Sunday, June 29, 2008

The physical therapy update for today comes from Mary Brooke.
"Papa walked with a cane today. He also had muscle stretching exercises which he doesn't like. He also did muscle strengthing lessons. I told him he did a good job!" I have a feeling Don loved Mary's praise. He also had Dale, his brother, and his wife Lynn as visitors this weekend. The ultimate surprise was a real meal - fried chicken, mashed potatoes, lemonade and even ice cream. A Sunday picnic for the Eaton/Rice family.

Another week of hard work is ahead. Don sounded excited about his progress and Don Walter assured him we could hook him up with some really snazzy cane.
kjw

Saturday, June 28, 2008 4 WEEKS

It is almost unbelieveable that is has been 4 weeks and what a roller coaster ride it has been.

Here is a glance at Don's week from Britney.

Occupatonal therapy: Dad got to enjoy getting in the shower this week. He loved that! He has mastered shaving, teethbrushing, and combing his hair. The therapist is working on his right arm as well as dexterity of his left. He gave us some games that work on cognition and also left hand dexterity. One of them is called High-Q, it is similar to checkers but is played by one person and with small pegs. First, Gary had him put the pegs on the board. Dad arranged them in the shape of the Greek cross, the board is kind of shaped that way. Gary said that was good. He did well at that game. Dad and I also played war with the deck of cards. He did that one without really having to think so cognitively he is doing very well. Gary left the deck of cards and High-Q for us to play this weekend. At this point, his left hand ( and he is right handed) will be his writing, and other fine motor dominant hand.

Physical therapy:

Dad is doing very well in physical therapy. Every time he walks the bars he gets faster, and also is less tired afterwards. Today he walked the parallel bars three times, very quickly, no panting afterwards. So, they decided to get out the cane. He used the cane while walking inside the parallel bars. He is doing very well. They still manipulate his right leg for him but it is getting stronger. Next week he will transition from the parallel bars to the cane. Also they will have him use the seated step machine.

As far as reading cognition, Dad is doing really well. They keep advancing him to the next level. Also, we have been getting out of his room more. Yesterday we went for a walk around the hospital. We looked around the chapel. I am going to get a Nazarene hymnal because there is a piano on his floor and I thought we could sing some songs he knows.
Today we went down to the cafeteria and had a cup of the good coffee and looked out the window at people. It was fun. It’s good for him to get out of the room, he likes it. He also likes to watch Wheel of Fortune during dinner.

The last 2 weeks have shown amazing improvement and every day he is getting stronger and relearns more things.

kjw

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Doctors have decided that Don is not a good candidate for the filter device, but there are still blood clots in his lungs and in his flaccid leg. They are using IV blood thinners and Cumadin to take care of that. The scan of his left leg showed no clots and his echocardiogram showed his heart is in great condition.

We continually hear about how phenomenal his progess has been and we are trusting God for that to continue. Thanks so very much for all the prayers.

Thanks also to Ed Runyon and Dan for stretching the carpets at the Eaton home to make sure there are no wrinkles for Don to worry about. And they also cleaned them. THEY LOOK FABULOUS!! Words cannot express how much this means to the family.
kjw

Wednesday evening, June 25, 2008

PRAYERS REQUEST
This morning Barbara, Don and Britney got a wonderful report from the rehab team at St. Luke's. Don is making steady progress and gaining strengh and endurance every day. HOWEVER, this afternoon a test was done and they found blood clots in his lungs one of them being quite large. They are discussing a procedure that might help, but please pray these clots pass without harm. God has worked great miracles in Don's life in the last 2 weeks and this is another hurdle.
Thank you so much for all your prayers.
kjw

Tuesday Evening June 24, 2008

Don is impressing everyone with his strength as he improves moving from his bed to a wheelchair to go to therapy. Each day brings greater strength and of course more expectations. Barbara said he is enjoying the cards and comments and is reading them HIMSELF!

Pastor Dennis Apple made us aware of a book, "My Stroke of Insight", by Jill Bolte-Taylor. Barbara and Britney are reading it. It is written by a lady who had a stroke in her early 20's and what it is like in the mind of a stroke victim. The author lists some things that she found helpful. I am going to try to put some in the blog from time to time that would apply to those near and far.

