Another Day in Paradise

I had a great day yesterday and today is off to a great start so it is just another day in paradise. Just thought I would let you know what was happening with Dan this morning, his mom Linda is taking him to Flagstaff to see the plastic surgeon and he hopes to get the braces off although we will have to see. Linda is leaving from Flag to go home and will take her well deserved vacation. Dan's friend Terry Strong is going to bring him home. We will have a list of Dr. appointments that we will be going on and I will keep you posted on how things go with those. Dan is doing really well at home and is progressing well. I have a statement in my box at work regarding his medical fund and will post that information soon. Hope you have a great day.
K

Grown Up

I know this is a bit of a fuzzy picture, but you take a picture of two 4 yr olds without them moving and let me know how it goes.

Took this picture of Gunner and his friend Jordan today and I got to thinking about it. Oh to be four again. In their mind they are anything they want to be. I have been thinking about that and my life. I can change who I am if it is something I want to be. I also had this thought today...Dan is wondering what God wants him to do since He brought him this far. What about me, Jesus gave me my life back too, maybe not physically (although I have had my share of near misses) but for sure spiritually. So am I really seeking what it is God has for me? How about you? Are you really seeking what God has for you?
K

Amazing Photo...Amazing Trip

On June 11th my brother Greg and I took 14 guys from Prescott Christian Church on a river trip in the Grand Canyon. We put in at Diamond Creek and take out on Lake Mead, it is about 75 river miles and this was an awesome trip. There are two highlights that for sure are worth mentioning.



River mile 231 rapid can be a real nasty rapid. The last paddle raft through got too far to the left and nearly flipped. Everyone ended up swimming the last half of the rapid which can be pretty scary stuff. We finally got all the swimmers in the boats, but we were still missing two guys. It is so tough when that happens. As it turned out two guys were stranded on the bank halfway down the rapid above a huge eddy. Couldn't swim against the eddy current and we didn't want them to take the risk of swimming the rapid and it was impossible to climb to us along the bank. We finally got two throw bags of rope tied them to a life vest and floated the rope to them and were able to pull them to safety. Doesn't sound nearly as exciting as it was...just ask Ray and Jim the two guys who were stranded.



The second mentionable was this incredible likeness of a Native American naturally etched on the canyon wall. Bill took a great photo and I did a little work on it to make it easier to find. I have never seen this before, not sure if it will be there when I go back, but it was pretty cool. It is a little grainy in the photo that I uploaded, but was as good as I could get for now. If you click on the picture and get it to full screen it is a little better. I guess Someone was watching over the trip for us.
K

Home Sweet Home

Dano came home today and I think everyone is pretty excited. I know Dan glad to be back on camp after 4 1/2 weeks of being in the hospital. Linda said that it wasn't the insurance company that moved him out it was a combination of him doing well and to protect him from any sickness that could come from being in the hospital. His Dr. said that it would be better off for him to be home. He has a list of Dr. appointments coming up, his mom is taking him to Flag on Monday to see the plastic surgeon and hopefully have the braces taken off. He has an appointment with an Ear Nose and Throat Dr. regarding his hearing in his left ear, an appointment with an eye Dr. for the vision in his left eye, another one with his orthopedic surgeon regarding his wrists and I think a psych eval. He will be busy for a while with all that. Linda is going to be here until Tuesday then going on a well deserved vacation (a bit reluctantly I might add, but what mom wouldn't be reluctant to leave?), she will then come back after vacation.

For those of you who have given to Dan a huge THANK YOU! It doesn't seem like it is enough, but thank you! I am also going to see if I can get some picts from his Mom when he was in ICU so you can see where we have come from in such a short time. Our local newspaper is doing an article on Dan's accident which is kind of exciting. At some point I plan on taking Dan over to the Rim Rock Fire Department so he can meet them. They asked for updates and for them I am sure that seeing Dan walking and talking would be encouraging.

