30 August

Well, sorry it's been such a long time since the last post. Things got busy for a while as we prepared to bring Garrett home. But he's now home with us!! He was discharged from Primary Children's on Tuesday, 27 August. It's been quite an adjustment having him home but let me tell you, it's fantastic! He has made so much progress in the last month.
While still at PCMC Garrett was walking with a walker during therapy. He even went up a couple stairs in the gym (with some assistance). We're still working on strengthening his swallow so he can have 'real food'. Garrett has been very determined to get better and it shows. There are small improvements each day. Right now, we are just enjoying having him home.
Thanks for all the prayers on his behalf. We appreciate all the support everyone has shown for our family.

July 28

Garrett continues to amaze us! He says he doesn't look forward to physical therapy but he realizes he needs it to get better. Last week while we were at home for a visit, he said he didn't want to go back to the hospital. I told him that if he didn't go back then I would have to do his physical therapy and he might never be able to walk again. He said that he would go back.

Last week he worked extra hard in his therapies and he is moving his right arm and hand. He is also lifting both of his legs! He is getting stronger everyday! I am proud of him for working so hard to recover.
-Christine

July 10

It has been a very busy and exciting week for Garrett! Last week he was given two car ride passes. We took him to our ward barbecue Wednesday night and on the 4th of July we took him home. It was nice to have him home for a few hours. On the way back to the hospital, James talked to Garrett about where we had just been and had him say "home" several times.  Friday when Camille and I were at the hospital his nurse said that Garrett had told her the word home so we explained to him that we are working to get him better so he can come home. That day in speech therapy he worked on saying his name and he was getting two syllables. And he was responding to yes or no questions more quickly. He also started counting in therapy and saying the names of his therapists. Sunday he really started to surprise us. I told him, "I love you!" And he said, "I love you, too." I was shocked because it was clear that he was not just repeating what I said!

This week he is talking more and more! You really have to focus on many of the things he says but he is getting easier to understand. He is very clear when he tells us how much his leg hurts. They are working to ease the pain but the best thing is to keep it bending and stretching.

His days are very busy and we have assignments to work on with him in the evenings and when he is not in therapy. We will try to keep the blog updated but if we do not post as regularly, it is most likely a good thing! Thank you to everyone who has blessed our family!
-Christine

30 June 2013

Garrett smiled at me today! It was his first real smile and he even showed some teeth! It was a great day today. We got to go to Temple Square again today. It was hot but still nice. Garrett's doing so good answering yes or no questions with his head. I love seeing how much better he's getting!

23 June 2013

Today we got to take Trax down to Temple Square. Garrett did really good and it was a lot of fun! We also got to go out last Saturday and we went downtown and looked at the chalk art. We went to Clark Planetarium for a little while. Garrett had a pretty good week all things considered. He got dehydrated on Tuesday but he now seems to be much better.

June 11

Garrett is doing fabulous!! Today his physical therapist got him in a contraption that helped him stand and he was able to practice walking! It is the first time since his accident in February. I was impressed with how he worked so hard to try to move his feet forward. It was incredible and I am so proud of him! It has been a great week. He has been using his voice a lot more and it is prolonged as well. Yesterday he worked on catching and throwing balls. This evening before I left I was told he is likely to receive a trax pass and we will be able to take him out for a while! Yay Garrett!!
-Christine

6 June 2013

Garrett has done really good during therapy this week. Today he wrote numbers 1, 2, and 3 all by himself with his left hand. He's using his voice more and more. Garrett is definitely trying. It's all very exciting!

1 June, 2013

We went for a walk outside today. You can see the bandaid where his trach used to be. Garrett has been doing quite well recently. We played UNO on Tuesday and yesterday we played Connect Four (both during therapy). It's great seeing improvement!

May 28, 2013

Good news: Garrett finally had his MRI today (we've been waiting a while) and..... his trach was removed! We were so excited to walk in today and see him without the trach. He's been doing so good! We played Uno today in therapy and he seemed to pay attention and he did well. We're so excited to see improvement. I will try to post a picture of him without the trach soon.