1. Honor the healing power of sleep.

2. Stay in touch. If you have a picture to send that would remind me about you please do that. Please write a message on the back of who you are and how we know each other. ( I hadn't thought about the pictures but what a great idea!)

3. Create a healing team for me. Send the word out to everyone about how I am doing so they can send prayers and words of encouragement. WOW!! we got that one right!!!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Don made it back to the 8th floor today. That means hours of therapy both morning and afternoon. Keep up the work Don we are still praying for you. I was with Barbara today when the mail came and she was so very excited about the cards that came. She says Don really enjoys hearing from everyone. She also prints out the blog and comments for him to read. After reading a comment by John and Rhonda, I imagine that they will be working on a name for the new horse. Thanks to John and Rhonda for spoiling Don's horses.
I don't think we have mentioned that there has been another answer to prayer. Josh got his transfer and will be moving back to Olathe when they hire his replacement and he has some training time. It has been very hard on Josh to be far away during this time. We are rejoicing that he will be here in the not too distant future.

kjw

Sunday June 22, 2008

Don enjoyed visits this weekend from his mother Mary, brother Dale and sister-in-law Lyn. They were amazed of course at his progress. Dale has been assisting Britney with Don's speech therapy for the weekend - those vocalists know about those things. Don walked the parallel bars 3 times today with assistance with his right leg. This is such hard work and exhausting. The therapists are impressed with his strength and determination. Dale and Mary will be returning to western Kansas for harvest. Don is usually a part of that - next year he'll be ready.

The highlight of his day was a visit from Britney's 3 little ones. Their Papa is very special to them and they are great medicine for him.

Thanks so very much to the Hillcrest church where Britney is Minister of Music. Their daycare director Shelly has offered to keep Mary, Matthew and Max ,Don's grandchildren, during the summer so Britney can spend as much time as possible with Don. There has been an amazing outpouring of love and care for the family and Don. They are so very grateful! The lawn is getting mowed, laundry done, and many volunteers willing to assist at every turn. Thanks to all who have offered their help in areas that are their specialties. God has blessed Don and Barbara with wonderful friends and family.
kjw

Saturday, June 21, 2008 3 WEEKS

Don's brother Dale and his mother Mary came for the weekend. What a difference they see since they left a little over a week ago. The family feels so very blest by all the notes and cards of concern of commitment to prayer on their behalf. What a wonderful testimony to God's miraculous healing touch is being lived out daily in Don. Thanks be to God for his love and care.
kjw

Friday PM June 20, 2008

The roller coaster ride continues. Since Don has to be fever free for more than 24 hours, he remains on the first floor till Monday - you know hospitals and the weekend. There is conflicting information about possible arterial bypass surgery but for now that is on hold. He practiced walking and is doing great with his speech exercises. He watched a movie today and had a cup of coffee. Oh, how he loves that coffee. He did get moved to a private room and that will help him rest. Let's just say there were some noise issues with his roommate!
Please continue to pray for steady progress with his therapy and guidance for the team that is working with him to maximize his recovery.
kjw

Friday AM June 20, 2008

Don's fever broke during the night so he is able to do physical therapy but is still a patient of the hospital on the 4th floor not the rehab center. They will work on finding the cause for the fever so they can use appropriate antibiotic and save the SUPER type for emergencies.
kjw

Late Thursday Night

Mom just called me from the hospital. A new neurologist came in to see Dad tonight. He said that they may consider doing a surgery to bypass the dissected carotid artery. (This is slightly frustrating because we have asked many times why they didn’t want to do a bypass of the artery). However, before they decide they will do a test to see how much blood flow is getting to Dad’s brain and how much of the brain tissue is actually damaged. I hope that if they do this surgery, it will help with his rehabilitation. That’s all I know for now, there are still many questions.

BR

Thursday Evening, June 19, 2008

Hello!

