to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! There is no way we could have faced any of this without Him at our side.

More happy times are ahead!

Movie night

Just got back from seeing the boy. He looked good. He's getting stronger and stronger on that right side everyday. He's making a fist and wiggling his toes again on his right. They have capped his trach now and said they expect to be able to take it out completly sometime next week. And since he's not trying to pull it out anymore they have also removed his arm restraints so he's got a little bit of freedom back... well, as much freedom as one can have in rehab I suppose.

I took Maya with me tonight. He always lights up when she walks in the room. She walked in and said "Hey Daddy" and I think she was a little suprised to hear him say " Hi Maya " right back to her. They sat next to each other and watched a Disney movie together. I wish I had my camera, they we're two peas in a pod. By the time visiting hours we're over they were both getting tired and cranky..( feels like I have 2 kids now ) and it was time to hit the road.

Saturday Afternoon Visit

Our visit with Kevin this afternoon was another wonderful experience. Poor Kimmie was not feeling well so, Me (Ole Goat), Terry and my Mama (Nanny) went and spent some time with Kevin.

When we walked in the room he was watching TV. He looked so good and so rested. We all said "hi" and he replied "hi". We noticed right away his trach was capped. He could talk to us without having to cover his trach! It was such a blessing!

This was the first visit for Nanny and Kevin called her name right away. In fact he called out all our names. He struggled a little saying Kathy, but had no problem saying Ole Goat. He also called out Kimberly and Maya's name tonight.

He was full of smiles today and in a really good mood. We looked at pictures of books Aunt Snack Cake made and he recognized everything, including tools he works with on a daily basis.

While we were there, Terry and I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin's nurse, Salandra. Salandra explained to us she has been in the same ward on the same floor for 22 years and never has she seen anyone progress and come through what Kevin has experienced. She told us Kevin would recover and that she knew it was because of the Lord's work that Kevin was going so well.

We continue to be amazed as to how good everyone at BayFront has been to our family. The doctors and nurses can't do enough for us and of course they all LOVE Maya! But what's not to love about her!

During our visit I asked Kevin to say the ABCs. He just started laughing at me and then I began to laugh too. He got all the way to the letter T and stopped so I finished the remaining letters for him and told him not go worry he would finish next time. Again we were laughing.

While Terry was talking to Kevin he asked Kevin, what's the first thing you want to do when you get out of the hospital. Kevin was trying to say something, but couldn't get the words to come out. I was trying to understanding and evidentially was saying the wrong words which caused Kevin to laugh so much his tummy was moving up and down. Then I started laughing because Kevin stuck out his tongue at me. It was funny.

Today, we all noticed the strength in Kevin's right hand is improving. Also, he is moving his right arm more, plus he has complete feeling up and down his entire right side. He loves to have his back rubbed and said...."I can't wait to get out of this bed".

Since Kimmie wasn't able to visit with him today she was able to carry on a conversation with him on the phone. It truly is amazing that we are at this point in Kevin's recovery in such a short period of time. Today is day 46 and in these 46 days we have seen miracles take place that we and others will talk about for the rest of our lives!

We have so many people to thank for their continuous thoughts and prayers and as a family we are all praying that God will bless you just as he has blessed us in healing Kevin!

Play Time With Kevin...We had so much fun!

30 mins, 30 bean bags, 30 words

Today was amazing!! I got to go partake in Kevin's therapy sessions and he really showed off. He stood up in the harness for 30 mins. He played a bean bag toss game. He threw 30 bean bags and made 11 baskets..with his left hand. She asked him to count to 5 outloud and he counted to 10 all by himself. They played another catch game and Kevin was able to catch the ball and throw it back at different angles as the therapist moved around the room. After that they played some word games where she would start a sentence and ask Kevin to fill in the last word.
If I we're to put something in, you would take it.... and kevin said..OUT
If its not night time, its.. he said DAY TIME
If its not full it's.. kevin said EMPTY
If its not on the top, its on the ..he said BOTTOM
If its not big, its.. he said LITTLE
If you can't go over it, you go.. he said UNDER
If your not right handed, your.. he said LEFT HANDED

She took out a dollar and asked him what it was. He said "a one dollar bill" she asked what would you do with this.. he said "spend it". She held up a cup and asked what it was. He said " Coffee cup". She asked, what do you put in your coffee? He said " Milk and sugar".
After that he did some stretches. He's moving his right hand more and applying a little pressure when you tell him to push against you.

He amazes me more and more everyday with how much he can do. They said since he is now showing them that he can talk, they will start to plug his trach and eventually remove it. Once that is done he won't have to be restrained anymore and will be a much happier camper. After all that hard work...we went back to his room and watched a movie with his new portable dvd player ( thanks dad) and he was ready for bed. He worked hard today and I was impressed!!! I saw Gods work at its finest!!

More progress

When I got to the hospital tonight I was told that they put Kevin in a harness today to get him standing up and he maintained it very well. His blood pressure and stats stayed good while he was doing this and they we're very impressed and said he worked hard today. Atta boy!! I'm excited about tomorrow because I get to go in earily and go thru all his therapies with him and see him in action.

He got to see Maya tonight..they played for a little while until they we're both getting a little bit too antsy. Maya's sugar high wore off on the ride home. She was sound asleep before we even made it over the bridge. ( which doesn't make for a easy trip from the truck to her bedroom upstairs. Can't say i didn't get my workout today :)