CELEBRATION OF THANKFULNESS

As you can tell from these pictures that Thanksgiving has come to Germany. I did my very best impression of a Sothern cook at Ralph and Almuts home. It was a lot of fun trying to find all of the ingredients for my favorite recipes while not speaking the language. We all ate way too much but enjoyed every morsal because it tasted like home. I think that the two German citizens and one Canadian friend that joined our Thanksgiving enjoyed our reginal meal. A big Thank You to Almut for letting me "teach" her how to cook American style in her own kitchen. You have to be brave to let someone else come in and use your kitchen. We laughed alot and enjoyed cooking together. I always enjoy her company.

Kyle was able to attend with us and I had to shed a tear or two just seeing how well he is doing and the great strides his recovery is makeing. Hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving and we will see you soon. Robbie

Happy Thanksgiving

Just wanted to tell everyone to have a thankful Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for here in Germany. Kyle is doing well and we will be having Thanksgiving dinner with our friends here. Correction, with our family here. We gave up on the turkey and Robbie is baking a ham with the traditional ton of accessories. It is just as well because I like ham better anyway and they have the most wonderful ham here. We are thankful also for all that has been done for us by those here and at home for making this all happen, but most of all we are grateful to God for putting such wonderful people in our life and giving us the opportunity to know Him and all the peace, comfort, and provision that He provides.

Tuesday is getting closer and we are making some preparations for returning home on that day. With the time zone changes it takes about 17 hours off the clock to get here and only 4 hours to get back to Dallas.

Here is what I want everyone at home to do today:
Eat some turkey.
Watch football.
Eat some pie.
Visit with family.
Eat some leftovers.
Enjoy the weather.
Eat some more pie.
Express gratitude to God and others.
And for a special few, shoot a big deer.

See you soon, Kerry

WIND FARMS & "END OF THE TRAIL"?

We followed the road "less" traveled today. We found a few other folks out driving around (they were probably going somewhere) and we were taking our Sunday drive on a Tuesday! We stumbled upon a giant wind farm. We really did not see it coming. It was so foggy that these huge wind turbines just popped up in the fields in front of us. The sight was amazing and made us think of the Oklahoma wind farms and winds. We have not experienced any real wind "sweeping down the plains" or anywhere else for that matter, while in Germany. The turbines were turning but barely. At home the blades turn like a fan stuck on high speed!

In one of the small farming communities we saw a familiar sight. It was a sign with the "End of the Trail" statue painted on it(I thought Oklahoma had a monopoly on it). We stopped to read the sign and it was in German, imagine that... Some things just do not seem like they should go together. However, it was some type of business that had to do with horses and saddles. We thought we might do some saddle comparing but, they were out. If we could have read the other signs posted we might have known that without stopping.:)

Kyle's progress is steady and going forward. We are thanking God every day that his treatment and recovery are going so well. All good things come from above and we have been blessed with good things. We can almost see the lights at the end of the tunnel, and they belong to the taxi that is taking us home!!

See you all soon, Robbie

SNOW AND OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL

We have spent a snowy 24 hours in Saarbrucken! It is beautiful to look at and the park was full of snowmen. Kids were everywhere on sleds, parents, etc. Kerry and I took an early morning stroll and took these photos. Although they look black and white they were taken in color. The scene was just gray (black and white). The roads were not too bad to drive on, but you could tell that these folks see less snow than we do in Oklahoma. When it snows at home you also have ice. We learn to drive on that. Driving on this wet snow is easier.

Kyle is making progress. It is slow and steady. But it is progress. He has hopefully passed the worst part of the "trip" and is beginning to take part in our regular day. He even spent a few hours with the other patients family last evening.

Kerry sat up until 3:00 a.m. here to listen to his Oklahoma Sooners beat down Texas Tech. It was supposed to be a very close game. Oklahoma proved that it was not. Go SOONERS! Our son Caleb, in Oklahoma was the play announcer when the band width here finally played out around half time. Thanks Caleb and Becca.

