HE WOKE UP!!!
This morning H is talking some, although his focus, memory and attention are not what we will look for in the weeks ahead as he heals. When he said, ” Hi Mama,” when I first saw him this morning, I began jumping up and down and hollering with joy, tears streaming down my face ( an entertaining sight when someone is at ginormously pregnant as I am). But those were – without question – the most important, beautiful words I have ever heard another human being utter, and I will never forget that feeling of hearing my son say them as long as I live.
Best. Words. Ever.
In other news, we have had one rather alarming bleeding episode today so far, but that’s under control now. The injuries from the assault part of the equation are becoming clearer, making it also clearer that an arrest or arrests are necessary to protect the public from whomever would do this to another person. We have full confidence in the Knox County Sheriff’s Department that they will finish their investigation just as soon as they can and will find out who did this to H.
The doctors have decided to leave his cervical brace/neck collar thingy on for now because they are worried about his broken jaw, as well as some possible torn ligaments and soft tissue damage in his neck that could cause his neck to be unable to support his head. And the last thing you want someone with a healin brain injury to have is a floppy head. Right now he is down having another CT Scan to take a closer look at several of his injuries; when he gets back I am going to see if he can talk a bit more before trying to get him to nap again for a few hours.
He is still much weaker and less able to control his movements on one side of his body. Apparently this means the brain injury likely had more impact on his functioning on that side as opposed to the other. This is something we hope that time and rehab will remedy.
I want to give a huge shout out to all of the medical staff at the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s critical care unit. They are all amazingly skilled, compassionate and just plain terrific. I cannot say enough good things about the excellent care H is receiving, or about the kind, thoughtful way they have interacted with our whole family during this, the most stressful experience of our lives. Good peoples, they are.
Oh, wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be praying for a continued speedy recovery.
FANTASTIC. We are all pulling for him.
PTL!!!
I am SO happy to hear this! I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers. May love and healing envelop all of you!
Oh so great. I actually jumped up and down some when I read that. Prayer continues.
Hey Katie, I am most sorry for Henry and your family. I have been praying earnestly for him. That God's will be done, but also that he have his healing hands all over him. He is the Great Physician. I did not realize who you were until I read your blog this morning. ( I worked with you @ Columbus Home.) PRAISE THE LORD. God has smiled on Henry and your family today. I will continue to pray for you all. Be careful to take care of yourself and the new baby. (I know H is your baby too, especially now). Keep the faith and remember that God is in control. Kim Darnell
Best news I've heard in a long time! I'm so happy, I'm crying. I'll keep praying for y'all.
Amazing, amazing, amazing. Keeping you all in my thoughts and hoping for many more breakthroughs for H.
Beautiful. Simply, beautiful!
You are so right about all of the doctors and nurses caring for him. It goes beyond just excellent medical care.
The Graham family sends our prayers, love and best wishes for all of you as the healing continues. Thanks be to God!
Yay!!!!!!! What great news! Thanks for taking the time to post and we will continue to keep you, Henry and your family in our thoughts and prayers!
i continue to be amazed by not only the love and courage within your words, but also by the amazing progress Henry is making.
stay strong. God bless.
Goosebumps when I read the good news just now!!! I am so happy for you and your family, I'm sure he's got a long road ahead, but this is a very good start. H. will stay a part of the prayerchain here in Montana!
All the best!
Karin/Montana
Good peoples YOU are, too! The very best. So glad H is surrounded by so much love and belief in him. Sending out love and prayers and healing vibes. Grateful he has good doctors and excellent care, and also very certain that love and his will to recover are HUGE to pulling him through! Congratulations on the good news, mama!!!!
That is all SO encouraging when it comes to a brain injury! I hope he progress is steady and sure.
YEA!!!! This is so great Katie! I'm so happy that he has made much progress already. Made this momma tear up! I will continue to keep Henry in my prayers.
I am crying reading this. SO happy for you.
So glad to read this!
Katie–I hope that H's wonderful progress continues. Good thoughts from Nashville to your whole family. I'm holding my little guy tight and crying right now (okay, he worked his way loose and ran off while I was trying to type, but you get the idea). I was so sorry to hear about this, but hope things just keep improving.
Jessamy
I so relieved to hear he woke up and is also breathing on his own. That's huge. I'm still praying.
Wonderful news — H and your family will continue to be in my thoughts during his recovery.
I have been checking your site often and am thrilled to read the good news. He has made so much progress in such a short period of time. I hope and pray for him to continue.
Go, Henry, go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Am sitting here, smiling for you and for H. Great news indeed. Praying for the Sherriff's office catching the people responsible for the assault and those who sell drugs to kids too.
Such a relief! Continued prayers for your family. Katie please take care of YOU during this time. Let your body rest even if you can't sleep, take rest times.
I'm so happy to read this post. I've been meaning to comment and failing to find the words since I first saw you mention what happened on twitter but have been keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope he continues his recovery well and that you can also relax just a little and breathe (and maybe sleep?). I'm 34 weeks pregnant at the moment and I'm exhausted without having this kind of trauma to deal with so take care.
Katie: Hugs and healing energy, hang in there. Best to all of you -Audrey (febmoms list member).
Glad to hear Henry is on the road to mending. I have thought about him a lot in the last week. I have never met him, but he's one of ours. May he have a safe journey on his way to becoming healthy again.
Wonderful!!! I'm so sorry this all happened and am keeping hope for the best outcome. You and your family are in my thoughts.
Thank G-d! I am shedding a few tears myself. So glad for your family.
Sending much love and good will your family's way. No one should have to endure these things.
I just want to share with you that full recovery from brain injury is possible. My husband had a stroke when he was just 26. He had to learn to walk and talk all over again and he had to regain the use of one entire side of his body. In less than one year no one who didn't know what happened could have guessed that anything had been wrong at all. That was almost twenty years ago and he's still just fine. I know this is a different kind of brain injury, but I just want to share this hope with you. And remind you that the strength of youth can be a powerful help in healing. I hope your boy recovers soon.
Oh, Thank G-d. I am so glad to hear that. May the rest of his recovery go smoothly.
I found your post on the Babble site via another blogger on Twitter and came to check out your blog. I am heart broken for you reading about your son. What a blessing to hear those words indeed. I will add you to my prayers. My son has a brain injury following lack of oxygen during birth. The first couple weeks of his life were very challenging. As a mother my heart goes out to you.
Such good news! I had a chance this afternoon between all the storms over here today to talk to my future mother-in-law in Knoxville who's a major prayer warrior and she's been praying for you all too. So glad to hear he woke up. You make and take good care of yourself too while caring for your precious son. We'll all still be keeping you all in good thoughts and prayers out here.
That's such wonderful news. My thoughts are with your family and I very much hope that all will continue to improve from here!
This is such good news! I will keep sending good vibes to you and your family.
My heart and prayers are with you all.
Katie,
My thoughts and prayers and wishes for full recovery are with you and your family.
Sandi
Wonderful, best news! I can hear you shouting with joy to have heard those words! I hope they fully prosecute that guy or guys…no matter what took place, harm should never have occurred!!!! Give Henry a hug for us!