Daniel in our Hearts

Daniel Update

2011-02-27T21:14:00.001-08:00

Hi All and thank you for you patience with our blog. Our love for Daniel is never on hold. Just came from a quick visit with my brother and I am happy to say that he is doing well in his abode in SM. Cathy and Michelle take awesome care of him; he looks happy and healthy whenever I go over. Also, the kids are doing great. I love watching Danielito and Adan play like the little bros that they are. Nayeli and Anahi get along just as well. They are growing up fast. Daniel and I discuss everything: movies, sports, music you name it. I recently saw a documentary on Ricky Williams, maybe you remember him. He was the Miami Dolphins running back that walked away from millions to find himself (suspended for using marijuana). After all kinds of soul searching he eventually became a yogi and returned to kick butt in the NFL. He's also a loving father and the story has a happy ending. The documentary is called Run Ricky Run and I highly reccomend it for its compassionate and divergent point of view. Daniel too is doing great as a dad with the kids giving him lots of hugs. Daniel is very sincere in his gratitude for the caring that is shown to him. I am grateful, myself, for the time that we share together. I hope this update reaches all of you in good health and that it helps by way of connecting with Daniel. Stay in touch.

Daniel at Home

2010-10-13T05:26:00.000-07:00

Daniel has been home for the past couple of months. Cathy and Michelle are looking after him and the the kids too. They use a lift to help him get around. Daniel continues to make progress; his grip seems to be getting stronger. We "arm wrestled" and he won. Lots of laughs and Daniel still has a great sense of humor. Thanks for checking in.

Happy Birthday Daniel!

2010-07-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends and Family:

Daniel celebrated his 36th Birthday on Sunday, July 18th. He spent the day amongst family at Village Square with the typical carne asada and all the fixings. He was able to enjoy the food as well. Daniel continues to progress and is doing well. Thanks to everyone who contributed to his birthday party and making it a special day for him.

Take care,

Irene

Daniel at Home

2010-07-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Daniel has been going home twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday. He is very relaxed at home with the kids. He is still at Village Square in San Marcos the rest of the week where he continues to get excellent care.

Take Care,
Victor

"I want steak"

2010-05-17T16:39:00.001-07:00

"I want steak" were Daniel's words, when I asked what it was he wanted to eat when he could do so autonomously. To this, I answered that if it's steak he wants, then he shall have the best piece of steak I can find, once he is ready to eat.

It was early Saturday, Lito, Joe, and myself were spending the day with Daniel. The weather was perfect, so we cruised to the patio with Daniel to take in some much needed sun. He was in good spirits, I put my shades on him and we chilled in the sun. At times, he would tell us he was hot and we would then move him to the shade, then he would say it was cold and we would return to the sun. This was what we did for him to keep him as comfortable as we could, when asked if he wanted to go inside he told us "no I'm cool outside".

It was definitely lifting to see him so engaged and willing to talk, we talked boxing, basketball, soccer and UFC, among other things. For the record, Daniel favors Brazil in the upcoming World Cup, Evans in the next UFC and if it ever happens, Paquio over Maywether. The fact that he can now verbalize all of those things is simply amazing and it made me feel like it is only a matter of time, before his body catches up to his mind.

His mind is definitely sharp, he was tracking our conversations and at times he would chime in on what he thought about the subject matter. He spoke in small phrases and when I shifted the conversation to Spanish he would adjust and speak to me in Spanish, he did the same when we spoke in our most common language (slang). A "Puro pedo" was mixed in, here and there by him too.

Once the sun started creeping away and it got a bit chilly, we returned to his room. He wanted to remain in his wheelchair, so we complied. The topic of our conversation changed a bit as it was getting late and we were going to leave soon. We shared with him how much we miss him, how amazingly far he has come and to keep up the good work. He relayed his frustration with his situation and how he does not feel like he is moving fast enough in the heeling process. This was really tough to hear, my response was; " I wont lie to you, so please believe me when I say that you have definitely come a long way and it is through your hard work and determination that you have come this far".

I realize it may be difficult for him to really understand just how much progress he has made, but I do believe he needs to hear it over and over again.

Our time with him ended as we lay him back in his bed to rest and we had the nurse come in to check up on him, to make sure he was okay. As we parted ways and let him rest for the day, we walked out of the facility in silence, happy to see him doing so well, but also realizing he is now fully aware of his situation.

In Solidarity,

Chuy

It's been ONE YEAR!

2010-04-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

I am taking the liberty to write the anniversary post for Hope for Daniel.

Well, it's been 365 days since Daniel suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. Needless to say, it's been a year filled with fear, sadness, hope and countless other emotions. And, of course, Survival! We are so thankful and proud of Daniel's determination, strength and will to live. For those that know Daniel, you wouldn't expect any less. He is an inspiration to all of us.

I spent my lunch hour with him today and had a great time talking, listening to music and just hanging out. His speech is getting better, his sentences more clear. He's gained weight and is looking good, as usual. I decided to check if he could feel his toes, legs, and hands. I pressed on his toes and he said he could feel it. I squeezed his shins and he said that he could feel it. I squeezed his fingertip and asked him what I was doing. He responded "squeezing my finger". Then, I scratched that back of his hand and asked him what I was doing...he said "scratching my hand". I scratched his head and he said "that feels good".

It's going to take time to rehabilitate him but at least he can finally communicate with us, laugh with us, be present with us.

We Love You, Daniel!

Tu Prima, Irene

You are Daniel's Favorite Pastime

2010-04-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

Absolutely amazing! Daniel's bravery and perseverance are an inspiration. Daniel and I had a heart to heart on Friday and he says that his favorite pastime is "persons." Seriously, I asked him about books, tv, and such when it occurred to me to ask him which was his favorite way to pass the time. Honestly, I expected him to say music or something of the sort...his answer:

"PERSONS"

When I arrived he was asleep and seemed quite fatigued. He was moved to his wheelchair and we strolled out to the patio where we were joined by Bob and Maria Elena (Cathy's) parents. Daniel chuckled at the story Bob retold about a trip Daniel had taken to Cabo to deliver a Suzuki truck. It took awhile for Daniel to open up but when he gets going he can really share his needs, wants and thinking. On TV he likes sports, his favorite reading material is History Books. He knows the names of letters (I showed him the title of a book I am reading and he named each letter as I pointed to it--just preliminary stuff so I am not sure yet whether he forms letters into words). So you may be thinking that since I teach I am always in that mode when I visit. But to Daniel it's simply an excercise, like excerising his fingers. I showed him his hands and we went to work on moving each of his fingers. He seemed very focused and intent on watching the movements his fingers made with my help. I asked Daniel if this bothered him he said, "no." Then I asked him if he wanted to keep excercising his hand, and he very clearly stated that he wanted to continue.

So, when he responds it is by choice. I have a strong feeling that Daniel is selective about what topics he chooses to use his energy on. And it probably depends on what he is actually able to do or say. He seemingly has access to his full intellectual faculty (I am speaking as a layman here) though articulating his thoughts may take more effort. I shared with him how amazing it was. And he asked me: "What is amazing?" I answered: "That God had spared him his intelligence, the part of his brain where his intellectual thinking takes place." I also told him that this is what defines Daniel, his intelligence, his smartness, and by smartness I mean his ability to accomodate so many varying points of view, to construct knowledge not as objective truth but as a fluid, dynamic and cultural phenomenon all in the name of love for his fellow man.

As others have shared, Daniel has a great sense of humor and likes to keep things upbeat. He is observing and taking it all in (see Jennifers comment about her visit with Daniel in the last post). I noticed, too, that when I moved in gently and spoke softly to him he was very interactive. He told me that he had a headache so we went back to his room to get some tylenol from the nurses. His exact words were "I have a headache." So I touched the front of his head and asked "here?" He responded, "no." I touched the back of his head and asked, "here?" and he answered yes. So we went up to his room to get some tylenol.

I was telling him that I saw the Chivas vs. America (super rivalry) game on Easter Sunday. He became very focused as I became very animated about the game. He literally finishes sentences for me as for example when I explained to him that the yellow team (and he said "America") actually controlled the game...that by all appearances America was dominating because they had more...pause...then Daniel responds: "opportunities." What I meant to say was more shots, as in scoring attempts, but Daniel's word choice is actually better.

At this point, I stopped and said this to Daniel: "Now you ask me a question."
Daniel's reply: "What was the score?"

Chivas won the game with a solitary goal. The score was one to zero. Of course, I was so shocked by Daniel's ability to form this question, that I completely forgot the score...so I stammered some numbers, before finally settling on the 1 to 0, and getting it right. He had asked me a question earlier ("What is amazing?") But what shocked me about this question was that he did it when I prompted him to do so...his grammar is intact...he has the ability to think metacognitively about language...he is thinking about his thinking. Or, as some of you may say, perhaps he just wanted to know the score. All the better, he has the ability to ask questions that are relevant to him.

Then I told him that the difference was the goalkeeper, (el pinchi portero) I told him how the Chivas goallie had blocked 5 legitimate shots, while the Americas goalkeeper choked once the shooter passed the last defender.

By then, John Escobedo's sister Irene showed up and I had to split...so I said to Daniel I'll catch you later man and kissed him on the cheek. His reply: "Nos vemos."

Daniel Responding More and More

2010-03-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Recently Daniel's Speech therapist called Cathy with some exciting news. Daniel was answering questions with one or two words. This was very validating to Cathy and to all who have spent some good times as of late with Daniel. We are very excited that Daniel is now able to purposefully answer questions and that he is accessing memory files and putting words together. Articulating speech is a very complex process that we all take for granted...we do it automatically.

Family and friends have shared many examples of Daniel responding to stories, jokes and questions. Daniel is communicating. Recently, he translated a word into Spanish for me that I could not remember. The word was "swallow." I was reminding to practice swallowing on his own and to work on it even without being prompted. I began to admonish him in Spanish but I had forgotten how say "tragar" the Spanish word for swallow. I told Daniel that I could not believe that I couldn't remember the word for swallow when he suddenly said it for me. It was quiet and soft, spoken more with a breath than with his voice...but it was audible and unmistakable. He had translated a word from English to Spanish. This word may be there and readily available to him as I am sure my mom and others help him practice his swallowing...but he is definitely accessing the files he has for words...he has memories and memory of words...and he is accessing these files more and more.

My neighbor, who is a software engineer and computer genius (or as he might say "geek"), recently recovered some picture files for me from a disk that I had erased. Since I had downloaded (or is it uploaded?) the pictures onto my computer, I went ahead and deleted them from my camera's memory card so that I could take more pictures. I had already deemed the pictures lost forever. When I told him about it he was not impressed by fatalism. He took my disk, found some recovery software online and was able to recover the pictures from the traces that had been left on the disk.

So, Daniel has these files and he needs our help to excercise his brain power and get access to them. He is recovering all the time! Thank you to all who have gone to visit Daniel. I continue to be inspired by the folks that take time to hang out with my bro. Onward to a new stage in our journey with Daniel.

Laughter is the best medicine!

2010-02-22T19:21:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that most of you know that Daniel finally gave us a "sign"! As they say "Laughter is the Best Medicine"!

We were fortunate enough to start off the New Year on a good note. Alfredo, Daniel's brother, discovered that Daniel never lost his sense of humor. Daniel has been smiling and laughing consistently to jokes, videos (from pix messages, youtube, etc.), stories from the past and just about anything that is funny to him. Like today, during my visit I said to him "Gosh Daniel, I wish I had something funny to say so that I can see you laugh, but I'm not very funny". And then I started cracking up, which made him smile so BIG. We were both just sitting there cracking up together. It was so cool!

Daniel continues to receive physical and speech therapy. He's responding very well to the speech therapy. He mouths words and on occasion his voice may come through. He's gaining weight and of course still has that natural tan. He's looking good.

If you have the opportunity to visit Daniel, a journal has been provided to document any activity that you witness. It is crucial to note any and all of Daniel's progress.