As you can tell life is moving slowly here and home is looking closer. This is a family time of year and we cannot wait to get home to our families.
See you soon,
Robbie

Waiting and Waiting

Hello to all. Not much to report here. Kyle keeps thinking that he is strong enough to do a little walking only to find out that 10 minutes of standing is about all he can take. He looks so big and strong and healthy, but he has done nothing physical for 2 years now. He is anxious to get some strength and he wants it to happen now, but he is smart enough to know that it will be a long slow road back. We had thought that he might regain strength fast enough so that we could take a trip to the Alps before we left here, but that is not looking so promising. The smart thing to do is to lay around the hotel and go really slowly until time to fly home. It snowed here a little today, just a few flakes and we did some laundry this afternoon. Exciting huh? Laura is barely responding with her eyes and is still wakening very slowly by the doctors design. Saturday is the day for the farmers market in the center of the city and we plan to go there in the morning. Hopefully we will be able to share some pictures of it with you. Kerry

MAKING PROGRESS

Yes, we are still here. Life is continuing on with Kyle making progress. 3 steps forward and 2 back, but that makes 1 step count. We have tried to stay out of his way today and let the medications get out of his system.

While wondering around we stumbled on what would be the equivalent to a Lowe's or something similar. It was fun to look around and see how much we live the same around the world and how we do not.

The other patient is making steady improvement and we are excited for her family.
We miss home and you a great deal.

Robbie

DAY ONE OF A NEW LIFE

We have really enjoyed having Kyle here at the hotel instead of at the hospital. With the nice suite that Ralph has set up for us here at Victor's we have 2 bedrooms with a fire door in between. When Kyle has had enough stimulation from all that is going on he can shut the door and be in his own world. The door has been closed a few times today and we finally left the hotel to give him some quite space.

For the most part he is doing excellent. There are a few flashbacks of his hallucinations at times but he is dealing with them in his very methodical manner. He walked down 2 flights of stairs for breakfast in the restaurant and back up again when he was finished. If he leaves this floor he is trying to use the stairs to gain muscle strength back. It is like when he first started walking as a baby, you almost want to stand and clap when he gets the job done. However, he really frowns on our outward show of emotion in public.lol

The decision to take a road trip will depend his strength and the snow in the area. We will know more after this weekend if he is strong enough to take such 5 hour drive through Germany and France. We would love to show him where he has been staying but not at the cost of a set back.

We feel your love and prayers from this far away. Your comments make us feel closer than we really are to home. Thank you so much for loving us and praying for us while we walk this journey. Please continue your prayers for us and for Laura's family.

The photo tonight is of the medical chopper that the hospital uses to emergency rescue transports. The picture was taken from outside Kyle's hospital room. So you can see how when you are in a hallucinatory state it would play right into the airshow Kyle had from his window. When back to himself it was a little break in the monotony of the day to have it take off and land so many times. So it played a good and bad part of his hospital stay.

Robbie (for all)

I think it is a record.

Kyle has left the building. He is out of the hospital and back at the hotel. 14 days in the hospital and a new record I believe for the quickest rsd coma treatment. Everything considered this treatment went better than the first one. He had a few complications this time , but the waking up process went way better. The dreams were not as violent as before and he was able to eat right away. Last time it took him almost 2 weeks before he could eat anything. He received a package from our church this evening and it contained some hand crafted cards from some of the kids from Sunnyside. The cards were a wonderful addition to a good day. Laura continues to wake up very slowly and she is getting better everyday. Tell the kids that we said "hallo". Kerry

Up and Walking

Kyle went for a walk in the hospital today and will be back at the hotel no later than Wen. afternoon. They disconnected his last line in his neck today and he is eating as well. Last time it took him a couple of weeks before he wanted to eat, but he woke up hungry this time. We have depleted the German supply of Gatorade and need some one to call them and have more shipped over. We have given up on the idea of trying to see Paris, but we are talking about taking the 5 hour drive to see the Swiss Alps. That would be something we will have to wait and see if Kyle can do next week. We are planning to get Kyle a booster treatment on Nov. 28th and then drive to Frankfurt on Dec. 1st, so we can fly out on the 2nd. That seems like along time to us. Between the doctors, nurses, Ralph, and the hotel staff they have all taken good care of us. Thanks for the football updates, now I will see if it is possible to get the OU/Texas Tech game on the Internet. We look forward to your comments from home and we will try to get some pictures on the blog tomorrow. Kerry

P.S. Laura is still asleep but she is starting to awaken and she is doing much better. Thanks to all of you for praying for her. It is amazing that so many people will take time to pray for those whom they have never met. It encourages me to know that I have so many brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Ground Control to Major Kyle...

