Current
Updates
1/10/07
Hey Everyone,
Time for the latest update.
LeRoy was
discharged from the Rehab Institute on Friday and is back at his
home. He looks really good and is doing
amazingly well. He is up walking and talking which defies any
medical prognostications that were made earlier in his case. He does
have some short term memory problems and some other typical TBI
behaviors and these should improve with time. We had a yard
clean up day at his house on Sunday and he was able to supervise us
some and make sure we weren't throwing away any treasures.
Now, he does have some significant medical issues that continue.
When they did the craniotomy to remove the
blood clot on his brain, they were not able to replace the big piece
of skull bone they took out. This is
due to an infection LeRoy picked up in the hospital.
The infection is currently being
treated with IV antibiotics through a temporary line that has been
placed in his arm. He has a significant "dent" in his head
where the bone has been removed. He is to wear a helmet at all
times when he is up and moving around. Plans at this time are to
replace the skull piece
sometime in March or April when the doctors are sure that he is free
of infection.
LeRoy will need surgery in the future on his knee and right
shoulder, but these procedures will take a back
seat until the neurosurgery is all complete. The only reason
LeRoy was able to come home was
because Tarsha's uncle, Forrest, rewired the downstairs at LeRoy's
house. Forrest is a certified,
licensed electrician and with his helper, they got power restored to
the downstairs within two days.
Now, Forrest donated his time and expertise, however, the supplies
and helper did not come free. Forrest is
asking that we somehow raise the money to pay for the materials and
his helper. Estimated cost: $1000.
Now we all know from first hand experience that this job would have
cost at least $3000 to $4000 to
complete, so we are really fortunate that Forrest stepped up to the
plate and in my opinion, hit a home
run by allowing LeRoy to come back to his own home vs.a nursing
home.
The money that in the trust fund is about at zero. This money
was used for household expenses and in
particular, his mortgage payment. I explained to Mary Jo that
this is exactly what we intended the money to
be used for. We did not want Leroy getting well and having no
home to come to because of foreclosure
(especially in this day and time).
So, I am asking everyone to dig deep in their pockets and go by the
Bank of the South and make a
contribution to the Trust set up for LeRoy. We need to get
Forrest reimbursed for materials and his
helper. Anyone who has any ideas for fund raising, please come
forward with your ideas. I personally
challenge each of the Mardi Gras Krewes to come up with some kind of
donation for the cause.
I have had numerous people come up and ask me what they could do to
help. Some have offered large
amounts of money if needed, well it is needed now. His health
care needs are being met through Mary Jo
and Home Health Nurses. But his environment needs the
improvement for his mental health as well as health
concerns.
As I mentioned earlier, we had a work day at his house to clean up
the outside. Thank you to Jayne Drees
Redmond and Kim LoBue for all the work they did inside the house
before LeRoy's discharge. Thank you to all
those that participated Sunday: Jayne, Amy DePew, Sam and Ron
Magee, George Grant, Shack, Tarsha Bechtol,
and Pete Archer. Your hearts are made of gold.
Please help out with your donations.
Thanks to all of you and Happy Mardi Gras!
Lynn
1/10/07
Hey I'll be
there!!! Also on another note MJ needs our
help with the
electrical bill (to get the house to pass
inspection) My Uncle whom is a licensed
electrician has already agreed to do the work, he will
have one of
his guys helping him (which he has to pay) so that
LeRoy can be back in his house by this Friday when he is
discharged from the hospital.
Uncle Forrest
has already said he will do the job and let MJ make
payments, but I was thinking maybe we can get together and
just get it paid for. Uncle is not taking payment
for himself, just for his helper and the cost of
materials...... It is quite a mess electrically and
he already met with the inspector who is letting some
things kinda slide. The inspector knows and like my
Uncle Forrest and that is why we are getting extra good
treatment.
Any ideas for
fundraisers or something we can do to help pay the bill
are greatly appreciated. Forrest said it would
probably run about 1,000 dollars....
