October 23rd 11:33 pm

It's been since July since I've updated the blog and I've been trying to play Dr. Phil on why it's taken me so long to do an update? All I could come up with is that blogging brings me back to reality, even though I don't always blog all the details that's going on with my family, blogging makes me stop and reflect on how much my family has changed in these past 9 months. Sometimes it's easier to think that everything is just peachy and it's not always easy to face reality. A lot has changed since my last blog Acey is home and we are finally back to some sort of normalcy. Acey did at home rehab then back to out patient rehab and at this time he is only doing rehab on his own. He's had two emergency room visits and and two different feeding tubes put in. The last feeding tube was done at the University of Utah and Acey has just thrived since, gaining 6lbs!! Acey is still trying to walk with help with a few people and a walker, and he is now able to stand holding on to the counter by himself, which is pretty amazing to see. All in all Acey is still the same, he refuses to miss a ball game, and this week will be traveling to Lewiston to watch our daughter in the State Volleyball tournament. October 31st Acey will be going back to coaching his basketball team, yes he is still going to coach. It would take a lot more then just a brain and spinal cord injury to prevent him from coaching his team. Acey loves to coach and loves the game but these particular girls he loves to be around and would love to see them repeat. Of course he will have help from my Dad again this year, and also his Uncle Gene who is an amazing coach is coming out of retirement to help out. So, if you think Acey is just sitting home feeling sorry for himself, with not much to do, think again.

July 8th 10:00 am

JUST JOKING ACEY IS NOT HOME! This is the story of our life. We get our hopes up thinking that we are going to have him home and then something always happens. Which isn't always a bad thing, we are very grateful for all the rehab he can get. The night before we were to come home for good they informed us that Acey still had some money left for rehab, so he stayed to get all the help he can. Acey is improving so much each day. He is walking with a walker and with one person holding him up which is so amazing. He walked about 170 feet yesterday! Plus he is eating so well! He is actually eating real food, or at least food that looks like food. So now they are thinking that we will be home this coming Wednesday, but who really knows. It will just be a surprise to us all when we finally are home to stay. But here is a funny story that I hope you all enjoy: We had to best day ever on the first of July when we thought Acey was going to be home to stay. After the party at the park we were on our way home when Acey asked me to stop and get two candy bars a Hershey's chocolate bar and Reese's peanut butter cups, so I stopped on got them for him. Later we were home just lying around and he said, "Hon where are the candy bars?" I go get them and break off a tiny little piece any put it in his mouth and he is just loving it. Now he is not suppose to have anything but soft foods. So we are already pushing it. So then he says, "Can you go get me some ice?" so, like a wonderful spouse that I am I put the candy bars above his head on the couch and I go into the kitchen to get the ice. All of sudden everyone is screaming JALYN JALYN!! I go running in there and Acey grabs the candy bar pretends like he is going to give his nephew a piece and then shoves the whole thing in his mouth. So, by the time I got in there Acey's has this huge smile on his face plus he laughing (which his laugh is pretty funny now since he's been sick it's completely different) because he knows I would never let him have that much. So I said, "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!!!!!" And he just laughed and laughed. Later I said here's your ice. He says, I didn't want the ice I was just trying to get you away so I could eat the candy bar!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! You could of choked, aspirated. He didn't care all that was on his mind was the stinking candy bar and how good it was going to taste. Pretty funny now but at the time I wanted to choke him!!

Acey is Coming HOme!!

Acey is coming home on Friday yep tomorrow!!! We are going to have a huge party for him. It's going to be a potluck at the Dietrich Park at noon. We will have some water activities for the kids and for some of the adults if they would like to join in, so bring your swim suit and towel. It's going to be so much fun to see him home. I know that he can't wait to see all of you, so I hope that you all can make it.

June 24th 7:00am

MORE GREAT NEWS!!!! The trach is no more!!!! Acey passed his swallow test just enough to get that stinkin trach out!! He still needs to be careful of course but things are looking good. Better yet Acey can now have WATER!!! Ace and I were trying to remember the last time he had water and it's been months. We are one more step closer to have him home with us. It's amazing, the hole where his trach was will close on it's own within two days, and yes I took pictures it's pretty cool. Once that is sealed up he'll be able to talk even better. The plan now is to have him home next Friday, which seems so unreal to us. Stay posted to know when we have to homecoming party. I hate to plan to early afraid I'll jinx it. Life just keeps on getting better!!

June 22nd 7:20 am

Father's day was for sure a day to remember. The kids and I went to get Acey and to take him out of the Hospital for a few hours. We ended up going home to Dietrich to surprise his Dad for Father's day. We got into his parents home right before they got home from church and put a sign on Acey that said, "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY". It was priceless to see their faces when they opened the door and saw Acey in their living room. Then it was time for dinner and he wanted to eat with the family at the table, the only problem with that was there is one step up to the kitchen, so he wouldn't be able to use his power chair. So his Dad and brother in-laws grabbed his arms and Acey was able to walk up the step and into the Kitchen. It was so fun the whole day just watching him with the biggest smile on his face. That was the first time in 4 months that he was out of the hospital and able to do something that he wanted to do. We then went around and saw the farm and all the crops. It was absolutely the best day ever! Today Acey will be having another swallow test to see if his throat is strong enough to take out his trach. Keep your fingers crossed, we are so hoping to get that stinkin trach out. If he does pass he will get to out tomorrow. We have a projected coming home date which is July 1st. We will be having a huge party so more details to come and everyone is invited!!!! Everyday he gets stronger and we can not wait to have him home!!