May 26

Garrett is continuing to improve! His trach was capped off on Monday. I was told that if he tolerated it well, then it would be removed after 24 hours. But then it was decided he is a good candidate for surgery to fix his ankles (they are still not bending as much as they should) and it is best to be able to use the trach if they need to give him oxygen during the surgery. Upon checking his blood it was determined that his INR levels were not within range. So no surgery until the coming week.

The good news is that Garrett has been capped for a full week tomorrow and is breathing very well! He has worked hard during his therapies and we can tell. Saturday morning when we arrived at the rehab gym he was sitting on the edge of the mat/table having his back and hips stretched and working on sitting up on his own. His therapists told him we were there and asked him to lift his head to look at us and he did! He is gaining a great deal of control of his head.

This is a very long, slow process but we can see just how far he has come and it is very encouraging!
-Christine

May 19

Garrett will be at Primary Children's for at least 40 days. He has handled therapy quite well all week. His eyes are both open wide when he's awake. His trache was downsized and he is wearing his speaking valve all day. They have been working on getting his legs to bend and it seems to be working. They put his ankles in casts which should help his feet bend. We are hoping to see more improvement in the coming week.

May11

Garrett worked with all of his therapists today. And after watching him work I realized how much we have to be thankful for. Especially everyone who has cared for and worked with Garrett. The more I have thought about it, the longer the list grows- and I think it is high time to offer up some thanks! So that's what I'm going to do. (I have decided not to give any names because I am not sure how I would feel if it were my name being posted on a public blog without my permission.)

I am thankful for the leaders and young men who were with Garrett the night of the accident. Thank you for your quick attention and help. I am grateful for the EMTs and Lifelight crew who intubated, evaluated and safely transported Garrett to the hospital. And the trauma team, nurses and staff at IMC took excellent care of Garrett.

Thank you to the nurses, techs and therapists who cared for and worked with him at UVSH. You worked with him and jump started his brain. And you did a great job keeping my skinny kid from developing sores. It was very hard to leave. 

Everyone at Country Life Care Center has been wonderful. Garrett has received the best care and I know it has been instrumental in his recovery. The environment is calm, soothing and healing. It feels like home and I know that has helped Garrett.

I was also thinking about all of the case workers we have worked with. Thank you for doing your best to make sure Garrett has received the best possible care and treatment. Without your efforts we would have been lost.

One of the best blessings to come from this adventure is all of the people who have cared for Garrett and become our friends. You have made a difficult situation easier. Our family will forever be thankful to you! We are also thankful to our family, friends and everyone else who has prayed for Garrett, expressed concern for him and been there or offered to help our family.

Today for speech therapy Garrett was given a choice between two suckers. He took the flavor I expected him to choose. And then he got to taste it. All of the work he has been doing paid off! When we helped him raise it to his mouth he got his tongue into position- just like with the sponge. I was so happy and thankful! Unfortunately, all of the work put in on his feet seems to be gone. I apologize to the physical therapists who have worked on that. After the time spent in bed this last week his ankles are tight and inflexible. I thought we had them doing pretty good.

I am so thankful to everyone that has worked to help Garrett recover. I would strongly recommend all of the facilities Garrett has stayed at. Country Life has become our second home. Our whole family
and those who have visited love it! If anyone reading ever finds themselves in a situation needing a care center, you want to check them out!
-Christine

May 10

I am sorry we have not posted in a week. It has been very busy. When Garrett's lab work came back on Tuesday the care center did not like the results of his CBC.  They ordered another blood draw.  The results came back with a low red blood cell count and Garrett was transported to the ER.  While we were there he had an ultrasound and a CT scan on his leg.  The CT scan showed ossification which I do not fully understand but it is when there are calcium deposits which can turn to bone. Today I learned that physical therapy is the way to treat it.  Garrett also received a transfusion.  Because his red blood was so low, the doctor wanted tests run to determine if he had internal bleeding. But the hospital we were at was not certified to admit pediatric trache patients so we were transferred to Primary Children's. It was a very long night!

