March 31 9:00 pm

Just visited Neil. He has had a long day. Neil has not been able to sleep last night or today. We so hope he will be able to sleep tonight. The nurse said he would give Neil some ambien to see if this would help him sleep tonight. Neil is continuing to work out during visits. We are so proud of him. Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please continue to pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon and our other friends here. Sue has had a long day. She has been very sad. She understands how sick she has been and is very aware of the ventilator. Let's pray she will have a better night and day tomorrow.


We so appreciate each of you as you run this marathon with Neil.

March 31, 6:00 pm

Just visited Neil. He has had a long afternoon. He was in the big boy chair for 2 hours this morning and about 30 minutes this afternoon. This was fairly difficult this afternoon. Neil has been very nauseated and the nurse is trying different medication for this. He continues to do very well on the ventilator setting. We are probably more pleased with this day than Neil has been. It is easy for us to talk about a good day. Neil is clearly doing all the work. We are so very proud of his progress. Please pray for Neil's lungs.



Please continue to pray for the full recovery of Sue Shelton, Shannon Jones and our other friends here. Everyone seems to be having a relatively good day. Thank goodness.



We so appreciate your love and support. When I say we could not have managed this without you, there is more truth in that statement than you can imagine.

March 31 1:45 pm

Just visited Neil. He is having a good morning. While we visit, he asks for helping in doing his arm and leg exercises. He is doing well with the ventilator as he still initiates the breaths and has pressure support. The oxygen percentage is at 45. Neil said he will sit in "big boy" chair again this afternoon. We are so very encouraged. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon and our other friends here.

We are hearing very good things from Mary and she should be off the daily injections. Yea!!!!

Thanks so very much for your love and support.

March 31 10:30 am

Good morning to all. Just visited Neil. Early this morning we heard Neil was not able to sleep last night as he was very restless. His pain medication, morphine, is being removed. The nurse said several options will be considered. Neil was moved to the big boy chair early and was in the chair until 8 am. Neil started his day with a major work out. The doctor PA and the orthopedist came by. The orthopedist is saying he wants Neil to stay here another day or two. He wants the bone stimulator used for a couple of days before Neil moves. He wants to see some calcification (?) before Neil moves. In other words, he wants to see more healing in Neil's leg. Neil is doing great on the ventilator as he is breathing on his own with pressure support. The chest tube in the left lung came out this morning. The x-ray showed the lung is inflated and doing well. The nurse hopes to try a trach collar tomorrow and there will be discussion regarding the removal of the two chest tubes in the right lung. Neil is uncomfortable but is managing this better than I could ever imagine. We are so proud of him.


Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please pray for the full recovery of Sue Shelton, Shannon Jones and our other friends here. Please extend your love and support to Mike Andress and his family.



We so appreciate your love and support. We have seen some people come and go by themselves. We have tried to be supportive as we cannot manage facing this experience alone. You are the best "team" in the world. Hope you all have a good Monday.

March 30 9:00 pm

Just visited Neil. The nurse did not put him in the "big boy" chair tonight. (The chair is actually a Total Lift Chair. ) The nurse said they would put him in the chair in the morning. Neil's oxygen sat is 98 on this ventilator setting. Neil is able to lift his head a bit. Also, he can turn his head. He is making many baby steps each day. We are so encouraged. We cannot wait until tomorrow. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue Shelton, Shannon Jones and our other friends here. We find people come and go and we hope they are all well. I have not seen Vernell to check on Clinton today. We do hope he is having a better day. (You may remember he came to us from Greenville, and was moved to a room probably a week ago. He then had to go into CICU) We do pray for all of our friends who have been discharged or have moved to other places in the hospital.

You all have been so faithful in your prayers, love and support. Neil is a million miles from where he was 2-3 weeks ago. There is no way we could have managed this without your smiles and encouragement. We are sending our love to each of you.

March 30 6:10 pm

Just visited Neil. Neil continues to make progress with his movement. One thing the doctor said this morning was he was not surprised at Neil's weakness. He was not concerned. That seemed to reassure Neil. Neil was very tired. This afternoon he had a bath and the nurse moved him to side to side to check his sides and back. He is doing great on this ventilator setting with the oxygen sat at 97. Remember the PEEP is at 5. Wow, do you all remember the 45-48 PEEP on the bi-level ventilator? All I can say is miracles abound for Neil. Please pray for Neil's lungs.



Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Christie and our other friends here. The good news today is Christie was moved to a room today. Now her family can be with her. Yea!!!!! There is some discussion about Sue going to the Long Term Hospital at Jackson. Her daughters have been to see the facility. Actually, they went over there before us so we were able to compare notes. Sue continues to improve and we are so pleased.

We sure hope Scott continues to recover at home. Please remember this family in your prayers.

March 30 10:30 am

Just visited Neil. We saw the doctor and the orthopedist this morning. The doctor said Neil will be ready Tuesday or Wednesday to move to Long Term Hospital at Jackson. The doctor is very, very pleased with Neil's progress. The ventilator PEEP is now at 5!!!!! Wow, we are so pleased. His oxygen sat is 94 right now so he is managing this change. We asked the doctor the big question, "If this was your son, would you be ready for him to move?" The doctor said yes. The orthopedist said the x-rays looked good. He did say he wanted more healing of the leg than he was seeing right now. Neil will move to Jackson with the hardware still on Neil's leg. The orthopedist said in a week or so, he would take the hardware off and cast the leg from below the knee. The orthopedist said the his upper leg should be fine in that the surgery initially took care of the muscle repair and put a rod in to hold the femur in place. Everything continues to fall into place. Neil said he did not sleep well last night and therefore is tired. He sure makes every effort to be pleasant. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Christine and our other friends here.

We all hope you are having a grand Sunday. We are are!!!!!! Thank you all for your love and support.

March 30 9:00 pm

Just visited Neil. My, my the nurses had Neil in a "big boy chair". He looked good but it was not his favorite. He was in this for about 1 1/2 hour. His oxygen sat was 97. He was off all medication during this time. I was very impressed. We cannot wait until tomorrow. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Christine and our friends here in SICU. Sue has a good day. Christine has been sitting up off and on today. Prayers are working. We continue to pray for Shannon. You will remember she has a staff infection.

Thanks so very much for your love and support. Please be safe in your travels.

March 29 6:30 pm

This is a wonderful picture that illustrates Neil to a T! We have been race fans for years and he had been at Talladega since Friday and had failed to take a bath since Friday. This picture was taken of him, Raeann and Rose on Race day Sunday Morning!

Just visited Neil. He has had a good afternoon. His dad had a "cheat" visit from about 4:30 until regular visiting time. Shhh!! We do not want to upset anyone. His oxygen sat is 96 so he is doing very well taking some breaths and letting the ventilator supply the pressure. Neil is now able to pick up each leg a bit. His range of motion seems to increase by the hour. We continue to be so encouraged. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and all our other friends. We are sending love to each of you for your prayers and support.

March 29 1:35 pm

Just visited Neil. Several of his friends are here and had a short visit. Neil continues to manage the controlled pressure as he takes breaths on his own. He is able to move more. He said the nurse took out 42 staples from his leg and thigh. Yea!!!!! We cannot wait to see Neil at 5:30 pm
Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Christine and our other friends here.


We saw Brian Phelps' family yesterday. He has had extensive surgery on his face, leg and arm. Please remember him as he continues to recover.


Let me tell you the most amazing thing. (It is a similar phenomenon that occurred after the flood in Elba.) This morning the sky is bluer, the grass is greener and the birds are singing. It is as if we are able to see, smell and enjoy the world outside the waiting room. This is such a blessing. Wow, we are so encouraged with Neil's progress. Thanks so very much for your love and support. Please love and support the Andress family.

March 29 10:40 am

Just visited Neil. He is a bit more tired today than yesterday but is feeling good. He did well on the ventilator last night. They put him on 6-8 breaths last night. This morning about 5:30 am they put Neil back to taking his own breaths. He has pressure support from the ventilator as he breathes. The oxygen sat was 92. The orthopedist came by and said he is pleased with the progress of Neil's leg. More x-rays will be done and if the doctor is satisfied, he may put the lower leg in a cast. The staples from the ankle and thigh will be taken out today. This is wonderful as this was not able to be done earlier due to the swelling. There is a great pulse in Neil's foot. The doctor told the nurse to move Neil to a chair for a little while this afternoon. Yea!!!! We are amazed and excited about Neil's progress. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Our minister and wife were by and were able to have a prayer with Neil and DeAnn. Please pray for the full recovery of Mr. Preston. They will see him today.

Sue's family is here and they had a very good visit. Her ventilator setting is lower than Neil's. Sue and Neil do not know about our competitiveness regarding their ventilator settings. Honestly, we are able to learn so much from each other. Please pray for Sue's full recovery.

Please pray for the full recovery of Shannon Jones. You will remember she was in a horrible care accident and now has a staff infection. Her parents are with us and are such kind people.

Please pray for the full recovery of Christine Paulk. She is sitting up in a chair.

Please continue to love and support the Andress family. As you go about your Saturday on this beautiful day, please remember all of our friends here. We so appreciate each of you.

Here's Your Sign!!!