What a joyful day we have had today. Most all of it was spent with Kyle in his new room out of ICU. He is asking us a million questions and giving us an animated version of his latest 007 antics. One of the nurses in ICU remembered him "flying" planes last time. We told her that was one of the things he loved. I am sure this time he has seen and we have heard about every plane that is in the Air-Space Museum and some that have not been invented yet.

God's graciousness is amazing. We deserve so little yet he continues to pour out grace and protection on our lives and Kyle's. When you look at the wonders that He has performed you have to stand in awe of Him. Not only is Kyle doing excellent, Kerry and I are both staying strong and healthy. We have once again been given all that we hoped for and more, much more.

Kyle's coma buddy's family is here and she is on her way to waking up. It doesn't get better than that in this situation. Thank you for your prayers and for your encouraging comments on the blog and our e-mails.

Robbie

GOD IS GOOD

Yes the Lord has been good to us and Kyle has reported yesterday that there is no pain and not even any sensitivity at the worst sight. We are aware that sometimes there is some pain that returns with time, but God has brought us this far and he will see us through no matter what. We are gratefull for our doctors and nurses and the knowledge that have used, but even their ability to obtain knowledge has come from God.

We are laughing "with" and I admit sometimes "at" Kyle as he sorts out reality from dreams. He has a list of new inventions that he has seen in operation that have yet to be invented.

Laura is doing much better and they have begun the process of wakeing her up, but it will take days. Her two sons arrived here yesterday and we all had pizza together last night at a nearby pizzaria.

Pay no attention to the date and time stamped on the blogs, we have not changed the time on the computor and our tech has been in a comma. It is now about 7:00 am here on what I think is Saturday. Someone let me know about the college football games. Thanks again to all who have helped and are helping and especially to all who are praying for us. Prayer has made a difference for Kyle and for Laura. See yall soon, Kerry.

Ketamine Vacation

Kyle is doing well with his recovery and has been drinking like a camel. He ate some solid food this evening for the first time and is asking for Dr. Pepper. His brain is still on tour somewhere. He speaks intelligently then wants you to move to avoid being hit by a plane. He has had the most incredible air show today without leaving his bed. He did say that his vacation was not good. His nurse for the last four or five days is named Nina. She has been so sweet and has taken good care of him. She is a cowgirl with a horse in a country without many like her. We would like to bring her home with us. We have been impressed with all of the nurses and doctors. It does seem strange that the older I get, the younger the doctors become. I think sometimes that these nurses and doctors are young enough to be my kids and then I remember that my kids are old enough to be doctors and nurses. Laura had a very bad night last night, but is some better tonight. I know that some of you have been praying for Laura and we ask you to continue to do that. There are many stresses throughout the day that take many different forms, so pray for all the ones that are not in the hospital, that all would go smoothly. Thanks for praying, thanks for giving, thanks for caring, and thanks for your comments. Kerry

KYLE IS WELL

Hello,

All is well with Kyle. He is not combative nor is he restrained. It is nice to see him returning slowly to himself. He is not "with us" but he is gaining ground. I do know that he is scuba diving somewhere because of the conversations we are having. It is always interesting to talk to him because you never know really where it is going to come from.

The news this evening is bitter sweet, Kyle's coma partner is really having a difficult time with infection while Kyle is getting better daily. It would be wonderful if they progressed in an excellent manner. When you pray for Kyle pray for Laura and her family. They are making a long trip across the country to be here with her.

We are so grateful for the goodness of our God. He has taken such good care of us and met our needs before we knew we needed anything.

