Hey everyone,
Well Patrick came home from the hospital today. He is doing great!!! His pain is significantly improved (thanks to all your prayers!!) He has been on the couch just hanging out with the kids all afternoon. He is really looking good and his spirits are high. We should have a pretty easy week; we go to the clinic for a checkup on Wednesday and Friday. Thank you again for all the prayers!! We should have about 8 weeks until the next surgery.
Teal
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Recent Kid Pictures...
This weekend, my mom, brother, Tim, sister-in-law, Anne, and their boys, Luke, Sam and Andrew came to San Antonio for a last minute quick get-away to Hyatt Hill Country. My mom came and got Trey to enjoy a little time with his cousins and swim. He had a great time!! (again, he DOES open his eyes, just not when asked:)
Trey and Andrew floating face down in the lazy river...my mom swears she was watching them:) Trey is on the right in the blue swimsuit.
Trey and Andrew (eyes open this time)
Trey and Macy started going to gymnastics at The Little Gym. Macy does a mommy and me class, but Trey is on his own. They both LOVE it.
Macy hanging on the bars
Getting her hula hoop
Macy loves going to the Little Gym!!!Puerto Rico Pictures
Patrick and I in Puerto Rico. We went on a week long vacation with Victor and Lizette for the wedding of a friend, back at the beginning of July. We had a fabulous time!
Patrick on a street in Old San Juan
Patrick and Teal at the Bacardi Factory. We went on a tour! 
Our favorite thing that we did was go on a hike in El Yunque, the rainforest in Puerto Rico. It was absolutely beautiful, the temperature was perfect and there was such a canopy of trees above us that when it rained we could hear it, but only feel a mist.
Teal, Patrick, Lizette and Victor at a waterfall in El Yunque.
Beautiful viewFriday, August 22, 2008
Friday night...
Dan looked great today!!! He was talking, joking and never once dozed off...(this is impressive regardless of just having surgery:) He is experiencing less pain now than in prior days, so that is a HUGE answered prayer. He should be coming home Sunday or Monday. This is not due to problems with his surgery sites, but more for making sure his pain is under control when he is here. Thanks again for all the prayers.
Teal
Teal
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thursday Night...
Hey All,
Dan had a pretty good day today...( I mean, 3 milkshakes would make a good day for me:) His pain is under control and there has been a GREAT relief of pain from his shoulder. Still the main thing is a headache, but hopefully that will subside tomorrow when the dressing is removed (it was wrapped pretty tightly). Anyway, my in-laws are here and making everything easier!!! Dan should be in the hospital for a few more days so the doctors can keep an eye on him. Thanks for the prayers, I get to see the evidence everyday!!
Teal
Dan had a pretty good day today...( I mean, 3 milkshakes would make a good day for me:) His pain is under control and there has been a GREAT relief of pain from his shoulder. Still the main thing is a headache, but hopefully that will subside tomorrow when the dressing is removed (it was wrapped pretty tightly). Anyway, my in-laws are here and making everything easier!!! Dan should be in the hospital for a few more days so the doctors can keep an eye on him. Thanks for the prayers, I get to see the evidence everyday!!
Teal
Thursday morning update...
Well, Dan went into surgery yesterday around 12:30 and was finished around 4pm. So much for a short surgery:) The doctors were able to save his tissue expander. So what that really means is that they took it out, cleaned out the shoulder and re-placed it. They also grafted his eye, cut out his bald spot and did quite a bit to his nose. They cut off the blood supply to his nose and trimmed down the actual nose part. After 3 weeks of a really weird looking thing on his face, his nose looks pretty normal. And...I'm sure it will continue to look better as the swelling goes down each day. Dan was pretty coherent yesterday evening (more so than after his last surgery) and his pain was getting under control. The main source of pain right now is a HUGE headache from what they had to do to the bald spot. Hopefully that will subside quickly. Visiting hours do not start until noon today, so I will get a small update in tonight after I come home. Thanks again for all the prayers.
Teal
Teal
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
SURGERY WEDNESDAY...