K

Coming Home

Today we found out that Dan is coming home Wednesday. I am not sure what happened since Friday when the therapists basically recommended another week, but he is coming home. I don't know if the insurance company didn't authorize another week or if Dan continues to improve at such a rate that he is ready for outpatient therapy, regardless he will be excited to be out of the hospital. I think there is probably a combination of his improvement rate and the fact that he will have help once he is home that is allowing him to leave, but I should have more info tomorrow. He does have a Dr. appt in Flag Monday to hopefully remove the braces and possibly get his hands looked at. We also hope he gets someone to look at his left eye and ear soon.

As far as the Medical Fund, we have around $5,000 so far and that includes money from the lemonade/brownie stand some of the full time camp staff kids have been running. I will find out how much we think we are going to need and an exact amount in the fund so we all know what we are shooting for.

In my feeble little mind I have no way to explain Dan's incredible progress than the hand of God. The number of people praying for him is incredible and I know that God will continue his work. Please continue to pray for his recovery, his patience, his family and the direction for his life.

K

Dan's Family Meeting

I was honored to be invited to "the family meeting" with all the therapists and Dan's parents by Steve and Linda yesterday at 10:30. Basically the Occupational Therapist (OT), the Physical Therapist (PT) and the Speech Therapist (ST) each gave a report on how Dan is doing in their area and then we got the plan for Dan for the next week.

Basically the insurance company approved Dan to be at the rehab hospital until Monday. So if they don't approve another week he will be home on Tuesday. It is typical for the insurance to go week by week on their approval. If Dan were to go home Tuesday it would require someone to be with him at all times based on what the OT was saying. The PT was very pleased with his progress and based on his eval would release him. The OT and the ST would highly recommend another week for sure and then a re-evaluation. Dan isn't really having problems with his speech, but his brain is still healing and the ST would like to work with him some more on cognitive development. The lead nurse is working with the insurance company and felt like most likely they will approve another week based on what the hospital would recommend. If he does stay another week, which is likely, he will have an appointment in Flagstaff to see the plastic surgeon for his jaw and face and the orthopedic surgeon for his hands. The rehab hospital also wants him to have a neuralogical psych eval, ear nose and throat eval for his left ear and an eye doctor eval for his left eye. Currently he is having some trouble focusing out of his left eye and he cannot hear out of his left ear. I will let you know what he will be doing as soon as I find out, although I would expect him to be there another week. The team working with Dan recommends a discharge date of July 31st, but again it will be week to week on Dan's improvement, the teams recommendations and the insurance company. Steve has gone back home to get caught up and Linda is staying until the 26th or 27th as far as she knows at this time. She will stay longer if necessary.

Dan is doing well, there have been quite a few visitors and I think he likes the interaction with different people. We do need to keep praying that he keeps his spirits up and can have patience with the whole process. He can't eat solid food and has lost about 30 lbs (as you can tell from the pictures) so he has been eating a lot of smoothies, pray for his strength and weight to return. Also continue to pray for him to know what it is God saved his life for as he really believes God wants him here...I think I would agree. Also be praying for the financial piece of this whole thing. The kids of the full time staff here on camp (my kids, Coyne kids and the other Mengarelli's) have been selling lemonade and brownies with the procedes going to Dan's Medical Fund. I will try to get some info on how much we need and how much we have to pass that along to all of you. Thanks for your prayers and here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Kris

Back from Vacation

We did make it back from our vacation last Friday and had a good time in MO and KS seeing the family. Great time on Lake Stockton with Amy's parents, got to see some great friends at church in Lamar and then loved seeing the Mengarelli's. One of the many highlights of the trip was seeing my Aunt Barb's quilt shop. Her passion for what she does and how quilts are a part of people's lives is so obvious. We also loved be at Uncle Jimmie's and hanging out in the bunkhouse...good times.

Another huge highlight to the trip was getting to spend some time with my friend Ky and his family. They have two beautiful girls and the youngest is the one we have been praying for through her heart surgery as an infant. She was born with only one chamber in her heart. Your prayers for Ky and his family have worked because of the 5 other babies with this same condition their baby Kally is the only one still living. They will take her in for surgery again in October and she will have 3 more, but she is doing great. Keep praying. One thing I think it teaches me is that you never know what is going to happen so you enjoy each day.

Kris

Now What God?

