ANOTHER bump up

10:45am

Taylor has done it again. After only a few days on the more thickened food, he's been bumped up to "mechanical soft" consistency. This is the last stop before just plain old regular food. More importantly, it's one less roadblock to the feeding tube coming out.

The therapists have to keep revising his plan since he's been progressing so quickly. The speech therapist, that oversees his ability to eat and determines changes in his diet, is giddy over his progress.

Yesterday, he walked .9 mile - non-stop- at 1.8mph. This, the day after he had 4 ingrown toenails surgically removed. If the therapists ask him to walk 25 minutes, he asks if he can do 30.

Taylor is reconsidering the 2 goals he wants to meet before leaving where he is now and moving home to continue in out-patient rehab. He's always said he wants to be able to walk on his own, and to eat regular food before he leaves. He's now thinking about leaving once he can eat and is off the feeding tube, then continue on his walking in out-patient.

But, if he continues what we've seen happening in the past couple of weeks, it looks like he'll be walking on his own much sooner than anyone thought.

Yesterday and last evening five of Taylor's buddies came down to visit. Three of them had not seen him since he was so heavily medicated, and had not seen him walk or been able to talk to him. One said "That's the old Taylor in there". It IS the old Taylor in there. He is 100% him. He is the life of the party - no wonder he has such a big network of friends. I think he was the 1 man Entertainment Committee.

Occasionally, justice prevails

....but first, this

5:20pm

At about noon, I got a call from a woman who said Lauren had been in a car crash and told me where she was, about 10 blocks from home. She said Lauren was OK, just very upset.

Lauren was driving a truck owned by the company she's working for, headed to pick up lunch. The other driver ran a stop sign just as Lauren entered the intersection, too fast for Lauren to brake. She "T-boned" the other vehicle, but fortunately no one was in the passenger seat of the other car.

Everyone was ok. The other driver was cited. The cars have about $15,000 collective damage.

I think we may all start riding bicycles.


11:05am

In March, when Taylor was having a rough time in the hospital, Lauren and her mother were enroute back to the hospital to see him after going home to shower and change clothes. While stopped at a traffic light in Bartow, Lauren finished her makeup. The light changed, and she headed north as her mother moved the makeup and container to her side of the car.

A Bartow police officer stopped her and said putting on makeup was unlawful. He wrote "putting on makeup" on the Careless Driving citation.

Had he been telling the truth, we would have paid the ticket. He wasn't. She was not driving, she was stopped at a light. So, we set the case for a trial and Attorney Richard Mars represented her. Lauren worked for him during the school year, and he is a Client of mine. He is considered THE criminal defense attorney in the county. I felt a little sorry for the officer, considering Mars has been practicing law twice as long as the officer has been alive.

Since the citation, the officer apparently learned there was nothing unlawful about applying makup - or doing anything else - while stopped at a light. So, at trial he came up with a phantom vehicle that he claims Lauren almost rear-ended. Oddly, he admitted to Lauren's attorney that she was the first car in line at the traffic light. That begged the question "WHERE IS THE CAR SHE ALMOST REAR-ENDED if she was the first car to stop at the light?". He did a lot of studdering and stammering. It was embarassing. More importantly, he chose to say things at trial that simply were not true.

The strangest moment was when he viewed photographs I had taken of Suzie's van, showing that the window tint on the rear windows would have prevented him from seeing what she was doing while driving. He actually tried to claim that the car Lauren was driving was not the van pictured, even though the tag number was the same, and "Honda" was reflected on the citation as well. It was just bizarre.

The judge listened to Lauren and Suzie, then watched Mars pick the officer apart like a Christmas turkey. She found Lauren "Not Guilty".

We should be grinning and gloating at the outcome, but there is no joy in knowing a police officer was less than honest while sworn to tell the truth.

Taylor comes home - but just for a few minutes

11:44pm

For the first time in almost 4 months, Taylor came home. It was truly bittersweet.