Thank you all for your continued support in keeping up with Daniel's blog.

Take care.

Irene Lopez

Daniel's Presence is Strong!

2010-02-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

I just read an article in the Los Angeles Times (February 4, 2010) about a biological test that showed brain activity in patients with brain injury. Patients imagined themselves playing tennis or walking in homes, and responded to yes or no questions as measured through brain activity.

I often wonder what Daniel would say if he could speak, or think aloud. I sometimes think aloud for him and I have deep discussions with him regarding this or that. My impression is that Daniel is conscious of his surroundings and is able to concentrate and focus his attention for longer periods! At times his attention seems to come and go however, and this may be due to energy levels or other factors/stimulus. But focus he can! With his eyes, his gaze and his changing expressions...

So the article made me think that although the outward, visible evidence of Daniels "awareness" is subtle, there is more to his brain activity than meets the eye. I am sure that Daniel "remembers" and is able to "imagine" many meaningful people and events in his life. Judging from the stories we hear of Daniel's reaction to his friends his presence is strong.

Please stay tuned for new authors coming your way soon. When we started the blog I was under the impression that we could only have a limited number authors. I've since found out (better late than never) that you could have many more writers posting to the blog. I've invited several others to help out and hopefully get the blog going again...."breathe new life into it" as they say.

Thanks for your support and understanding!

Tribute to Daniel at RCC Norco

2009-12-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

A very special thank you to Daniel's friends, colleagues and especially the students at Riverside Community College for the wonderful fundraising efforts and tribute to Daniel and his family at the annual RCC Norco holiday gathering. We are very grateful for the gifts for Daniel's children and the donation to the Daniel Vega Family Fund.

It was nice to finally have met the good people with whom Daniel collaborated and with whom he cultivated loving and lasting relationships. We all enjoyed the stories and memories of Daniel that were shared. We are so proud of Daniel for the work he has done while at RCC Norco; and it was evident Norco is a place that nurtures the type of values that Daniel lives: community, service and social justice.

Daniel's spirit is strong and we are stronger thanks to your prayers and support.

I was with Daniel today for four hours. Daniel is not able to do much for himself by way of self-care. Though he doesn't speak, he is alert and communicative. As we speak to Daniel or hold his hand or massage his arms, he reciprocates with his attention and efforts at speech.

For those of you who have not visited Daniel, I encourage you to do so...he most certainly benefits from time spent with friends. He is in room 226 at the following address:

Village Square Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

1586 West San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos CA 92069

760/4712986

Please email me at vicmanvega@gmail.com if you need more information or if you would like to arrange a time when we could visit together.

2009-11-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

A Response to sincere 'Comment' by Binuelos:

The comment contained several concerned inquiries
about Daniel and the frustration of not seeing new
updates. Like Binuelos, many who check the blog
everyday, experience dismay and apprehension with
the lack of news. Two weeks without an update
certainly has a way of eroding hopes.
It is our responsibility to support the many who,
because of time and distance, see the blog as their
only contact with Daniel and his family.
Daniel's condition has not regressed in that he has
not experienced the recurring fevers, his weight has
stabilized, the Baclofen pump is functioning properly.
However, his progress with speech therapy and
associated indicators has not displayed any
significant change. Swallowing and possibly using
vocal chords has not been successful as yet.
Daniel is still at Village Square/Kindred in San
Marcos. Cathy, Margarita, and other family members
are very satisfied with the care and treatment offered
by this facility. They have been advised by Daniel's
insurance company that they are evaluating his
condition and need for the level of care offered by
Village Square/Kindred. They will determine if he
will remain here or will be moved, the decision may
come as early as November 14, 2009.
Take care of one another.....
Sal

2009-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

International wireless communication and
satellite Internet technologies make this post
possible. Daniel's mother Margarita is there
at Kindred in San Marcos, cellular phone in
hand, and I am south of a fishing port on the
shore of the Gulf of California in Baja California,
Mexico. I post this message with the help of
solar panels and batteries powering my laptop
and transmitting it to a tiny satellite up there
somewhere in the backdrop of our galaxy and
the universe.
Margarita reports that the Baclofen is giving
Daniel respite from the posturing, he is definite-
ly more relaxed, rested, and this has facilitated
more progress with physical therapy. He is able to
sit for longer periods. This has enabled family and
friends to take him out to the patio more often for
fresh air and natural light. Daniel's brother, Victor,
assesses Daniel's strength and takes him for
extended tours of the hospital grounds outdoors
on Sundays.
Changes that were made to his nutritional diet
resulted in a one pound weight gain. Small but
significant incremental steps. Once he is able to
swallow puree he will definitely put on more
pounds. The physical therapy will keep him flexible
and prevent atrophy.
As most of you know, Daniel has been a strong
supporter of Barack Obama. Margarita had the
television news on when a sound bite of Pres. Obama
making some remarks seemed to catch Daniel's ear.
It appeared that Daniel did a 'double take' to catch
a glimpse of the image of Obama on the screen!

There are thousands of 'blogs' on the Internet dealing
with every imaginable topic under the sun. Recently I
have been reading blogs posted by families of patients
with brain trauma injuries. They are very informative
and consoling in that these families have traveled this
same journey and want to share their experiences of
fear, anguish, adaptation & adjustment, hope and faith.
Each and every family shared stories of dealing with
mindless insurance companies and the inhumanity of
their profit driven policies. Families are forced to move
loved ones from one facility to another at the dictate of
insurance company claims adjustors. An all too real
story of frustration and seemingly endless battles putting
families under more duress in stressful times.
Many of their loved ones were at various stages of coma
or in their second, third, or fourth year of rehabilitation.
Almost all have shared that the first prognosis given by
neurosurgeons was bleak and without hope.
Understandably, doctors are faced with many
unpredictable factors and avoid giving loved ones false
hopes. Those families took the dire prognosis with
mixed emotions and set out in heroic ways to intervene
and give their loved one a fighting chance to return to
some degree of normality.
There is one recurring theme or stream of advice that I
found in all these blogs, the urgent message from
families and the victims of brain trauma:
'Don't give up!', 'Don't quit!'

It has taken some of the patients a year or two or
more to regain consciousness, it has taken another
year or more to regain speech, it has taken a year or
more to learn to walk, .....all those attributes that we
take for granted loom as multiple marathons for
patient and family alike. One young male patient
relates that over the arduous span of three years
many of his friendships fell by the wayside. This
journey has taken it's toll on everyone, but we shall
continue to stand by Daniel.
Take care of one another..... value health.
Sal

2009-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

For those who have visited Daniel prior to Oct. 13,
you observed a medical condition called decorticate
posturing. Simply, this is involuntary muscle
contractions causing a patient to have arms flexed,
or bent inward on the chest, the hands are clenched
into fists, and the legs extended and feet
turned inward. Another part of the posturing is a
condition called 'opisthotonos' in which the head
and back are arched backward.
All of this is related to brain trauma injury, BTI,
stemming from the aneurysm, bleeding, and the
pressure exerted on the brain back on April 28
and 29 th. Seeing Daniel in this condition
motivated many visitors to inquire as to what
could be done.
Fortunately, there is a procedure to alleviate the
cause and produce remarkable effects with patients
suffering from BTI and other afflictions. The
procedure is called ITB for Intrathecal Baclofen Pump.
Again, to simplify this explanation, a small electronic
pump is surgically placed under the skin below the
belt line in the lower abdomen.
Baclofen is a muscle relaxer and an anti-spastic agent.
Baclofen is used to treat muscle symptoms caused by
multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, including spasm,
pain, and stiffness.
A catheter, small tube, is inserted through the
intrathecal space surrounding the spinal cord,
entering the lower back and inserted upward.
The pump, a 20 or 40 ml reservoir of Baclofen, is
programmed to release small doses to relax his
muscles. The dose is adjusted with radio telemetry,
an application of physics and the science of radio
waves, wireless communications.

Daniel now has the pump, the results in Daniel's case
are reported to be very positive, he is more relaxed
and alert. This procedure was performed Oct. 13th at
Palomar Hospital.
In addition, the registered dietician has increased
Daniel's caloric intake to help him regain weight.
Daniel's tenacious spirit has cleared another hurdle.

All of us are fortunate to live in an age where afflictions
such as decorticate posturning, cerebral palsy, multiple
sclerosis, muscle spasticity, and other neurological
problems are the subjects of intense medical research.
Credit scientific research for this discovery, the
technology of the ITB - Intrathecal Baclofen Pump,
that has brought relief and eliminated much suffering
for tens of thousands of patients. This new threshold
will support further efforts to re-teach Daniel to
swallow, maintain flexibility for physical therapy,
and facilitate improved speech therapy.

As late as the middle ages, and for centuries leading
up to and beyond the 15th century, people with such
afflictions were deemed to be possessed by demons.
Tragically, many were brought before the Holy
Inquisition of the Catholic faith. The afflicted were
subjected to exorcisms. Unable to drive out alleged
demons, the person was tortured along with
heretics, rebels, witches, homosexuals, and pagans.
The fate of all these people was to be burned publicly
at the stake.
Thankfully, the age of reason has prevailed.
Take care of one another,
Sal

2009-10-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

Daniel, my little primito, you've been on the minds
and in the hearts of all of us who love you since
suffering through your terrible ordeal. I know in
my heart that you're only temporarily gone from
your life and that you will be back--
the same guy we all know and love--eventually.

However long it takes, we will all stay strong,
positive, and hopeful in the knowledge that our
prayers will be answered. I wrote the following
poem with the certainty that you, yourself,
will read it and know that you touched the
lives of many! May God continue to bless you
with progress and then bless us with you!

While You Were Sleeping . . .

While you were sleeping for so many weeks
I witnessed the manner in which the Lord speaks.
That wonderful spirit with which we’re endowed
The one that insists that defeat’s not allowed,
Rose up to unite us, encouraging hope.
And gave us the strength that we needed to cope.

It manifested in so many ways,
In kind words and good deeds for so many days.
A testament, Daniel, to the person you are.
In so many lives, you’re a radiant star.
Your trial--I‘m convinced--had a purpose for all.
The Spirit had urged us to answer His call

For human compassion and unbounded love
Such as we’re blessed with from Him up above.
So many hearts overflowed with concern.
For a speedy recov’ry did every heart yearn.
We never let go of our pow’rful conviction
That full recovery’d be your benediction.

And while you were sleeping, some great things transpired.
Your family stepped up in some ways we admired.
Your loving big brother created a blog.
On which our emotions and thoughts we could log.
Your beautiful Cathy--a jewel among wives--
Made sure that this trial wouldn‘t crush your kids‘ lives.

Your ‘lil gal, Olivia, in May was confirmed.
Her faith in the Good Lord above reaffirmed.
Although what has happened has taken its toll
Nayeli still managed to score her first goal.
Danielito and his team--such superb ‘lil jocks--
“Green Gold Champs of ’09, the Temecula Hawks!!!”

Your mom, dad, and siblings stayed strong through this fight.
They knew, in the end, all would turn out just right!
All of this proves that you’re made of great stuff.
And your family, just like you, remained very tough.
You know what they say when the going gets rough!
We witnessed that courage and faith are enough.

This reminded us faith is so crucial in life,
In conquering every occurrence of strife.
When life deals us seemingly unconquerable tests,
His mercy is wherein our victory rests.
And in your resilience and strength we believed
And knew your recovery would be achieved.

We never let go of that vision of you
Involved in those things that you so love to do.
Hiking through mountains and wilderness trails.
Mentoring students with all that entails.
Working on mast’ring the art of jiu-jitsu
Your chosen sport-- that we all know--sure fits you.

Travelin’ to Latin American places
Feeling ONE with those wonderful, brown, noble faces.
Such a wonderful life you enjoyed ‘til the day
We all prayed you wouldn’t be taken away.
When you pulled yourself out of the depths of defeat
We knew that this foe you’d eventually beat.

