"Is that OUR Taylor?"

4:55pm

Today Taylor had a friend spend most of the day with him and wanted to order lunch from Pizza Hut.

When the delivery person, a woman in her late 50's, came to the door she saw the "Welcome Home Taylor" banner that we still have hanging up (it's coming down this weekend). When we opened the door she said "Is that OUR Taylor?" Taylor's mother talked to her a while and learned she is a member of First United Methodist Church in Bartow and Taylor was on the prayer list there for a long time. Rev. Lowe, pastor of First Methodist, spent a lot of time at LRMC visiting and praying with us. In fact, he happened to be there on Black Tuesday and led the 50+ people in the hospital Chapel in prayer while Taylor was undergoing emergency surgery.

About an hour after Taylor and his friend inhaled the pizza, his mother, Suzie, called a local individual to talk to him about a story she's writing for the newspaper. As soon as Suzie introduced herself, the woman asked how Taylor was doing. She explained she had read the Mother's Day story Suzie wrote, and had been praying for his recovery ever since.

There is no telling how many people prayed for Taylor. We wish we knew who they all are so we could thank them personally. But, the biggest thanks we can give is to tell them how well he's doing.

I've joked about the 6 degrees of Taylor Smith (sorry, Kevin Bacon) after hearing how many people knew about Taylor, and finding out how they learned. It began within hours of Taylor's accident. Several hours after Taylor's accident, a former neighbor of my Mother called to see how Taylor was. Her daughter had been at an Optometrist office in Winter Haven and heard a friend of ours (who she didn't know) talking to someone else about Taylor's wreck. She heard enough to figure out that the person she was talking about was probably the grandson of her Mother's former neighbor (my Mother).

So, we're not surprised anymore when a stranger knows all about Taylor.

And, yes, that's "our" Taylor. A LOT of people have some ownership in him being here. The thoughts and prayers of so many played a major role in him being home, eating pizza, watching TV and hanging out with his friends.

"You kicked our butts"

12:15pm

Last week, Taylor met with the emergency medical folks from the ambulance and firetruck that responded to his accident. They were the ones that first rendered medical aid and began efforts to save his life. Obviously, they did a good job!

Matthew, Julie, David, Taylor (of course!) Paul and Mike

Julie told us that when they first arrived, it wasn't obvious initially that Taylor was injured. She said he was quite a way away from his vehicle, laying on the shoulder of the road.

She said his hands were behind his head and his ankles were crossed. It sounded more like he was laying on a chaise lounge on a cruise ship than having been ejected from a vehicle. She said she began to talk to him and when he tried to talk it became apparent that there was something wrong.

After getting a second opinion from her Partner, Paul, they decided that Taylor likely had a closed head injury. She said it was uncommon for there to be no other apparent injuries, bleeding, etc., so just looking at Taylor it wasn't apparent that he was hurt as badly as he was.

Julie said once they stabilized Taylor he began to fight with them. She looked at Taylor and said "You kicked our butts" and said she had to get a Firefighter to help hold him down. Taylor said "I'm sorry". I think under the circumstances, he's excused from fighting with a woman. He obviously didn't know what he was doing.

I had previously obtained copies of all the audio tape from that evening, and know that 13 minutes after Julie and Paul arrived, Julie called on the radio saying "Trauma alert....I need a bird (helicopter) in the air". The tone of her voice said a lot. Listening to her when they were dispatched and when they arrived at the scene was completely different from how she sounded now.

The tapes also indicates that the helicopter almost didn't take off from the airport due to fog. The Dispatcher called a third time - kind of a last change call - and was told the helicopter had just taken off and would be at the accident scene in "4 minutes".

Taylor had an appointment at University of Florida today with the facial nerve expert - or so we thought. That's what we were told when we went a few weeks ago for the EMG. But, when checking this week to confirm it, we were told there was no appointment. Good thing we called. But, we have one now for September 10th.

1 month at home

5:00pm

Taylor is wrapping up his first month at home, and it didn't take him long to get back in the groove of being Taylor.