I had a great time today with Dan just hanging out and talking. I was there from about 3 pm to 6 pm, even had me a $3 meal. It was good to just sit and talk about what is going on and where he is going to go from here. Dan still needs our prayers, I think a big prayer request would be for patience. In his words "I am just done with all this" referring to the casts, the pain in his head and face, his wound vac, the time in the hospital. I know that all of you who know Danny know that what he is going through now is a big challenge for him. To not be able to get out and do things is a bit tough on him.
Another thing that he has talked about with several people and we talked about it quite a bit today is "if God let me live he must have plans for me...i just don't know what they are". Dan realizes that it is by the grace of God that he is even alive. He believes there is a purpose for his life and he is really seeking God to know what that purpose is. Toward the end of our conversation I asked him what specifically to ask for prayer for and this was it. (I brought up the patience one and he agreed.) This is what Dan is processing and what he asked prayer for. He and I have talked about the fact that working in maintenance at UCYC is not his lifetime career. While he is good at it, really we have seen that he is gifted at working with the kids here at camp. As far as I am concerned as his "boss" he can stay in facilities, but I also want him to follow what God has for him and will help him figure that out in any way I can. He is also thinking about the medical field. He recently did very well in an EMT class and has thought about becoming a paramedic. Regardless he is searching for God's purpose and would really appreciate the prayers.
As far as how long Dan is going to be there, we still don't know for sure, but the Physical Therapist that was in the room this evening said 3 to 4 days. I questioned her further and she only said they have been talking about Dan and he is doing very well. I am not one go get my (or yours for that matter) hopes up, but he is doing well and I don't think he will be there for 3 weeks as was initially planned.Keep praying and thank you to those who have given to the Dan Barker Medical Fund...to the rest of you thanks for the prayers and if you can give I know it would be appreciated beyond words.
Thanks,
Kris

Dan

Today Dan had several visitors and seems to just continue to improve. At physical therapy he was able to walk heel to toe and keep his balance standing on one leg just fine. He also got his first shower in 3 weeks and has had a chance to shave. He also has had the trach pulled so it is just a matter of time before that heals up as well. We are going to try and setup a schedule at the office here at camp to help keep the flow of people spread out rather than 50 visitors at once a few at a time is best. So for those of us here at camp we are going to filter through. Tomorrow I am going to go to Kenny Bailey's memorial service and then I am going to meet Cory Speights (the hero who ran to get help for Dan) and take him in to see Dan. I think they both will enjoy that. I will continue to keep you posted although it may not be quite as often. They think Dan will be there for about 3 weeks, but that would surprise me as he has been ahead of them most of the way at least these past few weeks. Dan's parents have moved into his house here on camp...might have to do some cleaning for the boy if you know Danny you know how tidy he can be. Dan's parents are doing very well and we are glad they are here.
K

Daisies

The following post comes directly from one of our former summer staffers facebook page. I will tell you that if you want to support her kids or her in any way it would be money well spent on ministry. Jessica is one of the best we have ever had here and she will do awesome in ministry with these inner-city kids. If you are interested, let me know and I will give you her address:

From Jessica,

"A wild daisy emerges from the Earth, peeks at the sun through much trash and contorts itself around broken glass and concrete. In its becoming, the daisy stands with confidence and is simply what it’s meant to be. Like this small daisy there are children in my neighborhood doing their best to emerge, to seek goodness and to grow successfully. My house mates and I are doing what we can to love the children in our neighborhood and build relationships with their parents. In mid-June 2009, we started a Kids Club. We meet on Monday's from 6-8pm. We have singing, a Bible teaching, crafts, games and a snack. There are about 7-14 children on average that attend.On the 4th of July we took 40 neighborhood children to the zoo; ranging from the ages of 4-17. It was chaotically fun. The trip was a wonderful opportunity for the kids to leave the block and do something fun and educational. This trip was funded by a young adults group from a church in Central Pennsylvania that was visiting Philadelphia for a short-term service trip. However we exceeded the limit of for the number of children that could be payed for. It was a huge blessing to split the cost of the zoo trip with them! There is no way the three of us can fund everything we want to do with these amazing children.This being said I would like to extend the invitation for you to be a part of kids club! Currently we are planning a pizza party for the beginning of Sept. for children who have read 5 books during July and August. Other activities being planned are a trip to a museum, girls night sleep over, and much more. If you would like to sponsor a child for any other these events that would be delightful. I would love to personally talk with you about one of the children from my block that you may sponsor! "

