What a difference a week makes!

Hello friends,
Matt and I went to see Dan today for the first time in nearly a week and we were amazed at the progress he has made! He was making jokes, and had similar facial expressions and reactions as before the accident. He has lost 20 pounds, which is a lot for 2 weeks, but looks very good and healthy. He got a haircut and was able to take his first shower in 2 weeks today!!! I bet that felt great! They have a special stool that he can sit on in the shower and he stayed in for about an hour! That was a huge relief for him... and his visitors!:)
He is still disoriented about where he is and why he is there. It is almost harder to see him so in control and then slip up and say something about the office being at the hospital, or his room being his new house, but those thoughts don't last as long. He also has lot of lower back pain and he has been getting a lot of headaches/migraines. Kathy was in really good spirits today being with Dan while he was so like himself.
Thank you to the four of you who combined dropped off enough food to feed an army (or all of us Murray's). We are blessed by your generosity and thank you sincerely for the love and prayers that you have poured out before our great King on our behalf.
Love to you all,
The Family

A Frustrating Day

Hey Friends,
I just got off the phone with Kathy and she told me that Dan was very frustrated and tired today. His roommate last night was yelling a lot (probably in pain) and Dan wasn't able to sleep very well. The nurses moved Dan to another room and we are hoping and praying that he is able to sleep better tonight. He has made so many improvements, and part of the improvements is that he realizes that something is very wrong with him right now, but he isn't sure what it is. He understand enough to know that he doesn't know whats going on with him. I can only imagine that this is going to be one of the most difficulty stages that Dan faces. When he didn't know that anything was wrong, he was content to rest and get better. Once he realizes what is wrong, he will be able to work towards getting better... but this in between stage is so hard on him and on Kathy. I would like to ask you all to pray that this stage in Dan's recovery (even though we do recognize it as progress) does not last long. We are praying that Dan becomes aware of his surroundings and why he is in the hospital and how to get out. We love you all so much and thank you for your prayers and support.
-The Family

A New Day

Hello everyone, Today was much better day. Kathy ended up coming home around midnight last night and had her first really good and long sleep since the accident, two weeks ago. Dan had a hard time understanding why Kathy wasn't there first thing this morning, but he had lots of visitors, both friend and family, to help him get his day started. Dan is still very confused as to where he is. He thinks that for some reason his "other" house is closed up temporarily, and he and Kathy are now in the "new house." He is also very concerned about work. He knows that he is very behind and wants to call his boss and make sure he's not fired.
I can not imagine how frustrating it must be to not know or have the ability to fully understand what is going on, and why. I ask you all just to pray that Dan's ability to comprehend his situation is opened up, and out of that understanding a determination will be born. I can't wait for the day when Dan stops wondering when he will be able to go home and he realizes that with hard work- he CAN come home!
A special thank you to all of you who have responded in regards to meals for Kathy, your e-mails are an answer to our prayers. We are in this for the long haul, so anyone who still wants to bring meals, there will be opportunities in the weeks to come.
Much love to you all,
The Family

The good and the bad

Hey, everyone. Dan had a good day today. He walked very far during rehabilitation, which is great because we know that he can now, but it completely exhausts him. Today during lunch, he grabbed Kathy's hand and said, "OK, pray." We're excited that he is remembering his small habits from before the accident without prompting.

Kathy had a very rough day today. She stayed at the hospital for over 13 hours yesterday. I know that she needs to take care of Dan, but we also need to make sure that she is being taken care of now. She had to go to the ER this evening with chest pains. This has happened before and it is usually stress related. The doctors are planning to keep her over night, but it's just a precaution. I believe the doctors will just tell her to rest more.

This is where you come in, friends. If any of you are able to bring casserole type meals by for Kathy, or can commit to coming to the hospital for a day to stay with Dan for 30 minutes at lunch time while Kathy gets some fresh air and lunch, please e-mail me at: j.meghanmurray@gmail.com . Dan can't get better if Kathy isn't well, so we really appreciate your help. Please don't call Kathy tonight once you read this as we would like a peaceful night for her once she goes home. We love you all and thank you for your prayers and love,

The Family

Mirror, Mirror on the wall

Hey, friends! Today was a GREAT day for Dan! He had his 3rd day of rehabilitation. He worked on walking and he played (and won!) Bingo. When I spoke to Kathy on the telephone, I could hear Dan asking her clear questions that were completely in context. I almost cried! He had just received his dinner from the nurses and was asking Kathy where her dinner was and wanted her to get something to eat with him. He's still taking care of his baby. :)
Dan looked in the mirror for the first time today, and he was very upset with what he saw! He told Kathy that someone had given him a very bad haircut! All day he has been asking when he can get his hair fixed. This might seem like a little thing, but it so much like the Dan that he was before the accident that it is very encouraging to us. Today I realized that Dan is coming back to us and he's coming back soon. I know that we have a long road ahead, but we will reach the end. It's very comforting.
Thank you for all of your extra prayers for Kathy last night, please continue to remember her daily. She is doing a phenomenal job of taking care of Dan, but we don't want her to forget to take care of herself.
We love you all very much!
-The Family