All is Well. Robbie

Going from Idle to Full Throttle

Hello friends,

Today was the beginning of the great adventure going on in Kyle's mind. His pulse and blood pressure were changing so rapidly that you could tell that there were a lot of things going on that only he could see.

His lung was better and the pneumonia was declared minimal at this point. The doctors are weaning him off of the ventilator and if things continue as they are he will get the vent tube out tomorrow which will make him so much more comfortable. Since we have walked this road before, we can make an educated guess (even if it is from the school of hard knocks) that tomorrow he will be even more awake and combative. If we could see what he sees we would probably be just as determined to get out of that bed.

Laura, his coma buddy, is having a tough time right now. As you pray for Kyle pray for her. She is experiecing some of the same tough times that some of the other coma patients have. Even though there have been others, it does not make it any easier for her family or her.

The weather here has been very similar to what we experienced in February and March. We are just here for the second verse of a song we already have heard. It is somewhat overcast and rains a little from time to time. Probably very similar to our Oklahoma weather this time of year.

We are now back on our own computer, yeah! My dad shipped us a hard-drive and Ralph installed it. So now we have no excuse for not keeping up with our posting.

The picture today is of Kerry and Kyle on the week-end before the coma. You can guess where they are at!

IT IS TIME TO AWAKE THE GIANT

Well it has almost been two weeks since we left the good people of Oklahoma and we miss home with all of it's work and problems. Never the less we will do our best to enjoy our new home and friends till we see you all again.

Kyle is off of the ketamine and has started moving some, but he has not yet opened his eyes. He has pnemonia and they are giving him antobiotics. He was not on the ketamine as long this time as last, but I think that the total amount of ketamine was probably about the same. We will trust God to do what is best for we know that he does all things well. The doctors will give Kyle enough medication so that he remains asleep all night and he should begin to wake tomorrow. We have been through this once before and so we know how difficult the next three days will be. We are though as sure of the Lord's mercy and power as we are of the difficulty.

Laura has pnemonia as well and is progressing in a normal way. Pray for them both that the antibiotics will work.

We look forward to reading your comments, so get busy typing.

Kerry

Lazy Sunday

Hello,

We have spent a very lazy day today. I hate to even say that with everyone at home working so hard. But....it's the truth. Our 2 American co-horts, Jill and Lauren, prepared us an American breakfast this morning that made us all feel closer to home.

When we arrived at the hospital we found that Kyle has been taken off the Ketamine completely and they are lowering the other medicines slowly so the wakeing up process is beginning. He looked good and his heart rate was back down to normal so we are hopeful that this time wakeing up will be easier for him. We are a little disapointed that he did not get at least 5 days on the treatment, but I am positive that God was not surprised by anything that happened with Kyle's body. He designed it and even knew him before he was born. If that does not give you confidence then you are simply in a place that can not be reached.

Thank you again for all that you are doing for our family back home. It is very reassuring when we think of you working on our behalf and keeping us in your prayers.
Robbie for all

SLEEPY SATURDAY CONTINUED

Well here is the text for the pictures below, keep in mind that we are technologicaly challenged. Kyle slept again today, but they had to discontinue his Ketamine because it was affecting his kidney function. If the enzime count goes down Sunday they will restart the ketamine. He needs another day or two of the ketamine if the doctors think it is safe. It is a serious problem, but not an uncomman one.

Ralph took us to Strausbourg today and the weather was perfect, a bluebird day! The company was good and the city is amazing. 600 years in the making of the cathedral! The picture below is of a much smaller structure, it is hard to get the cathedral in the veiwing window of a camera. Ralph suggested going to an organization and telling them that you wanted to start a project that would take 600 years to complete and an undetermined amount of money and then imagine them saying "No problem". I beleive it was the tallest object in Europe for 300 years. Try this link for some pictures, http://www.galenfrysinger.com/france_strasbourg_cathedral.htm

Thanks again to all those who helped make todays fundraiser a success. Have a great Lord's Day tomorrow and be sure to pray for Kyle. Kerry

SLEEPY SATURDAY

IT IS WELL !!

