I know I said the last entry was the last – but so many amazing things have been happening I had to share them with you!

Daniel returned to Gunnison on Sunday, May 12, 2019.  Randy said the ride from Denver to Gunnison was filled with conversation.  They discussed everything Randy could think of that Daniel would encounter in this next stage of his recovery process and they talked through the best way for Daniel to handle each of them.

Upon arriving in Gunnison, Daniel asked to stop at the ice skating rink – where his accident happened.  Randy sent pictures of Daniel standing in the area he believed he hit – you can’t tell from looking at the building.

They stopped at the dog park, and then went to his apartment.  Daniel’s landlord had hung streamers and balloons and there was a Welcome Home sign waiting for Daniel!

On Monday, they began their day at The W – Daniel’s breakfast place!  The owner was so pleased to see Daniel – she couldn’t believe how good he looked.  She gave Daniel her phone number and said she was a mom to several young people in Gunnison and if he needed anything not to hesitate to call.

Daniel and Randy went to Crested Butte and to the waste water treatment plant.  It was good to be back and to say hello.  One of the town employees told Dan he has to be one of the toughest S.O.B.’s he knows!  They had a nice lunch with Daniel’s good friend and boss and then headed back to Gunnison.

They wanted to locate the buildings where Daniel had appointments during the week – eye doctor and general practitioner.  They found themselves in front of the firehouse with a couple firefighters outside.  They decided to stop – Daniel wanted to thank them.  The firefighter had heard of the accident but was not on call that night, but asked Daniel to wait while he went in and got the chief.  The Fire Chief could not believe his eyes!  Randy said he as dumbfounded.  He asked Daniel to come back on Wednesday evening when more firefighters would be there.  He explained them seeing Dan would confirm their efforts pay off.

Around 4:00 they took Bean to the dog park.  Randy had taken a chair to sit by the truck and watch Dan and Bean.  Before long, Dan was surrounded by several dog park friends!  They were pleased to see Daniel and Bean too!

Randy left for Denver on Tuesday after lunch.  He sent a heartfelt text letting us know it could have been hard to leave Daniel – but he didn’t allow it to go there.  Instead he stated what was hard was the impact that effected our lives drawing to a conclusion and the amount of things we as individuals and as a family had to endure and process and manage and just get through to get Daniel here.  Randy doesn’t know if any of us will ever be the same – but he thanked each of us – Justin, Emily, Grams, and myself – for everything we did to help each other get through this situation.

On Wednesday evening Daniel went to the firehouse.  As it turned out, it was a gathering to dedicate a new firetruck to the firehouse, therefore all the firefighters and their families were there!  Daniel was given a very warm welcome by all.  Several of them could not believe it was really him.  He was told the guy in “that” accident had died .  A firefighter shared that Dan was his first “save”.  Daniel thanked each of them for their effort in saving his life.

He was told it was a pretty severe accident.  They had a very difficult time getting his breathing tube in.  Daniel was pinned between the steering wheel and his seat.  (It is a miracle his body core was not damaged.)  They had to cut both doors off and cut the seat out to remove Daniel from the truck.  The young man that had Daniel’s legs said to get him on the ambulance and go!  There is nothing left of his legs!  The front left tire was about 30 feet away from the truck along with the truck battery.  They shared a few pictures with Daniel.  This was a big step in Daniel’s healing process.  Hearing how serious it was from those who worked so hard to save him made a long lasting impact on Daniel.

When it came time for the traditional “pushing of the firetruck into the firehouse” Daniel was asked to help.  When Daniel called to tell us about his evening – he was so honored to have been a part of this – he was humbled.  He said he was the only one not in a uniform.

On Thursday, Daniel walked to his eye doctor appointment.  He was pleased to have had a thorough eye exam and to hear everything looked good.  There is no sign of any problems with diabetes to his eyes.  There is no sign of cataract – which is common with head trauma and eye injury.  His left eye – we feared early on he may loose – has no damage.  It remains a little bloodshot but the doctor explained this was from the bruising the eye took and it may or may not go away over time – but it is causing no problems to the eye.

On his walk to the general practitioner’s office a passerby stopped Dan and said he recognized him from the event at the fire station and wanted to say hello.  It made Dan smile!  He had a good visit with the doctor and she referred him to a therapist and set him up to get a blood draw at the hospital to check his blood for the blood thinner medicine dosage.