Hi All,
Well late this afternoon we found out that Patrick (I know, I know, I call him Dan AND Patrick, same person, just bear with me:) is going to have surgery tomorrow. No real emergency, but there was space on the schedule and he was already inpatient so tomorrow it is. He will be second case (at least that's what they are saying now) so he should be in surgery late morning, maybe 10-11 a.m.-ish. He is going to have all the previously scheduled things done: eye, bald spot, nose thinning, but also the doctor is going to go into his shoulder, take out the implant, clean out the area, and HOPEFULLY put the implant back. Patrick is thrilled to be having surgery tomorrow so that he doesn't have to just wait around all day tomorrow until Thursday,(he is getting a little bored.)
Please pray for a successful surgery, pain control, no more infection and that the implant will be able to be put back in. We appreciate the time you all take to lift our family up in prayer.
Teal
Well late this afternoon we found out that Patrick (I know, I know, I call him Dan AND Patrick, same person, just bear with me:) is going to have surgery tomorrow. No real emergency, but there was space on the schedule and he was already inpatient so tomorrow it is. He will be second case (at least that's what they are saying now) so he should be in surgery late morning, maybe 10-11 a.m.-ish. He is going to have all the previously scheduled things done: eye, bald spot, nose thinning, but also the doctor is going to go into his shoulder, take out the implant, clean out the area, and HOPEFULLY put the implant back. Patrick is thrilled to be having surgery tomorrow so that he doesn't have to just wait around all day tomorrow until Thursday,(he is getting a little bored.)
Please pray for a successful surgery, pain control, no more infection and that the implant will be able to be put back in. We appreciate the time you all take to lift our family up in prayer.
Teal
Monday, August 18, 2008
We're Inpatient...
ok, so after my LONG update Saturday afternoon, Dan got a fever Saturday night. This is never a good thing after surgery because it signals a problem, specifically an infection. With all that was going on with his shoulder, we wanted to stay on top of it. So up to 4 East. The great thing about knowing everyone at the hospital is that we don't have to deal with the ER. If we ever have a problem or a question, we go directly to the Burn floor step down unit. We know most of the nurses and they know everything about burns and all of these reconstructive surgeries. Long story short, Dan was admitted so he could start IV antibiotics to try to get rid of this infection.
So no real news until this morning, when his surgeon, Dr. Thomas, got to look at the shoulder. We were expecting anything....he could have taken Dan back to surgery this morning....but in the end, he decided to continue the IV antibiotics today and tomorrow, and see what all the cultures say and if his blood count improves. He is tentatively on the surgery schedule for Wednesday to have the tissue expander removed and shoulder cleaned if it doesn't clear up on it's own by then. I am not sure what this means for his previously scheduled surgery on Thursday.
Dan is doing fine. He really doesn't mind being in the hospital. Especially since he can get up and do everything for himself. He doesn't feel trapped. We are truly just trusting in the Lord and knowing that these small complications could be preventing larger ones. Continue to pray for healing, no infection and pain control as the shoulder is still very painful. Everything else is looking great!!
I will update again when I know something.
Teal
So no real news until this morning, when his surgeon, Dr. Thomas, got to look at the shoulder. We were expecting anything....he could have taken Dan back to surgery this morning....but in the end, he decided to continue the IV antibiotics today and tomorrow, and see what all the cultures say and if his blood count improves. He is tentatively on the surgery schedule for Wednesday to have the tissue expander removed and shoulder cleaned if it doesn't clear up on it's own by then. I am not sure what this means for his previously scheduled surgery on Thursday.
Dan is doing fine. He really doesn't mind being in the hospital. Especially since he can get up and do everything for himself. He doesn't feel trapped. We are truly just trusting in the Lord and knowing that these small complications could be preventing larger ones. Continue to pray for healing, no infection and pain control as the shoulder is still very painful. Everything else is looking great!!
I will update again when I know something.
Teal
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Saturday update...Praises!!!!
Hello All,
Well, so much has been going on the last couple of days, so I have a lot to update.