We are recognizing signs that Neil is definitely feeling better!! I hope you get a kick out of these...just a few things that I have observed over the last week that I have been here.
You know Neil is Feeling Better When:
#1: He Asks What Ballgames are on
#2: He Rolls His Eyes at DeAnn
#3: He is Teasing the Nurses
More to follow we are about to go visit!!!

March 28 9:00 pm

Just visited Neil. What a great night. Listen to what I just learned. Neil has been breathing most of the day on his own. Oh my goodness. The nurse will set the ventilator at 8 breaths a minute for the night to be sure he can rest well. Is this not the best news ever? You go, boy!!!!
Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please pray for the full recovery of "Queen", Shannon, Christie and all our other friends here. Sue has had probably had her best day. Of course, seeing those sweet children helped a bunch.


Please know this is the best Friday ever. You all are a huge part of this great day.

I have always heard the phrase, It takes a community to raise a child. Honestly it should be, It takes a community to pray for a child. Thank you all so very much for your prayers!!!!

March 28 6:00

Just visited Neil. Neil is responding well to this ventilator setting. He is doing so very well. At the end of the visit he said, "This is one of my better days". I told him I hated to disagree with him, but this was the "best" day. We know in our heads that Neil's medical condition is still critical (and I love that he is not very, very critical), but in our hearts we also know he is so much better. Thank you all for your love and prayers. Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please pray for the full recovery of Sue (her family calls her "the Queen, don't you love that?), Shannon, Christine and our other friends here. We all have been blessed with a grand Friday.



Please remember the Andress family with your love and support. We remember them in our prayers every day.

March 28 1:30 pm

Just visited Neil. We thought this morning was the best visit, but we were wrong. This was the best visit. Neil is soooooo much better. He is doing great with this ventilator setting. The PEEP is still at 10, but they have changed the pressure. (I will learn more about this at 5:30) He is still iniatiaing the breaths. We are so very encouraged!!!! Please pray for Neil's lungs.



I must tell you our waiting room is a bit louder today. We are hearing such good news and there are more smiles than we have had for a while. Sue is having one of her best days as is Neil. We continue to be blessed. Sue has her grandson's family here today and that makes everyone's day. They have more family coming later. This is just like Thanksgiving!!!! Please continue to pray for her full recovery.



Please continue to pray for the full recovery of Shannon, Christie, Mr. Moses and our other friends here. I have not heard from Clinton since Wednesday and sure pray he is doing well. Please know this waiting room is an amazing place. We are just a diverse group based on age, sex, ethnicity and every sort of difference. In the same breath, we have one thing in common in that we are loving someone with a difficult medical problem. We are all in this together and it is wonderful. Maybe I should say this is the best of life (as progress is made) and the saddest of life (as a family loses their loved one) all right here in this waiting room. We are able to manage all of this because of your love, support and prayers. I must add three weeks ago you all helped with a miracle for Neil and we will never forget this.

March 28 10:35 am

Just visited Neil. OK, this is a mother talking but I am saying Neil "turned the corner". He was able to sleep most of the night. He looks very good and more important seems to feel very good. He wanted us to stay while the physical therapist came so we would know how to help him while we visited. The nurse said he thinks the physical therapist will soon be working on Neil sitting up on the side of the bed. (It does not get better than that.) I even have more good news. Again, the is a mother thing. Neil has not had a call button he could use. This is anxiety provoking for us. He will be getting one today. DeAnn and I will go over to Jackson today to take a look. We will be able to take some pictures to show Neil. Wow, we are all smiles. Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Oh my, we are so exited I almost fortot this part. Listen to this great news. The doctor said Neil is initiating every breath on his own. The ventilator is supplying the pressure for his breaths. Wow!!!! The doctor hopes Neil will be able to be moved to Jackson sometime next week. His best guess is Neil will be there about two months. He said Neil might be able to transition home from there. If not, Neil might go to Health South for a short period of time.


Please pray for Moses Suggs. He is a regular room here on 6th floor as he had to have his right leg amputated. Mr. Moses is 103 years old. He is alert and this daughter hopes to have him moved to a room soon. Isn't that wonderful. (I am smiling when I think our 25 year old son is keeping company with a 103 year old man. Doesn't Mr. Moses have a lot to share with Neil?)



Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Christine,Brian and our other friends here. Sue's daughters are smiling as big if not bigger than us. She is doing great. Her ventilator is at a setting lower than Neil's. It is just another big ole miracle. There are no words to describe what we are all participating in as we go down this road. Please know you all are the driving force. Thanks so very much for all you are doing.



Let's keep praying for the full recovery of Mary and she continues to have injections daily for the deep vein clot. Katey is doing her best to keep everyone on task. (I am picturing Mary pointing from the couch and Katey, Francie and the sweet girls following each direction. Right!)



Our minister and his wife came by with great news. Mr. Preston is in a room and is doing very, very good following four bypasses. Prayer is powerful!!! Thanks to all of you.



I had a sweet visit from a group of friends last night. We gather up on Thursday nights and they spent their Thursday night to come here and share with us. Many friends, family and neighbors stop by and we love to share our good news. Please know when we have tears, these are tears of joy, love and humbleness.



One last thing, I feel sure you all have figured out that this blog site does not have a grammar check. I do trust you all will smile with my errors and be assured I do know better. It is difficult to review your own work.

March 27

Just visited Neil. He is coughing quite a bit, but is learning to manage this well. His nurse wants Neil to get his nights and days straight, so he is going to give Neil some ambien to see if this will help him sleep through the night. The nurse is going to do his trach care now so there will be no more housekeeping duties for Neil during the night. Neil is managing this ventilator setting well. His oxygen sat is 97. Yea!!!!! We so look forward to tomorrow.



Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Oh my goodness, Sue has had a good news. Those stints have been a miracle for her. Her daughters and family are just thrilled as are we. Wow, aren't prayers powerful? More wonderful news. Preston Nail had four bypasses and is doing excellent. God is good!!!!


I saw Brian Phelp's father today. Brian has had surgery on his arm and his face. There is discussion about him going to Health South. This is so encouraging. Also, Christine is slowly improving and there is discussion about her going to Health South. Christine's fiance has been here the entire time. They are to be married May 31 and the doctors are saying she will be in great shape by then. Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Brian, Christine, Shannon and our other friends here.



Thanks so much for your love and support. Every day we are humbled and overwhelmed by your love and prayers.

March 27 6:10 pm

Our visit with Neil is delayed as the Wound/Ostomy folks are changing the dressing on his abdomen. We will update as soon as we can visit. Look forward to sharing our good news.

March 27 1:35 pm

Just visited Neil. He is very tired but doing such a good job. He just said he feels better now than he did at 10 am. Yea!!!!!! His oxygen sat is 97 so we are certain he is responding well to this ventilator setting. (I know, I know we thought so yesterday) His blood pressure is up but not awful. Physical therapy has been by once today. She will be back for one more visit this afternoon. Neil does a "show and tell" after physical therapy. He was able to close his fist. Wow, this is grand progress. He is still coughing on a regular basis and is able to tell the nurse when he needs for them to suction. Dang, he is working hard.We continued to be encouraged. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon and Christine. All visits indicate progress and we are so pleased for them.

Please continue to be supportive of the Andress family.

March 27 10:35 am

Just visited Neil. When we called this morning, the nurse said he had a lot of secretions. This is when the nurse has to suction the trach. The nurse said Neil's heart rate dropped but they were able to work through this. This is a case of Neil grounding us instead of the nurses. (You know he would never do this if he had any choice.) His medical condition is still fragile (that is my word). We know he is still critical, but not very, very critical. He still is not stable but more stable that he was. We are continually reminded that the ventilator is life support and his lungs are not well enough to support his body. The doctor's physician assistant came by. We asked her to talk to Neil about the order of him transitioning off the ventilator. ( He wanted to know this.) She said the pressure and PEEP would be decreased a little each day. The PA said a change would be made in the ventilator setting and then the next day would be a day of rest for Neil. She then said Neil might be moved to the Long Term Hospital (2 floors at Jackson Hospital) here in Montgomery. Neil possibly would still be on the ventilator for this move. This facility would be able to provide physical therapy, occupational therapy and the other services Neil would need. This is being discussed as Neil will still need skilled nursing care. Following this placement would probably be a "Health South" facility. The PA is thinking this move might be in about two weeks. We are all very clear this is an educated guess and we are not holding anyone to this date. The two weeks would start today. Neil is responding well to the ventilator setting. However, we thought so yesterday also. His blood pressure is up a bit and he is getting medication. Having said all of this, we must quickly add we are sooooo very encouraged by his progress. Please pray for Neil's lungs.



Please remember the family that was with us last night. Their loved one went to heaven early this morning.. We know he was a father, brother and boyfriend. Our prayers are with them.


Please pray for the full recovery of Sue Shelton, Shannon Jones, Christine Paulk and our other friends here. Christine was in a car accident Friday night in Selma. She was flown here Sunday. She is making some progress.

Thanks so very much for your love and support. Please know we share your prayers and love with the families here with us.

March 26 9:00pm

Neil and one of his favorite cousins John enjoying a friendly game together!

Just visited Neil. He continues to respond to this ventilator setting. This has been a long day for Neil. He is ready to take the next step. It seems Neil has had two days of rest since surgery. We did not see the doctor today. We are hoping to ask the doctor the order of Neil coming off the ventilator. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Reese is back with us for tomorrow. Yea!!!!!!

