....terrible tragedy; please pray for the Cavner family....

aksheephuntress · September 12, 2010

Cavner family update 8/12 eve

It has been a very long and taxing day. I am only able to get out of the room for a couple of minutes while Hudson sleeps. Preston is being held overnight in the hospital after his late afternoon eye surgery. I think things went well. If it were not for our new good friend George Huston standing by over there, we would be in a fix. Thanks George. they have to back over there in the morning anyway, so this saves a trip.

The experienced chest doctor came by today and briefed Stacie on what they will do in the operating room tomorrow at 10AM. A camera aided cleansing and suction of the lung cavity to remove the jelly-like material that does not drain. This should allow the lung to fully expand. Stacie is getting drawn down by all these setbacks. She is wanting to move ahead, but the pain of the donor sites and the lung issue is taking a toll on her and the rest of us. Let us hope and pray for a reversal of fortune.

Hudson is a full time job. Reinforcements are coming tomorrow. Stacie's brother and mom are coming over from Idaho.

Cavner family update 8/14 eve

I generally have good news tonight. Preston continues to have pain, but it seems to be less sharp. He is experiencing some temporary effects & ability to focus and look up and down. So he has a difficult time getting around. But he still got over to the hospital to see Stacie a couple of times today. He suffered a setback with his legs while being off his feet for so long. It will take him some time to recover to the point where he was with regards to walking and stretching. He and the rest of us did get to enjoy a barbecue meal brought into the McDonald house by the Foundation for North American Sheep representative and good friend George Huston. Preston is still resting a great deal and His mom is going to fly back here tomorrow to help. It will be good to get her back.

Stacie had a painful and inactive day. She and or her mother had to push the pain demand button every time. She wanted nothing to do with food, drink or movement. In the afternoon, her mother finally got her to take a nibble off a pop-tart. She was asleep most of the time. It did not look good for her to be able to make a move at the 24 hour post surgery mark. The nurses were concerned. She was really flat. At the 27 and one half hour, she awakened pretty clearly. She had a good short chat with her brother-said she was sorry for not being much company. The nurse arrived with some medication. She was not wanting to try to take the pills. Took a sip of juice and almost gagged. Finally got the 2 pills into her stomach that were a must. Then a bunch more pills arrived. She passed on them. Then dinner arrived. After thinking on it for a while, she asked for a bite, then another, then another and finally quit after she had eaten half of the turkey/mashers and gravy! Then, with a COKE chaser, she took after those pills one at a time. Then she asked for her evening meds and got those down. She had one real happy nurse and a bunch of relieved caregivers. I was one proud dad to say the least. She wants to get these setbacks behind her. So after getting Hudson and Preston to bed, I went back to the burn center to see her. She asked to finish off THAT pop-tart. We talked about tomorrow-pushing the pain envelope and getting some physical activity. Then we brushed her teeth and put Carmex on her chapped lips. Surgery and chapped lips must go hand-in-hand.

Then there is Hudson. He is up and ready for breakfast with Grandma-french toast and sausage. Had ronni and cheese and a hot dog for lunch, followed by some of George's barbecue-he loves the beans. He learned to dance today with his Uncle Eric. Getting better each and every day with his balance and footwork. Showed his "distance reaction" when he saw his mom again today with the oxygen sensor headband and oxygen tube by the nose. He gets upset with that and doesn't like to be in her room. Poor little guy just can't figure out what is going on. Showed what a big boy he can be when I changed his dressing (not a very pleasant experience for him). He was ready for bed tonight.

So tomorrow is the start of a new week. I look to see us regain all or most of the ground we lost this week. With the continued help of many-it is real possible

Cavner family update 8/15 eve

Pretty good day today. All are doing as well as could be expected. Stacie was grateful for a carry-in breakfast when I got there. She had a chest -x-ray and was able to sit up in bed for it. They will look at the film and see what the next step is. Hoping they can remove the drain tube. And her dressings will come off the legs tomorrow. Hoping for some closure on those donor sites. She is eating pretty well and has a good frame of mind. Preston was glad to see his mom this afternoon. His symptoms of the medication and surgery are beginning to lessen. Hudson did a little dance with Uncle Eric in his mom's room today, so she could see his progress. Yep, pretty good day today.