On Friday, he went to work with a co-worker.  His ticket was put in the Town drawing for a house that came available and the drawing was on Friday.  He really enjoyed being at the plant, observing and testing himself on what he remembered.  When he went to the drawing he received a warm welcome – with several hugs!  His name was not drawn for the house, but he had a great day seeing so many people he knew.

Saturday morning he took Bean to the dog park and then he went to The W for breakfast!  After breakfast he went to the hospital for his blood draw.  He entered through the emergency area as instructed.  The nurse who was walking him to the lab asked why he was in.  When she figured out who he was she said he had to come with her and took him back to the emergency area where Daniel was introduced to one of the nurses who was with him the night of the accident.  She couldn’t believe her eyes!  She was so pleased he was walking and talking and doing so well.  She told Dan when he arrived he had no blood flow to his legs.  Her and the doctor had to set his broken pelvis and as soon as they got it set – he began bleeding out in his lower legs – success!  She told Daniel it was a rather traumatic evening and when she got home she needed to share with her husband and children the events of her evening before she was able to sleep.  She wrote down her husbands name and number for Daniel.  He does fly fishing floats and wants to take Daniel out.  Daniel is so excited – when he called to share the events of the day he said, “Mom – this may be a way for me to get back to fishing this summer!”

While still at the hospital – he was given the next couple of shifts for the doctor who was with him the night of the accident.  Daniel plans on visiting him as soon as possible.  The nurse who was walking him to the lab was the nurse on the phone with Randy and I the night of the accident.  The nurse that drew Daniel’s blood for the blood test he was there to get had been on duty the night of the accident in the emergency room.  She told Daniel he was her first “save”.  They discussed how many things happened at the precise, correct time to have the amazing results!

Needless to say, the firehouse and the hospital visits were very informative and made the severity of Daniel’s accident REAL.  It isn’t just his family telling him how blessed he is.  He heard it from the people that know Daniel in a way the rest of us will never know him.  He is now pleased to be back to where he is after only five months.  He is okay with still needing time to heal.  He is thankful to be alive and has no idea how you truly thank those who worked so hard to save your life.

Daniel has crossed the finish line!  Woo Hoo!  Praise be to God.  Way to go Daniel!  Your hard work has paid off.  We are all so proud of you!

Randy and Daniel arrived back on the farm in Warrenton, Missouri on Saturday, April 27, 2019.  Five months to the date!  It was such a joy to see Daniel at home.  His smile could not have gotten much bigger.   He had kept his hospital bracelet on until he was with all of us and then he used his knife to cut it off!  It was quite the moment and I was pleased he waited to share it with all of us!

We are so thankful for each and every person who has had a hand in this journey.  The number of people that have had a part in this journey is astronomical!  From the young man who had just parked his car at the ice skating rink on November 27, 2018 to the numerous people who have said prayers or sent positive-healing energy and everyone in between.  Once again, we are faced with the challenge of how do we begin to thank each of you?  I have thanked God for each of you throughout this journey and we will continue to be thankful each time we see Daniel and remember how far he has come.  Before eating a wonderful Easter dinner, my brother said grace.  He prayed about the miracle of Easter and then thanked God for the miracle of Daniel!  Randy and I have talked again and again about how close we came to losing Daniel.  God has plans for Daniel!

Daniel will stay with us at the farm for a couple of weeks.  The Greene Team will fly to Denver for Mother’s Day weekend.  My mom is celebrating her 90th birthday and we all wanted to be there.

On Sunday, May 12, 2019 Randy will drive Daniel over the mountain and back to his apartment in Gunnison.  Randy will stay with Daniel until Tuesday and then Daniel will be on his own to re-enter his life at his own speed.

He has an amazing support group in Gunnison and Crested Butte.  His landlord has offered to help in whatever way she is needed and seems almost anxious to have Daniel move back in!

The Town of Crested Butte has gone above and beyond for Daniel.  They have been amazing!  They are ready for Daniel to return to work at his own pace.  We are all so grateful that he has his job to return to.  It is Daniel’s dream job and knowing he was going to be able to return had a huge positive impact on Daniel’s recovery.

Daniel’s colleague’s are very supportive and are willing to have Daniel stay with them anytime necessary.  He will be able to catch a ride to work with one of his co-workers until he takes his driving test.

