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Tuesday 28 July 2009
The surgery to remove the stent from Daniel's liver went forward as planned yesterday. The doctors determined the infection in Daniel's throat was not mono or strep, but rather pockets of puss from cold sores (hope you aren't eating breakfast while reading this) and did not present a significant risk of infection during the surgery.
The stent in Daniel's liver was removed successfully and he was feeling good after coming out of recovery. The next surgery will be to remove the hardware in Daniel's arm. This will happen in a couple of weeks.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Day 118 Update
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Sunday 26 July 2008
We promised updates whenever there is something to report. And today is the first significant development since the last blog entry.
For the past couple of weeks Daniel was improving. He has even been able to do normal stuff like going to the movies (Public Enemies was his favorite). Recently he began getting white blisters in his throat and now he has been put back on a new set of antibiotics to combat the infection.
The doctors had previously scheduled a laparoscopic surgery for tomorrow morning. They plan on going through Daniel's throat into his liver to remove the stint. However we aren't sure if the surgery will be postponed when Daniel arrives at the hospital tomorrow with an infected throat. Something about passing the surgical instrument through an infected throat area into his liver doesn't sound quite prudent to Daniel (or to us). We will keep you updated.
Sunday 26 July 2008
We promised updates whenever there is something to report. And today is the first significant development since the last blog entry.
For the past couple of weeks Daniel was improving. He has even been able to do normal stuff like going to the movies (Public Enemies was his favorite). Recently he began getting white blisters in his throat and now he has been put back on a new set of antibiotics to combat the infection.
The doctors had previously scheduled a laparoscopic surgery for tomorrow morning. They plan on going through Daniel's throat into his liver to remove the stint. However we aren't sure if the surgery will be postponed when Daniel arrives at the hospital tomorrow with an infected throat. Something about passing the surgical instrument through an infected throat area into his liver doesn't sound quite prudent to Daniel (or to us). We will keep you updated.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Day 100
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8 July 2009
Day 100.... A Milestone
Congratulations to you Daniel for toughing out 100 days of shattered bones, ruptured organs, intubation's, eleven surgeries, numerous hospital stays, days when you had to endure the pain with no pain meds, many setbacks and some disappointments. You've had enough tubes inserted in you to plumb a small house and parts of you are now titanium. But you have never given up and you have fought hard to remain strong, with faith and courage.
We won't dub you Saint Daniel just yet (there were those couple of times you got a little grumpy after all). But "Daniel the Lionhearted" (dictionary definition: extraordinarily courageous) and "Daniel the Determined" both fit well we believe. And of course there will always be the endearing "Trauma Bobsled".
So happy 100th Daniel! We love you and we know there are hundreds of people out there who follow your progress and who are praying for your complete and expeditious recovery.
8 July 2009
Day 100.... A Milestone
Congratulations to you Daniel for toughing out 100 days of shattered bones, ruptured organs, intubation's, eleven surgeries, numerous hospital stays, days when you had to endure the pain with no pain meds, many setbacks and some disappointments. You've had enough tubes inserted in you to plumb a small house and parts of you are now titanium. But you have never given up and you have fought hard to remain strong, with faith and courage.
We won't dub you Saint Daniel just yet (there were those couple of times you got a little grumpy after all). But "Daniel the Lionhearted" (dictionary definition: extraordinarily courageous) and "Daniel the Determined" both fit well we believe. And of course there will always be the endearing "Trauma Bobsled".
So happy 100th Daniel! We love you and we know there are hundreds of people out there who follow your progress and who are praying for your complete and expeditious recovery.
This picture, taken on day 2, perfectly represents Daniel's positive attitude from the start
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Day 99: T Bob Home from Hospital.... Yet Again
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Tuesday 7 July, 7:15 pm MST
Trauma Bobsled (if this reference doesn't make sense, read the earliest blog entries) was allowed to return home from the University Hospital today after one of many stays there since his accident. The hospital stays may not be over yet, but as Mendy said when we called her for this update, "we'll take whatever comes; we're just glad to still have him... most days" (nice to know she has been able to maintain her sense of humor through all of this).
Daniel is sick right now, but happy to be home again. The doctors have put him on two new IV antibiotics. The home health nurses arrived to help him learn how to use them as we were on the phone getting this update.