Greetings friends and family,

As the title says, all is well. Kyle is asleep and staying that way. Today he looked so very good. It still is amazing to me what a difference three days in a coma makes for a person with RSD. I wish it was in my ability to give this opportunity to all that need it. It seems to be the miracle that everyone is looking for.

We still are using borrowed computors, but Ralph should have the new parts for ours soon. We have spent some of our time with Jill and Lauren. Jill's mother is getting the coma treatment and Lauren has come to be with her friend Jill. We took a short trip to Metz France today before going to the hospital. The pictures are of Jill and Lauren in Metz.

Kyle will begin to wake up Sunday night or Monday and we are anxious for that to happen. In the mean time we will do laundry, eat salads, and watch American television shows with German voice overs.

The election is all that is in the news here, and they are all so excited about Obama. That all seems strange to us.

The country side is so pretty with its grain fields all green and the foilage in fall colors. It makes me miss home during my favorite time of year.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers and thanks to all those at home who are working hard on the fund raiser for Kyle. We are indebted to you for life. Kerry and Robbie

Two Blogs in One Day!

We have returned from the hospital this evening with a good report. All is well. Kyle is sleeping still, and his body is causing no problems. His feet were warm (which is amazing since the right one has been below body temp for some time), his color is good and I am relieved. We will blog tomorrow with new updates.

Thank you so much to all of our friends and family that are makeing things happen at home while we are gone. We think of you often and know that you are praying for us.
Robbie

Greetings from Saarbrucken,

We have fallen off of the grid due to tech problems. While our IT man is in a comma the computer has crashed. Ralph has been so good to loan us his American computer with English keyboard (and many hours of his tech time). This keyboard situation is important since none of us read German!!

Kyle is sleeping deeply, which is good. His chart looked good last evening when we were at the hospital. I am trying to be as quiet as I can while I am in his hearing range (which is quite large if you know him). I was glad to see a radio sitting in his window tuned to American music so that IF he does come awake a little he will hear some English. This was his idea and they thought it worth a try.

We are in a lovely hotel which overlooks the French-German Gardens. This is really a large park that joins the two countries. It has a pond, walking trails, bike trails, etc. It is a nice place to walk off a few nerves.

The visiting hours are from 4-6 p.m. so this leaves us a lot of day time to look around this lovely country. When Kyle wakes up we will be allowed a longer visiting situation with him.

In the meantime we are learning a few new words, a few new routes, and makeing some new friends. We are walking this road with a new family and the experience here makes you become a quick family. When you pray for us also pray for Kyle's coma buddy, Laura, she has come a long hard road for this treatment just like everyone else that shows up here.

I will try to post more latter after I make the visit to Kyle's room. Robbie

Family Reunion

We have had a very nice day today. Today has been a history making day in Saarbruken. The Sachs family and the Weiss family are here at the same hotel with us. Both of these families have been here for 5 weeks getting Ketamine coma treatments for their daughters Brandy 23 and Elizabeth 30, both beautiful young women. Kyle is here for his second coma and the Beckett family is here for Laura the mom to have the treatment also. There have never been 4 American families here for the treatment at the same time. We have mostly been gathered in one room all day sharing stories and experiences. Most families who go through this experience feel as if they are a part of a bigger RSD Ketamine Coma family. We will post some pictures of these new friends when we get our computer working as we are borrowing one now. Tomorrow we move to another hotel with the other new family and we all visit the doctor at the hospital before starting the treatment on Tuesday. Kyle has enjoyed the company of the two young ladies and they have been good for him to keep him from sitting in his room and worrying about the coma. Ralph helped us get a rental car today and he will go to the hospital with us tomorrow to help with translating and transportation. A big thanks today to Kyle Smith for taking care of my Sunday School class today and for the next 5 weeks. Kerry

Computer Problems

Everyone is fine here Kyle is doing ok. Kyles computer went down so we are using a borrowed computer right now so it might be a few days before we blog again.