He had an appointment with a Podiatrist to treat ingrown toenails on both feet, and asked to go home for a few minutes. It was very emotional for him. He sat on the porch swing and visited with Hollister, our big, goofy dog, then went inside. He layed down on his bed and hung out with his cats, then sat in the living room for a minute. He walked all over the house and checked out the contents of the refrigerator.

Taylor has ridden through Bartow many times in the past 2 months, going to and from Doctor appointments, but he never wanted to go inside the house before today. It was not an easy thing for him to do, especially knowing he had to leave and won't return for good for another month or two.

His patience for therapy seems to be getting a little short. His physical rehab is held each day in a large room filled with Nautilus and other equipment used with him and other patients. He's been using his break times to continue to work out on machines. The 15 pounds he's gained back is all muscle. He still has a way to go before he gets back to his pre-accident weight, but he's eating everything at meal time and still getting 12 hours of tube feeding of a high calorie solution, so it won't be long before he's back where he was.

Walking improves - big time

8:20am

In about 2 weeks, Taylor has gone from a fairly slow "mall crawl" walking speed to the now normal adult walking speed of 1.8mph. I watched him on the treadmill yesterday as he walked almost 3/4 of a mile. His top goal at rehab is to walk. He's been working on that for almost 2 months and gets closer everyday. It was much easier, and faster, when he was a toddler. But, considering he came within centimeters of never walking again, we don't mind the wait.

Yesterday was his first official full day of meals that are a thicker ground consistency rather than the watered down milkshake consistency of pureed. He's getting double portions of meat, and cleans his plate. The therapists said they'd like to get him to the average weight of 170 for someone 6' tall. That will never happen. He ate like a horse before the accident and was 148 when the accident occurred. He won't be able to be as physically active as he was before the accident once he gets home, so he may put a little more than 148 on, but I doubt he could get to 170 if he tried.

Taylor's friends continue to keep him motivated and in touch with their happenings while he's in another county. He had 13 visitors on Sunday and Monday. The nurses here said they've never had a patient that has had so many friends come to visit. Part of that is due to him being 45 minutes away from where we live. But, a lot has to do with it being Taylor. They've brought him enough movies to last him while he's here and to enjoy once he gets home, where he'll be spending a lot of time between out-patient therapy sessions.

Trucker that found Taylor located!

11:33am

I recently picked up a CD of the original 911 call reporting Taylor's crash, as well as all other radio traffic of ambulance, fire and helicopter crews.

I've also been able to locate the truck driver, Connell Waldron, that found Taylor's car upside down off the roadway, and then Taylor lying on the side of the road. Connell works for the H.T. Hackney Co., in Tampa.

I called H. T. Hackney Co. last Wednesday and spoke to Connell's supervisor, Skip. I told him that Connell was on the top of our "thank you" list, and I wanted to tell him how grateful we are that he stopped and stayed with Taylor until the ambulance arrived. Skip gave me Connell's home phone and cell phone numbers.

On Thursday, I called Connell to thank him and to learn more about the crash scene. Connell said he was traveling on State Road 60 at about 65mph and caught a glimpse of Taylor's car in the dark well off the roadway. Taylor's car was dark grey and the lights were off so it was hard to see. Connell said he thought it may have been a vehicle crash, so he slowed down, turned around, and returned to check. He said as he neared he could tell it was an overturned vehicle so he called 911 before even stopping his truck.

As he neared the car, he found Taylor laying on the ground near the highway and "a pretty good distance" from his car. He said that Taylor was laying on his back, but was unconscious. He said every now and again he'd move an arm or leg, but he wasn't trying to talk.

Connell said he stayed with Taylor to keep him safe until the ambulance arrived.

The sad reality is that not everyone stops at an accident scene. In fact, Connell was the only person to call 911. Passing cars could be heard in the background of the tape recording. There is no telling how many cars may have passed Taylor by without either seeing his car or caring enough to call 911, let alone stop to see if they can help. On the other hand, Connell may have been the first passerby after Taylor's car flipped.