He yells at his sister, and usually runs late when coming home after being out with friends.  He sometimes plays the "thump thump" music too loud, and where ever his dirty clothes  happen to hit the floor, that's where they stay until someone else picks them up.   It's been great. All of it.  OK.  So the coming home late thing has not gone over well with us, but it's better to have him around to worry about than have to have faced the alternative.

He tires out pretty easily sometimes, so often will come home before the time we agreed on.  And, we don't let him go anywhere unless the person driving is committed to helping him get around, keeps him safe and makes sure he wears a seat belt.   We are still on pins and needles until he walks in the door - and always will be.

Taylor has eaten most meals somewhere other than home.  He's eaten out more in the past month than most people do in a year. That is, however, about to be curtailed big time unless he starts taking contributions to pay for it.   He always ate like a horse, but only now have we ever known just how much he can consume.  I almost took him to get his leg x-rayed to see if it's hollow.  He can eat what most people would think is a meal, but it ends up being something to hold him over until he eats something else.

We've been really surprised that he hasn't been to Shogun yet.  It's one of his favorites and something he talked about for 3 months in rehab.  He said he wants to go for a special reason, not just for the sake of going.  He turns 21 on September 5th, so if that's not special enough I'm not sure what is.

Physical therapy is going well.  Today the group went for an outing at the Farmer's Market in Downtown Winter Haven.  Taylor used a cane for the entire trip and did really well, according to his therapist.  I watched him walk with it and his gate looks very normal.   When he walks without aid (around the house) he does so with his arms bent at the elbow and doesn't swing them naturally.  The Therapist said that should go away in time.

Tomorrow we're planning on meeting the Paramedics that were the first to give Taylor medical aid as he layed on the shoulder of the road in the middle of the night.  They were the ones that started his healing.  We wanted to see them before now, but vacation schedules, shift schedules and our schedules haven't meshed until now.

A week from now, we head back to the University of Florida to see what our options are regarding the paralysis of Taylor's face.

Rosebushes and thorns

7:40am

Yesterday the EMG testing was done to determine whether or not the trunk nerve was sending signals to the nerves that control the left side of the face.

The nerve was stimulated with electricity, then needles that act as probes were inserted into muscles in his face to see if they are even getting a signal.

The results weren't good and the Dr. indicated there was no activity of the nerves. It was not what we were hoping to hear.

Although if the nerve was to regenerate, they would have expected to see something by now there are cases that defy the norms so we're hopeful that Taylor will again be one of those patients.

We return on 8/30 to meet with Dr. Adelson again to see what our options are. There is no easy or definitive fix.

This morning, Taylor's mother commented on a cross stitch that hangs in our house. It reads

"You can complain because roses have thorns,
or rejoice because thorns have roses"

We do rejoice because we have Taylor again. And, we really try not to complain when we run into problems. We've met too many other parents who have much bigger issues they're looking at, and we could have easily been just like them. The facial paralysis is the last major hurdle to jump. I guess because we have been given so much, the selfish side of us has just come to expect that everything will be ok.

And, it may very well be. We've just gotten started on this phase, so we still have a long way to go. Taylor has already demonstrated that miracles really can happen, so we're expecting him to pull this off too.

Room 2018

8:55am

Last night we made another trip to MICU to see some of those who cared for Taylor. We'll probably have to go a few more times to catch everyone. One of those working last night was Pearl. She was one of those with Taylor during the worse times and may have spent as much time comforting us as caring for Taylor. Even though Taylor doesn't remember his time in MICU, we do. And, it was people like Jeannie, Pearl and Stacy that helped save Taylor's life and helped us keep our sanity.

Jeannie, Pearl and Stacey

When Taylor was in MICU, it was in a different location than where it is now, having been moved for remodeling. Each time we've been to see the Nurses since Taylor came home, we've had to walk past the old MICU where Taylor was. Each time, we look through the doors and into the empty hall of the old MICU, remembering the hundreds of times we walked through those doors at all hours of the day and night, 7 days a week for 5 weeks. Seeing those doors always brings back bad memories.

As we left last night, I took a photo through the window of one of the doors of the empty hall. Lauren pulled on the other door and it was unlocked, so we decided to go to Taylor's old room. It was a pretty somber walk down the hall and to Room 2018. Just seeing his room unleashed a lot of emotions in Lauren, Taylor's mother and myself. Before we left, we all had our own good cry. It was in this room that the Nurses sat at his side for 12 hour shifts, doing what they do to save his life. It was here, on March 6th, that we learned that Taylor's condition had gotten very, very critical requiring emergency surgery.