Please pray for the continued recovery of Sue, Shannon and our other friends here. Thank you all so very much for you continued support and love

March 25 6:00 pm

Just visited Neil. He has had a good afternoon. The ventilator is at the same setting. He continues to respond well to this setting. He gets tired very easy. He is still coughing some and that takes a lot of work. We are so proud of Neil. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Listen to this good news. Sue went to have a heart cath. The doctor found three blockages and put in three stints. We hope and pray this was causing the problems. Thanks for all you prayers and let's keep praying for her full recovery.

Please remember Mary as she receives treatment. Please pray for her full recovery.

March 25 1:35 pm

Just visited Neil. I did get to stay with Neil for a while after the last visit. Shhhh!!!! Don't tell anyone because this was a "cheat" visit. He was coughing quite a bit. The nurse moved the bed and tried to get him more comfortable. Coughing for a while makes his blood pressure go up. He still had the blood pressure patch and the nurse gave him some additional medication to help wiht this. So, Neil and I did not visit, but we were able to smile and wink at each other. How special is that!!!!! Dang, I am a proud mother. The physical therapist had been by this morning. We are able to read cards and give Neil updates from all of you. He is still on the regular ventilator (this one is volume controlled). The setting is still at 14 breaths a minute, 40% oxygen and 10 PEEP. He is responding well with an oxygen sat of 98. Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs

Please continue to pray for Sue's full recovery. She is having a difficult day. Her sweet daughters are so supportive and love their mother so much. We are all praying hard.

Please pray for Shannon's full recovery. The trach procedure was successful, but she now has a staff infection.

We hear from Clinton's wife that he continues to make progress. He is a room on our floor. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

Please remember the Andress family with your love and support.

March 26 10:30 am

Good Morning, The blog is later. The doctor was called out and we will not see him until later.




Please pray for the full recovery of Sue. Sue did not have a good night. We are trying to shower this family with our love. We sure do need your prayers for her.

Please remember Preston Nail in your prayers as he is going to have by-pass surgery.
Brian Phelps was moved to a room. How wonderful!!! Let's continue to pray for his full recovery. Shannon is having a procedure this morning. Let's please pray for her.

We had a good visit with Neil. Lucia is getting to stay back with Neil so this will be short. He had a good night and all is vitals remain the same. I will let Lucia report more later about her visit with Neil.

March 25 9:00 pm

Just had a visit with Neil. My, my he has had a great day. He continues to respond well to the ventilator setting. His oxygen sat is 98. He is moving more and more. Neil has very little pain at this point. The bed he is on has a very gentle tilt and he likes this. He is getting an unit of blood right now. This is a banner day!!!!! Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here.
Please pray for Preston Nail as he is having by-pass surgery Wednesday morning. He is the father-in-law of our minister.

Listen to this good news. I saw Fred, Kristie's husband. Kristie was in the car accident near Hope Hull with the 18 wheel truck. She is being moved to Mobile to a hospital for her recovery and rehabilitation. Also listen to this. Scott and Cindy came by today. They sure look like a couple that has been home for several days. Please pray for Scott as he meets with the oncologist. Thank you so much for your love and support

March 25 6:00 pm

Just visited Neil. He has watched TV much of the afternoon. Neil says he does not want to nap because he wants to sleep at night. Neil is getting another unit of blood today. This does not scare us. He continues to respond well to the ventilator setting of 10 PEEP, 14 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 97. Neil has been working with his arms and legs this afternoon. His movements are improving by the hour. In fact, Neil showed off a few of his new moves. We are so proud. This is a grand day. Thanks so much for your love and support.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian, Clinton and our other friends here.

March 25 1:40 pm

Just visited Neil. He is loving this ventilator setting. His oxygen sat is 97. We are so pleased. The physical therapist has been by twice this morning. She is working with Neil to squeeze his hands. Neil is very, very weak. The doctor is not alarmed. He said this will take time. Thanks goodness, Neil has plenty of time. (We are so aware Neil has all this time because of your prayers and miracles.) We are having a good day in the SICU waiting room. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here. Thanks to you all for your support and prayers. Please remember the Andress family.

March 25 10:40 am

Please know sometimes the blogs will be late as the doctor comes by and sometimes we can stay with Neil. Just visited Neil. The ventilator setting has been changed and he is responding well to this. The setting is 10 PEEP, 14 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. The percentage of oxygen is now at the optimal level. The optimal level for PEEP is 5. Neil had a good night. This morning he has had a bath and the nurse washed his hair. The physical therapist came by for about 30 minutes. Near the end of the visit, Neil wanted DeAnn to call Sanbuck. DeAnn put the phone on speaker and Neil could hear everyone. How much fun!!!! Also, they were able to do a bit of business. Neil was able through DeAnn to check on a customer and the office staff was able to ask Neil where some files might be. Neil was smiling the entire time. Please pray for Neil's lungs. (DeAnn is getting some extra time with her visit. SHHHH!!! We do not want anyone to know and to get upset with us.)

Today is four weeks since the accident. This is a wonderful day and we are proud of Neil and so appreciative of the love and support you all have given him and us. We could not have made it through this experience without your prayers. Also, our offices have been great to make accommodations for our work schedule. Please know how thankful we are to Sanbuck, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc., First Financial, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Elba General Hospital, Troy University and the Alabama Department of Human Resources. I have also had help covering supervision with Wiregrass Hospice. My goodness we are blessed.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here.
Please continue to pray for Mary. She is still having to have the shots and we hope and pray she soon reaches the therapeutic level to stop this treatment.

March 23 8:35 pm

Just visited Neil. My goodness, he is doing well after such a big day. I did not tell you on the way back to the room following the surgery, one of his IV poles hit the exit sign in the hall and pulled his PIC line about 4 inches. The hurry was to get him back to the ventilator. There was no big deal with the line and they were able to get it in place with no difficulty. The x-ray showed it was just fine. I am so pleased they were hurrying back. In the earlier surgery, Neil was not able to manage on the portable ventilator well at all. We are still celebrating Neil was able to manage going down to the operating room. That sure indicates progress. He continues to respond well to this ventilator setting. (Remember this is a regular ventilator. Yea!!!!) The setting is 15 PEEP, 16 breaths a minute and 55% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 97-98. How fabulous!! (This sure gives us some pep in our step!!!) His blood pressure has been within normal range for a couple of days. He is wearing a blood pressure patch and this is sure doing its job.

What a good day. We are so thankful for Neil's baby steps. When we add all the baby steps, he has made several significant giant steps. We continue to credit his progress with the excellent medical care he has received with a large dose of miracles. Thanks so much for your support and love.

Please pray for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here.

We so look forward to tomorrow.

March 24 6:00 pm

Just visited Neil. Neil is responding well to the ventilator setting of 10 PEEP, 16 breaths and 55% oxygen. This is a 5% reduction in the oxygen percentage. The oxygen sat is 97. Yea!!! He really is doing well since surgery. He has a "vac" which will continually keep the abdomen tight and will help close the wound. The nurse describes this as "extra luggage". Neil will have this until his abdomen closes. Neil is understanding the full extent of his injuries. He is most concerned about the length of time his recovery might take. My goodness, he is doing a great job. We are so proud of him.

Please pray for Neil's lungs. You all are the most wonderful folks in the world. We are honored you are running this marathon with Neil and us. We have heard from several of you that stopped your work tasks and said a prayer for Neil's surgery. That is so humbling and we cannot tell you how much we appreciate your concern.

Please know Kim is home and is recovering nicely. Yea!!!!

Katey is pleased with how well Mary is doing. They should hear from blood work tomorrow. Please pray for Mary's recovery.

Please continue to pray for Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here with us. Please remember the Andress family with your love and support.

March 24 1:55 pm

Neil is out of surgery. The doctor came to us with a smile on his face. He said all went well. He was able to close a couple of inches of the abdomen. He put the mesh in and was able to tighten the remainder of the abdomen. He said the surgery to completely close the abdomen would be much later. The doctor said he had consulted with a wound care specialist and would follow his directions regarding the incision. The most important thing the doctor said was "Neil's lungs are continuing to improve". That is the best news of the day!!!!! Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please continue to pray for the recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here.

Your love and support makes all of this work for us. We cannot tell you thank you enough.

March 24 1pm

Neil is in surgery as I write this. They have completed the surgery for the "umbrella". This is put in place to catch any blood clots. By having this, the doctor will be able to reduce the blood thinner Neil has to have. We understand this device is good for a year or so. They have now started the procedure to place the permanent mesh over his abdomen. The doctor plans on tightening the abdomen. The best scenario would be for the doctor to be able to close the abdomen. He does not think he will be able to do this because of the swelling due to fluid retention. We anticipate we will hear from the doctor in the next hour or so. Wow, we are going to be the most patient people in the world. I did not brag earlier, but in the morning visit Neil was able to move both legs. This took great concentration and effort. The nurses explained due to the horrific trauma Neil's body has experienced and the total sedation for three weeks, it will take much time for Neil to regain any strength. He can squeeze our hand but even that is an effort for him. We are so very proud of Neil and DeAnn.