Dad’s doing really well. He is still working on the same things in physical therapy. He needs to master shifting his weight so that he can walk effectively. She also did some exercises laying down today to see how the right leg would respond without weight on it. She felt some muscle contractions in his hamstring. Speech therapy is also going well. He is doing the exercise for muscles in the articulators very well. He fed himself lunch and dinner; I only take over when he gets too tired. They are working him VERY hard in rehab. He comes back to the room exhausted every time.

Good News and Bad News

Dad had another video swallow test done today. Good news: he passed. He can now drink thin liquids again. I told him I would bring him Starbucks tomorrow. Bad news: while he was there, he got a fever of 103. They had to move him back down to the 1st floor (re-admit him to the hospital). He can’t go back up to his room in the rehab unit until his fever is down. They think it is some kind of infection. They are testing his blood to figure out why. Plus, he now has a roommate and a very small room. The eighth floor rooms are much nicer. So I am hoping he can go back up soon.

Britney

Thursday Afternoon, June 19 2008

Kathy asked me to post a quick update this afternoon as she is unable to access a computer.

Don started running a fever this afternoon and has been moved back to the Brain and Stroke Center. Please pray that they will be able to find the cause and get his fever down quickly so he can return to the rehab floor.

That's all for now. Kathy will post more when she is able.
Amanda

Thursday June 19, 2008

Don is working hard and his muscles on his left side are sore from doing all the work for his body. Please pray for steady, continued progress and good nights rest for Don ( also rest for Barbara). His humor is definately intact and according to the nurses his snoring is superb!!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Don continues his very rigorous days of therapy which of course are exhausting. His hearty appetite is back and he has mastered eating by himself. He is also doing great at dressing and moving from his bed to a wheelchair. Every day brings new challenges but as we know, Don works hard and he is making great gains!
kjw

Update for 6/16/08

When I got to the hospital this morning Dad had already eaten his breakfast. He ate it by himself. Gordon, his PCT, cut it up for him, and he fed himself. He ate it all by the way. He also ate his supper by himself.

Today we had physical therapy (twice), occupational therapy (twice), and speech therapy (twice). Dad’s physical therapy sessions are exhausting to him. They say he will get used to it. He worked on walking, standing, shifting weight, transfer from wheelchair to bed and back, etc. He also did some shoulder exercises.

The speech therapist today said she thinks Dad may have apraxia. Originally they thought he had aphasia. He could have a combination of both (hopefully not), but his therapist said treatment for both conditions is the same. Apraxia is when the patient knows the word he wants to say but his mouth/articulators can’t form the sounds. Aphasia is when the patient cannot think of the word…

Overall he had a good day today. The nurses and technicians on the eighth floor are really great, they are very helpful.

Dad will be spending most of his weekdays doing some type of therapy, eating, or resting for the next therapy session. The best times to visit him are in the evenings. Weekends are also okay because there are less therapy sessions

Britney

Sunday, June 15, 2008 Father's Day

Don and I went to see Don E. this evening and his humor is intact. Of course, those 2 have inside jokes and 2 or 3 words and they each know "the rest of the story". Don Walter told Don Eaton that the doctors were going to have to write new chapters in their literature all about his amazing recovery.

The following is Britney's daily update:

Hello family and friends!
Last night Mary got to spend the night with Mimi and Papa. Dad was really excited to see her. She had a great time. She got to feed him breakfast this morning. She also has a new student—one that, as she says, can’t run away from her like her brothers. She worked with Dad on writing and saying his speech therapy homework.

When I got there after church they were eating lunch. He ate a lot of his lunch. I brought him pie for father’s day. His favorite—strawberry rhubarb and also chocolate cream. He preferred the chocolate, I think the rhubarb was too tart for his mouth right now.

After lunch, Mom and Mary went home. Dad was settling in for a nap when therapy came for him. We went down to the gym and he worked for about 40 minutes. They had him standing (over and over), shifting his weight from leg to leg, and more practice walking. The therapist said that standing and shifting help to wake up the muscles in his right leg.

Then we went back to his ‘suite’. He took a nap. I put out a sign for no visitors and turned the phone off because he was extremely tired. The therapy had exhausted him. He slept for 2 ½ hours. Tomorrow they will start him on a stimulant drug, provital, to help maximize his therapy. He will need to rest between therapy sessions and take lots of naps in the afternoon so that his brain has the time it needs to heal and provide new connections.

