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First, I would like to apologize if I offended anybody in my last update by not clearly thanking each and every one of you for your support.  I certainly intended that my appreciation (as well as Aaron’s and the rest of his family’s) for everybody who volunteered their time and service and supported Aaron at the 230 Cafe Fundraiser,  be evident in my writing.  But, apparently it wasn’t and for that I am sorry.  Someone was kind enough to point that out to my husband today and he knew that was not my intention, so he told me and that is what led me to sit down tonight and write this.  Let me stress to everybody that we appreciate each and every one of you who worked at the cafe; those who donated the items that were raffled off, those who did work behind the scenes, those who took pictures, etc.   Believe me, everybody’s efforts  were appreciated!  

I didn’t visit Aaron today, I went to work, but his dad was with him all day.  He was off the ventilator today, and on the trach collar.  According to Greg, he was very, very tired.  No wonder after yesterday!   I don’t know if Aaron’s dad will put an update on the blog tonight or tomorrow about his visit with Aaron today, so I’ll stop here.   

Never doubt that Aaron and his family are grateful for your support.  And if we are remiss in thanking you on this blog, please know that all that you have done for Aaron is sincerely appreciated. 

Please continue to pray for Aaron.

Well, I hate to brag about my son’s accomplishments, but I think you will all forgive me.    The most bizarre thing happened today at Magee.   There were several of us visiting Aaron at the same time, so we went into the Recreation (for lack of a better word) room, a more spacious room where there is a big screen TV more suitable for watching football.  Aaron’s cousin Bill and his girlfriend, Danielle , Aaron’s dad,  Aunt Deb, Andy Gingrich and I were all sitting around with Aaron, chatting and watching football.   Aaron was off the vent (had been since around 8:00 AM) and was wearing the trach collar.  Anytime we take Aaron from his room, we have to be sure we have a tank of oxygen with us.  We did and it was hooked up and in use as it always is.  Bill, for whatever reason, happened to look at the oxygen tank and notice it was empty.  We didn’t say anything to Aaron about this, he seemed to be doing just fine and we didn’t want to alarm him.  We weren’t sure how long it had been empty, because it hadn’t affected Aaron in the least;  no “alarms” went off to indicate he wasn’t getting sufficient oxygen!   The respiratory therapist was notified (Aaron still wasn’t aware his tank was empty) and she brought in a full tank of oxygen.  When she did, she made Aaron aware of what had taken place.  He had been breathing on his own, with no oxygen, for quite some time!  Aaron asked if he HAD to be put on the oxygen, she said no;  so he continued to breath on his own, with no assistance what-so-ever for four hours!   FOUR HOURS!!!!!!!!!   Aunt Deb and I had to leave Magee earlier than normal today because we had to attend the viewing of a dear friend who passed away on Thursday.  While we were saddened about that, we were thrilled that Aaron had breathed on his own without oxygen for the short period of time that he had up to that point…..if we had known he was going to go on for three more hours with no oxygen after we left…….Lord only knows what kind of hooting and hollering we might have subjected him to!     (Aaron, we all know Aunt Ede’s in a better place; maybe SHE was looking down on you today!)

Aaron had a lot of questions about the 230 Cafe  fund raiser held on Saturday.  Of course, he wanted to know who was there and between all of us who were visiting him today remembering different people, I think we about covered it.   He is grateful for everybody’s support and asked that I send his thanks.  So, on behalf of Aaron (and his family and fiance, Jaime), THANKS EVERYBODY!!!    

So, Aaron was off the ventilator today (the last I heard) for almost 12 hours.   He was very tired when we left, but his determination wears ME out;  no wonder he was pooped!

Stay tuned for more information on Aaron’s progress getting off the ventilator!  And we’ll let you know where he’s going next on his journey and when!      (Also, we hope to add pictures from the fundraisers in the near future.)

Thank you and bless you all!   Please continue to pray for Aaron’s recovery.

What a wonderful day!   This morning, I, along with Aaron’s Aunt Den, Aaron’s cousin Bill and his girlfriend Danielle, got to Magee at approximately 9:30.  When we arrived, Aaron was still in bed, but was wide awake and off the vent and on the trach collar (and had been for about an hour and a half).  He had just eaten his breakfast.  Aaron’s physical therapist and I planned on her coming to Aaron’s room at 10:00 AM so she could give me another training session on preparing Aaron for his day.  That went very well and Aaron handled it beautifully.  I am not as quick as those who normally do this for him, so he had to endure lying flat on his back a little longer than normal and also on his side, which he doesn’t tolerate very well.   But he and I are still speaking, so I consider it to be a success!

