05.31.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 9:18 am by kleung
Posted Saturday evening
Not much to say today, just want to keep you updated. Sean is resting now. He was up in his nuero chair for about 6 hours. When I arrived to visit he was sweating and looked very stressed and they put him back in bed shortly after. While they were putting him in his bed his vent failed so they had to bag him and bring in a new vent. Sounds scary but it really wasn’t. Everyone was cool, calm and collected and kept Sean calm as well. Gotta love these people! Earlier today Kiersten brought in a movie and they watched the whole thing. She intended to watch it in increments but Sean stayed focused and enjoyed it so they watched it in one sitting.
Vince is at work today. Please pray for him as I know that it is hard for him to be away from his buddy. Vince and Sean spend much time together hanging out at home or playing disc or going to the flumes or any number of activities. We have all missed having Sean at home, but I think more than anyone, Vince misses Sean’s presence.
In case I don’t update later I will wish you a good day and night as well. Love each other as God so deeply loves all of us. Keep praying and remember God is great and He is present!
Love,
Terri, Vince, Sean & Kiersten
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05.30.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 12:32 am by kleung
Too tired for words
Posted at 10 pm PT
I can’t write much tonight because, well, I’m exhausted. Today was so much harder then I imagined. I was very overwhelmed when I first went in the hospital. People comment on my strength, but I am not really that strong. If I didn’t have my faith in our true and loving God then….... Also, Vince is my physical rock. I never cease to be amazed by how calm and discerning he can be in the face of adversity. It was so hard to do this today without having Vince present and yet we both knew that he had to be here. If I had to chose a second though, in anything, it would always be my sister Kim. She was there for me in spades. I am so very thankful for her presence.
So I won’t write about the overwhelming part I will tell you about [the doctor there]. She is incredible and we have no doubt that Sean needs to be at that hospital with her and her team. Talk about someone that has found their passion and is doing exactly what God has gifted them to do, that’s her. She spent a long time with us listening and answering our questions. She put all of my fears to rest. Also we intended to have Vince present in the form of skyping, but no wifi, so, she spoke to him on the phone. We feel confident that Sean will do well there. We are looking at him transferring possibly on the 8th or 9th of June.
As for Sean, he had a great day. He was again very interactive and he is moving all of his limbs and trying to exercise in bed. His vent weaning was a little slower today, but that is to be expected.
Please, as always keep Sean in your prayers and remember that miracles happen. Sean is a living example. Also please pray for us as we prepare for this transition. There are many details to work out, like finding a financially feasible way for me to live down there while Sean is in that hospital. Wonderful friends have offered the use of their RV, but RV parks aren’t necessarily cheap. I know that it will work out, but prayers are always needed and appreciated.
Also please continue to pray for the young man in room 193 and his family. He has come a long way, but still has much healing to do.
Time for mimi.
Love,
Terri, Vince, Sean and Kiersten
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05.29.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 9:04 am by kleung
A busy day
I will start with Sean. I have visited him twice today and he is doing great. He is very interactive today which is an amazing blessing. Everyone seems to be on board about keeping his room quieter and I really think that it is helping. When things get noisy and stressful he shuts down. Who can blame him! I told him that we will not allow any visitors except the three of us unless he personally okays it. He seemed to appreciate that. I was also telling him about rehab today. I think that he is so ready to move forward. They are doing some rehab stuff at [the hospital] but he needs to get on to a rehab hospital.
Tomorrow I am going to Kentfield to check it out and to meet with [a doctor there that was recommended]. I wish that Vince could go as well but we both agreed that we wouldn’t be comfortable if both of us were that far away. My big sis will be going with me. Love you Kimmie!
Today Vince returned to work. His amazing coworkers have covered for him for the last month. We love you guys! I was a little nervous about it but it’s working out fine. It’s a busy day though. My car is at the mechanics, nothing too serious, thank you God! And I am trying to abolish much of my to do list which includes addressing and mailing Kiersten’s graduation announcements (graduation is in one week), scheduling dog grooming, getting Sean’s camera and computer fixed and a dozen other little things all while going back and forth to the hospital. Sounds really hectic and it sure started out that way but now everything is falling into place and I’m cruising through it. When Sean is having a good day nothing else seems that bad.