Because of his left leg we requested Physical Therapy to come look at it.  I wasn't sure if Physical Therapy was a good thing or bad for that leg.  The therapist showed us some stretches we could try with Garrett on the days he didn't have PT and she asked us if he had ever been evaluated for the inpatient rehab here.  She thought he might benefit from it and said she would ask.  The doctor from physical therapy came to look at Garrett and thought he should be seen by Occupational Therapy and Speech but it was late in the day and they did not make it to evaluate him.  After deciding to transfer him back to the care center and getting that going, we were told that Garrett would not be released yet.

He has been partially evaluated and I think he might be admitted to the inpatient rehab here at Primary Children's.  If he is, it will mean that he will have to do three hours of therapy six days a week.  He will stay here for the weekend and then we will find out some time next week if he can tolerate the therapy and if our insurance will allow it.

They have run many tests for the low blood count and everything has come back normal.  There is nothing to indicate internal bleeding and it may end up being a mystery that will never be solved.  I guess that is all right as long as his blood count stays normal.  I will say that it definitely does not get easier to watch your child be loaded into an ambulance- it is gut wrenching!
-Christine

May 3

Thank you to the members of the show choir who came to sing for Garrett. You sounded great! And we all enjoyed it! The staff here commented on how nice it was to hear you sing. It was very kind of you to come so far. Thanks again!

Garrett is still improving but has had a little set back.  His left leg is aggravated and swollen again. Hopefully, we can find out what is causing it and get it taken care of.  (It has never fully relaxed and the muscles have been contracted ever since the last time it was swollen.)  I really think once this is better, Garrett will really improve!

We are still taking it one day at a time.

-Christine

29 April 2013

Garrett had a really good week last week. He has been more alert and active and moves his left hand quite a bit. Garrett has been doing things like playing with the monitor when on his walk and playing with the mask and tube that covers his trache. He has also gained a couple pounds. We're so grateful for the improvements we've seen in Garrett.

22 April 2013

Garrett spent most of his weekend relaxing since he had a fairly busy week with his speaking valve. Yesterday we put him in his wheelchair and took a walk outside in the sunshine which was really nice. We're grateful for all the small improvements we see and hope they continue.

April 18

Garrett has had a relaxing day. No speaking valve today- yesterday was very busy. He had speech and physical therapy and spent time in the recliner watching tv. I could tell he was tired when I left last night. When I got here today I was told that his heart rate dropped into the low forties which made them nervous. So he was given a day of rest in the hopes that he will not be so tired and relaxed tonight.

We did get him in the wheelchair and I took him to the sun room. I really wish it would warm up. I would have liked to take him out for some sunshine.

-Christine

April 15

I am sorry it has been so long since we have posted. Garrett had a busy week. He continues to improve! A speaking valve was ordered for him and after he passed the blue dye test (blue food coloring was added to some ice chips and given to him to swallow and then we watched to make sure there was no blue coloring in the trache tube) he was allowed to try it out. Usually people try the speaking valve for a few minutes and then work up slowly the amount of time they wear it. Garrett was able to handle 45 minutes the first time he tried it. And he has consistently worn it longer- he was up to eight hours yesterday!

The speaking valve is a step of improvement for two reasons: (1) if he can use his upper airway and protect it, we can hopefully transition to a smaller tube and eventually eliminate it altogether and (2) he can use his vocal chords.  We are told that when he uses his voice it helps awaken things in his brain. It is good to hear his voice again- even if he is just groaning. But it has happened more than once that one of the noises he makes sounds very similar to "mom".  And I am going with that!

Garrett has been more alert and we can see that he is understanding more. He will follow simple instructions like "look at me", "swallow" and he can look at a specific object when two different objects are held in front of him and he is asked to look at one. He amazes me everyday!
-Christine

April 7

This past week was a really good one. Garrett has had his eyes open much more and he's been holding his head up. Garrett was turning his head quite a bit today. He has been going out in his wheelchair for the past few days. Hope everyone had a good Conference weekend!

April 3

Here is a picture I took of Garrett on Monday with his eyes open.  He is a wonderful kid!  I am so happy that he keeps doing more.  He is progressing slow and steady- and we will take it!

Thank you to the Laurels, Mia Maids, Sister Dzierzon and Sister Shultz for visiting and singing.  You sounded like angels!