Aaron played Nintendo Wii today, which was very interesting.  The therapist held the remote on his head and he moved his head to point  it in the right direction.  She would push the buttons on the remote to get it to shoot or do whatever she needed it to do.  It was great exercise for his neck muscles, but really wore him out.   But he did enjoy himself!  

Aaron was also graced with the presence of his good friend, Brian Sullivan, today.   Aaron hadn’t seen Brian for a couple of weeks, but it was quite a bit longer than that since he’d seen Bill and Danielle.  He was THRILLED to have his friends with him today.  Aunt Den and I sort of removed ourselves as much as possible so the young ‘unz could enjoy each other and catch up.   They took turns going to therapy with him.  At one point, the girls left the room because the guys fell asleep;  Brian in Aaron’s bed, Aaron in his wheelchair, and Bill in a regular chair.   Brian made out on that deal.  (Sorry, Brian.  No picture of you in Ern’s bed, I only post those at his request and he didn’t ask!)

After the guys woke up, Aaron was rejuvenated.   He was more alert and happier than I had seen him in a long time!  I think it was a combination of the sleep and then waking up and seeing some of his favorite people right there with him.  It was not only good for his soul, it was good for everybody’s soul who observed it.   If you ever doubted the importance of friendship in your life, you never had the opportunity to see what I saw today. 

“There is magic in the memory of schoolboy friendships; it softens the heart, and even affects the nervous system of those who have no heart.”
– Benjamin Disraeli

Please pray for Aaron’s recovery and thank God for his friends and yours!

Aaron had a lot of neck pain today.  When that happens, of course, he gets more pain medicine which often makes him sleepy.  He was tired today, but he stayed awake for his therapy sessions, and that’s a good thing!   He went off the vent onto the trach collar at approximately 7:15 this morning and stayed on it for…………………(drumroll)……………11 1/2 hours !!!!   Great job, Aaron!   

We were told today that Aaron’s discharge from Magee will take place on November 6th.  Our plan (up until today) was for Aaron to go home to his Dad and Step-mom’s house upon discharge, BUT today we were thrown a curve; another option to consider, a facility that specializes in weaning patients from ventilators.  There are several close to home (Harrisburg, Lancaster, York) that we could consider if Aaron would choose to go that route.  He would be admitted as an inpatient and would still receive physical therapy, however, it would not be to the same degree  he gets now.  Their main focus would be getting Aaron off of the vent, which is Aaron’s primary goal right now.  This is a new option for Aaron to think about, as well as Jaime and the rest of his family.  Life and rehabbing would be easier for Aaron (and everybody involved with his care) if he could lose that apparatus!!!  So, stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated on Aaron’s next step in his journey!

One more thing.  Aaron and I were chatting this evening after he ate supper and we looked over at my husband, Sam, who (last time we looked) was watching TV, to find him sound asleep in Aaron’s bed.  I took a couple of pictures, because I knew when I eventually told Sam he’d been sleeping, he’d deny it, as he ALWAYS does.  I was correct, he did deny it.  I have the pictures to prove  it and I told Aaron I was going to post one on his blog, so here it is.  Just for you  Aaron.  And yes, he really was sound asleep…..doesn’t look too comfy.  Who looks like that when they sleep?   Is that normal????

And I continue to ask you to please pray for Aaron’s recovery.    Thank you everybody!!

Aaron was still a little under the weather today, but did manage to do about 3 hours off the vent anyway. He really seems to have gotten over his fear and apprehension about being off the vent; he just needs to get past whatever bug he’s  battling now so he can make greater progress. 🙂 Isaiah and Mandie  stopped by for a while in the early afternoon :), he got to ride the hand stim bike which he always likes to do, watched a little baseball, and wrapped up the afternoon with an appetizer from the Olive Garden. 🙂

Tickets for the meals are sold out, but you can still come for the auction.  I understand there are some very nice items up for grabs!    Thank you to EVERYBODY who participated in this weekend’s fundraiser and to those of you who will be participating in this coming weekend’s fundraiser.  We can’t thank you enough for your support!

