SupportLouis.com http://supportlouis.com/blog Support Louis Blog Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:37:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 en As of now… http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=6 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=6#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:57:09 +0000 Louis Romano http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=6 First I would like to say sorry that there hasn’t been an update in so long. 

I have been so busy running around . . . its a lot of work to get better.  Anyway I know everyone is wondering what is going on with me and what my status is.  As of yesterday I became an out patient.  They moved me out of the hospital and moved me into an apartment/hotel type living quarter.  It is very nice and very relaxing.  It gets you away from the busy hospital and lets you relax when you don’t have appointments.  The treck tube is gone, the c collar is gone, everything is gone except my feeding tube and my picc line.  The picc line is like a long term IV, they put it in because my IV  sites weren’t lasting but a few hours.  My voice is coming back and I can communicate my mouth now. 

It is still hard and takes a lot of energy to talk loud enough when I’m somewhere busy.  I am completely deaf in my right ear.  They closed it up because they were afraid it would get infected and ruin the replacement nerves in my face.  The feeling and movement is starting to come back on my face.  Not a lot and still has a long long long way to go but I notice a small change in how much actually moves now. 

I am getting stronger I became so weak and lost so much weight.  I weigh now 155 which i haven’t weighed since 8th grade.  This time I was 220 and then from diet and working out while overseas I had gotten down to 183.  I weighed myself the week before i got shot and now 155.  I am so scrawny I need to eat. . . which brings us into my swallowing . 

I have been allowed to swallow liquids only and only if it turn my head to the right.  By turning my head to the right when I swallow it helps my vocal cords close all the way so liquids do not slip down my air way.  I can’t eat the steak and potatoes yet but I’m clear for the beer.  :)

I have another swallowing study the first week in January which I am hoping I get cleared for a more solid food.  Right now all i can eat is a broth, boost, ensure, or a coke.  The next level is like shakes, puddings, yogarts, and that type of food.  It’s getting better and my recovery is going by so fast it blows everyones mind. 

I am so lucky to even be alive let alone doing what i do.   I have received so many cards and letters, i appreciate everyone so much i know all the prayers and support has everything to do with it.  I will try to keep this thing update as much as I can.  I will post at least once a week.  I thank you all again and until next time

God bless . . .

Louis

]]> http://supportlouis.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=6 1 Dec 07 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=5 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=5#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:08:00 +0000 Louis Romano http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=5           Today was a slow day not much happened.  A doctor from the infectious diseases department came by my room to check out my ear and look at the puss that was draining from my ear.   It is very important that my ear does not get infected.  If my ear were to get infected it would set back my recovery weeks and also might ruin the chances to repair the nerves and movement in my face.  He looked at my ear and did some tests and left.  I spent the rest of the day researching cars on the internet.  Trying to figure out what I can afford, insurance, and etc.  Dad and Claudia showed up right when I was laying down for a nap.  I hate when I have company and the meds have me too far gone and causes the waste of time together. 

]]> http://supportlouis.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=5 30 Nov 07 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=4 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=4#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:01:59 +0000 Louis Romano http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=4       Today I had surgery on my right ear.  I had my trach taken out a few days ago and it had already closed a lot.  The bad news is they had to put it back in.  Since my mouth was still wired, and the injuries I sustained kept them from putting a tube down my mouth, the only way to put me under for the surgery was the trach.  It was awful. . . taking a big peg and sticking it in a small hole in my neck.  Luckily my dad was there to help.  It was torture I cried, blood was everywhere, it felt like someone punched me in the throat and was drowning me.  They got it in and after a few minutes and I was okay, just in a bad mood.  I went and got cleaned up, put on my gown, and hopped in the bed ready to be transported downstairs.  It was around 11 am when they came to take me downstairs for prep for my surgery.  Dad and Claudia came down and hung out with me until they put me to sleep which was around noon or so.  I woke up in the recovery room about 6pm miserable and in tons of pain.  They gave me some IV pain killers to help with the pain that didn’t work as much as I wanted them to.  We waited in the recovery room until a few minutes after 7 for the shift to change on my ward and the new crew to get settled before they took me back.  They brought me back up stairs and dad and Claudia were in my room waiting on me.  We talked for a few minutes and my sister Emilee arrived from Baltimore where she lives these days.  She has been coming to visit on the weekends and when she doesn’t have to work.  We all hung out for a few and I remember being really drowsy.  They tucked me in and made me comfortable, said their goodbyes and headed to the hotel and I fell asleep.

