David Sloan update
Thanks for those of you who remind me to update this. When there is little change for quite some time, I forget to update, so I do apologize.
This journey is in it’s 15th month now and David’s situation has good elements and bad. Short term, he had a fever last week and didn’t feel well, but is much better now. As far as the long haul, he has gained weight, making good progress in walking, and his spirits have seemed to be really good. His physical therapy is progressing and, if not for his intestinal complication, would have been home many months ago.
However, he is dealing with some stubborn intestinal fistulas. These are the result of the many surgeries that he had and, to our aggravation, the doctors insist that no further surgery be done until they heal on their own.
Needless to say, this waiting game is getting old and very tiring for Tia, Tyler, Tanner and Darian. And mom and dad (Gary and Rebecca) are on the road to Atlanta very, very often and are extremely tired themselves.
Like I said, David’s spirits have been good. He is handling this with such patience. There is usually no pity party when you go see David. He will laugh and cut up with you, and the Shepherd staff members love his personality. But he needs a breakthrough with this intestinal thing. I would just simply ask you to pray, pray, pray. Ask God for a quicker healing for David.
He appreciates all the cards and phone calls. The address is:
David Sloan
℅ the Shepherd Center
Atlanta, GA, 30309-1465
David Sloan Update
Just wanted to post an update on David. Not a lot of news to report, but things are still stable and he’s making progress. Yesterday marked one year since David had his accident. That’s really hard to believe.
David continues to stay a The Shepherd Center in Atlanta. He is still on a liquid diet including juices, broths, and things of that nature. He is in the bed most of the day, but does get up and walks some. His doctors are monitoring his intestine closely to make the determination as to when he can move up to a diet of solid food. When that happens, whether it be a couple of weeks, or a couple of months, then they will be able to close his wound up and get him home quickly thereafter.
Thanks for all that you have done for the family. There is small amount of short term disability $$ coming in, but it has been hard to get the long term funds. We hope that we are getting closer to that point.
Thank you so much to those of you who have literally gotten his family through financially during the last year David will forever be grateful.
Blessings to you all.
Good Stuff
Well, it’s been a yo-yo week or so for David. They had to take him off of his liquid diet for a few days, but the good news is that he is now back on soups, juices, etc., even ice cream. But the better news is that next week they plan to step him up to a more solid diet. If, after a week or so he does well with that, then a skin graft surgery will be done to close his stomach, then 5-6 days after that he can probably go home to continue his rehab from home.
Today when I got to the hospital, mom and dad were with him and he had walked quite a bit. So, the walking rehab will begin to speed up now especially if the intestinal wound continues to cooperate. His spirits were very good considering all of the good news this week.
Just pray that this positive trend will continue, because if it does, we are talking about a few weeks rather than months before he can finally come. home.
Thanks so much for your prayers and support. We continue to wait on the government for his long-term disability to kick in, so pray for that process to speed up, but we expect that soon. We can’t thank you enough for what you all have done.
Good News From David Sloan
I had some great news last night that David had been allowed a liquid diet last night. I found after it was past the calling hours into Shepherd, so I didn’t talk to him until today. He was a happy man! He said to tell everyone that his pear size stomach was so full he could hardly stand it. Over the last three meals he had eaten liquid foods including jello, broth, yogurt, some kind of frozen treat, with apple and orange juices, sweet tea, and he was pretty pumped up about the coffee he had this morning.
To the average person that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but to David, who hasn’t even had a regular liquid diet in many months, it means that the wound in his intestine has healed to the degree where it is able to handle this type of food. It means that once again he has the pleasure of three meals a day, even if is mostly liquid right now, and he’s loving it. And also, it means that, if it continues do well, his return home is that much sooner. We don’t necessarily have a time table on that but will keep you posted. He has also began to get up and walk more, which is very needed in his overall recovery.
I will continue to post this info about The David Sloan Family Fund on this site for now as there still will probably still be a financial need for quite a while. We can’t possibly thank you all enough for what you have done. Last week the great folks at the JHS Alumni Party did a great fundraiser for David’s family. Here’s a note from David that I read that evening and he asked me to put it online also. I will close this update with those words from David.
To my dear friends,
Thanks very much for what you are doing. It’s been a long hard road, but with the grace of God and friends like you it’s been possible for me to survive. I probably have a couple of more months before I’m released from the hospital. I wish it had been sooner so I could have been there tonight. I am improving tremendously and can’t wait until I am released so I can see all of you hear this awesome Brat Pak (the great band at the fundraiser) play again.
God bless you all.
David
David Sloan Update 1/29/12
Just a quick report on David. A few days ago after David’s last surgery, one of the repairs in his stomach failed. So, sadly, he’s back on a IV diet. Nothing by mouth except a few ice chips sometimes and enough water to swallow a pill. He has been very, very disappointed to say the least. It seems that the other places that were repaired have done ok, but they all have to be repaired before he can go back on even a liquid diet.
Yesterday he sat up in his chair a couple of hours or so. His pain level is not very bad right now so we are thankful for that. He just needs a break. His surgeon believes that there is a good chance that this final hole in his intestine will heal on its on without surgery, but it could be several more weeks. March 17 will be one year since this nightmare began.
Just to clear up questions, the stomach injury is the only thing that has kept him in the hospital for so many months. Yes, he initially had some brain trauma, but that has cleared and his mind has been quite clear for months and he would probably have already gone through his physical rehab and be walking well, and probably back to work by now if it had not been for this incredibly aggravating stomach injury.
So, right now, he just has to lay there waiting, and waiting. The tissues in those stomach areas are so fragile they can’t keep operating on them over and over without quite a long time of healing in between. Hopefully this last place will heal by itself though. We pray that this journey will not be much longer, but the failure of a portion of the last surgery was certainly another delay.
Thanks for your prayers for David, Tia, Tyler, Tanner, and Darien. Also, please pray for our parents, Gary and Rebecca. They keep the roads hot going back and forth to Shepherd center more than any of us.
We thank God that David is still with us, will be able to walk, and hopefully live a great, productive life. We pray that the process of recovery would speed up, but we know it’s still in God’s hands.
His family will continue to welcome your prayers and financial support. As of late, they are continuing to have trouble getting his government disability as needed.
For info on contributing to the David Sloan Family Fund, click HERE.
David’s Progress!
I just got off the phone with a very thankful brother. Today, for the first time in many months, David was allowed to have some juice and water. For the last few months the only thing that was allowed, other than his IV nutrition, was ice chips.
This is a very good sign that the repairs to his intestines are healing well. If it continues to go well for the next couple of days they will gradually move him over to a truly liquid diet and David can’t wait. The next few days, however, are still crucial. Just pray that everything stays intact and that all of the internal repairs mend well and there will be no other complications.
David thanks you for your prayers. He really believes that God has worked through this last surgery and that this will launch him firmly back on the road to recovery and home soon.
Thanks for your continued prayers and support. God bless.
To write or send a card to David:
His address is:
David Sloan ℅ Shepherd Center 2020 Peachtree Road NW Atlanta, GA 30309-1465 His family continues to be blessed by your gifts for the David Sloan Family Fund.David Sloan Update
David is still stable and recovering in ICU at The Shepherd Center. And, although the procedure was more involved than was initially thought to be, there are no post operative complications. So far, so good.
They are keeping him fairly comfortable with pain meds. We will know more about the surgery’s degree of success in a few days, but so far it looks good.
Thanks for your prayers. Prayer that all of the repairs will seal and stay sealed! The success of this surgery can provide a totally different and positive 2012 for David and his family.
Blessings.