Just a quick update on Aaron’s day.  When I got to Magee this morning, he wasn’t feeling well, he said he felt “like he was getting something”.  He had a low grade fever.  As the day progressed, though, he came around a little bit, got some color in his face and was wide awake by the time the first football game came on.  (I think that’s typical for all males, though, don’t you agree girls?)  Sorry for the wise comment about males, couldn’t resist.    Nothing personal, I like males….my son is one.

When we (Aaron’s cousin Erin and I) left for the day, he no longer had a fever.  He was ready to do more time off the ventilator but the respiratory therapist thought he needed to give it a rest today….so that’s what he did!     Hopefully, he’ll feel more chipper tomorrow and Greg and Gina will be able to give us a better (and more interesting) update tomorrow night!

Please continue to pray for Aaron and his recovery.  Thank you!

I must admit that I was down and disappointed when I woke up on Saturday morning. Cold and rainy. I had prayed for sunshine and when that didn’t happen I prayed for drizzle. Oh me of little faith. I should have trusted that God had something bigger & better in store for us.

Not long after we arrived at the trail head around 9:15, family & volunteers that we didn’t know started to show up. We were not finished setting up when the first wave of bikers/walkers/runners started to arrive shortly before 10:00. I have to admit that I was ashamed that I had doubted that God would add his blessing to this day as we stood and watched group after group head out the trail in a steady rain. A sea of red ponchos and umbrellas. How easy it would have been to show up and do this on a dry 60 degree fall day. It meant so much more in the rain. And not once did we hear any complaints about the weather. Quite the opposite. 4 hours of laughter and hugs. Every one of you, friends, family, & strangers (new friends) are awesome!!

A few highlights:

People traveled from as far away as Washington D.C., Virginia & Las Vegas to participate.

A couple from E-town, who didn’t know Aaron but had heard of  his story decided to turn it into a friendly husband/wife competition to see who could raise the most money and raised $1000.

Several members from the E-town boys basketball team (Woody is the JV coach) participated. While most of them rode the entire 10 miles, 1 ran 6 miles and his dad ran to the event and out the trail for a total of 15 miles. One of them rode 4 of the 10 miles on a flat tire.

There were a host of volunteers, many of whom we didn’t know and who don’t know Aaron.

And of course dedicated & devoted friends & family from Middletown, E-town, and around the state & country.

While all of this was going on at a rain soaked rail trail between E-town & Middletown, back in center city Philly Jaime was keeping Aaron company and cheering him on as he logged 10 hours off of the vent for the second consecutive day! No cheering in this pic, but we just really like this one. 🙂

We couldn’t include pictures of everyone that was at the walk here, but there is a slide show of photos documenting the days events being put together for Aaron. If any of you took pictures that you would like to share, you can email them to Jackie Lerch at jlerch@comcast.net by Tuesday.

You are all AWESOME, LOVED, & GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!

On Friday, October 23rd, the Blue Room Bar & Grill in Middletown PA will be hosting a Halloween party. The Blue Room’s owners have generously offered to donate all of the proceeds from the cover charge to “Aaron’s Journey”. The minimum cover charge is $5, but you are certainly welcome to donate more.

This is a costume party. Drink specials will be available to all patrons who wear a costume. There will also be Halloween games and a DJ.

The party starts at 7:00 p.m. and goes until midnight.

214 S. Union St.
Middletown, PA 17057
717-944-6208

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Sorry I didn’t get this up last night!! Lots of traffic and got home pretty late and then struggled because I forgot my user name and password to log in this website. ANYWAYS, Aaron did TEN HOURS, thats right TEN HOURS off the vent yesterday!! And remained stable the entire time. He even requested to go to sleep off the vent but they wouldn’t let him do too much at once. Go ahead Aaron! He was a rockstar! He was a little tuckered out during his therapies, but woke up a little to hang out with his visitor John Pani. It was a great day! He went to sleep pretty early and wanted to wake up today and get off the vent again.

I hope all you are doing your best at the fundraiser today, sorry to say I won’t be there. I will be with Aaron, but we’re thinking of all you and on behalf of Aaron, thank you! I’ll be at the cafe next week, so I hope I get to meet all my new friends that I’ve established through this unfortunate time.

