Happy New Year!

From the Gustafson Family, we would like to extend best wishes to all in the New Year. And i I agree with one of the blog comments, let 2008 kick butt! Matt has settled back into the routine in the hospital. Mom had to go back to work so it is up to dad to do Matt's neck stretches and encourage him to exercise. The occupational therapist was impressed at the improvement in Matt's throwing ability. Believe me, he had lots of practice trying to aim at my head! He can actually lift his arm off the chair's arm rest to throw the ball. Before he would just use his forearm and not his upper arm. Also, we had encouraged Matt to try and help us when we got him dressed. Mom would hold his legs in a bent position, then Matt would count and try to lift his butt so Airene and I could pull up his pants. It worked much better when we were taking his pants off, but Matt tried his best to help and managed to lift his right butt off the bed.
They believed Matt had a chest infection so they took a sputum sample just to be sure and started him on antibiotics. They also said how important chest physio is, so hopefully he gets a good one today.Matt isn't struggling so much to breathe now which is good to hear. Prayers that sometime in January he will get that trach out. It will be so much easier to bring him home next time without it.
We had noticed at home that Matt had a pressure point on his heel, so prayers that it does not get worse. A pressure point is an area that the skin remains red and the skin tends to get thin. Because Matt is susceptible to skin breakdowns, we have to be especially cautious. We had to turn him every 2-3 hours when he was in bed at home.
Thank God we were able to keep Matt at home for as long as we did. He needed a lifting up of his spirits. God is always with us. Deuteronomy 4:39 "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other."