So none of us doubted that all would end well,
Leaving us with a great story to tell
Of adversity conquered, calamity foiled,
Misfortune torn down and hopelessness spoiled.
We faced them with fortitude powered by God
Upon them we steadfastly, fearlessly trod.

We knew you would make it. We know your resolve.
Despite all the struggles that this would involve.
You’re strong and determined; you value your life.
You treasure your kids and your beautiful wife.
Your family’s important and so’s your career.
There’re so many things you enjoy and hold dear.

So we trusted in you and your strength from the Lord.
Your vigorous fight in all hearts struck a chord.
The odds were against you, the news very bleak.
New challenges rose up each day every week.
You were relentless in fighting this fight.
You overtook hurdles each day and each night.

Rather than choose someone thought of by few,
To make a strong statement, the Good Lord chose you.
I wondered and wondered why this thing occurred
And finally concluded, “He had to be heard!”
He had to remind us that He’s always there,
With His arms around us, there’s naught we can’t bear.

In life when we suffer through many ordeals
He is the One by which misery heals.
With people in whose lives you’ve played a strong role,
The Lord was the One who could fill up the hole.
The Spirit reminded us all of this fact
And knew that you, Daniel, would have that impact.

We’re, all of us, children of God up above.
All blessed with the will to do good for His love.
Together we’re bigger than each one apart.
We’re all of one mind, of one soul, of one heart
And as such there’s nothing that we can’t achieve
Because in the Good Lord above we believe.

By Maria E. Alvarado

2009-09-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

As part of the long term goal of preparing
Daniel for independent living, one immediate
goal is to eliminate the intra-venous drip of
saline for hydration. Another benefit of this
step is that it eliminates an area that is a
source of possible infections. Daniel will
receive liquid hydration through the catheter
to his stomach which is used for nutrient
feeding.
A reminder that there is no longer any
risk in regards to the bout Daniel had with
shingles. Also, the urinary tract infection
has been treated and is history now.
This morning, Daniel had some 'patio
time' with Diana, Alfredo, Margarita, Cristina,
Pat Savas, Tia Chita and Tio Tzal.
Daniel is still holding his own. There have
been numerous reports of a very small sense
of awareness on his part when someone has
mentioned certain topics or events. We're all
searching for a word or phrase or anecdote
that might trigger a cognitive flash or response.
Keep trying. Auditory or verbal stimulus is easy
and inexpensive, and as family and friends, we
we have shared experiences and recognizable
voices...so please keep those positive words
of reminiscence and encouragement flowing.

There are medical studies under way all over
the world addressing this problem. Brain trauma
studies emanate from the medical science fields
of neurology, neurobiology, psychiatry, and
combinations of those fields. Recent develop-
ments in stem cell applications hold many
exciting possibilities. We continue to scan the
research, read, and network with families who
have traveled this road.
It is human nature to measure success with
achieving short term goals. That is good.
Success with long term goals requires great
perseverance. This is admirable.
The struggle for a year or two or more
will find the strongest of us.
...."These are the indispensable ones". Brecht.

Take care of one another......
Sal

Monday, September 21

2009-09-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to visit Daniel this weekend and it was apparent, by his discomfort, (extended period of body tension and sweating) that he was having a tough day. While I was there, Cathy got me up to speed on all that was going on with Daniel and mentioned he was having a rough week. From what she shared with me it sounds like there will be a meeting with the medical team assisting Daniel sometime this week to asses his progress.

Before I left I had some alone time with Daniel and I let him know about our fantasy football (this time last year, we were talking trash back and forth about the greatness of each of our teams Los Apaches (me) and Melapelas (him). We finished 2nd and 3rd in the League. This year, I took up his team name and kept my logo, and informed my adversaries I will be handing everyone a beating for two. So far, so good, (2-0) average margin of victory 75 points.

You know, I did feel he was paying attention.

I had a short heart to heart with him after we talked fantasy football, and as I did, his facial expression changed from a fearful look to a more serene expression. I felt him calmer and that allowed me to leave in a better place, sad yes, but also very hopeful that he will pull through.

I would like to take this time to thank all of Daniel's gente in RCC Norco, his co-worker Zina Chacon has informed me of all the awesome people over there, including students, staff, and faculty who have pulled together to raise funds for Daniel, Cathy and the kids. They have been doing raffles, selling food and taking in donations for the purpose of helping Daniel in the only way they can at this point. I know he would be very proud of all of you, and feel honored to have such great gente behind him.

In solidarity,

Chuy

2009-09-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Day 143
Trying to provide an update to keep the
blog current and relevant. Cathy reports
that Daniel experienced a mild seizure three
days ago. No indication of cause or after effects
as of this post. Also, Daniel has had a minor
urinary tract infection, now receiving medication.
Cathy advises taking precautions during visits
this week & next, as Daniel has a mild localized
episode of a form of Chicken pox called shingles.
Indications are that this is stress related. Please
check at nurses station on status prior to visit.

For those of you trying to balance work, school,
managing kids in sports, mortgages/rent, repairs,
commuting, budgets, and other family responsibilities
.....it is by any standard, no easy task. The economy
has exacerbated your struggle. Keep your priorities
in order....easier said than done.
Cathy contends with all of the above and more.
She relies on the great support group of family and
friends, among them, Michelle, Diana, Sara and Sarah,
Irene, and others, too many to mention here.
Their presence is invaluable. A brief word of
appreciation for all that make time to help.
Thank you and keep up the good work.
Take care of one another.....

2009-09-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today at 5:53 PDT the space shuttle Discovery
had a picture perfect landing at Edwards Air
Force Base in Palmdale, California. Almost 14
days in space connected to the International
Space Station. The astronauts are safe and now
flying to Houston for debriefing before rejoining
their families. Welcome home Jose and Danny.

2009-09-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Hey Daniel, Cathy just left and Nando walked in!
Cathy asks that no photos of Daniel be taken or
posted until Daniel can speak to that request.
Jerry Horner's daughter, Michelle and her husband
Spencer Ford visited Daniel. They are from British
Columbia, Canada. They gave Cathy and Daniel three
vials of anointing oils from Jerusalem, Israel. used in
rites and blessings of the Christian faith.
Cathy has scheduled massage and reflexology sessions
for Daniel. They begin next week.
While visiting, Daniel had his daily speech and physical
therapy sessions.
Gave Daniel an update on all World Cup qualifying
matches still going on. The FIFA World Cup will be in
South Africa in 2010. Just sixteen (16) years after the
end of apartheid in 1994! That year marked the end or
46 years of inhumane and brutal 'legal' racial segregation.
Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times.
Nelson Mandela was elected president on April 27, 1994,
after 27 years of incarceration as a political prisoner.

2009-09-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Km 55, Hwy 1, Baja California, Mexico
My last post was 7 days ago, Sept. 1.

Today Bermuda, Canada, and the U.S.
celebrate Labor Day.
The real and original day commemorating
workers and their achievements is May 1,
celebrated by all nations except the 3 mentioned
above.
I bring this out as I know Daniel is very much
aware of this fact. As he is a student of Latin
American history and the movements for social
and economic justice, I know he would take the
time to explain this to his children.
Among the achievements of workers are: the 8
hour day, abolishment of child labor, worker
safety, minimum wage, right to organize, to name
but a few. The struggle continues. ----------------->
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!
* * * * * * Bob Marley & Peter Tosh 1973 * * * * *
I have taken this opportunity to enter this post to
create a more recent window to add comments
about your visit with Daniel or related information.
Take care of one another.....
Sal

2009-09-01T10:28:00.001-07:00

Today is a new day, Daniel is doing good. He
is not lacking for family and friends.
Margarita kept watch over night and went off
to work in Poway. At about 8:00 AM, Nando
and Alfredo made time to help Betty place
Daniel in a wheel chair for some 'patio time',
a little sun, cool shade, sounds of the city, the
fragrance of pine trees, and fresh air. Not exactly
the high Sierra's, but a welcome break from
room 331.
Nando found a way to break away from his
classroom and run over here to voice reassurance
to Daniel of his good fortune of landing a teaching
position so close. Timing is everything! Off he
went back to his classroom, telling Daniel he'd
be right back.
Maria and I showed up in time to assist Alfredo
in rolling Daniel to the patio. Just as we settled in
under an umbrella, Michelle pops in with her
Starbucks in hand and a bright smile to brighten
up the patio even more. Michelle's faith has a
way of releasing those endorphins that give her
limitless energy. It ain't caffeine.
The hand and foot massages began with
encouraging words to Daniel by all of us.
The consensus is that Daniel is strong and
showing no weakness in the long process of
recovery. His immune system has not been
compromised adversely by this challenge.
Again, we attribute this to his strength and
will to live.
Yesterday, Cathy picked up scissors and
comb and gave Daniel a neat hair cut! He
is looking good like I've observed months
ago: Calm, dark, and handsome!
Take care of one another. Stay healthy.

2009-08-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Successful Launch at 8:59 pm Friday night!
The space shuttle Discovery STS 128, with a
crew of 7 astronauts are in orbit on a
rendezvous with the International Space Station.
On board are two members dear to Daniel
and all of us: Jose Hernandez & Danny Olivas.
You can follow their mission on:
www.nasa.gov/shuttle/mission Check out
http://www.twitter.astro_jose/

2009-08-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

* * * * * *Bloggin' from Baja * * * * * * *
'Heard it thru the grapevine', as
Marvin Gaye used to sing....... but Marvin
sang about love lost. What I've heard is 'one
word' that strengthens our hopes! Michelle,
was doing PT on Daniel's foot and ankle when
he vocalized or made a sound for the first time!
Much to her surprize she moved to face him and
tell him she heard him say something. At that
point Daniel uttered another sound which
sounded like 'Hi' or 'Ay'!! This was an actual
response or an attempt to respond to someone's
voice.
Michelle called Cathy and Margarita with the
startling news. The phone was placed near his
ear and each time Daniel made an effort to
respond to either Cathy or Margarita's voice.
The speech therapist reports that the therapy
is making progress, he will open his mouth when
she asks him. Besides the daily oral hygiene,
Daniel is asked to move his tongue, lips, and to
swallow. He is slowly re-learning these basic
actions. Steady interaction by the therapist is
showing progess, the therapy includes flavored
swabs, minute quantities of flavored liquid to
stimulate the swallowing reflex, all of this with
simple but clear verbal requests.
Almost daily now, the nurses-Cathy-Michelle
Margarita have been taking Daniel outside to
the patio for fresh air and sunshine! A much
needed change of scenery and the benefit of
physically sitting up and the use of muscle
groups that have been idle too long, another
form of therapy. Margarita reports that he
actually turned and appeared to listen to the
sounds of the San Marcos High School
Marching band rehearsing across the street!
The drum and brass sections were generating
plenty of vibrations!
Daniel has been re-gaining weight! The gains
are small, but it will strengthen him for more
physical therapy.
It has been 122 days since the trauma,
the patience and love displayed by family,
friends, co-workers, nurses, and therapists,
has been admirable and commendable.
SPORTS: Chula Vista advances to the semi-
final this Saturday against San Antonio TX.
Mexico has advanced in the international
bracket to play Taiwan in that semi-final.
Who knows, it may be Mexico vs. Chula
Vista in the final.
SPACE SHUTTLE: Looks like the launch will
be tonight at 8:59 pm, PST, which is 11:00 pm,
EST. Valve issues have been corrected and
fueling is in progress at 2:45 pm pst. If you
receive the NASA channel you can view the
crew actually suiting up and entering the
shuttle LIVE!! Get your kids to watch this!
Is this exciting or what??
Take care of one another and eat healthy.

