Andrew has been doing pretty good. He still has a healthy appetite and enjoying eating his food (one item at a time – just like he used to and I still do). He has been getting sick again these past few days. We’re not sure what the reason is for him getting sick. We thought it was the citric juices, but now we’re not sure. The doctors do not think it has anything to do with his brain. They are scheduling him an appointment with a GI (Gastro – Intestinal) doctor.

Well after having some good days, the nurses decided to start taking Andrew on some of the group trips. Today they took Andrew with the other patients to a Mexican restaurant a block from the rehabilitation center. The wheeled him down without my parents. Apparently, they thought he could try a real chair and put him in one. When they turned around for a minute, Andrew fell out of the chair. They weren’t exactly sure what happened, but found him laying on the ground. They picked him up and sat him back down and he ended up getting sick in the restaurant, so they had to take him back to the rehab center. Andrew got sick a couple of times after the fall. The doctors did another CT scan, just to make sure nothing happened to his head. They told my parents to make just he just stayed in his bed and rested the rest of the day. Andrew did eat his whole dinner and had several glasses of juice to help hydrate him. We should find out the results of the CT scan tomorrow.

Andrew’s friend, Al, was visiting him when I called. It’s good that his friends are still driving the distance to come and visit when they can. Mom and Dad had a great time with Chris and Becky. They flew out of LA this afternoon. Chris said they had a great time and can’t wait to share the pictures and stories tomorrow. Maybe I’ll have some new photos for you as well.

Just keep the prayers going and let’s pray that when he fell, he didn’t hit his head!

Andrew has also moved to level 2 in his food intake. He can now eat diced meats, small chunks of food, and drink pure liquids (no thickening necessary). His next level will be eating all foods! My parents are excited because they are able to give him doughnuts, milkshakes (which my Dad said he’s not a fan of because it’s too cold on his throat), pie, cake, etc. I know he gets a lot of healthy foods with his meal from Rancho. My guess is: My parents are trying to fatten him up a little.

Andrew hasn’t gotten sick in 4 days! Another good reason to celebrate! He hasn’t had any citric juices, since my parents put the sign over his bed, these past four days. They are hoping that is the reason for him getting sick so much.

He wasn’t quite as motivated today during his therapies, but yesterday he worked really hard. Yesterday he walked to and from the physical therapy room with his walker and brace. My Dad said he does pretty good (he follows alongside him sometimes). Today Andrew got to do the Wii Fitness. They are trying to work on building back up his strength and balance. My Dad said he seemed kind of bummed and gave the impression he wanted to play a video game instead. Maybe soon Andrew!

Andrew has computer therapy tomorrow. Computer therapy will now be twice a week and part of his weekly regimine. He still isn’t talking a whole lot, but maybe with the trache tube out it might help him a little. I’m sure a lot of it is just processing still. Simple puzzles and matching games sometimes throws Andrew off. He is having to relearn a lot of things due to his surgeries, but with his determination it will come in no time.

It’s hard to believe how well Andrew is doing this short after his surgeries and being in a coma! We are so proud of him and know God performed a miracle.

Aunt Chris and Aunt Becky are having a great time visiting Mom, Dad, and Andrew. Aunt Jane was going over to the rehabilitation center tonight. My Dad said it was great to have his sisters there, but wished Aunt Jody could have been there too! That would have made it complete!

Mom has officially purchased her plane ticket! She is coming home for the benefit on January 9th. We would love it if you could come out and see her. She really misses everybody and is excited for a chance to see her friends!

If you are still interested in attending the benefit, please check out www.fortwayneturners.org and click on the link that says Andrew Davis & Family benefit. There is plenty of room for more friends and family. If you would like to bowl or eat dinner, they would like your reservations by December 31st. If you can’t commit to coming to this event, you can still come for the entertainment and pay at the door. There will be great raffles – professional league autographed memorabilia and much more. Please come out and see us! We’d love to thank you personally for all of your love and support!

Dad said that yesterday Andrew did really good with physical therapy. They put a brace on his right leg and had Andrew walk all the way from his physical therapy room to his room using a walker. They placed his right hand on the bar as well. He walked about 300 feet! Superman is right!

Andrew did get sick again yesterday morning, but Mom and Dad found out someone had given him orange juice in the morning. They are not sure, but they think the citric juices might be upsetting his stomach. Mom and Dad said they posted a big sign that says “Do not give citric juices!” over his bed. Once he stops drinking them, maybe we can see if that is what is affecting him.

Mom and Dad sent a message to you last night in blue! Please read their comment in the guest book!

Yesterday Andrew started a new therapy. He has begun computer therapy. They are having him use a computer and manipulate the mouse using his left hand. Andrew worked on putting the pieces to a puzzle on place. My Dad said they gave him the choice of three pictures to choose from and he chose the water skier. Coincidence? I think not! Andrew loved to ski! My Dad said he did okay and struggled a little bit on picking the right piece, but even I have struggled with those puzzles on the computer sometimes. Haha!

