Update on Andy

On Monday morning, Andy was flown to the Craig Institute in Denver (the best spinal cord rehabilitation center in the world).  The flight was a bit eventful --they ran out of oxygen for Andy's ventilator.  Fortunately, the pilot was able to instruct the nurses in how to tap into the plane's oxygen supply.  And it really wasn't the nurses' fault --the ventillator was malfunctioning and using too much oxygen.

The good news:  According to my mom, Craig is a wonderful place!  The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable.  Andy kept saying, "This place is awesome!"

The bad news:  Andy has developed some pressure sores, so he won't be able to be out of bed for up to two weeks.  This, of course, is really hard for Andy.  When he first arrived at Craig, the nurses were telling him that he could take a shower, go outside, be up in a wheelchair, etc., but now he can't.

Today is Andy's birthday!  He's 20 years old.

I'll post his new address very soon, so everyone can flood him with cards and letters :)

Thanks for your prayers! 

No more breathing tube for Andy!  Yay!  Despite his inability to talk, Andy made sure to communicate his intense desire for . . . orange gatorade.  It took us a long time of lipreading to get that one, but Andy got the message across :)

The tracheotomy went well today, although they weren't able to insert a speaking trach because of the fluid buildup in his lungs.  It's so much easier to read his lips, though, without the tube in his mouth.  He's been spiking a fever, which is hopefully just a complication of his pneumonia. 

The doctors are hoping that Andy will be out of the ICU within 48 hours.  He'll move to a "step down" room, which is kind of in between the ICU and a regular hospital room.  Beyond that, it's still too soon to tell.  The neurologist is pessimistic about any further recovery, but we all know that God may have other plans!  Keep praying and expecting miracles.

The surgery was a success, and Andy's spine is now stabilized.  This means that he can now be sat up -- which means that he can breathe more easily.  He's been having some breathing difficulties these last few days (mild pneumonia, a partially collapsed lung, high fever) which seem horrific to us but are normal complications of surgery, paralysis, and lying flat on your back. 

What's next?  Well, a tracheotomy on Monday.  A trach tube will allow Andy to talk (woo-hoo!) and breathe so much more easily.  We are all looking forward to that.

Long-term?  Only God knows :)  We're all hoping for a full recovery, of course.  The doctors gave him a 5% chance of being able to walk again, which leaves a lot of room for God to work his miracles :)

Please keep praying for my brother and my family.  This will be a tough year (or years) as Andy will most likely need to be in a rehabilitation facility (probably in Omaha, NE), and my family will be split up.  My youngest siblings are still in high school (10th and 12th grades), and it's going to be tough for them to be without mom and dad for awhile.

Thanks, everyone.  Your prayers and support are so very appreciated . . . they are what's getting us through each day!  ~Much love to you all 

So I've been in the ICU waiting room in Sioux Falls for almost four days now.
It's hard to say how my brother is doing . . .He's come a long way, for sure.
Here's a brief recap of the last couple of days.

Wednesday night:  Andy was cleaning out the paver for his road construction crew.  His friend Ryan accidently turned it on before Andy moved out of the way, and Andy's chest was trapped in the machine.  He was paralyzed instantly but was conscious most of the time.

Thursday morning:  The doctors discovered tears in Andy's aortic arch and other major arteries.  They performed a five-hour surgery to repair the tears with grafts.  The docrtor called it a miracle that Andy survived long enough for them to find the damage but gave him only a 50% chance of surviving the surgery.

Thursday afternoon:  Andy regained consciousness and proved that he didn't have brain damage by responding to the people around him.  He suffered no complications from the heart surgery.

Friday: The ventilator was removed, so Andy was able to talk a bit.  He made some jokes and loved seeing so many of his friends.  He's had a huge stream of visitors, of course--Andy's a charmer and has always been loved by a lot of people.

Saturday: The breathing tube was put back in since it's so difficult to breathe when you're flat on your back and paralyzed. 

Today:  Andy's improved a lot, but he's getting frustrated.  He keeps communicating that he's ready to go home, and he doesn't believe that he's hurt that badly.  His friends have really been able to lift his spirits.

The future:  He'll have a spine stabilizaton surgery on Wednesday.  He has a spinal cord injury, but there's no way to determine the extent of the damage or the permanence of the paralysis.  Only time will tell.

So, your prayers are definitely needed!  Please pray that God will continue his work of healing and that Andy will experience a miraculous full recovery.  Pray that he'll accept this as God's sovereign will, that he'll experience God's loving presence through every step of the process, and that he'll rely on God for strength.

A huge thank you to everyone who's been praying!  We've seen God at work, and it's been amazing! 

For more information, you can join the group "Support Andy Wager" on Facebook, search myspace.com for some sites that have been set up for him, or e-mail andydaybyday@hotmail.com and we'll put you on a list to receive updates.

Feel free to call my cell phone.  My family has had a ton of support from our relatives and Andy's friends, but the ICU waiting room is still a hard and lonely place to be.  It's so encouraging to hear from people!

Please pray for my brother, Andy.  He was in a serious construction accident and is in critical condition.  I'm heading to Sioux Falls to be with my family. 
Thank you for your prayers.