Basically things are in a wait-and -see mode. The doctors still aren't positive what is causing the temperature spikes that Daniel has been experiencing. But for now, they have chosen to fight the infection in his liver with antibiotics instead of surgery. If Daniel's temperature returns to 102 degrees, he will be re-admitted. The good news is, the University Hospital is only 5 minutes from his home, so it doesn't take Daniel long to return to his room with a view (and lots of tubes and machines that make beeping sounds). At this rate, they may decide to name a wing after him.
We are committed to keeping the blog going until Daniel and Christine's wedding (yes, we will post lots of pictures of that happy day), and beyond if necessary. In the interim, we will post a blog entry any day that there is new news of Daniel's condition. So if some days go by without a blog update, you can rest assured that no news is good news. But we will also report the good news when it happens.
And we even have a couple of surprise blog entries planned for the near future. So check back soon.
Tuesday 7 July, 7:15 pm MST
Trauma Bobsled (if this reference doesn't make sense, read the earliest blog entries) was allowed to return home from the University Hospital today after one of many stays there since his accident. The hospital stays may not be over yet, but as Mendy said when we called her for this update, "we'll take whatever comes; we're just glad to still have him... most days" (nice to know she has been able to maintain her sense of humor through all of this).
Daniel is sick right now, but happy to be home again. The doctors have put him on two new IV antibiotics. The home health nurses arrived to help him learn how to use them as we were on the phone getting this update.
Basically things are in a wait-and -see mode. The doctors still aren't positive what is causing the temperature spikes that Daniel has been experiencing. But for now, they have chosen to fight the infection in his liver with antibiotics instead of surgery. If Daniel's temperature returns to 102 degrees, he will be re-admitted. The good news is, the University Hospital is only 5 minutes from his home, so it doesn't take Daniel long to return to his room with a view (and lots of tubes and machines that make beeping sounds). At this rate, they may decide to name a wing after him.
We are committed to keeping the blog going until Daniel and Christine's wedding (yes, we will post lots of pictures of that happy day), and beyond if necessary. In the interim, we will post a blog entry any day that there is new news of Daniel's condition. So if some days go by without a blog update, you can rest assured that no news is good news. But we will also report the good news when it happens.
And we even have a couple of surprise blog entries planned for the near future. So check back soon.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Day 98 -- Evening Update
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Monday 6 July, 5:30 pm MST
The doctors are not allowing Daniel to be given any food or liquid right now, which indicates to Aubrey that they may still be considering the possibility of surgery. For now Daniel remains in the University Hospital and we will update the blog if anything changes.
Daniel and Christine (taken two days ago)
Monday 6 July, 5:30 pm MST
The doctors are not allowing Daniel to be given any food or liquid right now, which indicates to Aubrey that they may still be considering the possibility of surgery. For now Daniel remains in the University Hospital and we will update the blog if anything changes.
Daniel and Christine (taken two days ago)to see more pictures scroll down
Day 98 Afternoon Update -- Surgery Abandoned
When Daniel went in for surgery this morning, the doctors did some exploratory work first. The surgeon injected a needle into the abscess in Daniel's liver and attempted to withdraw the toxic fluid, but it was too thick to come out. Based on that discovery, the doctors determined that inserting another tube to drain the abscess would not work, so the surgery was abandoned.
Looking over all the CT scans, the doctors reviewed the progress of the liver abscess from just after the accident until now. Over time the abscess has reduced from approximately the size of two fists to the size of a golf ball. Daniel was admitted to the hospital yesterday because of high fevers and it was assumed this was a result of infection from toxic fluid leaking out of the liver abscess. But after reviewing everything, the doctors now believe the high fevers were caused by the dead liver tissue being absorbed into the body.
The doctors believe the dead liver tissue will continue to liquefy and be absorbed into the body. The healing process for the liver is slow, but this latest prognosis from the doctors is good news. They are going to keep Daniel in the hospital for 24 hours to make sure the high fevers do not return. Aubrey sounded very relieved when he called to update us on Daniel's condition.
Looking over all the CT scans, the doctors reviewed the progress of the liver abscess from just after the accident until now. Over time the abscess has reduced from approximately the size of two fists to the size of a golf ball. Daniel was admitted to the hospital yesterday because of high fevers and it was assumed this was a result of infection from toxic fluid leaking out of the liver abscess. But after reviewing everything, the doctors now believe the high fevers were caused by the dead liver tissue being absorbed into the body.
