August 31

Tom was moved to his new acute rehab facility in Wheaton today.  Bryan and his mom spent most of the afternoon and evening with him.  He actually had real food tonight for dinner, though he will be on the feeding tube longer to make sure he gets the calories he needs to get stronger. 

He seems to have a lot of his long term memories.  He asked Bryan yesterday how the last basement at the H's house turned out.  Bryan was finishing this basement in July, right before the aneursym.  He also recognized places and people in old photos. 

However, his short term memory is not very good at this point.  He remembers some things from past visits, but still gets confused.  Bryan tried to explain the aneursym, and why he was in the hospital a few times.  He was remembering a few of the things he said today, but still does not quite understand what is going on.  The 3 week thing that I mentioned a few days ago, may have been just a number he heard someone say, and he repeated.  It just happened to coincide with actual time.  He has not mentioned it since.

He definitely has his wit and sense of humor!  It surprises Bryan all the time.

He gets evaluated tomorrow, and will start therapy shortly thereafter, I assume.

Thanks for the prayers for this new facility.  Please pray for his protection and continued health.  There are not as many nurses on his floor, as the other places he has been.  Even though he does not really need any more medical care, it was comforting to know he was very closely monitored.  Please pray for his intensive therapy, for strength and patience.

We hope to visit with some of our boys soon.  Please pray for that visit as well.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Brenna

August 30

Tom  sat in a normal chair yesterday when Bryan visited.  He no longer needs the cardiac rehab chair  because he can stand and walk a bit!  He also played a computer game on his laptop that he and some of his sons used to play.

He continues to remember more and more.  He even made a comment about being in the hospital for 3 weeks, which is almost how long he has been awake and at the new place.  He also said the wedding was tomorrow, which goes with the "three weeks time frame,"  only in that his son got married 3 weeks after the aneursym. His last memory would have been the Friday 3 weeks before the wedding.  At this point, he still does not realize he missed the wedding, even though he can see the date on the board on his wall.  Please pray for him and the family when he makes that connection.  He is making such good progress, we don't want to make him sad :(

Please also pray for his eyes.  One of them seems to be giving him trouble.  An eye doctor will be visiting him today I believe.

The trache comes out today!  He will be transferred somewhere tomorrow.  He was accepted at both facilities.  Please pray for Bryan's mom as she makes that decision today.

Thanks for praying,

Brenna

August 28

Bryan, his brother Michael, and his Mom visited the rehab place in Wheaton.  Bryan was very impressed with their program, but the drive would be tough for Bryan's mom.  It is also an intensive therapy program and they are particular who they "let in."  The other facility in downtown is well-known, and Bryan's mom could take the train.  As Bryan's mom said, "God knows where he should be, so we will see what happens."  (Or something to that effect).  I think sometime this week we will know where he can go and have to make a decision if he gets into both places.

They visited on Saturday afternoon.  He asked for Bryan's other brother who has not been able to visit for a while.  Another name that he said without prompting!  Bryan's brother Michael (who was visiting) was returning to Iowa the next day, so as he was leaving Tom raised his arms for a hug, and wished him a safe trip.  He also said "The wedding is coming up soon."  No one said anything.  He is putting more and more memories together, but fortunately does not quite have a grasp of the time that he missed, and that the wedding was three weeks ago.  Please pray for him when/if that awareness comes together soon.  Knowing he missed his son's wedding may be hard for him.

Please continue to pray for wisdom this week as we find out where he will be going next.  Please continue to pray for strength and perserverance for him, and for the family, as we walk this long, slow journey with him. 

Praise God for all of the miracles and healing so far.

Thanks for praying,

Brenna

August 26

Bryan, his mom, and 2 brothers visited Tom tonight.  They brought his briefcase, and he looked through all the things that he had with him every day for work.  He remembered a lot and shared some stories.  He also looked through all the pictures he took on his cell phone.  He asked Bryan where the boys were, and Bryan said, we are here, referring to Tom's boys, Bryan and his brothers.  But Tom wanted to see the little boys, his grandsons. :)

Bryan showed him some videos of his grandsons.  During one video he said, "That's Zach!"  Bryan showed him a noisy video of the two youngest boys jumping and running around.  Bryan explained that this is why we cannot bring them to visit him yet.