Cavner family update 8/17 eve

Sorry for the failure to post an update last night. It was after midnight when I realized I had not got it completed. Hudson had his first doctor appointment today as an out patient. He went to the baby doctor and she seemed real complete in her approach to his case. He will see the burn doctor tomorrow as will Preston. They both went with Preston's mother to Vancouver this afternoon to visit some friends.

Stacie got a dressing change this morning on her arms. She was still not very active. The x-ray showed no additional pockets in the lung cavity. The burn doctor removed the drain tube this evening. She is pretty tired and medicated and will have to begin to show improvement tomorrow. While she is willing, she is drained from all this latest stuff. It is going to take some bedside encouragement and motivation for her to turn the corner. Continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Cavner family update 8/18 eve

Stacie woke this morning to another x-ray and wondering why I was in her room so early. The film showed everything to be clear in the chest. She ate some breakfast, most of the pain medication side effects were gone and she seemed to have a sense of urgency. But she just couldn't muster the strength to get physical. Preston and Hudson dropped by before their doctor appointments. Both had visits with the burn surgeon today. Hudson got an all clear on his head skin grafts. "Give him a bath in the tub with lots of water and baby shampoo". His hand was fitted with some new glove material. The foot was left as is for the time being. Then came the big deal. The doctor said he no longer needed the feeing tube. So after a painful moment, it was gone. Hudson is tube free at last! The whole session was somewhat tearful for him and he was ready to leave for some lunch and a nap. Preston had his legs examined by the burn doctor which resulted in his last skin graft surgery scheduled in two weeks. That will mean continued tissue growth in the meantime and some level of inactivity after the surgery. He had some visitors today and spent most of the afternoon with them.

Back to Stacie-she had the physical therapist show up around 3PM. He got her going on some good therapy and she really got into it. After an hour he urged her to get into the chair. She pushed and got up with the idea of lasting an hour. Two and a half hours later she was ready to get back to bed. She ate some supper and is still awake. She really worked hard today-it was like she knew now was the time. She motivates the rest of us. I was plum proud of her so I brought her a slab of red velvet cheesecake from the Heartbeat Cafe.

For tomorrow-Hudson has a couple hours of occupational and physical therapy. And more of the same for my daughter-we love her so.

Cavner family update 8/19 eve

The day started early with Hudson having a 730AM check-in at the diagnostic center (paperwork for therapy). He was really excited to go "someplace". Preston and I took him to the second floor and we met his physical therapist. She ran him through some drills and he did pretty well. That was an hour. Then next was the occupational therapist. Another hour of evaluation. He is doing quite well. After that we headed over to see his mom. She was not having a good morning. Unable to eat because of nausea. She was really out of sorts all day long, but has improved some this evening. She did withstand a physical therapy session and a dressing change in the midst of it all. These days must come with the territory. When they occur on the heels of a good break-through day like we had yesterday, it is really a challenge for everyone. She has been working so hard to improve, she really deserves better. Hoping Friday will be the rebound day. Her donor sites look really good and she had no pain during the dressing change. They have all but taken her off pain medication at this point. We are getting close. Let's keep alive the hope and the prayers of so many to push her over the top. While the rest of the journey will be difficult as well, it is only fair she be afforded the opportunity to try it.

Cavner family update 8/20 eve

The day we were hoping for did not happen today. The nausea remains with our girl. Today the burn doctor evaluated her situation and is pursuing the idea that her medication doses were reduced too quickly and she is exhibiting nausea as a side effect. He prescribed an increase in the dosage of pain medication and that initially made her feel just a little better. As I write, she is still far from feeling good enough to eat or take medication by mouth. One can tell she wants to get better and get this behind her, but the body's functions do not want to cooperate. She is so close to being finished here at the burn center, but she must have strength, be able to eat well and have a certain level of stamina before she can leave. We need "that" day tomorrow.