All of Andrew’s therapist are happy. He is continuing to work hard and make progress. They put a brace on his right leg yesterday to help with his walking. One of his doctors or therapist also worked on his right arm yesterday.

Mom and Dad are meeting with the doctors and therapists today to discuss Andrew’s next step for rehabilitation. As soon as we know, we’ll post. They might be posting sometime this week as well on here…keep an eye out for that blue font!

Mom and Dad are pretty much moved into their apartment. They still need their bed and a couple of things, but they stayed there the past two nights on a blow up mattress. Mom is planning on getting a few Christmas decorations to make it feel a little more homey and besides the living room furniture they rented, they purchased a dining room table at a thrift store for like e$25 bucks. Mom said the chairs are real nice and the table is a little beat up, but with a tablecloth…no one will know.

It sounds like they are all doing a little better. Aunt Chris and Aunt Becky will be arriving there Saturday and staying for about a week. They are really excited to see him (especially Aunt Chris who hasn’t seen him yet)! Let’s pray that the weather calms down and no flights are cancelled.

Jen and I made our flight reservations last night. We will be heading back to CA on Dec. 23rd and returning back to Fort Wayne on Dec. 30th. Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Andrew is still working really hard in his therapies. When I called tonight, I got a chance to talk to him. He said “hi” when the phone was held to his ear. I asked how he was doing today and waited for an answer and he said “fine.” I told him I wasn’t going to make him talk anymore because I know it is hard work for him. So I continued to talk to him and finished with to keep working hard and that I love him. He replied back with “same.” Good to see that he still working on saying his words a little bit.

Today he was visited by a muscular skeletal doctor who decided that he wanted to work with Andrew some more. So he is going to assist Andrew in his therapy. Hopefully things will go well and every bit of doctor/therapy support should help him out even more.

Andrew got to eat lunch in the dining room today. He ate very well for lunch and Mom and Dad said he ate all of his dinner. He is doing very well taking down his food. Andrew is still getting sick each morning, but they think it’s because he is still having trouble with the final part of digestion (the waste). The doctors are working on helping him with this part of his therapy, but that is just something that might take time.

My parents looked at apartments today and found one to their liking. They signed a short-term lease for a two bedroom apartment in a retirement community close to Rancho. They said the apartment was very nice and that Andrew can live with them as a guest when he is released from Rancho. Mom and Dad are planning on moving into this apartment Monday. They are renting furniture monthly andwill have a real address to send future letters to. I will post the address as soon as I get it. I bet they will be glad to move into an apartment that they can actually call home. They are planning on staying in California until about April. Since the weather is so nice out there, they are thinking it would be best for Andrew’s recovery to be able to go outside and stay with Rancho for outpatient therapy. They do not want to return to the Midwest until he is a little more secure in his recovery and the weather is better.

Andrew has also started eating regular food. Yesterday was his first day eating. He can eat soft foods. Andrew had macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, pudding, green beans, pureed chicken, rice, and custard for lunch and dinner. He is doing very well using his left hand to eat on his own. He is so hungry for real food – he scarfs it down and my parents have to tell him to slow down constantly. Who can blame him!? He hasn’t eaten any real food in 63 days! Hopefully soon, they will sew up his stomach tube. He’s doing well with his trache too. They are hoping to move to the red plug this week and sew up his throat as well. They are waiting to make sure he can swallow everything properly before they sew up this trache, because they don’t want anything to go wrong and have to perform another tracheotomy.

Andrew has been using his right leg more in therapy. They are having him walk down the hall, on a treadmill, and even up a set of stairs this week! They are working him hard, but he is making lots of improvements. Hopefully things will keep going strong!

Jen and I are very sad to be leaving CA. It was so hard saying goodbye to Andrew and our parents. We had a great time hanging out and I know my parents enjoyed seeing their 10 month old granddaughter! She brings smiles to all who see her! As of right now, Aunt Chris and Aunt Becky are planning on going out Dec. 12th and then Jen, Mya, and I are probably going to go out again during Christmas vacation. Please continue to pray for Andrew and my parents as they continue through this stressful journey.

**P.S. I took some more picture of Andrew on our last night with him. I have added them to his album. My mom got a picture of him eating his “first meal,” but I didn’t get a copy…hopefully I can walk her through out to attach it to me in an email. Enjoy the new pictures!

Jen, Mom, and I got to observe part of his speech therapy. We watched him match objects, pictures to objects, and practice tracing and writing his name. Andrew ate a whole thing of applesauce today. We even heard him make a few sounds today. He was trying to say something to the therapist. Even though she couldn’t understand him – because he was have trouble getting it out – she did say that his sounds were clear and not gurgly.