June 14th 10:00 pm

Hey there everyone! Acey is doing so good. He had a few rough days to where he was just so tired and couldn't move very well and just completely exhausted. Well, yesterday we found out what was causing it, they were giving him sleeping pills when he didn't need them!! So he is now back on track. He did aspirate twice in the last two days but his lungs are sounding good. He still has his trach in and I think it will stay in for awhile longer to protect his airway especially now that he's been throwing up. But we have some really great news, Acey can pretty much sit up with very little assistants and lie down with very little assistants. Plus he sat on the Commode for the first time in probably two months with no assistants for twenty minutes! That right there is really big. We are so excited to see progress. We still don't know when he will be home, but as long as he is gaining ground we are thrilled to be able to keep in Rehab.

June 7th 6:30 am

LiFE iS GReat!!! Acey is doing amazing, each day he gets a little stronger. We are so excited to say that after 88 days at the University Hospital in Utah Acey was well enough to be transferred to Twin Falls Idaho hospital. He is in the Rehab facility and we hope to have him home for good in a few weeks. Yesterday they down sized his trach, and it could possibly be out in a few days. He is eating a little on his own, our goal is 5-10 bites each meal, and a bite is 1/4 of a teaspoon. We are so excited to be closer to our family and friends, but do miss our new found family at the U. They are all amazing people with the biggest hearts, we love you guys and miss you, and thank you for taking such great care of us!

May 27th 7:30 pm

We are still in rehab! And things are just getting better everyday. So, something pretty funny happened today. Acey was in his power chair (wheel chair) and he had it tilted back just a little and when it's tilted back it goes into turtle mode which is so slow. So I thought I'd turn up the speed so I cranked it all the way up and of course nothing happened because the chair was still tilted. Then I remembered that it couldn't be tilted so I put the chair down. I then told Acey he was good to go. Now at this time I had forgotten that I had cranked up the speed to max. So Acey pushed on the throttle and took off so stinking fast I mean these chairs can really move. He has a hard time moving his hand and he couldn't stop right away so me and the OT was running down the hall to try to help him stop. Oh, it was the funniest thing ever! I'm sure you had to be there to truly get the whole picture. Acey thought that was the best ever he just laughed and laughed.

May 23rd 9:30 pm

What a day!!!! Acey is doing so good, its so fun to see him improve day to day. Since Acey is done with his testing and treatments he is now ready for rehab. Tomorrow we will be checking into Rehab where we will stay there for about one week and then we will be home! We are so excited to have Acey home again but very nervous at the same time. We are going to use this time at home to just rest from the hospital life and when he gains a little more strength we will come back to Utah University Hospital to finish his rehab. Today was a great day!

May 22nd 7:00pm

I know that I haven't been blogging lately, and that's because I've taken a few days to go home and be with the kids, for their last week of school activities. Acey is doing so good, he is now back on the Floor and out of ICU. Things are continuing to look promising. He is now able to lift up his left leg and left arm which he was unable to do before. He will have his trach in for awhile and is getting pretty good with sign language, that is how he's been communicating for the past week. There is a voice box that they can attach to his trach so he can talk but that will take some practice. I just want to give a shout out to a couple of people that helped me out in a big way a few days ago. Thank you so much and my car is running great!!!

May 16th 9:00 pm

The surgery went really well today, everything went as planned.

May 14th 5:41 pm

Just a quick update, Acey's tracheotomy was postpone until Monday. Everything else is the same as before no major changes to report.

May 13th 1:22 pm

Here is the latest news on our situation. . . . Acey still has pneumonia and is still in ICU, the pneumonia is improving a little everyday, he is still on the ventilator but on the very lowest setting. He also lifted his left leg and left hand a little yesterday and today which is amazing!! Tomorrow Acey is going in to have a Tracheotomy. There are several reasons why this is going to take place, the number one reason is to protect his airway. Since his mussels in his throat are so weak we need to make sure that his air way is always open and has easy access if needed. Acey and I are very anxious to have this done, once it's done he will be able to talk again (in a few days), and he will be able to have the tube out of his mouth, plus we are hoping that it will help clear up his pneumonia faster. We are moving in the right direction, so things here are looking up.

May 9th 7:55 pm

Good news we just got some of the results back from his spinal tap and Acey's white blood cells are down again! We are so excited!! The count is now 34, so we have a little bit further to go. Tomorrow Acey is going to try this new machine out that will help him communicate with us a little better. With his eyes he will be able to spell out words, not sure how it works, I'm just hoping it does.

May 9th 12:39 pm

We are still in the ICU and Acey is still on the ventilator. He now has pneumonia, and the lungs aren't looking too great at this time. He is breathing better but is still needing assistants from the respirator. Acey had a MRI the other day and there were no signs of new complications and everything look pretty much the same as before. Today he is going to have a spinal tap done to see what his white blood cell count is, we are hoping that his numbers are lower then 55.

May 6th 10:42 am

Here we go again. Acey had another down day, this time it's a little more serious. Yesterday he threw up and aspirated. Because of the aspiration he started having a difficult time breathing, and they couldn't get his vitals under control. They had x-ray come in to see how much went into his lungs, and then they took him to get an CAT scan to see if he had any blood clots that could have caused him to do this. Acey was moved back to the Neuro ICU. They then decided to put him on a ventilator. Not the best news, but at least Acey will be able to rest and not have to fight so hard to breath. Today they are running a lot more tests to see if his illness is progressing. I know that there are so many people concerned for Acey at this time, and time passes so slow for you at home that are waiting to hear the latest on how Acey is doing. I will try to update you all as often as I can. Thank you all and keep the prayers coming!