For over a year, Tom had been taking one of the 3 older grandsons out every Saturday for breakfast  and a trip to Walmart or Staples, to get office supplies for work.  The boys always knew when it was their Saturday with Grandpa.  They even had me write it on the calendar so we kept it straight.  Each week the boys would eat huge breakfasts and amaze Grandpa, and  then come home with something special, ranging from notecards, to whoopie cushions, to pomegranates and coconuts.  He really spent time with each of them, and it has been hard for them not to see him since mid July.

A huge prayer has been answered for me that he remembers them, and that they may get some "Grandpa time" again, no matter what that time will be going forward.

Bryan was very encouraged by their visit tonight.  They will visit the first of the two acute rehab places tomorrow. 

Tom is doing well breathing on his own.  He still likes to pull out his tubes though.

Please pray for continued progress and for wisdom with the visit to the new place tomorrow.

Thanks for your prayers and for checking in,

Brenna

August 25

Tom did not have to do the cardiac chair today.  Instead, Nancy was able to bring him outside and in the gym area for his "therapy."  I think it was probably good for both of them to be out of the hospital room.

Tom met with a neurologist when one of Brendan (Bryan's youngest brother) was visiting.  It was a good visit in the sense that it is helping make sense of some of things Tom says, and the things he remembers.  It was suggested that they bring his laptop in, and see what he can do.

He was getting restless and pulled out his trache tube today (and yesterday too).  As far as I know, he had no trouble without the ventilator last night.

Please pray for his restlessness and anxiety.  Pray for guidance and comforting words for the nurses and Nancy since she spends a lot of time with Tom during the day. 

Continue to pray for the next rehab place and the visits this weekend.

Thank for praying,

Brenna

August 24

The meeting went well.  The doctor was very helpful, and also very hopeful in Tom's recovery.  Tom has made good progress in the past week, and the doctor said he sees it as just getting better.  He did not guarantee that Tom would be the same he was on July 15th, the day before the aneursym, but he was encouraged by his progress so far.  What a difference from the meeting we had 3 weeks ago at Loyola, where the doctor did not know if Tom would ever be conscious because of the severity of the aneurysm.  Praise God for miracles!!!

The doctor suggested that we look at 2 places where Tom could go next since he is almost completely breathing on his own.  These places are acute rehab facilities where he would get 3 hours of therapy a day, 7 days a week.  He would stay there 3 weeks or so, and then we would see if he is ready to come home.  He will need constant care when he comes home, but the doctor was still encouraged by the progress he has made in the last week.

We will be looking into these two places this weekend.  One is located in Wheaton.  The other is downtown Chicago.  The one in Wheaton seems to be more particular on who they take, but would be much more convenient for all of us.

Please pray for these visits, and for the possibility that he would be accepted at the facility in Wheaton!  He may move there as early as next week.

Please also pray for Tom as he continues to regain his memory, both of family and friends, as well as how to do things.  Every day he makes progress, but it is still hard when he realizes what he can't do.  He took 5 steps with a walker today.  He also asked Bryan when he walked in his room,  "How are the boys?"  That is basically how he used to greet Bryan everyday, asking about the grandsons, so it was amazing to hear.  He had not asked a question like that yet.  He also knew Max (his oldest grandson) by name when some of his friends visited tonight and were looking at pictures. 

Please also pray for Tom to continue to be free from complications from the aneurysm and the recovery.   The doctor reminded us of those risks today, which they are constantly monitoring for patients like Tom.  Please pray for continued protection from blood clots and infections.

Thanks for praying for the meeting today and for your continued prayers for Tom,

Brenna

P.S. 

Tom gets to go outside in a wheelchair tomorrow for therapy.  Hopefully he won't try to make a break for it! :)

 

August 23

Tom stood with a walker again today.  He is also breathing on his own during the day, and only put on oxygen with the trache at night.

I am looking forward to the meeting tomorrow and where he will go in the next few weeks since he is almost off the trache completely.