We'll start with Thursday. We are finally down to seeing the ophthalmologist every two days. When we saw him on Thursday, he said that the ulcer had completely healed (prayer answered!) There are still lacerations which are causing dryness and irritation, but God is healing Dan's body. After that appointment we went to another hospital, Wilford Hall. (This is where Macy was born.) At this appointment, we saw a maxillofacial prosthodontist. This is a doctor who makes facial prosthetics. Dan had to have something called nasal splints made. He will wear these in his nose to keep the shape correct and his airway open. It was a pretty long appointment, but Dan got the nasal splints (that were sewn into his nose after surgery) taken out and got the new ones that are removable. It was a big relief for him. He could finally blow his nose and feel clean. (Oh, the things we take for granted:)
My last post, I talked about the pain Dan had been having in his left shoulder. It was more bruised than the other. Well, Tuesday, during another Dr. appointment, Dan's surgeon just walked in to check on him. We showed him the shoulder and he said that it wasn't just a bruise, it was a hematoma. A hematoma is when the blood from a bruise clots and does not dissipate naturally. Dan's hematoma started just behind his shoulder on his back and went halfway down his chest. This is dangerous because if that blood does not go away on it's own it could cause infection or at the very least the doctor would have to go in and surgically remove the tissue expander and clean out all the old clotted blood. This is a praise b/c we were able to be proactive about it. For the next two days, Dan used a heating pad to help clear it up. It made a big difference. OK, back to Thursday night....Dan's shoulder started bleeding a little bit out of the suture line. It looked like old blood, so we weren't too worried.
On to Friday....We had an appointment with Dr. Thomas, Dan's plastic surgeon. He agreed that there was much improvement in the shoulder, and as he touched it, blood shot out of it and across the room. He insisted to us that this was good news, and told the nurse to "milk it". And that is what she did. She massaged the area and was able to get all the old blood out of the area. Sorry if this is a little gross, but this is a praise as well, b/c we had been praying for no infection and no complications. If the blood hadn't come out this way, it would have taken surgery, putting us behind schedule. During this visit, quite a few stitches were taken out, specifically in his eye. They were bothering him and making his vision blurry, so I know that was a relief!!
Speaking of surgery....Dan is scheduled to have his second surgery this Thursday, August 21. During this surgery, he will have his left eyelid released, the large baldspot closed and his nose "trimmed down" (I finally found out what "tweaked" meant:) This one should be a "short" one, 1-2 hours and he should only be inpatient for a day or two. Dan's parents will be here again to help with the kids, hospital visits and caring for Dan.
Speaking of the kids....they are handling this so well. I was a little concerned what the kids responses would be to seeing their Daddy. He looked pretty beat up and his nose was really swollen and bulbous looking. It's as if Macy didn't even see it and Trey laughed and said, "Those silly Doctors...What did they do to your nose???" They are so precious and it is such a relief to all of us that they don't seem to have any "issues" with all that is going on in their lives. To them, this is normal. Trey's best friend, Maya, has a Daddy who is burned too, but is also a below the knee amputee. It was cute to see them discussing that the first time.
We are doing great here. Dan and I are so lucky to have such great family who will drop everything to be here for us. (My mom came in for two days this weekend just to be an extra set of hands, and b/c of that my kids were fed breakfast this morning, dressed and will have clean clothes this week:):) Often people ask what they can do for us or if we need anything, and the honest answer is : PRAYER. It is so beautiful to witness all of your prayers being answered. I hope this little blog encourages you, b/c our all-knowing Lord is watching over ALL of us and desires to answer your personal prayers as well.
Thank you again for keeping up with us, leave a comment and let me know you were here. It is such an encouragement to me. I will keep you updated this week as things progress with Dan's surgery.
Well, so much has been going on the last couple of days, so I have a lot to update.
