Originally Posted by
Machka
Thank you all for your concerns, thoughts, and prayers.
An update ...
Rowan has a chest infection, which they are treating. These are not unusual when on a ventilator.
Rowan has a blood clot in his right shoulder and arm, which they are treating.
Those two things are only incidentally related to the main issue: Rowan's brain injury from the accident he had on March 22.
He has been in an induced coma since he was admitted to hospital on March 22 in order to keep him and his brain calm so that healing can take place.
They are just starting to ease the sedation off and he has been responding to voice (people calling his name) by opening his eyes a tiny bit. He's not seeing or focusing ... it's just a subtle little response.
Another update ...
Rowan still has the chest infection ... they're still working on that.
Rowan still has the blood clot in his right shoulder and arm ... they're still working on that.
In the last few days, I've found out that Rowan has fractured cheekbones and a fractured bone at the base of his skull. I also think his nose might be broken or something too. They knew about those fractures but opted not to tell me. Evidently they've been a minor concern so they weren't worrying about them before, but now they need to start doing something because he may start feeling pain.
Therefore they are planning a tracheotomy tomorrow, hopefully, to insert his breathing tube there. That will ease the pressure on his face and should help him start to wean off the ventilator.
His progress is very, very slow ... but today he did have his eyes open most of the time I was there. Whether or not he can see/focus, who knows.
They've warned me that when he has this next surgery, he will take a big step back in the progress for a few days. But I hope the surgery goes well, and that he will start making some good progress over the next week. Hope.
And continued thank you to you all.
.