One thing I have not mentioned is Kenneth's mother spends a lot of time with us. She is the "resident" grandmother. She makes sure everyone is eating (whether you want to or not) and makes sure things are straight in the motor home. She is a blessing to all of us.

March 24 10:35 am

Just visited Neil. He is doing well on the ventilator. Neil is on his way to surgery now. They said the surgery will take about an hour. Factoring in the "road trip" he has to take down to surgery, the surgery itself, and getting him back up here, we are thinking 12:30-1:00. We were able to be Neil's cheerleaders as he went. Please pray for Neil's lungs and this surgery. We are on our way down to the Day Surgery Waiting Room. Thanks so much to all of you.

March 24 9:50 am

Sorry this is late. Please know that as we meet with doctors we get a visit with Neil. We call these "cheat visits" and we stay as long as possible. They have moved to the regular ventilator this morning. The setting is 10 PEEP, 40% and 14 breaths. The oxygen sat is 94. We hope and pray he can manage this setting. We will be able to visit soon. Will update you soon. Please pray for Neil's lungs and this surgery.

Please continue to pray for the recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian and our other friends here.

March 23 9:00

Please note that some blogs may be later than they have in the past. Since Neil is more alert, he wants to maximize the visits. We agree with Neil!!!!!! The nurse said she expects Neil will have surgery tomorrow. She seems to think that the permanent mesh can be found somewhere in the Baptist complex. She thinks the surgery may be later in the morning. Neil is ready to move forward. This weekend has been long for him. He is looking forward to Monday to take the next step. DeAnn is getting a little extra time with the visit. Shhh!!! Don't tell anyone. We cannot wait until tomorrow.

Please pray for Neil's lungs and for his full recovery. As we close this Easter day, we are indeed blessed. This is the best Easter ever for the Grantham family. I am still blessed with a babysitter, now referred to as a CA (Community Angel), everyday. (The boys complained about me calling them babysitters. As many of you know I have three brothers and one sister. My parents did a great job when they kept having children. We lost our parents several years ago, but I have thanked them countless times during this experience for my brothers and sister. They have worked out a schedule so that each day one is with me. Please know this includes all the in-laws. (Now we all know that all of them want to be here with Neil each day but that is not workable for any of us, so this is the next best thing.) I am the most blessed lady in the world. DeAnn's family has been with us throughout this. Her mother and I refer to ourselves as the "mothers-in-law". Reese had to return to Daphne tonight. She is the best sister in the world. We hope to have her back Wednesday or Thursday night. You all have blessed Neil with many miracles and we continue to thank God for his recovery.

Please thank God for the full recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian, Clinton and the other friends here. Please pray for Mary as she continues her treatment. We are sure Katey made sure the Easter bunny knew where to come. As we remember Kim, I am also sure directions were given to her house for the Easter bunny. We hope and pray the Andress family were able to celebrate Easter together. Thank you all for your love and support.

March 23 6:00 pm

Just visited Neil. He is having a good Easter. He is having to cough and that is difficult. The good news is he can tell the nurse how to help him. He continues to respond well to the ventilator. DeAnn is getting a bit longer visit. SHHHH Do not tell anyone. Yea!!!!!

Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Sue is having a good Easter. Please continue to pray for her recovery. Please pray for Shannon, Brian, Clinton, and our other friends.

I so appreciate you all participating in the miracles with Neil and our other friends. We could not do this without you all.

March 23 1:30

Just visited Neil. He is doing a great job with this ventilator setting. The medical term is "he is responding well". His oxygen sat is 98. The doctor has not changed any settings. It is still at 10 PEEP, 40% oxygen and 14 breaths. On this Easter Day, I need to remind you all Neil has not had any antibiotics since March 13. This is in fact a miracle recognizing he has a rather bad compound fracture above his ankle, the perforated colon and his lungs which have had so much infection. Neil loved his apple juice. I think he probably liked DeAnn helping him with this as much as he liked the juice. This afternoon he will have a bath and then will be able to have some gatorade. What a blessing. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

We continue to ask you for prayers for Sue, Clinton, Shannon, Brian, Mary, Kim and our other friends here in SICU.

We are sending lots of Easter love to the Andress family and to all of you. You have all blessed Neil and us with your prayers and support. I am smiling with tears of joy for each one of you.

March 22 11:20 am

Just had a long visit with Neil. We were able to stay longer to see the doctor. Neil and DeAnn have had a sweet Easter together in SICU. We are so proud of them. The doctor plans to begin the closure of the abdomen tomorrow. This will depend on if the hospital has the correct mesh which will go over his abdomen. The doctor refers to this as a permanent mesh. Also, a doctor will put an "umbrella" in which will catch any blood clots. (Sounds pretty nifty!) The doctor said the chest tubes will come out when Neil comes off the ventilator as he still has a little place leaking. I asked Neil if there was anything he wanted to ask the doctor. Neil said, "Apple Juice?" The doctor said he could not deny Neil this on Easter and agreed he could have a sip or two. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Easter. We are so blessed with all of you in our lives.

Please continue to love and support the Andress family.

March 23 7:40 am

Happy Easter to all of you. Just talked to the nurse and she said Neil is resting and had a good night. We went to Sunrise Service at Frazier Methodist Church here is Montgomery. It was good for our spirits. The sunrise was beautiful and it was clear "God was in his heaven and all is right with the world". We are all indeed blessed.

I have to share something that will make you smile. Yesterday Neil said he needed to talk to me alone. I was going, "Oh, yeah, Neil wants to talk to his Mom alone". As everyone left, I was a bit puffed with pride. I leaned over and asked my sweet son what he needed. He said, "Please get DeAnn an Easter present". He told me exactly what to get. Isn't that wonderful? I am so very proud of Neil. Reese went shopping and we were able to sneak DeAnn's Easter basket to the nurse and she will have it in Neil's room for the first visit. Yesterday DeAnn went shopping and has a wonderful Easter basket for Neil. She was able to get this to the nurse last night so he will be able to see it when he wakes up.

We have made our nest here in the waiting room. It is going to be the best Easter ever for the Grantham family. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for the recovery of Sue, Shannon, Brian, Clinton (had very serious surgery), Mary, Kim and our other friends here.

March 22 8:55 pm

Just visited Neil. He is doing so well on this ventilator setting. His oxygen sat is 98-99. I do not have to say more. This is great!!!!! Of course Neil cannot have anything but ice chips. He says he wants apple juice. He has said that several times. I finally asked him him when was the last time he has had apple juice and he replied "Never". How funny is this? We are all heading home. Hope the Easter Bunny finds all of you. He has already found us!!!!!!

Please continue pray for Neil's lungs.

Please continue to pray for the full recovery of Sue, Brian, Shannon, Mary, Kim and all our friends here. You are all in our hearts and prayers and we wish you all a wonderful Easter.

March 22 6:00

Just visited Neil. Wow, His oxygen sat is 99. He is doing great on this ventilator setting. The setting is the same with 10 PEEP, 40% oxygen and 14 breaths a minute. Neil's sense of humor is amazing. We are so proud. We are jumping for joy. Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please pray for Sue, Shannon and Brian. We are all praying for their recovery. Their families are here with us and they are in SICU with Neil. Please pray for Mary and Kim.

March 22 1:35pm

We just got back from visiting with Neil. He is still feeling well and has lots of TV to watch between the race, basketball, and golf he is going to have a busy day! Needless to say we had a great visit and we are just happy to see him. His levels are still at 40% oxygen 10PEEPS and 14 breaths. One little story to make you smile before I leave you and to show you that Neil is really getting his sense of humor back....we were just about to leave and Mom said, "We will see you at 5:30, be there or be square!" Neil remarked back, "Where else would I be?!" This not only made us smile, made us laugh but made us feel just a little better about him this Easter weekend.

March 22 10:55 am

Just visited Neil. Neil continues to respond great to the ventilator setting of 14 breaths a minute, 40% oxygen and 10 PEEP. His oxygen sat is 97. WOW!!!!!!! Neil He is communicating better and better. He smiles frequently and we can read his expressions easily. We are so very encouraged. The lasix have done their job. Neil's hands look beautiful. We will take him a stress ball at the next visit. Please pray for Neil's lungs.


Please pray for Brian Phelps. He has just come into SICU. He was in a car accident and his family is with us. Please continue to pray for Terri's recovery from her kidney surgery. She is in Thomas hospital in Fairhope, Alabama.

My, my Sue's daughters had a great visit with Sue. Your prayers are providing more miracles than we can describe.

March 22 8:10 am

Good Morning, Just called the nurse and was told "Neil had a restful night". We love the statement "restful night". Wanted to tell you all how proud we are of Neil. Since they lessened the sedation and Neil is alert, he is doing an amazing job. He seems to have no fear of the ventilator. (More than I could ever imagine) Neil is accepting this and his medical condition. He does not remember Tuesday the day of the wreck. Kenneth had talked to Neil that morning to mention the tornado warning. He does not remember that. DeAnn reminded him that they both left home together that morning at 7:30 because of the weather. Neil usually would get to Sanbuck and open up about 7:30. Neil's only memory right now is he remembers the helicopter taking off. His sense of humor is all over. When we cannot understand what he is saying, he will ask for the alphabet board. We keep reminding him this is like a huge game of charades. This is another test of patience and we all seem to be passing the test. Yea!!!! Please pray for Neil's lungs.