But, there are plenty of good memories in this room too. It was here that we saw Taylor move a finger and celebrated that he understood the directions to do that, then later his legs so we knew he wasn't paralyzed. In this room he smiled for the first time when he saw Frank, his cat. Here, he mouthed the words "I love you" while he was still very, very groggy.

Last night Taylor asked where his bed was, and how the room was laid out. We showed him where the throngs of friends stood, and the bathroom across the hall where several friends went to regain their composure after seeing him for the first time.

After a few minutes, we left as quietly as we went in knowing we'd never again want to return there.

Round 2 at University of Florida

9:32am

We got a call late last week that Taylor's facial nerve could be tested tomorrow at 12:30pm. So, we'll be in Gainesville tomorrow to the Doctors can determine the status of the nerve and recommend treatments.

This is now the most important issue affecting Taylor. It's a condition that can last the rest of his life, so figuring out what to do about it is very important. Fortunately, Taylor has never been one to primp in the mirror and never realized how handsome he is. The impact for him has probably not been as serious as it would be for some others. Still, we know it bothers him. He has said before that he has "lost my smile". It's still there, it's just a little different.

He still has to get the gold weights inserted into his left eyelid so it will close a little better, so we'll probably get an appointment set up for that tomorrow.

Rehab at ESTEEM in Winter Haven is going well. More testing is being done to see if any of the areas of the brain were affected by the crash that only testing can identify.

He is still walking with a walker, and his balance doesn't really seem to be getting any better. The Therapists said that his double vision is likely aggravating the condition. But, each time we go to the Opthamologist, the double vision gets better.

Taylor's social calendar stays booked, but he recognizes his limitations on his strength and often comes home before the time set because he's exhausted. He's no where as physically strong as he was before the wreck, and probably because he was so inactive for so long, he tires easily.

He has gained all the weight he lost, and then some. He's now complaining that he's getting a "gut". While there is a little visual surplus at the belt line, hardly a "gut".

Tomorrow is a big day for Taylor. No matter the outcome, it's hard for us to be disappointed. I was with Taylor in rehab on Friday and met a 24 year old and his mother from Lake Wales. He was in a car crash May 1 of 2006. His accident and injuries were very similar to Taylor's. He is still in a wheel chair and has problems communicating. Just when we start feeling sorry for ourselves, we think of all the others who were hurt, and their families, and know that they would love to trade places with us. Our time with Taylor now is almost exactly like it was before the wreck and many families will never have that.

Cross your fingers - and pray - that the testing tomorrow goes well. Tomorrow is a very important day.

Taylor's friends - for life

6:00am

When Taylor was at rehab, we told him he had a LOT of people to thank - the truck driver that found him, the EMS and helicopter crew, nurses, doctors and others. Taylor knows what a role everyone played in saving his life, and looked forward to thanking everyone.

"Taylor on Tour" began a few weeks ago with his first visit to ICU and the Trauma Unit at Lakeland Regional Medical Center so he, and we, could thank them for saving his life. The biggest thanks we could give was to let them see the results of their training and experience. Seeing a former patient like Taylor walk in and hug them certain helps offset some of the sadness they deal with on a daily basis. They are just remarkable people that the majority of the general public never has contact with on a professional level. We would have rather not met ANY of them under the circumstances that we did. But now that we have, it's hard to describe how great they are.

It will take several more trips for him to see everyone, but he did get to visit with several recently. Some he remembered, and some he didn't. But, that's okay.....they all remembered him.

Yesterday, Taylor visited Sheriff Judd, Undersheriff Gary Hester and Chief Rick Sloan. Even though I haven't worked at the Sheriff's Office in 18 years, the caring and compassion shown by them as well as Sam McGuirt and the department Chaplain (and retired Major) Marvin Pittman, was humbling to say the least. I don't think it has as much to do with the law enforcement brotherhood. They are just good human beings.

Here are a few of the LRMC staff who worked so hard to give Taylor back to us.

