Update: 10:15pm on 1/31

Forrest is doing better everyday. The storms have subsided but are replaced by agitation and still coughing up nasty junk out of his trach tube from being on the ventilator. His xrays of his lungs, blood work are all improved. He is definitely more purposeful and responsive but still can't talk and occasionally responds to commands. He seems to spend time looking at the cards and pictures on his wall. There have been discussions about replacing the cranium but after a CAT scan it was determined it is too early and more swelling needs to subside.

We are now preparing the logistics of pulling up stakes in Charlottesville and preparing to move to Atlanta for the beginning of his rehabilitation phase which may happen by the end of the week. The beginning will be in the Acute Care facility at Shepherd Center, considered to be one of the best and very few brain trauma and spine trauma rehab facilities in the nation. Hopefully he will soon transition into the more active part of the rehab where he will concentrate on the physical part (but always being careful of his fracture at the mid back) and he will also work on the cognitive part, speaking, etc. as well as many of the other parts of brain trauma rehab.

Rae opening cards, letters and posters from today.

Team Forrest will be relocating soon from the Courtyard Marriott in Charlottesville where they have been wonderful in putting up with our mail and command center and people sleeping in shifts. The new command center will be in Atlanta at the Shepherd Center and we will post the address. One of us will travel with Forrest and a medical team (Dad), Mom will fly and Austin and Trisha will drive vehicles down to the apartment provided by the Center and right by the center for the first 30 days, at that point we will regroup based on his progress. Austin and Rae will stay in Atlanta and Dad will shuttle back and forth between Middleburg and Atlanta.

We will maintain the blog and continue to enter at least once a day (usually evening) as to Forrest's activities during the day. As we have been cautioned some days will be marked by amazing firsts and bursts of progress and other days will have setbacks. We look forward to hearing from you and you checking in, he really needs his friends and backers. We were cautioned by some that it is easy for the patient to get disillusioned during the very challenging rehab portion and after and feel forgotten by his friends, we are counting on that not happening with Forrest and this blog being one tool to help that. Thanks again for your prayers, support, blog posts, donations, cards letters and pictures. Team Forrest is making daily strides of progress, as Colonel Stone, his Uncle stated, "any other option is unacceptable."

"The art of medicine is to amuse the patient while nature cures the disease."  

                                    -- Voltaire  French Philospher  1694-1778

Dad