Alrighty then I have to close now but I wanted to update in case the day gets away from me again.
God’s plan is perfect and His timing is perfect and I am amazed always at how evident it is that He is just guiding us through this and all we have to do is have faith and follow!
Thanks for all your support and prayers.
Love,
Sean and family
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05.28.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 10:51 am by kleung
Posted at 9:52am PT
Sorry I didn’t update yesterday. I intended to last night but instead Vince, Kiersten and I sat in the backyard listening to Marley and talking until midnight. Started with tears, ended with laughter. All in all a very nice night.
I have to make this quick to get back to Sean. I will try to write more later. Sean had a good nights sleep and seemed very mellow this morning. Yesterday they got him in a nuero chair (google it) yesterday for an hour and a half. Today they are continuing with the vent wean. Unfortunately the digestion issues haven’t been resolved. Yesterday they put dye in his feeding tube and did an xray to determine if his gut is working. It is just slowly, probably because he was on barbituates for so long (it stops the gut completely). He has to get a feeding tube in his nose today because it has to go into his small intestines. That will stop the vomiting.
Have a great day and as always keep those prayers coming.
Love ya
{Sean and Family]
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05.26.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 11:19 pm by kleung
An overdue update
Posted at 9:30pm PT
Sorry, I tried to update from Sean’s room this morning and the computer ate it again. So much has happened this weekend I don’t know where to start. Sean is very alert. He tries to talk a lot but because of the vent he has no sound so we can really only understand yes and no. Some highlight moments were when his nurse asked for a thumbs up and he did it. He has been able to control his pain meds by telling his nurses when he is in pain. I showed him 
a picture of him and Kiersten (the pic on this page) and he smiled. He has continued to do great on his vent wean. On and on, he keeps finding ways to show us that he is very much with us.
Yesterday morning he was in a pretty mellow mood and we had a nice time being together. Today he has been very quiet. We think that he is just sick and tired of people being in his face and he doesn’t feel like talking or even interacting.
This morning I talked to [the neurosurgeon] and he said that Sean is moving on to other docs, that he doesn’t need a neurosurgeon anymore. So I thanked him and that felt very weird. It was great to know that Sean doesn’t need him anymore but a mere thank you didn’t seem like enough. How do you possibly thank people for saving your child’s life.
As for us we are trying to do some "normal life" things and continue to be at the hospital. We were starting to get very overwhelmed when it occurred to us that people really aren’t built to spend a month in a NTSICU. Not only are we coping with what is happening to Sean but we are constantly surrounded by other peoples tragedies. It is impossible to close your eyes to what is happening in there and we have become friends with some of the other families and we hurt with them. It is not a bad thing. I truly believe that God made us to do life together and share not only our joys but our trials. He made us to not only reach out to those we know and love but to strangers.
We are in the midst of a life lesson that we will carry through our lives and will make us grow in our understanding and compassion for others. But, there comes a breaking point, when you realize that if you don’t take a time out then you wont be any good to anyone even yourself. So here we are at yet another transition point and again we see that God is working out the details.
Sean doesn’t need or necessarily want all of us in there at one time. So, we are taking turns again which makes it possible for us to do other things. Today Kiersten and I went grocery shopping for the first time in a month. It may not sound like much but believe me it was.
This is what happens when I don’t update enough, I ramble.
What to pray for? Sean has had digestion problems for a couple of days. He has vomited three times and hasn’t been getting his food through his feeding tube for two days. Please pray that his digestion problems are resolved. Please pray about his vent weaning. Also he is getting nearer to transitioning to rehab. There are many unknowns concerning where he will go. We are thinking that he will probably go to Kentfield in Marin county or to Santa Clara Valley medical. Please pray for Sean as he is becoming more aware and overwhelmed and for us as we are having to find renewed strength to move forward. I would also appreciate prayer for all of our extended family and close friends that know and love Sean so much and are hurting in this time.