After his nap I worked with him on speech therapy again. I talked to him about the importance of trying to talk whenever he can, even if we don’t understand yet. The more often he tries to talk the better his recovery results will be. We also worked on writing again. Then I gave him dinner. He had every bite of: manicotti, beets, & mango.

They took out his catheter today. So we will be working on independence in that area. I think it does him a lot of good to see Mary so she will be spending the night again soon. She really enjoyed it and she gets good results from working with him. He probably tries a little harder for her.

Britney

Saturday Night PS

As is the custom on many Saturday nights, Mary Brooke is spending the night with Don and Barbara but at St. Luke's this time. He was thrilled to see her and have her spend the night. It won't be long before they can go for doughnuts together on Sunday morning. Although his voice is weak, there are some words that are coming through and easily understood. The phone calls from his grandchildren are encouraging him and prompting him to respond with his usual Grandpa phrases.
There's a slumber party in the "Eaton suite".
kjw

Saturday, June 14, 2008 Don's Day

It hardly seems possible that it has only be 2 weeks ago that Don had his first stroke - somehow it seems like months.

Britney is updating for us now as she is with him all day and witness to the amazing progress Don is making.

Please enjoy her thoughts about the day:

When I got there this morning, mom was feeding him breakfast. Good news! His appetite is back. He ate all his eggs, cream of wheat, sausage & gravy, almost three thickened juices and his ‘magic cup’ of fortified chocolate ice cream. Every bit!

Then later, the occupational and physical therapists had sessions with him. They said he was in good shape for rehabilitation. The occupational therapist felt some muscle contraction in the arm and hip. The normal way that patients proceed is to start using the leg first then the arm. For the arm, he will have more movement in his shoulder first, and then eventually wrist and finger movement. The physical therapist said he was doing well. He tried to talk to her a little bit. She said it was good to try to ‘force’ talking as much as possible. So, when we are there we should ask him to use his vocal chords. Also, since dad likes to talk on the phone, we should call him and let him exercise his vocal chords. Last night, he talked to me and Mary on the phone. Paul Wilson was there with him, and he told me that he and Chel distinctly heard Dad tell Mary “I love you”. The physical therapist made an appointment for him to work out in the rehab gym that afternoon.

We also did our speech therapy homework twice this morning.

Then Dad got three visitors at 11:15, so I decided to get a bite to eat so I could be back to help him eat lunch. I told this to the nurses. However, when I returned, his food tray was on the table in front of him, and guess what? He had picked up his bowl of applesauce and was ‘drinking it’. I laughed; it really took me by surprise. At lunch I loaded his spoon sometimes and he fed himself. He gets tired of that after awhile and so I take over. For lunch he had most of his chopped roast beef in gravy and mashed potatoes, all of his pudding and applesauce, some thickened liquids, and all of his vanilla ‘magic cup’.

Then after lunch we waited, waited and waited for them to move him up to his room on the 8th floor. We packed his things and then waited some more. It took longer because they had to discharge Dad from the hospital and then admit him again to the rehab unit. (?). So finally I moved his things up and they said they were coming to pick him up for the gym. This took a lot longer than it sounds, but eventually they did come to get him (in a wheelchair), and we went to the rehab gym. Here’s the really good part: they had Dad practice standing. He stood up very straight and looked very balanced. Then they had him walk. He moved his left leg and the therapist moved his right leg. He walked about three feet. I was very proud of him. Also, when the therapist asked him if it hurt he said “A little bit”. I was standing too far away to hear him (his voice is still weak), but she heard him and he repeated it several times. The therapist thinks he will do really well in rehab. After we got back to the new room and answered a lot of questions, he lay down and fell fast asleep. The therapist said he would be really worn out. I left at 4:30.

A couple of other things--his new room on the eighth floor is room 8436. It is much bigger than his last room and there are four extra chairs. This is also where we will have his group meetings once a week to discuss his progress with all of his therapists and the therapy doctor. He also has his own phone number; it is 816-932-3043. In the rehab unit he will have physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy in the morning, then lunch, then all three therapies again. It is important to his progress that he rests between therapy sessions. The best time to visit him will probably be in the evening.