Any ideas?
Tarsha
1/10/07
Don't forget, direct donations can be made at the Bank of
the South... (Click Here for
details)
Lori
1/8/07
HI All,
Le Roy will soon be discharged from the Rehab
Institute. The county is hounding LeRoy about his
yard and debris (treasures) that are still present.
All of you at one time or
another have asked what can
I do to help? Well, we need some able bodies to do a
mine sweep of LeRoy's front and back yard.
THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 AT 10:00 AM THERE
WILL BE A
GATHERING TO GET 'ER DONE. TOM FITZGERALD HAS HAD A
DUMPSTER PLACED IN LEROY'S DRIVEWAY FOR OUR USE. WEAR
WORK CLOTHES TO INCLUDE BOOTS AND GLOVES. THE MORE
PEOPLE WE HAVE, THE FASTER THE JOB WILL BE COMPLETED.
I am asking Jim to post this at the web site and ask
all of you to call, email or tell anyone you see that
would like to help.
See you this weekend at the Nauga Breakfast!
Lynn
12/19/07
8:00 PM Update
LeRoy was transferred today to the Rehabilitation Institute of West
Florida. I had been holding off providing an update in anticipation
of this news. Mary Jo was on her way to the Institute to spend her
first night with LeRoy since the accident.
LeRoy will undergo a multi-disciplinary evaluation to include
physical and occupational therapy as well as cognitive evaluation.
After the evaluations are completed, a therapy
program/rehabilitation plan will be designed for him to fit his
specific needs.
Before leaving Baptist, they were allowing him to sit/stand just by
the side of the bed. He is doing better and better every day, but I
cannot stress enough that his rehabilitation will be lengthy,
including re-learning some very basic things. The evaluations will
give us a lot more insight into how his rehabilitation will proceed.
First order of business is to get his trach out. He has been
breathing on his own for quite some time, so it is really due to
come out. That might just be the birthday present LeRoy would like
to have!!!
He will be weaned off some of the meds that were being used to
control his anxiety/confusion quickly, but carefully. I explained to
Mary Jo he is in the best place he can be right now. The Institute
knows their stuff.
Now send your cards, letters and well wishes to LeRoy in care
of:
RIWF; TBI UNIT; 8391 N. Davis Hwy;
Pensacola, FL 32514.
Don't forget to send LeRoy on-line messages via this web-site.
As Mary Jo will be spending nights with LeRoy, I am sure she will
have her lap top with her to share the messages with him. Right now,
his friends are touchstones to him, so send him cards and messages.
Keep LeRoy and Mary Jo in your thoughts and prayers...
Lynn
12/10/07
Sara and I went to see
LeRoy midday and have since spoken with Mary Jo for additional
updates from her visit with
him later today.
He immediately recognized both Sara and me and waved us in the room. Lots of kisses and stronger and stronger hand
squeezes from both hands.
The respirator is parked in the corner and he is breathing on his own. His trach is still in place and is his airway at this
point. He is definitely moving all four extremities with no apparent problems. At this point LeRoy thinks he is well enough
to get out of there and spends a lot of time trying to do just that.
LeRoy is receiving pain medication on a regular basis for his multiple injuries, and as we all know this clouds your judgment.
For this reason and the fact that he has broken his back in several places and should not be bearing weight (and he won't
leave tubes alone), the staff is having to keep him in light restraints when the staff is not one on one with him. It is for his
own safety. The last thing he needs right now is to get out of the bed and fall.
The nursing staff had gotten pretty lenient with visitors up until today. It is the staff's opinion that the more people
LeRoy sees, the more frustrated he becomes and this leads to him getting agitated, sending his blood pressure and pulse
rate through the roof. That requires him to get more medication and that's not what he needs right now. So, the staff has
indicated to Mary Jo that visiting will be once again restricted to family members only. I agree that this is in LeRoy's best
interest right now.
What would be really great if everyone would send him cards that he can hold and read for himself.
