Late October Updates & Prayer Requests

Hopping on with this week's updates. I'll keep it short and sweet:

• On 10/16, Brian's 33rd birthday, we were able to spend the afternoon outside with family & lots of friends! 
• Two weeks ago, Brian had a mini storming episode before I left one night. I bought Brian a ring that tells me his blood oxygen and heart rate and as I was leaving, I heard the alarm go off that his HR was in the 100s and he visibly started to look uncomfortable. The urgent care team came to monitor and they trusted my input and treated it as neuro-storming with a nitro glycerin patch and it solved his elevated HR and BP. He's been stable ever since! We are pretty certain it was triggered by allergies, but it could also be a random incident indicative of healing (hoping for the latter).
• On Saturday, Brian received the flu shot, which made for a sleepy weekend. 
• Tomorrow, Brian will go for a swallow test in the morning to see if we can start giving him blended solids (like apple sauce) and other flavored drinks that he likes. Pray for excellent results!
• Wednesday morning, Brian is going to the ENT to have his trach evaluated. If all looks good, she agreed to remove it. This will be a BIG step! Please pray the trach comes out once and for all and that he starts to turn his vocalizations into attempted words and talking!!
• We put in an offer on a house and are still in negotiations. Because I am eager to get Brian home before the holidays, please pray that the sellers will meet us in the middle and accept our final offer (or that something better or even more ideal pops up that we can quickly close on). We got an extension at his current facility until the end of November (and we'd likely need more time to do home mods once we close on something) so please, keep the perfect housing arrangements and timeline in your prayers so that stars align! Holidays will inevitably be hard, but moving and getting settled will be a nice distraction for me.
• Overall, Brian looks better every day. His vocalizations are becoming louder and more frequent, his speech sessions have improved (getting great swallows, hence the swallow test), PT & OT are doing co-treats and keeping Brian's body mobile and stretched out. His tracking seems to be improving and localizing toward sound better. His command following is still inconsistent.
• I purchased a Vielight helmet for Brian, which provides photobiomodulation treatments that encourage cell regeneration in the brain. You can read more about it here if you're interested, but I started this with him last night and am excited to see if it helps him at all!: https://www.vielight.com/
• I learned how to cut Brian's hair and give him a military fade, so he's lookin' like a stud :)

Please hold Brian up in your prayers with this big week ahead! I'm praying that after the trach is out, we start to see him turn a corner! The big goal is obviously still emerging to full consciousness, but I want to pray over all the small steps in between as he continues to heal! Protection over our transport this week, positive results for his tests & exams, lots of good sleep, receptiveness to alternative treatments that I am trying with him, and an answer to where 'home' will be in the next chapter! 

Thank you for your relentless & continued support in this difficult, long journey.

"Do not despise the small beginnings, for the eyes of the LORD rejoice to see work begin."

-Zechariah 4:10 TLB

(birthday celebration)

The Got Your Six Foundation will be raising funds through the end of November to help support us in our move, transition, and my ability to stay by Brian's side: https://gofund.me/a8f5908c