"This is like deja vu all over again" Yogi Berra

Hello again, I am Kerry, Kyle's dad. It is friday morning here in Saarbruken Germany and our first full day in our new home for the next 4 or 5 weeks. Driving in to Saarbruken yesterday morning seemed peacefull yet strange. Strange that we can be so far from home and yet be at peace knowing that God is taking care of us and we have dear friends here that we met on our earlier trip this year. When we left here in March, I never thought that we would be back in Germany again, but here we are.

Ralph was at the hotel waiting for us when we arrived with a case of coka-cola and a hug. He made our hotel reservation for us as well as arranging for transportation from Frankfort airport to Saarbruken. He has negotiated discount rates for us with the hotel and for a rental car. Ralph is my pick for a Nobel Prize.

Today we will try to get some cash and run some errands. This will be Kyles only chance to meet Ralphs family and go to the local knife shop.

We are very gratefull for all of the help that we have received in regards to this trip. My mom and dad are taking care of our pest control business as well as our 3 dogs and 2 horses. Robbies folks will be helping with the animals as well. So many of our friends, family, and church family have given finacial gifts and labors of love to make Kyles treatment possible. Most of all we are gratefull to God and all of those praying for us.

We will try to blog every day and include some pictures. Todays pictures are of Ralph, Kyle, and a veiw from our room. Kerry

We Made It

We have made it to our hotel and all is well. Kyle tolarated the trip okay and is really worn out. We will post again tommorow.

ALMOST THERE....

We are in the final stages of wrapping things up here in the U.S. Our family, church family, and bonus families have all been working overtime to get us out of here.

Kyle's foot surgery was a success. The stitches came out Friday and he continues the fight to stay on top of his RSD. His pain is full body and has recently moved into his cardio system. He has to be very careful when changing positions. Noise is beginning to hurt again as is confusion around him. In his thoughts we are getting to Saarbrucken just in time.

We will keep you posted on this new/old journey.

Robbie

SO MUCH TO TELL.....

Friends, Family, and Followers,

Where do we begin to tell you of God's wonders and provisions for Kyle?

We knew that we were back on the wait list for Germany so we began to investigate that nagging pain in Kyle's foot that was left over even after he awoke from hi8s coma in March. This foot (right) is the original injury site from 1999 when the fork lift forks crushed it and the RSD journey began. It has been x-rayed, MRI'd in New York, and every place from Philadelphia to Germany. We decided to have our local doctor x-ray one more time and he x-rayed with Kyle standing on it. This caused his bones to spread some and the thorn in Kyle's flesh (litterly) was seen in black and white. There was a small bone spur that had formed on top of that foot at the fracture line, just an overgrowth of calcium and in the doctors words "might or might not" be causing him pain. To be on the safe side we took him for a second opinion. Dr. Kammerlocher took his own x-ray's and saw the very same spur. However, he could not guarantee that this was a source of pain because it was small. Kyle decided to let Dr. Kammerlocher do the surgery on the 7th. When the doctor walked out of the surgery suite to visit with us he was still amazed. The spur that looked to be the size of a pencil lead was actually the size of a pencil eraser and it was directly under one of the large nerves that runs along the top of the foot. Yes, this could cause pain with every movement. Needless to say we were Delighted.

On Wednesday the 8th our call came to return to Germany! Talk about fast. Last time it took 18 months so we were very surprised that it came so quickly. Kyle will get his stitches removed on the 24th of October and we will catch a plane to Germany on the 29th. You just have to stand in awe at God's timing.

The date to begin the coma is November 3rd. With him still in pretty good shape physically from his short remission, this trip will be so much easier on him.

I will do my very best to keep everyone updated on the blog, but as you can see God can move mountains very very fast.

Robbie

NOT WHAT WE HAD HOPED OR PLANNED FOR

Friends, Family, and Observers,

We were almost thrown off balance a little when Dr. Schwartzman in Philadelphia told us that there was nothing else he had in his ability to treat Kyle with. As of today Kyle's RSD has gone full body again. It has not gone into his organs yet, only in the limbs. Once again he is in enough pain all the time that his brain is having a hard time processing signals from the rest of his body, so he is beginning to stumble and is losing reflex speed.