Big day at work

Hello everyone! Today was Dan's second official day of rehabilitation. He worked with a nurse and some flash cards on his colors. He had a very difficult time identifying the correct colors and after a while told Kathy "It didn't go so good. I need to turn the computer off." I don't know if he thought that the colors were on a computer or if he as referring to his own brain, and just needed a rest. He also told Kathy "Matthew (his oldest son) needs to work on his colors." When Kathy came in this morning, all of the patients were in the hallway, visiting. Kathy asked Dan what he was doing and he told her that he was waiting for his conference at work to start. He has mentioned work several times to us, telling everyone that his work is piling up on his desk. He is anxious to return to that familiar place.
As I'm sure you can tell, Dan is still having a very difficult time with his communication. He never forgets to tell us that he loves us and he does have conversations with family and friends that make sense, but when it comes to describing what goes on at the hospital, he isn't generally able to.
Your prayers are more and more important to us. I ask you to not forget to lift Kathy up in prayer everyday, too. This is a very hard transition for her emotionally, as well as it is extremely taxing physically. She is traveling back and forth from the hospital everyday with little to no down time. When she is at the hospital, she is Dan's head nurse, taking care of him in anyway that he needs. She is also answering the phone all day long to give everyone updates. She goes home and barely has time to do anything before going to bed. I have never heard Kathy complain, but I know that this would be hard on anyone.
We love you and thank you sincerely for your well wishes and prayers,
The Family

Sonny's Bar-B-Que

Today was Dan's second day in the rehab center. All of his kids are going up to see him in various groups, because he is easily overwhelmed by large crowds. Matt and I saw him first thing this afternoon and we were surprised by the fact that his eyes were starting to look like normal again! This is great news.
Dan is very tired today because he had a rough first day in rehab yesterday. Sundays are for resting, so he is taking full advantage of that! He seemed a little confused and disoriented today. When his mother (via telephone) asked him if he was eating well he replied "I always eat well at Sonny's". Later on when Matt and I saw him, I asked if he'd had a shower and told him that he smelled nice. He told me "It always smells good at Sonny's." We all got a good laugh out of these two statements, but realize that he is genuinely confused and exhausted. We are taking this road with Dan one day at a time. We are rejoicing that he is able to use the bathroom (with assistance), and eat, and walk, but we are realizing that he can only do one of those things well per day. If he is exerting himself physically then its not a good day for visiting.
We know that all of these small steps are leading to a big recovery. I was very encouraged to receive this letter from friends of Dan and Kathy, and wanted to end today's blog by sharing it with you. Thank you again, loved friends, for your prayers.
Love,
The Family

The letter:

Dan & Kathy -
you are in our thoughts and prayers! Most of you do not know us, but we met Dan & Kathy several years ago. My husband and I were traveling to Myrtle Beach in 2003 and were involved in a horrific motorcycle accident not far from Charlotte. We were airlifted to CMC, but our families were told that we had a very slim chance of survival based on the brain injuries we had sustained. News of our accident spread in our hometown and somehow - by the Grace of God - the Charlotte chapter of the CMA heard of our accident. Dan, Kathy and several other members of the chapter began to visit with our families as they sat at our bedsides day after day waiting. The support that Dan and Kathy showed our families was so comforting as they were 3 hours from home and had little hope of our recovery at that time. Through God's will, my husband and I both survived. It has been a long road to recovery for us. We have continued to keep in touch with Dan and Kathy. When we received the call about Dan's accident, we were devastated. We contacted several of the local churches and had Dan and the family has been placed on Prayer Chains throughout southwestern Virginia.My advice to everyone close to Dan - never stop praying and celebrate every little step (chewing, swallowing, labored steps, broken words) because those are the foundation of his recovery. While my husband was in rehab, a friend told me, "Whatever God brings you to, God will get you through!" That statement is so true. Keep the faith! Please know that you all are in our thoughts and prayers everyday!
All our love,
Trey and Stephanie

