Logan got back to TIRR yesterday evening, after a week at Memorial Hermann. Today the therapists began to assess his condition, compared to ~2 weeks ago when the last theraphy was done. He was awake all day and seemed to handle the activities well, in addition to sitting up for several hours without any nausea or rise in blood pressure. It was a very pleasant change not to need his helmet. Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers and support.

                         Logan started running fever on Christmas eve. He was having some respiratory problems after the surgery as well. The post-op breathing problem has pretty much resolved itself, but the fever has continued. So far, nothing has shown up in his blood work or cultures that would explain the fever. It is responding to tylenol and today he seemed fairly comfortable. At this point, we're hoping that his temperature will gradually get back to normal and he can be released back to TIRR; had it not been for the abnormal temperature, he would have already been sent back. We had trouble with our internet connection for a couple of days and were unable to wish you all a merry Christmas, but we hope everyone had a great holiday.

         Logan has been moved to a neuro unit; he was in the ICU due to a bed shortage. His blood pressure and heart rate have been a little high, so they've been giving him medicines to address those two things. Other than that, he is doing okay. His lungs are clear and he hasn't had fever. It's unlikely with Christmas and the weekend coming up that we'll get back to TIRR this week. It's difficult to get medical transport on the weekends.             

                  Logan is out of surgery; everything went well. He is still in recovery, but should be in a room within an hour. If things continue to go smoothly, he will be here for a couple of days. We are hoping to get back to TIRR by Christmas, but we'll have to wait and see how things go. Thanks to all for your contined prayers and support.

                                The plate has arrived and the surgery is scheduled for early Tuesday morning. Logan has been kept in bed over the weekend and today as well. There has been an increase in the fluid which makes the indention on the right side of his head much less pronounced; that has been the objective of the special positioning prior to surgery. I will try to post an update by Tuesday evening if at all posible. Please keep him in your prayers.

                     Nothing much happening which is not necessarily a bad thing. Logan is being taken out of bed for physical therapy again; he's on medication for the nausea so I guess that's why. He's being positioned on his right side a lot as of the last CT scan and he has to wear the helmet when he's on that side. The helmet makes his head hot and it looks uncomfortable, but he has to wear it until the plate is put in to replace the bone flap. I think we'll get a saw and cut the helmet to shreds after the surgery; I'm pretty sure Logan would do it if he could. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the plate will be shipped on time for Tuesday. There will much screaming and possibly some throwing of things if it does not.

               The surgery will not happen this week. According to the manufacturer, the plate will be shipped out from Colorado on Friday, the 18th. The new date for the surgery is Tues. the 22nd. I'll believe that when they tell me that they have the plate in Houston. Until then, they're doing what they can at TIRR without getting him out of bed.  

              Logan had another CT scan done on Friday, the eleventh. We don't think there was any significant change. He is still having problems with nausea when he is moved around, so they're limiting that. We were told that the Dec. 16th date for the surgery is probably not going to happen; we don't really know what is going on, but suspect that the plate will not arrive by then. We'll have to call the neurosurgeon on Monday to find out what the problem is; I'll post something more definitive when I get the information.

                           There's not been much to talk about since the last post. Logan's eyes seem to have less involuntary movement since the shunt was turned off which would help with focusing. He also has periods of wakefulness where his eyes are wide open and not in a half-closed position like they have been for the past week or so. Whether or not anything significant will occur as a result of the shunt adjustment remains to be seen. He had an episode of vomiting today; we're not sure what that's about. Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and support; it means more than you can imagine.

                    The CT scan done on Tuesday did not look good. Apparently, there has been a shift in Logan's brain which is putting pressure on the brain stem. It is my understanding that the absence of the skull flap and the draining of fluid by the shunt are probably responsible for the movement. The placement of the plate ,which is still in the process of being made by the manufacturer, is what is needed most at this time; unfortunately, it won't arrive in Houston until Dec. 16th, which is when he is scheduled for the surgery. Meanwhile, the neurosurgeon has turned Logan's shunt off hoping to effect some kind of repositioning by allowing more fluid back into the ventricles. Until the surgery, he must remain in bed and will only receive whatever therapy that can be done from that position. He has not been very alert over the past week and there has been no return of movement on the right side. It is possible that these issues could be resolved by the placement of the plate and adjusting of the shunt afterwards; as always, we have to wait and see. It is imperative that he remain infection free until the surgery, so bloodwork is being done frequently. He always appears to be comfortable and his lungs remain clear; we are thankful for that.