Thanks for praying,

Brenna

August 22

Tom was switched to a smaller trache collar today, which means he is closer to not needing it at all.  It was capped today so he was breathing on his own.  He also was able to stand with a walker, and knew his last name.  These are all little things to most people, but HUGE for where he has been.

Bryan got to watch him in the cardiac chair late this afternoon.  Apparently, he was supposed to have time in the chair in the morning, but it did not happen.  If Bryan (or one of us) was not there to watch him this afternoon, they would have skipped this part of his therapy today altogether.  We are all completely frustrated after a rough day with unprofessional nurses, and  we are confused as to why an important part of therapy would have been skipped.  Bryan usually visits anyway, but our visits have never been a necessary part of his physical therapy!

Please pray for Nancy and Bryan  as they have more conversations with the staff tomorrow about today's issues.  We have had excellent care up until this point, and this was a major frustration and disappointment.  We are also very tired, so please pray for clear communication tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for the doctor meeting on Wednesday.  Some of these issues will be brought up then as well, but most of it should deal with Tom's progress and plan for the future.

Tom said my name when he saw a picture tonight.  Each day he uses more of our names, which is exciting.  He was trying to get Bryan to take him home tonight, so please pray for his patience, especially now that he can stand.  He still needs to get stronger or he may hurt himself.

Thanks again for praying for us and with us,

Brenna

August 21

Tom is still doing well.  The family had a good weekend visiting.  He has moments when he is very engaged and "talkative," and other moments when he is awake, watching TV, but does not want to talk.  He is definitely putting things together.  He even asked for Bryan and his computer today.  As far as I know, he has recognized people, smiled and laughed at stories and memories, but only called Nancy by name.  He also told one of the therapists where he lived a few days ago.  There seems to be progress each day.

There are glimmers of Tom each day in the little things he says.   He asked Friday if he should paint his room, after seeing a stain on the ceiling that obviously would drive a painter, like himself, crazy.  He also has his sense of humor.  When the nurse asked if he had pulled out his IV today, he said "Not yet!"

We are so thankful to see him talking, laughing, and moving around in his bed --  an absolute miracle from where he was when he was airlifted to Loyola just 36 days ago.  Just amazing! 

We are so thankful for all of your prayers.  It is still a long road ahead.  The meeting with the doctor is Wednesday afternoon. 

Please pray for that meeting and for clear communication and direction as to what to do next.  Please continue to pray for peace, perseverance, and joy for Tom.  And please pray for continued strength for Nancy and the rest of the family.

And if you think of it, please pray for a friend who lost her father to a sudden illness this weekend.  He was one year younger than Tom, and had been in the hospital the past few weeks as well.  Please keep this friend and her family in your prayers this week especially.

Thanks for praying,

Brenna

August 19

Tom had to be restrained this morning.  He was confused and combative, so the nurse called to let Nancy know that they would be restraining him.  The nurses said he is really strong.  Bryan was waiting for this day. 

He knew that once Tom started figuring out what was happening he would try and get out of there! 

During their afternoon visit, Bryan's brother and mom asked Tom where to get Nancy's car's oil changed, since he was the one who would do that for her.  After first answering 'bacon,' (which is hilarious to me if you know how much Kozors like bacon), he answered 'Sears,' which was correct.  It just amazes me how many details he knows.

Please continue to pray for strength for his physical therapy, and for his peace of mind as he gains more understanding every day.  And for wisdom for the family for the next step.  His time at this rehab facility is halfway done already!  Since he is almost completely breathing on his own, he will have accomplished what he needed here, and he will be moved somewhere else.  The meeting with the doctors is next week.

Thanks for praying,

Brenna



August 18

Tom spoke today.  A cap was put on the trache collar during the day (as he transitions off the trache) and he was able to speak.  Some of his first words: "Give me that, Nancy,"  referring to the remote for the TV!  He was also asking for scissors to cut the mittens off his hands (used to keep him from pulling out his trache).  He mentioned something about the car to Nancy as well.  She thinks he was trying to get her to take him home.  Tom is definitely more himself everyday!  ;)

It is truly amazing how much he progresses each day, despite this very long process.  He did not talk to Bryan during his visit tonight, but they did watch some TV and Tom laughed a bit.