The news on Preston is not much better. His eye doctor today feels he must have some additional surgery on the eye. That will be some time in the next couple of weeks.

Hudson seems to be doing well. He is an inspiration for the rest of us. We must be strong for him. May Saturday dawn bright and sunny for all.

Cavner family update 8/21 eve

Posted 10 hours ago

Not much progress to report in terms of the nausea, it is hanging on but not quite as bad. The dosage of the medication did not seem to be the problem. We have tried just about everything we can think of. Stacie withstood an x-ray to see if they could see any blockage, got up in the chair for a while (movement), and did a pretty good therapy session. She keeps saying it is nausea and nothing else. So no change yet. She is not giving up on trying things. Keep the hope.

Cavner family update 8/22 eve

There was some small progress today. Stacie just wants so bad to feel better. It is so painful to see her not be able to enjoy Hudson when he comes to visit. And again, Hudson senses something is not right. There was another anti-nausea drug tried today. Seemed to have some slight effect. Stacie choked down a pill to help coat the stomach. She tried one piece of jelly donut. She then got up in the chair-even though it was very difficult. Stayed up for about an hour and was ready to go back to bed. I suggested she go down the hall or out in the garden. She said she would try it. Stayed out in the garden for nearly an hour. She was able to eat a little Jell-o and took a couple bites of her dinner tonight. She has been sleeping most of the afternoon and is doing so now. Without any nutrition for the last four days, her strength and stamina is low. Keep her needs in your thoughts and prayers. This is an awful setback for her. She had fought so hard to get to the point at which she was prior to the lung situation. And the lung surgery went well. This simple nausea after the surgery is difficult to overcome.

Hudson and Preston are holding their own at the present time. Tomorrow is Monday, which generally means things get moving around here pretty fast. I hope we see great movement in Stacie's condition.

Cavner family update 8/23 eve

Posted 38 minutes ago

There was a pretty big change for the better today. While I was awake at 5AM, I was truly fearful of getting out of bed and going over to the burn center. I hung back after cooking some breakfast for Hudson and Preston. Preston went over first around 9AM. Hudson and I followed later. Stacie was still pretty miserable and couldn't bear to have Hudson stay long. The main doctor had been there and had prescribed another form of nausea medication and an ultra-sound for gall stones. I was not encouraged at that point. We left and went back and picked up Grandma and took her to the mall for a haircut for her birthday. Just before noon, Stacie got up in the wheelchair and did eat part of her lunch. We got back from the mall in the afternoon, Hudson took a nap, and I went to the burn center. Stacie was up in the wheelchair and went outside with Preston and I. Grandma went to sit with her around 5PM, she was up for the third time. Then came dinner and she ate a goodly portion of it. She had a big therapy session and got pretty tired out. She had a dish of ice cream tonight. While there was obviously a combination of factors, the last medication seemed to nip the nausea and she responded. So now we need continued progress, there is much to do for her to get back to where she was 2 weeks ago.