As we start this beautiful Saturday morning, please pray for the recovery of Sue, Shannon, Mary, Kim, Roger and our other friends that have been discharged or moved to rooms here. Wow, we know Scott and Cindy are going to have the best Easter ever as are the other friends who are home. Yea!!!!

Your love and support has been boundless and keeps smiles in our heart. Please know you all are blessing us and sustaining us. There is no way we could keep running this marathon with Neil without each of you. Our love and prayers continue to be with Mike, Rob, Tricia and the entire Andress family.

March 21 8:55 pm

Just visited Neil. He is responding so well to this ventilator setting. The PEEP is 10, 40% oxygen and 14 breaths a minute. Aren't those numbers grand? We are so, so proud of Neil. His blood pressure is within normal range. We are all learning to read lips better and better. A colleague of Reese's came last visit to help with this. She knew more than us and we watched and learned some tricks of the trade.

The nurse describes Neil's sedation at 50% less than it was when he was so sedated. The only pain he describes in his neck. The nurse thinks it is because has had to hold his neck in a single position for so long and the pain is similar to a crick in his neck. He is being given robaxin for this. (This is a muscle relaxer.) Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for Shannon Jones. She was involved in the wreck here in Montgomery on Woodley Road. Her family is here in SICU waiting room.

Please continue to pray for Sue. Her sweet daughters, family and friends share love and support with us. Sue was more alert during the visit tonight.

Please remember Ruth in your prayers. She is in SICU as she had to have a colostomy.

Throughout this experience, we are continually amazed at the connections with others. It seems we all know someone in common. We have met folks that knew our parents and have shared fun, endearing stories. Thanks so very much for all your love and support. You all have sustained us with your prayers.

March 21 6:00 pm

This is from Reese's first Mardi Gras Ball!! She sure does love her baby brother!!

Just visited Neil. My, my Neil is doing fabulous. He is doing great on this ventilator setting. The setting is 10 PEEP, 14 breaths and 40%oxygen!!! His oxygen is 97-98. Wow. All his vital sign are within normal range. What a blessed day. Neil is getting two units of blood. This does not scare us. DeAnn is getting a few extra minutes with Neil. Yea!!!!! He pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for Sharon Jones. She is 20 years old and was in a terrible automobile accident. Her father is here with us.

Please pray for Reese's friend, Terri. She had kidney surgery and we hope her recovery is wonderful.

Thanks so very much for your love and support.

March 21 1:25 pm

Just visited Neil. He continues to be alert. Trying to talk is frustrating for him, but he is patient with us. He is doing great on the ventilator. His blood pressure and pulse are within normal limits. I must brag that Neil has not been on antibiotics since March 13. Without question it is a miracle that Neil has not had more infection. He is interested in the basketball game this afternoon. This continues to be a grand Good Friday. Neil's condition in no longer very, very critical. He is just critical. He is not stable yet as they continue to make changes on the ventilator, but he is closer to stable than he has been since the accident. We are thrilled beyond words. Yea!!!!!! Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Sue's daughters had a good visit with her. Please continue to pray for her recovery.

March 21 10:30 am

Just visited Neil. My, my Neil looks great. He wants the bed up. Neil wanted his glasses. Yea!!!! He is on the pressure controlled ventilator. The setting is 15 PEEP, 14 breaths a minute, 40% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 95. Neil will have to have a pint of blood this morning. This not does not scare us. His blood pressure is within normal range. He looks beautiful!!!!! DeAnn is spending a few extra minutes with Neil. Our minister and his wife came by and we were able to have communion with Neil. We were all honored to accept communion for Neil. Our church family has been so very supportive and loving. To say we are a blessed family is certainly an understatement. Please pray for Neil's lungs

Please pray for Sue. Her daughters were pleased with their visit this morning.

Kim should be released today from Brookwood today. The doctors found a stone in the bowel duct. My goodness, we are having things happen we have never heard. Please pray for her recovery and safe travel home.

Please keep remembering Mary as she has treatments. I trust Katey is taking care of this sweet family. Thanks to you all for your love and support.

March 21 7:40 am

Just called to see about Neil's night. The nurses were in doing reports. However, Neil's nurse sent us word that he is trying to talk to her. Yea!!!!!!

Last night a family friend from Sue's family came by and prayed with them. She then prayed with all of us. She said we should fast for Neil and Sue's recovery from 6-9am. We are certainly doing that with love in our hearts. Hope all of you have a wonderful Good Friday. We are so blessed and we know all of you are sharing these blessings with us. Please pray for Neil's lungs. On this Good Friday, please love and support the Andress family.

March 20 8:55pm

Just visited with Neil. He is still nauseated, but my goodness, he is the most handsome man we have ever seen. We are so proud of him. Neil is still on the pressure controlled ventilator with the setting of 15 PEEP, 20 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 98. You go, boy!!!!! His blood pressure is back within normal range. He is getting sleepy. DeAnn is staying with Neil and saying good night to him. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please remember Mr. John and his family. Mr. John went to heaven this afternoon.

Please pray for Sue. Her family is as optimistic as we are. They have had several miracles and are expecting more. We know you all can help with those.

Mr. Roger has been in SICU for several days. His daughter has been with us. Mr. Roger just got moved to a room. How wonderful is that?

We have been so very blessed during this Holy Week. Your love and support puts "pep in our step". All of us are sending you our love. Please know as you are praying for Neil's lungs, we are thanking God you all are in our lives.

March 20 6:25 pm

(Sorry, had a computer issue) Just visited Neil. The nurse said he had a good afternoon. He is a bit nauseated. The nurse thinks this is the medication or the TPN. With the trach and the ventilator, Neil cannot talk. He can form words and DeAnn is becoming very proficient in understanding him. This is a bit frustrating for Neil. Of course, we want to understand every word he says. We have let him know you all are loving him and praying for him. His heart rate is good. His blood pressure is a bit high, but he does not need medication for this yet. Reese is back with us tonight and we are so pleased.

Neil did not love the "regular" ventilator setting. He is back on the pressure controlled ventilator. The setting is 15 PEEP, 20 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 98. Yea!!!!! Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Sue's family had a good visit with her. Please pray for Sue's recovery.

Please remember Mary in your prayers as she receives her treatment. We all know it helps her to have Katey there with her.

I have not talked to Kim. We hope she was discharged from the hospital today. Please pray for her safe trip home and a speedy recovery.

The man shot 10 times was discharged from the hospital this afternoon. Please pray for his recovery, his wife and sweet daughters.

The man shot at Igor's is being moved to a room tonight. Wow, he is a miracles.

We must say over and over how much we appreciate your love and support. Your prayers are working miracles here in the SICU. Bless you all

March 20 1:25 pm

We just "looked" at Neil. He is sleeping and we are not going to wake him. DeAnn is still watching him and we go back and forth looking and smiling. He is doing well on the new ventilator setting. It is set at 15 PEEP, 20 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 93-94. His blood pressure drops when he sleeps but his pulse is good. Let's add a praise report. Remember he has not had any antibiotics since March 13 and has no symptoms of any type of infection. We are aware Neil is still very sick, but we continue to celebrate his condition today. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for Sue, Mary and Kim. You all mean so much to us. Thanks so very much

March 20 10:55 am

My goodness, what a great day. We met with the doctor. He said, "Neil's lungs are progressing". Those are the sweetest words we have ever heard. He has moved Neil to the "regular" ventilator. Please be clear, Neil has progressed from the bi-level ventilator to the pressure controlled ventilator to the regular ventilator. The setting is at 15 PEEP, 40% oxygen and 18 breaths with oxygen sat of 93-94. Neil's blood pressure is up, but that is expected. Neil is losing 3-4 liters of fluid a day. The doctor said he thinks early next week, he can add another mesh over Neil's abdomen. All news today is good news.

Please know our lives are centered around the SICU waiting room. Of course we are in Montgomery but have been with many friends with loved ones in SICU. We have been able to celebrate many discharges to Hope Hull, Greenville, Prattville and Tallassee. Please continue to pray for their recovery. Your prayers have blessed us and many of these people with miracles. We cannot thank you enough. Please be safe in your travels.

March 20 8:10 am

Good Morning, The nurse said, "Neil had a restless night". He said that was to be expected. We look forward to a visit later this morning. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Sue is having the trach procedure as I write this. Her sweet family will be meeting with the doctors later this morning. Please bless Sue and her family with your prayers.

My friend and colleague, Kim, is being released from Brookwood Hospital today. Please pray for her recovery and safe travel home.

Please remember the Andress family with your love and support during this Easter season. Our love and prayers continue to be with Mike, Rob, Tricia and all the Andress family.

In a quick note, I must bring you all some good news. Many of you running this marathon with Neil and praying for him are living in urban areas. We are from the southeast Alabama area, a small town, Elba. Our families and friends are from everywhere. The huge advantage in living in a small town is the community support. DeAnn called our optometrist and had new glasses for Neil in a day. (She will take Neil's his glasses this morning.) From time to time our bodies have "failed" us and we have had to call our physician, describe our symptoms and we had medication within the hour. Our mail is brought to us by wonderful friends. Our needs are minimum and each need is met. All of our physical needs are met and the prayers, love and support are amazing.