Randy has a cousin and his family living in Crested Butte and they have offered to help Daniel in anyway they can.

I will make a trip to Gunnison when my school year ends and spend a week or so with Daniel to touch base and see how things are going.

In late July we plan to vacation in Gunnison giving us another opportunity to make certain things are still going well for Daniel.

Daniel knows he has still has work to do – both physically and mentally – but he is up to the challenge and is so anxious to re-enter his life at his own speed – and he is gaining a little more confidence each day that he is going to be able to make it happen.

His gait is not quite smooth, he moves a little slower than he did, his right wrist is still a little weak and he is still missing a tooth.  His brain gets tired by the end of the day, his filter is still a little damaged – both the in and the out filter, and his word recall is tricky at times.  The best news of all, is Daniel is aware of all of this and has learned it is okay to ask for help when he needs it!  We see daily improvements and are confident Daniel is going to be just fine!

Thank you for each thing you have done for us!  It has been quite the journey, and we are so glad you stuck with us to the finish line!

Please know you have each been a blessing to us.  May God bless each of you!

 

Hello everyone!  This entry will be about Daniel’s final 4 days at Craig.  Wow!  It is hard to imagine.

Daniel had therapy Tuesday – all went well.

We had our release meeting on Wednesday, April 24th.  Randy and I called in, however their conference line had been disconnected so I hung up and let Randy attend the meeting and then he called me and let me know what was said.  Basically, they believe that “new/old” experiences will help with Daniel’s recovery.  He will continue with therapy in Gunnison upon his return.  He passed all of the necessary driving assessments given by his therapists, so now his case manager is able to schedule the behind the wheel assessment.  She is trying for the end of May when I am able to get Daniel back over the mountain for the test.

Randy flew in late Wednesday night, and met Daniel at the Craig apartment.  They stayed there Thursday and Friday night.

Daniel had therapy both Thursday and Friday.  After therapy on Thursday, they took a load of items to Grams’ house to store until the move to Gunnison.

After therapy on Friday, Daniel said good bye to his therapists, old and new, his doctor and nurses.  He said good bye to Craig.  Randy said it was difficult to not be emotional – it was quite the experience – they truly helped Daniel become Daniel again.

Randy and Daniel had lunch with Grams and then began their drive to Missouri.  They drove to Hays, Kansas and stopped for the night.

 

Hello!  I know it has been a while.  It has been difficult for me to update the blog while not visiting Daniel.  Randy, Justin and Shelby were taking their turns.  Emily and I spent Easter weekend with Daniel.  It was a wonderful weekend.  The last time Emily saw Daniel he was still in his wheelchair.  She was quite pleased to see him up and walking!  She said Daniel was like Daniel!  Emily really enjoyed her visit with her big brother.

I am so pleased with the progress Daniel has made.  He is aware of the areas he still needs to work on, and is willing to discuss ways to improve/change what he needs.  He is gaining strength both physically and cognitively daily.  He is doing lots of walking and exercises his wrist daily and is seeing the benefits of his effort.

We will have a meeting with Daniel’s team on Wednesday, April 24th.  We are anticipating this to be his final release from Craig meeting!  A few things we are hoping to hear during the meeting:

His therapists have been giving him driving assessments.  If they determine he has passed all three of those tests and Dr. Weintraub signs off as such – Daniel will be eligible to complete the behind the wheel driving test at Craig sometime in May.

His community reintegration therapist has been in contact with The Town of Crested Butte to determine the skills Daniel needs in order to successfully return to work.  We are anxious to hear her report along with all of the other reports from each of his therapists.

Randy will arrive in Denver on Wednesday.  Randy and Daniel will pack Daniel’s things, attend his final day of therapy and begin the drive to Missouri.  Daniel will stay with us until Mother”s Day weekend when we will fly to Colorado to attend my mom’s 90th birthday celebration!  After the celebration, Randy and Daniel will head to Gunnison!

Daniel has an amazing support group in Gunnison and Crested Butte.  He plans to live in his apartment and take reintegration as slow as need be with the support of his friends and colleagues.

I will visit Daniel as soon as my school is out and assess how things are going.  We are confident he is going to be successful.

