Update #61 on Kevin

Our family loves the fair. I can’t actually remember the first time I went to the fair. I am guessing it is because I start going as a baby. Every year my family spends several days at the Tulsa State Fair, playing games, eating corn dogs and listening to concerts; our dad has even played music out there for concerts and in contests. Last year, I took tons of pictures and video, so that the years we are in Italy we can look at the photos and think about the good times with family.


When all this happened, we didn’t even know if it would last this long. We had no idea if we would be here in America for the fair. As the time for the fair approached, we started thinking about the decision of going or not going. It will be so strange and emotional to go to the fair without Kevin. Although, it would probably be just as strange to not go.

Our family has a meeting spot at the fair. Before cell phones, it wasn’t easy to meet up without a meeting spot. We meet at the OU booth in the IPE building (Quiktrip building). Often we would be stuck waiting forever for someone. If we end up meeting there this year, we might find ourselves lingering a little longer for Kevin to arrive.

We did decide to go, at least a few times. Kevin would, and he would want us to do that too. So tonight, a family friend will be with Kevin allowing our family the opportunity to go all together, at least once. So if you remember our family tonight, pray for us to have a good time and have the strength to make it through the emotional aspects of going without Kevin.

The search continues for a next step facility. Kevin is here at Meadowbrook for another week, until next Tuesday (it is a week to week approval). But we don’t want to be caught unprepared so we continue to look at what’s next. Right now, it would need to be a facility that accepts patients with a trach, and some even distinguish between recently placed and older trachs. His is considered a recently placed trach.

The past couple days he has had the trach cap on, which only allows him to breathe through his nose and mouth. He continues to do well with it, sometimes having more coughing issues, but other times doing fine. It is a relearning of breathing. His respiratory rate continues to do well. The other night they removed all leads from his chest (telemetry). The only things they are monitoring now are through the pulsox. It measures his oxygen rating and basic heart monitoring. Kevin had a couple of small sores on his back that he got while in TICU. He hasn’t gotten anymore since being at Meadowbrook. One looks better, the other has looked better and not as good (but never really bad). They both need to heal more.

He has had the trach cap on for a couple hours again today and is doing well with it. He also was in his neuro chair today. In a future update, I’ll post what questions we are asking of the facilities we are looking into for Kevin. It is a long list and some centers respond better than others. I thought it may be helpful for others. And also if anyone out there has more experience than we do, feel free to send us questions we may not have thought.

Thanks for praying and reading. And maybe we’ll see you tonight if you brave the rain and make it out to the fair tonight.
Matt, Angie and family
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http://www.prayforkevin.com/ (to follow Kevin’s progress and pray)
http://prayforkevin.blogspot.com/ (an alternate address)