Update on Andrew January 28th

This is Andrew and Katherine's daughter Caroline---precious!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2007 10:25 PM, EST

Andrew is having a very fun weekend. Two of his best friends from home are with him and it sounds like they're having a great time together. I heard that Andrew left the hospital for the first time today to go out to dinner with the guys. Patrick Elswick (assigned to care for Andrew), Andrew and his two buddies got into a pickup truck and went out to dinner together. I cannot imagine what it was like for Andrew to see the world outside of a hospital. It wasn't until recently that he knew anything other than his room. I can't wait to hear how their time out went. By the way, I posted the picture of Andrew and my daughter Caroline, who became reacquainted after 5 long months apart. We had a fun week together. :) ~Katherine

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2007 09:01 PM, EST

I'm back at home tonight. I already miss being around Andrew. It is good to be home though. I saw Andrew for a few hours this morning before hopping on the plane. He's doing well. I was impressed with how he was able to get ready, get his teeth brushed, etc. with very little help. It is amazing how busy he stays. He is constantly going from one appointment to another. I'm glad he's staying busy; it takes his mind off of his situation. Well, I'm one tired traveler so I'm going to hit the bed early. I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend! ~Katherine

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2007 09:49 PM, EST

It is very exciting for me to see Andrew encouraged and upbeat. He's been zooming around the hospital halls in his wheelchair- so pleased with his newfound mobility. Up until a few days ago, he was rarely in his wheelchair. Now he spends most of his day in it. Just getting out of the bed makes such a difference! His OT and PT are going really well. He's pushing himself a lot. They work on his balance, rolling over, sitting up, transfering in and out of the wheelchair etc. This coming Tuesday he will have his urological surgery. They will work on repairing the damage to his ureter. His physical therapy is currently somewhat limited by his injuries and healing. Once he can get a little more past all of that, then he can move directly towards his goal of walking. Good evening! ~Katherine

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2007 07:54 PM, EST

Today was another action packed day. Andrew spent from around 11:15 till around 4:30 in his wheelchair. Walter Reed happened to host the first ever bilateral amputee conference today. We spent all day following around three young men who have sustained similar injuries to Andrew. They demonstrated their abilities, activities, etc. We watched them climb stairs, walk up ramps and even run. It will be a very long time before Andrew is at this point because of the extent of his particular injuries. But, it was very encouraging for Andrew to see those guys doing what they could do. This will set the goal in place and give him hope for the future. For now, Andrew needs to work on bulking up and adding muscle back to his body so that he will have the strength to work on walking. Andrew was able to transfer himself to his wheelchair several times. I was very impressed! I hope all of you have a great evening! ~Katherine

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2007 07:38 PM, EST

What a fun day we had today! I went along with Andrew to his Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy appointments today. Today was the first day he had true official therapy. The therapists are so nice and so great. The OT guys told Andrew that they will be able to help him get back into adventure activities like skiing or scuba diving, for example. The physical theray room has a lot of neat equipment that will be helpful to Andrew. Andrew was able to roll over onto his stomach and do a few modified push-ups. He spent a ton of time sitting up in his wheelchair today. All of that is good for his endurance and comfort level. I took some great pictures around the hospital today. I'll try to post them on this site sometime after I get home. I met his whole 'team' today- which included his head doctors, surgeons, therapists, prosthetists and nurses. I was impressed with how organized they all were in working together with a common goal. So, all in all, today was a very encouraging day! Thank you all for your prayers! They really mean so much! ~Katherine