Cavner family update 9/24 eve

We continued to swing upward today. In contrast to yesterday, I couldn't wait to get over there this AM. She was still asleep, groggy to say the least, and cold-because she had no blankets on her. So I covered her with one and went to get a warm one out of the oven. After about 15 minutes, she got warmed up. Her breakfast tray finally arrived and I asked if she wanted to eat. She made me show her what the eggs looked like-load them up with salt and pepper-then she proceeded to eat most of them and the English muffin w/grape jelly. Preston and Hudson arrived after 9AM and Stacie wanted up into the wheelchair and out into the garden we went-before it got too hot. She came back in after about 1/2 an hour and started in on her first of several therapy sessions for the day. Preston had a therapy session across the river at the other hospital in the afternoon so I took Hudson and tied in with Grandma, had lunch and then Grandma napped Hudson. I went back over to see Stacie and when I looked into the room-She was sitting up in the wheelchair with the bedstand in front of her leafing through a magazine! That was a sight to behold, let me tell you. She was on her own for most of the afternoon until Preston got back. She had a good dinner and no sign of the nausea. The doctor told me he is not sure what the cause was, but he is just as happy as anyone it has subsided. Stacie watched a movie with Preston tonight while we ate, then we switched places. So Grandma and I spent the evening with Stacie. Before we left just a few minutes ago, she had eaten one and half popcicles, munched on some beef jerky and ate a bunch of pretzels. She has taken all the oral medications they offered today and believe me some of them were huge pills. She is no longer getting any pain medication intraveinously and is looking pretty darn good physically. If you think she is doing good, I can't describe how much better the rest of us feel & look right now.

Cavner family update 8/25 eve

We are all still a happy bunch. Stacie got a shower today and the doctor evaluated her few remaining open wounds-there are not many. She will now have daily dressing changes to accelerate the growth of skin. More therapy for strength and mostly pills by mouth. Eating well-we went to Fred Meyer today for a food order for her. Got her glasses adjusted at the LensCrafter store so they don't slide down the bridge of her nose any more. Preston has another appointment tomorrow with the eye doctor. They will have to re-do some of the work on the retina so he will be off his feet for a spell.

Hudson went on a visit to a local family today to play with their kids and that got me to wondering. Just what do you suppose that little guy is thinking. On June 1st, everything he knew and trusted suddenly vanished. There was nothing but strangers and strange places. He was tramatized and nothing was familiar. He never got to see his mom or his dad for a long, long time. He never got to see his brother ever again. Slowly he regained his awareness and found some of the things he recognized. Yet even some of those were different and now they were in a strange place. Where is my stuff and my bed and my house? Does he wonder why it is now that he goes off to visit new people and new places? His world and life have changed forever. Same will never fully return. Does he wonder why he wears that blue glove on his left hand? Why is my right foot sore and tender? And why does he itch all over? His age will be his greatest asset. He will adjust and do quite well. It is still a lot to ask of a 2 year old.

Cavner family update 8/26 eve

Another day that went by fairly quickly and it was busy. Grandma and I jumped up early to clean and empty the RV some caring folks had loaned us to use as sleeping quarters here adjacent to the McDonald house. I darted over to Stacie's room to help her with breakfast. Preston took Hudson to his 2 hour therapy session at 8AM. Afterwards, we were going to take him to the zoo, but Preston's doctor called and asked him to arrive early at the Good Sam hospital across the river, so we dropped him off around 11AM. We came back and took Hudson to the golden arches for some chicken mcnuggets. Nap time for Grandma/Hudson and I went to check on Stacie. She had some physical therapy and was just getting lunch at 2PM. Came back to the computer to work on some business matters for their business, then Hudson was up, so the 3 of us went back over to see Stacie. She was not doing 100% and was slightly flat. Then the hospital dinner surprise arrived, so we jumped into the Jeep and headed to Panda and got some take out Chinese. She appreciated that and it improved matters. Back over to the house to put Hudson to bed-and yet no word from George on how Preston was doing. Grandma stayed at the house with Hudson and I went back to spend the evening with Stacie. She was having a fairly good night. Finally around 9Pm we got word that Preston did not get into surgery until 6PM, had a lot of pain in his eye, and would be spending the night in the hospital. Thanks again to George for pinch hitting and making all this possible. George will show up there in the morning to get Preston and take him to the doctor's office for a 10AM follow-up. Some days it is non-stop stuff