We have so many people to thank.  Grams has been great support throughout this entire process.  She continues to give a large amount of her time to Daniel.  Thanks Grams.  My brother has taken time to be with Daniel.  Thanks Pat.  My sister is taking time to be with Daniel.  Thank you Theresa.  My nephew-in-law spent time with Daniel.  Thank you Brandon.  So many of you have sent cards, letters, and care packages to Daniel .  Thank you.  Daniel continues to receive prayers.  Thank you.  Daniel benefits from all the positive energy sent his way.  Thank you. 

I am not certain we have crossed the finish line – but it is within sight!    

 

Hello Everyone!  I am excited to be able to deliver such good news.  Daniel is doing so well!  I arrived on Thursday night – I did not see Daniel – I went straight to Grams’ and went to bed.  I woke early and packed and gathered items we had left at Grams’ and arrived at Craig in time for breakfast with Daniel.  He had been packing his room for a few days, everything was in boxes he had asked a tech for and he was ready to go.  He was smiling and I saw light in his eyes.  He was standing up straight – holding himself proudly and conversing with his nurse about his medication.  It was beautiful!

The transition to his outpatient apartment at Craig has gone smoothly.  He loaded his boxes onto the luggage rack, maneuvered the luggage rack through the hallways, onto the elevators and into the apartment where he unloaded the boxes!   I reminded Daniel that we kept telling him he was going to WALK out of Craig and he did! He got busy unpacking and setting up his apartment.  Wonderful!

His first outing was to Duluth Trading Company to purchase “real” pants.  He wore the pants out of the store and put his sweatpants in the bag! He was smiling from ear to ear and my face hurt from smiling so much!  We went to Grams’ to say hello and Daniel took Bean out back for some exercise! We bought groceries and a few items at WalMart as well. We unloaded the truck, he put groceries away, we had dinner in the apartment, talked for a while then decided we were ready to read in our beds!  It was a wonderful day. I was concerned he would get wore out and become grouchy – but he did not.

On Saturday we had breakfast at the apartment then got ready for the day.  We picked up Grams, went out for lunch, did a little more shopping and then went to see Captain Marvel!  It was a good movie – Daniel wasn’t too certain Grams and I would enjoy it – but he had been waiting to see it and we were good with it.  He was not disappointed.  We returned back to the apartment and dinner out of the crock-pot!  Another great day.

Today, Sunday, we plan to visit my parents in Eaton.  I am not certain who is looking forward to the visit more – Daniel, my parents or myself?

Daniel is thrilled to be riding in his truck – he is looking forward to DRIVING his truck – but is enjoying the ride for now.

Daniel is expressing feelings of gratitude for several things.  It warms my heart.  He has voiced how much he owes his PT and OT therapists for the ability to walk and the increased use of his wrists and fingers.  He is grateful to his parents and family.  He hugged his Grams’ and thanked her for taking care of  his Bean and of him!  He is appreciative of the gift cards and cash he received.  He is looking forward to his continued outpatient therapy and to spending his off days at the PEAK center working out on his own!  He can’t believe how much the Town of Crested Butte has done for him.  He keeps pulling out different pieces of mail or packages he has received and expressing how much each of them meant to him.  He talks about his visits with his Uncle Pat and how “easy” they were.  He has mentioned several nurses and techs and a special moment he shared with each of them.  He has acknowledged that he was argumentative with different people in different situations and he feels bad about it.  It has all been music to my ears and an answer to prayers.

I am with Daniel until Tuesday evening, and then our nephew-in-law will stay with Dan for two nights.  Randy comes for a few days, then Justin and Shelby, and then Randy again.  We have worked out the 24/7 coverage for two weeks and pray Daniel will be approved to sleep on his own and have coverage during the day after that.  If – when that happens, we will be asking family to help us out during the week and we will visit on the weekends.

He has come so far, and we have so much to be thankful for.  Please keep praying for God to continue to keep His hand on Daniel.

Our list of people to thank is endless.  What a journey!  Randy asked if it was time to say thank you to each of you and end this blog – but I don’t feel it is – not just yet.  I don’t believe the journey is over – I want you to be with Daniel as he crosses the finish line!

 

I spent 5 days with Daniel – I flew in Friday, March 15th for Daniel’s 32nd birthday and left late on Tuesday, March 19th.  It is my spring break – therefore I was able to spend a few extra days with Dan and still have some time at home before returning to work.