The doctors believe the dead liver tissue will continue to liquefy and be absorbed into the body. The healing process for the liver is slow, but this latest prognosis from the doctors is good news. They are going to keep Daniel in the hospital for 24 hours to make sure the high fevers do not return. Aubrey sounded very relieved when he called to update us on Daniel's condition.
Day 98 Morning Update -- Daniel Currently in Surgery
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Monday 6 July, 9:00 am MST
Aubrey just called to say Daniel is in surgery now. We will update the blog as soon as Daniel is out of surgery and the surgeon has given the family his report. Aubrey said this is Daniel's twelfth surgical procedure since the accident.
Monday 6 July, 9:00 am MST
Aubrey just called to say Daniel is in surgery now. We will update the blog as soon as Daniel is out of surgery and the surgeon has given the family his report. Aubrey said this is Daniel's twelfth surgical procedure since the accident.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Day 97 -- Daniel Back in University Hospital
Sunday 5 July, 12:30 pm MST
After spending the 4th of July with Christine and his family at Aunt Karen's (where he even felt good enough to stand in the pool), Daniel was readmitted today to the University Hospital. His temperature is 103 and the infection in his liver has again become severe. His white blood count is so elevated that anyone entering his room is required to wear a mask (including the doctors). At this time it has been advised that Daniel should not have visitors (we will update you when that changes).
The infection in Daniel's liver originates from the liver abscess, which stopped draining days ago. The doctors were attempting to manage the abscess with IV antibiotics, but that is no longer working. The surgeons considered operating to surgically remove the damaged part of Daniel's liver, but that is an option of last resort. After a couple of CT scans from different angles, the doctors have determined that the fluid in the liver abscess has liquefied again, so they have decided to reinsert a tube (or tubes, we aren't sure how many at this point) back into Daniel's liver to attempt to drain the abscess.
Daniel has been through so much that it has to be discouraging to face more surgery and more time in the hospital, but he never gives up. He and his family are so very grateful for everyone's prayers and support which have sustained them through this continuing ordeal. As always, you are welcome to share any thoughts for Daniel or his family in the comments section of this blog. We will update the blog as soon as the surgery to re-insert the liver tube(s) has been completed.
On a lighter note, we are including pictures below of Daniel from Aunt Karen's 4th of July pool party.
Karen and Roger's pool is a great place for family to spend fun in the sun together (this is a pool view from Karen's deck)
The volleyball games can become pretty competitive
Burgers and relaxing in the shade
Chicks dig scars
Daniel and Christine enjoy some pool time
After spending the 4th of July with Christine and his family at Aunt Karen's (where he even felt good enough to stand in the pool), Daniel was readmitted today to the University Hospital. His temperature is 103 and the infection in his liver has again become severe. His white blood count is so elevated that anyone entering his room is required to wear a mask (including the doctors). At this time it has been advised that Daniel should not have visitors (we will update you when that changes).
The infection in Daniel's liver originates from the liver abscess, which stopped draining days ago. The doctors were attempting to manage the abscess with IV antibiotics, but that is no longer working. The surgeons considered operating to surgically remove the damaged part of Daniel's liver, but that is an option of last resort. After a couple of CT scans from different angles, the doctors have determined that the fluid in the liver abscess has liquefied again, so they have decided to reinsert a tube (or tubes, we aren't sure how many at this point) back into Daniel's liver to attempt to drain the abscess.
Daniel has been through so much that it has to be discouraging to face more surgery and more time in the hospital, but he never gives up. He and his family are so very grateful for everyone's prayers and support which have sustained them through this continuing ordeal. As always, you are welcome to share any thoughts for Daniel or his family in the comments section of this blog. We will update the blog as soon as the surgery to re-insert the liver tube(s) has been completed.
On a lighter note, we are including pictures below of Daniel from Aunt Karen's 4th of July pool party.
