Superhero in the House

Graham Update Day 30 (7/8/2014)

Today was a great day for Graham in terms of his therapy, his body's recovery, and his own personal level of enjoyment.  He had some amazing interaction with his brain surgeon, Dr. Braga.  Graham also showed me yet again why I should NEVER doubt him.

The day started off with a visit from doctor Braga and his entourage.  There were about 7 people that came in altogether.  Normally for Graham this would mean going into his shell just a little bit.  Graham is the life of the party when he is with a few close friends, but with large groups he prefers to stay on the fringe and observe.  That is the behavior I expected to see when they all walked in, but it's not what we got.

He did not pull his blanket up to his chin, turn away, or pretend to be asleep, but rather flashed that HUGE Graham smile that has become more and more of a mainstay here on the neuro floor.  Bearing every tooth in his little mouth, Graham fixated on Dr. Braga.  Maybe it was the Brazilian.  Maybe he just liked the way he looked.  But Graham looked at Dr. Braga as if he knew that Dr. Braga held Graham's life in his hands, and gave it right back in perfect condition.  It was great to see Dr. Braga observe Graham's reaction as well.  You could see in his eyes that he really cares for Graham, and is amazed at Graham's progress.

After the morning visit, our attention turned to Graham's eating (pure`) and drinking.  We have temporarily stayed the insertion of any feeding tubes, but they want Graham to show that he can nourish himself on his own.  So the orders for the day were at least 4 cans of PediaSure, and 12 ounces of water.  We started off the day with Graham CHUGGING an entire can in less than 5 minutes - eating ability that was leaps and bounds above even what he did the day before.  He would go through the day on pace to eat and drink exactly what the doctor ordered, only they changed the calculus late in the day:  He needs to drink SEVEN cans of PediaSure and 24 ounces of water each day.  My initial reaction was "are they crazy?"  Lindsey and I sat by Graham's bed and helped him eat almost every single minute that Graham was not in therapy or sleeping.  And it was a stretch to do 4.  But 7?  Even his nurse didn't think it was realistic.  But then Graham, our little fighter, started to prove us wrong.  Starting at 8:30 pm he drank two and a half cans of his "smoothie" and six ounces of water - well ahead of the pace he needs to meet the doctors goals.  He just keeps fighting - and winning.

Therapy went very well.  He was able to stand in front of a mirror and WRITE HIS NAME with a dry erase marker.  He walked a lot.  And now he is communication almost entirely by speaking.  He basically says everything he wants to say, and with all of the expression and inflection that he had before his surgery.  The only difference is he mostly whispers right now and he tends to hang on each syllable just a bit longer than he normally would.  But otherwise Graham is speaking really well.

Graham also had a wonderful treat - a visit from Spiderman.  But Spidey wasn't the only one shooting webs and kicking his way through the air.  Graham was all-too-happy to join in the fun.

*****

After having a fast that spanned the United States for Graham's eyesight on the last Sunday of June, Graham opened his left eye and began to see for the first time less than 48 hours later.  It was an answer to prayer and a testimony of the power that fasting and coming together in faith really has.  It was an absolute miracle.  One thing we may not have communicated, however, is that even though Graham could see out of at least one eye, his pupil and eyeball were still fixed.  In other words, he couldn't adjust his eyes at all.  If we wanted to see something to the left, he had to turn his head.  Look at an object 12 inches higher on the wall?  Tilt his head up.  So the vision, while returned, was far from being back to normal in that eye.  Until this morning when Doctor Braga came in.  Amidst all the smiles and apparent familiarity, Graham's pupil became reactive and his eyeball now tracks motion.  Absolutely amazing.  30 Days ago Graham's head was run over by an SUV.  In the E.R. doctors prepared us for the worst - likelihood of blindness, possible total hearing loss, potential for death or complete loss of brain function.  But Graham has quickly been overcoming it all, and after many answered prayers, expert medical care, and a fighting spirit that is unmatched, great things are can be seen on the horizon:

Graham will be released this week or next to Baylor Children's House for his in-patient rehab, and his Doctor of Physical Medicine said today he should be able to start 1st grade in the fall, and likely do it from a normal classroom.

Graham still has a long way to go, but his recovery thus far is nothing short of miraculous.  Thank you all for your prayers and support, and please keep them coming - because God is listening.

#Prayers4Graham