Monday Update-BIG NEWS on Mitral Valve

Today was both uneventful but exciting. The nurse practitioner from the Pulmonology group said SHE COULD NOT HEAR A MURMUR!!! (murmurs=leakage). I did not see the cardiologist, but in his note he indicated that his only plan right now is to do a TEE as an outpatient to follow up on the mitral valve! It feels like the docs are all being cautious because the evidence was very clear for mitral valve damage that could only be repaired with surgery, and they are not too sure what happened. Keep praying and when the outpatient TEE confirms that healing has happened you will hear us yelling all the way in Hong Kong!

TJ was pretty exhausted today after pushing himself hard yesterday. Pulmonology, Neurology, and I think Cardiology all signed off (meaning they will no longer follow him in the hospital). A Rehab doctor evaluated him for rehab and said that he should be able to move to the rehab floor tomorrow. Most patients spend 5-10 days on the rehab floor to work on strength and activities of daily living. Among other things, he has to be able to do stairs before he can go home. It will be a very intense therapy schedule with PT, OT, and speech for swallowing and complex memory. His goal, of course, is to be home by the end of the week. (What's that quote? "Never underestimate the power of our determination..."?)

TJ will have another video swallowing study tomorrow or Wednesday. He got a diet coke today by mistake- he should not have thin liquids until they know that it all is going down the right pipe. That's OK by me- I really do not want to TJ to experience another pneumonia. However, there is a six pack of diet coke in the fridge next door to his room when he has clearance! He has moved up a step on the diet from pureed to very soft.

He is trying to grasp what has happened to himself. How do you comprehend thousands pf people worldwide praying for you and doctors telling you there is no reasonable explanation for your survival?

Specific prayer requests would be for continued progress in recovery and for protection from anxiety as the reality of how close he was to dying sinks in. Also please pray for God's continued work outside of TJ through his experience.

Blessings and great gratitude,

Mary Ann

Addition to Last Night's Update

I realized this morning that there was a detail I left out, on Saturday TJ was having difficulty using his individual fngers. Grasping a cup took both hands, and it was as if his four fingers were webbed together. Yesterday, he wastoo weak to do much, but had individual control over his fingers.

This is a small thing, but really important. Also, somebody recently asked if apraxia was still on the table. As far as we know, not at this point.