May 4th 7:50 pm

Lots of things happening today. I think we will be coming home soon!!! I can hardly stand it. We are going to have one more MRI and spinal tap just to make sure that the white blood cells are going down, and then we will be home. How soon? I'm not sure we are shooting for next Friday but of course no promises. Acey did get glasses today, they don't correct his eye sight 100% but they definitely help.

May 2nd 7:15 pm

On Friday Acey was moved again to rehab which is still in the University Hospital, this is our 10th room we've been in and hopefully our last. Our plan is to stay here in rehab for at least two weeks. After the two weeks are up Acey will be getting another spinal tap and MRI to make sure his white blood cells are continuing to go down. Right now we really have no idea where we will be after the two weeks are up, options are either here or back home. So time will soon tell us which will happen. Ace and I are both anxious to get home, so as soon as it's even possible I think that's the route we'll take. Not much has changed with Acey's condition his eyes are getting worse today but he does have a 4 1/2 hour eye appointment tomorrow at the Moran Center where we are hoping they will be able to make some glasses for him or at least help him in someway with his sight.

Update April 30th 6:52pm

All I can say is ThANk YoU, ThANk YoU, THaNk yOu. Ace and I are so appreciative of everything that has been done for us. We are amazed at how many wonderful people there are in our community who have all given so much, from a hug, to emails, a kind card, to someone washing Acey's pick-up, dinners brought into our home, the visitors that come to see Acey, to all the funds that has been raised, and most important, the prayers. I remember hearing people say, in church, or in general conference the famous cliche, " I can feel the prayers that have been offered on our behalf ." I always thought how is that? How can you feel people praying for you? Well, now I know. I have felt every single prayer that has been made for our family. I know this because I just made it through one more day. I know because I see my kids coping so well. I know because Acey continues to have a positive outlook. I know because our needs are being met in every way possible. I know because we have had so many miracles that have happened to us in the past 10 weeks. So, thank you everyone for teaching me again how powerful prayer really is. Thank you and we love you all!

AMAZING DAY!!!

Today was absolutely an amazing day. I just want to say that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. When I say that Acey's faith is strong I hope you all understand how strong it truly is. A few days ago we were having a really bad day (that is a major under statement), Doctors had given us news that I wouldn't wish for anyone to hear. When we got back to our room we were talking and he had told me that he had been praying for days that President Monson would come to see him, and whenever I said guess who's coming to see you today. he would always respond, President Monson? Well today Acey's prayers were answered. This afternoon we got Acey in a wheelchair to go for a walk and we were just going back to our room when we spotted President Monson. He stopped to talked to us and shook our hands, and it was absolutely amazing. We then met up with him again, this time we got our pictures with him, he signed Acey's quilt, and then we told him that Elder Kikuchi gave him a blessing a few weeks ago and then he asked if we would like him (President Monson) to give him a blessing. I said that we would love him to give Acey a blessing!! We then went into a corridor where they have an elevator that takes all the laundry downstairs and there he gave Acey a blessing. I'm sharing this special story with you all because we want everyone to know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers, and that Acey never had any doubts about him showing up, he was just waiting for the moment to happen. Acey's body maybe tired, run down and not working but he spirit is as strong as ever and has grown so much through this experience.

Update April 25th 7:19 pm

AMAZING NEWS!!!!! Acey's white blood cell's went down!! The doctors were shooting for 1/3 and the went down 2/3!!! The white blood cell's are now 55!!!! Now we can stop and take a breath and relook everything and see which way to go for treatments. Tomorrow we will hopefully have a game plan on what we will be doing next, as for tonight we won't be in any rush to start anything new we are just enjoying hearing some good news for once!!!!

Update April 24th 6:44 pm

Here's an update of our newest plan, tomorrow we are going for the spinal tap, if Acey's white blood cells are not low enough it will then tell us that the treatments that Acey has been having is not working. The next plan of attack will be applying to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, or in San Fransisco. We will then be changing our treatment plan to something all together different. Everything is up in the air as of right now, so I will post as soon as I know something that I can pass on to you. Lots of things happening this week, by the end of the week we are hoping to know more on what we will be doing or where we will be going.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Acey is doing about the same with a little bit of changes, some in the right direction and others not so much. Monday morning he will be getting his 7th spinal tap, where we are hoping that his levels have gone down. So keep sending good vibes our way and lots of prayers. Love you all.

Update April 21st 7:57 pm

We had a wonderful day, all of Acey's siblings were here to celebrate his birthday. It was really nice to see everyone together. I just wanted to share something that has been going on with us during these past few months. In no way have they been easy, and sometimes absolutely heartbreaking things to deal with. Acey and I read the other day something that Sheri Dew wrote, "If life were easy it wouldn't be hard, Meaning this: What if every prayer were instantly answered in the way we wanted it to be? What if a little bit of spiritual due diligence now and again kept us in constant and clear contact with our Heavenly Father? If nothing ever tested our faith or our resolve or our convictions-because we really don't know what we believe or believe in, for that matter, until we're tested-then what are the chances we would progress far enough spiritually in this lone and dreary world? Whether we like it or not, our trails and struggles can tend to accelerate our push toward godliness. In fact, it's possible we wouldn't go as far as we're capable of going without them." This really made us both think and I just want you to all know that with these trials we are having at this time we are staying stead fast in our faith that Heavenly Father will continue to bless us, and through our Savior Jesus Christ anything and everything is possible. Sometimes life is just hard.