There are not words to describe our love and gratitude for your prayers. We are such a blessed family and Neil continues to be blessed with miracles. Hope you all are having a wonderful day.

March 19 8:55 pm

TOGA TOGA!! This picture we think was summer of 06. We had gone to suprise 2 of our favorite aunt and uncles in our lovely toga outfits and of course Neil would be in the front!

Just visited Neil. My, my the young man is amazing!!!! He is loving this ventilator setting. Neil's oxygen sat 98 with the setting of 15 PEEP, 16 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. His blood pressure is within normal range. What a banner day. We are soooo blessed. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please pray for Sue. She is scheduled for a trach in the morning. Her sweet family is as scared as we have been.

I am so sad to tell you Mr. Fred went to heaven this afternoon. We were able to be with his family. Please pray for his family.

March 19 5:55 pm

Just visited Neil. He is doing such a good job. The sedation is still down by 50%. The nurse said Neil napped between the 1:30 and 5:30 visit and his blood pressure and heart rate dropped. His blood pressure is up a bit but the nurse said they are not going to medicate at this point. Neil is aware he has a "banged up leg". He is aware he has been in a car accident. He is responding well to the ventilator setting. There have been no changes since this morning and the nurse said a change may be made tomorrow. She said Neil had such a big day, trach and a move to the new bed. The new bed is a tilt bed with an air mattress to help prevent skin breakdown. He has no skin breakdowns at this time. (Sounds like another miracle to me!!!!) DeAnn is getting a bit of an extra visit as they were xraying Neil's leg at the beginning of the visit. She is grinning from ear to ear. Yea!!!!The nurses are celebrating with us but continue to caution us to realize Neil's recovery has begun but will still be a long process. We are all running this marathon with him and love having all of you with us. Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs. Please remember Sue and her family as Sue has had a difficult day.

March 19 2:40 pm

Just visited Neil. WOW!!!!!! They have lowered the sedation and Neil is a bit alert. The nurse said the sedation will stay at this level until Neil cannot manage the pain. The nurse said Neil would be able to let him know. We were able to remind Neil about the accident and let him know his leg was broken. Neil was calm but was trying to talk. We were able to reassure him and love on him. He is responding well to the ventilator setting which is the same as this morning. The ventilator is at 15 PEEP, 16 breaths a minute, 40% oxygen. His oxygen sat is at 95-96. Neil's blood pressure is a bit high but they are not giving any mediation for this right now. They started the lasix back yesterday. We are soooooooo excited. There are many tears of joy, thanksgiving and love for all of your prayers that have gotten us here. Please keep praying for Neil's lungs. Also add Katey, my friend and colleague, as she travels to help her daughter, Mary. Thanks so very much.

March 19 1:25 pm

Our visit has been delayed. There was a code for an elderly gentleman that has been here a couple of days. He is being stabilized and we will have the visit probably in the next hour. Please pray for Katey's daughter, Mary, and Katey's safe travel. Mary is being admitted to the hospital in South Carolina. Katey is on her way to help Mary and the granddaughters. Thanks so very much for your love an support.

March 19 10:30 am

Great, great, great!!!!! The new ventilator setting is 16 breaths, 15 PEEP and 40% oxygen. Neil is responding very, very well to this setting. His oxygen sats 93-94. He has the most beautiful lips we have ever seen. Better for DeAnn to kiss and we cannot wait until he can give us a "smart response". We cannot express our excitement. We are well aware Neil's condition continues to be critical and he is not stable as long as they are making changes on the ventilator. However, we are so, so encouraged. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Please step up prayers for Sue. She is weak and having a difficult day. We are sending our love and gratitude to each one of you for loving us and our friends.

March 19 8:35 am

Sorry I am late. The nurse said "Neil continues to slowly make progress". We were able to see the doctor. He came in with both thumbs up in the air. That says it all!!!!!! They are doing the trach right now. Listen to this. Great, great, great! The nurse said they backed off the sedation and Neil responded by following two commands. He blinked his eyes TWICE and was able to squeeze the nurse's hand TWICE. My goodness!!! As we went back to meet with the doctor, we had a brief visit with Neil. He was not totally alert but his eyes were open. This is the first time in 3 weeks we have seen both eyes open. They are beautiful eyes. We were able to reassure him about where he was and why. He was very calm as we were, but our hearts were shouting!!!! He blinked on his own a couple of times. He made some movement with his mouth. We did not ask him to do any of this as we were not "testing" him but loving him. The nurse is talking to DeAnn right now. The trach is completed. Everything went well and we will see Neil at 10. God is so good. Please know all of us are participating in miracles for Neil as well as our other friends. Kristie may be moved to a room today. Sue had a good night and has been breathing on her own since 3:30 this morning. We know this is Holy Week and miracles abound all around us. Thank you so very, very much. Your love and support sustains all of us here is SICU. Please pray for Neil's lungs as well as Sue, Kristie, Fred and his family and all our other friends.

March 18 8:50 pm

My, my these boys do have a good time at the beach. If you ever have Buford, Blake and Neil on the beach together, you might should walk or run the other way. I am smiling!!!!!!

Neil is ending this day on a fabulous note. His oxygen sat is 97. Yea!!!!! He has responded so well all day with this ventilator setting. The setting is at 15 PEEP, 20 breaths a minute and 40% oxygen. His blood pressure is within normal limits. How grand!!!!! We look forward to Neil's progress tomorrow. We are fairly sure he will start the day having the trach procedure and we believe this will take place in the morning. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Please remember Sue in your prayers as she has had a restful day and hope she makes more progress tomorrow. Kristie has continued to make progress and needs our prayers. Fred's family continues to need our prayers.

March 18 5:55 pm

Just visited Neil. His oxygen sat is 97-98. Wow, he is loving this ventilator setting. He continues to do great on the 40% oxygen. They are not going to do the trach today. There was a scheduling problem. We are so pleased this is not an emergency and will gladly wait until tomorrow. Neil has had a good day of rest which helps prepare him for tomorrow. They discontinued the TPN this morning anticipating the surgery. This will start back tomorrow afternoon after the trach procedure is completed. (We all agree Neil can miss a meal!!! Isn't it wonderful I can make a bit of a joke about his weight?) Neil's blood pressure has been up most of the day. The nurse is giving medication and this does help. This has been another good day. This is has been 5 good days in a row, yes I am counting. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Another friend, Sam, was released today. Please remember Sam and his mom, Debra, in your prayers for Sam's complete recovery. Also, please remember Sue as she continues to make baby steps in her recovery. Thank you all for you love and support.

March 18 1:35 pm

Yea!!!!!! Neil's oxygen sat is up to 96-97. He is responding very well to this ventilator setting. My goodness we are so pleased. As the nurses talked to us, they continue to ground us. Neil's condition is still critical and he is not yet stable. However, all the steps he is making will change that in the near future. Miracles abound. Our sweet friend, Scott, was discharged today. We believe he is now home and getting comfortable as he continues his recovery. Cindy was all smiles and so dear to all of us. We love to celebrate when people are moved from SICU or discharged home. Please remember Mr. Fred's family as he is now in a coma. We are doing our best to support his family with this sad situation. (All life support was removed last Wednesday.) Please pray for Neil's lung and for the trach procedure which will happen sometime today or early evening. Thanks so very much for all of your love and support.

March 18 10:25 am

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!! The doctor said," Neil is progressing". Whoopee!!!!! The oxygen percentage was lowered to 40%. So, the ventilator setting is 15 PEEP, 20 breaths a minute, and 40% oxygen. Neil's oxygen sat is at 93-94. The change was made about 8:15 this morning and he seems to be responding well to the change. The doctor is hopeful to do the trach today. This will be very beneficial for many reasons, including less harsh on his body and easier access if they need to change anything. The doctor hopes to move Neil to a tilt bed tomorrow which is fabulous. The rotary bed and the bi-level ventilator have saved Neil's life but have been hard on his body. These changes are certainly reflective of the progress Neil is making. There are miracles all around us. Please pray for Neil's lungs and Sue, Scott, Fred, Kristie, Sam and all our other friends here in SICU and in the hospital.

March 18 8:15 am

Good Morning, I have limited news, but news we love. The nurse said Neil had a good night. To us, that means Neil is still responding well to the ventilator setting. We look forward to hearing the plan for the day for Neil. I am so very proud of Neil as he is doing such a good job. Today is 3 weeks since the accident. That is so hard to believe. As we begin the week, I must say to all of our employers and colleagues how much we appreciate the accommodations for work and the help you are giving us. The wonderful folks include Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc., Sanbuck, First Financial, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, Troy University and Alabama Department of Human Resources. We all knew we had loving families and friends, but the support you all have given us has been amazing. Your visits, calls, cards, and love make our hearts smile. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

Also, Kristie is in SICU with Neil. She was in the accident yesterday near Hope Hull. She is in stable condition but sure needs our prayers. Hope all of you have a wonderful day. Thanks so very much to each of you.

March 17 8:55 pm

I am impressed I was able to do this. Reese will smile. This is Neil and two of his best buds, Jerry and JD. Aren't they a good looking group? We are so very proud of all three.