One of the main reasons Taylor is alive today is because Connell Waldron turned his truck around and got help to him quickly. Obviously, there is no way to repay him. But, when Taylor gets out of rehab and his home to live for good, we're going to the H.T. Hackney Co. to personally thank Connell.

If you want to hear the 911 tape, click here.

Transcript of Connell's call to 911

Dispatch: 911, this is Heather, where do you need help?

911: 911 with a transfer, cell area code 813-XXX-XXXX, motor vehicle crash, go ahead Sir, tell her where it’s located.

Dispatch: Hello? Hello? Hello, Sir?

Connell: Hey, how you doing?

Dispatch: Hi, where’s the crash located at?

Connell: Uh, it’s on 60

Dispatch: On Highway 60…..

Connell: Yes

Dispatch: OK. What’s the closest intersection?

Connell: Uh…..closest intersection…..uh…..I have no idea…….shucks……closest intersection…..

911: East of Bonnie Mine…

Dispatch: What is it?

911: His Phase 2 (cell tower triangulation to determine physical location of Connell’s cell phone) puts him east of Bonnie Mine road

Connell: Uh…yea, there’s a plant up here…

Dispatch: There’s a what? What city are you in?

Connell: I’m just past Mulberry…………………oh, Man……….

Dispatch: There’s a plant?

Connell: Are you alright, Man? (Talking to Taylor) …..What, Ma’am?

Dispatch: You said there’s a plant?

Connell: Yea, some kind of uh……God….some kind of plant here….there’s a plant here…..there’s a….shucks…..just past Mulberry headed towards Bartow

Dispatch: OK. What is your name?

Connell: I’m Connell. I just pulled over and the car is upside down….and there’s a kid laying on the ground here.

Dispatch: Is the kid moving?

Connell: He’s moving a little bit, yea, but…..he’s like, he’s not talking or anything

Dispatch: There’s just one single vehicle upside down?

Connell: Yes

Dispatch: What type of vehicle is it?

Connell: Uh, it’s kinda like tore up a lot…..I don’t see……

Dispatch: Does the child (inaudible)

Connell: …I can’t tell…….a small car, Ma’am

Dispatch: Is it a little child?

Connell: Nah, he’s like a teenager

Dispatch: OK

Connell: Yea, I don’t know if there’s anybody else…..I don’t see anybody else unless they’re still in the car…..but, he’s out of the car, yea…

Dispatch: He’s out of the car but he’s not……

Connell: Yea, he’s on the ground, but he’s not saying anything….

Dispatch: OK. But you can tell that he’s breathing and everything, correct?

Connell: He’s moving and he’s bleeding, and stuff…..yea….

Dispatch: OK….what’s your phone number?

Connell: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Dispatch: OK. We’re gonna get help out there, OK?

Connell: Thanks

Dispatch: OK. Bye bye

Connell: Bye

Photos of Taylor's car

1:04am

Today I picked up a CD with over 200 photographs of Taylor's crash scene taken by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

The accident was worked as a potential fatal crash, so traffic homicide investigators and crime scene technicians closed down State Road 60 for hours as they processed the scene in the event the crash had to be recreated. Fortunately, their work was all for naught - Taylor beat the odds.

He and I talked about whether we should post the photos. He thought it was important to show just one more example of how lucky he was to have survived. He noticed that the window on the drivers side was intact, but the rear hatch window and the passenger window was broken out. Since the doors remained closed, he was ejected from one or the other window.

There were also a lot of photos taken in the Emergency Room of his injuries. What was not visible to us, and we only learned of today, was the large amount of "road rash" on his lower back and sides. It would appear that he was ejected onto the road and then traveled to the shoulder of the road, where he was found by the passing Trucker.

When Taylor saw some of the contents of the car on the ground, he said "And I had JUST cleaned and detailed my car that day".

