Sunday In The Hosptial With Kevin

HE SPEAKS!!!

It's so hard to see the computer screen when your eye's are filled with so many tears of joy!!!!

Kevin said his first words tonight since Jan 26, 2010!!

I went up to the hospital tonight and it was just the two of us. We we're watching the movie The Replacements on tv. I looked over at Kevin and he's smiling and laughing at the funny parts all thru the movie. I thought hey this was different. We've gotten him to laugh the last couple of days but now he's just laughing at the tv. Cool I'm thinking, he remembers this movie cause we've seen it 100 times. So after its over I start to pack up and I'm sitting next to him on the bed telling him goodbye and I'll see him tomorrow. I said I love you...and he mouths the words.." I love you too"!!!!! I was shocked!!! I put my finger over his trach and in tears I told him.." Tell me again" He said very slowly.." I LOVE YOU" I heard him!!! I heard his voice!!! Its was beautiful!!!

I'm shaking just telling you how special this was for me. It was no doubt a miracle!! Thank you Lord for letting me be able to talk to him again. I love him sooo much, this means the world to me!!! Now I know he's gonna be just fine in time.

Love,
Kim

Family Reunion

A New Man, A New Room!!

Ok I haven't even as much as opened the computer today because as you can see Kevin is a new man in a new room!! Today was amazing. I've never seen him as active or as animated as he was today. He's now in a new room on the main floor of the Neuro ward and boy was he full 0f it tonight!! I spend the whole day with him. He was alert and under no sedation unless he shows pain which he didn't. I actually couldn't drive home fast enough to tell you all about tonight. :)

When I walk into the room I usually go over and kiss him and he's been pressing his lips back against mine pretty regular now. This time was a little bit different. I walked over and said down next to him on his bed in his new room. His eyes were wide open and I just said the words " Hi, I love you" and before I could even lean forward towards him, he puckered up his lips all by himself and lifted his head towards me for a kiss. I got chills. He wasn't just reacting to my lips pressed agaist his...He started it..lol It was amazing!!!

As the day went on he was quite a fiesty boy. Usually they restrain his good arm while I'm not in the room with him because he tries to pull out all his stuff. Today was no different except he was a lot stronger and he had a purpose. He kept trying to pull out his foley...( for those of you who are asking What's a foley..like my mother just did..sorry mama..lol Its the pee pee catheter. I know all the boys are saying ouch right now) So all day thats what he did. And everytime he went for it I had to grab his hand to move it away. Kevin actually got mad and took my hand and bit me. I thought that was hilarious so I bit him back :)

We had some visitors today. Amy, and her two kids Ariel and Zaylen came down to see him. We used to live next to them a couple years ago and watched them grow up until they moved away. So as I was saying Kevin was going for his foley all day. I after moving his hand for the 25th time I told him to stop it!!!..their are kids in the room and you are going to scar them for life!! We all sorta giggled over that then all the sudden we look at Kevin and he's got a smile on his face and is actually laughing. His tummy chuckled. We all looked at each other as if... did that just happen?!? It was so funny. All night he did things to make us laugh. He would take the ties around his arm and put them in his mouth and bite them. He played tug of war with me with his arm ties and whenever he won..he would take my hand and bite me. I said seriously Kev? We're gonna be a bitter now? I don't know..this is new..lol He took his oxygen line, ( thats the blue tube on his trach that just comes off) and put it in his mouth and bit it..lol He was a riot tonight. Very playful. At the end of the night he was soooo mad at me for moving his hand, he looked at me with the meanest face I've even seen and make a motion with his hand like he was saying.." Look woman.. you need to stop" I loved it.. I said to him.. oh yeah, get mad at me and try to stop me. The nurse said it was good to encourage him like that.

So today was a good day. He will stay here while he's being evaluated by the rehab team before actually being transferred into their rehab program. I think today was the best day we've had so far. Another day, another blessing, another reason to give thanks!!!!!

Love,

Kim

Lots of decisions today..

Kevin had a good day today. It was quite a busy one for me. Before I went up to the hospital it was time for me to stop by my job and talk about what my plan is. I was so gracious of them to give me the 4 week leave from work, especially since I've been there less than a year and wasn't exactly eligable for anything like that yet. But at this time I've decided its best that I resign and leave on good terms. While it was a scary and tough decision to make especially not knowing what exactly our future holds, I know its more important to take care of my family right now.
After I explained this they advised me that they understand and that I was welcome to come back to any training class and they have them scheduled throughout the rest of the year. I believe its truly another way that the Lord is showing me how he's got things covered right now and there will always be tomorrow. I just want to say another Thank You to all the wonderful people at Asset. Thank you for all you've taught me and for showing me that you're work family's always got your back! I will miss you guy, but hopefully its not a goodbye just a see ya later ;)

After that I got to the hospital and had a good visit with Kevin and Aunt Debby.. our case worker came in and told us that their ready to kick Kev outta the NICU and they needed my decision on where we wanted him to go next. Unfortunatly we found out Tampa General didn't have any beds available so I was left with the choice of Kindred ( the long term hospital that I'm NOT fond of) or to stay at Bayfront. Soooo.. drum roll please...... We're staying at Bayfront!! At least for now. I know that Kevin has recieved nothing less than the best care here and I am confident he will continue to receive nothing less. If it ain't broke..don't fix it! Right?!

Soo now that we've been here over 4 weeks now, it seems like things are really moving along and there's a plan in action. I was told they will move Kevin out of the NICU as soon as tomorrow and into a Progressive Care room where he will be evaluated by 3 different teams that run the rehab center. Physical therepist and so on and so on...but after all evaluations are completed he will be accepted into Bayfronts rehab program where he will work everyday to gain back his motor skills and get back home to us. I really feel like this is a good decision. Maya will be able to see her Daddy again and they will be aggressive with his therapy as opposed to ...LONG TERM BLAH BLAH BLAH. I've prayed on this one hard. I know He is in control and has guided me in making these decisions the right way.

Well thats it for tonight. I'm all decisioned out for the evening and need some down time. Lets Pray that these next few days go smoothly and we get transitioned into Rehab where we can start the next chapter in our lives.

Kim

Just An Exciting Visit Tonight !

After work today, I was trying to decide if I was feeling up to making the drive to St. Pete to visit Kevin. I got in my car and said yea.. I need to see how he is doing. When I got there, Kim said they had just given Kevin a sedative, so I thought, well he probably will be asleep through my visit.

Well, he surprised me! I started talking to him, and he opened his eyes wide and looked at me and seemed to be thinking "hey, I know you"... We had an awesome visit. Kevin is moving more than I have ever seen him move. He is very good at using his left side. He was scratching his face, and pulling the little green elastic things that keep his oxygen on, off of his ear. Every time Kim and I would move his hand away, he would put it right back and try and take it off. He was scratching at the staples on the top of his head too.

He did his thing where he put's his left arm out straight in the air. So, I thought...let me see what he will do when I put my arm out there with his. He look at it really seriouly and next thing I know, he has grabbed ahold of my hand and he is not letting go. It was so funny!! Kim and I were having ourselves a good time. At one point, I was pulling his arm one way and he was pulling it the other way with all his strength.

I have a recording of Maya on my phone and she is telling her Daddy to wake up! - so I put the phone to his ear and play it a couple of times and he opened his eyes really wide each time.

Believe me, I talk to Kevin about everything when I am up there. I let him know about all the people at work who are asking about him. I told him Mr. Mary and Ralph miss he and want him to get back to work! He looked real serious at me when I mentioned that Mr. Mary missed him! I also told him that Ginger asks about him everytime I see her.

One of the doctors came in tonight and said that he thought Kevin had a really good day and we are on the road to getting rahab in place.

So, was I glad I decided to make the trip today? You better believe I am.

Got a new trach

Well when they say after 3pm they mean ANYTIME after 3pm. Dr Luciano finially got there before I left for the night. Kevin got his new trach in. Didn't look much different to me except this kind can be plugged to allow him to talk. The doctor said they did try to plug it but Kevin didn't start to talk yet. I'm kinda bummed. I wasn't expecting him to give a big ole speach or anything..but I wanted a little something. They made me step out of the room when they did this.. (Betcha if I was there, I coulda got him to talk :) Oh well, speach therapy here we come!