Karen and Roger's pool is a great place for family to spend fun in the sun together (this is a pool view from Karen's deck)
The volleyball games can become pretty competitive(if you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will recognize Alex at the very back of the pool behind his cousin Christopher)
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Burgers and relaxing in the shade
Chicks dig scars
Daniel and Christine enjoy some pool timeSaturday, July 4, 2009
New Update from Aubrey
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This e-mail was sent by Aubrey on 3 July at 4pm MST
I apologize for not updating the blog for a while. Daniel has made great progress, but has encountered several serious and discouraging set backs as well. Geoff commented the other day that he hadn't realized how sick Daniel really is. When Geoff took him out for a drive, Daniel wasn't even able to slide our screen door open. Granted it needed some lubrication, but still it was an indicator of his lack of strength. The day I brought him home from the hospital (from his most recent stay there) he looked pretty pitiful. He stood outside the hospital, in one of their lovely gowns, tied at the back...unshaven, hair disheveled, a bit jaundiced, and very emaciated, trying to maneuver with his pick line and portable IV's. The doctors feared he probably had C-dif so he was placed on (3) different antibiotics to clear things up. He remained very sick and has had periods of great pain to deal with. Since that time, they removed the last drainage tube, even though the abscess is still in his liver. The tube had quit draining, so they now are hoping with the IV antibiotics, it will clear up on its own. IHC (Intermountain Health Care) brings his antibiotics in a cooler once a week. His elbow seems to be healing nicely. We reviewed his x-rays and it is amazing how they pieced everything back together with long plates and screws. Out of all those shattered fragments of bone, they only had 3 pieces that they couldn't fit back into the puzzle, so those just got thrown away. They are hoping to remove all of the hardware within a couple of weeks. Interestingly, I hadn't seen his elbow since the surgery and didn't realize that it was a bit deformed, but hopefully all of that can be re-constructed. He has started having intense pains again, in both his kidneys as well as his liver. The pain comes and goes. He becomes very tired and light headed after exerting his energy, but he has actually started working his muscles on Alex's home gym. Yesterday, he decided to start back to work. We'll see how that goes.
He and Christine are moving ahead with their wedding plans, so when you actually get an invitation to the reception, don't be surprised if you only have a couple of days notice. Everything is pretty rushed and crazy at this point, but I'm certain it will all turn out well. Their wedding and reception will be Saturday, Aug.1st.
A week or so ago, I took Alex on an impromptu trip to Tennessee. He has been so patient and cooperative throughout this whole ordeal, so I decided it would be great for him to spend some time with his friends. I broke down and rented a 2010 red, Mustang convertible. That was probably the biggest display of a mid-life crisis for me. Of course, I didn't wear a hat so my head was red for a couple of days. I purposely made no plans so that I could be at Alex's disposal, and didn't even call the office for an entire week. June and Pam were kind enough to lend Alex, Auntie Letha's station wagon, so I was on my own to relax and have some fun. I had many great visits with family, ate a lot of great food, even made a fresh peach pie, as well as a key lime pie, played a lot of Rook, and managed to fit in a round of golf w/my good friend John Cunningham, and might I add...in the most intense heat I have felt in a long time. He has become so obsessed with golf that I am surprised he even considered playing with me, even though I am however the one who introduced him to the senseless game. I even got a new set of PING golf clubs. Hopefully I will be able to see some improvement in my game. Anyway, we had a great time.
Everyone was so gracious to us during our visit. The most relaxing time was spent with Charles and Harrianne at their home on the Hiwassee River, eating some of the best smoked barbecue I had ever experienced. Alex and I had a country breakfast with Susan at her "Tom Thumb" restaurant, which was a real treat. The most fun I had was playing cards at Scott and Angela's house. We laughed until we cried. Angela just couldn't get in the rhythm of playing 5-handed Rook and nothing was making any sense to her. Of course, we started making fun of her and it went downhill from there. She started noticing a bad smell in the house and kept complaining until she decided it must be coming from the basement trash cans that hadn't been picked up. After Scott determined it wasn't the garbage cans, Angela threw her hands over her face and screamed, "Oh no, I think the freezer has quit working and the dog has thawed out." This was their 3rd dog that had died and the extra freezer was proving to be a convenient place to keep them until they had time to accommodate proper burials. Matthew, Andrew, and Hannah were just keeping them too busy, and of course the ground was too hard in the winter, so everything was able to be placed on hold... well, at least they thought it had.
Love,
Aub
Love,
Aub
Editor's note: Kelsey (Geoff's fiancee) and Christine (Daniel's fiancee) had their combined bridal shower at Aunt Karen's house yesterday (Friday). So despite health challenges, the Conner family is moving forward. Though blog entries have been less frequent of late, we will continue to post updates of Daniel's recovery process and of the continuing adventures of the Conner family.
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