Cavner family update 8/27 eve

Another long day of sorts. Hudson had his favorite sausage and french toast since he had missed it for several days. We had to get moving early since Stacie's maternal granddad and her aunt arrived in town last night. They found the way to the McDonald house by 930AM and took a quick look around. Hudson warmed up to them right away. We all headed to the burn center to see Stacie. She was pretty happy to see them since it has been quite a long time. We left at 1130 when Stacie had therapy and grabbed lunch in the cafeteria. By that time it was nap time and Preston was back in the room after his doctor appointments. He was in a lot of pain and had a case of nausea. I put the drops in his eyes and we went back over to see Stacie, but her room was full of therapists and other medical folks. She also had a daily dressing change. Hudson napped until 230PM, then he and I had to make a run to the store for diapers while the rest visited with Stacie. Around 5PM we went to a sit-down dinner at a local establishment. Hudson liked the steelhead and the shrimp. Back to the McDonald house to help Preston who was still sic. They have all been resting so far this evening and I was back up to spend time with Stacie (order her menu/meals for tomorrow, help her take pills, have a butterfinger sundae, brush and floss). And so here we are, another day in the log book. Hopefully Preston's pain will subside tomorrow and he will be able to get something to eat

Cavner family update 8/28 eve

Hudson was awake in his play and pack at 6AM. Finally, I decided to get up and check on him. He had slipped his head dressing off because I had used a larger diameter tubi-grip so it did not press into his skin so hard. Fortunately, he had not scratched his skin grafts. But, here we are first thing in the morning changing his head dressing. He didn't mind one bit. Then we went upstairs for some breakfast.

Preston woke up this morning feeling well enough for some breakfast and then he headed over to see Stacie right away. He has not seen her since Thursday. He was void of the nausea and most of the pain in the eye. He does not have to go back to the doctor until Friday. He cannot lift or bend over so as to protect the stitches in the eye. Just has to put drops in his eye every 4 hours.

Stacie had another good day. Dressing change and therapy. Just by chance, Preston was there for her dressing change. Based on his observation, he can see why she has been complaining of pain on those sites on her legs. The three of us had a good discussion in her room tonight. We want to discuss some possible issues and options with the doctor on Monday. When I left her tonight, she was still up in the chair at 10PM--that's a first.

And here is one for you. Grandma wanted some pancakes for dinner tonight, so Hudson and I took her downtown and we had to drive around a little until we found a Denney's (serves breakfast anytime). It is after 6PM, not many cars around, so we stop right in front of the resturant. We go inside and have a pretty darn good breakfast for under $20. Hudson says "Hi" to almost everyone in the place. It was truly a minature good time for 2 worn out Granparents and their little grandson who has endured so much pain. We go back out to the car, get in, and Diana notices a ticket under the windshield wiper. I retreive it and sure enough-a parking ticket. This was one of those zones that does not have parking meters, but you must go buy a receipt to stick on your dash. And I did notice the sign "after" I got the ticket. So, now we owe the City of Portland $40 for patronizing Denney's on Saturday night when there were hardly any other cars on the street and Denneys' lot was almost empty. But, those were some of the best pancakes we have had in a long time!

Cavnerfamily update 8/29 eve

Sometimes it is all about change and that truly was the order of the day. Yesterday Preston, Stacie and I talked about her continuing pain and lack of healing of the skin on her legs. We were going to talk to the doctor first thing Monday. Well, we won't have to talk to the doctor. Stacie had a dressing change as scheduled this morning. They did it the same way. They always take electronic photos of the wounds for the doctors to review. The doctor on duty today was the most senior doctor in the burn unit. He has been at this hospital for a long, long time. After reviewing the photos of today's conditions and comparing it with older photos, he had the nurses immediately remove the dressing, apply a different type and removed all the compression bandages. These are exactly what we were going to ask of the doctor tomorrow. In addition, the doctor today had them put Stacie on an air circulation bed. The whole idea is to get the wounds to dry out and facilitate healing. You cannot believe the near immediate difference this made. Stacie is much more mobile and agile, she can actually move and exercise her legs without extreme pain, she is so much more upbeat it is incredible. You go back and look at these posts and you will see we have been talking about these wounds on her legs for quite some time. I now think we have a shot at getting some significant progress. It feels a whole lot different in her room right now, I mean to the point her and I just watched 2 episodes of "Coach" and Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox and we were laughing it up. This has the potential to be something big. And, Stacie is tube free tonight. She is no longer hooked up to anything-the IV was removed yesterday and the cath was removed today.

