Friday, May 4

There hasn't been a lot of change in the past 24 hours. Ryan has pneumonia (from aspirating). They are treating the pneumonia with 2 antibiotics. The respiratory therapist has spent a couple of hours working with him today.

The doctor said his main concern is Ryan's brain and his heart.  They started warming him up around midnight, and he was back to his normal temperature around 5:00 today. It is good to see that cold blanket off of him and to feel his warm skin. It was hard to see Ryan so cold! We wanted to wrap him in a blanket and just hold him.

They just took Ryan to have an MRI of his brain. We anxiously await those results. The next step will be to discontinue the paralytic drug. The doctor said they will back him off of the sedatives slowly and see how he does. They had concerns about his kidneys working yesterday - but with the aide of a diuretic, he seems to be doing fine now. We are seeing it is a fine balance to keep Ryan's vitals all where they need to be. It seems if they give him a medication for one thing, it causes him to have a problem in a different area. They watch his vital signs very carefully. He has a nurse with him round the clock, and they are busy the entire time. 

This afternoon the doctors had a consultation with Michael and Catherine. They shared a lot of information about Ryan's condition, and talked about what might be expected as Ryan wakes up. It was good to hear the doctors talk "turkey" and be totally honest. They answered a lot of questions, and gave Michael and Catherine a lot to think about. The doctor said we should "hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst".

Thanks to everyone for their faith and prayers on Ryan's behalf. The outpouring of love has been tremendous! It is amazing how something like this pulls people together. Michael and Catherine's Ward are having a fast this weekend for Ryan. We would invite anyone who would like to - to join in this fast. 

Love and hugs,

Grandma Jeri