Instead of posting the photos here, I put them on Webshots so no one is forced to look at them. To view the photos of Taylor's car, click here

Those who write on bathrooms walls......

12:55pm

.......are not so bad, afterall.  

Support for Taylor has come from some unexpected places.  Maybe the strangest is this.

Lauren was at Bartow High School yesterday to take car of some loose ends and went into a girls restroom that she rarely goes to. Inside, she found some Taylor graffiti on the bathroom wall.  What's not visible in the photo are the other comments, in pen, left by others wishing him well.

We're not normally supportive of defacing bathroom walls, but given the situation, we'll take requests for prayers any way we can get them.

Taylor walks with a cane

11:07pm

Taylor is now learning to walk with a cane. This is the final phase before he will walk on his own. He is pretty unstable, so it will be a little while before he'll be able to walk with it unassisted, but he's now working on the Nautilus machines daily and will soon turn the 15 pounds he's gained back into muscle. The physical therapists are thrilled at his progress - he's about a month ahead of where they thought he would be at this point.

He has graduated to having his lunch ground, instead of pureed. For now, only lunch is ground and he has to be monitored by a speech therapist. She said if he continues to do as well as he has, he'll likely go to ground meals 3 times a day. That means the feeding tube is closer to coming out, and he's one step closer to eating a regular meal.

Second swallow study goes great!

12:03am

Taylor had his second swallow study at rehab yesterday afternoon, and he did a great job. He had two previous studies done when he was in the hospital, but he did poorly on both of those. This study was planned for Friday, but he's done so well since the last study they decided to move it up a few days. He still isn't real crazy about having to snort a plastic tube with a camera on the end. The camera allows the speech therapist to monitor where the fluids and food goes to determine if there is any seeping into the windpipe.

He will now eat 3 pureed meals and will only get 2 cans of bolus feeding solution via the feeding tube. He'll continue on the continuous feeding tube from 6pm until 6am each day. If he continues to do well, he'll next go from pureed to ground consistency, then solids cut into small pieces and finally to a regular meal.

He can also now drink "nectar thick" liquids, about the consistency of maple syrup. The next step is thin liquids, like milk and water.

He has now gained back 15 of the 30 pounds he lost. At his lowest weight of 118 pounds, you could count his ribs on his back. He was terribly thin.

Tonight Taylor tried to whistle, but the paralysis of the left side of the face won't allow him to. He said "It's a good thing I wasn't a professional whistler, or I'd have to find another profession". He has the ability to find humor in just about anything, including his medical and physical condition. Fortunately, he has maintained a really good attitude about the physical challenges he still faces.

Hearing Loss May Be Permanent

10:45am

Taylor had an appointment with the ENT yesterday to get the Trach scar checked and to have a hearing test.

We knew there was some hearing deficiency, but the testing was to determine what was causing it and the prospect for treatment.

He has a "significant" loss of hearing in his left ear that may or may not be treatable. Some of the loss, maybe 20% or so, is thought to be caused by fluid behind the eardrum. In some cases, a hearing aid will not improve the condition. As in the case with the Opthamologist, we'll have to see what time does. His brain continues to heal and he still has swelling from the skull fracture that extended from behind his left ear to his cheekbone.

Taylor also has facial paralysis on the left side. While his left eyelid has improved significantly, there has been no change elsewhere. We're told to wait a few more months to see what difference healing will make. Then, depending on what's causing the paralysis, there are treatments, including surgery, that may help.

The Dr. explained the nerves in the face like the structure of a tree. In Taylor's case, it appears the "trunk" was damaged, so signals are not getting to the branches that control the eyebrow, mouth, etc.

We've begun the search to find an expert in facial nerve damage treatment so we can be ready when that time comes.

Although Taylor has improved SO much, he still continues to need your prayers. We sometimes feel guilty continuing to ask for more when so many parents would love to trade places with us. But, I admit to being greedy and wanting everything to be just like it was the day before the accident. Having seen everything Taylor has done so far - anything is possible.