We'll start with Thursday. We are finally down to seeing the ophthalmologist every two days. When we saw him on Thursday, he said that the ulcer had completely healed (prayer answered!) There are still lacerations which are causing dryness and irritation, but God is healing Dan's body. After that appointment we went to another hospital, Wilford Hall. (This is where Macy was born.) At this appointment, we saw a maxillofacial prosthodontist. This is a doctor who makes facial prosthetics. Dan had to have something called nasal splints made. He will wear these in his nose to keep the shape correct and his airway open. It was a pretty long appointment, but Dan got the nasal splints (that were sewn into his nose after surgery) taken out and got the new ones that are removable. It was a big relief for him. He could finally blow his nose and feel clean. (Oh, the things we take for granted:)
My last post, I talked about the pain Dan had been having in his left shoulder. It was more bruised than the other. Well, Tuesday, during another Dr. appointment, Dan's surgeon just walked in to check on him. We showed him the shoulder and he said that it wasn't just a bruise, it was a hematoma. A hematoma is when the blood from a bruise clots and does not dissipate naturally. Dan's hematoma started just behind his shoulder on his back and went halfway down his chest. This is dangerous because if that blood does not go away on it's own it could cause infection or at the very least the doctor would have to go in and surgically remove the tissue expander and clean out all the old clotted blood. This is a praise b/c we were able to be proactive about it. For the next two days, Dan used a heating pad to help clear it up. It made a big difference. OK, back to Thursday night....Dan's shoulder started bleeding a little bit out of the suture line. It looked like old blood, so we weren't too worried.
On to Friday....We had an appointment with Dr. Thomas, Dan's plastic surgeon. He agreed that there was much improvement in the shoulder, and as he touched it, blood shot out of it and across the room. He insisted to us that this was good news, and told the nurse to "milk it". And that is what she did. She massaged the area and was able to get all the old blood out of the area. Sorry if this is a little gross, but this is a praise as well, b/c we had been praying for no infection and no complications. If the blood hadn't come out this way, it would have taken surgery, putting us behind schedule. During this visit, quite a few stitches were taken out, specifically in his eye. They were bothering him and making his vision blurry, so I know that was a relief!!
Speaking of surgery....Dan is scheduled to have his second surgery this Thursday, August 21. During this surgery, he will have his left eyelid released, the large baldspot closed and his nose "trimmed down" (I finally found out what "tweaked" meant:) This one should be a "short" one, 1-2 hours and he should only be inpatient for a day or two. Dan's parents will be here again to help with the kids, hospital visits and caring for Dan.
Speaking of the kids....they are handling this so well. I was a little concerned what the kids responses would be to seeing their Daddy. He looked pretty beat up and his nose was really swollen and bulbous looking. It's as if Macy didn't even see it and Trey laughed and said, "Those silly Doctors...What did they do to your nose???" They are so precious and it is such a relief to all of us that they don't seem to have any "issues" with all that is going on in their lives. To them, this is normal. Trey's best friend, Maya, has a Daddy who is burned too, but is also a below the knee amputee. It was cute to see them discussing that the first time.
We are doing great here. Dan and I are so lucky to have such great family who will drop everything to be here for us. (My mom came in for two days this weekend just to be an extra set of hands, and b/c of that my kids were fed breakfast this morning, dressed and will have clean clothes this week:):) Often people ask what they can do for us or if we need anything, and the honest answer is : PRAYER. It is so beautiful to witness all of your prayers being answered. I hope this little blog encourages you, b/c our all-knowing Lord is watching over ALL of us and desires to answer your personal prayers as well.
Thank you again for keeping up with us, leave a comment and let me know you were here. It is such an encouragement to me. I will keep you updated this week as things progress with Dan's surgery.
Monday, August 11, 2008
More Pictures of the kiddos this weekend...
This weekend, my mom came for a visit and to help out with Patrick. The kids love having her here (and us too!!!) These are some pictures from our friend, Addison's, birthday party. It was quite a zoo!!!
Mia, Trey and Macy
Neither of my kids can look at the camera...
Trey and Mommy (He really is cute when he opens his eyes:)
Macy loved her some animals....
She seriously did not want to leave the pen, oh well....We had a great time at Addison's birthday!!!!
Happy Birthday Addison, we will miss you!!!
Pics of kids...
Macy playing with Daddy
Trey, Macy and Maya jumping on the trampoline.This was the original activity...
Then we decided to play with the water table....(yes, Trey supports John McCain)
Macy decided that the water table should be a pool....
hey, this hose looks fun....