More tomorrow!
Britney

Friday Evening , June 13, 2008

Don had speech therapy twice today and sat in a chair for 2 hours. Since the weekend is coming up, Don has homework which includes chewing gum. He is also going to be working on writing with his left hand which would be a stretch for any of us right-handed folks. He liked his dinner much better than his lunch (lunch - fish and rice, dinner - beef in gravy and potatoes).

We truly know he is on the mend - he can change the channels for the TV ON HIS OWN! Don is back at the controls!

His nurse today told Britney that doctors have come by who have worked with Don previously in the ICU and are amazed by his condition. They are saying "he is an inspiration to them".
Hopefully tomorrow he will be on the 8th floor wearing real clothes and having LOTS of physical therapy.
Keep those comments and cards coming. He really enjoys them. Those words of encouragement will help in the days ahead.
kjw

Friday, June 13, 2008 update

Well today continues to be a day of MIRACLES. It turns out that Don ate enough by mouth last night that he didn't need supplemental feeding. This morning he sat up a chair for over 30 minutes. He was also able to write most of his name with a pencil. They are looking at moving him to the rehabilitation floor tomorrow to start working out in a gym in real clothes! We can't wait to post those pictures. The hope is that he will be home in 2-4 weeks. Thanks be to God for all the miracles for Don. Please continue to pray as the weeks ahead will include lots of hard work. Please also pray for the many families that we met in the waiting rooms whose loved ones are still critical.
kjw

Thursday Evening , June 12, 2008

This afternoon Don was taken off his IV's and they are using the stomach peg for medication. They are talking about moving him to the rehabilitation floor as early as tomorrow. Don passed the swallow test today, so they have approved him for solid foods and nectar-consistency liquids. Britney fed him his first meal today at 5:00. He hasn't had ANY food or liquid since May 31st. Tonight he had baked potato, ground pork in gravy, pears a roll and CHOCOLATE CAKE! He certainly was not as excited as we thought he might be about eating.

There were times today when he looked sad when he couldn't do something. This will be difficult as he is always taking care of others as you well know. We will pray for him to not give up during the recovery time. This evening he also made sounds for the first time trying to talk to Britney on the phone.

From Britney- "Thanks for all your prayers, they have made all the difference. It's amazing to think that we have gone from talking about funeral arrangements on Tuesday, to eating chocolate cake on Thursday!"

Certainly we serve a God of miracles. We will update the blog daily and as major events in Don's recovery occur.
kjw

Praise the Lord!

What an awesome God we serve! Just wanted to share with you something that gave me goose bumps. My understanding is that they gave you Don, a drug called Mannitol. When viewing this on Wikipedia it says, "It was originally isolated from the secretions of the Flowering Ash, called Manna after their resemblance to the Biblical food, and may also be referred to as Mannite and Manna Sugar."

WOW!! Just like "Manna from Heaven"! Love you bunches, my dear cousin. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!


Sandi Hevalow

Thursday Am June 12, 2008

MIRACLE TIME AGAIN.

I just heard from Briney and Barbara and the doctors and therapist have been in to see Don this morning and here is the GREAT news. The new CT scan this AM showed significant reduction in brain swelling and no bleeding. At this time, they expect nothing but improvement - Thanks be to God. His reading comprehension matching pictures to words was excellent. Don was also able to chew and swallow ice this morning. Later today they will do a more extensive swallow test to see if he can handle pudding etc. He was able to sit up on the side of the bed. He will need to work on balance. They are working on getting him off IV's so that he can move to another floor have more aggressive therapy soon. Praise the Lord He is hearing and answering our prayers. Keep praying.
kjw

Wednesday afternoon June 11, 2008

WELL, I had to see for myself - sorry God, but he looks great - a little thinner and still thinks Don Walter is funny - but resting peacefully and waking when people come and go. He tried really hard to laugh and I think he surprised himself. The doctors said they have NEVER seen anything like this and they are continually amazed. There will be a new CT scan tomorrow. Thanks so very much for the cards, words of concern, visits, posts on the blog. They all mean so very much to Don and the family. Don enjoyed hearing the cards read to him today so keep those words of encouragment coming and of course the prayers for MORE miracles every day. We have also be able to pray with other families in the waiting room. It is not a happy place. We visit in the halls and elevators and I assure them we would continue to pray for them and their loved ones even though Don is no longer in ICU. His progress, the witness of people praying together have a great testimony to those around him. God is already using this for good.
kjw