As far as we know this was all because of an error made on his return from Germany. Although the protocol has changed for all coming behind him, he is in the place of once again needing the coma therapy in Germany.

The German doctor has been wonderful and has said that Kyle can return for a second coma, however that leaves us trying to finance the 40,000 dollar treatment (which is less than last time because of a very good German friend who has done some negotiating on our behalf in Saarbrucken). As for a return date, it all revolves around the financial ability to pay our way.

Kyle has come to terms with this bump in the road and is resting in his God for what he knows will be a very hard journey. What makes this time different is that you know what lies ahead, here while we wait and there once we return to Germany.

I have had people ask how they could help, and if he still as a RSD account. The answers are..yes, there is still a RSD account at the First National Bank,Newcastle, OK 73065, Kyle Kendrix/RSD account. As for how you can help...the many kindnesses and encouragement that you have given our family in the past is the best way you can help with our future. We know we are loved and we appreciate the many ways you have shown it.

I will keep you posted on Round Two of this journey.
Robbie

Change of Plans

Kyle is on a new pathway now since discovering through a MRI that the pain in his right shoulder was not from an injury but from the spreading of the RSD. The new prescription from the Dr. is to discontinue the boosters in Philadelphia until the Physical therapy on the shoulder is complete. We have no idea how long or short that time will be. Only the orthopedic doctor can decide. After the completion of PT he will resume the boosters and nerve blocks in Philly.

The turn of events has put him in a funk, but he is doing his best to pass the time by participating in a few family things and trying to add a little more time each day to his computer abilities. Even though he doesn't like it he is convinced that nothing comes his way that has not gone through God's hands first. His faith is so amazing that it makes me ashamed when I compare his faith with mine.

There is the possiblity of Kyle having the coma procedure again. Whenever Kyle is mentally ready and we have the 60,000 dollars to go, we will probably try it again. Kyle is not looking forward to doing it again but says he will if that is the only way. I guess it is good that we left his account open at the First National Bank of Newcastle as it seems we will be needing to use it once again. Kyle is convinced that if a return is what God wants, the money will be there, just like it was before.

I am posting a picture that was taken of a just a few of the people that love Kyle and are praying for him. It was taken on the 12th of July. Remember to click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see it better. Hope to hear back from all of you.
Robbie

Philadelphia for the 4th

hello to all,

Once again we are in the old towne. Kyle has succesfuly completed his nerve block and 2 days of ketamine. Not only is he doing well, he was able to go to dinner with the Abruzzo's and me last evening. I have had to refrain from taking my camera everywhere so that he will go out. He has become camera shy! (imagine that)

We landed here on Sunday evening and are planing our return for the evening of the fourth. We will see fireworks in both places. You really cannot beat a deal like that.

We are on track for several more visits to Phily, only these will be 4 weeks apart unless the results are not what he needs to continue his fight. Dr. Schwartzman is still in the process of getting a new treatment worked out, but it is not quiet up and running yet. This treatment will be here in this part of the country.

I still pinch myself when I compare how well he is doing to our before Germany life. He can stay alone, go alone, or be with people, all at his choosing. Not bad progress. Robbie

HOME

Home looked so very good when we arrived on Monday morning. This is the longest Kyle and I have been away from Kerry in a very long time. So maybe it wasn't home, maybe it was being with the love of my life that was so very good.

Kyle's infusion went very well this time. Between the nerve block and the Ketamine treatment his pain level was reduced from a 6 to a 4. Any improvement is GREAT. We built in 2 extra days of rest at the hotel and that seemed to help his travel problems alot. I think we have found a winning combo.

When we returned home Kyle was able to read the instructions on a do-it-yourself piece of furniture, put it together without help and then re-assemble our office after moving it in. 3 month ago this was not even a possibility. The Lord is Good.

We will return to Philly the last of this month and have the same procedure done again. You know the saying "if it ain't broke...." Hopefully the pain level will decrease again. Over all Kyle handled this treatment much better than any other times we have been to Philly. It almost seemed like he got worse with every trip, but not any more,. We are ENCOURAGED. It seems to be working. He was even able to go to dinner with 2 sets of friends (coma family) while we were there. Such a bonus.