Trach replacement after 3pm

Dr Luciano said he will be here to replace Kevin's trach sometime after 3pm today. Kevin's back in morphine land again. All his stats look good they just wanna control his pain from yesterdays surgery. He got a nice shave last night and is lookin good today.

Kim

Whats up next...

Kevin did really good today. He was pretty alert after the surgery and moving his left side really good still. He moves his head around and follows you around the room. I'm so greatful that the surgery parts are over we can move on to recovery.

Before I left today I spoke with his respatory Dr. He was pleased with Kevin's progress and agreed to switch out his trach for a smaller one that can be plugged and he will be able to talk with this kind. We're not sure yet if he can or not, but we're surly gonna try and at lease begin speach therapy. He plans to do this tomorrow. This is not a surgery, just a switch out that they will do right there at bedside.

So the next part is finding a rehab center that best fits our needs. We we're refered to one here in tampa, but I was very unpleased with the interaction I've received so far and they are not willing to allow Maya to come up and see her Daddy at this facility so I put a stop to that one with the quickness!! While it is in my best intrest that Kevin gets the best care possible, I strongly believe that Family is an important part of therapy and rehabilitation and will not settle for anything less. At this time we are looking at transfering him to Tampa General Hospital's Rehab center or he will stay at Bayfront in St. Pete and complete rehab there. Of course I'd prefer to have him closer to home at Tampa General, but if thats not whats ment for us then I will be just as happy if he stays at Bayfront because I know they will continue to take good care of him as they have from day one. Both centers will allow Maya to visit so those are the two options I've decited on. They are running the insurance info today and should know more about it tomorrow.

Thats all for now, today was a good day. Thank you for all the prayers...God is good!!

Love,
Kim

Surgery Was A Success!

Dr Stengel just came out at and spoke with me. Said the surgery went really smooth, no complications. They have the shunt in place and the ventric drain out. No more Tubes.. except in his belly. He's going to be in recovery for about an hour, hopefully I can see him after that.
Thank God for so many blessings!!! I can breath now.

Waiting and more waiting!

Really Really Really Really Really not diggin' the waiting!!!!!

Final surgery 7:30am Monday

Its booked and he's up first! Kevin will have (hopefully) his finial surgery tomorrow morning at 7:30am. This surgeon better be all bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to work first thing in the morning!!!

Their going to do a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt or VP Shunt.

This procedure relieves the increased pressure inside the skull due to excess cerebrospinal fluid on the brain. They will place a catheter into a ventricle of the brain and run it down into his abdomen. If fluid should build up a valve opens and the excess fluid drains out into the belly where his body will release it naturally. This is help maintain a decreased intracranial pressure.

It should take no more than an hour and half then he will be in recovery for about an hour after that. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried, my tummy is in knots right now. But they have assured me that this is a common procedure that they do all the time. Don't get me wrong, I have faith that Kevin will pull through this with flying colors and that God will watch over him as the Doctors do what they do best. So as always, I ask that you pray for Kevin, pray for the Surgeons, pray for the Nurses, and pray for our family to get the strength we need to make it happen.

With love,
Kim

Chillin like a villian

Kevin's in morphine land...Not a whole lot to report. He was following commands good this morning. Their suppose to do a chest xray sometime today because Kevin is coughing a lot. There not worried about it because they actually want him to cough on his own and he's got a strong cough so their just gonna check. Still waiting on the surgery schedule for tomorrow.

Just checkin'

Just called to check on Kev.. He's having a good night. He's following commands..( prolly cause he's got a cute nurse :) And his temp is even 97.8..awesome. He's also breathing well on the trach collar. Another good day in the books and another reason to give thanks!!!

A restfull day

Kevin's doing good today not a whole lot to report on him. Its gonna be a relaxing one since he needs to rest up for the last surgery on Monday. The Nurse said the Surgery schedule for Monday will come out tomorrow night so we will know what time we're looking at. As always I'll keep ya posted.

He's just been chillaxing today, he does stuff when he wants too but their not bugging him as much anymore. I think he needs a vaca from all the nurse commands.

Maya the bed hog!!

For the last couple of weeks, Maya has been sneaking into bed with me somewhere in the middle of the night. And that girl is a BEDHOG! I woke up this morning all the way on the very edge of the bed, on my side with this childs head digging into my back and she's laying sideways taking up the whole queen size bed. I have no where to go. I try to wiggle my way back on the bed. Then I hear.. "Mama, stop it".... REALLY?!?! After I finially get disgruntled enough to get out of bed and pick this child up to make her lay the right way, not 10 mins later shes directly under me again and says "Mama, rub my back" SERIOUSLY?!?!? I had to laugh. She got her backrub because lets face it, she's spoiled rotten!! Did I get one? Nope! I asked her to rub my back she said she can't, she watching cartoons.

Ahh the life of a mother.. :)

Peg is in

Okay the Peg is in and that went well. Our boy has no more tubes around is face at all now. Just the trach and the tube in his belly. They did advise me that his final surgery will be Monday. Not sure what time yet but should know sometime this weekend. This is a big one guys.. This is the one that will get us outta here and back to Tampa. Please pray that everything goes as it should and that the Lord will keep us safe though another one.

I'm suppose to have a consultation with a lady that handles transfers to long term centers also on Monday. I can't believe we're almost to the point where he can get out of the NICU. What a blessing!!

Kim

PEG at 2pm

Kevin is scheduled to have his PEG put in at 2pm today. I know he will be happy to get that thing out of his nose. I don't think they will do the surgery for the shunt until Monday because it hasn't been placed on the orders for the day yet. If anything changes I'll letcha know..

Kim

Aunt Snack Cake Had A Good Visit With Kevin!

A lot of people probably don't understand all the "pet" names our family has for each other, but they are so fun for us. Kevin's "pet" name for me has always been "Aunt Snack Cake"...guess everyone can figure out what he is referring to..."Lil Debbie". At least I am not the "Ole Goat"..we will save that story for another day.

I had a good visit with Kevin today. I felt a rush of joy when I put my hand in Kevin's and he held on and squeezed it tight. I know he could hear me talking to him, and I was probably driving him crazy talking about every crazy thing I could think of... but oh well, he is a captive audience right now!

It was fun to see him pucker up and give Kimmie kisses. Again, I am amazed at her strength. It seems like yesterday she was just a baby, and now, I am babysitting her baby... I can't be that old!

When I looked in Kevin's eyes, I could see the strength that God has given him to keep up the fight and get better. After all that he has been through, just seeing him breathing on his own and recognizing us is just a miracle and I am thankful.

I am looking forward to more visits soon and seeing him progress everyday!

Another good day

Today was a good today. One of my besties Ms Bobbi Lynn suprise me and took me out for a birthday lunch today..we went to Red Lobster. Yes, they sang Happy Birthday, I was just greatful they didn't come out with the huge Lobster hat they used to make you wear. It was fun to get out with some friends, and boy do I have the best!!

After Lunch I went up to the hospital and Kevin as maintained wonderfully off the vent. Yay!! Still so happy about this. They put the PEG procedure on hold for the day because they couldn't fit him into the schedule They will try again maybe tomorrow since its not an emergency procedure. All in all he had a good day. His temp is staying at 98. Respatory is very happy with his progress. Aunt Debby got to see him today and he was a lazy boy for her a little bit. For most of the day his nurse couldn't get him to follow commands but when I got there he did what I asked him to do like stick out his tounge and give a thumbs up. The nurse was in the room when he did this and said I was hired..lol See, I told them he was just subborn!

Just another day to show that God is providing in sooo many ways. Many thanks to all again and again.

Love Kim

The Vent and the PEG

Kevin is doing good this morning. His temp is 98.1 The nurse said he's been following commands when he wants too...( I think they finally figured out how stubborn he is).

He has been on only the trach collar ALL NIGHT LONG and STILL IS! This means he is not on the vent and the only thing he is getting is oxygen. He's doing all the work himself. They said they will keep him off the vent for as long as he can handle it and would only be put back on if there is a problem... I'm sooooo happy about this. Getting off the vent is a HUGE step in getting him back home.