HAPpY BirThDaY ACeY!!!

Acey we'd like to wish you a happy 37th birthday. I don't think I have to ask you what you would like for your birthday this year, I'm pretty sure I know what you'd say. Just wishing we could make it come true. Love you so much!

Update April 18th 8:17 pm

Acey is out of ICU and back on the floor. The game plan now is to wait a few days to see how his body will react to the plasma phoreisis, then they will access him again to see which way to go with his treatments. The pneumonia is better, the MRI and the spinal tap is the same as before. Now it's just a waiting game.

The Walk

The Kids....who we all loveAlex & Jacey Group Picture Acey Kids, Nieces , Nephews & Tera Thanks to Richfield. We all had a good time. You guys are missed.

Thank You

What a great day! I want to thank all of you so much for taking the time to go to the Walk-a-thon this morning. I've heard nothing but great things. Thank you to the Richfield community for opening up your arms to my family. Thank you! And to all those that participated thank you so much. Love you all.

Update April 15th 6:54 pm

Today was pheresis day and it was our 4th treatment, which really wiped him out. One more treatment to go which will be done on Sunday. After that we aren't really sure which direction we are going to take. One of our Doctor's will be back in town tomorrow and we are hoping that he will have a new plan of attack. Acey's MRI of his spinal came back with no changes, his spinal tap showed that his infection has not gotten any better, or worse, so I guess we'll consider that all good news. Tomorrow he will go and have the MRI of his brain, and since his breathing is better they will be able to sedate him. One of our Doctors came in this afternoon and said something very profound, he said that "we are going for inches then miles." I like that saying.

Update April 12th 7:27pm

Today so busy, a lot of things happened, some good and some not so good. We got to be with the kids today which was so nice, it seems like they have grown a ton since I had seen them last. Alright, I'll just cut to the chase. . . . we are back in ICU, which we are choosing to look at it as a good thing. There are so many benefits to being in ICU, so even though it means that his symptoms are worsening, we are very confident that we will have more attention and Acey's needs will be met much quicker. The Doctors decided to only do part of the MRI today which was of the spinal cord and we haven't got the results back as of right now, and tomorrow they will finish with the brain. If they would have done both together it would of taken 3 hours. The x-rays that they took this morning shows that he does have pneumonia, so that's another reason for being in ICU. We also did not do the spinal tap today, they thought that was just way to much for him. So tomorrow he will have the other MRI and the spinal tap.

Update April 13th 11:11 am

Today is another busy day, Acey is getting his plasma phoresis right now and will be done in about an hour. Then he will go get another MRI of his brain and all of his spinal cord. The MRI will take about 2 hours so they are going knock Acey out. Acey said the first 3 MRI's weren't that bad but this will be his 7th MRI and he is not liking them at all, so that is why they are going to put him to sleep. After the MRI he is go down and do another spinal tap this will be his 6th one, this time they are going to take him to Radiology so they can watch through x-ray or ultra sound to make sure they are putting it in the right spot. Then it's sit and wait for the results. By tomorrow we should have some of the results back. He also had some x-rays done this morning of his lungs to make sure that he is not getting phenomena, we haven't heard what the results are. The kids are here with us, and it's so nice to have our family together even if it's just for a day.

Update April 12th 5:57pm

The G-Tube procedure went great, we are hoping to be able to use it by tonight so we can start getting some nutrients into Acey. Tomorrow sounds like it might be another full day. Acey is going to start with his 3rd plasma phoresis treatment and then he might go for another MRI of his head and all of his spinal cord. They are hoping that it will show them something on why he is having more issues. I just need to say that we are so grateful to the wonderful Doctors that work here, they are amazing, they are trying so hard to find something that would relieve his symptoms. Pray for our Doctors, so they will find something that works.

Update April 12th 1:00pm

Sorry about not updating the blog, but I've been waiting for some wonderful exciting change to take place so I can you all about it, and that's just not happening. Things here change so fast, from minute to minute, so by the time you read this entry things here can be completely different. As of right now, the G-Tube is going to be placed in this afternoon, we are just waiting for them to come get him. That's all of the procedures that will be done today. There has been some changes in Acey's condition from this morning, his eye sight is worse then before and he is starting to see double again. He is also having a hard time talking, which has always been difficult but today seems worse. We are waiting to hear from the neurologists. Keep the prayers coming.

April 11th 10:41 am

Today is the second treatment of plasma pharisees, and then he will be getting his G-Tube put in later today. His eyes are starting to get more blurry and he is getting more weak. Hoping this treatment will work.