Please continue to pray for Tom's patience and perseverance, physically and mentally. His second oldest son and new daughter-in-law are visiting this weekend.  It will be interesting if/when he figures out he missed their wedding 2 weeks ago. Please pray for a good visit for the family.

Thanks again for checking in and praying for Tom and the family.

Amazed at the miracles God has done so far,

Brenna

August 17

Tom had a good day.  He is still making progress on many things that will get him back to doing everything on his own soon.  He did well on some kind of oxygen gas test which means the trache will be removed soon.  He will be doing the cardiac chair twice a day now.  He was put on an anti-depressant to help him cope.  (I guess this is common thing to do for patients dealing with aneurysm/stroke recovery).

Bryan visited this evening and was greeted with a smile, but Tom slept through all of their TV time tonight.  He was just exhausted.

Tom is getting his strength back for sure.  Last night he somehow "kicked off" the rehab boots that have been strapped on his legs most of the past month.  That is no small feat.   He pulled out his IV today as well. 

The family meeting will be some time next week.  The doctors wanted more time to evaluate him.

Please pray for patience for Tom and continued strength for his therapy.  And please pray he does not pull the trache out in his frustration, because that would be a big set back for the progress he has made so far.



Please pray for the family as we support and encourage him.

Thanks again for praying,

Brenna

August 16

Tom was in the cardiac chair for 2 hours today.  He will be weaned from his trach and feeding tube over the next week or so.  He is making amazing progress.

However, he now is understanding what is going on.  And it is obviously very hard for him.  And frustrating, as he communicated to Bryan tonight.

By the end of Bryan's visit tonight, they were all watching TV together, like a normal night with the family.  And Tom was changing channels!

Please continue to pray for strength, peace, and patience for Tom.  Pray for wisdom on how to encourage and support him.

God is doing miracles!

Brenna

August 15

Tom was in the cardiac chair for one hour today.  It is progress, but it was hard.  Hard for Nancy to watch, and hard for Tom.  This chair helps patients use muscles they have not used at all since they have been in bed for weeks.  Tom did not like it.

He seems to be realizing what is going on more and more.  He had some smiles and nods (yes and no) today, but he also looked away intentionally, and he actually looked sad.  This is also progress, but is very hard.

Tom has been breathing on his own for 48 hours now.  Once he reaches 72 hours, they re-evaluate and go to the next step towards removing the trach.  They fever he had last week set him back a little.  Please pray for protection from any more infections or complications so he can continue to move forward.

Please pray for Tom to be able to cope as he realizes what he has gone through, and how much therapy it will take to get back to "normal,"  whatever that will be from now on.  Pray for his peace, strength, and perseverance for his therapy.

Please also pray for Nancy and the family as we watch and wait.  Recovery will be very slow.  Help us all know how to encourage Tom and each other in this season.

Please pray for the meeting with the doctors this week, that the plan for his recovery will be communicated well.

Thanks again for praying,

Brenna

August 14

Tom was asleep for most of our visit.  I guess he watched the Bears game last night on TV, so maybe he was tired.  He was moving his legs around a lot today, and was as turning his head both ways (the back of his head seemed to have an itch).

He opened his eyes for a moment when we were there, enough to acknowledge us by raising his eyebrows, and nodding yes when Bryan asked if he had a good nap.  Then he fell back asleep.  He was alert later in the afternoon for Nancy.

His temperature was better.  He was off the trach again for 16 hours (and counting).

The nurse said in the next day or so, they were going to put him in a special "cardiac chair" for a little while.  The chair is the next step forward in therapy.  Pray that  he tolerates the chair and is able to grow stronger through it.

Please continue to pray for the family meeting that will come this week sometime.

It is hard to believe it is DAY 29 tonight!  Praise God for hope and progress!

Thanks again for your prayers,

Brenna



August 13

Today was a much better day for Tom.  Nancy visited him for a long time this afternoon.  He greeted her with a smile.  She texted us "Praise the Lord."