You can contact me by leaving a comment for this post or via e-mail:
1scooter@gmail.com
Thanks,
K

Burnt Can Chicken

This evening I was all excited about grilling up some beer can chicken on my gas grill. Will and Karis were in the kitchen and we got the birds all prepped on their cans, covered in oil and Montreal chicken seasoning. Will started to give them their wedding vows...not sure why. Anyway after getting them all settled on the grill I was teaching Will and Karis how to properly clean the kitchen as far as their chores go thinking the chicken just needs to be in there for an hour or so before I check it...you know cook chicken low and slow. When I went to check my fine slow roasted birds this is what I found.

For some reason my wife thought this was funny and that I should blog about it. Fortunately there was some uncharred meat on the inside that was actually pretty good. I am thinking the oil caught on fire and well you get the idea. Oh well, if you can't laugh at yourself you are in trouble so here is my Burnt Bird on a Beer Can.

He Makes Me Laugh

Dan is doing well. We were just hoping at a chance to see him tonight and as it turned out we found his Dad who was lost and helped him find the rehab center and were lucky enough to get in to see him. He was telling me and Jim Smith about having his dressings changed on his wound vac and was cracking us up. He is doing well, he is in some pain yet trying to not take too much in the way of pain meds. He had a lot to say tonight and has really come around to remembering things in just the past 3 or 4 days. He is also sorting out what was reality and what was a dream from the past 3 weeks. While at times he sounds confused I really don't think he is. I think he is just trying to recover from being totally out of it for the past 3 weeks....you can imagine there is a lot to process. For instance, he wants to tell us about all of his injuries as if we didn't know, but from his perspective he just found out so he assumes this is all new information for all of us.

As of yesterday he didn't remember anything about the fall. On the ride down from Flagstaff today he all of a sudden remembered and told us what happened. We had previously speculated that he crossed on a cable car but that is NOT what happened. He was hiking along the creek and crossed the creek by hopping across on some big rocks in the stream. Once on the other side the bank gets steep and rather than get wet or go back, he went up. Where he climbed up wasn't too steep or technical and he cleared it easily I am sure. He was walking on the top of the cliff and he simply slipped and fell. He remembers barely clipping a tree. If you have looked back in my blog you will recall me talking about a dead tree we thought he was trying to climb up. One of our summer staffers went onto the top when I was there and the top is sloped and covered in loose rock and debris and is very treacherous, that is what caused Dan to fall. He does remember falling the first 20 feet thinking he was going to die. After that he doesn't remember much until last Friday. Although there are some memories in between those two that he is trying to figure out. According to Dan's account I have no doubt he fell 40 feet and maybe more like 50 feet with the first part of that being a slide down. There is no question that God was with him.

Right now they are planning on him being in the rehab center for 3 weeks, but if he progresses as fast as he has been I wouldn't be surprised if he was out sooner. Things are going so well for Dan. I will probably go see him fairly often so if you have any well wishes don't hesitate to pass them on to me and I will be happy to get them to him.

Or here is the address if you want to send him something he is in room 102

Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital
3700 N. Windsong Drive
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314

Thanks for all your prayers, it is good to have him less than 30 minutes away instead of an hour and half away. Keep praying for him.
Kris

Awesome Phone Call

DAN CALLED ME TODAY!!! Actually his mom called me, but he was the one who answered. Steve said that last night he had some crazy dreams about aliens, which isn't a surprise to me as he has told me and Jim Smith some of his dreams and they are crazy. Anyway when his parents came in he was relieved. He told them he thought they had deserted him, so he was a little disoriented when he woke up. In the night he worked the wires off that hold his jaws together so I guess they won't take those off Monday after all. He had some pureed food last night through a straw and today they were going to feed him some solid food. Anyway he asked his parents if they had Greg (my brother) or my phone number and asked them to call me. He still has the trach so he is figuring out how to talk with that in by covering it up. He wanted to know what happened. I told him, but the nurse came in to give him some medicine so we didn't talk too much, but he said he would call me back. When I told him I met the guy who saved his life by going for help he thought that was pretty cool and I think he will look forward to meeting Cory. I am looking forward to the next call I get from Dan. I honestly don't know how to explain how fast he is recovering except for the grace of God. Three weeks ago I didn't know if he would live, now he is likely to be moved to a rehab hospital early next week. Isn't God amazing!
K