We just visited Neil. He continues to respond well to this ventilator setting. We will end this day with Neil's settings on this ventilator at 20 breaths a minute, 15 PEEP and 65% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 98-99. His blood pressure is within normal range. He has NO temperature. He has been off the antibiotics since March 13. Isn't that amazing with the potential for infection in his foot, his perforated colon, and his compromised lungs? All that needs to be said is "miracles abound". We are so pleased with the progress Neil is making. It does seem slow at times but he has to make this type of progress to get better. This has been a grand day for Neil. Please pray for Neil's lungs. I was able to meet Scott and he is doing excellent. He is getting good reports and Cindy is so pleased. Please continue to remember Scott and his family in your prayers. Sue has rested well today. Her ventilator settings have been reduced. Please remember Sue and her sweet daughters in your prayers.

March 17 5:45 pm

Just visited Neil. My, my Neil has done such a good job today. The oxygen percentage is down to 65% where he started this morning when they changed him to this ventilator. This is what our medical friends would describe as Neil "responding well to this ventilator setting". Yea!!!! His blood pressure is within normal range right now. The nurse said that after DeAnn leaves Neil's blood pressure drops for about 30 minutes. So we are encouraging Neil to try and not let that happen because we certainly do not want visits restricted. (I am smiling.) Just lets us know Neil is aware of our visits, love and support. Please pray for Neil's lungs and all our friends. We cannot wait until tomorrow. Love to you all

March 17 1:25 pm

We just visited Neil. He is responding very well to the ventilator setting. The nurse has been able to drop the oxygen percentage from 100% to 90%. We hope by the end of the day the setting will be where it started this morning which was 65%. His blood pressure has responded to the medication. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Listen to this great news. Sue was able to breath on her own for 3 hours this morning. Her kidneys are in great shape. Scott is having a good day and Cindy is so encouraged. Your prayers are blessing Neil, Sue and Scott as well as our other friends. We were able to visit with Mr. Fred's family for a short time. They are so faithful in loving and supporting him. Hope you all have a good day. Your love and support makes this situation manageable for us. You all are amazing folks and we are so blessed with you in our lives.

March 17 10:50 am

Just visited with Neil. OK Folks, you all know my medical training is nil, so I have to correct my misunderstanding. Neil is in fact now on a pressure controlled ventilator. He is on 20 breaths a minute. What I misunderstood is the PEEP. First thing this morning was not at 30 but was at 10 PEEP. This monitor has numbers in a different place and I have no respiratory therapy experience. This morning the oxygen percentage was at 65%. Now I have corrected the first blog, I will give you the update now. First, Neil's color is great. DeAnn and I think he is the most handsome man we have seen in a long time. The nurse moved the PEEP up from 10 to 15 and the oxygen percentage up from 65 to 100%. His oxygen sat is at 98. The nurse said she hopes Neil would be able to manage this and thinks these numbers will come down during the day. His blood pressure is down some. We are so thankful for this day. Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs. Miracles continue for Sue Shelton. She is having a very good morning. Please continue to pray for her and all our other friends here.

March 17 9:05 am

Just talked to the doctor and had a brief visit with Neil. First things first, the doctor said Neil was "better". He changed the ventilator from bi-level to a pressure controlled ventilator. Yea!!!!! The ventilator setting is at 20 breaths a minute, 30 PEEP and 65% oxygen. This change was made at 8:30 am. Neil's oxygen sat is 93-94. His blood gases looked good this morning. They will run blood gases again in a couple of hours. This will help determine how to adjust the ventilator setting if Neil is not able to manage this particular setting. Neil is getting TPN, Total Parental Nutrition, which is all the nutrients, etc he needs. It is high in sugar. Neil has been on an insulin drip. That has been stopped and they will check his blood sugar and will give insulin as needed. Neil's blood pressure is high again. He was given medication early this morning and it has dropped some. The doctor said he will consider a trach in the next several days. For many reasons this will be better for Neil. The doctor said he is not considering closing his abdomen at this time. He wants everything else to continue to improve. We were again grounded in being told this controlled ventilator continues to be life support. We are so very aware Neil is still in critical condition. The medical personnel are grand in their skills in caring for Neil and just as grand in taking care of us. However, we are clear every step Neil takes in a step closer to being "less" critical. Please pray for Neil's lungs to be able to respond to this ventilator setting.

(DeAnn has is wearing green, so she will not be pinched. She has a big smile this morning. Yea!!!!!!!)

March 17 8:00 am

Good Morning, Just talked to the nurse and she reported Neil was "status quo" with no changes. We love this as it means Neil lost not a step last night. We continue to be "cautiously" optimistic with each hour. (That is the term that is used from time to time with Neil's medical staff. I must say we are "wildly" optimistic.) We are so pleased that with each baby step Neil makes, he continues to build a "safety net" for himself just in case he has a step backwards. We just learned it is St. Patrick's Day. You would all pinch us because none of us is wearing green. Hope you all have a great day. Your love and support is humbling and overwhelming. Words just are not adequate. Please pray for Neil's lungs. I will be able to report on our other friends later in the day. We do know one of the shooting victims from Igor's was released yesterday. How wonderful.

March 16 8:55

Just visited Neil. A banner day. Absolutely no bumps at all. Yea!!!!! His oxygen sat is 97 so he continues to respond well to the ventilator setting. He certainly has made some progress with the movement of the breaths. My,my we are so blessed. Hope all of you had the wonderful Palm Sunday we shared with Neil. Please pray for Neil's lungs. As you remember Sue in your prayers, know I spelled her last name wrong. Her last name is Shelton. (A minor issue because God sure knows who we mean) This is our third Sunday here and the best ever!!!!!! Thank you all for your love and support. Reese left tonight to return to work so the pictures may not be posted as often. Thanks so very for your prayers, love and support. As we close this day please love and support the Andress family.

March 16 6:15

We just visited Neil. My goodness, what a good day. Neil is responding very, very well to the reduction from 30 breaths a minute to 26 breaths a minute. His oxygen sat is 97-98. Whoopee!!!!! His blood pressure is good and he still has NO temperature. We are so very blessed. This is the best Palm Sunday we have ever had. We so appreciate your love and support. Please pray for Neil's lungs and remember the Andress family with your love and support. Sue Sheldon is in SICU with Neil. She experienced a massive infection. She is having a good day and has responded to all treatments very well. She has been blessed with miracles from the time she was admitted. Her sweet family is with us and we all comfort each other. All life support was removed from Mr. Fred and we pray for strength for his family. Scott had very serious surgery and has been moved to a room. His wife, Cindy, is so supportive of us. Sam was shot a week and a half ago and is now in a room. His mother, Debra, is the best cheerleader you can imagine. We have another friend whose boyfriend was shot 10 times. He is in a room and recovering nicely. His family spends time with us. One of our friend's father was shot and he has been released. One daughter, Kim, returned home but will be back. Another daughter is here with him at home. Please remember this family. Please remember the two victims from the Igor shooting. One of the victims is is a room and can get around in a wheelchair. The other victim is critically injured. Please remember him and his family. Thank you all so very much for your love and support.

March 16 1:25 pm

We just visited Neil. His oxygen sat is 93-94 at the ventilator setting of 35 PEEPS, 65% oxygen and 26 breaths a minute. Yea!!!!! The nurse said Neil is having had a good weekend and even ventured to say Neil is "better". We are so encouraged. What a blessed Palm Sunday. DeAnn is cheering Neil on as I write this. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Also, remember Sue, Fred, Scott and the two new shooting victims. Thanks so very much for your love and support of all of us.

March 16 10:30 am

Our visit was delayed a bit as the nurse was changing the dressing on Neil's abdomen. Also, the nurse gave him a bath, shaved and brushed his teeth. Neil continues to tolerated this ventilator setting well as his oxygen sat is 94. His oxygen level is at 65% with the PEEP at 35. Neil has NO temperature and his blood pressure is within normal limits. We have some new numbers to share with you. On this bi-level ventilator Neil has been receiving 30 breaths a minute. The nurse said you and I take 12-14 breaths a minute. The doctor has called in an order to bring the breath rate down from 30 to 26. This sure will be a great step forward (a baby step, but a step in the right direction). We continue to be encouraged. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Also please remember the Andress family.

March 16 8:30 am

Just called the day nurse. He said Neil had a "fairly decent night" with no changes. We sure do like this news. Hope all of you have a wonderful Palm Sunday. Please pray for Neil's lungs and also Sue, Fred, Scott and Sam and our other friends that have been released from the hospital.

March 15 8:45 pm

We just visited with Neil. He continues to respond well to the ventilator setting. It remains at 35 PEEP and 65% oxygen. His blood pressure is within normal range. He had medication a couple of hours ago. When I asked a few questions the sweet nurse took the opportunity to "ground" me again. This is when the nurse tells me how sick Neil is and he remains in very critical condition. However, she agreed that we can celebrate today. As I understand it, Neil needs several days like this with no "event". So, I am saying this has been a very good day for Neil. There has been no back track for Neil and that is a big step forward. The other step forward includes bringing the oxygen percentage down and Neil has gotten some fabulous rest! Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs. Remember Sue, Sam, Fred, Scott in your prayers.

(Please do not be alarmed if there is no post first thing in the morning. If the nurses are in "report" there may be no information. Will certainly update as soon as possible after the 10 am visit.)