Daniel is doing well.  His therapists said the past week was a good week for Dan – he was much more compliant and kept focused on the task at hand for a longer amount of time.  Dan’s PT therapist cleared me on Friday for an off-campus pass (no car).  Dan and I were both pretty excited!  We were told during speech on Friday that if Dan had a good weekend and showed that he could be safe the team would discuss discontinuing the lock belt!  Another step in the right direction – exciting stuff.  Along with losing the lock belt he would also lose the Posey Bed (the one with the net over the top they zip-up).

Dan and I went to Caribou Coffee on Saturday!   We both had a good time.  Daniel had to ride in the wheelchair – I pushed him there – it was uphill.  We parked the wheelchair outside and he walked in with his belt on while I kept my hand on the belt.  We were able to sit by the fireplace and enjoy our coffee and visit.  It was wonderful.  Daniel controlled the chair on the way back – downhill!  He wasn’t too excited about his mom having to push him – but I think it was worth it in the end.

We decided to head back to Caribou Coffee on Sunday.  It was a little later in the day and I wasn’t certain we would make it back for lunch.  His nurse approved us eating lunch out and estimating the carbs like Dan has for the past 16 years.  We were super excited and super grateful!  We made it to Caribou Coffee in record time.  It was a little busier – but the chairs by the fireplace vacated just in time for us!  Dan noticed the time and realized we weren’t going to make it back for lunch.  Daniel was not too certain about this – keep in mind this would be his first meal away from a hospital setting since November 27th, 2018!  To say he was apprehensive may be an understatement!  He finally decided he might be able to drink a fruit smoothie – however the smoothie was VERY cold – more like a slushy – and he isn’t able to tolerate cold too well.  He decided if he could drink half of it – that would be enough to get him through until dinner.  He couldn’t drink it without getting brain freeze – so we finally decided to start the trip back and he could drink it slowly along the way.  The sun was shining – but the breeze was a little chilly and with Dan drinking a frozen drink he got cold – like teeth chattering cold.  Overall, his first meal away from the hospital was not a huge success!  I was disappointed – but Dan was fine.

Monday proved to be a little bit rough for Daniel.  His therapy began at 8:30 and he had a full schedule.  I arrived at 9:45 to watch Dan’s pool therapy session.  He was disappointed he was in the big pool for water aerobics rather than in the small pool equipped with a treadmill.  I enjoyed the water aerobics and appreciated all the movement Dan was able to obtain in the pool.  He was even jogging!  His therapy sessions on Monday included a continuous hour of speech.  I was tired after observing this session – I can’t imagine how tired Dan was!  He was working on Luminosity on the computer – WOW!  I was impressed.  He did quite well.  He also completed Sudoku on the computer.  He was allowed to complete it independently the first time – he had all but one square finished – and then his therapist showed him a different strategy for completing the puzzle.  He didn’t appreciate the help at the time – but after we discussed it – he could appreciate what he learned.   While we were waiting for dinner – we were sitting on the bridge talking and he became quite upset with me.  I had said hello to one of his staff members and he was upset I had engaged that person in a conversation.  He started with the “everyone here hates me – rightfully so – but still they hate me” and then it went to all of his therapy being a “complete waste of time” – “no benefit”.  It is embarrassing to have Dan talk/think like that.  It is not him – and we want so badly for him to be grateful.  It is SO difficult to remember – while in the moment – that this behavior is not a choice – that it is his brain – shouting to us that it is not all the way healed!  I believe Dan is spot-on about 90 – 95% of the time.  We had a wonderful weekend, he did get a little grouchy by the time I left on Sunday – but other than that – it was pretty wonderful.  Friday, Monday and Tuesday were a little rough.

Tuesday – he had an hour of therapy with his psychologist.  His doctor invited me in and asked how I thought Dan was doing.  I didn’t enjoy telling the doctor Daniel’s shortcomings in front of Dan – but I did.  It was discussed that his therapy may be the cause of his behavior – simply – brain fatigue.  We talked about using a code word “re-set” as a signal for Dan to know it is time to take a breath and think about what he is saying.  It was also mentioned that we could tell Dan it is time for him to rest – if not for physical fatigue – for brain fatigue.  His doctor told us both to keep in mind that during the first couple of weeks of  outpatient therapy Daniel will be extremely fatigued.  His past patients and families don’t understand why – but fatigue is definitely heightened during this time.  He also told a story of a patient who had been released and was back at work –  who worked with his boss to have a one hour rest time during the middle of his work day along with another hour at the end of his day before going home.  The rest time during the day helped with the fatigue for the second half of his workday and the rest time at the end of the day helped with his fatigue when he arrived home.  If he rested before he left he was able to help with homework and dinner and watch a little TV with his family before he went to bed.  If he did not rest – he found he ate and went to bed.  Dan’s doctor also said, in his experience, high functioning patients with high intelligence and creativity have a difficult time with the recovery process.  It is often the first time in their lives they have not been able to “think” their way out of it!  We agreed Dan is rather hard on himself.  He does not like to admit therapy was difficult or tiring.  He does not like to be redirected or to not be able to succeed at any given task.  However, Daniel is being much more compliant with most of his therapists the majority of the time.