The Sky is the Limit

2009-08-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sal for keeping the blog alive! And thanks also for keeping us abreast of momentous events that affect the lives of Latinos. To wit, Jose Hernandez and Danny Olivas and the space shuttle Discovery will launch Thursday as the flight has been delayed. It is the first time that two Latino astronauts will fly on the same mission. Sal reminds us that this has special significance on many levels. First, Jose Hernandez had applied to NASA for 12 years before finally being picked to be an astro-man. He grew up a migrant farmworker and hails from Stockton. To the Velazquez family up in Lodi, especially Warren, I hope to hear some special comments from you as I know you keep up with Jose's Twitter. Anyway, here is what Sal has to say:

"I want to comment that Jose applied to the NASA astronaut program for 12 years before being accepted in 2004, then he has trained and prepared for this week for 5 years. Also, Danny Olivas from El Paso Tejas (most of my living relatives are from Juarez and EPT), Like Danny, they also went to UTEP ( back then it was Texas Western). Another connection: Danny did his graduate work at Rice! John Escobedo is another alumni."

Moral: don't give up. Encouragement and inspiration to family and friends on this journey with Daniel.

The Sky is the Limit!

2009-08-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

The launch of the space shuttle Discovery,
STS 128, has been rescheduled for Thursday
evening due to a valve problem. Uncertainty
about completing repairs by new launch date.
Biographical information on crew members
Jose Hernandez and Danny Olivas is on the
NASA website.

2009-08-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Daniel continues to gain weight ever so slowly.
With his eyes open he appears to be searching
or seeking to comprehend his surroundings and
sounds. We speak to him or read and hope that
his brain is slowly finding the pathways to process
the stimuli. It is very noticeable when the speech
therapist, Cathy, or Michelle are working with him
on swallowing or moving his tongue or lips. These
are encouraging signs and it more convincing that
the road to recovery will be long and demanding.
Cathy, Michelle, Margarita and others are trying
re-establish contact with Daniel's neuro-surgeon or
bring in another neurologist to make another
assessment about Daniel's progress and also the
state of the shunt.
Cathy and most families are in the throes of the
annual ritual of enrolling children in school for the
fall semester. As you know, school supplies, clothes,
schedules, new teachers, maybe even a new school,
bus schedules, etc. etc. No small task to be sure,
Cathy is doing all of the above after having four
wisdom teeth extracted! Wonder Woman!

LATE BREAKING NEWS!
I include the following two items as I am certain
Daniel would be following these events intensely!

SCIENCE FANS: The latest space shuttle launch
(STS 128) will be tonight about 11:30 pm and will
carry 6 astronauts 200 miles into space to hook
up with the International Space Station, taking
supplies and material for more science experiments.
This launch mission has special significance for
our kids: Two astronauts are of Mexican descent-
José M. Hernández (Stockton, CA.) and
John D. "Danny” Olivas (El Paso, TX) !!!!
Arriba Raza! now has a new meaning!
Log onto www.nasa.gov/missions/ for biographies
and photos. There is a lot of excellent stuff on this
website for kids and adults. José Hernández has
created a foundation to reach more elementary
school children of Mexican descent to promote
their interest in science and mathematics. If we
ever wanted good role models or 'hero' figures for
our younger generation, here are two excellent
real heroes.

The launch will be televised on the NASA channel
on DishNet and DirecTV. Worth staying up to
watch or TiVo it for the kids.

SPORTS NEWS: This is for Danielito, Alfredito,
FernDawg, Nayeli, Adan, Gordo, Oscar II, Ariana,
Anahi, Kai (Chuy's son), Dieguito, Yvonne, hmm,
did I leave any chamaco out of this list?

The Chula Vista Little League team is in the World
Series! They are blasting homeruns and crushing
opponents by 10 run margins! Good luck to
these little guys. Also, on the international side
of the tournament is the team from Reynosa,
Mexico! Today they crushed a team from Germany,
13 - 0! Better to play Germany in beisbol, not futbol.
Take care of one another, eat smart and stay healthy.
Tio Tzal and Tia Maria

2009-08-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Cathy reports that Daniel continues to experience
high fevers, last night was no exception. Nurses are
using a 'cooling blanket' to break the fevers. The
blanket looks like bubble wrap, but more durable and
is connected to a refrigeration unit that pumps
cold liquid through chambers.
The speech therapist is now using flavored lollipops
to stimulate the swallowing reflex and movement of
his tongue and lips. Alfredo reports that Daniel is
showing small improvements in swallowing and
chewing!
In an earlier post I mentioned research in New
Zealand applying stimuli to the 5 senses to patients
in coma. It is a scientific study adhering to strict
research standards.
The results of stimulating the five senses,
tactil, auditory, visual, taste, and smell have been
inconclusive using a variety of techniques with
patients. They achieved positive results with some
patients in varying degrees of coma, but nothing that
could be successfully replicated on all patients.

Still no word on when Daniel will have the small micro
pump device implanted to introduce small dosages of
muscle relaxants.
Cathy also reports that Daniel has had a small gain in
weight, less than one pound, but a gain rather than
a loss. His doctor at Village Square is Dr. Santos.
S/he has ordered a full blood panel workup. This is a
preventive measure to make sure there is nothing of
a viral or bacterial nature trying to get a foothold
or causing the high fevers. The panel will test for
white cell levels, cholesterol levels, and sediment rates.

Breaking News!! Nando has been hired to teach
Drama at the brand new high tech charter school
just 100 yards from Daniel's room. In fact, the new
structure is visible from Daniel's bed!
Congratulations Nando!!!
Victor and family have returned from their vacation
in NorCal. Welcome home Victor. It's back to the
grind in a few weeks. Alfredo took his son
backpacking in the high Sierra's. No bear or
mountain lion encounters, whew!

Thanks to all who continue to find the time to
visit Daniel during this long recovery journey.
Take care of one another and stay healthy.

Sunday August 16, 2009 Day 110

2009-08-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Village Square allows relatives to spend the
night with patients. Michelle kept watch last
night on our man. This morning Cathy, Michelle,
and Tia Chita, assisted the PT Mark Martinez as
he put Daniel through a serious of moves and
positons to stimulate the muscular and skeletal
systems. Physical therapy improves the circulatory
system and flexibility, in addition it aids in the
prevention of pressure points and bed sores.
Daniel is also receiving speech therapy. Although
he is unable to speak or make vocal sounds at this
time, the very rudimentary actions of moving his
tongue or swallowing are precursors to eventually
regaining speech. With the intensive speech therapy
sessions Daniel is making very small gains. He has
moved his tongue when requested to on several
occasions, it is not consistent but it is a start.
The speech therapist is teaching Daniel to swallow
by placing a small amount of 'lemonaid' on the interior
part of his tongue, at which point she clearly and
firmly asks Daniel to swallow. Those of us here at the
time were surprised to see him actually respond to
the command to swallow. Again, the reaction has not
been consistent, but it is a new and small step forward.
These actions and initial responses to verbal commands
indicate a long and intensive process ahead.
We all feel Daniel is doing his part, he has not regressed
in his state of health. He has lost weight as can be expected.
Where he was 168 lbs. prior to the aneurysm, he now
weighs 121. A significant amount for anyone, however
under the circumstances he has not been able to keep
muscle mass due to lack of exercise. He is receiving
nutritional fluids through a tube/catheter.
The goal is to get Daniel to learn to swallow again and
perhaps take liquified food orally. Arriving at that goal
would surely stabilize his weight and increase his
energy levels and strength, preparing him for extended
and more rigorous physical therapy sessions.
The staff here at Village Square are caring and
very attentive. Hardly an hour goes by without someone
coming in and intervening with their specialty.
RN's, LVN's, CNA's, technicians, therapists, administrators,
and even the maintenace staff keeping the room and
hallways clean and sanitary.
So, Daniel's team has new and committed members, with
his family and friends we are moving forward ever so slowly,
but forward nonetheless. This journey has been a challenge
for everyone, but we are up to the task.

2009-08-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Update from Village Square Rehabilitation:
Daniel was moved here to San Marcos last
Thursday. He is still experiencing 'storming' and
recurring fevers, other than that his physical
condition remains stable. A normal day, if 'normal'
can be used, has been for him to receive physical
therapy, sitting him up, changing his position in bed,
and close monitoring of his vital signs.
A highlight of his day is the arrival of his nurse,
Betty Kent. She is an outgoing joy filled Panameña
who speaks to Daniel in Spanish and English. She even
sang an old Panamanian salsa number for Daniel
Cathy, Donna, Maria and I, the song was
'El Tambor de la Alegria'.
"Panameña, panameña, panameña vida mia
yo quiero que tú me lleves al tambor de la alegría"
Between that and 'Jammin' with Marley, we should
get Daniel movin'......
Daniel will open his eyes for long periods only to close
them for shorter durations, presumably to avoid
light stimulus. Family and friends have reported that
Daniel has made small attempts to make sounds.
There was some discussion of surgically installing
a micro-pump to feed a muscle relaxant in the area
of the spinal vertebrae to reduce or eliminate the
tension in Daniels upper body. The procedure has
been approved and will be scheduled soon.
There are no restrictions on visitation. To gain access
after 7:00 PM you just need to ring for someone to
open the door.
Daniel has a private room with a view of trees and the
athletic field of a new charter high tech school.
Conveniently, Nando will start teaching Drama
at this school this month.
FUBOL UPDATE:
Nayeli's futbol team the Temecula U-8 Hawks won
their first tournament in Poway. First place trophy,
defeating teams from all over San Diego county.
Danielito's futbol team went to the final's of another
tournament on a game winning goal by our little guy!!!!
In the final, the teams went into overtime where his
team lost a heartbreaker. Second place for Danielito
in this tournament.

Daniel has moved!

2009-08-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Daniel has been relocated to: Room 331 on the third floor at Village Square Nursing and Rehabilitation Center 1586 West San Marcos Boulevard San Marcos, CA 92078 Phone: (760) 471-2986

Good Times

2009-07-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

Daniel,

Today's highlight was suppose to carry me to the top of Longs Peak Mountain, which stands at 14, 255 feet. The round trip hike adds up to a leg busting 16 miles. Some dude died of a heart attack last week trying to climb to the peak!!! Yeah, I know I'm not in tip-top form but you know me bro, no me rajo. As the Wu-Tang Clan said, "The hard headed never learn." Don't worry though, to my credit, I have been working out to prepare for the trip and to lose some of my baby fat. Hey, that's what I call it. Long story short, bad weather conditions forced me to reschedule the trip for next week--probably Tuesday. I will write a piece for the blog after I conquer the 14 thousand foot monster.

So for today, I decided to recall some memories—wave them back so to speak. As I was cleaning my closet, I stumbled on to my wedding album. You member, yeah, you member. Good times! Found some great pics to share with everyone. Here is one of Danielito and Maya. Beautiful, just precious these two.

Our wedding wasn't a fancy or high dollar one. For Gods sake, it was held at the Fallbrook Community Center. Damn, I remember back in the day (click) when we crashed weddings, quinceañeras, and baptisms just about every weekend at the FCC. Don't clown now, you all been there. Don't lie. Trying to get in with no invitation and sneaking in through the back door. Trucha, here comes security! Sound familiar? Got to look sharp to impress on the dance floor. Tu sabes, scoping out the ladies, I mean, looking for Cathy and Elena. I swear, honey. Good times Daniel, good times. I'm sure there was some young bucks pulling the same movidas at my wedding--wouldn't have it any other way brother. Check these pics out. Swear, I almost grabbed on to the ceiling beam.

I can always count on you to be in the mix of it! You're clutch.

Good food for the guests, bountiful drinks, musica para toda la noche, and surrounded by family and friends. That's all you need for a good wedding, but more importantly the essentials for great memories.

El Carita Jesus (aka Chewy) giving a reading during the ceremony in Spanish! Good looking dude don't you think Mrs. Miranda.

El Nando y familia. Glad you were all there.