-Christine

3/31/13

Well, it was a pretty good week all things considered. Garrett has had his eyes open more and seems to be registering more. Today he had his eyes open most of the day which was nice to see. He looks even better in his own clothes instead of the hospital gown. Happy Easter everyone!

March 28

Garrett is continuing to have a good week. He worked hard during speech therapy. He is alert with his eyes open regularly. The care conference took place this afternoon. We discussed his left leg and will continue to watch it. He may need to have the Baker cyst drained or possibly go back on antibiotics- it is unclear right now. The swelling has decreased some and had the same measurement today as yesterday.

The biggest thing decided at the care conference was to deflate the cuff on his trache tube and see how he tolerates it. So far he is doing well. This will help us see what he can do. We are looking for signs that he can protect his airway (not aspirate into his lungs again). Eventually we would like to down size the tube until we can eliminate it altogether.

It has been a very good week and Garrett is continuing to amaze me! He may need to have some down time with rest. I expect this weekend may be quiet for him but that will be good.

-Christine
P.S. He is dressed in his shirt and shorts today! He looks much better than he does in the hospital gown.

March 27

Garrett is continuing to be alert and have his eyes open. His speech therapist liked what she saw while working with him today. His heart rate has been really good too!

March 26

Garrett has had his eyes open more of the time today. It seems to me that he is more aware of his surroundings these last two days. I still remind him why things are so strange right now and why he can't talk yet. We are not sure how much short term memory he has. He is resting right now and that seems to be a pattern (resting in the afternoon/evening and being more alert earlier in the day). Tomorrow we will have our care conference. I am looking forward to learning what is planned for Garrett.
-Christine

March 25

Today has been a good day for Garrett. His heart rate has been back to normal. They started him on some antibiotics yesterday. His left thigh has been swollen since the move. They have done an X-ray and it looked normal. They have also done an ultrasound and it only showed a pocket of fluid behind his knee. So they drew blood yesterday to send to the lab and started the antibiotics.

Garrett did really well in speech therapy today! His therapist worked with him to swallow and move his tongue and facial muscles. She also did a few other movements. I could see him working hard to make the connections and get messages from his brain to his mouth, eyes and hands. They may be baby steps but they feel so big! We are headed in the right direction again!

-Christine

3/24/13

Here's a picture of Garrett. The last few days have been pretty quiet.

March 21

Garrett is getting settled. We have been meeting with staff for evaluations so his care plan can be established. So far, he will have speech therapy and physical therapy three times a week.  I am not sure how often he will be having recreation and occupation therapy. The recreational therapist is here five days a week and she has assistants here on the weekend so I think rec therapy will be most days.

Visitors are welcome.  If the door is locked there is a doorbell on the right side. The doors are locked at night and I can't remember if they get locked at 7:00 or 8:00.

I am not sure how long we will be here tomorrow. It is Camille's birthday and we plan to celebrate after she gets home from school.
-Christine

March 20

We moved Garrett yesterday.  It was a long day.  Garrett's heart rate was too high to move him the first time the ambulance came so the nurse sent them away.  It took about an hour and a half and several medications but his heart rate came down.  When we got here he started to storm again and it took a while to get his heart rate back down again so we were here late.  I think it might take a week for him to get used to his new home.  We have not found out the specifics on visitors yet but will post them as soon as we can.

Today Garrett had a bath.  I believe it is the first real bath since the accident.  And he really enjoyed it.  The tub here has jets which clearly felt nice to him.  He is very relaxed right now.

Thanks for all of the prayers!
-Christine

March 18

Yesterday was a day of rest for Garrett. His heart rate has been a little elevated these last two days.  Maybe it has something to do with the pending move.  We will be moving tomorrow to a new care facility.  It will be a little closer to home for us and we are grateful for that.  Today Garrett opened his right eye more than I have seen.  I am waiting for the time when his heart rate will stay  lower and he will not need so much medication.  I think that will change a lot for him and speed up his recovery.
-Christine

3/16/13

Garrett opened his eyes a little bit and blinked when the therapist asked him to yesterday. We're seeing little improvements that give us hope.