On our way back from therapy we ran into Dr. Weintraub who told Dan they had a plan for Dan’s bed and lock-belt and that his nurse would explain it all to him!  I found his nurse and asked what the plan was.  They removed his Posey bed and replaced it with a regular hospital bed.  The goal is to have Daniel independent in his room with a walker by the end of the week!  All Dan has to do is prove he can be safe by calling for assistance when he wants out of bed – without getting up independently with no one else in the room.  Once he proves this – he will be able to move about the room using his walker without assistance!  I was super excited!  Dan was not as enthused – mind you it was the end of a hard day of therapy and he had not rested as of yet.  Currently Daniel is reliant on routine and the bed change messed with his routine.  I tried to help him solve the problems he was mentioning to no avail – so I finally said good-bye.

I called Daniel on my way to the airport and he said he had his bed situated and all was good!

We talked to him again last night and he said he slept well and he called for assistance when he wanted  out of bed!  I am hoping they will be able to transition him to independent moving with his walker this afternoon or tomorrow.

Randy nor I will be visiting Dan this weekend.  He seems okay with that – he seems to enjoy his down time.  He has a couple books he is reading and he enjoys watching a little TV.

We will be calling in to his discharge meeting on Tuesday the 26th at 3:00 and then one of us will be arriving on Thursday to receive any last minute outpatient therapy instructions and to help move Daniel into a Craig apartment on Friday the 29th.  As I mentioned in the last entry – we (Randy, Milissa, Justin) will be providing Daniel’s required 24/7 care for the first two weeks.  Daniel’s team will meet after the first two weeks of outpatient therapy to discuss the need for the 24/7 care – we are in hopes Dan will be able to be supervised less and that Grams will be able to take over the majority of the supervision along with help from my family members.  Please pray Daniel is able to prove he can live safely – mostly independent – after the first two weeks of full supervision.

We appreciate your continued support.  It has been a long road – I want to believe we are in the home stretch – but am almost afraid to allow myself!  Thanks again for reading.  We appreciate all the support Daniel has and continues to receive.  Thank you!  You are appreciated.

 

Wow!  It has now been over 100 days.  That is a long time for each of you to have been reading, praying, sending positive energy and supporting Daniel, but I believe it has felt even longer for Daniel.  Although he does not remember all of the days – he is definitely feeling the loss of time and the loss of his independence for what seems forever – I am certain.  Our prayers now need to focus on God blessing Daniel with the ability to stay compliant and take charge of his therapy.  I pray Daniel will feel peace and stay strong, brave and courageous.  I pray he does not get discouraged.  He is in the home stretch and he needs to finish strong!

Daniel had a few rough days this week.  He was not being compliant – Grams described him as being “nasty”.  It was a difficult few days – in fact Grams didn’t visit too much this week.  Randy arrived early Thursday.  We were all suppose to fly out – but the meeting was moved to Friday – so Emily and I stayed in Missouri and I would phone in to the meeting.  Daniel was in a rough state of mind on Thursday – Randy ended up leaving before dinner – there was no reasoning with Daniel.  Daniel called me before he went to dinner – wanting me to apologize to his dad for him.  Emily was with me and she began crying from hearing enough of the conversation to know it wasn’t good.  I handed the phone to her so she could say hello to Daniel, he heard her crying, when I got back on the phone he promised he would have a better day Friday.  He called his dad after he ate dinner and apologized and they had a nice conversation.

Friday and Saturday were both better days for Daniel.  He would get down for a little bit – but would come right out of it.  He was compliant and they both enjoyed each others company.  It was a blessing Randy was with Daniel.  He is so good with him and I know he was the main reason Daniel was able to turn the corner.

