Today we found out that Dana's infection is most likely coming from his lungs. The antibiotics he was put on yesterday seem to be working because his fever broke and his temperature is back down in the normal range. During the night, the nurse aspirated his lungs to get out all of the "junk" and now his oxygen levels are back up. This evening he will be going for a CT scan of his stomach in order to determine why he is not tolerating his tube feedings.
We are happy to report that Dana was more alert and responsive tonight when we all went in to visit him. As we talked to him he kept opening his eyes wide and was smiling and trying to answer us through nods, thumbs up, and some facial expressions. He was a pretty funny guy tonight. We read him the letter from Mr. Armstong that we posted on the blog and when we asked him if he thought that was pretty cool he widened his eyes, raised his eyebrows, smirked and shook his head yes! We all just continued to talk to him and let him know we were here. Everytime he seemed to doze off we said goodbye and his eyes shot open, as if saying "I'm not that tired yet." It's nice to know that after all this time, he still enjoys our company. When Brittany told Dana she was taking care of his little black sports car, he gave us a concerned look but when she told him she wasn't driving it around he smiled and seemed relieved. As Courtney said goodbye for the time being, he puckered up for her and she leaned in for a big smooch. So overall, it was a very special night for everyone and we look forward to having more of these interactions with Dana.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday Morning quick update
Update from the waiting room. Dana had a restful night. He still has a temperature and the docs just performed a lumbar puncture to run a test on his spinal fluid to see if that may be a source of the infection. Tough guy that he is, Dana tolerated the procedure just fine. He is resting comfortably. We think we may have the test result later today.
We'll keep you posted. over and out for now.
Linda
We'll keep you posted. over and out for now.
Linda
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Reporting in....
We hope we didn't upset all of our virtual waiting room viewers by not updating the blog until now. The truth is, we all kind of needed a little time today to catch up on some things and refresh our minds.
Dana's progress still has not changed a whole lot. But, that being said, he's still doing well. The physicians do have a game plan for next week, but once again it will all depend on how Dana's doing. At this point, they'd like to do his back surgery either Monday or Tuesday. A day or two after that they'll reset his elbow and do some skin grafting. They're hoping the Wound Vac takes care of most healing on his arm, but that might still need some skin grafting.
It's just one of those days where you sit and wonder how this kind of thing happens. But we also talked about how it makes you realize how in times of need your family and friends reach out and keep you going. It's been a trying time but knowing all of you are there, we know we have some great things to look forward to with Dana...in time. Thanks for your patience today with waiting for an update.
Dana's progress still has not changed a whole lot. But, that being said, he's still doing well. The physicians do have a game plan for next week, but once again it will all depend on how Dana's doing. At this point, they'd like to do his back surgery either Monday or Tuesday. A day or two after that they'll reset his elbow and do some skin grafting. They're hoping the Wound Vac takes care of most healing on his arm, but that might still need some skin grafting.
It's just one of those days where you sit and wonder how this kind of thing happens. But we also talked about how it makes you realize how in times of need your family and friends reach out and keep you going. It's been a trying time but knowing all of you are there, we know we have some great things to look forward to with Dana...in time. Thanks for your patience today with waiting for an update.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Cool News
Thank you for patiently waiting for the good/cool news. So wait no more!
As you all probably know, Lance Armstrong has always been at the top of Dana's most influential people. Having survived cancer, Lance's journey inspired Dana to maintain his positive attitude through his own bout with cancer. Since that point Dana has biked across the country, run as fast as he could to raise money, and logged countless mileage all in the name of cancer and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
So look to the right or below and you'll find the cool news. It might not seem like much but we believe a personal note written to Dana from Lance himself may inspire Dana to pull through any hurdle that lies in his way, just as Lance did.
P.S. we're sorry the "good" part of the news isn't directly referring to Dana, but if you know Dana, you'll know what this will mean to him.