Andrew had a few smiles today. He enjoyed seeing Teddy and his roommates again. He even laughed at Mom when she tried to give him a fist pound. Andrew is making gains each day. We are very proud of his accomplishments thus far and can’t believe how fast he is moving through his recovery. He still has a long way to go, but is fighting harder!

Jen, Mya, and I are now in California visiting Andrew and our parents. We all survived the flight out here. Mya, who is almost 10 months, did especially well for her first time on an airplane. Yesterday we rented a car and drove to Andrew’s new home, Rancho Los Amigos. Luckily Andrew was finished with his therapy for the day, so my parents brought him out in his wheel chair to meet us. It was very exciting to see his eyes open and him alert.

Andrew actually got to hold Mya in his lap. He put his arm around her and kept his eyes on her the whole time. Andrew could not really communicate with us in any way. He looked at us as we were talking, but still does not say anything. Andrew can hold his head up now and move his left side of his body without trouble. He did chew on a few ice chips while we were outside and we did get a smile from him. He even laughed once. Teddy, Andrew’s best friend, surprised him with a visit as well. Teddy is staying until tomorrow night. Between all of his friends, Teddy, and us girls, he is showing even more expression than before (say my parents).

This morning Teddy and my Dad visited Andrew first. Teddy even helped Andrew during his therapies. Teddy said that Andrew got to play baseball Wii and shoot a basketball into a low hoop. When Mom, Jen, Mya, and I arrived around noon, Andrew was already in his wheelchair and ready to greet us in the courtyard. Of course, we had him hold Mya first. She is great medicine for him! Then we decided to take some pictures. So we got all combinations with him. He doesn’t seem to mind getting his picture taken and if he does he isn’t showing it. Actually it was kind of funny because my Dad was giving my Mom bunny ears and making faces at him when she was taking a picture of Andrew and I and he ended up cracking a smile and giving a little laugh. We got a picture of him smirking.

After our picture taking, we walked a little bit further and Andrew and Mya worked on a puzzle together. It was interesting watching him showing Mya where the puzzle pieces are supposed to go. Andrew was then wheeled back to his room, where he relaxed watching TV. Mom and I stayed with him for a little bit until he fell asleep.

Dad, Teddy, and I returned to his room after lunch and spent some more time with him. We noticed that if the TV is on, he has trouble focusing on conversation. So a couple of times we turned off the TV to reminisce about old times with Andrew. The three of us took him on another walk with his wheelchair around the courtyard. We walked around his floor for a litle bit too.

Later his roommates came to hang out with him for the remainder of the night. I thought since they were all there it would be great to get his photo with his friends. So I had them all get around him and took his picture. We were all surprised when he smiled real big for the picture! That was the biggest smile we’ve ever seen him give since his incident. I’m attaching it to this post.

****Mom and Dad are sorry they have not posted anything in awhile, their computer has not been getting good Internet reception since the move to Rancho Los Amigos.

He then goes into his physical therapy. His physical therapist had him stand up 10 times today, walk using the harness, and even introduced the treadmill today. At this point, Andrew was very exhausted. My Mom said she did see him move his right leg once on his own. Andrew is still in his harness during his workout on the treadmill. Apparently, he remembered enough about working out on a treadmill because he pulled the red string to stop it. Haha! Sometimes the stories I hear about him, crack me up! Only Andrew!

After physical therapy, he then recieves speech therapy. The speech therapist has him doing different communication activities and bribes him with applesauce and pudding. She said she doesn’t think it will take long before she starts changing the food consistancy. He isn’t having any troubles eating those two things!

By the time he finished those three therapies, he was completely wiped out and took a nap. After he woke up, they took him on another 15 minute walk out in the courtyard.

They said Andrew’s not smiling as much anymore as he realizes what he has to face and seeing people do things he used to, but hopefully that will just make him fight harder in the long run!

During his physical therapy today, Andrew was put in a harness and practiced walking down a little walkway. My Dad said by that point in the day, he was already wiped out from all of the strenuous activities.

When Dad called me, Andrew was watching Funniest Home Videos. It’s his new favorite show right now. He always cracks a smile watching it. That is something Jen and I can’t wait to see! My parents got to take him out to the courtyard today. They said it was a nice 10 minute walk and it was his first time outside of the hospital/center.

Mom and Dad are doing well. They like that Andrew is getting a lot of therapy during the week. They say he usually is more alert those days because his brain is thinking.

If you would like to send any letters directly to Andrew or my parents, here is his current address:

Andrew Davis
C/O Rancho Los Amigos
National Rehabilitation Center
Unit #1N-1016
7601 E. Imperial Highway
Downey, CA 90242

As November is the month for Thanks, I am thankful for my brother still being alive, my family, and all of our wonderful friends!