Dale, Julie and Angie

Dr. Sobowale
Trauma Medical Director

(moments after he gave Taylor shots in
his stomach and removed the feeding tube...
....that explains the "damn, that hurt" look on Taylor!)

Denys

Frank

Mary Jane

"It's like I'm on crack"

7:26am

Last week at rehab, Taylor did some neurophsychological testing. Although we have detected nothing different now than before the accident, the Dr. is able to test parts of the brain that does not involve day-t0-day activities and things we wouldn't be aware of.

I met with the Dr. after the initial testing and he said Taylor "did very well". He said he would have expected, based on the extent of Taylor's injury, to "have seen something" during the initial testing, but did not.

He was given some brain teasers to work on at home, including a number brain teaser called Sudoku. When Taylor came home, friends of ours - Susan and Joel Willcockson - gave Taylor a gift package that included Sudoku. Taylor worked on some occasionally, so he was familiar with it.

Yesterday, he found a website where he could play and spent about 1 1/2 hours playing. It must have taken it's toll on him, since he took a 3 hour nap - something he hasn't done since he was a child. But, they also worked him hard at rehab. When I picked him up, his hair was wet and he was spent. He was probably physically and mentally exhausted.

When he woke up, he said he was "tired from playing Sudoku. He said "It's like I'm on crack". He said he'd play a round, tell himself that was the LAST one.....then play one more. After that , he say "OK. Last one.", then play one more.

The Dr. will do more in depth testing soon, so we're hopeful that the results will be in line with the results of the initial testing.

In the meantime, Taylor will playing Sudoku and energizing those brain cells!!

Over The Rainbow

6:00pm

Over the past 5 months, we have wondered if some things that happened were signs of what was to come. On March 6th, when Taylor was in big trouble, 4 phone calls to 4 friends turned into 50 people at the hospital within an hour. I worried, for a little bit, that God had brought everyone together to be with Taylor if he didn't survive surgery. Then, after surgery and as the night wore on, everyone began to leave and I was convinced then that Taylor would live. I knew God would not let him die alone in ICU when so many people that loved him were right there. Since then, we've taken a lot of signs as hope that there would be better days ahead and there always has been.

This morning, we headed out at 5:30am for the University of Florida for Taylor to meet with a facial nerve expert. On I-75, right after a storm, a rainbow formed in the north toward Gainesville. The rainbow is used in the Bible, by American Indians and even songwriters as a symbol of promise and hope. Judy Garland sang about a happier, brighter place in "Over The Rainbow" in the movie The Wizard of Oz. So, we couldn't help but see this rainbow as a sign of hope - that something good will come from our visit to Gainesville.

The Doctor at Shands in Gainesville (who looked a LOT like Bob Saget) was cautiously optimistic about the rehabilitation of the nerve in Taylor's face. He said because of his age, he would want to wait 9 months after the accident to see what nature does. In the meantime, he suggested inserting gold weights into his left eyelid to help it close completely and to help minimize any potential damage to the cornea that could occur. And, he wants to have an Electromyographic testing done to stimulate the nerve and measure how far down the line the signal travels. That way, they can measure regeneration or degeneration of the nerve. That procedure will be what they'll need in order to know what options are available for Taylor. We'll soon be scheduling to have both procedures done.

On the way back, we stopped at a convenience store in a little town off a 2 lane road 50 miles north of our home. There at the gas pumps was a friend of ours, John Kilpatrick. Always searching for a sign of hope, Suzie decided it was good luck seeing John there. With a name like Kilpatrick, hopefully the Irish good luck will rub off on Taylor. I saw a different sign. I saw it as a sign he was low on fuel and I needed a Pepsi.

At 1:30pm today Taylor got the final foreign object removed from his body - the Feeding Tube. He wasn't real tickled with the four shots he got in his stomach or having a 1 1/2" balloon pulled through a 1/4" hole, but he's glad it's done.

The Wizard of Oz has always been my favorite movie. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for Judy Garland to quit singing so the good stuff could start. Now that I've read the lyrics to "Over The Rainbow", I realize what a good fit it is for us. We'll now pray for Taylor everytime we see one. We hope you will too.