Keep Aaron in your prayers!! They’re working!!

You want the good news or the bad news first?

Ok, the good news is that it isn’t going to snow tomorrow. The bad news is that the forecast is for a chance of light rain and 45 degrees. Although Sunday’s forecast is slightly better (not much) we stand to loose many of our volunteers if we move to Sunday so……….we are on for tomorrow.

After seeing what Aaron tolerates every day I think that I will be able to take a few rain drops on his behalf. We realize that the weather may keep some away but we are looking forward to seeing those of you who can still make it.

On behalf of Aaron and the rest of his family, thank you for your continued love, thoughts, support, & prayers.

See you tomorrow. Dress warm & wear a rain poncho.

Well, we didn’t want to go two days without putting an update out here, so here it is!   Unfortunately, there’s not much new to report.  Aaron hasn’t had much luck on the trach collar the last two days because he has some chest congestion that’s making it very difficult for him.  He seemed much better this evening before Sam and I left to come home, though, so maybe he’ll be able to handle it better tomorrow. 

He was on his power wheelchair most of the day today.  Using it makes his neck sore, because he “directs” the movement of his chair through his headrest.   But he did much better in it today.  He had some therapy sessions, but they were mostly informational.   

He had a visit from Pastor Kim from the Middletown Church of God today.  Aaron was feeling well by the time she arrived, so it was a good visit. 

Well, that’s about it.  Sorry I don’t have more news than this.  But tomorrow is another day. 

As always, I ask that you continue to pray for Aaron’s complete recovery!   Thanks!

Other than Aunt Deb’s mishap, it was a great start of the week for the fam. First with a pleasant visit from Pastor Scott(from Greg & Gina’s church) and then the whole crew present. Greg, Gina, Diane, Deb, and I were all there as Aaron got ready for his  follow-up with the  neurosurgeon from Jefferson Hospital regarding his neck surgery. This was his second follow-up visit since the accident. One more follow-up appointment and we’re home free! So after a decent trip in the ambulance over to Jefferson Hospital (the rest of us had a great little stroll through LOVE park to get there), everything looked great!!  Aaron no longer has to wear that big thick blue and white Miami ATC neck collar thing! I was supposed to take a picture of him without it, but got too caught up in the moment of him looking good without it on. Sorry, we’ll get one up soon!

Shortly after he got back, he went off the vent for a few hours. A couple annoying mucous plugs later, they decided to put him back on. But after a weekend of quite a few mucous plugs, this was a good accomplishment for Aaron. He went through a really intense physical therapy session while he was off the vent, and his oxygen saturation levels remained really high, which is GOOD : )

OH, and we appreciate all your nice comments regarding the engagement! He is on speaker phone with Tory and I as I write this blog, so forgive me if it’s all over the place. Between a tired 4  yr old, Aaron talking over his trach, the PHILLIES winning(hope it stays that way), and my stomach screaming because it’s hungry, oh and the nurse, respiratory therapist in and out of his room…..I’m trying to write a blog that has lots of fun new information for you all! Tory is now counting to 20 and keeps skipping 15 and Aaron is trying to correct her. Quite fun. But yeah, the engagement was  crazy unexpected, but a pleasant surprise and an interesting story having it happen on Magee Rehab’s roof. Ha! Thanks again everyone!

Tuesday should be a good day for Aaron. He has the stim bike scheduled for both his arms and legs tomorrow, so we’ll be anxious for Diane’s blogs tomorrow night to let ya know how it goes!

Everyone keep Aaron in your prayers and he says hello (speaker phone)!!

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to remind you all of the upcoming walk this Saturday, October 17th at the Conewago Trail.

Days Events will include:

Registration – drop off your donations and pick up a brochure and business cards for Aaron’s Journey

Guest Book & Message Posters – Please sign our guest book and write a message to Aaron

Pictures – Get your picture taken to let Aaron know you were there… also please feel free to bring your cameras and take your own pictures throughout the day. Pictures will be compiled into a slide show for Aaron.

230 Café Tickets & Bracelets – AshleyReitz, a representative of the 230 Cafe and Aaron’s aunt, Denise Gingrich will be at the walk selling tickets to the next fundraiser at the 230 Café.  They will also be selling bracelets (donated by Aaron’s cousin Bill) with proceeds going to Aaron’s Journey

Prayer – Currently we are trying to enlist the help of some Pastors/Elders to assist with leading small groups in prayer. If you feel led to join in, please do!