Happy Father's Day to me

Taylor walks - with no walker!!!!!!!!!

1:48am

Taylor walked Friday afternoon with no walker and no support from anyone. He walked about 200' along a wall with a handrail in case he needed it. Almost every day he moves closer to walking completely unassisted. In the past week he's gone from a slow deliberate speed to a normal walking gate (with the aid of a walker) to walking unassisted.

He said he walked "like a drunk", but he did it. Walking unassisted has been his top goal and he's finally gotten there. He still has a lot more work to do to get back to it becoming as natural to him as it is to all of us, but his progress today is a MAJOR step (pun intended).

He's talked about his concerns of having a permanent limp, and has said that he's accepted that he may never walk like he once did. But, when I watch him walk with the walker, I don't see any evidence of a limp. He's still very thin, and has to put on 25 or so pounds to get back where he was the day of the accident. It may be that he feels he may have a limp because he can't walk as easily as he once did, but when he replaces the missing muscle we feel certain that he will walk with the same bounce in his step that he's always had.

10:30pm

Taylor received a "care package" from Roland Martin, legendary angler whose television show "Fishing with Roland Martin" has run for 20 years. Suzie's cousin, Emily Simmons of Valdosta, GA, has a business relationship with Roland, so she made a call and hooked Taylor up. (another unavoidable pun..."hooked"...get it?) Taylor was pretty excited to get it.....he told me about that before he did about walking!

Taylor's Heroes

11:27am

Taylor knows he has a lot of people to thank, once he's finished with rehab. It would be very difficult to identify everyone that had any involvement in his recovery, since so much went on.

But, there are some people we will be able to identify like the trucker that found the wreckage, the ambulance crew, helicopter pilot and paramedic, firefighters, deputies, and 911 dispatchers, emergency room staff, ICU staff and Trauma Unit staff. And, of course, the Doctors.

I've begun the process of identifying everyone I can so they can be thanked in person and shake the hand or hug the end result of their efforts - Taylor.

Today I called Emergency Services to order a copy of the 911 tape from the trucker that found Taylor. I'll pick that up, as well as information on the initial call and response on Monday. I have not been to the accident scene, and never went to see his car. I did have my Partner take photographs of the car in case Taylor ever wanted to see it. I'm not sure I'll listen to the 911 tape just yet, but I'll have it anyway.

"Yea, I'm on the back 9"

11:11pm

It was like pulling chicken's teeth, but we were able to get a projected release date for Taylor from the rehab facility. While we know that no one can give us an exact date, we did want to know some kind of time estimate. Based on how he's doing now, he's expected to be released in "4 to 6 weeks".

Once he's out, he'll still continue in rehab but as out-patient. He'll live at home and we'll take him to a facility closer to where we live.

I told Taylor that since he's been there 5 weeks, he's about 1/2 way through. He said "Yea, I'm on the back 9". It took me a couple of seconds, but I finally got the golfing reference. His quick wit and dead pan delivery cracks me up.

This evening we walked with Taylor around the medical unit and outside. His progress since just last week has been pretty remarkable. He's past the "mall crawl" pace and now walks at normal speed. He is still a little wobbly when he prepares to sit or stands up, but he's also doing everything with 26 less pounds than when he was last walking without aid, before the accident.

Lunch!!!!......sort of

10:10am

Taylor's nutrition now consists of cans of a high calorie bolus feeding solution poured into his feeding tube 3 times a day, then a continuous feed at night pumped into his stomach.

During speech therapy, he has been eating pureed meats and other soft foods like applesause and pureed peaches to strengthen his throat muscles.  In the next day or so, his lunchtime cans of the bolus will be replaced with him sitting at a table and feeding himself 
lunch.  Taylor said it's not that bad - for someone who hasn't had a real meal in 3 1/2 months.