Over The Rainbow


Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Tomorrow: Roadtrip to UF and the Feeding Tube comes out

8:14am

Taylor started at his new rehab place on Friday. There was some testing done so they could measure his progress and he did get in a little work. He said he really likes the Therapists, and is excited to be there.

This weekend he did a LOT of socializing. Friends had a welcome home party for him in Lakeland. He stayed all afternoon and into the early evening. Even though he spent most of the time sitting, it was obvious when I picked him up that he was really tired. It will be a while, apparently, before he builds up stamina.

Tomorrow we head to the University of Florida, leaving at about 5am for his early morning appointment. We're meeting with a Neuro-otologist. Neuro-otology is a sub-specialty of ENT and these surgeons deal specifically with the skull base and cranial nerves including the facial nerve. We are also working on a "remote diagnosis" with an expert from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. This may include a video conference with Taylor, but we're still in the early stages of all that.

Then, Taylor has an appointment to get the Feeding Tube removed tomorrow afternoon at Lakeland Regional. The Feeding Tube has prevented him from sleeping on his stomach. And, hugging him when standing is a bit of a trick so no pressure is put on the tube.

The future of this Blog

6:39am

A few things became clear during the first few days after Taylor's wreck - he would be in the hospital for a long time, and his friends would be coming to the hospital or calling for updates as long as he was there.

I started this Blog as a way to keep those who wanted to know how he was doing updated. I didn't think at the time about it becoming a diary of sorts, documenting thinks like him opening his eyes on March 11th, making eye contact on March 14th, and mouthing the words "I love you" on March 25th. Then, throughout the following months, the blog documented the ups and downs of his recovery at the hospital and his accomplishments at the physical rehab facility where he lived for 3 months.

Fortunately, I had a wireless laptop connection at the hospital so I could update the blog often, usually every morning. A couple of times I didn't do the update until later in the day. I got an email one day from a friend of ours, Marty Wilson, who asked if I could do the update each morning. He said he began to worry something had happened to Taylor if he didn't see anything by noon. It was those kinds of things that really showed us how concerned folks were about Taylor. And, I knew by the number of visitors to the blog that a lot of people were checking on his progress.

For those that have been following the progress on the blog, you've been able to witness what we know has truly been a Miracle. For Taylor to have been as badly hurt as he was, to have been so close to death as he got, and to come back as he has is truly miraculous. That opinion is shared by those in the medical profession that see these kinds of injuries every day.

It's not a coincidence that Connell Waldron spotted Taylor's car upside down, well off the road in the pitch dark of night. It's not fate that the helicopter was fogged in but decided to go for Taylor at the last minute. It's not dumb luck that Officer Pat Guity of the Lakeland Police Department stopped Taylor's Neurosurgeon, Dr. Campanelli, and let him go within seconds of hearing that he had a patient in big trouble at the hospital. We've counted 9 events that could have made a huge difference in how things turned out for Taylor. We know God saved Taylor and gave us a second chance of having him as our son.

The next major things to happen with Taylor is for the Feeding Tube to be removed and an appointment with a specialist at the University of Florida, Shands Hospital, for the facial nerve issue. He'll soon be off the walker and be walking on his own and other current physical limitations will get better with time.

So, what happens to the Blog? As long as he does something that I think the majority would want to know, and as long as people keep checking the Blog, I'll keep posting the information. I really expected to do it less frequently during his physical rehab, but he did so much so quickly that I was posting more often than I thought I would.

Tomorrow is Taylor's first day at Esteem in Winter Haven. It will probably be a day of assessments. We're expecting a friend filled weekend. Yesterday was a busy day at our house with a steady flow of visitors for Taylor.

Yesterday afternoon, our neighbor Pam Wyant, brought the roast, mashed potatoes and green beans she promised Taylor a month ago. Taylor had a helping before he went out for dinner later. Taylor's friend, Ryan Welles, took Taylor to Sam Seltzer's for steak and lobster - something Taylor has talked about for months. At 12:30am this morning he was having another shot at at Pam's roast. It was obviously a big hit. In fact, I plan on it being breakfast.