He was alert and responsive for about 2 1/2 hours today.  That is the longest he has been alert in the past 28 days!  She said his arm looked better as well. 

Thank you for your continued prayers.  We hope to see him tomorrow.  More updates after that visit!

Brenna

August 12 Later in the evening

Tom's fever is responding to tylenol and it is gone!

However, tonight they noticed his left arm looked larger than the right.  They did a doppler (not sure if I used that term correctly) and found a blood clot in his hand or arm: "deep vein thrombosis."  They ordered an anti-coagulant and are putting the IV in the other hand.

Praising God for the fever responding to tylenol, and that they found the blood clot.

Please pray for the medicine to work on the clot, for the fever to stay down, and for the infection to be taken care of by the antibiotics.  Please pray for healing and protection from any more complications.

It was a very hard day for the family.

BUT -- Tom did wake up for a moment this afternoon to give Nancy a smile.  :)

Thanks for praying with us,

Brenna

August 12 Evening

Bryan came home from work and asked me to post this to add to the earlier blog:

Today was a sad day.  It was a bit of a set back... Tom had a fever of 103, was put back on the ventilator, and was put on reverse isolation with no therapy today.  Bryan is sad, so very sad.  And so is him mom.  Pray for complete healing, the curing of the cause of the fever, and for him to heal completely and fully.  Thank you

Praying for more miracles,
Brenna

August 12th afternoon

Tom has a fever again.  They have started antibiotics and believe he has an infection.  Please pray for wisdom for the doctors.

He has been sleeping all day so far.  No open eyes or smiles.  :(

Please pray for healing from the infection and continued progress in his recovery.  They did not do any therapy today so he could rest.

Please also pray for continued hope and strength for Nancy and the family.  It has been a roller coaster ride these past 27 days and counting.

Thanks for your prayers,

Brenna

August 11

Tom was animated again today when Nancy visited.  He was smiling as she told stories of their grandsons. 

Bryan visited later in the afternoon.  Tom was sleeping, so they did not have a lot of interaction.  Bryan did mention that Tom had been off the ventilator for 24 hours and was doing well breathing on his own! 

Please pray for the next few days for assessments by the doctors, for wisdom and good communication with us.  Pray for us as we wait for the family meeting next week to see where he is at, and what happens next.  We are very encouraged that he is responding to us, but we don't know what that all means yet.  Or how much he really understands.  And it is hard to wait until next week!!

We are very thankful that he has "woken up" though.  Thanks for praying for Tom and for us!

Thankful for miracles and praying for more,

Brenna

Wed 3:40 pm

I sent a text to my mom and my brother ... "dad just said hi to me"

Brenna and I came into his room today and he looked up right at the both of us, and said "HI."  We had heard that he said "hi" on Saturday, but he has been doing kind of poorly mentally since then, and to tell you the truth I had really abandoned hope.  Not the hope I had in healing, or God at work, or miracles; but when you have experienced so much suffering, and you just assume God won't answer your prayers the way you want them, well I have just been preparing for the worst since the day dad got sick.  And the Internet is not filled with the most hopeful information.

For about an hour I talked with dad as he kind of faded in and out of sleep.  I called all my brothers, Brenna, Mom, and Calvin and put them on speaker and was amazed by his alertness and his mouthing of words.  He smiled several times through that hour, and shook his head yes a few times as well.  When I called my brother Mike, he perked up tons.  When Mike said, "I love you dad," He very obviously mouthed the words back "I love you."

The staff here at his rehab facility is fantastic!  They are compassionate, aggressive in their treatment, and very hopeful.  It was a rocky start here, but today renewed my faith and hope in full recovery.

Thank you all for your constant prayers.  Today was a good day.

Bryan

August 9

Tom had a lot of tests done today since he is a new patient at the new hospital.  They are also weaning him from his trach (i.e. he is breathing on his own), and that is going very well.  All of the therapists and doctors will assess him this week, and sometime next week we will have a family meeting to discuss his condition now, and the plan for the future.

Please continue to pray for his recovery and for wisdom for the doctors and therapists. 