Dan and Memorial for Kenny Bailey in Prescott

Talked to Linda this evening and she said they have had a good day. They removed all the tubes except for the feeding tube, wound vac and trach. Dan is scheduled to have his jaw unwired Monday so I would expect then to pull the trach fairly soon too. He has also been moved from the step-down unit (a little lower form of ICU) to his own private room today so that was good. Dan is starting to talk, a therapist showed him how to cover the trach so he could get air past his vocal cords, but Dan has figured out someway of doing it without that. Leave it to Dan to find his own way of doing things. Overall good news and a good day.

There is going to be a memorial service for Kenny Bailey at PCC here in Prescott on Wednesday at 11 am. I am looking forward to it and look forward to seeing Polly tomorrow.

Life is good and it is good to be home. Have a great night.
K

Lots of Good News

After we left Dan this afternoon they did another x-ray on his jaw and after that they went ahead and took off his neck collar. That was really good for him. They also have removed the other chest tube and took out his catheter. He was up twice today walking around and they took him outside in a wheelchair. I am sure he loved being outside, but the air made him cough quite a bit. Hope to hear from the Dr. soon on unwiring his jaw, which was part of the jaw x-ray. He was making some sounds after the collar was off so he is starting to try and use his vocal cords. Pray they unwire his jaw soon so they can start to feed him and can remove the trach. Pray that tomorrow is as productive as today. We want Dan closer to home so we can see him more often, selfish I know but it is also a sign he is making good progress. He has lost a lot of weight and is pretty thin maybe lifting will be part of his rehab I am sure he will gain the weight and muscle as soon as he can. Can't wait to have him over for pancakes on a Saturday morning to fatten him up.
Kris

Just Saw Dan

WoW!  Dan has made a lot of progress in the last 10 days since I last saw him.  He recognized us and was moving his arms.  He showed me that he could move all of his finges and was trying to communicate with me.  He did write down who came to see him this morning.  I could tell it was frustrating to not be able to talk and he could couldn't have any water and he wantd some pretty bad.  The hospital in Flag was saying he would be in PV Tueday but a lot still has to happen before that transition can happen.  They did xrays on his neck and those results were good they are going to xray his jaw and if that comes back good they will remove the neck collar.  They can unwire his jaw anytime and that has to happen as well as removing the trach so he can eat.  The chest tube on his right lung is out and the one on the left can go anytime and they also need to remove the stomach tube.  All of that needs to happen before the move so we will have to see if it actually happens by Tuesday or not.  He still has the wound vac and a catheter I believe.  Overall he looks good and seems to be doing very well.  He has been off of pain medication for several days and has only had a little sedative at night once in the past 4 days.  I should have more news later from Steve regarding the jaw xray.  Be praying for everything to happen quickly and smoothly so he can get to PV and start on the therapy.   His parents are doing well and it was very encouraging to see him.
Keep praying and I will post another update later today and of course as things happen.
K

FW: Dan

This is the latest e-mail I received from Dan's mom Linda.

---

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 23:31:26 +0000
From: lbarker547@comcast.net
To: kris_mengarelli@msn.com
Subject: Dan

Hi Kris,
 
Overall, it has been a good day.  We saw the doctor this morning and he seemed to be pleased with Danny's progress.  The decision has been made that when he leaves here, he will go to Mountain Valley Rehab in Prescott Valley.  The question now is as to when.  He has a "baby sitter" with him at all times to make sure that he doesn't pull out any of the tubes or try to get out of bed on his own - or do anything else that he shouldn't.  He has been writing some things on paper, some of which we can read and a lot that we can't.  They are planning on an x-ray of his neck to see if things in that area are such that the neck brace can be removed.  That hasn't happened as of yet today.
 