April 9th 11:32 am

Alright, I finally got a few minutes to catch you all up with what has been happening here with Acey. He is now back in the hospital. In the past few days his symptoms have been getting worse. He has been loosing more feeling on his left side and is now moving to his chest on the left side and his left side of his throat is not working, which is making it very difficult to swallow. Last night he accidentally pulled out his feeding tube again. That was he 5th one he had put in, and he can't get enough nutrients without it. The Doctors came in today and talked about putting a G-Tube in on Monday. Also today they are starting a new treatment of Plasma Pharisees. I'll explain it the best that I can, so they are taking out Acey's blood removing his plasma and then putting his blood back in. He will have 5 treatments of this with a day in between each one. After that the Doctors are looking at giving him antibodies of 20,000 people and hopefully one of the 20,000 people would have some of the antibodies that Acey needs to fight off the illness. After that we aren't real sure what the next step will be, we are just hoping that these treatments work. They told us that we should know within a few days if this treatment is working. They are also trying a Parkinson's medication to see if that will help some of his symptoms. We had a very special experience the other day, Elder Kikuchi who is a General Authority of the LDS Church came to see Acey and he gave him a priesthood blessing, which was amazing. He gave us a lot of insight, in not only what is going on with our family at this time but just on life itself. Thank you, for wonderful people that take time out their busy lives to bless us. Elder Kikuchi thank you.

April 8th 4:13 pm

Due to changes with Acey, we need to be extremely cautious on any visitors. The family would like to ask if you have been exposed to or have been sick with a cough, cold, stuffy nose, runny nose, fever, or any sickness anytime in the past two weeks, that you do not come to see him at this time. Acey loves company but right now, we can not take any chances with Acey getting sick. Keep sending your prayers our way. We appreciate so much all the support that you all have been to us. Thank you.

April 6th 1:00pm

Just wanted to clarify something I had posted the time before. I had mentioned that the Doctors weren't sure what Acey had, I meant to say they aren't sure how to treat him or what the recovery time will be. Acey had been tested positive for Chlamydia Pneumonia, this comes from a cows placenta which can be transferred by breathing it in. Usually this will attack the lungs first then travels to the brain, but in Acey's case in skipped the lungs and went straight to the brain. This is rare so that is why they are so unsure about recovery time. So much has been going on here in the past few days. Acey's left side is getting worse then before, he can't feel hand or foot. It's hard for him to find it in space so they have him first find his shoulder then follow it down his arm to find his hand. His speech is getting worse also, it's harder for him to swallow, so he is not getting all the nutrients that he needs, so we just came back from getting another feeding tube in. All of these changes have the Doctors concern so we are hopping to bump up the spinal tap today sometime. This will show us where the infection is, if it's getting worse or staying the same? We should have those results within 2 hours after the procedure. So many things happening so fast it's hard to keep up with it all. He is still in good spirits but is missing home and the kids. Keep the prayer coming!!!!!!!

April 4th 7:45 pm

With each new day brings new challenges and new blessings and today was no different. Acey has been loosing more and more feeling in his hands. They hurt to touch they are always cold and feel numb. We talked with the Doctors about this and they are puzzled since they aren't sure what Acey has. So they don't know if it's that he is truly loosing more mobility or if the nerves are starting to regenerate and come back. So it's just a waiting game at this point. The good thing that happened today was, Acey mission president and his wife came by to see him. That really lifted his spirits and we both enjoyed their visit. It's amazing how little acts of kindness have huge effects on people.

Update April 3rd 10:30 am

We are so grateful for good friends, thank you to all that have helped us in so many ways. For those that have come to visit Acey, thank you it truly makes his day. Since he can't come home, you all have brought home to him, through cards, visits and phone calls. Thank you.

April 1st 10:45 pm

I'm back in Utah with Acey and so thrilled to see his progress. I got to see him walk for the first time with a special walker that has supports for his arms to rest on. He did great. He still is needing a lot of help but we can definitely see improvement. We had a meeting today and they have set a new day for him to go home which is May 4th, that is if everything goes as planned. We still have a long way to go before he get to come home. Well, you all know that today was April Fools Day, so we couldn't pass up this amazing opportunity to play a little harmless joke. So, Acey's first appointment this morning was PT whi is a really nice lady, she comes in and asks how are you doing today Acey? He replies, "alright but I can't feel my legs." She said, "what?", as calm as she could and he told her gain taht he had no feeling in his legs. The she starts with all the questions, how ling has his been going on? can you feel your hands and arms? By the way Randy McCowan was in the room at the time and his eyes were bugging out of his head! Oh it was great! Then Acey tells them APRIL FOOLS, but it took Acey saying twice before they really heard him. They both about died. Right after that, one of the head nurses walks in to check on him and asked how are you feeling today? The PT says he's having some new problems this morning, Acey why don't you tell her, and so he did. It was great! Right after that Dorene called to check on Ace, well needless to say she did not think it was funny whatsoever. I don't think we will ever forget this April Fools Day! P.S. Sorry Dorene but it was all Randy's idea.

Update March 29th 9:01 am

I know that it has been a few days since my last blog, so I'll catch you all up on what's been going on. I'm back home with the kids for a few days, which is bitter sweet, so nice to be home but hate to be here without Ace. I'll be going back to be with him in a few days.

Back to Acey's progress, rehab is going to be so good for Acey, they are constantly working with him, whether it's the OT, PT, Recreational Therapy, and Speech Therapy, Doctors coming in to chat, trying to eat and trying to gag down his ensure which he hates, he always working on something, just swallowing is a chore for him. In the past few days Acey has started throwing up in the morning, yesterday it was starting to occur more often, so they have put him down one notch on his eating, so he is back to soft foods only. We are hoping that this will help. His bowels are working much better, GREAT NEWS!! So today the whole Therapist team will meet together and go over their plan of attack, then later this week I'll be back down with Acey and have another meeting with everyone and then we should have a better idea on what we're up against.

