Second Birth

The events of the past two days have been nothing short of miraculous. It's truly been like watching a new born baby. We all get so excited whenever Victor moves his arm, squeezes your hand, or opens his eyes. We speak to him and wonder if he can hear us; does he understand? We all hold and touch him hoping for some sign that he knows we are here.

Five days after being taken off the medications Victor's mind has awakened! His doctor had his nurses lift him out of his bed into a chair! Better than that I understand that he was playing a game with his brother Roman, all this while still connected to the ventilator.

The "FORCE IS STRONG IN THIS ONE", we look forward to continued improvement from him. We sincerely thank the Lord for his blessings.

Go Skywalker.

Aloha Ke Akua

Yesterday, Victor showed us what God's love and his healing power is all about. At about 9 am the doctor came into the room and started testing Victor. First with verbal commands, where Victor's response seemed weak, then asked him to specifically move his thumb, and fingers... which he did! She pinched his legs and he responded by moving them away from the pinching. Lastly she pinched his right side under his arm and he moved his arm above the mid line. The doctor was ecstatic! She said given the severity of the injuries, she would have never guessed a response like this from him.

We are so very thankful to all of you who have petitioned in prayer for God's help. We truly have seen a miracle. We are humbled and overjoyed by this blessing in our lives.

Out of the Dark

The doctors turned off Victors' paralytic drugs at about 11 am in response to low blood pressure issues. As of the writing of this post, he is doing fine. His vital signs look great. And, because he is off these medications we have seen him move his arms and open his eyes. We are not sure how aware he is of what is happening, but we are very excited to see him trying to move. If all goes well tonight (and they don't have to turn the medications back on) the effects of these medications should be completely gone by morning. We are anxiously looking forward to tomorrow and to Victors' continued recovery.

We are so thankful for the many prayers that have been offered on Victors' behalf, please continue to pray for him because there is still a long way for him. We are especially thankful and grateful, and give all credit to our Heavenly Father for the blessing he has bestowed on Victor, what a miracle!

Keep fighting Victor and may Gods continued blessings be upon you.

Day 11

The last two days have been better for Victor. He is still running a fever and his heart rate has been above normal, however the rest of his vital signs are pretty good. The doctor turned off the cranial drip earlier today and decreased his dosage of vecronium (the paralytic), it seems to have had little effect on his readings which is wonderful. The nursing staff has been wonderful too. They are truly concerned for Victor's well being.

We understand that the doctors want to operate early this week. They want to remove the tubes going down the throat and perform a trecheotomy. We are told this is a procedure that will be done in your room.

Sunny Day

It's almost midnight and you look marvelous. You had another CAT scan today and we understand that the doctors' found nothing there (I could have told them that!) You've been fighting a fever again. They've put your cooling blanket under you and they have it turned on, brrrrr. Your Mom has been keeping your stats'. I think she's going to give you an "A".

The sun was shinning very brightly today, we all miss you.

Good Morning

Victor you're doing great! You look better and better everyday. You had a great Wednesday night, especially compared to a week ago. Your ICP started out at around 20, then it went up briefly to around 30 and then slowly went back down again below 20. By early morning the reading was below 10! Yeeozer!!

Then as usual, your nurse just really had to move and reposition your body, and suck out stuff in your mouth, which by the way is really gross. They also did an x-ray on your chest. All of this movement caused your heart rate, blood pressure and ICP to sky rocketed. Oh yea and then you vomited.

What a great way to say hello in the morning!

Keep fighting.

Funny Times

Victor, you're a funny guy. Please get well soon. We all love you.

A Day of Prayer

Victor's condition remains basically the same. Although his ICP is below 20 now, he is still in critical condition. The goal was to keep his ICP below 20 durning the first 72-96 hours after the accident. The severity of the injuries made this very difficult. There were extended periods of time when the readings exceeded 40 which is way too high.

The next step seems simple enough: wait for the swelling to subside to a point where he can be taken off the medications. This time frame is unknown, however the doctors seem to agree that it will be at least weeks before we see this. Victor's body needs time to heal and we need to allow him that time.

Generally speaking, he is much better. Most of the swelling has subsided. He has a low temperature fever, which is not unusual for his condition. We cautiously move forward with renewed hope. We send our love and appreciation for all the prayers and support.

We know that God loves Victor and that he has a plan for him. God has placed a blessing upon him and continues to bless him every minute. We reverently accept his blessings and thank him dearly for another day with Victor.

We love you Victor. Keep fighting.

Happy Valentine

Victor,

We've been keeping your room dark during the day to keep from stimulating any brain functions. The sun is shining brightly outside and the temperture is unusually warm for a February day. The doctor visited you this morning and re-ordered a CAT scan. For some reason your ICP was extremely high. We are not sure why but after returning to your room it came down to around the mid-twenties. The doctor said that the scan revealed nothing new. We feel that this is good news; at least you don't have any added issues. The doctor reminded us that your condition is still very serious and that healing will take time.

We love you very much and are constantly praying for you. Happy Valentine's Day.

Late Report

It's 1:20 AM. Victor's scheduled CAT scan for around 3:00 AM this morning has been cancelled by the doctor. I'm not sure why, his vitals have not changed since earlier this evening. The blood pressure monitor is malfunctioning and the nurse is having trouble fixing the problem. Victor looks very relaxed. God bless you Victor and we love you.

United

The third night of Victors' ordeal has fallen and his condition has not improved (his condition still remains critical.) We were told and are anticipating a continued very difficult road for him in the next several days. Go Victor!

We feel your love and support. We appreciate the support of the many friends of Victor (we've seen you in the main lobby and outside the hospital.) We have observed your youthful play, your laugher and friendship. It is not hard to imagine why Victor liked to be with you; it's not hard to imagine his laughter and his playful manners united with yours.

We are asking for your united positive thoughts and your prayers' asking for God's grace and blessings on Victor. We all love you Victor, keep up the fight.

Serious Injury

On February 11th Victor was in a skateboarding accident and sustained serious head injuries. He is in ICU at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma. The doctors’ emphasis at this point is to relieve the pressure in his skull. The injuries are causing his brain to swell so they have removed a section of the skull to allow this to happen without causing damage. With the bandages on his head, he looks a little like this photo. He is in an induced a coma to keep him still and to minimize brain activity while he heals and rests. We expect the swelling to begin to subside in the next 24 hours or so.

Thank you to all the family and friends who have expressed love and concern for Victor and for the many offers of tangible support. Victor is being well cared for and the family’s needs are taken care of for now. The medical staff tells us that “miracles happen every day” and we are praying for one for Victor. He is young, strong, and stubborn – all qualities we believe will work in his favor.

Please use this blog to post your good wishes for Victor. We treasure your friendship and continued prayers as he recovers.