The speech theraphist spent some time with him today and I think was surprised at how well he did.  It is my personal opinion that Dan is going to surprise them all and be out of rehab and back to doing what he loves a great deal sooner than anybody thinks possible! :)
 
The best for last - they got him up this morning and took him for a walk down a bit past the nurses station.  The nurse and PT people kept trying to get him to spread his legs a bit so he would be a bit steadier.  The nurse told him to walk like a cowboy - without any hesitation, he bowed his legs and walked like a cowboy!  I don't think that was quite what John, the nurse, had in mind but it gave all concerned a big laugh!
 
Have a safe trip home.
 
Linda

Dan Update

I talked to Steve today as well as received an e-mail from Linda.  Dan was more relaxed today.  When responding to commands his response time is getting shorter.  He now has a cast on his left hand and Steve was working with Dan on being able to write.  Yesterday he was trying to write with his hand in the air so he is trying to communicate.  They removed the chest tube from his right lung and Steve thought they could remove the left chest tube and the trach soon.  Once they did that even with his jaws wired shut,  the speech therapist would start working with him.  It also looks like they may move him somewhat soon (late this week or early next week) he may be moved to a rehab hospital.  We hope in Prescott Valley but Steve hasn't heard anything for sure.  We are heading home tomorrow and should be back by Friday and hope to stop in Flag to see Dan.  Keep praying for Dan to fully recover, and thanks for your prayers this far.  Also be sure to let people know about the Dan Barker Medical Fund.
Kris

Dan's News

Sorry I haven't updated lately.  Dan didn't have a good day on Sunday.  Physically he didn't go back or forward, but he was very agitated, frustrated or restless so they had to give him some sedation.  Yesterday was a good day he was back to responding to questions and his stomach was doing better with the food they were putting in his stomach.  Overall I would expect okay days and better days, continue to pray.
As if we didn't know it was a miracle, Amy's brother-in-law investigates accidents and researches them for the government mine safety inspection organization.  He said he knows of only one other person who has ever survied a 40 foot fall and he fell on his side.  For Dan to have taken that fall and landed the way he did and be doing as well as he is let alone just being alive is nothing short of a miracle.  Continue to pray, but take a moment to praise God for what he has done and what he is going to continue to do with Dan.
K

Dan's Update

Dan is doing well, the ggod news is that they are talking about moving him to the rehab hospital in Prescott Valley in a week or so pending any setbacks.  Seems like the Dr.s are very impressed with how Dan is progressing.  They did wire his jaws back together and his right lung was starting to collapse so they did surgery to put a tube in on that side to keep it inflated.  I guess it was collapsing because of the pneumonia.  Steve sounded like they weren't too surprised.  His O2 level was still very good.  Katie said he was frustrated, but did try to say good morning to her this morning.  I will post her status from fb on my wall so you can see what she had to say.  Jeni and Mike got to visit him today and were glad to see him.  He was trying to get up out of his chair and get to his bed.  As far as visiting goes it is okay as long as there aren't a bunch of people at once mid-week would be a good time.  Continue to pray, there is a lot to be thankful for, life being one thing for sure.  My brother-in-law investigates mining accidents and said thet he doesn't know of anyone who has survied a 40 foot fall especially landing the way we think he did.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and don't forget that we are raising money to help cover what insurance doesn't.
Send checks to:
UCYC
Dan Barker Medical Fund
1400 Paradise Valley Rd
Prescott, AZ 86303
KM

On The Move

Wow!  Where to start.  Dan is being moved out of ICU today.  He will be in room 235 bed 2.  He stood up and turned to sit in his chair, stuck his tongue out at his sister (she asked for...literally) and has smiled as best he could.  He is on very little sedation if any.  He is recognizing people and doing very well.  Steve and I both agree that we didn't know if he would make it a week ago let alone be moved to a room already.  There is still a ways to go including rehab, but he is doing well.  Continue to pray for good progress and a complete recovery.
K

Sleepy Day

Talked to Linda (Dan's mom) and Dan has had a lazy day. He was sedated some last night, but no sedation today. He has slept most of the day part of that sitting in his chair. We aren't sure how to interpret that, but it seems like after all he has been through natural sleep as opposed to induced sleep is probably good for him. So at this point, no news is good news.