Surely it would be more fun without my clothes...
If Macy can do it, why can't we?????
Back to the trampoline....Monday, 8-11-08, update...
We saw the ophthalmologist again this morning and the ulcer is taking it's sweet time to close. We are going to try a different plan of medication to heal it. It is improving but not at the rate the Doctor expected or would like to see. After that appointment, we went to the burn clinic to meet with Dan's physical medicine doctor, who is like a physical therapy doctor and deals with pain related issues, as well as bone, ligament, tendon, and basic structural issues. (All went fine with this appointment.)
The great part about this is that Dan's plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas, happened to come by the room and check on Dan. The good news is that he got the stitches in his forehead and scalp removed. However, Dan has been having a lot of pain in his left shoulder, (where he had a tissue expander implanted.) We had been noticing a lot of bruising on the left side even after the right side had cleared up. Dr. Thomas looked at it and said there was a hematoma there and that we should be using heat to help it be resorbed. This is of concern because if this does not go away with this treatment, they will have to surgically remove the tissue expander and clean out the tissue in his shoulder. The shoulder will then have to heal and the tissue expander re-placed.
This will definitely be a setback and we appreciate any and all prayers.
We will see Dr. Thomas again on Thursday and will have another update (and hopefully a surgery date) that evening.
The great part about this is that Dan's plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas, happened to come by the room and check on Dan. The good news is that he got the stitches in his forehead and scalp removed. However, Dan has been having a lot of pain in his left shoulder, (where he had a tissue expander implanted.) We had been noticing a lot of bruising on the left side even after the right side had cleared up. Dr. Thomas looked at it and said there was a hematoma there and that we should be using heat to help it be resorbed. This is of concern because if this does not go away with this treatment, they will have to surgically remove the tissue expander and clean out the tissue in his shoulder. The shoulder will then have to heal and the tissue expander re-placed.
This will definitely be a setback and we appreciate any and all prayers.
We will see Dr. Thomas again on Thursday and will have another update (and hopefully a surgery date) that evening.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sunday, 8-10-08, UPDATE...
Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated. After seeing the ophthalmologist every day since Tuesday, including Saturday, and putting antibiotic drops hourly, there has been improvement in Dan's eye. It is still causing him quite a bit of pain and his vision still a little blurry, although improving enough to watch the Olympics. He will continue to see the ophthalmologist daily this week until the ulcer is closed. It was just really big.
As far as surgery goes, he will have his second surgery in the next two weeks. We will know the date on Thursday. During this surgery, he will have his left eye released, (this is the eye with the infection and will solve the problem we are having now.) He will also have his bald spot in the back of his head that was caused from a bed sore cut out and his nose "tweaked" (again, Doctor's words.) The good news about this one is that of all the things done to him in the first surgery that will be performed a second time to different areas are not bothering him or causing much pain. Hopefully he won't have to be in the hospital as long this time, although, he didn't seem to mind much, as he knows so much of the staff.
Please check the blog again soon b/c I have some precious pictures of the kiddos this weekend playing with all their friends, but am to tired to deal with that now. Please keep us in your prayers, and keep pain control at the top:) Love you all....
As far as surgery goes, he will have his second surgery in the next two weeks. We will know the date on Thursday. During this surgery, he will have his left eye released, (this is the eye with the infection and will solve the problem we are having now.) He will also have his bald spot in the back of his head that was caused from a bed sore cut out and his nose "tweaked" (again, Doctor's words.) The good news about this one is that of all the things done to him in the first surgery that will be performed a second time to different areas are not bothering him or causing much pain. Hopefully he won't have to be in the hospital as long this time, although, he didn't seem to mind much, as he knows so much of the staff.
Please check the blog again soon b/c I have some precious pictures of the kiddos this weekend playing with all their friends, but am to tired to deal with that now. Please keep us in your prayers, and keep pain control at the top:) Love you all....
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Wednesday morning update...