I've also just given consent for him to have his NG tube replaced with a PEG. This will allow them to remove the feeding tube from his nose ( this is the one he hates and keeps trying to pull out) and they will place a tube in the side of his tummy called an Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy...or PEG. Its something he will be able to come home with and as soon as they test his swallowing abilities...they will plug the PEG and he will be able to eat like normal again...well, not the normal things Kevin used to know..lol He's already lost a bunch of weight just from being there so long. I think he lost almost 30 pounds or close to it.

PS.. I'm going to be upset if he gets cuter and skinner than me!! lol

Thats it for now, I'll update later as procedures get done.

Kim

God's Got It Covered

It's difficult to believe it's been 3 weeks since Kevin turned ill. In one hand it seems like yesterday and in another it seems like these have been the longest 3 weeks of our lives.

It does sound scary to think of Kevin having to go through another surgery, but we firmly believe God's Got It Covered! After all, He has covered Kevin with His healing hands since Tuesday, 1/26/2010!

The other day I was fretting over where Kevin would go to begin his recovery/therapy. Bayfront has been so good to and for Kevin and Kimmie. I just want to make sure Kevin will continue to receive the best care available. One of my friends/co-workers, Susan, reminded me of something. She asked me what do you do when an ambulance drives up behind you? I replied, I pull over. I can't remember the exact statement Susan stated after my reply but it was something to the effect, we don't put up our hand up to the ambulance and say "I got it" so why do we do that when we try to do things on our own and not allow the Lord to "get it"! It was one of those moments that make you go aha!

So, with Susan's advice....I'm pulling over and letting God "get it"! I am praying that God will open doors when it is time for Kevin to be moved to begin his recovery/therapy and continue to place the best doctors, nurses and therapist in the right place at the right time.

It is clear to all of us that God has had it covered since day one and we will continue to put our faith and trust in God's hands!

We are so blessed and we still believe something good is about to happen for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya!

Speaking of Miss Maya, tonight she told me I was getting old! It's a good thing she's so cute and that I love her so much! I asked her why she would say that and she pointed to her Mommy. Kimmie and I had a good laugh together. It's good to laugh for a change!

Thank you to everyone for continuing to remain up to date on Kevin's progress and most importantly for praying!! Please continue to pray because we know God is listening.

Next on the agenda...

Dr Stengel just walked in the room..this is another one of Kevin's neuro surgeons. He confirmed the last CT scan looked good and it looks like we've drained almost all of the blood in Kevin's brain. Its obvious because whats coming out of the drain now is almost clear.. before it was dark red.

So the next step in our journey will be...another surgery. This will be #4 I believe right? I've lost track. What we will do now is put a shunt into his head that will redirect any spinal fluid that may build up around his brain and place it into his abdomen where his body will release it naturally. After that is placed in they will take the ventric drain out since there's no longer a need for it. While another surgery is scary, it is a step in the right direction to ensure Kevin's recovery. Lets pray that this is another success and we make it through with flying colors. The date on that is not set in stone yet but Dr Stengel said it will be either this Friday or Monday. I'll keep you posted on that.



As far as the vent goes.. right now as I sit next to him he is breathing completely on his own. Praise the Lord!! They have a different tube hooked up right now that is only giving him extra CO2 but he is doing all the breathing on his own. The plan for now is to let him breath on his own with just a little extra oxygen during the day and let him rest with the vent on at night. This is great progress!!!

Kim

Wed morning

Just called to check on Kevin. He's doing good this morning and had a good night. He's still doing good on the vent trails and is following commands good this morning. Not a whole lot scheduled for today. Their going to call in a physical therapist to come in and do a consult on him today and maybe see if we can get him moving around a little bit more. That would be fun. Temp is still holding at 99.
I'm going up there today sick or not. I'll wear a surgeons mask if I have too and play Doctor :)

Ugh.. now I have the plague

Blah! Guess it was only a matter of time before I got sick too. I called to check on Kevin this morning and the nurse told me to keep my hiney at home today. I was thinking about asking if we can just get a family unit there at the hospital so we can all be sick together...eh, just put it on the bill..lol Guess not. At lease she's prepared for me to call and bug her every couple of hours. Good girl!

Kevin is doing good. They had just gotten back from another CT scan to see where we are at as far as weaning him off the ventrick drain. Those results wont be back until sometime later today but will let you know. He's still doing good weaning off the vent..they let him rest with it at night but they were doing another 2 hour trial with him off the vent this morning and so far so good.

I'll check back in with him later,

Kim

An Amazing Birthday with soo many Blessings!!

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!! I got to the hospital today, Kevin was awake and I got some good Birthday sugar.

I noticed there was a single rose in a vase on his table with a gift and a card that said " To Kim". I opened it up and it was a ring holder that I can keep his wedding ring on that was engraved with "I Love You". They ensured me it was from Kevin but some of the wonderful nurses got together and did this for me. Lets face it, that kinda stuff is not in their job description so it shows us just another way the Lord has brought so many wonderful people into our lives and we will truly never forget them.

As the day went on I got a ton of wonderful news and boy do we have a busy couple of days ahead of us. First things first... They started weining Kevin off the vent again today. He took to it very well this time and they are on a routine to remove him from it for 2 to 4 hours at a time. Since I've been here he's been off 3 hours already with them just providing oxygeon but he's doing all the breathing part on his own. HOORAY!!!!! Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!

Next on the agenda they are also going to begin weining him off the ventrick ( thats the drain they have coming from the top of his head to get all the fluid out. This may take several days but the draining has slowed down and they feel that there is no more need for it.

And I've saved the best for last!! I got confirmation today that once these procedures are completed and Kevin his more alert and stable for transport. We have found a Rehabilitation Hospital here in Tampa that has accepted our insurance. Praise God, just another step closer to home. All the Dr's have been very presistant on telling me that the road we have ahead of us is a loooooong recovery process but we have God on our side and I know we will make it. We have already come so far already and it just the beginning.

With love..

The birthday girl.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIMMIE!!

Kimmie, since Kevin is not able to tell you "Happy Birthday" I'm sure he would expect me to say it for him....so this is from Kev....."HAPPY BIRTHDAY"!!!

Don't worry, there will be many more birthday's to come in which he can say it himself.

I'm praying today that your birthday will be filled with nothing but good news.

You are amazing and I just know God has something special in store for you, Kevin and Maya!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...LOVE MA :)

Valentine sugar

Today is a good day. I got lots and lots of valentine kisses today from Kevin. They even brushed his teeth for me..whew!!! He has been moving around all day.. well his good side anyway.


He got in trouble earlier because he keeps trying to pull out both his feeding tube and trach all my himself. I spoke with the respiratory doctor today when he came in to check on Kevin this morning and they were very impressed with his lungs and ready to start to wein him off the vent again....but the good ole folks in neuro said to hold off for now. Hopefully I can speak with them tomorrow to see what the hold up is so we can get this party started!!!

Kim

Sunday 10am update

Just called to get a check on Kev before I head over there. He's doing good today. He was alert and following his commands. They were moving him to reposition him this morning and the nurse said he got mad at her and stuck his tongue out at her very aggressively without being asked too. I still get a kick outta that..because its the meanest thing he can do right now..lol

Oh and his temp is 98 this morning :)

God Is Still Providing!

On Friday, when I arrived at my desk there was an envelope marked Kathy and inside was a $50 gas gift card for Kimmie. What a blessing! There was no name enclosed just a note "keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers". Ever since Kevin became sick, God has provided for Kimmie and Maya in ways we could never imagine.

We are so grateful for all the wonderful donations and gifts for Maya, but most importantly we are grateful for the prayers and genuine concern people have shown our family. I believe years down the road, we will still be talking about the blessings and miracles that have taken place this past several weeks. It is such a miracle that Kevin has accomplished so much these past several weeks and we give God all the glory for keeping His healing hand on Kevin!

Someone asked me the other day, how do you keep going. I'm not going to say it's not a job, but I just kept thinking about the scripture "I can do all things through Jesus Christ" and believe me it's true!!

I've realized these past couple of weeks just how important my faith in the Lord is to me and how important it is for me to share my faith with my family and friends.