As you all probably know, Lance Armstrong has always been at the top of Dana's most influential people. Having survived cancer, Lance's journey inspired Dana to maintain his positive attitude through his own bout with cancer. Since that point Dana has biked across the country, run as fast as he could to raise money, and logged countless mileage all in the name of cancer and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
So look to the right or below and you'll find the cool news. It might not seem like much but we believe a personal note written to Dana from Lance himself may inspire Dana to pull through any hurdle that lies in his way, just as Lance did.
P.S. we're sorry the "good" part of the news isn't directly referring to Dana, but if you know Dana, you'll know what this will mean to him.
Wednesday, August 22 - 4:13 pm
We think Dana's back surgery will most likely happen next Monday(8/27) or Tuesday (8/28). He still has a temperature and we don't want to risk a set back. Dana is doing amazing. He rested well during the night and is still breathing on his own since Sunday night, so his lungs are steadily improving. He just arrived back from a procedure that involved installing a "Greenfield Filter". It's basically a way to catch any blood clots that may form.
Oh and sorry the blogsite was down. Apparently Google couldn't handle the traffic that this site was generating. We told Google to step up their side of the deal, so keep the traffic coming!
We also have other good/cool news but will have to post that a bit later. (Keep your refresh button clear)
Oh and sorry the blogsite was down. Apparently Google couldn't handle the traffic that this site was generating. We told Google to step up their side of the deal, so keep the traffic coming!
We also have other good/cool news but will have to post that a bit later. (Keep your refresh button clear)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Dana's Address
We have had many requests for Dana's mailing address. It is:
Albany Medical Center
43 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
Dana Carr
Room D3 19
Thanks so much for the notes of encouragement, faith, hope, love and good wishes for Dana.
Albany Medical Center
43 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
Dana Carr
Room D3 19
Thanks so much for the notes of encouragement, faith, hope, love and good wishes for Dana.
Tuesday, Aug. 21st.. 2:20
Here is the mid afternoon update. Dana had a restful night. The did do the Echo this morning but we're still waiting on the results. We're also waiting on culture results to determine the source of his higher temperature. The orthopedic physicians just re-splinted his left arm. We're also still waiting to hear when the next surgery will happen.
Over and out for now from the Virtual Waiting Room.
Over and out for now from the Virtual Waiting Room.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Monday Night
It's now 11:00 pm and we've just left the ICU a little bit ago. Today was a pretty good day...for everyone. Dana has been temporarily taken off his respirator. This is a very good sign that his lungs have begun to heal. However, he will only be off the respirator as long as he can tolerate it. If he, at any point, stops breathing or has difficulty, the respirator will alarm and begin to aide his breathing.
As for his back surgery we still have not heard what the plan is. We were under the impression it was going to take place Tuesday morning, but we haven't heard that it's still going to happen. So we think it's most likely going to be pushed back a little bit.
He had a fever for most of the day but it was down to 99 at the end of the night. It was at 101 yesterday so we're very pleased with that too.
He also had a wound vac put on his arm too where the operation to fix his forearm took place. If the wound vac heals the area the way they hope, he may not need a skin graft here.
We also mentioned earlier that an Echo cardiogram was done with no results. We were incorrect and that no Echo had been performed. We don't know if they still intend to do one in the morning, but we'll let you know.
He looked very peaceful and more at ease today. As a result, we too were more at ease with today's progress.
As for his back surgery we still have not heard what the plan is. We were under the impression it was going to take place Tuesday morning, but we haven't heard that it's still going to happen. So we think it's most likely going to be pushed back a little bit.
He had a fever for most of the day but it was down to 99 at the end of the night. It was at 101 yesterday so we're very pleased with that too.
He also had a wound vac put on his arm too where the operation to fix his forearm took place. If the wound vac heals the area the way they hope, he may not need a skin graft here.
We also mentioned earlier that an Echo cardiogram was done with no results. We were incorrect and that no Echo had been performed. We don't know if they still intend to do one in the morning, but we'll let you know.