The Neurosurgeon wants the collar to stay on Taylor's neck for another month.  It apparently just hasn't healed as well as he thought it would have, but he said it's no real biggie.  And, Taylor is ok with going another month. He was really looking forward to getting it off, but doesn't want to do anything too early.

The collar stays on - for now

10:20am

We got the word yesterday afternoon from the Neurosurgeon's office that he had reviewed the old and new CAT scan and he does not want the collar to come off yet. They said he'll call us on Monday and explain what's going on.

Taylor was really looking forward to taking a more normal shower. He can't stand in the shower, so I give him one in a specially designed, battery operated plastic "shower chair". We have to be careful to keep water off the collar, and he can't wash his hair. A microwaveable shower cap that has some kind of cleaning agent in it is used to clean his hair.

After getting the Trach removed he couldn't wait to get the collar off of his neck. It interfers with eating, talking and sleeping. He has slept on his back only for 3 months, although he has no memory of most of the first two months. Even when the collar comes off, he can't sleep on his stomach because of the feeding tube.

Still stuck with the collar

6:55am

Taylor visited the Neurosurgeon yesterday, but the hospital had not sent over the original CAT scan for him to compare to the one taken last week. The Dr. did say he was fairly certain it was OK to remove the collar, but just wanted to review both CAT scans first. If it's ready to come off, he'll call us and Taylor can have the honors of removing it. It's a two piece deal, secured with Velcro, so he'll have if off in a few seconds. Hopefully, today will be the day.

He was talking about his Trach scar yesterday and said if anyone asks about it, he plans to tell them he started chain smoking at 4 years old, and used a "cancer kazoo" until recently. Time spent with Taylor is like spending it at a comedy club - just not as smoky and no obnoxious drunks.

Since March 1, I dont' find gallows humor funny - especially comedians that poke fun at brain injury patients - unless it's Taylor poking fun at himself. He's looking at the bright side of everything, instead of dwelling on the physical issues he faces.

Three month "Black Tuesday" anniversary

10:16am

Today is the third month anniversary of March 6th - the day Taylor came within minutes of either death or brain damage that he could not recover from. It was at about 5:30pm when things went sour, fast. If you missed it, you can read about it here.

About a year ago, Taylor hit me up for a Sidekick - a fancy cell phone with email, web browsing and instant message capabilities. The answer was...."uh...no.". I told him if HE wanted to buy one, I'd keep paying his cell phone monthly average and he'd pick up the difference.

In April, when Taylor was in the Trauma Unit, able to communicate by pointing to letters on an alphabet chart. He said "If you got me a Sidekick, I could IM you from rehab". That was, of course, a bit of a low blow. What could I say..."No, I don't want you to instant message me from rehab". So, I ran out and bought one, but he wasn't able to use it right away. In fact, he couldn't hold it due to his weak right side.

That has changed. He's been instant messaging friends, sending email and programming in all his numbers from his other phone. It really does help work his fine motor skills, although he didn't think about using that as an argument. He just went straight for the dagger in the heart.

The Instant Message

Yesterday, I got my FIRST instant message. I have wireless internet in my car, so I was able to let him know when I was on the way to visit. Finally....the first instant message. I realize it was a con to get me buy him one, but after what he's been through, all he had to do was ask. It was good to see, however, that while in the Trauma Unit his conning skills were intact.

"I'm gonna live like a fat kid"

4:10pm

Taylor is getting over whatever he had. He missed rehab Monday and today, but just didn't have the energy to work out. He did have speech therapy in his room, and got to eat more pureed food. He's really liking that.

Monday night, we were talking about his progress. He is a little concerned that he may not completely recover and may walk with a limp. He has a friend that lost a leg in an accident last year, and Taylor realizes it doesn't prevent him from doing much. In a bit of irony, his friends accident was also on State Road 60, just a thousand feet or so from where Taylor crashed. Weird.