The outcome from the meeting on Friday was that it is time for Daniel to remain compliant and take charge of his therapy.  Dr. Weintraub said physically – all the bones are healed and he sees no future operations needed.  Daniel’s brain is doing well –  one thing keeping him back at this time is his willingness to be compliant and to trust what his therapists, doctors, nurses and techs are asking him to do is for his good and for his safety.

Dr. Weintraub would like for Daniel to be back on his insulin pump before moving into the outpatient setting – when that occurs will be up to Dan and his ability to be compliant 24/7.

He will be discharged from the hospital setting on March 29th and will move into an outpatient apartment at Craig that same day .  Randy and I are still working out the details for this outpatient time – Daniel will need 24/7 support during this time – that support is provided by us – not Craig.  The team plans to meet again after Daniel has spent 2 weeks in the apartment and assess how things are progressing – but Dr. Weintraub said to plan on six weeks of outpatient therapy total – what that looks like we aren’t certain.  It could be four weeks in the apartment and then finish with two weeks elsewhere – it will depend on how well Dan progresses.  We are pretty certain it will be four at Craig and the rest closer to where Dan is living.

Daniel was moved to the East wing this week!  He is now in room 334 East.  Randy said the room is a bit bigger.  As of now – Daniel is in the same bed – the one they zip him into at night so that he doesn’t try to stand on his own – it’s all about his safety.  He can earn his way to a different bed by staying compliant 24/7 and proving he can be safe.

If you haven’t caught on – Daniel’s new word to focus on is COMPLIANT!  We are encouraging him to find gratitude in hopes that will help him be more compliant.

You are each wonderful – thank you so much for the continued support.  Daniel continues to receive many cards, letters and packages!  We can’t thank you enough – it does our hearts good to know he has not been forgotten and that he will have great support when he returns to his own life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I hope you each enjoy your day and have a reason to smile and feel good today.  We appreciate each of you.

Hello!  I was able to spend this past weekend with Daniel.  He is doing so well!  I saw changes since my last visit.  He is very aware and making plans.  He is anxious to get back to Gunnison and to work!  We are so grateful the Town of Crested Butte, his boss and colleagues at Waste Water are being so supportive and have assured Daniel he has a job to return to!

We have our second meeting with Daniel’s Team of professionals at Craig this Thursday.  It will be a time to discuss plans for discharge and outpatient therapy.  There is talk about moving Dan to the East side of the hospital – soon – before discharge.  They reserve this side for patients who are more independent – a big step in the right direction.  I was pleased knowing Daniel was at a stage in his recovery where they would consider making this move!

I   definitely felt less “needed” this weekend.  Daniel has settled into a nice routine and is managing himself quite well.  He looks forward to having a day or two a week to himself – with no scheduled visitors.  He eats his meals on a fairly rigid schedule he has made for himself.  He has accepted the “rules/expectations” of the hospital.  When I tried to do something for him – he assured me he was capable.  Once I let him know I was aware of how capable he was becoming – but I could give him a break while I was visiting – he was a little more accepting – but not much!

Daniel and his physical therapist have worked out a plan/goal.  Starting this week – Daniel will do his leg stretches independently and will then have the time to get in 2 walking sessions with his therapist!  He was also suppose to be given a walker to keep in his room so that he could begin using it in the room under supervision!  He was looking forward to both of these changes.

OT continues to work on his fine motor skills – both hands and wrists.  Daniel is now able to see the improvements he has made along with the rest of us.  He still has a ways to go with his right wrist – nerve repair is very slow – but he is working hard to make it happen sooner rather than later.

Speech therapy focuses on the brain.  She has been working on several things with Dan – memory being one of them.  She re-assessed Daniel using a test she gave him at the beginning of this journey – he scored much better!

Randy and I continue to shake our heads and say how crazy this all is.  We ask ourselves if – while looking back – we would do anything differently – and our answer is no.  We are grateful we have been fortunate enough to support Daniel as much as we have.  It has been VERY helpful to have Grams available to spend as much time as she has with Daniel.  Our other Denver family members have taken their turns visiting and letting us know how Daniel is doing.  We still have no idea how we will ever be able to thank everyone enough – we have been so blessed.

Thanks again for reading!  Daniel loves all the mail he is receiving and appreciates all the support.  Do something special for yourself today – you deserve it!