“Keg still kicking boyz need to kill it”
“Work those dancing shoes, baby, cause las rolas sound specially firme tonight"
“A toast to the newly weds--Que se oiga mariachi!!! Que se oiga!!!”
Laughs intermingle and dance as the DJ (click) announces the final set.
“Last call carnal. After party you ask?”

Claro que yes, homie. No last of the Mohicans in this Tribe. We get up before the count reaches ten, so you get better and we will groove to Ozomatli's "After Party" (click) as we drink a couple of coldies.

Until then, here are some more snap shots:

No se raja EL Mazda 626. Crossed me through Texas, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Califas about ten times by now. Still have the Black Dream. And no, I don't mean my wife. Kidding, just kidding babe.

Pop quiz. What's Daniel doing at this very moment as Elena and I dance? Yes, that's Daniel's arm! Check out the first pic of this blog and his suit. No, he is not making it rain with a fist full of money. That cash is pinned on Elena. Who remembers? Funny stuff as you can see us laughing out loud.

That's my Dog. Cleaning up the Hall to get that deposit back! Oh, yeah, and get to the after party at my uncle Tony's house. You know, keeping the Fallbrook tradition solid: House Party!

Live Life Vega,

Escobedo

Remind me of our time together...El Cervantino Part I

2009-07-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

This was our view from atop of El Templo Del Sol in Teotihuacan. We quietly sat there, simply overwhelmed by the surrounding beauty we were in. Soon enough after our arrival to the top, the skies decided to bless us with a light rain to reward us, for a day of long travel in the humidity. It was both a breathtaking and spiritual moment for Daniel and I.

It was October 2002 and we were backpacking through Central Mexico on our way to El Cervantino in Guanajuato. El Cervantino was established in 1972, and Daniel and I had decided it would be really cool to attend the 30th anniversary of the festival. (El Festival Internacional Cervantino es el festival cultural de carácter internacional más importante de México y de América Latina; tiene como propósito propiciar el diálogo de las diversas culturas del mundo, permitir el conocimiento de los procesos de la creación artística contemporánea, contribuir a la formación, actualización y perfeccionamiento de los artistas y públicos mexicanos, coadyuvar a la internacionalización de la producción artística nacional y ser detonador del desarrollo turístico de Guanajuato y México.)

We began our journey in Tijuana, there we boarded a plane with our hiking bags and headed to El Distrito Federal (Mexico City). Our plan was to backpack from El D.F. to El Cervantino in Guanajuato and back, we were going to attempt to see as much as we possibly could in our two weeks in Mexico.

Daniel had his hiking bag, and he borrowed his brother Victor's hiking bag "the bullet" for me, that seemed okay with me. In hindsight, I should have given that more thought. There is a bit of a size differential between Victor and I, so obviously "the bullet" was not a friend of mine during our journey. Nevertheless, we followed our plan and made stops in Teotihuacan, Tula, San Juan Del Rio, Queretaro, Leon, Guanajuato, and San Miguel De Allende. We also cruised into other small villages and cities on our way through, but we had to keep moving in order to get to and from our destination in a timely manner.

When we finally arrived at El Cervantino, we found a hole in the wall above a small tienda where we could stay at for super cheap. Here is why it was cheap, the room had a mechanical witch on a broom on our balcony that swiveled side to side and screamed all night. Oh, and Daniel swore he had bed bugs in his bed. My bed was cool, but I must admit, it was a shithole.

After we got settled in, we headed out to the city and soon realized Guanajuato was inundated with people, most of them drunk, we were somewhat disappointed. We had heard all these awesome things about how artistic and classy the festival was going to be, and when we got there we found just a huge unorganized pediza!

We only hung out there for a bit and then headed out, we figured our time would be better spent in another city. Before we left, we visited Diego Rivera's house and ate some awesome mulitas at the market. Daniel blamed the chorro that ensued on the mulitas, but I refuse to believe that. I think the cervezas of the night before had more to do with it.

To be continued...

Ode to Futbol

2009-07-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

On the eve of Mexico vs. the United States in the Gold Cup Final, I reflect on Daniel's passion for the sport. I am only now coming to appreciate the beauty and complexity of soccer as I try to see it through Daniels eyes.

Ode to Futbol

for Daniel

“Patience, paa-tience, Paaa-tience…
Keep it, Keeep it
You got time, you got time”

The game is very fluid
guys taking breaks as needed
a breather on the way
to get some water.

I watch a pick up game
seemingly simple and informal
soon I’m in awe
players from all over the world, literally:
I counted five or six different races, nationalities.

Old guys playing
with the joy of a child
young guys playing with egos in check
the pace dictated solely by strategy
moving the ball creating space
passing, passing, passing
short distances across to center, or
long and back out to the halfway line
to slow the game down.

“Slow it down!”
I watch…

“Make him commit, make him commit”
The young, stocky Chinese man
now in enemy territory
moves toward the defender
kicks it sharply to the older Vietnamese man
his hamstring wrapped
cutting towards the goal
just 5 feet away
the goalie freezes
the ball squirts through the narrow goal
small orange cones just 3 feet apart
the quick kick
accurate hard and swift.
The goalkeeper never had a chance.

Now
the tall scrawny white kid
controls the ball
attacks
reconsiders then
passes unselfishly to the left wing
the forward attacks
the goalkeeper is there
kicks out and towards the middle.

The kid gets the ball again and
this time measured and sure
he delivers a goal
the ball is still rolling
he is pumped, ecstatic even,
yet for all his skill and grace,
Humble.
He downplays his shot with a soft exuberance.

As if to prove that his earlier goal was no fluke
the Vietnamese man shows off his dexterity again:

It’s three on one
the forwards
move into attack mode
the Goalkeeper is all by himself
he charges the outside forward
to force a play

the left forward passes
center as
the veteran Vietnamese dude
breaks to the goal
he taps the ball with his left foot
absorbing the force of the pass
effortlessly (or so it seemed)
switches the ball to his right foot
for an easy shot with his outside toe
BUT NO!
The Goalkeeper had not given up
and was back in his face
to make a play of it…
all in one motion
the Vietnamese man
pulls the ball and scores with a reverse kick behind his body…
feet of fire!

They know the score
They go home,
back to the office,
back to the world of reality
refreshed and ready.

I in turn,
I am completely satisfied,
so glad to have witnessed
such “ganas”
such a triumph of the human spirit
to play for the sake of playing
to try because it feels good,
to never give up.
Viva futbol!

Change is Inevitable

2009-07-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Friday July 24th, 2009

As of today, Daniel continues to have storming episodes. The nurse mentioned he usually has one or two a day, one at night and or one during the day. The storming causes Daniel's heart rate to accelerate, which then causes him to sweat profusely and he then begins to shiver. Dr. Clark reiterates there is no need to panic, although it is not easy to experience this process, it is part of Daniel's healing process and it should be monitored and addressed accordingly. Cooling him down with ice, cold wet cloth towels and if need be a milligram of morphine usually stabilizes him.

Daniel now finds himself completely off any type of breathing assistance and his tracheostomy has been manually plugged. On Monday, Daniel is scheduled to have a tracheostomy decannulation. In other words, they are taking the tube in his neck out and closing him up. Once that hurdle is cleared and all the tests go well, he will also have surgery possibly on Thursday to insert some type of monitoring system, which will automatically release medicine to his body when he has bouts with tension. This mechanism will be inserted somewhere in his lower torso and will help his limbs remain relaxed. The decannulation procedure will be conducted at Kindred, while the second procedure will be done at whichever site Daniel ends up at next week.

It is unfortunate, but due to the desires of Daniel's insurance provider (you guessed it an HMO), Cathy will have to find another facility where Daniel can continue his road to recovery. His time at Kindred Hospital has seen Daniel experience excellent quality of care, but it is obviously not cost efficient enough, so now Cathy has three nursing homes in Escondido to choose from, that is, if all of them have a bed available. If not, then he will go to whichever site has a bed available, thus leaving Cathy without any say in the matter. Dr. Clark has done what he can to have Daniel remain at Kindred, but in the end he said it was the insurance who wants to relocate him by next week. Well, what do we expect when we have a system that prioritizes profit over human lives. I will not take up any more of your time bashing the HMO system, I gladly leave that to all of you.

Regardless of where Daniel is headed, he will have the second procedure conducted by Dr. Clark, possibly some time later in the next week. Best case scenario, Daniel gets to stay at Kindred for another week, but I doubt it. Right now it looks like Tuesday or Wednesday he might be relocated.

We will keep you posted on which of the Nursing homes Daniel is relocated to.

Take care of one another,

Peace!

Chuy

Happy B-Day!

2009-07-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Daniel,

Typically a phone call takes place on this day and I give you a hard time concerning your age. This year, however, there won’t be a phone call, no jokes, no conversation…

How do I celebrate this day? What gift can I possibly offer? I really don’t have an answer. What I do know, Daniel, is that I’ve learned some things from this ordeal and your recovery: don’t take life for granted. Enjoy life. Embrace your loved ones daily. Taste the potential of every breath as one faces the gift of enveloped in every sunrise. Do something memorable worth remembering, however simple the task at hand might be. Yes, this is my gift to you: I will fulfill the promise of each day and sometime in the near future we will sit down with beers in hand and I’ll share these memories with you.

This week, for instance, I decided to get off my ass and hit the Big Thompson River for some fly-fishing. I must admit, I prefer fishing lakes rather than rivers. Fishing rivers like the Big Thompson takes a certain degree of experience and skill to catch anything. Lakes, well, if you are not landing anything with the fly rod one simply drops a hook wrapped in power bait y ya estubo. This time around, I decided to man up and get in the river. Dude, the drive alone took my breath away as I headed up the mountain. Check these picks out, only 40 minutes away from where I live!!!

The day started out good. Spotted some big Brown Trout as soon as I got there. Man, Browns are powerful fighters and if your not careful they will snap your line. Remember, fly line is thin and it’s not about overpowering the fish—which is the opposite of salt-water fishing. It’s all about keeping the right amount of tension on the line to get the fish tired in order to reel it in. Anyhow, I located the fish, placed myself about nine feet behind it, and proceeded to cast my fly upriver to let the current bring the fly to the fish. Sounds simple enough. But two hours later, about 3 to 4 tangles that tested my patience, and the loss of about $20 in flies due to underwater snags y NADA, not one bite! I swear I wanted to break my rod and pick up some rocks to stone the darn fish.

Fortunately for me, there was an old timer that was having some laughs at my expense. He must have been checking me out for a while. The guy, Steve, walked over to me and initiated some small talk. Asked where I was from, my job, and finally inquired about the pinche flies I was using. Steve saw how frustrated I was because he suggested I take a break and drink a beer with him. I agreed. After the chela, Steve revealed he managed a fly shop in Estes Park and use to be a fishing guide when he was younger. Shit, the dude offered to give me some free lessons. My luck was turning homie, como la vez. In one hour, I landed three fish. The first being a 16-inch Brown Trout!!! Not bad for my first fish on the river. Here is the fly I caught it with and the fish.

Check this out, turns out Steve’s son owns the fly shop he manages, Kirks Fly Shop. Yeah, Steve is the owner’s father!!! What are the odds of running into a guy who offers you a beer and lessons. One would think luck was with me that day. Getting free fly-fishing lessons that normally run $300 a day from a veteran guide. But you know what, I don’t think it was luck. This whole experience was made possible because I got off my ass, took advantage of a beautiful day, and opened myself to what ever the day threw at me. Luck, not a chance. I hope to relate similar stories, adventures, and maybe even some mishaps along the way.

As I promised, I’ll try to live up to the potential of each day and continue to wait patiently throughout your recovery.

Happy Birthday Brother,

Escobedo

Friday, July 17th 2009

2009-07-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

This morning at Kindred Hospital Daniel's doctor (Dr.Clark) provided Cathy and I with extensive explanations on a couple of things that are of concern with Daniel.

Medication and Dosage:

Is Daniel's medication interfering with his recovery?
Why morphine and not adavant?

