Tuesday June 16

John underwent the procedure to place the PEG tube today without a hitch. He continues to rest comfortably and has not been awake that much this afternoon as a result of the sedation. He will have dialysis tonight and is down to the IV line for dialysis and the PEG tube lines only. I cannot tell you how great it is to see his pretty face without all the tubes and paraphernalia. His mouth has healed from the intubation tubes and his lips and tongue are no longer swollen. There are so many times when you are standing with him that it seems as if he will just start talking to us...we believe that he will and the possibility exists that he already is communicating with us using eyes and movements. Sometimes he also seems to want to form words which sounds like moans but do not seem painful. We know he is fighting like crazy to come on back but his safe place must be really comfortable and we are grateful that he is at ease as much as he can be.

Big news!
John is moving to a long term acute care facility or (LTAC). We have selected Triumph in Tomball for this next destination in John's journey. He will be in their ICU so the visiting rules remain in effect but we hope at some point in the near future, he will be moved to an area which allows visits from those who love and miss him. Also, pretty soon, the dogs will get to visit him which will hopefully perk him up even more. This location is approximately 30 minutes from Holly's house but we were so impressed with the facility and what it has to offer in terms of treatment for John that she is willing to make the sacrifice to drive further. His mother and brother live pretty close to Triumph which will be nice. He will have a room to himself which is another positive and Holly and his family will be able to spend more time with him because even in ICU, the visiting hours are less rigid. Another positive thing about this move is that his care will be transferred to a different, yet equally skilled team of doctors who might just hold that key to unlocking the mystery of why he has not regained full consciousness as of yet. While there is some safety with picking a facility which would maintain some of his same physicians, we simply could not ignore the apparent gap in facility accommodations and honestly, the feeling we got when we entered the Triumph facility. It is only 2 years old, the staff is friendly and the physicians are some of the best around. They also have a staff of therapists to include physical therapy and occupational therapy which should help him maintain muscle strength and keep his joints from becoming rigid.

We know that we have become comfortable with where John is currently and are anxious with anticipation about moving him but we are also excited about the prospects of him improving. John has rarely shied away from a challenge in his life and we intend to honor his way of living by presenting him with every available opportunity to get better. We know that we cannot be complacent in this regard and will remain vigilant in our watch over his care. We had hoped that John might be going to a rehabilitation facility by now, but we also know that we must be patient and allow him to progress at exactly the speed he needs to. The family has gotten into a schedule of spreading out the hours in each day so that someone is with him at all available times and there will be no change in this when he is moved. This is like a relay race with each of us passing the baton to one another and the level of communication and support within the family has been excellent. You can never know how you might react in this situation but making the most of the circumstances and opportunities to be with John while simultaneously allowing time to get rest is a juggling act rivaled only by Barnum and Bailey's Big Top Circus. Everything that is happening right now comes from a place of deep, passionate love for a man who has touched each and every one of us in a truly profound way. We simply know that if the situation were reversed and one of us suffered the same tragic events, John would be the first one to volunteer to help out with unabashed, yet gentle ardor.