]]> http://supportlouis.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=4 29 Nov 07 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=3 http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=3#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:59:01 +0000 Louis Romano http://supportlouis.com/blog/?p=3 Hello.
        First I would like to thank everyone for the prayers, cards, donations, and all the support. My recovery is going so well it’s unbelievable. It has only been a month and a few days since I was shot and my progress is remarkable. I couldn’t do it without everyone behind me, but please don’t stop! I still have a long road ahead of me.  The prayers, cards, letters, and donations are fueling me to get better.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
    
   Today they had planned on unpacking my ear from last week’s surgery and removing the wires that hold my mouth shut. When they unpacked my ear they discovered the operation last week had failed for the second time to repair my right inner ear.  The doctors state that the bullet has done too much damage and literally there is not enough to sew everything inside my inner ear back together in order to repair it.  This is a disappointment knowing my right ear will never hear naturally again.  They cannot leave my ear in this state.  The risk for infection is very high and could hamper the healing of earlier surgeries to repair the nerves in my face and throat.  The only thing left to is go back in the OR tomorrow morning and seal my right ear permanently closed inside the ear canal just  out of eye sight and insert a device called a BAHA. A BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) is a rod that is surgically implanted into the bone behind my ear to pass vibrations to my inner ear.  There is a device that attaches on the rod and takes noise and turns into vibrations to pass down the rod.  The device is state of the art and I said joking around it is my new implanted blue tooth cell phone. 

The Good news for the day is my Dad told me that I had been promoted to Sergeant.  This is awesome news, I am thrilled.  They even have the orders cut and everything.  My dad saved them on a thumb drive and had the nurses print them so I would have them handy.  He also told me that the sergeant in charge of me while in Afghanistan, “Tex” is going to visit within a week’s time and pin the rank on me.  In other good news, my friend Linda who we called the “Dorm Mother” in Afghanistan came by to visit me today.  I have not seen or spoken to her since June and was a very nice surprise.  Our visit was cut short when I had to go to my swallowing study and she promised to return next week.  I said my goodbyes to her and said a prayer as I walked to x-ray.  My last swallowing study went terrible.  The fluids went straight into my lungs,   I have been so scared that I will never be able to eat or drink normally again.  Never eat my grandmother’s home cooking again.   At my swallowing study my heart was racing. I was so nervous about how the results were going to be as they were setting up the test, the screens, and the cameras. They gave me some fluids and told me to swallow it.  I couldn’t, it was stuck inside my throat and then it just went down.  It was the best feeling knowing I just swallowed something, later in the video replay about 70% of the fluid went to my stomach and 30% stayed in my throat and I coughed back up.  The doctor gave me 2 more cc’s of fluid and told me to turn my head.  This would help pinch off my airway and allow the fluids to go in my stomach, and it did!  All of it went down and into my stomach.   The feeling was so incredible.  It was a sign that I am healing and one day soon I can eat real food and drink my coke that sits waiting on my shelf.   I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get back to the room and share the information with my Dad and step mom Claudia.  My dad and step mom Claudia who live in Slovakia just happened to be visiting the United States when I was shot on October 27th.  
They both dropped everything and rushed to DC to be with me.  They have been great to me.  Every day they have been at my bedside, giving me courage and direction.  I have not spent this much time with my father in so long, it is great having them so close. They plan on staying until December 12th, which is still 10 more days but is right around the corner.  Emilee, my sister, and I are going to hate to see them go.

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