A couple of days after Kevin became sick, I was thinking to myself how difficult it would be to loose a child. Yes, I know Kevin is 33 but in our family it doesn't matter how old you are if you are one of our children and yes if you marry into our family you are consider one of our children too. I began to think of the Lord sending his Son to die to take on our sins and I've got to tell you, I wouldn't do that! It just made me realize how much the Lord did for me and how much He continues to do for me and my family!

One of our prayers is that the Lord will use this situation to change lives and draw people closer to Him. I believe this is already taking place. I should say, I know it is already taking place because I've seen it happen. I know personally, I find myself praying more and more through out the day and I've had so many people out of the blue come and talk to me about the Lord.

Maya is doing much better talking about her Daddy. She tells us when she gets bigger she is going to be able to use Daddy's tools. She hasn't cried missing Daddy in several days and she and her Papa have become buddies. She is eating better too. She is still very busy playing with all the new toys she received the other day. Her praying bear, Noah is still one of her favorite toys. I love that bear too!

Please continue to keep Kevin, Kimmie and Maya in your prayers because God is listening.

Yay..he was awake for me today

When I got here this afternoon, Kevin was wide awake and looking around and moving his arm. I saw him move more today than I have since his vasospasms started. He was moving that left arm up and down and he even bent his left leg at the knee. Thats something we haven't seen in forever it seems like. He is sticking out his tounge and wiggeling thumb well still. When I got here he made kissey faces at me so he can move his lips and make facial expressions.

Just wanted to give everyone to quick update....going back in for a while.

Kim

A fiesty boy today

Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this moring and is being a little bit fiesty. Just called and spoke with his nurse said Kevin has been following commands well but being a bad boy and trying to pull out his NG tube and had his arm to up his trach this monring. They actually had to tie his arm down again so he won't mess anything up. I hate that he's aggressive but its good that he's gaining that strength back that he lost for a little bit.

His temp is good and has stayed around 99 all night. I'll be up there later this afternoon. Maya is loving all her new goodies she got. She thinks its her birthday all over again. She's glitter painting right now...eek!

I'll update later today after I see him

Kim

Another day..Another dollar

Alright Kevin, enough is enough. This is turning into his routine now. All bright eyed and bushy tailed first thing in the morning...then the wants to play possum in the afternoon. The nurse said he was following commands really good this morning and got a little more movement than before until this afternoon when he wanted to sleep off his morning festivities. If you think about it I guess it does take a lot out of you to move an arm when you've had to lay there for 2 and a half weeks straight. Ok Kev, you get a pass i suppose.

In other news..he's doing good coming off the vent. He was originally up to 24 and now they have him down to 14. There gonna hold him there over the weekend and start to bring it down again on monday. ( not in line with my birthday agenda, but thats ok I'm sure he will suprise me with something else by then..) He's still breathing well over the vent but these things just take time. His temp has stayed right around 99 all day and all the labs and cultures they've done just to check for other infections have all come back negetive...good news!!

Thats it for now. He has my not so favorite nurse tonight. Goodtimes :)

A good day so far..

Just called and spoke with Kevin's nurse and she said he's having a good day today. He's alert and localizing well so that means he's following commands when she asked him to wiggle his thumb and sick out his tounge. Temp is steady at 99.3. All good signs..now lets see if he stays awake for me today.

One more day in the books..

We got through another day. He was awake for most of the afternoon. He got a bath and got a nice shave ( I'm sure he enjoyed that :) He was moving his arm up and down all day... I rubbed his legs and feet and arms to try to help get that blood flowing. He's very week right now and its gonna take some for him to gain that strenght back...but you can see in his eyes that he really is trying to make everything else move. We're just not quite there yet. I'm happy to see that he has the will to try with everything his body has been though lately. He's one tuff cookie for sure.

He is reacting to pain in all of his extremities. When they press on his fingernails and toesnails he gives them the meanest look he can. Thats a good sign because it means he can feel things in his hands and feet, we just can't move them all yet. Lets see what tomorrow has in store...

Kim

Kevin has a question

Ok I was starting to get a little bit offended because for the last 2 morning when I call from home he's been wide awake but by the time I get here in the early afternoon he's back to being a lazy boy!! He finally opened his eyes for me about 3pm today...and he did something to make me laugh.

His nurse said he did the same thing this morning when he woke up. She passed by his room and he had his left arm sticking straight up in the air all the way from his shoulder like he was saying "Hello... in here.. I have a question"

He just did it again. As soon as he opens his eyes his left arm goes straight up in the air. Maybe it's just his way of saying... look lady.. this is all I can do right now, and just so you don't come in here every 2 hours annoying me and asking me to move this and that. I'm gonna show you what I can do on my own time..... Yeah that sounds more like Kev. I don't blame him I'd be aggravated too.

Everything else is going good. He's getting a blood transfusion now because his blood count was a little low but nothing to be concerned about. There just putting back what they took out of his noggin. All his stats looks good. Temp is staying between 99 and 100. Ventric drain is working well.... So far so good. I'm going back in to see if he has anymore questions..lol

Past the Scariest Part!!!!

I was able to sit down and speak with Dr. Devikis today and he said overall, Kevin's brain looks good for what it has been through. He did advise me that it does appear to be some small damage to the left side of his brain where he had the vasospasms after the initial aneurysms. Since everything the brain does is best described as "backwards and upside down" this explains why Kevin is having more troube with his right side and stronger on the left. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. Make sense?
He explained the way the brain heals itself.. it starts from the bottom up and since it effects the body backwards we should expect to see Kevin's upper part of his body gain strength faster like his arms and then the lower part of his body, his legs. See, backwards and upside down huh.

Dr Devikis told me today that we are past the scariest part..( big sigh of relief everyone and go ahead and slip in a thank you to the big man above.. I'll wait..... :)
He advise me that we are entering now into the road of recovery that will be a very long and tiresome one but I know we will get through it with faith, love, and support just as we have since this all began. A huge thanks to everyone in everyway!!

Love Kim

John P Deveikis M.D.

Just some quick info on Kevin's main doctor. This is his Neurosurgeon Dr. Deveikis. This doctor is the best of the best of the best. He literally wrote the book on the coiling procedure that he preformed on Kevin the first night. They actually have a copy of the book right there in the NICU with his name as the author. We couldn't have asked for more of a miracle that Dr. Deveikis would be there for us that night.

Just some facts to make you smile...

Dr Deveikis received his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. ( For those of you that don't know Kevin was born and raised in Haverhill Mass.)
He also practiced his specialty at the University of Michigan.
(Kevin's favorite college team.. GO BLUE!!!!!!) After that first surgery when he came to talk to us he mentioned that he noticed Kevin's Michigan tattoo on his arm. He said when he knew that Kevin was a Michigan fan he had to get him fixed right up.

A Great Day for Maya!

I wish everyone could have seen my desk at work today because it was covered with gift bags all for Maya!

Some friends from work....Tina, Mason, Lisa, Doreen, Patti and Allyson (please forgive me if I left out anyone's name) gave Maya some of her favorite things! As soon as Maya saw the gift bags she asked "are those all for me". I told her some very special friends wanted to show her they were thinking of her and because she was such a special little girl they wanted her to have some special things. Every time she took something out of the bags she said...."oh my goodness". It was absolutely precious.

Tonight we colored, put puzzles together, painted and eat chocolate. Maya also wanted her new hair ribbons in her hair so she would be pretty for Mommy tonight. Oh and I can't forget her lip stick also known as lip balm. I think we may have to watch her with the make up because she really enjoyed putting on her lip stick!

Also, one of her favorite gifts was a prayer bear named "Noah". The bear is absolutely adorable. She played the bear at least 20 times tonight. She even told Noah she says prayers too! Each time Noah finished talking Maya said..."I love you Noah" and then she would ask me if I loved Noah. I told her of course I do. It's really hard to believe Maya is only 3 years old. She truly is a very special little girl.

So many people have been so kind to our family. All the prayers, gifts and kind words are very much appreciated.

God blesses those who bless others and I know He is going to bless everyone who has provided encouragement to our family.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

A Blah day...