Wednesday Update

Britney talked with the neurologist and they say Don is NOT out of the woods but suprisingly better. He is alert and we are thanking God for His touch on Don and pray he continues to improve.
kjw

Wednesday AM

More information to follow, but Barbara emailed that Don has been moved to the Stroke and Brain center on the first floor.
kjw

Tuesday PM

What a day this has been. It has been quite a roller coaster ride for everyone. Barbara said they were not able to waken him all night and then again this AM. The Dr. ordered another CT scan and found more swelling in the brain . There were several very grim hours. Late monring, they gave him the "silver bullet" shot they can only use 100% effectively one time. They called in the Dr. to help with family deal with their loss. About 5:30 Don woke up - bright eyed looking around at people with that new smile gripping hands following people moving around. Everyone was amazed. He rested for a while and then again woke up alert family telling him they would see him tomorrow and that smile and firm hand grasp. About 8:30 it happened again. Barbara's mother was holding his hand and telling him goodnight when a friend remarked hey what about shaking my hand - he let go of Barbara's mothers hand and shook the friends hand!! Thanks be to God for these moments of rejoicing today. God is still working and we still need a miracle. Keep praying and believing.
kjw

Tuesday AFTERNOON

The doctors have done all they can. Barbara says she believes that God can intervene and will believe that until his last breath. Please continue to believe and pray with us.
kjw

Tuesday AM

It appears that Don's brain is not responding to the steriods to reduce swelling and there is now spreading of the stroke. The family is with him and counting on the prayers of all of us.
kjw

Tuesday AM

Some concern this AM will keep you posted. Another time to call on God for another miracle.
kjw

Monday UPDATE

Don made it through the procedure with flying colors!! Thanks be to God! The feeding tube was put in place with no complications -one more miracle. Thank you for your continued prayers.
kjw

Monday, June 9, 2008 AM

The doctors met with Barbara this AM and talked about putting the feeding tube in Don's stomach this morning. Everything they do right now is a risky thing. They have scheduled it for 9:00 - 1 hour from now. Please pray for Don to be able to make it through this process without further complications. This process will make it possible for him to be fed and get the tube out of his nose which will be great. Further updates later.
kjw

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Today was a day of rest. Don was very tired today after a week of much trauma and excitement. They moved him to another NICU room farther away from the nurses station as he is showing improvement. Tomorrow will be one week from the second stroke which is GREAT!!We still continue to see his new smile, shoulder shrug, head nods oh and yes there is that hearty hand squeeze. His brother Dan came today and Josh had to return to Portland at least for the time being. We are praying that he is able to transfer here to help the family. Tomorrow will bring new tests and evaluations as he continues to make progress. Another day of the miracle. Thanks be to God for all He is doing in Don's life.
kjw

ONE WEEK - Saturday Night, June 7, 2008

Don worked very hard trying to impress everyone with his ability to communicate. His personality is shining through. Those eyebrows, new smile and eyes are speaking volumes. By the way - have you ever shaken hands with Don? What a grip. It is the weekend so no major things taking place - just slow steady progress.
God bless you and keep you this night Don. We all love you and pray for you continually. We are on the journey with you.
kjw

Saturday afternoon

I just spoke with Britney and Don has been awake and alert much more today. The CT showed no change - the brain swelling has not lessened but it has not increased - another miracle. The Dr. was cautiously optimistic that she thought the swelling would NOT increase . He is resting peacefully.

So many of you have emailed and called wanting to know what you can do. The address is below so you can send cards that Barbara and the kids can read to him Don and Many have also asked about gift cards for gas and food. My suggestion is a generic visa, mastercard or American express card they can use anywhere. He can't have flowers and taking food to the house would be of little use as they are not there.