We will be in the lovely city for the 4th of July, I can not wait. It has to be amazing. Keep up the comments, it gives all of us a boost to read them.

Robbie for all

The Pic is of Penn's Landing, which I got to see while there this time.

MAKEING LEMONADE

Hello to all,

We are once again in the lovely city of Phliadelphia. Kyle received a nerve block at C6 and two days of Ketamine treatments. Today he is feeling a little wiped out so we are resting and waiting for the results.

Wednesday, the day we flew in, the Abruzzo family met us and took us to dinner. They just returned from Germany on the 10th of May with their daughter. We enjoyed visiting and sharing memories of Germany. Most of all I enjoyed watching their daughter and Kyle enjoy a little slice of life. Listening to their recounting of their coma and days following, brought sad tears and happy ones as well. We stayed out much too late for the Abruzzo's to have to go to work the next morning, but they were very sweet and made me feel right at home here.

The treatments seem to have hit Kyle's brain a little harder this time, which I think is good. Our return visit has not been rescheduled, but I think at this time it is in about 2-3 weeks.

Thank you for all your prayers, thoughts, comments, and the financial help. The photo attached is of myself, Kyle, Alessa, Steve and Terry Abruzzo enjoying life in Philly.

Robbie

TRAVELING ORDERS

Hello all,

Kyle and I will be traveling back to Philadelphia at the end of the month. He will have an outpatient brachial plexus block and 2 out patient Ketamine infusions. This is his one month booster. This will be our 4th trip to Philadelphia since arriving home from Germany. No wonder I am having time zone issues!

Kyle continues to gain strength physically and mentally. He is also gaining a little weight which is a good sign for him. His check up at the local doctor went well with all strange health issues from his RSD resolved for now. He is getting out some, although trying to deal with multiple noises is still very hard for him. One person or conversation at a time is really the best for him right now. He has gone out to eat with us a few times, however the screaming children usually make him wish he had stayed home. It probably makes their parents wish they had stayed home too:) We are waiting to go to Cooper hospital until they have this new program underway. So that will be in our future at some time. In the meantime...Kyle will continue to make the best of his situation. He always has and is of the character that he always will. The pain in his shoulder and of course the original injury site slow him down, but he believes if life gives you lemons....make lemonade.
Robbie

AND WE WAIT YET AGAIN

At this time we are waiting on a call that will tell us when and where Kyle is to have his brachial plexus block. Until then he continues to rest and build muscle. He is walking about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile per day. Not bad if you were in bed for 18 months. We continue to enjoy his company in the middle of things. Occasionaly he has to retreat to a quiet room to regroup, but for the most part he gets to be a part of everything.

His computor skills are being dormant right now because it causes him such a headache to access those files in his brain. We have been told his "hard drive is re-formating" . Sounds alot like science fiction!

We are most certainly greatful for our 'new' old Kyle. He is more like himself than he has been in a very long time.

He continues to gain speed in his response time with graphics so he is pleased with that progress. Hopefully it will not be much longer and he will be back to the "pain free zone" that so many of us take for granted.

Robbie

PLAN B

The phone call today from Philadelphia came as a surprise. The new plan is for Kyle to return to the Philly outpatient treatment center in 2 weeks. Then again in 1 month. The doctor is hoping that the hospital in New Jersey will be ready for him by then. They are not quite up and running with this latest treatment.

Kyle's pain is still in his right shoulder. He is so much better than before we went to Germany. He can be touched. His hyper senses are gone. He doesn't have to wear earphones all the time, and can be around people. He is just physically beat down from the drugs they give him every 2 weeks. The Ketamine eats muscle so he just gets very fatigued. He is making all of these trips, not liking it, but making it. He walked 6 blocks to and from the doctors office this last time we went and that is really good for a guy that was in bed for 18 months.

Believe it or not it has only been 4 1/2 weeks since we got home from Germany. If you look at the time frame, He's Come A Long Way.

We will do our best to keep you guys up to date. Robbie for all

WHAT A MARATHON !