To all of them and to all of you, thank you isn’t enough. Please know that although we don’t call we love you and greatly appreciate you. You are all gifts from God.
Goodnight beautiful people, remember always that God is great and He is present.
Love,
Terri, Vince, Sean, Kiersten, Kyle & Kayla
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Posted in Updates on Sean at 9:30 am by kleung
My apologies. Apparently my computer needed to be backed up and rebooted and wasn’t about to let me get away with neglecting this duty (and I have learned my lesson!) so I’m a bit delayed in getting this good piece of news out to you. No need to beat me, Windows has a program for that too.
Posted sometime last night, Monday, May 25, 2009
Sean has a new chest tube and he had his bronchoscopy. They went well and he is resting. More later.
Love,
Sean and Family
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05.25.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 11:34 am by kleung
small setbacks
Posted at 11:15 am PT
Today when I came to see Sean he was more alert then ever and he was on spontaneous breathing. He did, however, look anxious and he was coughing and burping a lot. Well he vomited and became even more anxious and kept coughing. As it turns out he has a little bit of collapsing in one of his lungs. He still has a chest tube but its not working. They are going to put a new chest tube in his left upper chest and do a bronchoscopy. These will be done hopefully within the next hour then Sean will be much more comfortable. Pray for Sean please. I will update more later.
Love,
Terri and family
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05.24.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 11:10 pm by kleung
Posted at 10:15 PM PT
Sean had a great day and I am waaaaaaaay to tired to write much.
I spent all my evening time trying to figure out how to skype with
Kiersten and we just figured it out. Wow silly tired brains! So
Sean did great on his vent wean, he communicates a little more each
day and he didn’t seem angry today. Thank you God!
I will write more tomorrow. Nanight.
Love,
Sean and family
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Posted in Updates on Sean at 1:51 am by kleung
I love you people!
Posted at 11:12pm PT
We are just in from the hospital and although we are overjoyed with Sean’s progress, we are feeling a little run down and a little overwhelmed. Sean is continuing to progress, actually if we compare where he is at now to one week ago it’s like night and day. The thing is that he has a long long way to go. It’s not like in the movies where the person wakes up out of the coma and presto magico they are their old self again, just a little sleepy. Sean is not consistently responsive and he seems to have one emotion for the most part and that is angry. Who can blame him right? The future is yet uncertain. I probably read a little to much online today about traumatic brain injury and how some people, although they recover, their personalities are forever altered and sometimes not for the better. Sean has always had such a great personality we really really really want him back the way he was.
I know, what happened to living in the moment? Sometimes it’s hard to stay present. So all of this to say we got home and I read your messages and it snapped me back to the here and now and the blessings of the day. You people are a gift from God. Your words lift us up when we are feeling low. I love you people!
So more about today. They did the vent wean today and I wont go in to all of the details but suffice it to say that Sean rocked. He is back on assisted breathing tonight to give him a break (weaning doesn’t happen in a day). As I said before he continues to communicate little by little.
Please please please remember that Sean is a miracle. God is in that room and God rocks! Also when you pray for Sean tonight please pray for the nurses in the NTSICU because their jobs are so hard and they are amazing. A couple of weeks ago [the doctor] told me that if Sean pulled through this then the nurses are the heroes. My reply was that they already were. Hero is a word that is sometimes thrown about loosely, but honestly in this case it is so true. It’s unbelievable the challenges that they face daily with their patients and and they do their jobs with such compassion. Thank you God for these incredible people.
Mimi time.
Did I say we love you! Please continue your prayers and know that you are in our prayers as well.
Love,
Terri, Vince, Sean & Kiersten
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05.23.09
Posted in Updates on Sean at 10:53 am by kleung
Get your happy tears ready
Posted at 9:49 am PT
Sean is breathing on his own! He is still on the ventilator and
it is still giving him pressure so he has a ways to go before he
weans but hallelujah! Okay this is the happy tears part, he has
been mouthing responses to his nurse and when I came in I said hi
to Sean and told him that I love him and he mouthed I love you too.
I can’t write more right now I am to overwhelmed and emotional. God
is amazing!
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