Harry Houdini

Today was Dan's first day in rehab! His biggest motivator all day long was to get back into bed! In fact, while Kathy was talking to Dan's brother, Sam, on the phone, Dan unbuckled the seat belt on his wheelchair and shuffled back to bed where he promptly passed out.This earned him the nickname Houdini. He had a long and tiring day and will probably be too tired tonight to feed himself.
After talking to several people today and comparing notes with Kathy, I have come to realize that not many of you know the true condition that Dan is in. We in the family are trying very hard to focus on the positive, based on the advice of our dear and wise friend, Ms. Deborah, who told us not to focus on the 10% bad, but to meditate on the 90% that's good. We will continue doing that, and would like you to do this as well. However, I do think its necessary that you are aware of the whole picture with us, so here it goes: Dan is very, very sick. It is difficult for him to talk and focus. Chewing and swallowing have become two of his hardest tasks. While we do catch glimpses of Dan how he was, and know that he is working towards being himself again, it is a long way off. The doctors don't know if he will ever be able to return to work. (We believe he will!) The doctors don't know if he will ever be able to ride a motorcycle again. (We believe he will!) The doctors don't know if he will be able to fully recover before the end of 5 years. (We believe that he will!)
I don't tell you this so that you will be alarmed, but so that you will know what Dan is up against and so that your prayers can be more effective. Please join us as we constantly lift Dan and his recovery before our great King, who is ever able and willing to give good gifts to his children, of which Dan is one.
We love you all!
-The Family

Rehab

Good news! Dan's doctors and nurses felt that he was ready to be moved to the rehabilitation wing of the hospital today. Dan will be relearning everything from this day on. It is going to be very exhausting work, and he needs our prayers to get through each and every day. Please also be praying for Kathy. She had a very tough time leaving Dan tonight. She has been very strong throughout this entire ordeal, but tonight was just a bit too much for her. Please pray for patience for the two of them as Dan relearns how to live on his own, and as Kathy assists him in everything that he does. Thank you for everything, friends.
Love,
The Family

February 14, 2009 until now.

-On Saturday, February 14th of 2009, at 11 am Dan passed out while painting the top of the cathedral ceiling in his living room. He fell from about 15 feet and landed on his back. He was rushed via ambulance to CMC main where they did all sorts of CT scans and Xrays trying to determine what the damage was. He had 2 large blood clots on his brain, and his brain was continually swelling and hemorrhaging. He was released from trauma and into the ICU by 2:30pm the same day. The family started to breathe a little easier, thinking that he was going to be okay, and shortly. Everyone went home except for Kathy, his wife, and Katie, their oldest child. At 6pm the doctors did another CT scan that alerted us to the fact that the damage to his brain was getting worse. The swelling and hemorrhaging would not stop. They would be doing another CT scan on Sunday morning that would determine whether or not brain surgery was needed.
-At 5 am Sunday the 15th, the results of his CT scan called for emergency brain surgery. Within 5 minutes of viewing the CT scan, Dan was rushed away to be prepped for this surgery. The whole family came back to the hospital to anxiously await Dan's results. After close to 2 hours in surgery Dr. Asher came into the family waiting room to let us know that Dan had done well during his surgery. He had the largest of his 2 blood clots removed and a hole drilled into the front of his head where the Doctor placed a tube that would drain the excess fluids in Dan's brain and relieve his brain of some of the pressure it was feeling. Dr. Asher was unsure at that point if more brain surgery would be needed in the future. We all took turns going to see Dan after he was cleaned up, but found him to be unresponsive. By 9pm that night, Dan was starting to respond to us. We could shake him awake and he could answer our questions, by and large correctly. He could only stay awake for 10-15 seconds at a time, however.
-He stayed in this condition through Monday night when he was able to eat for the first time since the accident. This was great news for all of us because it meant that not only could he remember how to chew and swallow, but he could stay awake long enough to do so! We were all very encouraged.
-On Tuesday, the 17th, Dan was able to eat all by himself without any assistance. He was staying awake for a few minutes at a time to have conversations. We found that he remembered everything right up until the accident and close to everything since! His facial expressions started to come back to him and when Kathy gave him a kiss, his heart rate went up by 20 beats/ minute!
-On Wednesday, the 18th, the Doctors decided that Dan could be moved out of ICU! He spent a very tired day in his new room, where he was able to stay awake a little longer than before and communicate with his wife, children, and many friends who came to see him. Talking and eating take a lot of energy out of Dan, so he still sleeps the majority of the day, and all night.
-On Thursday, the 19th, Dan used a walker to get to the door of his room and back to bed! This was fantastic news for us because, just like with eating, we weren't sure if Dan's brain remembered how to walk. Walking took every last bit of his energy, though, and when he made it back to bed, he had trouble answering questions and didn't have the energy to swallow his drink. The Doctor thinks that Dan will be ready for in-patient rehab by Monday.
-We are all very excited for the progress that Dan has made, but nervous about the road ahead. The doctors say that it could be several months before Dan is able to leave the hospital, and 3-5 years for a full recovery. I believe that Dan is too strong and too stubborn for those numbers to be true. We know that we are in this for the long haul, but believe that Dan will improve more quickly than anyone thinks. Thank you for your visits, flowers,prayers and cards, dear friends- and keep joining us in prayer!
Love,
The Family
Dan and Kathy Murray, Katie and Colbey Hopper, Matt and Meghan Murray, Billy Murray, DJ Murray and Lacey Johnson.