Not much different

Sorry this blog was so late. Matt's day was not much different, however he did spike a temp so they took another culture to see what was going on. My dad had been a little worried Matt was becoming obstinate and did not wan't to do some of the things he was being told. Matt kept indicating that something was wrong, they kept checking, nothing. However when they finally figured out what Matt was trying to tell them, he had been right. His ventilator tube was blocked and was really having a difficult time breathing. They suctioned him and he improved. You realize how hard it is to say what you want when you are unable to talk. Thank goodness for persistence by staff, dad, and Matt. Psalms 34:4 "I sought the Lord & he answered me and delivered me from all my fears".

Breathing better

Thanks to everyone for all their prayers. God answered the one to ease Matt's suffering. He is back to breathing 55% on his own and the ventilator at 45%. His temp stayed down all day and he is much more relaxed and comfortable. Dad said he was quite exhausted from yesterday and is resting as much as possible. Another answer to prayer, they found a neck brace from the Abilities Council in Saskatoon that fit Matt's giraffe-like neck. Who knew their is someone out there like him! Matt 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer".However the saga continues and we are standing by him day by day. Thanks to everyone for the messages of encouragement.

Another step back

Another difficult day. The pneumonia is still quite severe, and Matt had a very difficult time breathing. He gets quite anxious so they gave him some meds to calm him a bit. Also because Matt is so tall, they have to special order a chair for him, and it could be weeks. The neck brace is too small as well, but because he is not healthy enough he can not have one made for him at physio department. He is becoming quite discouraged, so please pray continuously for an ease in his suffering and that the pneumonia will settle down. Job 9:10-11"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted". Continue to write him in this blog, or directly to the Royal University Hospital and send him get well wishes.

Day 11

Matt had a little better day, not as much pain. Temp still not stable, will see tomorrow. Jacki and Nolan had to leave today, so was a little sad about that. He is holding up well. Thank You for keeping him in your prayers. We read him all the comments and he said to tell you all thanks.

An OK day

Matt is still struggling with the vent tube and his oxygen level is still giving him lots of problems. They started him on stronger antibiotics today as the other one just wasn't doing the job. They are hoping this one will do the trick. Matt is still very tired, and has a hard time getting to sleep. Matt still has no motor skills, which causes much concern, as they were hoping for some in the first ten days. The days are very long for him, but the nursing staff have been great, they are bringing him DVD's to keep him busy. Please continue to keep him in your prayers, and thanks so much for the many messages of encouragement.

2 steps back

Something the nurses and doctors told us early last week was that for every step that Matt took forward, he would take 2 or 3 steps back. Well today was a step back. Although Matt seemed to get through the pneumonia that he had last week, he has developed a new strain. Thus, he is once again on antibiotics to fight the infection, and his oxygen % has increased to 60%. This was discouraging for us as we had hoped to see some forward progress by today. The pneumonia is hard on Matt's lungs, and we need these to stay strong so that he can focus on his physio. So pray that this bout of pneumonia will pass quickly.

Nolan has downloaded a bunch of songs onto a new ipod that was bought for Matt to help him pass the time. As his eyes get tired when he watches TV, the ipod seemed a better way for him to relax. We're hoping that Matt will get a good night's rest tonight and that tomorrow will be a better day.

Thanks for all your kind comments, prayers, and support as we deal with this challenge.....

Matt with Jonmarie and Shaunie August 2006

Not a great day....

Matt didn't have a good day today as the vent tube is really irritating his throat and every time they move it to another location it causes a lot of gagging. He is very frustrated with not being able to move. They keep him very sedated, but he still has a hard time sleeping. He is very tired - the Nurse said when Matthew is laying in bed he is using as many calories as a marathon runner. Time passes very slowly for him. However, he enjoyed watching some of the RoughRider game with his sister and was glad of the win. We will keep you updated. Please keep him in your prayers.

Clarification

There wasn't much change for Matt today. He was able to sit up at a 90 degree angle for 1 hr and 15 min which was great, and his ventilator was down to 30%. Also, his physio activities have increased which makes him quite tired. Matt has realized that he has been badly hurt, and he is sad about his condition. But the nurses say he is not complaining and tries his best to do everything they ask them.