Don and Barbara Eaton
1003 S Lennox Drive
Olathe, Kansas 66062
kjw

Saturday , June 7, 2008 AM

I just spoke with Barbara and Don had a good night. He did not have a fever which he has had most evenings. There were also a few times that he woke up without encouragement - you know like shaking and poking . She also said that she observed him moving his right arm toward his body on the bed. At first she thought she imagined it and then the nurses saw him do it too!! Another miracle. Keep those prayers coming. They did another CT scan this morning around 6:00 and the family will know the results later today.
kjw

Friday night terrific news!!

Today was much better. Dad slept very soundly for most of the day. He woke up and was very alert three times.

A different neurologist’s shift began today and she was much easier to deal with. They also started him on a steroid drip to reduce the swelling. I asked for this yesterday and was told that it would do no good. Evidently, it won’t do him any harm either.

I wanted to share with you something that happened at about 5:30 today. Dad woke up. Both of his eyes were wide open and he spent about 20 minutes interacting with us. When we said something funny he did that wonderful half-smile of his. As we were talking with him we decided to try the communication book they gave us. It is about three sheets of heavy plastic that prompt the patient to point at things to communicate. So, for instance, there is an “I Feel” page and the options are things like scared, angry, happy etc. There is an “I Want” page with things like family, food, TV, there is also a “Yes and No” page. Anyhow, we showed it to dad. He looked at all of the options, then I read it to him (it looked to me like he was already reading them—but..) He looked at the whole page and then reached up with his left hand and turned it to the next page. He read that page, and I read it to him, then he reached up and turned that page. We continued this until we came back to the “I Want” page. He pointed to “I Want” then dragged his finger over to “wife”.

We were so happy. We also showed him a picture of Mary Brooke and asked him “Do you know her?” and he pointed to yes, and smiled. He loved staring at the kids’ pictures whenever he was awake this afternoon. He also smiled a lot, that new smile of his, that I love so much.

We are not by any means out of the danger zone. But this day was such an encouragement to me. I got to tell my dad, with his eyes open and clear, how much I love him and how proud I am of him. I also told him that he was doing “so good.” But I quickly amended that with “so well”. And he smiled.

They also had a time of prayer for Dad at Weatherby Chapel at MNU today.

Britney Rice

Friday, June 8, 2008 afternoon

Don has a new doctor today and she said there is no change. That is our miracle today. She is also trying a new medication. Mary Brooke made a magical visit today. He loves those grandbabies. Don also sat up today and had some physical sessions. The family wishes to thank everyone for their prayers and words of encouragement.
kjw

ThursdayLate evening, June 5, 2008

It has been a very mixed day. Most of the day the family felt like he was doing quite well. However, the CT scan showed otherwise. He is running a fever again this evening and sleeping very soundly. The Drs. have worked their earthly miracle and now we rely on our Heavenly Father to do His. The family's faith remains strong and they are counting on the prayers of those who know and love Don.
Barbara and Josh are spending the night again. May the light of day bring good news and the miracle touch of God on Don's body.
kjw

Comments

Feel free to leave messages for the family. They love reading your messages and Don will enjoy them in the future. I know it is hard to reach them because they are either with Don or home resting. Also, cell phones are not allowed in the area where Don is and it is not possible to return all the phone calls they receive. They are reading the blog and your words of encouragement are much appreciated. Also, during the hours of 6:30-8:30 AM and PM they are not allowed to be with Don while he is in NICU. I know for sure that they are trying to grab some sleep during the AM time and getting dinner during the evening time. If you want to stop by the hospital, there is a phone outside the unit and you can call and have a family member notified that you are there if there is noone in the waiting room.

Wednesday night June 4, 2008

It was a wonderful time of prayer in Don's room and we could feel your prayers too. Don's breathing relaxed and he seemed to feel the presence of God as Dan prayed for him. After the prayer he opened his eyes and when handed his glasses adjusted them and looked around at all of us. He turned as different ones spoke to him and seemed more relaxed than he had all day. We are truly believing a miracle is already at work in Don's body. He looks great and seemed to enjoy the fact that everyone was there to pray for him. We are encouraged.
Thank you so much for all the prayers.
Barbara and Josh are spending the night again. Britney- Don's daughter, Mary - Don's mother, Dale- Don's brother and Lynn - Dale's wife take the day shifts. Other relatives and friends lend support in the waiting room from time to time.