Bottled Water – Our thank you for all of the prayers and support you have shown for Aaron. Please be sure to properly dispose of your empty bottles.

Bake Sale – Nate and Erin Gingrich (Aaron’s cousin and her husband) are also hosting a bake sale at the walk with proceeds going to Aaron’s Journey.

A few notes about:

Directions – Detailed directions are available at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/info/hikeforhealth/18conewagolvt.htm We will have red balloons marking the entrance so it is easier to spot from the road.

Parking – Parking is available at the trail head however we are expecting a large turnout so parking may be limited. We encourage you to carpool as much as you can for this event. If parking is not available at the trail head when you arrive, there is additional parking at the (out of business) gas station next door.

Rain Date – In the event that we need to cancel due to inclement weather, we will make an announcement on Aaron’s blog no later than 8:30 am on Saturday morning. Rain date is scheduled for the following day, Sunday, October 18th from 1:00-5:00 pm. If you are unable to make it on Sunday, we will have volunteers at the trail from 10:00-11:00 am on Saturday RAIN or SHINE to collect donations.

If you are unable to walk – You can always be a sponsor. If you don’t have anyone to sponsor, you can still make a donation on this site via Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express by clicking on the link to your right OR you can send a check to Aaron’s Journey at PO Box 267, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Whether you are donating $1 or $100 please know that your donation counts. Aaron’s family is in the process of finding him the best outpatient rehabilitative care to ensure that Aaron has every opportunity to maximize his potential for recovery. With much thanks we endeavor to put your generous donations to the best use possible.

Thank you for supporting Aaron in his recovery. We hope to see you at the walk!

…she said yes. Never felt so lucky. I love you.

Another great day!  Aaron spent 6 hours off the vent (this was done at one time, through two sessions of PT, a couple of meals & a couple of naps!).    Aaron did exceptionally well today, although he was extremely tired from yesterday’s trip to Hahnemann and his bronchoscopy.  He was feeling well, though, and that’s what is important.   In PT this morning, he was hooked up to the stim bike (legs this time).   The therapist said he did very well.  The bike has a motor, which moved his legs for approximately 15 minutes, then the motor turned off.  Then the bike worked with just the electric stimulators .  Electrodes were placed on the muscles on each of Aaron’s legs.  As was expected by the therapist, the bike only continued to go after the motor was turned off for the next minute or so.   She said this was because Aaron’s muscles were fatigued from the time spent on the bike with the motor running.  Aaron loved it and is anxious to do it again.  Hopefully, he’ll be a bit more alert the next time.   In the afternoon therapy session, he had electrical stimulation on his arms.   This, too, went well.

Sam and I also practiced pushing the therapist up and down a ramp in a wheelchair.  That went fairly well.  Then we worked on getting her, in a wheelchair, up onto a curb.  I always thought I was always fairly strong until today.  The therapist is about half the size of Aaron and I had difficulty getting the wheelchair up onto the  fake curb.  Time to start working out, I guess, so I can move Aaron around in his wheelchair.   Sam, of course, did much better than I did.  (I hate when that happens! ) 

Aaron ate well today, when I could get him to stay awake long enough to eat.  Sam’s mom made him some chocolate chip cookies, and he did manage to stay awake long enough to eat a couple of those. 

When Sam and I left this evening, Jaime and Tory were there, so I am sure he enjoyed the rest of the night with his loved ones.    I am anxious to see what’s in store for tomorrow!  

Please continue to pray for Aaron’s recovery !  Thank you, everybody!!!!

Woody, Jaime, and I met Aaron at Hahnemann Hospital for his bronchoscopy today. It wasn’t that long ago that packing up and moving to another location was a stressful and exhausting affair for Aaron, but not today; the trip over and back as well as the test went well. They had a hard time getting Aaron sedated so he was actually very awake for the whole thing. He said he could see the screen that displayed footage as they inserted a camera into his lungs and said it was really pretty cool to watch them clean out his lungs. What they extracted was very white so at this point there is not much concern about infection, but they are testing it to make sure.

