A week or two at once

July 5 FB post:
Not much has really changed today. Colby has drank a lot and eaten a little, but he's kept it all down!!  Still really unstable. When the PT came and worked with him, she told him not to walk with anyone but her except to go to the bathroom, because of how much she had to help him. They had to take a break so she could rest. So that means he can really only walk around once a day, and he gets a little restless sitting in that bed all day. She worked with him quite a bit stretching his muscles and when she was done he was tired! He had a lot of visitors today, which was nice and he loved, but he was pretty exhausted by the time they all left. When I got back to the hospital tonight he was asleep, so I didn't wake him up when I left. Dr. R was there just starting rounds so I just talked to him and we left Colby to get sleep. He's going to talk to the PT and change what she did about walking. He says that's the best thing for him to get stronger, get the medicine to wear out of him and get his bowels moving. Sure hope she doesn't get yelled at too much!! After some other things the dr. changed it doesn't sound like we'll be out of there by Monday or even Tuesday. Which is fine, I need him better, stronger, and more stable before I take him home. And it's sounding like he may have to be in a rehab center for a little bit once we get there. Not sure how I feel about that, or how he'll feel about it when he hears. But we'll have to wait and see. That's just talk right now. That's really all for today! Amazing huh?! Our kids are coming up tomorrow and I am so excited to see them. I miss them so much!!

July 7:
Trying to keep kids quiet and holding still at the hospital is a challenge. We have to do whatever it takes to keep them happy!

July 9:
Here are some of the things Colby has to work on daily. It's amazing to me the things he has to re-learn. I guess he doesn't really have to re-"learn" them, but gain the strength and balance to do them again. And most of it is simple things that we take for granted every single day.

July 10 FB post:

It's been a few days and lots of people are wondering about Colby. Here's a little recap of the last few days.
They've moved him to the Physical Therapy floor where he'll get around 3 hours of therapy a day. Physical, occupational, and they're doing a little speech right now too. Sunday he was walking with the PT upstairs, and Dr. R came by. He ripped the bandage off while Colby was standing. We all kind of freaked out and were totally surprised he would do that, but Colby said it didn't really hurt, and I was amazed at how clean the incision was. They didn't have to wipe it off at all!! 

July 9

He got down here on the PT floor Tuesday afternoon, not in time to have any therapy that day. But the admit evaluations were good enough for the day. Yesterday, being his first real day on the floor was a busy one. The PT will come in, say its time to go and help him transfer, just so he's safe, but he has to wheel himself to the gym, and scoot in and out of the chair pretty much by himself. It's actually good for Colby, and he likes that he's moving around.
His vision is still struggling. He can see, and they've taken the patch away and taped his glasses instead, so the double vision isn't there, but he can't see very clear.
Still hasn't used the bathroom. Catheter is out and they're doing almost everything they can to get him to go on his own, but it's not working. I'm nervous about the next step for him in that area.
He's still pretty unstable, and it's pretty much on the left side. When he walks, the way it looks to me is like his leg is asleep and it kind of flops. He does have feeling there, so not quite sure what's going on there. Dr. R says there's no reason these things shouldn't be working except the vision, he didn't touch any of those sensories. So we'll try to be patient and wait for therapy to kick in and start working. He's totally wiped out when they're done for the day.
Kent and Sherie came to visit Tuesday, and since they're friends with Dr. R he came and spent a good amount of time with us and showed us his before and after scans of the tumor. He also talked to me a little about biopsy results. We're meeting with him later today so he can explain everything to Colby and I and make sure we understand it all before I try and pass the information on. What we do know is there will not be anymore surgery. Right now we are focusing on getting him better, healthier, stronger before we move on to the next step. We are still waiting for some results, and hoping to have those tomorrow before I go home for a couple of days.

Melanie sent some yummy treats to us today!!

Also today they worked on walking with a walker. That dang left leg of his just doesn't quite know when and where to step. 

July 14 FB post:

Little update today. I went home over the weekend to spend some time with my kids, and repack bags for this week. It was so good to just be with them in their normal environment, and around family! My hat goes off to anyone who spends more than a week in the hospital!!
We are so blessed to have so many family and friends who live up north, and have been so willing to come by, help with anything we need, or just even call. Colby has had lots of visitors, and it feels amazing knowing so many people care about him, and our family!! So thank you to everyone who entertained him while I was gone!! Ha, like I'm entertaining at all! He probably loved having other people there way more!!
While I was gone, they took out his stitches, his scar looks pretty good. They don't do as much therapy on the weekends, so Saturday was an ok day, but Sunday he only had an hour of therapy all day. The bathroom situation is pretty much the same. They've got him on a fluid schedule, so he has to keep track of what he drinks, cath every 4 hours and make sure he empties what he drank. He doesn't love it...at all!! But it is what it is. 

They think while he was up on 14, his bladder got so stretched out that they've got to get it back to its normal size and then it will start working on its own. I'm praying everything in that department starts working quickly, on its own!!
Today the PT (Lance) took him outside and we did car transfers. Colby did awesome!! I was worried but with the car there for him to hold on to and support him, he does great!! When he got back to the room he told him he would tell the dr. Colby's cleared to leave the hospital with me for a little while when he wants. I'm sure he's dying to get out of here, even for just an hour! 

Still waiting to hear from Dr. R more test results. He was hoping to have them today sometime. And until we hear from the therapy floor dr., we don't know how long we'll be here. More than likely, the rest of this week. Which is ok. I'm totally wiling to do whatever I have to at home to help Colby, but I'm not physically capable to support him. So I need him to be completely stable, and able to transfer himself. So we'll do whatever we have to in order to get him to that point.
We're so thankful for everyone that comes to visit, sends food smile emoticon, calls, texts...all of it!!! We have had so much help with kids, and I will forever be in debt to all who have played a part in this whole journey. We are still putting all our faith in our Heavenly Father, and praying that everything Colby is dealing with will start working again, and that he can get himself back to feeling 'normal' again. I'm certain we'll have our new normal for a while. And it will be difficult, but it's ok. We all need to have challenges, and we're taking this one day at a time, the best way we know how!