Patrick's home!!!!

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

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 view

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

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

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

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