Although Taylor's medical issues are behind him, he still has a lot of healing to do, and a lot of physical rehab ahead of him. He continues to need your prayers as he works hard on his rehabilitation.

HE'S HOME!!

4:22am

Taylor is home. Three days short of 5 months, (116 days) and he can sleep in his bed, visit friends without them making the 1 ½ hour round trip to the rehab facility, and pet the cats and dogs whenever he wants.

We had a Limo take 9 of his friends to pick him up yesterday afternoon. Then, as the Limo neared the house, he got a police escort for the final few blocks to a red carpet (really) that led him to our front porch. The Bartow Fire Department had a crew on hand to see the results of efforts of another shift that worked his crash. A “Welcome Home Taylor” banner hung on the front porch and the yard was filled with 50 of his closest friends.

Yesterday was a great day for all of us. For Taylor, it was his first official day home where he could stay more than an hour or so. He had been home between Doctor visits a couple of times, and spent the day last Sunday, but now he can sleep in his bed and hang out with friends whenever he feels like it. For us, we no longer drive to another county to spend the evening and weekends with him.

Now Taylor starts in-patient rehab at Esteem in Winter Haven this coming Friday. He’ll go 3 days a week, and work out at a local gym the other two days a week. We don’t know how long rehab will last, but for now we’re planning on at least through the end of the year. We expect he'll do as well at

Esteem as he did at Lakeland Regional and FINR, so he may be finished sooner.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to work on the facial paralysis issue and pray that his eye continues to heal as it has. His double vision continues to improve. And, we’ll continue with treatment for the hearing loss he’s suffered in the hope that he'll regain some of it.

But, most of all, we’ll continue to love him and thank God for saving his life and returning him to us in a way that he can continue to enjoy life.

Taylor passes the thin liquid test - Feeding Tube to come out

9:24am

This morning Taylor did what we now know is his FINAL swallowing study. He did well. That was on the top 5 of his dislikes. He just wasn't real thrilled having a tube run up his nostril and into the back of his throat.

As soon as he got the all clear, he requested an unopened bottle of Gatorade Rain Lime that we've had ready for him since his days in the Trauma Unit. One of the first things he wrote, back when he couldn't talk, was "Gatorade Rain Lime". So, today he finally got to open the bottle.

The other good news is that Doctor has written an order to remove the Feeding Tube. He won't get that done before he leaves today, but we're working now on finding someone that can remove it ASAP.

Taylor doesn't know it, but he has several surprises this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll post plenty of photos.

48 Hours

5:45pm

Taylor will be home for good in about 48 hours.

He decided yesterday to take the insurance company up on a partial home visit. They offered to let him go home for the weekend, but he said it would be too hard to stay and then have to leave. It was easier for him to stay for the day and leave. The closer Tuesday gets, the tougher it's getting for him.

I picked him up this morning and he's been at home all day visiting friends, hanging with his cat and enjoying a grilled steak for the first time since February.

Yesterday Lauren got back from a week in west Tennessee, attending the 181st Tabernacle Camp Meeting family reunion of the Rev. Howell Taylor descendants. During the week, Lauren did a lot of videotaping and had many of his 500 cousins in attendance wished him well on tape. Andrew Kramer, Taylor's cousin and a talented musician, played "Wish You Were Here", a Pink Floyd tune that Taylor really likes. What was especially cool about this performance was that it was done at the church on the family campgrounds, during an evening service. Only at Tabernacle could someone get away with playing Pink Floyd in church. Watching the video tapes Lauren made, and watching those he missed seeing this year - then hearing that Andrew played "Wish You Were Here" for him was a little overwhelming for him last night. He still gets emotional when he thinks about those who have been so good to him through all of this. Several times he's said he just never knew so many people cared about him. Obviously, they do.

So, now we wait. Less than 48 hours and Taylor will be back home.

The countdown gets serious

11:20am

Tuesday is in sight. As we got through last week, and he spent his last Wednesday and Thursday at rehab, it became a lot easier to appreciate that he will be home in 4 more days. It's getting a little tougher for Taylor now. He just wants to come home.