March 15 5:55 pm

This was at a mixed scramble in Elba. Neil with his Dad and good friend Chris King. This is a typical picture of Neil as he closes his eyes in at least 60% of pictures taken of him.

We just visited Neil. He continues to have a restful day. I cannot classify today as boring as the nurse has turned the oxygen percentage down from 70 to 65%. Yea!!!! Neil seems to be tolerating this ventilator setting as his oxygen sat is 96. His blood pressure is up enough DeAnn said the nurse was going to give him some medication to bring this down a bit. DeAnn is still visiting with Neil. She is giving him the news of the day. We are so very encouraged. One of our shooting victims was released today. Please remember him in your prayers for continued recovery. Please continue to remember Sue, Fred and Scott. I know you will continue to pray for Neil's lungs.

March 15 1:30 pm

We just visited Neil. He is having another restful day. He is responding well to the ventilator. setting with the change in the oxygen percentage of 70. His oxygen sat is 95-96. DeAnn said the doctor came by and they were not going to change anything today. She said the PEEP will not be changed until his oxygen sats are between 98-100. His blood pressure, pulse and other vitals are very good. We are so very encouraged. Thanks so very much for you love and support. Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs. Also, remember Sue and Scott. Have a grand Saturday.

March 15 10:20 am

We just visited Neil. The nurse did in fact verify Neil had a good night. His oxygen sat is 93. They have brought the oxygen percentage back down to 70 and I think his oxygen sat is reacting to the drop in oxygen percentage. We pray he will respond well to this setting. Neil's blood pressure continues to be good. I asked the nurse if they would try to bring the PEEP down today. She said she had not talked to the doctor yet this morning so she does not know the plan for the day. We are so encouraged to start a day like this. God is so good. Thank you all so very much for your love and prayers. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Also, please continue to pray and support the Andress family. Our other prayer request include Mrs. Sheldon, Sam, Fred, and Scott. (DeAnn is having a good visit with Neil this morning.) We continue to be blessed by visits from our minister and his wife.

March 15 9:35 am

Good Morning, I had not posted because I have limited information. I was just "scolded" and told little information was better than no information. I will remember this and "do better". When I called I was told that the night nurse told the day nurse Neil had a good night. We have heard his blood pressure is good and his pulse is good. We know nothing about Neil's blood sats. Will be able to give you more information in about 40 minutes. Thank you all for loving and praying for Neil. Hope you all have fun plans for today.

March 14 8:50 pm

Just visited Neil. My, my Neil has had a restful day. His oxygen sat is 97. The PEEP is at 35 and the oxygen percentage is still at 75. His blood pressure is very good. We are so very encouraged. You all may not remember but last Friday was a dark, dark day and it was at this visit we learned Neil had made a miraculous recovery by medical standards (we know this was a miracle). We are so very thankful for today. We so appreciate you all loving us and praying for Neil. By the way, I did see the picture Reese posted with us in the golf cart. I must say that made me smile. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Also please pray for Ms. Sue Sheldon and remember all our other friends here in the hospital. Hope you all have big plans for tomorrow. We sure do!!!!!!!!

March 14 5:50 pm

This picture was taken at DeAnn's cousin's wedding. A good time had by all. Yea

We just saw Neil. We are letting DeAnn finish the visit and give him afternoon "sugar". Neil's oxygen sat is 96. The PEEP is still at 35. You will remember this morning they tried to bring the PEEP down to 32, but Neil was not completely happy with this. The nurse moved the PEEP back to 35 and had to turn the oxygen percentage to 80. Neil responded well to this and the nurse has been able to bring the oxygen percentage down to 75. Neil started the day at 70% oxygen rate and the nurse said she will move it down later tonight or tomorrow. Neil's blood pressure has gone up a bit this afternoon. The nurse said they will not give medication to bring this down until it is in the 180s. I asked the nurse about the breath sounds. She said the upper lobes sound good which indicates the lungs are still inflated. She said the lower lobes have some "crackle". I asked her if "crackle" was better than "coarse". She said one was not better than the other, the sounds were just different. I am thinking Neil is having a boring day and I am loving it. Hope you all have fun plans for tonight. As you go about your evening please pray for Neil's lungs and the Andress family.

March 14 1:20 pm

Just visited with Neil. His oxygen sat is 96. This is on the ventilator setting of 35 PEEP and 70%oxygen. Neil's blood pressure seems to be stabilizing. It is now down to a normal reading. However, this did require some medication to assist with this. We are very encouraged and this does seem to be a "day of rest" for Neil. Thanks to each of you for your love and support. We simply could not have managed this without you. Please pray for Neil's lungs.

March 14 10:25 am

We just visited Neil. He had an "uneventful" night. Yea!!!!! His blood pressure is up and is getting medication for that. We still like this better than the low blood pressure. They brought the PEEP down to 32, but Neil did not respond as well as they wanted so they have moved it back to 35. Maybe this will be a good "day of rest" for Neil. We are so grateful to all of you helping us with our work tasks. DeAnn's firm, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc have been so cooperative and this means so much. ADRS is allowing Reese to work in Montgomery today. Their cooperation has been amazing in that this allows Reese to be with us some nights and she can visit Neil during her lunch break as this office is next door. Also, staff with First Financial, Elba General Hospital, Troy University and Alabama State Department of Human Resources have been so gracious to help us so we can be available to Neil. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Also remember Ms. Sue Sheldon. Thanks to all of you and God's blessings to you today.

March 14 9:15

When I called early, the nurse was still doing morning reports, but said he had heard Neil had a good night. Have just learned his oxygen sat is 93 which is very good. His blood pressure is up which we like much better than being down. We will be able to see him at 10. Please pray for Neil's lungs. Also, please pray for Sue Sheldon. Her daughters are here with us and are such a loving family. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday.

March 13 8:55

Just had a visit with Neil. Well he is now off the medication to bring his blood pressure up. Instead of low, his blood pressure is now very high. My goodness, Neil goes from one extreme to the other. The nurse seems to think this has a lot to do with the fluid shifting with the albutrin(?) and lasix. Neil continues to respond to the ventilator setting. The nurse said he feels like Neil will remain on the bi-level setting through the weekend. We had been told basically the same thing earlier. We think this was a manageable day. Hope tomorrow brings lots of good news. Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs.

SOOOO....shhhh Mom isn't around and I thought you all needed another picture of Neil! Hope you enjoy!! This is of Mom and Neil last summer at the Mix Scramble in Elba. Mom always plays with Neil and I always play with Dad...we have SO much fun as you can tell!!!

March 13 5:55pm

We just visited Neil. Doggone it, his blood pressure is down again. The nurse has started the medication to help bring the blood pressure back up. He is only on 1 milligram right now. The nurse did say he anticipates it might take a bit more medication to assist the blood The perplexing thing is Neil's heart rate is down. Typically, when blood pressure goes down, the heart rate goes up. Neil's oxygen sat is at 96. It had dropped but recovered nicely. The nurse is wondering if this is the beginning of an infection. He has sent the tip of a catheter down to the lab to culture. I asked about a temperature. Neil does not have a temperature now. The nurse said usually a temperature would follow these other symptoms. Again, we are so pleased Neil continues to respond to this ventilator setting. Maybe this is one of those baby steps backward. I cannot wait to see the two steps forward. Please pray for Neil' s lungs if you have a minute. Thanks so much to each of you,

March 13 2:55 pm

The nurse just came out. Neil's blood pressure has bounced back, way back. He came from 75 all the way to 160. They have told us it is very common for a young trauma patient to have an erratic blood pressure. I think Neil is taking this to extremes!!!! We are relieved and so appreciate your prayers. On a side note, they did an EKG and his heart continues to be great. (I always knew he had a good heart.) Neil is getting another unit of blood. This is the second one today and this brings the total units of blood to 15. We cannot wait to see Neil again this afternoon. Please continue to pray for Neil's lungs.

March 13 1:30

We just visited with Neil. He is still responding to the ventilator setting at 35 PEEP and 70% oxygen percentage. His oxygen saturation is at 95. Doggone it, his blood pressure is down. Neil is now getting more fluid which should help this. Just to be on the safe side, they are stepping up several tests to be sure about what might be causing this. For the last several days, his blood pressure was up and you will remember he has a patch to bring the blood pressure down. So if you have a minute, please pray for Neil's lungs and pray his blood pressure will come up a bit. Thanks so much to all of you

March 13 10:15 am

We just saw Neil. Also, we were able to talk to the doctor's physician assistant. The plan for Neil today is a "day of rest". She said they pushed Neil very hard yesterday bringing the ventilator setting down to 35 PEEP and 70% oxygen. His oxygen sat is 93 and that is a good number considering the change in the ventilator setting. Neil will continue to get lasix today to help with the fluid retention. His blood gases were not as "marvelous" as yesterday but still acceptable. The antibiotics will finish in a bit. The nurse will watch Neil and will get busy if he has a temperature of 101.5 or more. We pray for a boring day and good day of rest for Neil. .The physician's assistant "grounded" us again today. She reminded us there was no one else is SICU on this ventilator setting and that Neil continues to be very sick. I did ask her if she thought Neil was at least able to see the corner down the road. She indicated maybe. Thanks to all of you for participating in the miracles that continue to bless Neil's recovery. Please pray for Neil's lungs and the Andress family. Great Thursday to all.