Monday, October 13, 2008

Update on Michael.....get ready to grab a hanky

Here's a great update from Jim Brown (Michaels' father-in-law)

Becky, Nikki and I all agreed it was time for Wyatt to go see his Daddy. Now that Michael is holding strong in the step down ward of MUSC we are allowed to take Wyatt in to see him.
We all were a bit nervous, because we weren’t sure how Wyatt would react. Obviously Michael looks very different from when Wyatt last saw him 9 weeks ago.
Michael has lost about 80 lbs. he tends to tremble when raising his hands due to extreme weakness. He doesn’t have a lot of facial expressions. Nor does he have the ability to speak out loud yet. We are hoping this week that they will reattach his voice box to the tracheotomy tube.
From what I can see and hear from Michael, he is all there. He whispers to Nikki and she relays what he says to the rest of us. He knows all to well where he is and what is going on. He even has been having nightmares when he sleeps of the accident. He remembers the accident completely.
Due to his nightmares, Nikki and Becky have both assured Michael in speaking with him that the event is all over and that he is ok. To Michael, I am sure this all seems like a blink of an eye and to him it may seem like it was yesterday that an accident happened. For the rest of us, it almost seems like a lifetime.
Nikki has pretty much let him know it is October and he is aware of it now. He even said to Nikki, that he missed his birthday. We all kind of chuckled and told him that yes we had your birthday while you were asleep in the ICU.
Back to Wyatt. As always Wyatt pretty much knows his way around in MUSC. He smiles and waves to everyone. He is always anxious to go play with the toys in the waiting room and ride the elevators. But yesterday was different for him.
We took Wyatt up to the 6th floor and proceeded to Michael’s room. As we entered Michael was awake and looked straight at Wyatt.
Michael’s Grandma, Mother, Sister, Becky, Nikki and I we all in tears, as Michael had tears running down his face as well. We all were telling Wyatt, ‘there’s your Daddy’… Nikki took Wyatt and stepped right up to Michael’s side and Michael raised his hand towards Wyatt. Wyatt gave his Daddy the teddy bear he got for him.
The 3 of them shared a wonderful reunion. Wyatt was a little apprehensive at first but he soon warmed up to Daddy. Becky and I were more than happy to step away from Michael’s room and allow the family to share this wonderful moment. Later on Wyatt went shopping at the gift shop and took his Daddy a balloon that read ‘Get well Dad’.
As Michael drifted off to sleep, Wyatt was his normal self, flirting with the nurses and generally running the hallways. Wyatt seemed more at ease with the second visit back to Daddy’s room and they spent a good amount of time together.

1 comment:

Regina said...

I am so very glad to hear this it blesses my heart so. I will contiune to pray for healing and a new life in Christ.