Update on Mary,  the former neighbor who had an aneursym the same day:

She was home for a week, then back at Loyola last weekend for pain in her head again.  I believe she is home now, but if you think of it, pray for her as well as they figure out exactly what is going on.

Thanks for checking in!

Praying for miracles,

Brenna

August 8

Tom is moved in to the "specialty hospital" closer to home.  From what I understand, he will do a lot of therapy, as well as have medical care here.  They will work on weaning him off of the trache and to breathing completely on his own.  At Loyola, he was already breathing along with the ventilator, so I don't think this progress is far off.

He was not moved in until the afternoon.  Bryan and his mom spent hours doing paperwork.  It was a long, hard day.  He was not as alert when they finally got to see him, which was disheartening.  We are hoping he was just tired from his big move.  The evening nurse said he was more alert later in the evening.

Please pray for continued progress at this new facility.  Please pray for Bryan's mom to feel comfortable and peaceful about this new place.  Please pray for Tom to really "wake up" and recognize people.  His body is healing wonderfully, we are just pleading that his mind will be restored.  At this point, we do not know the extent of the damage from the aneurysm, but it is the worst kind you can have from what I understand.  It is a miracle that his wife found him when she did.

Thanks for praying for miracles with me,

Brenna

August 7

Thank you all for praying for this weekend and the wedding.  The wedding was a great time for our family.  It could not have gone better despite the circumstances.

Tom was surprising the nurses on Saturday.  He was more alert than he has been.  He was able to wiggle his toes on command, and also may have said "hi."  His nurse called in other nurses because she could not believe it.  We are going to call it the "wedding day miracle."

Some friends stayed with Tom during the wedding  and they confirmed he was more responsive than the day before.  Considering the news we received last week about this type of aneurysm, these little things are HUGE and give us a lot of hope. 

Bryan and his mom visited tonight.  Tom was not as alert as the day before, but he did move his arms and legs around more.  He also squeezed Bryan's hand.

Tomorrow morning around 9:30 he will be transported to the specialty hospital.  Please pray for a smooth transition for him, and for continued little steps toward recovery.

Again -- thank you SO much for your prayers and concern this weekend.  We all had a great celebration.

Still praying for miracles over here,

Brenna

Wednesday August 3

We met with the doctors today for some kind of plan for the future.  They are letting us keep him at the hospital while we are gone for the wedding this weekend, though he is stable enough to move to the specialty hospital.  He will move into the new place on Monday.

His numbers are good.  He still has a small fever.  Praying for the fever to go down.

Praying that he will have a nice stable weekend in the hospital, so we can enjoy the wedding and not be concerned.  At this point, he is looking good, so this should be a reality.  The nursing staff have been wonderful in making Bryan's mom comfortable with leaving for the weekend.  We are so thankful for them!

Still praying for miracles,

Brenna

Tuesday August 2

We had an encouraging visit this afternoon!  All of his numbers look good.  They took him off the insulin line, but will continue to monitor him.  The shunt surgery went well.  He still has a fever, but it is not high. 

He responded better today to his daily "pokes" from the nurses than he has in weeks.  We were all encouraged by his responses.

All in all, a very encouraging day 17 of this journey. 



Please pray for the fever to go down.

Please pray for the next step.  He may be ready to be moved to the specialty hospital very soon.   The family will be in Iowa for Bryan's brother Michael's wedding this weekend.  Some of us are uncomfortable moving him somewhere new before we leave for the weekend. Please pray for wisdom.

Thanks again for your prayers,

Brenna

Update #2 August 1

The second surgery went well and the shunt is in place.  Thank you for your prayers.  He is not "out of the woods" yet, but so far so good.

Thanks,

Brenna

Update for August 1

The doctors are doing the surgery again.  Please pray for the drain to work correctly this time, and for no other complications.

Thanks for praying,

Brenna

Monday August 1

Please pray for the shunt surgery.  It is done, but it is not draining properly.  The doctors are doing a CAT Scan right now to see the problem.  They may have to go back in and re-adjust the tube.

Please pray for wisdom for the doctors.

Thank you,

Brenna