a little bump in the road

Well -- Tyler has been making small improvements since coming home from the hospital last Friday.

However, this morning he awoke with a low-grade fever and kept telling me he was hot while holding on to his head.

Two hours later -- sure enough he began to have a foul-smelling discharge from his trach with thick secretions being coughed up.

I called the doctor right away who, in turn, called in an antibiotic for Tyler to get started on right away.

Hopefully we caught this early enough that he won't have to go back in the hospital.

Keep your fingers crossed.

The photo above was taken last October as Craig and Tyler were cleaning out the inside of a pumpkin. You can see that Tyler found this to be very amusing.

home watching baseball

Well -- Tyler is home and doing well.

He has a ways to go before he can get his strength and stamina back. He's currently sitting up in the office chair three or four times a day for about 30 minutes each time.

That doesn't sound like much progress but remember -- he's been lying in a hospital bed for over six weeks now and his strength is low.

Craig moved a T.V. set into Tylers room so they can watch baseball while recuperating from the asthma ordeal.

You can see that Tyler has lost a little bit of weight but he's happy being home with dad.

I'm happy that he's happy.

getting better each day

Well - what can I say?

Tyler continues to improve a little bit every day. His strength and stamina are slowly getting higher.

The one thing that hasn't faded is his smile and his jest for life.

Here is is lying in the hospital bed after Dad read him "The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy" and all he can do is smile.

Even with six EKG wires attached to his chest, a blood pressure cuff attached to his arm, an IV in his wrist and the CPAP machine attached to his trach -- he always has a smile for anyone who says 'hi.'

You gotta love this kid.

happy birthday Tyler

Another birthday for Tyler!

He's 24-years old now. Every day we've spent caring for him has been worth the little smile on his face.

Unfortunately he had to spend this birthday in the hospital.

However, in true Tyler fashion -- he had all the female nurses doting on him all day.

Just after lunch I brought in a yummy chocolate cake with whipped cream icing. The doctors, nurses and I sang "Happy Birthday" to him and he lit up like a Christmas Tree.

He kept pointing to himself just to let everyone know whose birthday we were celebrating.

Earlier in the day -- Craig and I started at the hospital to get his special day off to a good start.

This photo is of Tyler hamming it up for the camera. Of course his buddy - Wrinkles - had to be in the picture with him.

small gains

First of all I need to apologize for not posting for a few days. The computer at my house hasn't been able to receive a signal from Cox Communications.

Tyler was home for a day -- experienced another severe asthma attack and had to come back to the hospital.

Between the doctors, nurses, respiratory staff and Craig and I -- we're racking our brains trying to figure out if something in our home is triggering the asthma.

Well -- apparently not. Last night while Craig was at the hospital with Tyler -- he suddenly experienced another asthma attack. Staff members quickly put him back on C.P.A.P. and he came out of it quickly.

That shoots down the 'environmental' issue. The doctors were actually thinking Tyler could be allergic to my kitties and they would have to go away. :(

Well since there aren't any kitties in the hospital -- Allie and Bernie will live to see another day in the Bell house.

Now we're talking about a home-ventilator program to assist him as needed. If he needs C.P.A.P. at nighttime -- he'll get it. If not, he'll stay on the mist collar.

Either way he'll be home with us were he belongs.

The photo shown above was taken during a 'play' session between Christi and Tyler. Christi would often times dress Tyler up in girl clothes. Obviously Tyler didn't give a rip. As long as someone loves him -- he's a happy boy.

being naughty

Well Tyler certainly surprises us all.

The past couple of day in I.C.U. have helped him to become stronger, gain stamina and regain some of his strength.

In addition, his naughtiness has returned. That is the sure sign that he is on the road to recovery.

He has found the buttons on his bed which allow the head and the foot of the bed to rise and fall. This is certainly amusing when anyone is in the room to watch him. The nurse call light is also a great source of entertainment.

As I was sitting with him today I couldn't figure out why the nurses kept returning to the room asking what we needed and if everything is OK.

Then I spied the little naughty hand playing with the call light. Just as he was ready to push the button I asked him 'Tyler - what are you doing?'

Of course he offered up his naughty hand as proof, once again, that he wasn't responsible for the mayhem. It was the naughty hand that got him in trouble.

It's nice to see the naughty hand return.

tyler, tyler, tyler

For all of you who are following this blog to keep track of Tyler's progress -- thank you.

The photo shown above was taken during a visit to Tucson to visit his sister Christi. Apparently he didn't want to sit next to her.

Tyler is doing better today. The C.P.A.P. machine was turned off this afternoon and the mist/oxygen collar was put back on. He was breathing very well throughout the hours and during a small nap.

As he was resting I was watching his sleep and wondering 'why Tyler' -- why does this sweet little guy have to endure so much? Well, I'll never get the answer to that question.

However, Tyler always seems to come though all of these situations with a smile on his face.

I was also wondering why this family? We all care for him, watch over him and keep his needs first. Just then a medical helicopter was landing on the rooftop above us. Tyler woke up and smiled because he likes airplanes and helicopters as much as I.

Then it occurred to me. Every time a medical helicopter flies overhead another family is affected my a medical crisis. Every ambulance that goes screaming by your car or house another family is affected. Every car accident will affect another family. And so on and so forth.

So, it's not just our family. It's every family. It's the families of the recent plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean. It's families throughout the world who are affected by medical events which will change the course of their lives forever.

To have the course of ones life changed isn't necessarily for the worse. Tyler is a joy to be around and will always give you a smile and a hug.