I am ready to fly to Tulsa to spend the night with my friend Ky and meet Kally. I will hug her for all of you who have been praying and try to take a few pictures for you as well. I can't wait to see my family and enjoy a little down time. Pray for an easy week in facilities here at camp as we will be down to just one facilities stud...Jim Smith. I will continue to be in touch.
Kris

"I'm sorry"

So today they put in the wound vac and that went well and they decided they were going to have him sit in a chair for an hour. Two and a half hours later he was ready to go back to bed I guess. Evidently the "food" they are putting in his stomach made him sick so after they put him to bed he threw up all over the nurse and himself. After that he looked at the nurse and mouthed "I'm sorry." His mom looked at the nurse and asked if she saw that and she said yes he just mouthed "I'm sorry." Great news!

The touching story of the day:
Dan's mom: "Dan, are you in any pain?"
Dan: nods his head "NO"

Dan's mom: "Does your tummy still hurt?"
Dan: nods his head "NO"

Dan's mom: "Do you know that I love you very much?"
Dan: nods his head "YES"

I guess this confirms that he is recognizing people and he is trying to talk. His mom also said that compared to earlier he is not flailing about as before rather it is more like he is trying to stretch. In other words his movements are different. Overall it was a good day for Dano and his mom Linda. Keep praying for a full recovery.
K

Dan Saw Me Today

I was going to write that I got to see Dan today, but he got to see me and Jim Smith today as well. Dan is off of the ventilator breathing on his own through the trach and is still on oxygen. They took him off of the IV sedation and now just give him some through an IV when he needs it. While we were there he looked at both of us with his right eye as his left is still swollen but looking a lot better. We believe that he probably recognized us as we was looking back and forth between us, his eye was tracking very smooth and there was good light behind his eyes. In many ways it was very encouraging to see him because he looks so much better. He followed commands this morning and was able to nod his head "no" when the nurse asked if he was in pain. He is moving a lot and in past posts I have said that they keep him sedated because he is agitated. I am sure he is, but a lot of the movement seemed to me like he was just restless. It seemed like he was moving to try and get comfortable or to stretch, with someone so active I am sure his body wants to move around just for the sake of moving. His fever is kind of up and down which could be coming from the pneumonia and/or an infection. Yesterday they opened up the incision in his abdomen to let it drain and today they are going to put a wound vac in that incision to help keep it cleaned out and draining. I think there is some infection in that area. Pray that the antibiotics and Dan's body fight off and get past the infection so he can continue on in the healing process. Jim and I also think he wants to talk but with the trach and his jaw wired shut it is impossible and that could be a little frustrating. Sometime last night or this morning he worked the wires loose on his jaw and will have to have it wired back again today. The nurse did say they were going to try to keep the visits down today and I think that will be the case until he calms down a little more. I also understand that in order for him to be moved to a regular room he will need to be off the vent and off of sedation...one down one to go. Pray that he would understand more and where he is and the need to be calm and rest as he comes off of the sedation. I know it is tough for him to relax, but that is what he needs to do.

Looking at my report I gave some "I Thinks", those aren't from the Dr. and are my opinion based on the information I have so be careful with those as I don't want to spread false information and I don't want those who read this to either.

Thanks for the prayers and support Dan's dad and sister will likely come out tomorrow and then on Sunday his mom and sister will fly back and his mom is driving on Monday to come back to Flagstaff. Pray they have safe travel. I am bummed that I won't get to meet his sister in person although I am sure we will get to sometime. Even though I am leaving to go on vacation with my family I will be staying up to date and will continue to update my blog with information. There will likely be less to report as he continues to progress steadily, but I will keep you posted daily or so depending on what there is to report. If I don't update it, "no news is good news."

Thanks again for your concern and prayers...things are looking better every day.
In His Grace,
Kris

PS - Don't forget the medical fund for Dan and Michelle pointed out in a comment that it will probably be more legit if checks are sent to the camp as opposed to my home address although either will work.
Make checks to:
Dan Barker Medical Fund
UCYC
1400 Paradise Valley Rd
Prescott, AZ 86303