August 04, 2005
I sit here in San Diego and it's the worst place to be right now because I want to be with my brudda every day. I get updates daily, but it's not the same as being there. I'm sure you know how I feel. Mike's off the respirator, but for now only whispering and lightly talking due to the swelling caused by the respirator tube. I haven't yet been able to talk with him for more than a few seconds at a time on the phone. He sounds exhausted and being in bed for 3 weeks I'm sure has taken its toll on his stamina.
The burns on his left side (arm, hand, and foot) are healing well. He will have will have full use of his left fingers and toes. The grafting on his back and right flank are healing well with some patchwork being done here and there as the new skin tears in places. Concerning the deepness of the burns to his right arm, hand, leg and foot, things are mostly good.
He's waiting on a cosmetic surgery to add muscle tissue to the schin and ankle for skin grafting to be able to be added later. While loss of the right foot is still a last resort, there is a lot of work and healing to be done in order to save it. Mike's spirits are high and he's motivated by all of your support, he hears about it daily through Kate and Issac.
Still waiting... An upcoming surgery will determine how much of his fingers on his right hand will be lost. While he knows he'll have use of it, I'm certain that he'd like to keep as much of it as possible. More as we know. He's still looking at another month of hospitalization and surgeries, barring any major complications. After that- another 8 to 10 months of rehabilitation, occupational and physical therapy.
All in all Mike's progress is going well, he's a strong, healthy individual, which helps the healing process. He has good days and bad days, right now it's good. He's concious and aware most of the time as to what's going on. On a scale of 1 to 10, he says the pain is a constant "6", sometimes worse which I can't imagine.
I'll soon add an address for you to write him while he's in the hospital. Thank you for your love and support and your visits, online and in person.
If you would like more information please contact at:
619-335-3542
or contact via e-mail at:
admin@staggersd.com
Thank you so much for everything that has been done on Michael's behalf.