Grandma and I took Hudson to the zoo this morning. It was a lot of fun for all of us. We will have to go back and see some more, because it is too big to do in one day. Besides, Hudson got a little tired. He was up at 630AM, so we bathed and did his dressing change before going to the zoo. He had a long day.

Cavner family updates 8/30 eve

Hudson got up on time this morning and we changed his dressing right off. Got a quick breakfast and then Preston and I went to see Stacie and try to see the burn doctor. We were able to have him stop by the room for just a few minutes. He quizzed Stacie on how she was doing and she gave him an upbeat report. The changes ordered by the doctor on Sunday were still working. While this was possibly the first the burn surgeon had heard of the changes, he seemed to be acceptant of the change and wanted to inspect her burns during her daily dressing change. Preston and I then headed over to the Rehabilitation Institute of Oregon at the Good Sam hospital. They gave us a good tour of the facility and explained the program. This is where Stacie will go to next. After lunch, the dressing change happened. This is the first time I have been present for one. I was really surprised at just how raw and extensive those sites appear. It was very unsettling to Stacie and painful as well. The burn doctor wants to continue with the drier dressings and eliminate the compression. Preston felt there was some improvement over what he saw on Friday. We really hope that this latest adjustment in the dressings will provide the necessary growth of skin and close the open wounds. Afterwards, Stacie did some additional work on physical therapy. Tomorrow, the same routine is in order. The daily dressing change promotes skin growth and we are going to try to up her nutritional intake. I know we all trust the doctor is going to get us through this phase and on to the next one.

Preston's uncle arrived today from Texas and will be able to provide support for the patients as the need arises. Preston will possibly postpone his scheduled skin graft surgery in order to allow for more tissue granulation on the last remaining site. That way he will be facing only one visit to the operating room rather than two.

Cavner family update 8/31 eve

Things are pretty much the same. Stacie is holding her own on the dressing changes and the doctor stopped by today again to reinforce the need to keep it up. He commended her for assisting with the take down of the old dressings. In his mind, when patients reach that point they tend to move ahead rapidly. She did a bunch of therapy today and did a slide over from the bed to the wheelchair for the first time. She is actually looking forward to going to RIO but like myself we want to be certain the wounds do not interfer with the intensive therapy she will receive there. I sort of think there are a lot of other folks who are thinking the same thing.

Preston and his uncle along with Hudson are staying in Vancouver at a private home. Grandma and I moved into the RV that was loaned again, so the McDonald house is now a past chapter-a fond one for sure as it provided the shelter and security we needed for so long.

Tomorrow, Preston has an eye therapy session and it looks like the gloomy weather we had today will be replaced by sunshine.

Cavner family update 9/1 eve

Today was special. With the encouragement of the nurse, Stacie elected to take down her old dressings. With Preston and I helping just a bit she managed to get it all off the right leg. We were really encouraged by what we saw. There was good color and less inflamed tissue. Then came the left leg. It is the one with the most open wounds. It is really painful to pull that gause off of those wounds when it is stuck on there. She elected not to take any pain med for the dressing change. It took a while to slowly get it all off. The improvement on that leg was really dramatic from yesterday, there was no leaching and running blood from the front portion of the upper leg. Yesterday, she had extra medication and cried real tears-today with no medication she winced and moaned but no tears! I was even able to wash some of the left leg. Nurse Julie put on the new dressings and wrapped them for another day. This new technique seems to be working real well. We hope for continued improvement tomorrow. We are going to shoot for a shower! Stacie did some therapy, got in the wheelchair, and we took a stroll. Got outside for some fresh air and stopped by the Farmer's fruit stand and got some fresh raspberrys. And tonight she had ice cream and fresh raspberrys.

