We got to ICU early Sunday morning. We were planning to going to church with our Palo Alto angels Christen and Steve from Peninsula Bible Church. We had texted them Saturday evening about our plans and they were excited about us attending their church as we had done last Sunday.

As we entered Anthony’s room it was obvious Anthony was more observant then at any previous time since February 2. We almost had to peel Lisa, Anthony’s ICU nurse off the ceiling because she was so excited Anthony had responded to her. Being responsive to requests is incredibly important to the healing process for brain trauma patients and Anthony has begun that process. Early on Sunday morning Lisa asked Anthony to hold up two figures and his thumb. He was able to do those things. It wasn’t prominent but he did do them when asked. When Kim and I walked in the room Lisa could hardly wait to tell us. The other nurses on duty were excited to tell us what Lisa had seen as well. Elle was on duty at United. After enjoying the moment, I immediately called Elle to tell her the news. She said she was going to come over to Stanford Hospital right after work. I went back to Anthony’s room and told Kim I didn’t what to go to Peninsula Bible Church; I wanted to spend some time with Anthony. As the morning pushed toward noon, Anthony fell asleep and Kim and I decided it was a good time to run errands while he slept.

While we were out we bought some meaningful Thank You cards for all the ICU nurses that were taking care of Anthony. They all seemed to be very touched. I know Kim and I have been touched by what they are doing for our Anthony. There is nothing we can ever do to thank them enough for taking such good care of Anthony in his critical time of need. It was mid-afternoon when we got back. Christen and Steve, our personal angels, texted to see if It was ok for them to come over. I said absolutely! Unfortunately, I was out of Anthony’s room when they came by but after they visited, Kim found me in the hallway and said Christen and Steve had dropped by. Their visit was like a little oasis in the middle of this terrible tragedy. When they came back, we talked and laughed and they told us about a friend of theirs whose daughter got in a terrible car accident. She had an extremely bad head injury. They said it was a long journey but it had a positive outcome.

Unbeknownst, we were about to take a fast trip to the downhill side of the road to recovery. After visiting with our new friends, we went back to our H.O.M.E apartment and had dinner and tried to rest. We headed back to the ICU about 9:30 pm. when we entered Anthony’s room it was a far cry from the joy filled ICU room Kim and I had entered this morning. There was a lot of negative energy in the room. There where paper bags stacked on top of his bed along with plastic boxes full of drugs and essential paraphernalia to help keep Anthony alive and well. Kim and I looked at each other. This was terrible; all the confusion and negative energy. In the middle of all this commotion Anthony had his eyes wide open looked confused and anxious. They were taking him to the Neurological ward on the first floor. Kim and I immediately raced to be beside Anthony with the hopes of comforting him. It is so scary with a brain injury. You really don’t know what the injured person is thinking, seeing or feeling. Kim and I followed Anthony down the hospital hallways and boarded the elevator to the first floor. His breathing escalated and his face showed more and more anxiety. When Anthony got into his new room in the neurology ward, his heart rate and breathing difficulties continued to escalate. The look on his face was one of anguish and high agitation. We were beside ourselves. We discussed the situation with his new nurse. Finally about 11:30 pm the nurses said they were going to turn him and adjust his position and give him something for his heart rate. We walked back into his room about midnight. His heart rate was under control, breathing was back to normal, and he looked so peaceful with his eyes closed. I don’t know what we would have done if he would have continued the way he entered the neurological ward. I know we wouldn’t have left. We would have stayed there all night. Leaving his room while he looked so peaceful reduced our own anxiety and made it possible to find some peace of our own.