3/14/13

Today was a good day. Garrett opened his eyes halfway and showed signs of pre-tracking (following the flashlight). He had his therapy outside today which I think was a good thing. We had him laying down on the lawn (I think he took a nap!) and I was on drool duty. He's looking really relaxed now.

March 13

Today we gave Garrett a haircut.  His hair is all the same length now and he looks good.  And he now only has his trache and the stomach peg. That is a big improvement from everything he had at the beginning of this adventure!  Taking moment by moment...day by day.  Thanks for all that has been done on our behalf.

March 12

This is a picture taken after physical therapy today. Doesn't he look relaxed?

March 11

Garrett went to the gym this morning.  While there they put him in the standing frame which is a contraption that holds him in a semi-standing position.  He handled it well and then he got his stretches in.  The rest of the day has been quiet.

March 10

Camille has kept this blog positive.  I commend her for this.  It also helps me to continue to watch for progress.  I would like to keep this blog that way but it might be time for my REALITY CHECK.

If in my excitement Friday I gave you the idea that Garrett has woken up, has his eyes open and is capable of interacting with people, I am very sorry.  He is not.  I knew that as great as that day was, I would need to hold on to it for a time to keep my hope.  The next question I think people probably have is something like, when will he wake up?  The answer is that no one knows.  The only thing we can do is wait and see.  It is frustrating to say the least but it's what we are dealing with.

I know that everyone has many questions.  When people have visited I have tried to answer questions.  I think it is important to let everyone know that I have no clue what I am talking about.  I have probably given a great deal of misinformation.  I am no neurologist and have no intentions of becoming one.  So if you simply must have answers, I would suggest you do some research on the following:  traumatic brain injury, shirring of the brain, neurological storms and the Rancho Los Amigos Scale.  I will warn you, it does not paint a pretty picture.

The most important thing I have learned is that our brains are as unique and individual as our finger prints.  So you just never know what the possibilities (positive or otherwise) are until time has passed.   Garrett has the fact that he is young going for him and he has a lot of time to heal.  That is what I am counting on and why I choose to focus on his progress.

I read something from our Rancho material that I think is important to share.  "He may understand parts of what you are saying. Therefore, be careful what you say in front of the individual."  I believe Garrett is sometimes in a state where he does understand and I know that he will continue to improve.  We must have patience.  I felt from the beginning that this will be a long, long process but it will be worth the waiting.

The best thing we can do now is keep praying for Garrett.  Thank you.
-Christine

I now return you to our regularly scheduled POSITIVE blog.

3/9/13

Garrett is having a quiet day. He has been storming, but he's been given his medicine and his heart rate is coming back down. Garrett probably won't go to the gym again until Monday.

March 8

Today was fabulous!!! Garrett had his eyes half open when we were getting ready for physical therapy.  And when the therapist brought his hand towards Garrett's face, he blinked.  He was registering the movement!  Therapy went really well and we saw exciting things.  And then when they were getting him ready to be moved to the wheel chair was the very best of all- Garrett must have felt unstable because all of a sudden he threw both arms out and kind of sat up and opened his eyes! Happy, happy day!! I am so glad to have this wonderful blessing!
-Christine

March 7

Garrett did not go down to the gym yesterday. He was too tense so they just worked with him in his room. Today he went down to the gym and was stretched. I really enjoy that. He was not as loose today as he was Tuesday but he was better than yesterday. I am so thankful for Garrett's nurses and therapists. They help by pointing out the tiny improvements and then I can see we are moving in the right direction! This is such a long, slow process. I do think it is just a matter of time until he begins to wake up. It is easier to wait when you can see even small improvements.

While I was in Garrett's room the other day I was looking at his birthday present from Savanna and reading the scripture on it. It made stop and think for a minute. When Camille came by I pointed it out to her. She then explained that Savanna had asked her about some of Garrett's favorites. Camille said she was real sly about asking and Garrett told her his favorite scripture was Isaiah 41:10.

10 ¶Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Old Testament, Isaiah, Chapter 41)

Thanks Garrett, I needed the reminder. And thank you Savanna and Camille!

-Christine

New Picture

Here is the photo from today.