Well, we went to the doctor yesterday and all of the surgery sites looked great!! The nurse said that Dan's eye and nose look better than most at this point! So that was great news. The not so great news came a little later. Dan has been having problems with his left eye (to which nothing was done.) It has been causing a lot of pain and his vision is very blurry. None of this was of great concern at the beginning b/c it seemed natural after the surgery. After telling our concerns to the surgeon, we got an appointment with an opthamoligist. After 3 hours there yesterday evening, the findings are that Dan has a corneal ulcer that is infected. This isn't great news, but at least there is some reason for the pain and compromised vision. The opthamoligist started Dan on antibiotic drops hourly and we will see him daily until he sees the results he wants to. We are so fortunate that we caught this when we did as it could (and still can) cause permanent damage. Please keep this situation in your prayers!
Thanks,
Teal
Thanks,
Teal
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Dan's Home...
Hi All,
Well, yesterday afternoon, Dan was released from the hospital. He is home and resting as comfortably as possible. Friday he was joking that he wanted to go to church today (Sunday), but that really is not going to happen...those drugs wore off:) He is looking much better, swelling continues to go down.
We go for a check up on Tuesday and we will be scheduling his next surgery either Tuesday or Friday. I believe that it will be in 2-3 weeks. The next surgery will consist of releasing his left eyelid, "tweaking" his nose (those are the Dr.'s words) and closing the large bald spot on his head. This one should be about 1-2 hours, as opposed to the 5 hour surgery he had earlier this week.
We continue to covet your prayers as we are still just at the beginning of this stage of surgeries. Pain control continues to be a big issue. Thank you.
Well, yesterday afternoon, Dan was released from the hospital. He is home and resting as comfortably as possible. Friday he was joking that he wanted to go to church today (Sunday), but that really is not going to happen...those drugs wore off:) He is looking much better, swelling continues to go down.
We go for a check up on Tuesday and we will be scheduling his next surgery either Tuesday or Friday. I believe that it will be in 2-3 weeks. The next surgery will consist of releasing his left eyelid, "tweaking" his nose (those are the Dr.'s words) and closing the large bald spot on his head. This one should be about 1-2 hours, as opposed to the 5 hour surgery he had earlier this week.
We continue to covet your prayers as we are still just at the beginning of this stage of surgeries. Pain control continues to be a big issue. Thank you.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Friday evening update...
Hey All,
Dan is doing much better today. This morning, all of the bandages were removed from his face, so we can get a look at everything and it looks pretty good (all things considered:) Now that the bolster is off his right eye, he can see better, but not as clear as he will be able to in another day or two, and the swelling has gone down more so he is able to see out of the left eye better as well. He might be home early as the Doctor has given him the go ahead as soon as he feels comfortable, (gotta love that military medicine!!!) and he feels he has a handle on the pain. I will keep updating!
Thanks again for all the prayers, God is listening and answering them!!
Teal
Dan is doing much better today. This morning, all of the bandages were removed from his face, so we can get a look at everything and it looks pretty good (all things considered:) Now that the bolster is off his right eye, he can see better, but not as clear as he will be able to in another day or two, and the swelling has gone down more so he is able to see out of the left eye better as well. He might be home early as the Doctor has given him the go ahead as soon as he feels comfortable, (gotta love that military medicine!!!) and he feels he has a handle on the pain. I will keep updating!
Thanks again for all the prayers, God is listening and answering them!!
Teal
Friday Morning update...
Dan was doing much better yesterday. He was very coherent and talkative and even joking a little. His swelling is much better. Today, the doctors are taking the bolster off his right eye (the one they did the skin graph release on) so he should be able to see. Nothing was done to his left eye but he hasn't been able to see out of that eye because of the swelling, so today should be a good day...at least he will be able to see the t.v.
Yesterday, the doctor said that Dan would be inpatient until Monday at least. This is longer than we expected, but not due to issues with the surgery sites, but for pain management issues. Please continue to pray for infection control and pain management. Thank you! I will update again tonight or tomorrow morning.
Teal
Yesterday, the doctor said that Dan would be inpatient until Monday at least. This is longer than we expected, but not due to issues with the surgery sites, but for pain management issues. Please continue to pray for infection control and pain management. Thank you! I will update again tonight or tomorrow morning.
Teal
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