Update March 26th 11:00am

Acey had a ruff start to his morning, he threw up his breakfast, I asked his what was wrong and he said, "it was gross". So the nutritionist just stopped in to see what Acey would like for breakfast and snacks and I told her he liked chocolate muffins, well she has never heard of a chocolate muffin before. She said where would you find a chocolate muffin? COSTCO HELLO, she was looking just as strange at me as I was at her, it was pretty funny.

Acey's got a pretty heavy work load today 7:30 am -9:00am OT, 11:15-12:00 PT, lunch, 1:00pm-1:45pm Speech, 2:30 pm-3:15 PT again. By the end of this coming week we will have a better idea of how long he will need to be here for.

Good news today is that he is not going to be eating oatmeal anymore! And he was able to put on his shirt!!!

Update March 25th 10:59 am

We are so excited for today, we can hardly stand it! Rehab here we come!

Update March 24th 12:17pm

The spinal tap that they did yesterday results came back, the protein levels have not gone down like we were all hoping for. Which means there is still infection, it's gone down slightly but the levels are still pretty high. They are not sure how long it will take for the infection to leave only time will tell.
Some good news is that Acey's staples are coming out today! The incision looks great and Acey just saw it for the first time just a few minutes ago and all he could say was "WOW that's ugly". Some other good news is that he will be going to Rehab tomorrow. He can't wait to get to work on rehabilitation, the sooner he gets started the sooner he can get home. He can't wait to see all his buddies at the Merc in the mornings and can't wait go out for dinner with his State Championship team.
We just want to thank all the people here at the University Hospital that have helped him progress to the point where he can move to the next step, which is rehab. The team here is amazing to work with and have been a huge blessing in our lives. Everyone from the Neurologist, nurses, aides, eyes doctors, infectious disease, surgeon, scientist, radiology, OT (aka"Beth"), and PT, medical students & house keeping, they are all amazing and thank you!!

Update March 23rd 9:18 am

The Doctors just left and when I say doctors I think I counted 11 of them!!! They have told me they're just like Grey's Anatomy but they're just not as good looking. It's interesting to be at a teaching Hospital and see how things are ran and how they teach the up and coming Doctors. So, they said that his MRI that he had yesterday looked great, there was no new damage that they could see, and maybe a little bit of signs that it was starting to heal. Great news! So, today Acey is getting another spinal tap which will be now 4 total, and we are hoping that the infection is gone. Normally spinal fluid is crystal clear just like water, but Acey's has been cloudy with a tint of yellow, which is of course is not normal. We are anxious of course to see how it comes out, that should take place later this afternoon. As for the rehab they are thinking he won't go over there until later this week or this coming Monday. They would like to see him get a little more alert and build some strength back up. Once he is rehab then he will be working all day trying to regain what he has lost, which we are all excited for. Yesterday he also went to the Moran Center where they checked his eyes once more, and they said his eyes look great no damage to them at all. We are hoping that once his brain heals that his eyes will be back to normal right now they jump around so much that everything is blurry. We won't know anymore on the eyes for a couple of months, we are just hoping that his eyes will calm down soon.

Update March 22nd 9:21 am

Sorry about no post yesterday the Internet was down. So, I'll update you on the last two days. The doctors have let me know more then once that there were going to be ups and downs, well yesterday we had both. I'll start with Sunday, he was laughing and joking it was like we were well on our way to recovery, and then Monday hit us hard, Acey was really tired and not feeling as well as the day before. The physical and occupational therapist came in and worked with him for awhile and decided to see if he could stand and walk. He went about 10 steps with help from 3 people, he had to rest for awhile then made his way back to his bed. He said that he couldn't believe it would be so hard to walk. His balance is still very poor and his eyes are still jumping around which doesn't help. His head is starting to tremor every once in awhile, and the Doctors are not sure why this is happening, if it's because of being tried or if it has to do with his brain injury, so we are keeping a close eye on that. Yesterday early evening the Doctor came back to see Acey and access him once more, they told us that there is still a chance that there is permanent damage done, and that he may not gain back his motor skills. This was not the news any of us wanted to hear. They said that in the next couple of months we would have a better understanding of the damage that had been done and what long term effects there will be if any.

So today is a whole new day and lots going on. Acey is getting another spinal tap to see if the infection is gone, and possibly having another MRI to look at his brain and see if the swelling is getting any better. He is also heading over to the Moran building to have some tests done on his eyes to make sure that he is not losing anymore of his sight, and hopefully they can figure out some kind of glasses that will help him see better.

I told Acey today that we needed to make a list of all the blessings that we do have, sometimes we just have to stop and look at the bigger picture (which at times is not real easy to do). But it didn't take long to start listing all the blessing that we do have, Acey still alive, he has a sharp mind he is still strong, he is not blind, he is a hard worker, we have 3 wonderful kids who are healthy, we have the gospel in our lives and know that our Heavenly Father is watching us and we are not alone, that we are a family forever and this is just another learning opportunity, Acey and I have a wonderful marriage and we are best friends and are growing closer to each other everyday. While being in this hospital we have seen a lot of tragedies around us and we are so fortunate for the knowledge that no matter what we will always have each other, and that our family will be together forever.

Because of Acey's rare condition, Acey and I have to decided to keep him here for his rehabilitation. University Hospital is well equipped to handle his needs and specialize in Neuro rehabilitation. Plus all of the specialist are right here and they are watching his progress and helping us all along the way. Even though he will not be close to home we feel this will give Acey the best chances of regaining mobility.

