Update #79 on Kevin

When is a good dream a bad dream? Many in our family have been dreaming dreams. Since Kevin’s accident, we have all had dreams about Kevin, good and bad. It does however go in waves. The dreams in the current wave have been good. However, that can be the problem….when you wake up from a good dream and realize that it hasn’t happened yet, the balloon of good feeling is punctured.


I look back over the past couple months and see all the progress that Kevin has made, that brings us happiness. Getting stuck in the snail-like day to day slowness can take its toll on you. This weekend has also been a rollercoaster of emotions. We were basically told on Friday that if our family didn’t make a decision on a skilled nursing facility this week, insurance would force the staff at Meadowbrook to make it for us.

Friday, they also switched Kevin’s food from a continual feeding drip to four times per day getting a can of formula food. He gets two in the morning and one can every six hours after that. This shouldn’t change much in Kevin’s nutrition, but might make it easier for a skilled nursing center to approve him.

We still have not heard back from two centers that were assessing Kevin’s situation to determine their acceptance. Over the weekend, one of the doctors really stepped out and helped the family by ordering some medicine called Provigil. It is for the treatment of narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and excessive daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea. There should be no problems with him taking it, but it might help make Kevin more alert. Today they actually started doubling it. Kevin’s left eye (right eye is taped, not patched) has been open and moving around a lot today. His right eye (that has had all the issues) is continuing to look lighter in color. The white of Kevin’s eye is much less red. The side of his eye has gotten much better, looking only like a bloodshot eye, rather than completely red.

Also, this doctor has been contacting the medical director for Kevin’s insurance in order to get more time here at Meadowbrook. We think they will be allowing Kevin to stay for ten to fourteen more days. We’ll still take it week by week or day by day. It doesn’t totally feel like the amount of time is a for sure thing though. But this doctor has been great.

Tomorrow is Kevin’s follow up eye appointment. EMSA is coming at 12:15 to take him over there. We’ll see what the doctor says about how his eye is doing.

We also received some paperwork from the Traumatic Brain Injury Association of America. Great stuff, we are busily reading through it all. Good insight and great information.

Thanks for reading,
Matt, Angie and family
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http://www.prayforkevin.com/ (this is the main site address)
http://prayforkevin.blogspot.com/ (does anyone still have problems accessing that site)