Morphine is preferred instead of adavant because adavant is a much more potent medication, and the amount of morphine being given to Daniel is minimal. The dosage is 2 milligrams of morphine for pain. If we give an individual with no health issues 2 milligrams of morphine it would not cause the person to fall asleep, it would most likely make them feel "happy" for a while, now if we were to give a person 2 milligrams of adavant, it would definitely knock them out for a while. The dosage Daniel receives does not impair his recovery, it is only for pain purposes and is only to be given to him when necessary. To avoid any misreading of his level of response, Daniel is not checked after medication has been provided.

Increased Heart Rate:

What is happening when Daniel's heart rate increases so much?

His bouts with an increased heart rate are a result of discomfort he is experiencing at the time. When he feels discomfort his body reacts by triggering adrenaline to his heart, thus his heart rate increases significantly. We should not be too concerned, it would only be a concern if Daniel was in his 50's and had previous heart issues, but that is not the case. Daniel is young and his heart is healthy, so he can handle his heart rate fluctuating like it does. It is similar to when we exercise, by doing so our body triggers adrenaline to our heart and the rate increases by a significant amount, and if we exercise for hours, it will remain at that increased rate with no danger to our health.

Dr. Clark was happy to note:

While at Kindred, Daniel's blood work has continually shown a normal count of white blood cells, this means he has had no infections of significance. If he had an infection his white blood cell level would fluctuate.

____________________________________________________________________

Later that morning, Daniel's speech therapist (Deb) came in and worked with him while we observed. Deb used small pieces of ice in a cup to get Daniel to react to the cold cup in his hand and then she got him to swallow the melted ice on his own. It was good to see Daniel respond to Deb's therapeutic methods. Deb went on to explain that she believes Daniel is currently suffering from apraxia.

Apraxia is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned purposeful movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements. It is a disorder of motor planning which may be acquired by lesions in the language-dominant (usually left) hemisphere of the brain.

Deb will continue to work with Daniel to help him improve on this.

______________________________________________________________________

Daniel's 35th Birthday is tomorrow July 18th 2009.

Happy Birthday Homie.

Peace,

Chuy

Inspire me!

2009-07-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

#28 "Celebrate all of my little succusses. They inspire me.

#37 "Love me for who I am today. Don't hold me to being the person I was before. I have a different brain now."

--Jill Taylor

The quotes above help me to understand my own personal struggle to understand my new relationship with Daniel and the present circumstances.

Sometimes I feel a certain nostalgia (if not downright sadness) when I remember the special moments with Daniel before his injury. Like Alfredo and his hikes in the Sierras we have all shared special moments with Daniel. I remember when I last spoke to him, when I went over to pick up Adan after a sleepover with his cousin. I remember with vivid detail our exchange at my youngest daughter Anahi's birthday party upon Daniel and his family's return from San Felipe.

Now, as Daniel's Birthday approaches there are many things to celebrate. Alfredo notices that Daniel is showing different emotions lately. It is very unsettling to see Daniel scared or frightened for example. We all know Daniel to be fearless. Then, we reassure him with our own loving voices of the possibilities that exist for him and the treasures that await him. The point is, Daniel may not be processing information the way he had before his injury, but he is obviously tending to his environment with the parts of his brain that function well. He can lift and turn his head and he notices when you are present, visiting with him and talking to him. Daniel is processing lots of stuff.

#32: "Focus on what I can do rather than bemoan what I cannot do."

Congratulations to all who can make it down to Kindred and notice the things Daniel can do.

#23

2009-07-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Trust that my brain can always continue to learn.

Day 76 on the road to recovery

2009-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I got the opportunity to spend some time with Daniel and his brother Victor at Kindred Hospital, we updated Daniel on current events (mostly athletic in nature), family accomplishments (Happy 35th Birthday Fern!) and reassured him that we will be patiently waiting as he travels his road to recovery.

Daniel was having some issues with his temperature earlier in the day, but by the afternoon his temperature had stabilized. Overall, Daniel remains in good condition, he is breathing on his own and has minimal medicinal assistance. His food and nutritional needs remain via an IV to his stomach. Physically, he has thinned out a bit, but he looks good considering his current situation. The doctor has reiterated that anyone who remains bed ridden for the amount of time Daniel has, will definitely be susceptible to some minor side effects such as bed rashes, infections due to the trich and so on. That just means we should do our best to be vigilant if we suspect Daniel is dealing with any of these issues, and make sure the medical team is aware and taking the necessary measures to assist Daniel.

"Times of great calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm." -Charles Caleb Colton

Peace,

Chuy

2009-07-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

#4. Be as patient with me the twentieth time you teach me something as you were the first.

I visited Daniel last on Monday night and stayed pretty late. He's on antibiotics for a bacteria found around his trach-tube. It is not uncommon for the area around a trach tube to get infected and it is nothing serious. The other cultures from blood and (uh hum) urine samples were negative which means Daniel is healthy on the inside. And the MRSA he brought with him from Sharp is also gone.

I excercised him--range of motion with his arms trying to rotate his shoulders and get him to extend his arms to loosen his elbow joints. The charts are useful for the proper technique and getting a better stretch out of him.

I also turned his head left and right gently and with "permission" from Daniel. The motion must have triggered something because he began to do it on his own. I explained to him that he was turning his head. I then asked him to lift his head and gently helped him do this. To my amazement, Daniel lifted his head higher than a 45 degree angle as though he were attempting to sit upright. He did this unassisted and held it for a good 20 seconds!

I spoke with Daniel trying to take advantage of his alertness. However, I may have overdone it. Patients of stroke have reported that talking actually drains their energy, the life force they need to heal. So how much is enough or too much? I don't have an answer for this but since Daniel is unable to tell us on his own what he needs we must be sensitive and not indulge ourselves in excessive talking. As a rule visitations should be brief.

Today I am excited because I am off to view the Bodies exhibit at Balboa with my kids and nephews: Olivia, Danielito and Nayeli included. We have so much to learn.

Take Your Time

2009-07-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

# 5: Approach me with an open heart and slow your energy down. Take your time."

Good morning all. I was able to see Daniel on Saturday for a short while. He was responsive to voices. My perception is that light affects him very much. His eyes get very tired when they are exposed to light. When I go visit, I close the blinds near his bed and make sure there is no light directly hitting his eyes. By my estimation, he tends to tune out or sleep more when there is more sound in the room than when there is not. I believe he can discriminate a voice from background noise because of our eye contact when I speak to him directly, clearly and softly. He is also able to lift his head! He lifted his head slightly 2 or 3 times in my presence. I didn't request this he did it on his own. I congratulated and encouraged him. I will celebrate every effort!

On Sunday, Alfredito, Daniels Godson, hit an opposite-field homerun that drove in 3 runs for his Little League All Star team. Vista Nationals beat RBV 11 - 1. Carmen and I were very proud, and I can't wait to tell Daniel! Their next game is against Oceanside on Tuesday at 5pm. The tournament is hosted by Oceanside Amercian Little League which plays at the Ron Ortega Park in Oceanside right off interstate 5. Call Alfredo or Diana for more info.

Come Find Me

2009-07-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

"Make eye contact with me. I am in here--come find me. Encourage me."

--Jill Taylor's Forty Things I Needed Most

"To the right mind, no time exists other than the present moment, and each moment is vibrant with sensation. Life or death occurs in the present moment. The experience of joy happens in the present moment. Our perception and experience of connection with something that is greater than ourelves occurs in the present moment. To our right mind, the moment of now is timeless and abundant."

from My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Taylor

The author of the above quotes is a neuroscientist and a survivor of stroke. An aneurysm such as the one Daniel has experienced is a stroke. Following surgery it took her 8 years to completely recover all her physical and mental functions. The brain has the ability to repair, replace and retrain its nueral circuitry. It has incredible plasticity. For an article on plasticity, please click on The Vega family picture to the right.

Yesterday I spent 8 hours with Daniel. Daniels heartrate increases periodically; when it goes too high, 130 BPM or higher, Daniel gets some medicine to help him calm down. Doctor Wong says that it is normal for Daniel's heartrate to increase slightly in response to therapy or the activity that surrounds him. However, a significant increase means that Daniel gets a dose of medicine to help him regulate his heartrate, breathing and body. Daniel was running a fever off and on which was treated with tylenol. The nurse took some cultures to check for infections. It takes several days to get the results back.

To Victor, Nando, Alfredo and Cristina

2009-06-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Your Tia Chita and I have been on the road
for many days since late June. After reading
the Posts over the last week we've been sincerely
moved by your dedication to your brother. This
love and compassion reminded us of a song from
the 60's by a group called the Hollie's. This song
exemplifies what all of you are about!

He Ain't Heavy, He's my brother
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Shooting for the Stars

2009-06-29T23:53:00.001-07:00

When I arrived at Kindred this morning Daniel was turned toward the door--his head turned to the left. He slept comfortably and I did not wake him. Instead I read the journal that Vero brought for all of us to sign and record any thoughts, reflections or prayers. It is an intimate acount of our visits with Daniel. Please feel free to log in next time you come to see Daniel.

As I read, two skilled therapists entered and quickly the room came to life. Isabella, the occupational therapist, jotted down some notes about Daniel's interests including hiking and traveling. It turns out that she has a shared interest with Daniel because she also knows jiu jitsu. Theresa, the physical therapist, also showed a genuine interest in Daniel and his family. Together they make a confident and expert team.

Working in tandem, the skilled therapists, quickly began to evaluate Daniel. He favors his left side they said. And that we should work with him to shift his focus to his right side; he needs to pay attention to his right side. On the PT side: Daniel is hyper extending...he is pushing his legs out. Daniel is very tight! His hip flexion was at 90 degrees which is good. His knees bent a little less than that, but his ankles are especially tight. His toes are pointing downward towards the foot of the bed constantly. This hyperextension can lead to contracture: the permanent shortening of muscles or tendons due to continued stress exerted on that muscle or tendon. Contracture cannot be excercized or stretched away.

The restorative therapists will work with Daniel for approximately 30 to 40 minutes a day, but this is not nearly enough!

We can help with range of motion excercises. Look for the diagrams that show how to perform these excercises on the cork-board with the family pictures. Or ask anyone who has done them to teach you how to do them, they are simple and easy to learn. As the RT puts it, WHEN Daniel is ready to walk, the more flexibility he has the better.

The highlight of my visit today was when I was able to sit next to Daniel side by side holding him up along with the help of the therapists (as they evaluated). I had my arm around him as I propped him up and his face was next to mine. Are words necessary to describe the joy of once again being able to sit next to my brother, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart, in unity of spirit?

Skilled therapy really begins once Daniel is able to participate even minimally in his own rehabilitation. When he is able to follow commands and move on his own. Another high point today was that it was evident to the therapists and myself that Daniel was able to loosen his grip when asked: he was able to open and close his left hand on command after several repititions. The lesson here is that Daniel must relearn everything. It is not enough to simply tell him to do something, one must actually help him do it. These repititions will help train his muscles as neurons create new paths and circuits in his brain. Every interaction counts!

Rehabilitation Is the Goal!

2009-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

The key difference between Sharp and Kindred is that Sharp is a short-term care facility and Kindred is long-term. Kindred is a rehabilitation facility. The pulminologist, Dr. Clark, believes in aggressive treatment. He is also an internest and critical care specialist. With an interdisciplinary perspective he is able to treat Daniel with the big picture always in mind.

The immediate goal for Daniel is decanulation within 8 to 10 days.. Decanulation means that the trach-tube comes off completely. In order for this to happen Daniel must pass several tests. First, he must be able to breathe on his own without ventilator assist. Next, the RT would attach a one-way valve (known as a pmv or "speaking valve" because it permits patients to speak) that would allow Daniel to exhale through his nose and mouth. If Daniel passes this test, that is if he is able to exhale through nose and mouth, the next step would be to plug the trach entirely to see if Daniel can both inhale and exhale through nose and mouth.