Send to LeRoy Cardenas c/o Baptist Hospital, 1000 W Moreno St., P'cola 32501. (New Address:
RIWF; TBI UNIT; 8391 N. Davis Hwy;
Pensacola, FL 32514.
Don't forget, LeRoy's birthday is December 25 and I am sure he would appreciate a few birthday cards as well.
As the only MALE member of the SOBs (Sisters of the Beach), LeRoy was our honored, absent guest at our annual
Christmas Brunch at Flounder's Sunday. The traditional SOB song was sung to LeRoy. The SOBs also made a donation
to LeRoy's trust fund at Bank of the South. A ten foot banner that expressed our love to LeRoy was signed by all SOBs
in attendance. This banner was presented to LeRoy today and it made the man cry. You could see how much this meant
to him. Sara and I hung it in his room so that he could see all the well wishes and love the SOBs sent.
He looks great and is doing far better than I ever expected. Keep saying those prayers!!! Future updates as needed.
Lynn
12/06/07
2 PM
I just got off
the phone with Mary Jo and I have some really good news:
LEROY IS AWAKE AND COMMUNICATING!
Now remember, he has a trach in place and cannot talk, but he is
communicating with eyes, hands and a shake of his head. Last
report he was watching TV and blowing kisses to the nurses. Now
that is the LeRoy we all know and love.
By report, this
all started yesterday evening and has continued through today. His
responses are appropriate and he is displaying some of those
wonderful facial expressions he has. The neurosurgeon and
neurologist are both optimistic at this point.
The main hurdle
continues to be getting him off the respirator. Now that he is
awake and can communicate, strides can be made to attempt to get him
off the respirator.
Keep saying
those prayers, they are working!
Lynn
Monday December 3, 2007
Although visitation is pretty much restricted to immediate family, I received permission from Mary Jo to go and see
LeRoy today. I took my daughter Sara with me as she and Leroy have always had a great relationship.
I feel soooo much better after seeing for myself today. His color is very good and I saw him move both arms and both
legs. He appears to be conscious of the fact that his lips and mouth are dry and has very purposeful movements of trying
to lick his lips, etc. While this is small, it is a good sign.
While is no longer in a drug induced coma, he is receiving a lot of pain medication for his injuries and an anti-anxiety agent
to take the "rough edges" off of his ICU stay. He does respond to painful stimuli--another good sign.
Gone is the long hair and I teased him about the new Marine crew-cut and asked him if he had a good old ooo-rah for me.
As Sara and I were talking to him, he appeared to be actually attempting to say something back to us. I checked with the
nurse on duty and he indicated he had seen these attempts as well during the past few days.
Now, I could not get much of a response from him and I could not get him to open his eyes, but Sara got a wonderful
response from him. Sara was rubbing his arm and had taken his hand to tell him we were leaving. LeRoy did not actually
grasp Sara's hand, but he took her hand and moved it on his stomach as if to prevent her from leaving. It brought tears
to my eyes.
This is a very frustrating situation for everyone. It is all wait and see. Yes, it has been over two weeks now, but it could
take up to six weeks before he is ready to leave ICU. No one really knows at this point, but I am much more optimistic
today.
Right now the biggest hurdle he has is getting him off the ventilator. While he is not requiring a great deal of oxygen,
he is requiring some fine tuning of the respirator pressure to keep his lungs good and ventilated. This will be touch and
go for the next few weeks.
All of his abrasions from the freshly paved asphalt are healing. He does have a "zipper" on his head from the craniotomy
he had. It looks very clean and free of any infection.
All in all, I was very pleased with his status. I wish I could have seen those pretty blue eyes though.
As I have been saying, this is a long process and we will all have to be patient. Daily updates are not necessary at this
time because he is stable and just needs time for everything to heal. If there is some drastic change, it will be
communicated via this web site.
Continue saying prayers for LeRoy, he does need them. He and Mary Jo have a long road ahead of them.