Update March 19th 4:57pm

Hello Everyone!!! What a great day so far! Acey is doing so good each day he gets better and better. I told him last night that I couldn't wait till morning to see him improve, and he did! The Doctors came in this morning and told us that the feeding tube can come out. He has been eating on his own for a day so we are all thrilled. Plus he gets his catheter out today so he is now completely free from all tubes, and IV's. We are hoping that this week he will be getting out of the Hospital and then he will be going into a Rehab facility. We are not sure how long he will have to be in Rehab, they say it's hard to tell with brain injuries on how fast it takes to recover. So good news for here on out!!! And soon we will be closer to home if Twin has what Acey needs.

March 19th 4:24pm

Today Acey is showing signs of small improvements. He can eat a little bit more then he did yesterday. Because he has been maintaining his status, and the doctors feel that the inflammation has stopped progressing and is now getting better, we are looking into Rehab for him. We are hoping for early this coming week, to be moved into a rehab facility, either here at the University Hospital or in Twin Falls. We don't know how long he will have be there for it all of that depends on how fast his brain heals and how fast he can regain function. He is talking more and staying awake more throughout the day with a little help of some drugs. His eyes are still really blurry but so much better then when they told us that he was going blind, and everyday there is little bits of improvements. So, we are just flying by the seat of our pants not really sure which direction to go, but hopefully in the near future we can be back home.

Update March 18th 6:42pm

Today Acey went back on his feeding tube, which he hates, but the good news is that he is still able to eat soft foods. Everything else is about the same not much has changed. We were thinking that today would be the day that we would get some kind of news back from his biopsy so we all have been waiting and waiting. Well, the Doctors just left and the only news that they had was that they found inflammation. They said that there are still some tests that have not come yet, so here we are still waiting. Wish I had more to update you all with, but at least we are not falling back!!!

Lincoln County Swim Team!!!!

Lincoln County Swim Team you guys are the best thanks for thinking of us!!!

Update March 17th 12:19 pm

No new progress today, he is about the same as yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow something will come back from his biospy.

Update March 16th 7:22pm

The CT scan came back and there was no bleeding in the brain from the surgery, so great news.
Acey has been moved out of ICU more grest news!! Today, during his physical therapy he was able to put on his socks which was huge step for him. He then sat in a chair for 20 minutes, and brushed his teeth. All amazing considering what he was doing before. He still has his feeding tube in but today he pasted part of his swallowing test and is now able to have small ice chips. So for every little ice chip he has to swallow 6 times to get it down, but he is making
progress!!! Another really good thing is that he is talking better, and no more double vision!!!!! YES we have had a great day!!! The only labs that have come back from the biopsy was that he doesn't have the flu, and it's not a fungus, so still waiting for all the other tests to come back. Keep the prayers coming, cause the are working!!!!

Dietrich Community

Where do I start. This has been such a difficult time for the whole family. I want to say thank you and I love each and everyone of you for helping out where needed, all your messages really help and we miss you all. Traci, thank you so much for putting together those videos of the kids. Where else would you get such out pouring love and support. It truly shows how much everyone loves Acey and how many people he has impacted. I know everyone is concerned for Acey and he is going to be fine. With all the prayers that has been made on his behalf, I know that Heavenly Father is aware of us, and he has been and will keep helping us through this difficult time. Just so you all know that he is still the same Ace, he can't talk very well at all but just the other day he wanted me to make sure that I got the girls in the Carey tournament in June so you girls (2011 State Champs) he is still thinking of you!!!

Shoshone Indians!!!! Thanks

Thanks so much for the card, we so appreciate all of kind thoughts and words that have been sent our way. And as for the 6th man t-shirt he hasn't seen it yet but when he does I'm sure he's gonna smile! Thanks

Update March 16th 10:28 am

Sorry about no update yesterday, things here has been a little crazy, to say the least. Acey's surgery went wonderful!! Everything went as planned. He is in ICU again but hopefully soon he will be out on the floor again. They are going to be taking him to do a CAT scan is just a little while to make sure all is going well. So now, the waiting game continues, we are just sitting on pin and needles waiting for some explanation! His mind is still sharp and is aware of all that is going on. Thanks for all of your concern and I'll try to update again soon.

Update March 14th 10:21pm

What a day! I'm just now getting a moment to update on what Acey has done today. He had his spinal tap done and it was not good news. It was not what we were hoping for. They did a quick test on some of the levels and 2 out of the 3 were worse, then before. So tomorrow Acey is going in for brain surgery and they we be taken a biopsy. This procedure will take about 2 to 3 hours. There are risks but they are minimal. His condition is not improving but getting worse and this is the very last option that we have. We have the best neuro surgeon doing the surgery so we are feeling confident that all will be well. We are not sure what time this will take place since it was kind of last minute thing they are just going to fit him when they can, hopefully sooner then later. Once they have the biopsy they will start right away on trying to identify whatever they can find that maybe causing his brain to swell. Once that happens we can start some kind of treatment. So please be praying for all of us tomorrow especially the Surgeon. Thanks.