The final most critical test is the swallow test. This test inolves the use of ice chips with food coloring. Daniel is given ice chips through his mouth (I'll bet he would love to taste ice once again, think of how refreshed he will feel) with the hope that Daniel will SWALLOW these into his belly via his esophogus. If, after suctioning his lungs, there is any evidence of food coloring or dye, then the ice has gone down the proverbial "wrong pipe." If this is the case then Daniel will have to practice swallowing--a skill we take for granted and do automatically.

The RT points out that youth is again on Daniel's side. However, because he isn't as "awake" and "alert" as we'd like he cannot consciously correct his swallowing as we do when we begin to choke. So when Daniel finally passes the swallow test and he has been breathing independently then the trach has served its purpose and can be removed. The hole, in his throat, once healed, will hardly be noticed.

Kindred has a very high success rate with this kind of rehabilitation. Then what? Well, Daniel will be evaluated for occupational, physical or speech therapy. Kindred has all of these specialists "in-house." My hope is we'll be able to access these resources for Daniel for some time. Kindred's multi-prong approach to acute care and rehabilitation is perfect for my perfect brother!

Thanks again and with Love,

Victor

At Kindred

2009-06-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

At 7pm it will be 12 hours Daniel has excercized his lungs and breathed on his own. The RT--Anthony-- says that tomorrow this will be increased to 14 hours, then 16 the next day, increasing his independent breathing time by 2hrs each day until he can do it for 24 hrs on his own. At the 18 hour mark he may get the green light to jump to 24 hours of indpendent breathing.

Right now Daniel is relaxing listening to Manu Chao. Daniel perks up to sudden noises. When Alfredo arrived at 6pm Daniel sighed happily and his eyes tracked Fredo's voice and movements.

Man Kindred has a homey as in kin kind of feel that belies its corporate, service oriented success. Kindred was #1 on Fortune's The World's Most Admired Companies in the category of Health Care Medical Facilities. 9 criteria are used to rank the most notable companies including innovation,quality of products and social responsibility. Kindred is situated in North Park,and Kindred's nursing staff mirrors the diversty of the community it serves. There are liasons that are active in the community and that assist families in planning for the care of their loved ones.

Kindred is a long term acute care facility: How will we use the resources available to us here at Kindred to plan for Daniel's future?

Thank you to all for your generosity and love. Thanks to the support of friends and family Daniel is still fighting. It is now 8pm and Daniel has been breathing on his own for 13 hrs, again exceeding expectations.

Our Champ

2009-06-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Paul Sulman for sending us these pictures!

2009-06-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Friday June 26, 2009

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today, Daniel is 'working out' with the breathing interval
exercise routine. He originally started with 4 hours on his
own, 4 hours with the ventilator assist. When we arrived
Chuy indicated that Daniel had no problems with the 4 hour
routine, so they tested him to see if he could push it to 10
hours. Well, he handled the first 10 hour interval and that
seemed to be stretching his endurance, but with the interval
of rest he came back to tackle another 10 hours.
For those of you that have run cross country or track you
readily see this as a conditioning regime or 'workout'. The
purpose of which is not only for muscular conditioning but
for conditioning the body/lungs to perform in a 'anerobic'
state, that is with less oxygen. For Daniel, the muscular
conditioning will come later in physical therapy.
This regime also increases the lung capacity, increases
the strength and pumping capacity of the heart, and
increases the blood carrying capacity of arteries and
veins (making these vessels more pliable).
Kindred Hospital has been a pleasant surprise. The
facility has the techinical equipment required by Daniel,
there is a respiratory technician on staff 24/7, the nursing
personnel are caring and professional. Daniel is in a
private room and the atmosphere is pleasant.

The swelling from the bone flap replacement surgery is
slowly going down. Daniel has his eyes open for long
periods of time, then he nods off for 15 minutes.
Daniel is looking better and there is a sense that it is
only a matter of time now. This phase of Daniel's
recovery is not without anxiety. As long as he
remains healthy, time will take care of the rest. Keep
in mind that he hasn't had any chronic problems with
organs. He has that in his favor.

Take care of one another.......

¡Presente!
Chuy Miranda ~ Cathy, Olivia, Danielito, Nayeli
Michelle ~ Margarita, Victor, Cristina ~ Che
Amelia Pulido ~ Chino (Jaime) and family

June 24, 2009 Day 57

2009-06-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

This is an addendum to Chuy's post this morning.

Maria and I have returned from Baja and have visited
Daniel several times in the last few days.
I want to update Chuy's post with a few items that
have transpired since this morning.

First, Daniel's breathing is not as rigorous as it was prior
to the last surgery, understandably. However, it is
expected to return to those levels exhibited prior to the
'storming' episodes. The respiratory therapist will start
a protocol with Daniel whereby he will be allowed to
breathe without the ventilator for four hours then will be
returned to ventilator assist for four hours. They will
monitor this regime for the next 10 days. A form of
interval training whereby the expected outcome will be
to build his lung capacity up to the point where he can
function without the ventilator. Daniel, we know you can
do this! The ventilator will always be attached to the
'trache' in the event of an emergency.

Daniel has had his eyes wide open during the several hours
of our visit. Very pleased to inform you that the 'storming'
episodes have stopped!! This is a very encouraging sign.

Visible observations: Daniel looks exceptionally good consider-
ing he just had the bone flap replaced last Saturday. His color
is great, his vital signs are within expected norms.

Prior to April 29, Daniel was in very good physical condition.
All the surgeries, infections, treatments, episodes has had a
debilitating toll on his stamina. Yet, he has endured.
Considering Daniel's brain and processing skills, it is safe to say
that the original trauma has left him with a quantifiable measure
of the state of coma that is borderline between severe and moderate.
That intangible called the human spirit has brought him through
57 days of extremely challenging effects on his immune system
and his physiology.
It has been no small task for the countless health professionals
that have been at his side during this perilous journey. Their
dedication to the care of patients has given all of us a deep sense
of security knowing that while we sleep Daniel is in good hands.
Medical science is pushing the boundaries of life saving techniques
and procedures, giving countless people a new lease on life.
There is an ever increasing number of case studies of individuals
with brain trauma injuries that are similar to Daniel's, that have
added to the statistical results of persons regaining consciousness.
This has been very encouraging and has renewed the hopes of
all families living with this challenge. Keep your hopes up
and keep those prayers coming.

A brief word about the how this has affected all of us.
It has been one very emotional, physical and mentally fatiguing
journey.
This has been devastating for Daniel's brothers, Alfredo,
Victor, and Nando. At best, we can observe and only try to
understand what they are experiencing. These guys are tough
and have been there for Daniel every inch of the way.
None of us can truly comprehend the effect all of this has had
on Cathy, Margarita, and Victor. The love and courage they
have demonstrated day in and day out over the last 57 days has
been exemplary and will surely carry them through many
more trials. This we have witnessed. They are exceptional people.
As relatives and friends we will continue to stand with them and
offer a shoulder to lean on when their load becomes a little
too much.

It is summer and plans may take you and your family on
long awaited vacations. Your jobs and never ending
responsibilities must come first.
Making time to visit Daniel has not gone unnoticed.
If I may speak for the immediate family, they are extremely
grateful and appreciative for the incredible support, the visits,
the donations, the prayers, the solace, and infinite acts of kindness
and love. Daniel's support team has gone above and beyond.

Take care of one another........

Day-57 Kindred Hospital

2009-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

As the sun rises on Day-57, Daniel finds himself stable and resting in room 213 on the second floor at Kindred Hospital in the heart of University Heights.

The right side of his face is still swollen from his bone flap surgery, but his heart rate and breathing is excellent. There are no reports of any storming in his brain, and the respiratory therapist is going to start allowing Daniel to breathe on his own for a couple of hours and increase the time as the days go by. The goal is to have him breathing on his own as soon as possible. Don't worry, he explained all the monitoring systems that are in place to ensure Daniel will be okay in case there are any issues with his breathing.

There is some unexpected swelling in his right cheek, Cathy will have the Doctor look at it today to make sure all is good (fyi: Doctors make daily patient rounds at Kindred). Kindred came highly recommended as a top facility and so far so good, if you would like further information on this facility and directions you can visit http://www.kindredsandiego.com/

Their visiting hours are from 9:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. and no visitors under the age of 15 are allowed. They are flexible with the visiting hours as long as were quiet, but not with the age rule.

After a conversation with Cathy and Margarita, they were very much open to possibly trying to set up some sort of schedule to make sure there is someone keeping Daniel company on a daily basis. This would definitely help relieve some of the load on them, so they can be okay knowing someone will be there. We have devised a plan to try to do it by a.m. and p.m. shifts, it is not necessary for someone to be there all the time, but if we can keep a consitant eye on him that would be cool. So if any of you are interested in this please let us know.

Peace,

Chuy

Presente:
Cathy
Victor Sr.
Margarita
Fredo

New Medical Care Center for Daniel, Day 53

2009-06-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

New update:

Daniel will be moved today at 7pm to a new facility in San Diego. The new site is called:

Kindred Health Care--Long Term Acute Care
1940 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
619-543-4500

Directions are simple and the new location is near Sharps. Simply take 163 south, you will pass Highway 8, exit east on Washington St., and Washington St. merges or turns into El Cajon Blvd. Look for the address 1940 El Cajon Blvd. Or, you can "Map Quest" the above address.

More good news. Daniel's surgery to place back the bone flap to his skull went well. The right side of his face is a little swollen from the surgery, but he has his eyes open and seems to be relaxed--no more "storming." All good news since Daniel has been sleeping and storming a little too much the last couple of weeks. Alfredo noticed that his brother seems to be more attentive and looks much better after the surgery to his skull.

One last note, Dr. Tantuwaya commented to Margarita that the initial two surgeries to take care of Daniel's aneurysm were a "total success." The Doctor must have took a quick look at his initial surgical work and Daniel's brain as he re-placed the bone flap to the skull. Alright Danny!!! Keep fighting brother.

Best,

J.E.

Day #52 Fundraiser for Daniel

2009-06-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour.

Hello,

Daniel has had another restful day at Sharp. This is the third day that Daniel has had his eyes shut throughout the day. His morning nurse was so sweet and very helpful today. As soon as I stepped foot into Daniel's room, I was bombarded with doctors, resp. therapist and a case manager. Happy to speak with each one of them; here is what I have to report. Dr. Tantawaya has finally put in the order for Daniel to head into surgery this weekend. This Saturday is the day that I've been waiting for.... In the beginning Daniel had his right side (skull or bone flap) removed in order to relieve the pressure in his brain. They kept this piece inside of him on the right side of his abdomen. Now, he is ready to get it put back. Dr. Tantawaya had told me that the bone flap would not be put back for months due to the severe swelling of Daniel's brain. So, this is just one more hurdle Daniel has overcome.

Also, Daniel has not yet been placed in a skilled nursing facility at this time. I am trying to place him in a better facility (Kindrid) but, I won't here from them until Monday. I don't even know if this is even possible. Dr. Wilms (Pulmonary) has suggested this facility so, I am hoping there's a reason (I don't want to get my hopes up).

Daniel is still dealing with ups and downs of his heart-rate "storming". If you've been close to him while this is happening it is very uncomfortable to see him go through these episodes. Massaging his arms or legs seems to bring down his heart-rate sooner rather than later. I am hoping these storms will start to cease in the coming days.

Are days here at Sharp are coming to an end, If all goes smooth after his surgery he will moved by next week.

Thanks to all the visitors in the last couple of days! I plan on spending the night on Saturday to make sure all goes well. Please keep Daniel in your prayers on Saturday as he will be in Surgery.

Daniel's good friend's David and DeeDee Serrano from San Marcos, are hosting a fundraiser on be-half of Daniel. This Saturday June 20th at 6p.m. at Hensley's Elephant Pub & Grill 850 Tamarack Ave Carlsbad, Ca.