Today is kinda a blah day. His nurse said he was awake this morning but he had a busy day getting a new ventricular line ( thats the drain tube in his head ) and another CT scan so he's been pretty much out of it since I've been here. The only thing he's done so far is make mean faces at the nurse when she pokes and proddes him. The nurse said not to worry, He's probably just tired and not feeling well today. I couldn't help but think... did she just say he was tired? The boy has just slept for 2 weeks, wake him up! lol But I kept that one to myself....

I got to meet with his Dr today and we talked about his healing process. I'll post more about that later tonight. I'm going back to sit there and watch him make more mean faces at the nurses until they kick me out at shift change.

More to come...

Kim

Wednesday Afternoon Update

Greetings Everyone:

Just got a text from Kimmie and she wanted me to let everyone know that they just replaced the drain tube in Kevin's head, so they took him down for a CT Scan to check for correct placement. Kimmie is waiting for him to come back to his room.

More to come....

Wednesday Afternoon

Kimmie,

You are just amazing my Girl. Kevin is doing so well and he is surprising us all the time. This is wonderful and we are grateful to the Lord for what he has done for us. Our prayers have been heard and answered, Thank You Lord for your blessings on Kim, Kevin and Maya.
You are a just being a dedicated and faithful Wife and Mom, Kathy & I are bioth very proud fo you and Happy for all three of you. We Love You, Dad

Wednesday Morning

Kimmie,

You are right, we have been blessed by our Lord and saviour in so many ways. We all give thanks and praise that he has touched Kevin's life and therefore all of us and granted him the blessing of healing, this could have such a different situation. You are a strong and faithful Wife and We are very proud of you girl.

Blessings and Birthdays..

My whole way home tonight was different than any other drive I've had in the past 2 weeks. I simply turned my radio off and thanked the Lord for giving our family so many blessings. The whole entire 48 miles I thanked him for everything he has done to help bring Kevin back home to us. As well as for the miracles he has shown us so far. I continued to ask him to bless us and keep us strong as he has done, but almost my entire focus was on thanking him for keeping our family whole. So as I continue to ask for your prayers to help heal us, I ask you to thank God for allowing us to get to this crucial point in Kevin's recovery and for giving us the hope we need to get on to the next step.

Now, on to my birthday :)
So, my birthday is 6 days away. Normally right around this time he's asking me what I want or lets be more realistic.. I've already picked something out and have printed out a copy of exactly what I want so he can just go get it and be done with it. It really works out well for both of us that way...lol This year is different. What I want for my birthday is for Kevin to be off the vent! That's it, not asking you to get outta bed and do some jumping jacks or anything. Just get off the vent. So there it is, I put it right out there for you. You have 6 days so get to workin' mister!!!

;) Kim

Party In The Car!!

Today has been a great day for our family and good times continued into the evening. Maya helped with the dinner dishes and after getting her bath she managed to cover herself, me and Papa in baby powder. I tried to get pictures but the battery in the camera went out. It was for sure a Kodak moment!

On our way to meet Kimmie this evening, Maya took a small bag of cookies and said we were going to "Party In The Car". I know she could sense our excitement. We told her Daddy was getting better and she smiled.

As we arrived in the Progressive parking lot to meet Kimmie, as we were getting Maya out of the car she looked up and saw stars. She wanted all of us to get out of the car so we could all say her prayer after looking up at the stars. So there we were, me, Terry, Kimmie and Maya standing in a circle in the parking lot saying Maya's prayer......I wish I wish upon a star, help Daddy feel better in the morning....Good Night, AMEN! Believe me, Maya will let you know if you don't say it the right way. Just ask Terry!

In the past two weeks we cried tears of sadness, worry and happiness. Our tears today were without a doubt because of happiness and praise!

I know without a shadow of a doubt GOD has HIS hands on my family! We continue to see blessings from God. Just today another group of friends from Progressive gave Kimmie a card which included another generous gift. God has provided all of Kimmie 's needs.

As we look around there are so many others in need of prayer and support. One of the nurses working with Kevin, who recently returned to work after giving birth to her 3rd child three months ago, lost her baby over the weekend. The baby just stopped breathing during the night. Also, a co-worker lost her daughter the other day. We need to keep these families in our prayers too.

Our God is big enough to handle all our problems. We just need to call out to HIM and let HIM lead us!

Thank you for caring and praying for my family and if we can ever do anything for you, please let us know. We will be right there for you just as you have been there for us during Kevin's journey.

I love you guys so much!!!

Well Goodmorning Sunshine..did you have a good 2 week nap?

Am I in the right room?

That's what I first thought before I threw my laptop bag down on the floor. Was that my husband all bright eyed looking right at me? IT SURE WAS!!!! He recognized me as soon as I walked in the room. I didn't know what to do first..lol He squirmed around a little bit like he wanted to move. He licked his lips and looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. I stood there with him and just tried to talk about anything I could think of. I explained what happened to him a little bit trying to keep it vague for now. He looked around the room at all his machines. I told him that he has the best people taking care of him and even better people praying for him and he is getting soooooo much better. After I told him I loved him about 100 times he pucker up his lips all by himself.. U can bet I hopped right up there and planted a big ole smacker on him..lol ( no worries, we kept it G rated in the NICU)

After that I held up a picture of Maya I keep in his room right in front of him. A tear started to run from his eye and he held up his left arm to try and grab the frame. I have no doubt he can recognize who we are. I told him about how he's had so much family down here to see him. How his mom and sisters were here and all our other loved ones both near and far away have him in their continuous thoughts and prayers. I told him about all the amazing people at Progressive that have done soooooo much for us and how badly they what him back.

Then one of his doctors came in to examine him. When she asked him to smile he did. He squeezed her hand and she was pleased with his results so far. After that the good news just kept coming. His respiratory doctor came in and told me that they will be winging him off the vent. It may take a week or so but he's gonna go ahead and start it. What a blessing!!!

What an amazing day, I'm so thank full to the Lord for answering the gazillion prayers sent up so far, and to each of you out there for everything everyone has done. I can't ask for anything more right now.

Ok enough talking to you people...lol sorry no offense I'm going back to be with Kev some more.

With all my love and thankfulness,
Kimmie

Kevin

That is great news Kim, wonderful news. We thank the Lord for this progress. And just think now Kevin can sit there and listen to any issue you wish to explain to him, and all he has to do is blink! Wow, lucky Kevin. Seriously though we are grateful and happy to have this progress today. Thank you for sharing Kimmie!

We are OUT of the medical induced coma!!!

I almost can't believe I'm writing this. Kevin is NO LONGER being sedated by propofol in a medical induced coma!!!!!!! Not much has changed, no other movement right now but he will open his eyes when asked too. He is still being given morphine which pretty much has the same effect, just not in a constant state. I can't wait to get up there today and see him!!!! I needed some good news this morning!!

Kim

My amazing daughter, Kimmie!

Not that I haven't always thought that my Kimmie was an amazing daughter, but as I stopped and thought about what Kimmie has had to handle these past couple of weeks I thought to myself....WOW she is doing a much better job than I could ever do.

For those that know me, I'm a very emotional person and I always thought Kimmie got that trait from me....that is until I saw her in action the past couple of weeks.

Today was a busy day for Kimmie, she spent the morning with Maya answering Maya's questions about Daddy, took Maya to the doctor, got Maya's meds, checked in with the hospital numerous times on Kevin's condition, posted several updates and prayed for her family! I don't know of many 28 year old women who would be able to handle her life right now. I know Kimmie knows her strength comes from the Lord and all the prayers being said by so many people.

I love you Kimmie and I'm so proud that you are my daughter, Kevin's wife and Maya's Mommy!

Brighter days are just ahead!

Monday afternoon update

Just called and spoke with the nurse.. Nothing much new to report. His temp as been right around 100 for the day. He's opening his eyes on each check. They did another CT scan today just to check for any rebleed and there was none so thats wonderful news. He's not doing any other movement yet but there's always tomorrow.

Maya went to the Dr today and little Arianna was correct she doesn't not have pink eye..( Aunt Pam, I forsee medical school in that girls future :) She does have an ear infection and some sinus stuff going on but we got the meds we need to fix her right up.

Thats all for now, as always will update as news comes in.