March 5

Today Garrett was moved to a cardio chair and taken down to the gym. While down there he was rolled outside and got some sunshine. It was a good day to be out. The therapists gave him a good stretching and he relaxed a lot. He was the most relaxed I have seen him in the last couple of weeks. It is important for him to relax because it gives his brain some quiet time to heal. Other than that everything is the same.

I tried to post an updated picture but I can't figure it out. I will have Camille do it when we get home.

-Christine

3/1/13

Today Garrett was moving his left arm quite a bit. He hasn't opened his eyes yet but we were glad to see some movement.

February 28

I have hijacked Camille's blog for a moment. (I apologize Camille.) Garrett is getting settled in here at UVSH. Today has been relatively quiet for him as he has had some bleeding around the site of his tracheostomy and stomach peg. He has been on anticoagulants for some blood clots he has in his upper arms which is preventing the healing of the other sites. His doctor has decided to postpone the anticoagulants for a short time. Yesterday was very promising- he reacts appropriately to certain stimuli.

I really wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and fasting. Our family appreciates it. Thank you to those who have shared stories about Garrett. And thank you to everyone who has left a comment on this blog. It lifts my spirits and helps me to have the positive attitude Garrett needs.

Thanks again - Christine

2/26/13

Today Garrett is being moved to a Long Term Acute Care Facility in Provo. After being transferred to Provo he will begin therapy for his joints and muscles. He still hasn't woken up but he is breathing on his own and looks a lot better. He has been moving his fingers and toes a little bit as well.

2/23/13

Today we looked at Long Term Acute Care Facilities. Garrett is still the same. He's been pretty quiet today.

2/22/13

Today they took Garrett off the ventilator and he is breathing on his own!

2/21/13

This morning they took out Garrett's breathing tube and put in a trache. They said that it will be more comfortable for him than the breathing tube was. Garrett looks a lot better without the breathing tube in his mouth. His temperature is normal as well as his heart rate. Other than that there aren't any changes.

2/20/13

I had to go to school so I just got the update:
  They removed the cooling pads Garrett had on because he's been maintaining his own temperature. Other than that there haven't been any changes.

Update 2- 2/19/13

They just removed the bolt that was monitoring the pressure in his brain. They said his levels were good and didn't want to leave it in and risk infection. He looks even better now!

Update- 2/19/13

We've seen a few responses; Garrett has been coughing when they suction out his breathing tube, and we've seen him wiggle his toes a couple times. The doctors have said that it may just be reflexes but we are choosing to see it as improvement. Mom was holding his right hand and his thumb moved which is good because we hadn't previously seen much movement on his right side.

2/19/13

This morning Garrett was responding a little more. When they suctioned his breathing tube he coughed and moved his left hand. He withdrew his left hand when they pinched his fingernail, too.

Thanks everyone for all you've done! We appreciate it!

Visit from Pete

We got a visit from a young man named Pete who was in the same boat as Garrett. You may remember seeing it on the news, he fell from a scissor-lift. Pete and his mom were at the hospital visiting and they came down to visit Garrett. Pete was out for two weeks and he is slowly recovering. Seeing Pete was very encouraging and uplifting. Thank you, Pete and Chris!

Update- 2/18/13

We've had very little response from him. Not much has changed. Doctors are talking about removing the breathing tube and putting a trache in, which would be more comfortable for Garrett. They won't do that until the end of the week.

2/18/13

This morning when they pinched his fingernail his left hand pulled away so he's reacting to pain on the left side a little bit. Also, when they suctioned out his breathing tube Garrett gagged which is good.

Today's Picture

This is the latest picture. As you can see the neck brace was removed and he now has a feeding tube. They want to make sure he gets enough calories because that will help the healing process. Thank you for all the prayers on Garrett's behalf. We appreciate it.

Update

EEG showed no signs of seizures. We're waiting for the complete report. EKG looked good.

Photo from Friday Night

This is what Garrett looked like Friday night. He no longer has the neck brace and he looks a little better. 

First Update

This is our first post. We are just trying to have a way to keep people updated.
As of right now Garrett is still unconscious. He has shown some response but we're still just waiting to see what happens. I will try to keep it updated. Feel free to check whenever to see how he's doing.