The hardest part of all of this was never really knowing when he would come home. Initially, our questions were harder to ask ourselves. WOULD he come home? If he did, would he be OK? Would he talk, laugh and hug us? Could we have a life with him like he had for the previous 20 years? We've known for a couple of months now that we would get the old Taylor back. And, we knew that even if he wasn't 100% like he was the last time we saw him before the wreck, the most important part of him - his personality, his intellect, his memory and humor - were intact. The rest really doesn't matter all that much when you're faced with what he was facing. There are a LOT of things that are in a whole different perspective than they were before.

Yesterday Taylor had Doctor appointments all over the place.

He went to the Opthamologist to have his vision checked. His left eye that during the bad times only moved about 1/4 of an inch is healing well. We're unable to tell any difference now in how his eyes move, but he still has some double vision. He was tested again yesterday, and it continues to improve, so our hope is it will correct on its own. If not, he can be fitted for glasses that will fine tune the alignment. He goes back in 2 months, so we'll see how it does then.

The collar came off at the Neurosurgeon visit, and he's enjoying scratching his neck whenever he feels the need and sleeping more comfortably.

His last stop was the Podiatrist. He acquired 4 ingrown toenails that is pretty common, apparently, for patients like Taylor. They continue to heal well and it has had no real impact on his rehabilitation.

Four days to go.

The collar....and Mullet.....are GONE!

6:40pm

FINALLY!!!! Color the Mullet gone!

Today Dr. Campanelli, Taylor's Neurosurgeon, removed the collar from Taylor's neck. It stayed on 6 weeks more than originally planned, but the Dr. wanted to be certain that it was done healing. He'll go back next week for some X-rays, but it should be gone for good.

Dr. Campanelli did a damn good job with Taylor, if I do say so myself, and he'll always be Taylor's biggest Hero. What else do you call the guy that coordinates the saving of your life?

Removing the collar did expose what we expected....a Mullet. Taylor said he felt like he should be looking for a Billy Ray Cyrus concert somewhere. Taylor said enjoy this photo - it's the LAST time he'll ever be seen with a Mullet.



Taylor headed straight for Maria, the girl that has cut his hair for years. I thought she may have to use a degreaser to clean that mess up first. She made it through, washed it and got it looking a little more normal.

Neck Check

12:06 am

Taylor went back to Lakeland Regional Medical Center yesterday to get another - and hopefully the last - scan of his neck. He'll go to the Neurosurgeon later this week to find out if the collar finally comes off.

But, the big treat (next to lunch from Arby's - he's still eating like a horse) was all the visiting he got to do. We were met at the door by Jessica and Erika, two Transporters we met and got to know during our time at LRMC. They figured out early on something special was happening with Taylor and hung on with us for the ride.

At the Waiting Room, we ran into a friend that watched Taylor when he was 2 or 3 years old. We see her from time to time in Bartow, but Taylor hasn't seen her in a long time. In a bit of irony, she was there to be with her Nephew who has a head and neck injury from a collision that happened just like Taylor's - his tires dropped of the edge of the road, he over corrected and rolled his car. To add to the irony, Taylor's Mother was on the way to see him on Sunday but was delayed by a helicopter that had landed on US 17. What she didn't know then was that it was our friend's Nephew that was being transported to the hospital.

We stopped by the Medical Intensive Care Unit and saw some of the staff there who either cared for Taylor or were nearby his room when we were spending so much time with him. They got to witness the fruits of their long hours and hard work. We haven't seen them in 2 months so it was a lot of fun for Taylor's mother and myself.

Next stop was the Trauma Unit. Taylor saw 2 of his favorite Nurses and got to hang out for a while. When the Nursing Supervisor saw him, his jaw dropped and he just looked at Taylor for a few seconds before standing up to greet him.

I'm not sure anyone expected to see him this soon, and although no one said it, I doubt most thought he'd be doing as well as he is so soon.

Seeing the LRMC staff today reminds us of how incredible those folks, and others like them, are. They give so much of their lives to helping heal and comfort other human beings. In cases like Taylor, during the worst times, he had 1 on 1 care. A Nurse sat by his bedside for 12 hours until he or she tagged out with the next shift. That went on day after day, week after week. They pay off for them is to see former patients like Taylor walk in, look them in the eye and say what Taylor said a lot of yesterday - 'Thank you for taking care of me".