Preston's eye therapy went OK. Hudson did not come to Portland today but spent the day with a family out in the Vancouver area. He should be able to see his mom tomorrow as he has therapy sessions in the morning

Cavner family update 9/2 eve

Well, the day did not get started very well. Each patient can order off a bigger menu for their meals. We have been filing Stacies' order each night. Well, the breakfast she was expecting this morning did not show-something else. So she ate the fresh orange and yogurt I brought her. The morning got going with Hudson stopping by briefly before his physical therapy and afterward. Before you knew it lunch arrived and it was the wrong lunch. So we reordered and waited for the 30 minutes and they still brought the wrong stuff. Needless to say, that does not bouy one's spirits. So we ate some instant breakfast drink and a bowl of rice krispies. She was anxious to get started on taking down her dressing and the shower. That went pretty well. I did not get to see the wounds today, but she said they did not stick to the bandage as much and the ointment of the new bandages did not sting as long as yesterday. Sounds better at least. Then therapy and up in the chair and tour around. Spent some time in the garden and Preston was back in the afternoon. He fed Stacie the "right" dinner, and she was back to pretty much normal this evening. tomorrow is another day so we hope for a better start. They might also shower tomorrow as the cleaner the wound, the faster the growth of skin tissue.

Cavner family updates 9/3

Just a reminder, I cannot respond back in an email from this site or do anything but post this update. It is not an email site. I know several have asked questions and I cannot help from here.

Today was another one of those days when not much changed. Stacie had a good dressing change and the wounds are healing. Unfortunately the culture they took of the donor site on her head and also on her legs have an infection. So now she will have to have a run of antibiotics for a week. The doctor is hopeful he can stop it and that is very important as the infection is really tough on new skin. So a little unwelcome news to go with everything else. Stacie had a real good visit with one of her brides maids that stopped by today. They motored over from Idaho this morning enroute to Washington. The doctor cannot prescribe the kind of medicine she got during their nearly 2 hour visit! That stuff makes a big difference! So we are looking for a good Labor Day weekend here at the hospital.

Preston had an eye checkup at the doctors office today. He got a good report from the doctor on the results of the operation. We hope that keeps going well.

Hudson says "HI" to everyone. He likes to race anyone up the hall in the burn center.

Cavner family update 9/4 eve

Early report today because what ever is going to happen has already happened. Slow Saturday at the hospital. Stacie had a dressing change this AM and it was pretty uneventful. Had one of the guides parents from

Bend stop in today to get acquainted with Preston and Stacie. Preston went to lunch with them and when the came back, they brought their kitty in to see Stacie and she liked that. Hudson stayed with myself and Preston's uncle while they went to lunch. Afterwards, Preston, Hudson and his uncle headed for Vancouver. Grandma and I spent most of the afternoon and early evening with Stacie. Now we are getting ready for the the night shift.

Cavner family update 9/5 eve

This day was challenging and difficult to get through. Stacie was headed to the shower room before breakfast so the doctor could view her wounds and skin. He wanted to evaluate her progress so future plans could be formulated. Something new and different can be unsettling to a patient and I think it was the case for Stacie. She did not eat well all day and could not take all of her pills this AM and PM--"just so tired of taking pills all the time". While she is ready mentally to go to the next step, it creats some anxious moments to give it serious consideration. There is progress on the wounds closing. There are two small spots that may require some additional skin grafts-time will tell as they may grow closed on their own given sufficient time. The surface infection on the wounds seems to be getting cleared up. This is day 6 of the antibiotic. Difficult day for her and us as well. She did get to see Hudson for a little while this AM, but she cannot really enjoy him like she would like to. Hudson went back to Vancouver and Preston stayed behind here at the burn center for most of the afternoon. We talked about the next phase for Stacie and what it means for the rest of us. The duration of this event takes a toll on everyone involved. I know we stepped on each other's toes several times today, but likewise we share the common goal to keep getting better. Mutual love and respect is still present. There is tremendous progress from the start and in Stacie's words "she wants to move ahead and learn how to live again".

