Now in "healing home" awaiting beginning of PT

Tommy is now giving his body 3 weeks of "healing" time before they will begin PT and see how things will go back to moving again. At least he's out of the hospital for a time and in a more "normal" environment. Unfortunately I've not seen him for quite a while but keep in good touch with Lorrie, who has barely left his side. Please send healing energy their way as Tommy begins to contemplate what his future will hold after this horrible trauma.

Today is the left arm surgery

The back surgery went well, although Tommy says he can feel the pins in his back, which I'm sure is a strange sensation.

Next up is the left arm, which is later this morning.

Pelvic doc said it will be 3 months before he's up and walking again. Which of course will be a major emotional hurdle to get over. But the fact that all the docs seem to feel he will be walking again is a miracle in itself. He's been able to sit up more, which has def helped his mental state. But still in a ton of pain, as to be expected with all of these breaks. Lots to deal with emotionally: Tommy, Lorrie, Cara and John all need to hang in there. Please send them strength, stamina and positive healing energy. It's is so needed now!

Back surgery went well today

She cried as they took him away. Can you imagine what you go through as a mother in this kind of situation? The back is so critical to mobility and independent living. Still haven't gotten the download from Lorrie besides the surgery went well as planned. Which is exactly what you want to hear after a back surgery. X-ray below shows the before pic. This boy was broken. One piece at a time. He's hanging in there. Lots of pain and discomfort, in fact he screams in pain most of his waking hours. His system has got to be so overloaded. With so much trauma, where does ones control center of the rain send healing first.

Thank goodness for Lorrie & Cara hanging in. Very trying but their love and devotion to Tommy is remarkable. Dad arrived this week to help with logistics. Which is quite an ordeal as you can imagine.

fractured disc from above

Right arm and hand surgery done earlier this week

The doctors found it was worse than they expected when they went in but were able to put in the pins to hold the pieces together. 

Surgery on right arm scheduled for Saturday

Right arm surgery scheduled for Saturday, then left after. Found out left elbow was dislocated and broken. So they will have to do the same surgery on left arm as right a week after. 

They've told him he will have a minimum of three months in full length cast. He will now have metal elbows. 

Imagine how he reacted hearing 3 months minimum in cast not being able to feed yourself, wipe your self etc.  

This is insane. He shouldn't have made it through such a fall. But it's a high price to pay for living. That is what the Dr said to him. He was very gentle and kind and stroked him assuring him he is a miracle and lucky. 

We won't know if back surgery will happen until mid next week. They've put him in a brace to see if it will help. 

Another very scary moment for our boy

The day after his pelvic surgery Tommy had admin visitors One in particular was a therapist who asked Lorrie to give her and Tommy time alone. She said she'd be about 30 minutes so Lorrie took a moment to grab a coffee downstairs. Turns out she was barely there for 5 mins and after she left Tommy was calling for Lorrie to come back in. Of course she didn't answer so he was screaming for a nurse. He couldn't move anything. Not his fingers, not his toes, he was paralyzed. Couldn't grab the call button. No one could hear him. Imagine the feeling, alone in a room without movement. Under this surreal experience. Understandably he freaked out. Eventually someone came and he was able to call his mom in hysterics, begging her to never leave him alone again. The anguish on both sides is just so heavy. This experience will be a test of emotional and physical strength, patience, love, and the ability to make sense out of the unimaginable. Please send positive loving energy their way. It is so needed at this moment and beyond. 

On the orthopedic floor now

(At the moment I'm updating this blog for Lorrie. I'm Tommy's Aunt Shari. I've had lots of experience in hospitals and blogging about it, to share with friends and family, as I spent many nights in with little boy over the last 6 years. Lorrie and Cara will eventually add their notes here as well. But for now I'm just deceminating the info from visits and conversations and adding the updates. ) 

Although the room is barely big enough to turn around in. He went from being on the Neuro floor with a decent sized room to Ortho unit and a tiny room. Tricky for Lorrie (mom) to stay the night comfortably and Cara (who also stays quite often) and other friends and family to come and be there for support.

They are making due but not comfortably. Hospital stays are tough enough so it's really pushing the limits on all. Tommy's pain is so severe he often is screaming through the night. The comfort of his mom and Cara is his means of survival at this point. It's gonna be a long road ahead. We are all trying to do what we can to be as supportive as possible while not being in the way or overwhelming. 

Pinning him back together...

The pelvis x-ray after the surgery. Amazing they did all this through a small hole. Gotta love modern technology.

Today's surgery was to piece his pelvis back together

According to the orthopedic doctor, who is a specialist Tommy's pelvis was broken in many pieces but not shattered. Which is an "easier" piecing together. Although he just got out of surgery, at 5, after being in since early morning! 

Can't speak to the docs as to how it went until this evening. But at least he made it through. Will most likely be another crazy night of pain. No sleep around here :( 

The fall

On Friday, May 20th, Tommy fell from the 3rd story balcony of his apartment building. He was rushed to the ER at Cedar's Sanai Medical Center. A CAT Scan found multiples breaks present in his: pelvis, right arm, right wrist, right elbow, right leg, his spine, there is nerve issues causing him major pain to his left leg and his left arm is very swollen. Luckily for him, one of the parts that isn't broken on him is his head. For some reason that was spared during the fall, although he's got lacerations on his face.

An MRI was taken today and will give the doctors the details they need to put the plan in place for how to put back together. It was a tremendous fall. He's lucky to be alive. The level of pain they are trying to manage is, as he put it, a 12. What would be best in such a traumatic case like this is to put him out for 3 days to let his body get over the shock of what happened, but that's not an option because they want him lucid and able to answer questions every hour or so. This allows them to understand if there is a decline in his condition due to the possibility of an undetected brain bleed.It is also important that he can perform the request to move his fingers and toes on both hands and feet. Which, remarkably, he can.

This blog will allow me to update his friends and our family. We are all waiting to see how he does. Myself (Lorrie), Cara, our family, even the doctors. When there's such a trauma to the body, the plan is revealed as the body tries to heal itself and they see what is to come first. What will hold up what.