While talking about the possibilities, Taylor said when he gets out he plans to live life a little slower. He said "I'm gonna live like a fat kid....sit around the house and eat". Very unlikely he'll ever be fat, but I'm OK with him sitting around the house for quite a while.

Taylor Sick - trip cancelled

1:05pm

At about 9pm last night, Taylor began to complain of being achy and having a sore throat. The Nurse checked, and his fever was 99. He was given Tylenol and was asleep by 10pm.

I checked with the Nurse at 6:30am today and she said he did OK until around 5am, when he woke up complaining of being achy. She gave him something and he went back to sleep.

When we got there at 9am today to take him to the ENT appointment, he was still asleep so we cancelled the appointment until he feels better.

5:50pm

Taylor still doesn't feel well. He's been given some medication throughout the day to minimize the aching, but he's about over being sick.

We spent the day with him, taking turns as we worked around work schedules.

At 2pm it was decided that he needed to be weighed. Not sure why that couldn't wait until he felt like climbing out of bed and into a wheelchair, but that's just how things go sometimes. He did gain 3 pounds since last week, but it still 24 under where he was the day of the accident.

The speech therapist worked with Taylor while he was in bed today. That is something he can do without much bother. She gave him some pureed chicken, and he ate twice the amount he normally has. She said he's doing real well, so hopefully his throat muscles are strengthening to well enough that he can pass the thin liquid test the next time he has a swallow study done.

Big week ahead

8:20am

Taylor has worn a collar for his neck fracture for three months. This Thursday he returns to the Neurosurgeon to review the CAT scan and determine if it can be removed. Cross your fingers.

The collar extends 1/2 up the back of his head. I told Taylor on the way back to FINR we'd stop and get his hair trimmed, since he'll have a "mullet" once the collar comes off. He said "Yea, that's the last time you'll ever see ME with a Mullet". We talked about the mustache and goatee he grew when he was in ICU for 5 weeks. During a moment of borderline consciousness, he figured out he had grown it and motioned for me to cut it off. When we talked about that the other night, he said "I woke up and looked like Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean)". He is becoming another Henny Youngman - King of The One Liners.

Tomorrow we take him back to the ENT to have the hearing in his left ear checked. He has a substantial hearing loss in that ear. During a previous visit, the Dr. indicated that injures like the one Taylor sustained can result in permanent loss that cannot be corrected with a hearing aid. But, the problem could also be one that time or intervention can correct. Hopefully we'll know something tomorrow.

Taylor had more visitors yesterday, including the Pastor, Rob Patrick, from the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church. He visited Taylor a lot when he was in LRMC and has made several trips to visit Taylor in rehab.

The storm that hit Florida yesterday is gone and skies are blue. We're taking Taylor on a short road trip somewhere today to give him a change of scenery. We'll just roam the county for an hour or so and head back. His only outings so far have been to the hospital or Dr's office, so today will something a little more fun.

I wish those who read the blog, who are too far away to visit, could have seen Taylor then and now. Words used to describe what has happened to Taylor - amazing, incredible and the like - really to tell the tale. I told Taylor in my 30 years of being a Deputy and now PI, dealing first hand with tragedies that have struck other families, I've never seen anyone as close to death recover so well and so fast.

It's still a little hard for his him to fully grasp his brush with death, since he was not conscious to experience it. He knows it happened, and thanks God for saving him, but his appreciation for what he's been through is different from those who witnessed it firsthand. He's still trying to cope with missing so much time. He said "I went to sleep in February (the last day he remembers) and woke up in April".

Last night, we were watching a comedy show that poked fun at American Idol contestant Sanjia. We don't watch it, but it's hard to escape hearing his name everywhere. Taylor didn't get the joke and said "Who's Sanjia?" I told him that was another While You Were Out..... thing that happened, but like most others, it's nothing that mattered. I told him that once he's home he'll see he really hasn't missed that much.

A couple of months ago, I could have never imagined sitting with Taylor talking about a television show this soon. We are the luckiest parents of the luckiest child I've ever known.

