One week ago, I wrote to you and asked for your healing thoughts for my nephew Danny, who woke up that morning and told his mom that he couldn't stand up.
On Saturday, I provided a less-than-enthusiastic update on his condition.
TODAY DANNY HAS GONE HOME!
Last Tuesday, Danny went to the ER at Loyola Medical Center. Before the next morning, when he was checked in, he was diagnosed with Acute Transverse Myelitis. He could not stand, could not walk.
He was treated with steroids via IV for three days, and continued (and continues) to receive them orally. Friday and Saturday nights, he was given a Gamma Globulin IV for 8 hours each night.
Right or wrong, I will always believe that the Gamma Globulin changed things around.
Friday was the day from hell. I told Danny (who I do not blame for being cranky, grumpy, upset, pissed off, and a regular pain in the ass) that the people at the hospital who he was yelling at loved him, because they hadn't thrown him off the roof. Danny was angry, and got angrier.
And they didn't throw him off the roof. They gave him gamma globulin. When I phoned on Saturday, he was playing with his doggy toys, and saying "Sandy" "poopy" and "arf, arf, arf" on the phone, to make me laugh. And when I visited Sunday, he was even more upbeat.
Last night, his brother Eddie ran his fingers over the sole of Danny's foot, and Danny pulled his knee toward his chest, away from Eddie's fingers.
It was the first time in nearly a week that he'd moved either of his feet.
Today when Grandma, Grandpa, Eddie and I arrived, Danny was moving his legs, kicking mommy's hands, wiggling his toes.
As you can see, he's easily frustrated, but he is doing a great job. (He also didn't understand that my camera took movies, until I showed it to him later.)
He will be (or probably has been) released to go home. He will be going to a local rehabilitation hospital as an out-patient (THANK GOODNESS...) and they will work on strengthening his legs. Our own StrangeAnimals has told me/my family that it will likely take 1 to 3 months to get a long-range prognosis. But for now, I would like to quote what he said after I told him about Danny moving his leg:
Great news that heralds more to come!
This diary will be updated - I'm uploading more video, and photos (and uploading both at the same time, and watching Jonathan Creek on YouTube - and that's all Gussie Fink-Nottle's fault, for turning me into a Jonathan Creek junkie - things are running a little slowly.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO THOUGHT GOOD THOUGHTS, WHO PRAYED, WHO HOPED, WHO WISHED, WHO SAID NICE THINGS, WHO UNDERSTOOD, OR WHO TRIED TO UNDERSTAND... And please - as Danny starts his next road of recovery, continue to think of him.
Mommy, Danny, and Eddie:
and then Danny posed "cute" alone:
The nurse removes his monitors:
Happy Danny in the wheelchair:
The infamous train set (that is locked up on weekends):
The floor of the entry to the children's hospital is pretty cool - the red footprints belong of course to Ronald McD - the hospital is the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital.
And Chicago Landmarks like the Water Tower and Picasso (and sports teams, etc) are on the floor as well -