Noon update

Just talked to nurse again.. bless her little heart for putting up with me today..lol

Kevin is going good. Baby steps but he is opening his eyes and making mean faces at her...( I kinda get a kick outta that) He is also opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out on command and wiggling his thumb so far. Temp is still going between 99 to 101.. but again its just a slow process. Maya has had fun today before we go to the doctor we have colored and played dress up with all her princess stuff that is now all over my living room floor. YAY!

Kim

Monday morning

I just got off the phone with Kevin's nurse today and he did open his eyes last night and into this morning and he also stuck out his tongue on command. It's amazing how we take the little things in life for granted, like just opening your eyes everyday, but now those moments to me are precious.

Today is a little rough for me since it will be the first day I won't be able to be there next to Kevin. Maya is sick and won't be able to go to daycare but she has a Dr Appt later this afternoon to get her all fixed up and hopefully by tomorrow we will be back on track.

I'll be in constant contact by phone today with Kevin's nurses.. they might actually get a little bit annoyed with me today with the continous phone calls but do I care?.. NOT SO MUCH :)

Kim

Prayer

If you've ever doubted the power of prayer, surely what Kevin has achieved these last few days will change your mind. It's only because of answered prayers that Kimmie, Kevin and Maya have been able to make it to the point we are today.

God has been so good to our family. He has placed the right doctors in the right place at the right time and continues to keep His hands on Kevin.

I look forward to the day when we all can celebrate the blessings God has given us these past few days.

I can't imagine going through something like this without the Lord, a supportive family and friends that are just like family!

98.8

Even after his little scare this morning the boy never ceases to amaze me. His temp is down to 98.8!!!! Ahhh another sigh of relief and another prayer answered. I spend most of the afternoon with him after his surgery this morning. He was still pretty sedated from the anesthesia and will be for most of the night. Now that I know he is ok from the surgery and his temp is down I'm gonna head home to get Maya and give my folks a much needed break!!! As always I'll call to check on him throughout the night.

Lets pray tonight that this procedure works and Kevin can do some wiggling tomorrow.

Love Kim

Came thru another Surgery...

Just saw Kevin as they brought him back to his room from surgery. I spoke with his neuro surgeon and he was happy with his progress again. They went in and put more medicine in the small blood vessels and caught a large vessel that needed another balloon. He is hopeful this will get Kevin moving around again. As usual they rescanned him after the procedure and the vessels already look like they are opening up like he wants them too. We asked if it was common to need this procedure done more than once, the Dr assured us this was not uncommon. After Kev wears off from the anesthesia they will start his neuro checks again. The Dr said not to expect much difference until sometime in the morning on his process and movement.

Thats all for now.. lets pray it works this time.

Kim

1 step forward...2 steps back.

I just got a call from Kevin's surgeon..

His final results have come back and he does not have a blood infection so some good news but they are still concerned with Kevin's movement and responsiveness. His fever is jumping again between 101 and 102...probably from the pneumonia as they origionally thought.

They are going to take Kevin back to do another angiogram a little bit later. This is the same procedure they did the other day where they go through the groin and up into the brain to inject medicine into the smaller blood vessels that appear to be clamping down and now allowing the blood flow that he needs. They think this is the reason he has not been moving his arms and legs like he was at first. He said this time it wouldn't be as invasive, because he won't have to insert any balloons into the larger blood vessels and he's just going to be injecting the smaller ones that seem to be causing the problem with medicine to get them to plump up. They will take him back in a few hours and the procedure will take about 3 to 4 hours. He will have to recover from the anesthesia before I can see him so I will update you later on today when I know more.

Please pray that Kevin gets through this one again without a problem and they actually find what they are looking for to fix it. Please also pray for Maya as she is a little bit sickey too (as she says) it looks like she has pink eye and will be going to the doctor tomorrow also.

Kim

Temp is going down!!! Yay!

Just talked to his nurse and his temp is down to 100.8 Since the medicine seems to be working so well they are not going to try to wake him up every 2 hours right now and let him rest for the night. She said his breathing is much better also. Good News...now I'm gonna try to get some rest too. Goodnight and pray for a good tomorrow.

Kim

Another day...

Another day in the books and its one more day we got thru.. Thank you Jesus!!

Before I left for the evening they put Kevin's 2nd central line in and took the old one out without any problems..Hopefully this will clear up some of the bacteria he's got going on in there. When I left his temp was between 101 and 102. Pretty much the same its been for the last couple of days. Nothing else has been scheduled yet..they are going to let the medicine they are giving him run its course and go from there. Will call to check on him in a few hours. Any changes will be updated.

Once again just a quick thank you to all our wonderful friends and family and all the people praying for us. I know we're gonna get through this so keep em comin"!!

Love Kim

4pm update

No change. He didn't open his eyes this time but he made some mean faces when she poked and prodded him.

My mother is cleaning the waiting room.. I'm gonna have a CT ordered on her next.

2pm update

I just got back from being with Kevin during his 2pm check. He opened his eyes for me..which is the first time he's done that since last night. He is still not localizing except for moving his left arm but just barley. They have advised me that Kevin is very septic due to the blood infection and they are going to take out his central line later today and put in a new one since bacteria has attached itself to the current one he has. He is breathing different today. They said he's breathing about 7 points higher than what they want him too over the ventilator. They are watching this very closely and the respiratory doctor gave is nurse his personal cell phone # so he can be here if there are any further concerns from the time he was here to examine him this morning. The tech that preformed the EEG this morning said he didn't see any abnormalities but would still have to be read by the Dr.

The CT preformed yesterday shows he may have had some spasms in the blood vessels in his head ( or little mini strokes if you will ) and that may be the reason hes not moving his legs or localizing like he should be. They said when that happens they have to wait for the swelling to go down again and then do another CT scan to see if there was anymore damage to the brain. They did advise me that if there is more damage, that therapy and rehabilitation would help with his motor skills once we get him better and able to get up and move around. Please keep praying that the medicine they are giving him to help this fever and infection will do its job so we can continue to our road of recovery.

Kim

Update

When I called Kevin's nurse this monring she indicated that he hadn't opened his eyes since last night and is not currently localizing or responding. She also said that preliminary test have come back that he may have a blood infection causing his fever which is back up agian. Please pray that this is just another bump in the road that we can recover from. They are currently preforming another EEG on Kevin right now. I'm waiting on them to finish so I can go back to see him.

Kim

I love days like these!!

Ahhh.. I love good days!!! Today was one of the best!
After he got back from the CT scan I spent most of the day in his room. When they did his last check he opened his eyes really wide and was looking around the room. When he saw me I grabbed his hand and he squeezed my hand and rubbed it with his thumb. He licked his lips and just kept looking at me. When I told the nurse he was rubbing my hand.. she came over and he did the same thing to her. She asked him to wiggle is thumb and he did right away. He hasn't moved his legs much since the last surgery but they said that may take some time to come back. The CT scan has been done but not read yet, maybe by tomorrow.

I can just feel that he can recognize me the way he was rubbing my hand. He had never done that before. I asked him to blink his eyes again and he did. I love days like these.

Kim

Going for another CT scan..

Another busy day.. Trach is in... It's not as scarry looking as I thought it would be and now he will have a funny new scar to show off and be proud of. They also got the filter put in without a problem so no more worries of blood clots hopefully. They just took him down for another CT scan to see how his ventricals are looking and to make sure he's not having any spasms. I've got my laptop set up right outside the elevator he will come back up so I'll know when he's done and when results are back will let you guys know.

Kim

Super Kevin

Wow Kevin,

You keep impressing everyone with your stamina and strength. I know that God is blessing your health care and is keeping you strong so that you can heal from this ordeal. I know it will take time, but time is one thing God has graced us with. We all now have to have Patience. That is a pretty big word for me and Kim too! Kathy as well all know was blessed with patience from birth.
Kathy is awesome, she has such a heart for loving all of us, her family is a little larger than most but her heart is too. Kevin Maya is amazing, she has played hard last night and man does she like to rough house. I enjoy it because she loves to wrestle and win. You would be sitting there laughing at us, I know Kim was. She was thinking uh huh, take that, and that and some more of this. Maya really misses you and she speaks about you so much.