Cavner family update 9/6 eve

I am almost at a loss of words tonight. It has been another tough day for Stacie. Her wounds and infection seem to be getting better, but the lack of an appetite and inability to hold down her breakfast and take her pills is troubling. She forced herself to eat this morning, but to no avail. So you just have to hold off until things get a little better. She did have a bite or two of some stuff we brought in tonight. She really is not anxious about the next step, but just unsettled. We did talk with the burn doctor today about some options for moving and he is going to see what he can do to help. We all know a change in location would be good for her and we want it to happen. So let us hope and focus on something good to come out of that intention. Preston and Hudson continue to do well. We so badly want to add the third member to that family on the outside.

Cavner family update 9/7

Stacie was wide awake at 7AM this morning because she had a horrible night. But there is no quit in her--she wanted to get into the shower chair right away and do her dressing changes. She was green around the gills but pressed on. She says her wounds are improving and the dressing changes go really well. But sic to her stomach all day is rough. After the dressing change, she wanted into the wheelchair and spent the rest of the day outside of her room--she wants out. After a little settling medication, the stomach did calm down some and she did hold a few bird bites of stuff tonight. Let's hope for more improvement tomorrow. Preston and Hudson both have a burn doctor appointment in the morning to size up their progress. It rained pretty hard here today in Portland-that may be the sign of change coming for us all.

Cavner family update 9/8 eve

It continues even as I speak. The poor girl is trying hard, but we see very little relief in sight. We so need a change. Not knowing the cause is even worse. We are on the brink of a major change and to capture it we need to see this spell broken. The Cavner family is scheduled to relocate to San Antonio, Texas on Sunday. The process of all the final paperwork and business matters is in the works. This change could be very beneficial for Stacie in the long run. There is a loving and caring network of support for them in that location. Portland has been absolutely wonderful and supportive for this phase and would continue to be if they stayed here. We cannot say thank you enough times.

So we move on towards tomorrow. Hudson will have his last therapy session at Legacy Emanuel. Both he and Preston had appointments with the burn doctor in the clinic this AM and things are fine with both. I know Stacie is in for another difficult night and I wished I could stay with her. Let us hope and pray for her well being in the morning.

Cavner family updates 9/10 eve

All patients doing well. Excitment is building 4 the move. Stacie got a new wig today. Hudson is going to be surprised to see her tomorrow!

Friday-last day of work for a lot of people who work at the hospital and this was their last day of work and they all know we are leaving on Sunday. So guess what-today was a day for goodbye....And while joyous in nature, it is difficult to say goodbye to so many wonderful people who you have grown to know so closely in a stressful situation. Yes, these folks are the ones we have grown to know as someone we trust, someone we confide in, someone who put our fears to rest, someone who has tolerated our funny ways of doing things and generally someone who was "just there at the right time". When the burn doctor stopped by Stacie's room today to tell her goodbye, he was speaking from his heart as someone who really cared about her and her family having to go through what they had to. The doctor was a good example of how these folks have demonstrated a caring attitude for the last 100 days. Thank you so much to the Legacy Emanuel family and doing what you do to help people who need it.

(posted by Delta Cavner).....

Preston, Stacie, and Hudson will be leaving on Sunday to fly by private jet to San Antonio, Texas. Today Stacie got to get ready for her trip by trying on wigs. She had fun seeing what she looked like with different colors of hair and, in the end, selected several wigs of various lengths [Thanks, Heather]. Be praying that their travel will go smoothly and that Stacie will be strong for the rehab she will have at the Brook Burn Center. We are all grateful for the support of San Antonio friends, but will never forget our Portland friends, who rose to meet our needs as we first arrived in Portland and continued to encourage us throughout the summer with visits, food, clothing, babysitting, rides, etc. Thanks to all of you.

...a moment of silence for Myles Cavner....

http://www.adn.com/2010/09/09/1446899/rescuers-honored.html#id=1446898&view=large_view