Three Month Anniversary

What a ride the past 3 months have been.

March 1^st began for our family with Taylor rolling his car twice, then having it flip end over end. He was partially ejected and found by a passing Trucker.

Meanwhile, Suzie was calling Taylor’s cell to find out why he was late getting home. A Deputy eventually answered and told her Taylor was in an accident, was ejected from the car and was being loaded into a helicopter. Suzie dropped the phone, disconnecting the Deputy. I called the Deputy back and learned Taylor was being taken to Lakeland Regional Hospital. I could hear Taylor groaning in the background.

The fight to save Taylor’s life and our worst nightmare had begun.

For the next 3 weeks we lived at the hospital, sleeping on waiting room floors, semi-reclining on 2 person sofas and upright in chairs. Friends of Taylor’s and ours came everyday, all day. Some stayed until 3 and 4am. We panicked, worried, cried and prayed. A lot.

Taylor’s major injury was to his brain. He also fractured his neck but it was expected to heal in 3 months by immobilizing it. He had no lacerations, no other broken bones, no internal injuries. But, the injury he did receive had the potential for being the worst imaginable.

On day 6 of his hospital stay, the brain swelling that the medical staff fought so hard to control went out of control. It rose so quickly that surgery in his room was contemplated. He was disconnected from the monitors, IV’s, and the ventilator and he was taken to the Operating Room in his bed while nurses kept him alive by manually inflating his lungs with a hand held Ambu Bag.

Although Suzie refused to do it, I admit I dwelled on the worst possible outcome. Would he be paralyzed? Would he be able to talk? Would he be blind or deaf? Would he even know who we were? Would I ever hear him laugh again, hug me or tell me he loved me?

The minutes passed slowly, day by day, week after week. A major contributor to us keeping our sanity was the amazing support we got from friends of mine, Suzie, Taylor and Lauren. They stayed with us day and night helping us to cope with fear beyond description. They prayed with us and made personal sacrifices for us. Suzie’s co-workers and management at The Ledger were incredibly gracious.

At first I wanted Taylor to come home the same way he last left – happy, funny, smart. After thinking of all the possibilities, I finally accepted the realization that he may come home, but life for him may never be the same. As long as we could hug him, even if he couldn’t hug us back, I just wanted him home.

Through God’s grace and the incredible care he received at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, and now the rehabilitation he’s receiving at FINR, I know the answer to the darkest questions I asked myself.

With the exception of a few physical issues that he has very good chances of recovering from, he’s Taylor. He’s the same intelligent, loving funny 20 year old that he was before the accident. He has a while to go in rehab, but his progress has been remarkable. Three weeks ago he was asked to duplicate shapes, like a square and circle, using a pencil and pad. He did so poorly it scared me. Now, he can write better than I can. The first time he tried to walk using a large, chest high walker he could only take 15 very wobbly steps before tiring out. He now uses a conventional small walker and can do 500’ at a time easily.

Taylor will NEVER again hear me to pull his baggie shorts up. I don’t care if he even wears shorts. When he gets out of rehab, he can walk through the mall in boxers if he wants. Never again will I tell him to comb his hair. If he wants a purple Mohawk, I’ll pay for it and take him to get it done. There are things that mattered before that no longer matter. And, there are things I didn’t realize were as important as I do now.

We have all learned a lot from this. The biggest lesson was that something so bad DOESN’T always happen to other people. It happened to us. But, Taylor was blessed to have survived and come roaring back to us.

We hope others have learned something from Taylor’s pain and suffering. We end every conversation with Taylor and Lauren, whether it’s in person or by phone, with “I love you”. They do the same. That was the last phrase Taylor heard from us on February 28^th, and the last thing we heard from him. Don’t forget to tell those close to you that you love them. Taylor is proof that you never know when the last time will be that you have that chance.

Please continue to pray for Taylor’s full recovery. We don’t know when he’ll come home to us, but we’re hopeful it will be before the end of July.