Acey & Jett

Update March 13th 6:49 pm

Well the Doctor just come back to give us some updates. The scan showed that there was nothing blocking or on his colon. But some blood work came back and they found that he has an extremely low in vitamin B-1. So they are pumping him full of vitamin B1 which is called Thiamine which helps with his balance and his eyes from jumping around. We are hoping that this will improve his sight and balance. The other thing that they are looking at is called Disseminated Encephalomyelitis which is shorten as A.D.E.M. which is an acute condition that mimics multiple sclerosis. This is just a idea they are looking at they will only go with this after they have ruled out everything else. There is still a chance that they are going do the brain biopsy tomorrow night or the Tuesday morning. If he doesn't make huge improvement that may be what the doctor will recommend.

Update March 13th 9:46am

Today the Doctors came in to see him and said that he is doing better and that he can get out of ICU. This means that he is making some progress but the down side to it is that he won't have his own nurse watching him. So the plan is since his colon is cleaned out they are going to do another scan on him today, there was a spot in his last scan that they want to look at again. They weren't sure if it was stool or a mass of something else. So hopefully we will get news back on that today. The next thing is that they are still looking at doing the brain biopsiy either Monday or Tuesday. Monday morning they will be doing the 3rd spinal tap and hopefully sending it to a lab in Spain. So, lots still going on still. Keep those prayers coming!!!

FUNNY FUNNY!!!!

Acey is still got his sense of humor. I missed it but his sister Colette stayed with him last night. So the nurse comes in and asks the same questions over and over, what's your name, what day is it, where are you at, who is the President of the United States? And he replied, "Obama, haven't you seen the lump of coal on Mt. Rushmore?" The nurse looked at him like he was losing it talking about coal and Mt. Rushmore, so Colette said she was dying inside and had to tell the nurse that we was trying to tell a joke!

Attention To All Family Members!!!!

Our wonderful Dr. Renner asked me if he had any family illnesses such as, ....... and he starts speaking in another language that I've never heard before. I looked at him like are you kidding me I'll never remember all of that. So I asked him if he would write it down for me so I could post it on a blog that my sister setup, he replied why don't I get on your blog and write a comment myself? So that's what he did so please go to Help Needed and scroll down and look at the comment left by Dr. Renner it's under Colette's name. There he has listed some of the hereditary diseases and are still in question. If you know of anyone in the family that has anything like these that he is asking about please call us. That again just shows what wonderful Doctors they have here, we are truly being cared by the very best!

Northside Conference!!!

You guys are great! Thanks for the best goodie basket ever!

Dietrich Seminary Freshmen/ Sophomore Class

Thanks for sending your love and support. I hope you all know how much just the simplest note means to us. We love you all and can't wait to be with you all again. Thanks!

RICHFIELD TIGERS THANK YOU!!!

Just want to give a Shout Out the Richfield Tigers, Thank you so much for the card, Acey loved it! Lincoln County is a great place and full of wonderful people. When tragedies happens in our community we all pull together and give support. Thank you again for all the kind words, and just letting us know that you are thinking of us means so much. Thanks again.

March 12th 4:12 pm

Things today seem to be better. The MRI done yesterday showed that no further damage has been done. GREAT NEWS!!!! The other thing that it did show was that the inflammation is still there and in the Doctors words it's "evolving" meaning that it's showing signs of progression not so good. Please don't freak but the Doctors are talking about maybe, possibly, there might be a chance that they may have to do a brain biopsy. This will hopefully give us some answers, this is of course the very last route to go. But that would not happen until early this coming week. The other great news is that he may possibly get his feeding tube taken out tomorrow! Cross those fingers!!! The speech therapist said that he might be able to try to eat tomorrow we are just waiting on what the Doctors says.

Acey's joy!

Me & Ace

Ace showing his Skills

Help Needed!

Besides all the University's in the country, all the specialist, and all the doctors. We would love to hear if anyone has any idea's of what this could be. We need all the help we can get. Prayer work too so keep praying!!! Thanks

Update March 11th 6:14pm

Acey right now is in the ICU and is having his 3rd MRI. He's had 2 spinal taps, ekg's, etc. They are still looking for something. We have done hundreds of test and still nothing. You name it, it's been done. The Dr.'s are so wonderful here this is truly the best place for Acey. So, back to the update, Acey was going blind his brain is swelling and so they started steroids that night to stop the swelling hoping that it would reduce the inflammation. And it worked! He sight is still not perfect but so much better. The swelling in his brain is continuing so it is affecting his speech and it is very poor. He is really tired and it's hard for him to stay awake. He is now on a feeding tube and hopefully help keep his strength. His motor skill are failing and he can't walk anymore or feed himself. They are starting to narrow it down and are thinking it's either, auto immune disorder, or Lymphoma. On Monday Acey is going to have his 3rd spinal tap, so they can send it to Spain to a World renoun doctor that we are hopeing he will find an answer.

Thank You!

First of all I want to thank you all for your out pouring love that you have shown to Acey and our family we have felt your prayers and know that so many people are concerned for him. It has been a huge support to all of us to read the text messages and listen to the phone messages that have been left. I let Acey know of all the phone calls and messages that we recieve, and I can tell that if lifts his spirit. His is strong and a fighter, and still even while going through this huge trial he is still so kind to all those that are working with him. Everyone he meets he says, "So nice to meet you" "Thank you for coming" and that's just to those coming to get the garbage.

I hope that this blog helps all of us to share our love for him. I hope that it is a positive outlet for all who know him and to express fond memories or just an up lifting message. I will be making updates as much as I can, so know if you hear something but you didn't read it hear, it probably didn't happen. :) Thank you again for everything!! We love you all!!!

Acey two Favorite girls!