Upon returning to Magee, he had 3 solid hours of therapy and even squeezed in a trach collar trial for about 45 minutes (good considering how busy his day was). We just really had a good time laughing at ourselves, each other, and just getting a little silly sometimes. Below is a picture of Aaron in the gym during physical therapy.

After the intense day Aaron had yesterday (5 hours off the vent), which, by the way, was totally amazing, he woke up this morning with a fever of 102 degrees.   Blood work was done, as was a test of his sputum (“spit” for those of us who are laymen) and a review of his last chest x-ray (done late last week).  A decision was made to send Aaron for a bronchoscopy tomorrow at Hahnemann hospital.  This is to be done as an outpatient procedure, but it requires Aaron getting loaded up into an ambulance to go right across the street to Hahnamnn.  This is Aaron’s third brochoscopy since his accident.  He is not overly fond of these procedures, but knows it’s in his best interest to have one tomorrow.   The doctor told him today, because of the fever, they want to rule out pneumonia.  They’ll go through Aaron’s trach to his lungs with a camera and look around first.  Then depending on what they see they’ll determine what to do next.  It is a possibility there is a mucous plug, which they can remove right then.  If it’s pneumonia, they’ll do a test to be sure they are using the right antibiotic to treat it.  I am sure there are more things they do during the procedure that I am not aware of.  

Because of his fever and not knowing  what  caused it,  Aaron was not able to go without the vent today.  His spirits were very good, though, and he said he felt good.  The last time he had his temperature taken was around 3:00 or so, and his fever was down to 99 degrees.    Aaron did have physical therapy today which went well.  Again, because he wasn’t exactly up to par, the therapist went easy on him.  He drove his power wheelchair and did passive range of motion exercises on his legs.  (Because he’s not feeling well, I won’t comment on his driving skills or lack thereof.)   Then we attended a session about what to look for when begin looking for a caregiver when for his return home.  This was to be followed by a video about an organization called “Helping Hands” that trains monkeys to assist people in wheelchairs.   Aaron and I decided it might be easier for us to get a monkey than find the right human caregiver, so that’s the plan!!!   And they are so cute, too!   (The monekys, not the humans.) They go to “school”  for 3 to 4 years of training before they can be “assistants”.    Cute and educated monkeys!   Does it get any better than that?    Anyway, the DVD player didn’t work, so we are going to watch the video at a later time.  We did get to look at a brochure with pictures, though.   Hope they watch the DVD on a day when I’m visiting Aaron, hate to miss that!!

Please continue to pray for Aaron and his recovery!  He’s a tough one, but he can’t do this all alone!    Thanks!

Aaron was off his vent for 5 hours straight today! Until today Aaron hasn’t done anything or gone anywhere while off his vent, but today while he was off his vent, he had 1 hour of therapy, he went down to the 2nd floor to check out the cafeteria and porch, went back upstairs for a make-up therapy session, and he even ate a little bit near the end. He was exhausted when he finished; I think both mentally and physically. It’s hard for us to really even imagine (much less know) what Aaron is really going through, but I can tell you that there is a lot of fear and anxiety in anyone who is weaning from a vent. Imagine that you are having great difficulty breathing; you just can’t get a deep breath and you feel like you’re going to suffocate. Then someone gives you a  machine that makes it much easier to breathe; its comforting and makes you feel safe again.  Now imagine that you have to give that up and you have to work for every breath you take, and even though you’re not really suffocating, that’s what it feels like. That’s what Aaron did for 5 hours today. If he can do this every day, he will gain strength and it will begin to become easier. I thank God he has been able to come this far. I ask that you pray that Aaron will be able to put his life in the hands of God and overcome his fears and to quote my cousin Chuck… soon toss that vent into the weeds!

Aaron had a good day today in every way.    When my sister, Deb, and I arrived at Magee this morning, we were confronted by Aaron’s Respitory Therapist who told us that he was doing the trach collar (he was off the vent) and fell asleep doing it!  So, he was still in bed and we didn’t want to wake him, so we didn’t go into his room.  When he finally woke up, we found out he had managed the collar  for 2 1/2 hours!   Now they could get him out of bed and ready for the day.   He wasn’t interested in the breakfast that was served (what, Aaron, you don’t like cold, rubbery eggs??) so he drank a chocolate Boost.  By that time, the rest of today’s visitors showed up (Aaron’s Aunt Den, Uncle Ed and Uncle Charlie).   After everyone fussed all over Aaron, he had to leave his room to go to Physical Therapy. 