To add to this note, the money raised at the Wooly Booger Bawl was donated to LeRoy and is being placed in the trust
fund at Bank of the South (see info above). Good job Boogers--Les would be so proud of all of you!
Lynn
Wednesday November 28, 2007
Hi All,
My information comes straight from Mary Jo and I send to you as an update that any of you have requested I
send. Pretty soon there will be a web site for you to post comments and receive updates regarding LeRoy's
recovery. This will be a blessing because more info can be provided and you can send your well wishes to
LeRoy. More info on this as soon as it becomes available.
Now, to the king (that IS what his name means): efforts at getting LeRoy ready for rehabilitation are
progressing. Can't expect him to get better in a coma induced state. Two things are crucial for that right
now: breathing and eating, simple as that. Both are being accomplished by tubes that are currently passed
down his throat. Lots of pressure on such a small, soft area-the throat. The larynx (voice box) is right
in there with everything in this crowded little space.
The doctors plan to address his airway problems by placing a temporary tracheotomy, thus alleviating his
throat of one tube. The trach will also allow him to talk. Right now he couldn't mutter a word if he
wanted to talk. Initially he will continue to be on a respirator until he can be weaned off to room air.
This will be an on and off situation and will require patience on every one's part, including LeRoy.
A temporary gastrostomy (feeding) tube will be placed in LeRoy's stomach. This will better allow the staff
to monitor his fluid intake (very important for the pulmonary functions too) and get yet another tube out
of his throat. Once good feeding schedules are set, he will get rid of those nasty IVs as well.
Both of these procedures are being done today. Please don't gasp as you read this. These measures are not
necessarily permanent. No progress can be made until he is un-teathered from the tubes and lines. In the
next few days, they will slowly bring him out of the drug induced coma. This is going to be touch and go.
Can you imagine being under anesthesia for almost two weeks, with only small snatches of reality from time
to time? Not a pretty picture.
I have warned Mary Jo (like she needed it) that LeRoy is a fighter. While some of us find this admirable in
him, now is not the time for LeRoy to be "acting up". But we all know how hard it is going to be for him to
face the realities of what has happened and what lies ahead for him (which no one knows at this time).
Getting these two procedures done and him out of the coma are the front burner issues right now. After
those things are accomplished, assessments will be done to better assess what rehabilitation needs LeRoy
will have.
Mary Jo is going to do her best to be at the Wooley Booger Bawl this Saturday/4PM at Paradise. Come on
out and see her to get a live update and to wish her and LeRoy well. Keep praying for LeRoy and Mary Jo,
as well as LeRoy's mother, Maggie.
Lynn
Tuesday November 27, 2007
I spoke with Mary Jo earlier today. LeRoy had a uneventful weekend, which is a good thing.
Respiratory cultures taken did not grow anything, so he does not have pneumonia. He is continuing to have
some problems with increased secretions and the pulmonologist is staying right on top of things. He
is still ventilated by a respirator and being kept in a light coma.
According to Mary Jo, the doctors feel they can better control ALL of LeRoy's injuries, by keeping him
heavily sedated, which in turn requires the respirator. Another week of heavy sedation and very
close monitoring. There is some concern that the breathing tube may at some point have to be removed
and a temporary tracheotomy will be placed. That bridge will be crossed when it has to be crossed.
During a visit with his cousin, LeRoy was able to respond to his cousin with eye movements and hand
squeezing. We know you are in there somewhere LeRoy!
He is still requiring blood from time to time. He may get 2 units in one day and the next day may not
receive any at all. He is stable. Mary Jo says a good bit of the swelling has gone down and he is
looking more like himself.
Time and patience. Hard pills to swallow aren't they? You can help by donating blood. It is my
understanding that a trust fund is in the process of being set up at Bank of the South if you wish to make
a cash donation. I am not sure when the account will be officially opened, but it will be soon. Keep
praying for a speedy recovery for LeRoy and I will keep you posted as Mary Jo updates me.
Lynn