I am thinking that maybe we can look into a soccer program for three year old at Church and see if we can get her started there. She is so into sports and art. What a smart and athletic.
I enjoy watching her run and kick the ball out in the yard.

Kevin our prayers are being answered each and every day, you keep fighting to get better each day and we are all there pulling for you. Kim is there every minute they will let her. You have been prayed through this day by day hour by hour buddy.

Praying for everyday,

Terry

Friday Morning Update

So far so good..

Kevin had his Trach put in this morning and that went well. He has a whole team of doctors in there with him now putting in the filter. Both are procedures they can do in his room so he dosen't have to be moved around so much. Will update when I know more..

Kim

Thursday night update...

Just called to check on Kev.. he's recovering well. The anesthesia has pretty much worn off and he is opening is eyes again. His nurse said she's not gonna push him to do much by command tonight since he had such a busy day today. I'm so thankful today went as well as it did with all we had to deal with. I know some days will be harder than others, and trust me today was not my favorite so far...as long as they turn out well in the end it means prayers are being answered and thats all we can ask for. Lets see what he has in store for us tomorrow.

Love Kimmie

Roller Coaster Day

Today was one of those days where you start out feeling good and in a minutes notice that good feeling turns to worry. Only by the grace of God are we able to handle this roller coaster ride!

Today was a tough day for Maya too which breaks our hearts. She told me on our ride home from her sitter that she missed her Daddy. I thought I was going to be sick. She understands Daddy is sick and in the hospital and that he is sleeping a lot which is going to help him feel better in the morning.

Kevin was going to be pretty much out of it this evening because of the surgery so Kimmie came home after the 6pm visit. It was good to spend some time with Kimmie and Maya this evening without being rushed. Maya and her Papa played together and Maya had a ball. I think she wore him out!

I can't wait for Kevin to read all the postings on the blog. He would be so proud of the amount of support he and his family are receiving on a daily basis.

Kimmie is amazing. It is clear she is getting strength from the Lord, everyone's prayers and encouraging words.

Please continue to keep Kevin, Kimmie and Maya in your daily prayers.

We continue to trust that God is in control and that HIS WILL will be done!

A Few More Pictures To Share

Surgery Was A Success!

Doctor just came down and Kevin did very well during the procedure to re-open the arteries in his brain. There is better blood flow and doctors expects that he will begin to show even more signs of improvement because of this procedure. They re-scanned and the pictures showed better blood flow than he had previously.

They will wait a day or so to complete the trach and other procedure to prevent blood clots in his legs.

So we got through this scare and encourage everyone to continue to pray for Kevin.

Doctor seemed to be very encouraged and impressed with his progress.

Still waiting...

Isn't there an express lane here...ugh.. I can't stand the waiting!!!

Urgent Update

Kathy and I just got a call from Kimberly and we are on our way back to the hospital. The EEG this morning showed that the arteries in Kevin's brain are not open enough so they are taking him back to surgery and try to open them up.

Please pray that all will go well.

Good Morning Kevin

Good Morning Kevin,

I hope you are able to have great results from your tests today and that your procedures all go very well. I know this is a very draining experience and it is taking all your strength. We are praying God will continue to provide the strength and healing that you need each day to get a little better each and every day until your recovery is 100% complete.

Keep up the good work Kevin, you can make mission buddy! Go Blue! and Go Noles!

God Bless,

Terry

A Busy Day..

Just talked to Kevin's Nurse.. They are going to take him down for another CT scan and Angeiogram to check and see where we are at with the blood in his head. After that is done they willl let him rest for a while and then later this afternoon proceed with the Trach and the Vent.

Pray that each event go smoothly and that we get some good solid news today.. I'll update as the info comes in.

Kim

People are Wonderful....

I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful people have been to our family since Kevin became ill. Every day someone is offering to do something for my family. Right now all we need is for people to continue to pray that God continues to have His hand on Kevin and that His Will be done! I know in my heart God has something special in stored for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya.

Yesterday, my sister Jan provided Kimmie with a recorder and a card that Maya can record something for her Daddy. Kimmie is going to work on this project this weekend. What a sweet and great idea!

Speaking of Maya, she had a better day today. Yesterday she was missing her Daddy which always breaks our hearts. Tonight she and I were putting puzzles together. One of the puzzle pieces was a police officer. She knows her Papa was a police officer. She said she was going to be a police officer when she grew up and that she was going to give out tickets. I asked her what kind of tickets she was going to give out and she replied "ticket or click it". It's hard to believe she is only 3 years old.

Maya and I do a lot of singing on our ride to meet Kimmie every night. Maya already knows the song "You Are My Sunshine" and likes to sing it loud. She also says her prayer....I wish I wish upon a star feel better in the morning Daddy....Good Night AMEN! She created this prayer herself and says it several times a day without being coached. She truly is an amazing little girl. I can only imagine what God has in store for her.

Please continue to pray for Kevin, Kimmie and Maya! God is listening and your prayers are making a difference.

God Bless,

Mama Payne :)

Prayer 2-3-2010

Kevin,

Tonight at Church during Choir Practice the Choir was singing two songs that brought you and your situation to mind. The first is " Someone is Praying me Through" and the second is "Pray for Me". Kevin I truly believe that the people all over the US who are praying for you are truly praying you through this illness. You have such a serious situation that only God watching over you could have gotten you through this. The second song is about a young child asking her parents to Pray for Me. Both are beautiful songs and I am going to make sure that I get you a copy of them to keep. They remind me to pray for you several times each day, which I stop and do and for Kimberly as she deals with all of this. The pray for me song just reinforces the need for us as family to pray each day for each of our Grand Children, Arianna, Annaliese and Maya. What precious children we have been blessed with, but they need all their family praying for them each day.

I am anxiously awaiting the day when we can bring you home and do things again as a family.
You owe me a hunting trip buddy, remember, and I intend to make sure we go on that trip. So hurry and get well. Spring Gobbler season is on the way!
You are Loved,
Terry

Tomorrow's Agenda...

Kevin labs came back and he does have phenomena. We were warning this was more likley to happen being in his state and not being able to move around. So the plan of attack for tomorrow is to do the Trach and to also place a filter called a Vena Cava Filter. This filter is placed in thru the groin and will help prevent blood clots traveling from his legs and into is lungs. From the research I've done..( Thanks Ms Debbie!!) Kevin is eligable for this procedure due to the fact he cannnot be given blood thiners due to everything going on upstairs. They are hoping to do both procedures at the same time so lets pray everything goes smoothly and this trach will help clear up the phenomena so we can move on to the next step of recovery.

Kim

Kevin Is Really Trying

Okay, so I haven't written on the blog in a few days because I wanted Kimberly to be in the driver's seat. But, tonight was truly an answer to prayer. As you can see from Kim's post, Kevin blinked his eyes when we asked him if he could hear us. You have no idea what a great feeling it was to know that Kevin hears us. We reassured him that he is getting better every day and that he just needs to stay strong and keep the faith that he is going to pull through this. Kim and I talk to him about any and everything we can think of.

Tonight, I told him that he has the best doctors and nurses taking care of him and that Kim has been right by his side. She is really doing a great job and I am so proud of her.

It feels so good just to hold his hand and reassure him that he is going to be okay.

He has a big day tomorrow - they are going to do some procedures on him, so please pray that he goes through them as smoothly as possible.

We also need to be praying about his fever. I know that God has Kevin on his radar - but I am going to remind him tonight about that fever.

Thank you to all our friends for your continued support and prayers. I hope no one ever has to go through something like this, but if they do, I hope they have friends like we do.

Evening Update..I don't know what day it is anymore..BUT HE BLINKED!!

Just left Kevin for the evening to go pick up Maya.. He did really good today. Eyes opened every time and at his last check we asked him.. "Kevin if you can hear me blink your eyes.." AND HE DID!!!! So I start balling of course...lol but we tried to tell him that he was in the hospital and to be strong. After a few seconds Aunt Debby asked him again to blink your eyes if you can hear us...AND HE DID IT AGAIN!!! I'm sooooo proud of him. It was such a happy moment. Yay for another good day!

Love

Kimmie

2pm update..

Nothing new to report..still waiting to talk to the Dr about the trach. He opened his eyes again at the 2pm wake up call. Next one will be at 4pm.