Hello Everyone!  Daniel has had a wonderful 5 days!  He continues to walk during his PT sessions and gets a little stronger each day!  His swim therapy has not started – we are thinking it will this week sometime.  He continues to make gains with his right hand – they are small gains – but there is still gain!  OT has had Dan putting together a pretty detailed model car.  He enjoys working on it – it is coming together rather quickly!

On Thursday, he went to the dentist again – Craig transported him.  This time he had a broken tooth pulled and more coating on his teeth.  The dentist is thinking the rest of his teeth look good.

His dad arrived on Friday morning to spend the weekend!  They have had a nice time.  Randy reports that Daniel seems to be getting a bit more freedom and is venturing out a little.

My sister had lunch with Daniel & Randy on Friday.  Dan’s landlord visited on Friday afternoon, and good friends visited from Crested Butte on Sunday!

Daniel continues to work hard.  He has a difficult time seeing his own improvement – would like to mend a little faster than he is – but he continues to keep a good attitude!  It is easier to track the physical mending – it is more difficult to track the mending brain.  It seems to be a rocky road to full recovery – ups and downs – steps forward and backward and sideways!  The brain is tricky – but we continue to see improvements and are very encouraged!

He truly appreciates all the mail he receives!  It is definitely a highlight daily.  Here is his address – a few of you have asked for it:  Dan Greene – room 312 West        c/o Craig Hospital Rehab          3425 Clarkson Street           Englewood, CO  80113

We appreciate the continued prayers, positive thoughts, and love being sent our way.  It is amazing to think we still have readers – you have been supporting us for 90 days now!  WOW!  Thank you!  It means a lot to all of us.

Hello Everyone!  I had a wonderful weekend with Daniel.  We had nice conversations and we enjoyed each others company.

I surprised Daniel on Thursday evening when I arrived from the airport.  He was happy to see me and we decided I would see him at 8:00 for breakfast.

Friday started with breakfast and then therapy.  It is so nice to watch Daniel during his therapy sessions – he has made good, overall progress!

I want to thank each and everyone of you who have sent Daniel a card, note or gift.  Mail is on the nurses station counter, he checks daily, and is VERY pleased when he has some.  It means a lot to him and he was determined to write thank you notes to everyone.

On Saturday Grams brought Bean (Dan’s dog) for a visit.   Daniel really enjoyed seeing Bean, was pleased she was happy to see him, apologized to her for life being a little crazy right now & assured her they would be back in their own house soon.  I took Bean back to the house and let Dan know she was sad to leave – she whined as I was trying to lead her to the car.  He rode the bike and did his arm exercises.  We played some board games and he had a rest – not a nap – just laid down and took a break from the chair.

On Sunday I had breakfast with Daniel and then went to see my parents about an hour and a half north.  Daniel wrote 14 thank you cards while I was gone!  I was so proud of him.  It is difficult for Daniel to write – the nerve damage in his right arm effects his fine motor skills – therefore, writing is a task for him.  He was able to sort his mail and addressed the envelopes.  I felt it was quite an accomplishment!

I was able to have breakfast with him on Monday and attended a few therapy sessions before I had to leave for the airport.

Daniel’s team of caregivers met on Monday afternoon and his case manager emailed me the highlights.  They have now moved his discharge date to March 29th.  He will then move to out-patient therapy at Craig.  We have our next team meeting scheduled for March 7th and will learn more about his discharge and out-patient therapy then.

They have taken Daniel off of his appetite stimulant (he is hungry and eating well), and reduced his anti-seizure medicine (they give this to all traumatic brain injury patients).  I put in for an off-campus pass (no automobiles) so that we can take Daniel for a walk (roll in his chair) around a block or two, and Dr. Weintraub approved!  Randy will be trained this Friday and then I will be trained the next Friday!  Daniel had his feeding tube removed and the opening has healed which means he was cleared for swimming pool therapy!

Daniel had a big day today – during his PT session he took several steps using the parallel bars.  Grams was with him and sent us a video!  It was so nice to see – Daniel was so proud.  He made it look easy!

Daniel continues to progress and we are so thankful.  He still has a long road ahead and continued prayers, positive energy, and good vibes sent our way are appreciated.  It is a crazy thing and we are all effected by it – but we try to stay positive and to count our blessings daily.  Thank you for reading and keeping Daniel in your thoughts!