PT was scheduled for 11:00 this morning, and it  actually started ON TIME! (That’s a sure way to make Aaron  happy!)  The therapist worked out both his arms, then gave him some electrical stimulation on his left arm.  That is amazing to watch; when the electricity moves through the electrodes into his arm, you can see his muscles tighten up.   The therapist rested his arm on a board and when the electricity was sent to his arm, his arm would move across the board.   Aaron can feel the movement, however, at this time, cannot initiate it on his own.  (But I have faith that he’ll be able to do that one day on his own! ) 

After therapy, we ALL went back to his room and visited for a little while.  About 12:15, lunch was served and he ate every drop of it.  He started out with Chicken Gumbo, then had a hot turkey sandwich and green beans.  I thought I was being slick by giving him a  bit of green beans with every bite of turkey, thinking he wasn’t realizing it, but he called me out on it…..but I continued to do it anyway and he continued to eat it!    After he was done eating, he sort of kicked us all out because he wanted to relax and watch some football. (And I guess we were getting on his nerves!)  We went across the street to eat and when we returned, to our surprise, the Respiratory Therapist said he had asked to be put back on the trach collar and when I walked into his room, he was sound asleep again (sitting in his wheelchair).  We didn’t wake him and this time he stayed off the vent for 2 hours!   When he woke up he was surprised that two hours had passed.  He also said he thought today’s time off the vent was so much easier than in times past.  That was great to hear, because we all know it is a struggle for him.   So, 4 1/2 hours totally off the vent today.  How good is that?????

Aunt Den fed him supper (BBQ chicken, baked beans, cherry jello) while I turned on his laptop and read him comments from the blog and facebook.  (He really enjoys that, so please continue to comment! ) 

 Aaron was “full of himself” today;  he harrassed me every opportunity he got,  shared his sarcastic wit with all of us and it was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!

We left Magee today when they were getting ready to put Aaron to bed.  He was ANXIOUSLY awaiting Jaime’s arrival after her weekend away.   I wish I could have been there to see that smile he gets when she walks into the room.  But I am sure both Jaime and Aaron were glad I wasn’t there!!!!   So, yep, it was a GREAT day!

When Gina & I arrived at Magee Saturday morning we found Aaron’s room door closed. We know from experience that this means that they are prepping (dressing/transferring from bed to chair/morning hygiene) Aaron for the day. His door finally opened around 10:00. Unfortunately, unknown to Aaron his breakfast had come & gone while he was getting prepped. We had someone bring it back but because he had therapy at 10:00 he didn’t have time to eat it, so off to the gym we went. After we arrived at the gym it was discovered that there was no one assigned to do his therapy so it was rescheduled for 2:00. Although he was irritated this was actually OK because it gave Aaron an opportunity to eat breakfast (bacon & eggs) which he devoured.

Dave (respiratory therapists) instructed Gina & I on how to suction Aaron and we did upper body range of motion with Aaron.  An early afternoon attempt on the trach collar did not last long partly because I believe that Aaron was not in the right frame of mind from his missed therapy session. He really looks forward to the physical activity. Lunch (bar-b-que chicken/broccoli/tater tots) came which Aaron attacked.

Off to the gym again for the rescheduled afternoon therapy session which……you got it…..got interrupted. We asked to be set up in the family lounge where Gina, Aaron & I watched the PSU vs. Illinois game which we enjoyed. Followed by dinner (spaghetti w/ clam sauce) which Aaron also enjoyed. Back to his room where his 7:30 shower got pushed back to 8:30. Needless to say we were all exhausted and Aaron was having trouble staying awake for his shower.

Having said all off that it didn’t sound like the best of days. However, we have changed what we consider a good day to be.

Aaron did not have a fever. He no longer has an I.V. stuck in him. His appetite is great (I now understand where the nickname lunchbox came from). The peg tube (used for feeding before he could eat solid food) is no longer being used and could be removed in the near future. We got to watch football together and comment on the game with him. We got to see him smile and spend the day with him.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

For those of you who are praying for Aaron pray specifically for peace, strength & healing.

We love you Aaron.