Wed morning update..

Kevin had another good night last night and into this morning. He's still opening his eyes on command and wiggeling his toes. No other changes to report.

Kim

Midnight check

Just called and checked on Kev.. temp is up again to 102 but he wiggled his toes on both feet this time. He opened his eyes again and moved his left side well as usual. The Nurse said he's even moving a little while being sedated. The fact that he moved his right toes on command is another step forward. Yay Kev!!!!

A Message from Kim

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the constant outpour of love and prayers we've recieved over the last week. I can't believe its already been a week right about this time when our lives would change as we know it...forever. Our family is so blessed to have so many wonderful people that care about and love us and each day I'm reminded of this so thank you all for that.

First and formost I have to thank my family. You are all my backbone right now and without each and every one of you I couldn't get thru this. Between all of you and our faith in God I know that we will make it over this hurdle and return our lives to one day something we might call "normal". Mom and Dad I can't thank you enough for all you are doing to help me with Maya. She is my shining star and one of the only reasons I can wake up each day. She gives me the strenght I need to be at that hospital everyday and make sure everything is being done so that her daddy will come home to us soon.

Aunt Debby this blog is amazing!! I love that everyone has a way to get updates and I can't wait until the day we can show this to Kevin and explain to him this journey we all road along on and how many people care for him. I love reading all the comments. I read them everyday. Its my therapy :) I've completly taken over the waiting room as my office inbetween wake up calls and this is what I do. Something else I have to Thank you for is how good you are with Kevin durring his wake up calls. Such a natural and your so encouraging with him, for that you will always have a special place in my heart.

To the Deramo Family.. Thank you to Mama D and Kevin sister Kristy for coming down to be with us as the days lead on. I'm so thankful you were able to be here to see Kevin open his eyes before returning home. Thank you to all the family back home in Massachusets and New Hampshire for your continous prayers.

To our Progressive Family... I have just been completly overwhelmed by the amount of love, support and prayer recieved from you guys. Its a blessing to know that Kevin interacts with sooooo many wonderful people on a daily basis and I can't express my gratitude for all the prayers, and donations we have recieved. I'm sure you all know as well as I do that Kevin is a fighter and will one day soon be back to work complaining about somebody having a crock pot where their not suppost too or having to take out all the bins..( yes, this is what he comes home and complains about...lol)

To my friends and family at Asset Acceptance... Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the time away to be by my husbands side durring this long road we have ahead of us. Thank you for the outporing of love, wishes and prayers received and I hope one day soon things get back to normal. Stay focused and collect as they say :) Missing you all.

And to everyone else... just Thank you!! I don't know what else to say. Everyone asks me what do I need. I need you all to Pray! Thats all I need. I need you to pray that the Lord will guide the Doctors and Nurses and Bayfront Medical Center to help heal Kevin so that one day he can return home and continue to be a wonderful father, husband, family member, or friend.

With so much Love and Hope,

Kim

Blessings

So tonight makes one week our family faced something we never could imagine. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some pretty amazing things that took place during the past week.

Originally, Kevin was taken to Brandon Hospital. When Brandon realized Kevin needed special care and while waiting on AirMed to transport Kevin, the nurses and doctors at Brandon Hospital stayed with Kimmie until Kevin was placed in the helicopter and gave her money for gas to travel to Bay Front. Kimmie tried to tell the nurses and doctors she didn't need any money but they placed the money in her pockets anyway. What a blessing!

Tampa General was not able to take Kevin because they had no room which is why Kevin ended up at Bay Front. Bay Front's top two nuero surgeons just happen to be at the hospital around midnight on Tuesday. What a blessing!

Kevin's surgery took almost 5 hours, After the surgery, the doctor spent about 30 minutes with us walking us through what took place and what we could expect in the coming months. I honestly felt like I was having a night mare. All I could think was, my family is hurting and I can't do anything about it other than pray and ask God to heal Kevin and protect my family. That night or I should say early morning, the doctor told us to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. That statement made me pray hard and often and I haven't stopped praying since!

I checked on Kevin's benefits at work and Kimberly learned, beginning January 1st, Kevin increased his life insurance and added long term disability! What a blessing!

On Friday I attempted to work. I prayed all the way to work, Lord just help me walk through the doors. I was an emotional wreck. I kept praying and asking God to heal Kevin, protect my family and allow something good to come from this situation. As I parked my vehicle, I noticed the tag on the car in front of the parking space while I parked. The tag read "HIS WILL". I sat in the my vehicle and cried. I knew it was a sign from God that HE is in control and that HE is going to take care of Kevin and the rest of my family.

On Monday, Kimmie called her place of employment to follow up with her HR department. She spoke with her supervisor the day after Kevin turned ill. Keep in mind Kimmie has only been at her current job for 7 months. The company is going to give Kimmie 4 weeks leave of absence, plus allow her to maintain her benefits and give her another 5 days paid time off. What a blessing!

On Saturday, Kevin opened his eye's for the first time. What a blessing! He continues to amaze the doctors. The doctors indicated they normally don't see this type of progress for 30 days! Again, what at blessing!

Today, Tuesday 2/2/2010, our Progressive friends and family gave Kimmie $160 which Kimmie will use to fill her car with gas, plus a $25 McDonald's gift card for Maya! Maya loves chicken nuggets! What a blessing!

About 3 weeks ago, Kevin had a new set of tires put on Kimmie's car! Given all the miles Kimmie will be traveling, the new tires are a blessing! So you can see the blessings began prior to this happening to Kevin.

I have so many people to thank for caring and praying for my family. I hope each of you know how important you are to me and how much you are loved!

Also, I couldn't have gotten through this without my sister, Debby. She created the blog for Kevin and she has been right by my side since the night Kevin turned ill. She's just not my sister, she's one of my best friends too!

So, you can see blessings take place even during the darkest times! As a family, we are trusting and putting our faith that God is going to heal Kevin completely and return to him Kimmie and Maya and the rest of our family.

Remember to tell your family you love them and make each day count because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Keep God first in your life and you too will have blessings!!

Love to all,

Kathy aka Mama Payne

Tue 4pm update... Tracheostomy

Just got done with the 4pm wake up call. He took a little big longer this time to wake up but I was able to see his eyes open again and his toes wiggle. I spoke with the respiratory doctor who advised me they want to preform a trachetomoy. He said a surgeon should be in to talk to me about it more tomorrow, but being the impatient person I am, I went ahead and did my own research....

What is a tracheostomy?
A tracheostomy is a surgically created opening in the neck leading directly to the trachea (the breathing tube). It is maintained open with a hollow tube called a tracheostomy tube.

Why is a tracheostomy performed?
A tracheostomy is usually done for one of three reasons: (1) to bypass an obstructed upper airway (an object obstructing the upper airway will prevent oxygen from the mouth to reach the lungs); (2) to clean and remove secretions from the airway; and (3) to more easily, and usually more safely, deliver oxygen to the lungs.

The doctor did advise me that this will be more comfortable for Kevin while on the vent and since he is showing signs of phenomonia a trach will be easier for that to clear up because when a breathing tube is placed through the mouth its placed thru the vocal cords that can cause damage if left in place for more than a week. Today marks 1 week since this has happened so they don't want to leave it in much longer. The trach is placed thru the neck and underneath the vocal cords so they stay closed keeping all the germies out of his lungs that we don't want.

They did advise me not to expect him to be off the vent for a while. As always they say its different for each individual but he must be much more alert, follow commands on a normal basis and just generally more "awake" before the trach or vent would be removed. They gave me an estimate of 2 weeks to a month but if I know Kevin, he's gonna impress them much faster than that.

Thats all for now.. I'm gonna stay for another wake up call then head back to Tampa to get Maya.. will update more later tonight when I get little bit in bed.

Love Kim

Tuesday afternoon update...

Nothing bad to report. Kevin has been opening his eyes and wiggeling his toes on his left foot on command on each wake up call. They did one at 10am 12pm and the doctor was in the room for the 2pm wake up call so he can see the progress Kevin is making himself. He was impressed and said he is showing great improvement but keeps telling me that its just one day at a time. Next check will be at 4pm...more updates to come.

Kim