We also wanted to clarify the "strike" situation. Matt will NOT be moving from Saskatoon. The only way he would be moved is we as a family thought he wasn't getting enough care (physio treatments, etc.) and we requested the transfer. We do not anticipate anything like that happening.

Thanks for your continued prayers as we make this journey together with Matt.

Friday afternoon....

It's been an interesting day..... The doctor is being pessimistic about Matt's prognosis, with a lot of maybes, possibles, likelys... but really only focusing on what Matt is able to do now. Since Matt currently cannot move anything, you can get the idea of what the prognosis was. However, we are going to focus on the positives for the day.

Matt's bed was up at a 90 degree angle for the first time. He has to wear a neck brace whenever the bed is angled more than 30 degrees. The staff were very happy that Matt had no dizziness or nausea while at this angle. Just so you know, a 90 degree angle helps strengthen Matt's neck, it's good for his lungs and his diaphragm.

Regarding the tube, it likely will not be removed anytime soon due to the complications with his fever and pneumonia, but we are taking each day at a time. The family is getting good at reading Matt's eyes and lip reading. We also use a Board with the Alphabet to help us communicate.

We appreciate all the responses to this blog and the emails sent directly to the hospital. We show these to Matt everyday. Please continue to lift him up in your prayers, as God is the great Physician and he is in control.

Thurs am update

Day 4 - Matt has taken a small step backward in that he has developed pneumonia. Thus, we have been instructed to limit his visitors for awhile - basically until he gets out of the ICU. Therefore, we encourage friends and family to send their thoughts via this blog as only immediate family will be allowed to see him. Please keep Matt in your prayers. God Bless.

Background & Wednesday

The Gustafson family has set up this blog as a way of keeping friends and family updated on Matt's condition. Forgive our lack of technical details and we apologize if something doesn't make sense, but we will do our best to provide you with information on what has happened, and how Matt is healing.

Background

On Saturday, June 30, Matt fell from a house loft, and landed between some stairs and a dryer, hitting his neck on the edge of the dryer. He had multiple fractures of the C3/C4 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He was driven by ambulance to Tisdale where he was put on a ventilator as his breathing was affected by the trauma to his neck. Matt was then flown to Saskatoon where they then did a cat scan, and then did an MRI. The MRI showed that the spinal cord was intact but badly damaged. They performed surgery at 9:15 am on Sunday to fuse the fractures. The surgery went well, and it is now up to God & Matt on how quickly he will recover.


MATT'S GOALS (in no particular order)

1. Matt's immediate goal is getting the ventilator removed. The tube is very annoying and prevents him from talking and swallowing. In order to get removed from the ventilator, he needs to be able to breathe on his own. Currently the machine provides 45% of his air, and when it can be reduced to 25%, which will show that he is ready to breathe on his own.

2. Feel sensation from head to toe

3. Move a limb.

4. Move a finger or toe.

5. Sit up

6. Walk (so that he can go to a Stampeder's football game with Gary - front row seats!)

7. Able to go home to celebrate his birthday year with the family at the family reunion.


Wednesday, July 4th

Matt has had a lot of visitors including family and friends. Visits are brief, and we try not to get Matt to tired as it is hard for him to communicate. His eyes have become very expressive! The good news today.... Matt feels sensation everywhere (including toes), he was able to lift up his arm a little, and he was moved to a more private area in the ICU that includes a TV. The bad news.... we had hoped that the ventilator might be removed today, but we think it will now be a few more days. We had to remind ourselves today that it's only 3 days since the surgery.

The family..... We want to express our thanks to Devon Thorpe and Diane Schekk who have given us the use of their apartment in Saskatoon. It is currently full as Dad & Mom, Jacki & Gary, Bobby & Amy, & Nolan are in residence! It is close to the hospital and has all the things we might need. We also want to thank the many family and friends who have sent their love and prayers. We are especially grateful for those who were able to be with mom in the first hours in what seemed to be the darkest hours. Their support,prayers, love and guidance were invaluable.

We will keep you posted..... Love the Gustafson family