Taylor will be making several more trips to the hospital in the weeks to come. He has several other shifts to visit.

All his Mother and I can say to them is "Thank you". It seems so inadequate. "Thank you" is something to say to someone that holds the door for you at a convenience store. They saved our son. We get him back very close to how we last saw him before the accident. So, showing him off to them is the best way for us to say "Thank You".

The passing of the wallet

8:30am

When we got to the hospital the early morning hours of March 1st, we were given Taylor's personal belongings - his wallet and cell phone.  He had worn a gold necklace, but that must have flown off his neck during the crash.

The cell phone was invaluable in putting us in touch with his friends.  Were it not for that, we couldn't have contacted the 4 friends that turned into over 50 that showed up at Lakeland Regional Medical Center  in less than an hour.

I held onto Taylor's wallet like it had a million dollars in it, although it only had $6.  It was the only personal thing of his that he had with him.  His handwriting was on papers, his photo on his drivers license and business cards from businesses he had been to recently were inside.  

 Just before the wreck, Taylor built a cage for the corner of his room. His plan was to buy some kid of reptile (chameleon, I think), but never got that far.   As soon as he's home, that's one of our first stops.

After the really scary days passed, I continued to carry Taylor's wallet daily.  I'm not quite sure why, but after doing it for so long it almost seemed disrespectful not to do it. Strange, I know.  I told Taylor I was carrying it and asked him weeks ago if he wanted me to leave it at rehab, but he said for me to keep it.

For 4 1/2 months I carried Taylor's wallet in my left front pocket every day.  Last night, I took it out for a minute and Taylor looked through it.  He purged some old papers from it so I figured now was as good as any time to give it back to him.  I asked if he was ready to keep his wallet and he said he was.  And, that was it. No big fanfare, no ceremonial passing of the wallet, just an empty left front pocket.

One week from tomorrow and he's coming home!!

"It's like giving a starving man a potato chip"

11:05am

At the time for Taylor to come home nears, Pam at Blue Cross offered to authorize a "therapeutic weekend" before Taylor comes home so he could take the place for a test spin. There are a few things we'll have to change around to accommodate his walker, which we hope he'll soon get rid of. But, having him home for a couple of days would help us get ready for the big day......July 24th.

Surprisingly - or maybe not - Taylor doesn't want to do it. He said that since he's so close to coming home for good, he'd rather just tough out another weekend in rehab.

He said coming home for the weekend just to go back for 3 days was like "giving a starving man a potato chip". Food plays a big part in his life these days, so the food analogy was almost expected.

He's a tough Dude. Opting to stay at the rehab facility rather than come home for the weekend really shows how dedicated he is to this whole process. He also wanted to make sure that he would have minimal down time when switching rehab programs so he doesn't lose momentum.

It's official - Taylor is coming home in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!

12:06am

It's a done deal. Taylor is coming home in 2 weeks, probably on July 24th. He was shooting for a release date of Friday, July 27th, to start a new rehab program in Winter Haven the following Monday, July 30th. He knows he's on a roll and doesn't want to lose any momentum. By the 24th, we're hopeful the feeding tube will be history and the Aspen collar just a bad memory. He finally figured out how to sleep on his side, but can't wait to finally sleep on his stomach.

I told him he would probably need one to two more days to get a lot of visiting out of the way, since he won't be able to stay up late on nights when he has to be at rehab the next day. So, his mother called our contact at Blue Cross and she is cool with Taylor leaving as early as July 24th. I know a lot of people have to fight with their insurance companies over relatively minor issues, but with all that we've dealt with since March, Pam at Blue Cross/Blue Shield has made this nightmare a whole lot easier to deal with.

Taylor gets what we hope is the final CAT scan of his neck on July 16th, then visits with his Neurosurgeon on July 19th where - hopefully - the collar will finally come off. Shortly after that, he'll get another swallow study to see if he can handle thin liquids. If so, he can once again eat and drink normally.

We've begun the task of trying to determine "the best of the best" experts in nerve issues involving the face so we can see what the options are. If we have to pack up and drive to California, we'll do it. Hopefully, we'll find someone east of the Mississippi, but we'll go wherever he/she is.