He looked very peaceful and more at ease today. As a result, we too were more at ease with today's progress.
Update for Monday morning
After a restful Sunday, Dana continues to hang in there. His vitals are continuing to progress and remain consistent. He's recently developed a temperature and the physicians are looking into the source. His new IV line, which provides a port for medicines to be administered, can be left in now for a much longer period of time (up to a year). The old IV lines had to be removed every couple days, then cultured for potential infections. So the new IV line is a really good thing.
They performed an Echo cardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) this morning to determine if there were any "overlooked" issues. The results have not been determined yet.
Dana's left elbow, the one that was dislocated, might need to be reset as the physicians think it might not be aligned correctly.
Dana's a bit more alert and requiring more sedation to keep him from biting his breathing tube or from pulling it out. He's still a feisty one!
That's pretty much all that's going on today....so far. We'll keep you posted.
They performed an Echo cardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) this morning to determine if there were any "overlooked" issues. The results have not been determined yet.
Dana's left elbow, the one that was dislocated, might need to be reset as the physicians think it might not be aligned correctly.
Dana's a bit more alert and requiring more sedation to keep him from biting his breathing tube or from pulling it out. He's still a feisty one!
That's pretty much all that's going on today....so far. We'll keep you posted.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Quick Post
Hello everyone,
The latest Dana news is that the team here believes they've found the cause of Dana's lung issues. They think he has a "Flail Chest". If that's the case, they'll transfer him onto a special bed that will alleviate his chest issues. Then they should be able to perform the operation.
They're not sure if they are going to operate Monday or Tuesday. Either way, it looks and sounds much more positive.
As Dana becomes more awake and aware of his surroundings, he is becoming very anxious and excited. He wants to be able to talk and interact with all of his visitors. However, his heart rate and blood pressure are going way up when he hears familiar voices. He then opens his eyes and wants to interact. So we have decided that it is best to not have people go in and visit Dana until ater his surgery because it is so important for him to rest these next few days before surgery. He is becoming a bit feisty and wants his tubes out! The nurses also say, the more he becomes aware of things, the more he is going to feel the pain. So we want him to rest and feel as comfortable as he can as his body recovers.
We want to thank all who have traveled to see Dana. We know your visits have helped Dana realize he has so many people that love him. Now that he has come this far, we have to keep our emotions contained in the waiting room until after Dana's surgery. It will be very difficult not seeing him as frequently, but we also realize we need to do what's in Dana's best interest...not what's best for us. Thanks for your prayers, it is keeping us all going strong. We will check back in with you all tonight!
The latest Dana news is that the team here believes they've found the cause of Dana's lung issues. They think he has a "Flail Chest". If that's the case, they'll transfer him onto a special bed that will alleviate his chest issues. Then they should be able to perform the operation.
They're not sure if they are going to operate Monday or Tuesday. Either way, it looks and sounds much more positive.
As Dana becomes more awake and aware of his surroundings, he is becoming very anxious and excited. He wants to be able to talk and interact with all of his visitors. However, his heart rate and blood pressure are going way up when he hears familiar voices. He then opens his eyes and wants to interact. So we have decided that it is best to not have people go in and visit Dana until ater his surgery because it is so important for him to rest these next few days before surgery. He is becoming a bit feisty and wants his tubes out! The nurses also say, the more he becomes aware of things, the more he is going to feel the pain. So we want him to rest and feel as comfortable as he can as his body recovers.
We want to thank all who have traveled to see Dana. We know your visits have helped Dana realize he has so many people that love him. Now that he has come this far, we have to keep our emotions contained in the waiting room until after Dana's surgery. It will be very difficult not seeing him as frequently, but we also realize we need to do what's in Dana's best interest...not what's best for us. Thanks for your prayers, it is keeping us all going strong. We will check back in with you all tonight!
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