Please continue to pray for wisdom for the Doctors and nurses as they care for our dear friend and of course continue to pray about the brain swelling.
Our God is a God of miracles.
kjw

Wednesday afternoon

This evening at 8:30 Dr. Dan Vanderpool is going to anoint Don. Let's all join in prayer at that time.
kjw

Wednesday AM June 4, 2008

I spoke to Barbara this morning and she said Don had a rough night. The feeding tube needed to be removed and a new one put in. I am so sure he was happy about that. He was also running a fever. The CT scan showed the stroke on Monday was much worse than the one on Saturday night.

Here is the pray need for today and the next 3-5 days. It is imperative that the brain swelling be minimal . The Dr. explained to the family that because Don is so young, he does not have as much room for swelling to occur as an elderly person would have. The consequences would be devastating. Please pray for his brain to have minimal swelling during the next few days.
kjw

Tuesday Evening June 3, 2008

I sp0ke with Britney this evening and here is an update. Don had a much better day - not having surgery will do that for you. He had several tests run one of them being a swallow test which he failed. Therefore, he has a feeding tube which is such a joy and he is so very thrilled to have. Another test was a CT scan for which they will find out the results tomorrow. We are praying for the best possible senario. Hopefully minimal damage and swelling of the brain. This will help determine the aggressiveness of the therapy which actually began today. He will have therapy 3 times a day and hopefully be out of ICU by the beginning of next week.

The best part of the day was a visit from not so little Mary his darling grand-daughter - the apple of his eye. It was determined that a good dose of Mary every day will be needed for a speedy recovery.

The Dr. was more positive today stating that Don's age (54 - that is young you know) and his overall good health will greatly help him in his recovery. The next 3-5 days are still critical - no more clots being passed and no more strokes. The family is so very thankful for all the friends and family who have come to hang out in the lobby and check in with the family when they take breaks. Keep those prayers coming.
kjw

Believers around the world are praying for Don. God is a God of miracles and we are believing that we will see one happen with Don. The Generals for the Church of the Nazarene are spreading the word and prayers are being prayed wherever they are meeting. Thanks be to God for the prayers and faith of believers.
kjw

Tuesday morning

Barbara says that Don was restless last night. I understand that is common for stroke patients as they are assessed every hour. I am sure he is glad to have Josh home. My prayer for today is that he can rest and stablize. One day not too far in the future we will all celebrate his miracle.
Thanks to all for your prayers, calls and emails.
kjw

June 3, 2008

It is 1:20 AM and Josh arrived safely and is spending the night at the hospital with Barbara and Don. Don was resting.

Don Eaton Monday June 2, 2008

The day started with Don having been moved to St. Luke's hospital in Kansas City, MO. Several specialists were reviewing his condition. It appeared he was not progressing, and perhaps was suffering some additional impact from the clot. It was determined to try a procedure using a "wire" to go into his artery via his leg. The physicians worked for over two hours trying to unblock the artery and restore some level of blood flow through the blockage.

Unfortunately, they were not able to make progress. The physician who performed the procedure indicated it had been their desire to "jump start" his natural healing process, but since they had not been successful the healing process which had already started would continue, though at a slower pace.

Don's wife, daughter and mother are with him, as well as other immediate family. Joshua arrives later tonight from Portland. Since Don's condition is requiring he rest the number of visitors is being limited.

Our good friend who has carried so many loads for others now needs us to come alongside him. Even as his challenges seemed to compound he has never been one to complain, criticize, or "return evil for evil." If ever there were a man who exemplified grace, it is Don Eaton. It is not hard to pray and have faith for someone like him!

Pray for a miracle. Pray for courage and strength for the family. Pray that those who are overseeing his care will have unusual grace and wisdom from Christ Himself.

And now may the presence of Christ be with us all. In spite of the questions and disappointment, and through the darkness of discouraging events may we know that the Lord of Don's life has not left Don's side, nor has He forgotten us.

dlw