Friday, October 19, 2007

2:15 PM D.C. time
We have really good news today. But first, we got a late start after sleeping in until 8AM and checking out of our hotel in Beltsville (about 20 minutes without traffic from the hospital) and into our new rooms on the Army Hospital Base. We can now walk to David's room. The really good news is that we may not have to take that walk too many more times! They have taken David off the respirator and he is breathing on his own. They have taken the "Arctic Sun" external cooling device off because his fever has dropped. His white blood cell count is still improving (at a 12) as the infection is decreasing even more. If he holds steady they will take him off of a medication that controls his blood pressure, and then he can be moved out of ICU and into the step down unit. The doctor's have begun talking about David's move to a TBI (traumatic brain injury) rehabilitation clinic in Palo Alto CA. We're not sure when that may happen, but it doesn't seem too far off.

We really thank and praise God. We are also thankful and humbled by the prayers of hundreds of you- friends, family and even former strangers who we now consider friends.

I'm sure that this is an over simplistic thought, but it seems to me that we have seen two battles being fought, one for David's life (we saw huge victories today) and the other for his mind. This one will require the most patience and persistence. No one can tell us how long this rehab might take. Months for sure, maybe years. Please continue to pray for David's complete recovery.

I would like to acknowledge and thank from the bottom of my heart the following people who I know God worked through, whether they were aware or not. Thanks to David's friends who somehow called for help, helped him breathe and kept him alive for half an hour after the accident. Thanks to the ambulance drivers who drove him to the clinic. Thanks to the medical staff in the local clinic who stabilized him and the team that accompanied him and on the 4 hour ambulance trip to the hospital in Mersin, where the Turkish doctors took over. A special Neurology Team complete with a neurosurgeon was flown from Ramstein A.F.B. in Germany to bring David back to an American hospital at Landstuhl Army Hospital. David's commanding officer from Incirlik A.F. B. in Turkey, Colonel Mike Cote and Major Dr. Lee kept us up to date and were very professional and caring. Even the team in San Antonio TX who arranged for our flights, and passports (in 1 hour) were great. The air force personnel that we met in Germany, Lt. Colonel Amy Dayton and her crew were the best, and they say the surgical and medical teams there are perhaps the best in the world. Every one injured in Iraq comes through those operating room doors. Finally, the medical staff in ICU at Walter Reed Army Hospital has been fantastic. We feel so welcome at the houses we are staying at and cannot imagine going through this without the military's help. It's really eye opening and touching to see all of the injured soldiers who have given so much for their country, sacrificing their dreams for our freedom. We have a whole new respect for them! We thank all of those involved in David's amazing journey. You are all appreciated and loved by us, and someday David will thank you himself.

David's dad, Steve