Love,

Cathy

Day #51 "Patience"

2009-06-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

“There are nine requisites for contented living: HEALTH enough to make work a pleasure; WEALTH enough to support your needs; STRENGTH enough to battle with difficulties and forsake them; GRACE enough to confess your sins and overcome them; PATIENCE enough to toil until some good is accomplished; CHARITY enough to see some good in your neighbor; LOVE enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others; FAITH enough to make real the things of God; HOPE enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hello-

Today, Margarita reports that most of the day went well. Daniel has had more bouts of "storming" than usual. So, of course that is a concern of ours. Medication was again administered to help calm him down. Still, no word on weather or not Daniel will go into surgery anytime soon.

cathy

June 17th Day #50

2009-06-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

LIFE'S PATHWAY

At times, life"s path

seems filled with things

that make the going rough,

and we wish there were

a smoother road,

for we feel we've had enough.......

But, if we pause a moment

and remember Who's in charge,

The hills that loom ahead of us

no longer seem so large,

And every rock before us,

when we know we're not alone,

Becomes, not just a stumbling block,

but one more stepping stone.

-Emily Matthews

Hello-

Today, Daniel had another restful night. John E. was able to be by his bedside and see what it was like to spend a night at Sharp Memorial. Did you rest well? Did all the sounds of the machines and the nurses coming in and out of the room wake you? It takes a pretty deep sleeper to get a restful night with all that noise. Thanks John!!

Daniel continues to have periodic bouts of "storming" and nurses continue to give him Ativan medication to alleviate this. Eyes shut for most of the day, Daniel did open them here and there. Still no report when next surgery will be scheduled. My relatives from Bogota, Colombia arrived a couple of days ago and were anxious to visit Daniel at the hospital. My uncle Jaime said that when he talked to him he felt he was listening to what he had to say.

Daniel's daughter Olivia Mia turned 16 years old today. Happy Birthday Mija!!!! I hope your day was special, we all love you very much!!!!!! I know Dad would've been proud of you today!

Once again, thanks to all who come and visit Daniel and take time out of their busy schedules to support him and the family.

Cathy

Tuesday June 16, Day 49

2009-06-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Daniel has been sleeping for longer periods of time since yesterday. He opened his eyes for a little while early this morning. Nothing to be worried about since his vitals are normal today. He also breathed on his own for 90 minutes--off the ventilator. During this period, however, Daniel went through a light "storm": increased heart rate and heavy sweats. He is doing much better now. Arms, wrist, and hands are relaxed thanks to Cathy's massages. Daniel looks good.

Tests for infection due to ventilator connection are negative. Nurses will continue to monitor and control "colonized bacteria" from developing into infections. In the clear right now. Other possible good news for this week is the possibility of placing the "flap" back on to Daniel's skull. Meaning, the bone portion that was removed from Daniel's skull will be put back in place to cover the brain. This would require, of course, surgery in the next couple of days. However, the doctor has not mentioned any dates as of when this procedure would take place.

Doctor will be coming in sometime later today to look over Daniel's chart and maybe decide on a date for the surgery. Will update everyone once I know the specifics.

Best,

J.E.

Supporting Cast:

Cathy Vega
Cesar Vega
John Escobedo

2009-06-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

If I had a flower

For every time I thought about you,

I could walk forever in my garden.

-Claudia Ghandi (From Danielito)

Hello everyone,

Day # 48

Daniel rested all day long, I hardly saw him open his eyes. The nurse today was very friendly and I spent some time talking with her about the many things I should be looking for when Daniel is transferred to a skilled nursing facility. Margarita and I talked with Dr. Tantawaya today, and as always he really had nothing to say other than the flap will be put back later this week. (Now, that is exciting for me, I want Daniel to be put back together again!) Dr. says maybe by Friday, First, they need to see if his culture comes back clean. Daniel is having a lot of secretions coming from his lungs. So, when that is clear, Daniel will go back into the OR. Shunt seems to be working good and will fluctuate from time to time. Dr. says this can be due to gravity, when Daniel is seated in an upward position.

His heart-rate still goes up dramatically and then falls down to a normal rate. They are giving medication for these episodes (storming).

Cathy

Support

Cathy

Margarita

Victor Sr.

El Nando

Christina

2009-06-15T01:51:00.000-07:00

2009-06-15T01:44:00.000-07:00

2009-06-14T17:17:00.001-07:00

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely, do members grow under the same roof." --from Daniel's M.A. in counseling commencement (with a special thanks to Alex Cabrera)

Daniel is now on the 3rd floor in room 311. He was moved here two nights ago. My mom stayed with him last night and was there when I arrived around 11:00am. His heartrate was up a bit and his breathing has been erratic. He is also running a high temperature. Nurses have given tylenol and cold compresses for the fever and ativan, a relaxant, to get his heartrate back to normal. He is also getting a blood clot thinner through I.V. This has helped reduce the swelling he had in his right arm and hand.

He settled into a nice nap shortly after recieving the ativan and was calm and peaceful by 1pm.

According to the nurses, these issues are related to having been in bed for this long. Also, Daniel's brain isn't working as effeciently as normal due to the neurological damage he has sustained from his injury. The nurse explained to me that whenever tissue in your body is damaged it "weeps" fluid. Similarly, Daniel's brain continues to "weep" fluid. This is why Daniel is always upright in his bed; so that the cerebrospinal fluid can drain more easily through the shunt. The shunt is continually adjusted and they move his body around to avoid sores or infections from staying in one position for too long.

Cathy was away at a soccer tournament for Danielito. The word is that the Hawks have taken home another trophy. Way to go Hawks, way to go Danielito!!!!

Re-Presente! Victor, Magarita, Cristina, Vero and George, Valeria, George Jr., Mando, Diana, Margarito, Deanna, David Serrano y su esposa, Chuy and Adrian...Langston Hughes

Friday, June 12th

2009-06-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

"Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence"
-Lin Yutang

Today was a good day for Daniel, his vitals were good, and a good part of the day he was breathing on his own, still with the ventilator hooked up, but on his own. His neurosurgeon checked him around 3pm and nothing new was reported.

The meeting that was to be held today with the Doctors and Cathy, Margarita, Victor, and Fredo was rescheduled at the request of the medical team. It was never clear on the purpose of the meeting and a future date was not given at this time.

Daniel was chillin' today, he got an awesome foot and leg massage from Cathy and Irene, all while listening to some Bob Marley.

Fredo was telling him about attending closing ceremonies for his sons little league teams, Fredo wanted to make sure he made it on time. (Last I heard, I think he did)

As always, Cristina was there supporting her older brother.

His Dad Victor was there comforting Daniel and providing his son with some words of encouragement.

There is a high possibility that Daniel will be moved to Medical ICU in the third floor tonight.

Peace-

Chuy

(Trying to step in for Sal, key word trying)

Today's Support Crew:

Cathy
Margarita & Victor
Cristina
Fredo-lays
Irene
John and Elena Escobedo
Jennifer & Jim
Ana Magallanes

Thank You Sal

2009-06-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

My brother has been taken away temporarily from his life. In time, he will return to his life. I search for the meaning, the lessons to learn. I take comfort in the many voices of all of our loved ones, I listen when others chime in, and I love it, all of it. The harmony, the disharmony and the repair! What holds it all together? Hope, Faith and Love! These are skills as much as they are feelings. To be cultivated, to be learned. We must seek out teachers and mentors, elders if you will, for the wisdom to help us in our time of pain, and to guide us in the art of living! Sal shares such wisdom with us on the blog, and occasionally over a beer at the steakhouse. Thanks Sal for helping us with Hope for Daniel. I know Daniel will appreciate your efforts.

We are very fotunate to have Sal in our family.

Sal lives by example; he is a mentor and a friend.

I thank Sal for his dedication to Daniel, our family and our web-log community, his committment to excellence and accuracy...and for his creativity. I love the roll call with revolutionaries, and the digs at the insurance companies and private health care. Sal has written about Daniel's health--always hopeful--detailing his progress and care. He has done this all in honor of Daniel, on our behalf. Sal is "returning to his life" in San Felipe for a spell to tie up some loose ends before it gets too hot down there! Take care Sal! We'll see you and Tia when you get back!

2009-06-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday June 11, 2009
Day 44

Daniel had a relatively calm night. He is still running
a fever, temp. at 100. The heart fluctuations continue.
Dr. Sacks attributes both conditions to the brain trauma.
A chest x-ray taken early this morning shows that his
lungs are clear.
Daniel looks good this morning, he is breathing on his own
with ventilator assist. He is getting his morning sponge
bath at this moment. Sigue 'Calm, dark, and handsome'.

Some more physical therapy is scheduled for today.

Daniel's neurosurgeon, Dr. Tantuwaya, the SICU doctor, Dr.
Sacks, will confer with Cathy, Victor, and Margarita
tomorrow at 2:00 to discuss Daniel's condition, possible
options when his condition improves, and what the family
can expect as these next few days and weeks transpire. The
decision to transfer Daniel to Villa Pomerado will be made
once things stabilize here.

Daniel is still in room 208 here in SICU. Visiting hours are
stricter here than in the Progressive Care Unit. Visiting is
allowed from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm and from 8:30 pm to
7:00 am.

Will try and update this later today.....

1:30 pm
Daniel has been sitting now for about two hours and seems
to be handling the upright position very well. He sleeps,
then opens his eyes for 20 minutes then takes another
nap. It is 1:45 pm and Daniel is getting a hand and foot
massage by his Mom. Interestingly, Daniel's pulse will drop
from 1o5 to 87 while he is getting a massage. He is having a
nice peaceful day here with Margarita and Cristina. Will
put on some Marley for him while his eyes are open.

Take care of one another.....

¡Presente!
John Escobedo ~ Chuy Miranda ~ Alfredo Vega (last night)
Margarita and Cristina ~ Cathy ~ Olaf Palme ~

2009-06-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 10, 2009
Day 43

Hope is not blind optimism.
It's not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead,
or the roadblocks that stand in our path.
It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight.
Hope is that thing inside us that insists,
despite all the evidence to the contrary,
that something better awaits us if we have the courage
to reach for it, work for it, and fight for it. ~ Barack Obama

Good morning. Daniel is still here in SICU, room 208.
He has had better nights. Yesterday, the physical therapists
had him sitting up a little too long, given his condition from
the bout with ileus. This morning he was running a fever, 100,
and the fluctuating heart rate has returned.
Has gone 24 hours without vomiting. Daniel is receiving a
reduced amount of nutrients and is on the ventilator
for assistance in breathing. He is breathing on his own.
Yesterday afternoon he was starting to open his eyes again,
this morning he appears to be resting, recovering from
the long session sitting up. The doctor has detected pneumonia
and has prescribed anti-biotics which is being started
at this moment -10:20 am.
Daniel is also getting a dose of audio therapy by the Godfather
of Soul, James Brown! Our request to give our man a shave
was denied for awhile. Will ask again later.

The old drip tube of years gone by have been replaced
by electronic devices with digital readouts, electronically
adjustable rates in precise millilters per hour. Years ago I was
hospitalized and the practice then was for a nurse to adjust
this plastic clip and count the 'drips' using her wrist watch
to figure the amount per 30 seconds or per minute. Accurate
in those days, nothing like the precision of today. A small
commentary on how things have changed.
With the incredible detail of an MRI and CT scans 100 times
clearer than an x-ray, radiologists and neurosurgeons are
better able to treat patients, relieve pain and suffering,
and consequently save lives. The magnificent intersection
of mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics, and medical
science. Fortunately, we are the beneficiaries of hundreds
of years of scientific research. Increasing survival rates of
cancer victims and restoring health to victims of brain truama
is the goal and worth the investment in research. The tragedy
is the billions or trillions spent on armaments and military
defense expenditures.

Take care of one another....

¡Presente!
Oscar and Jessica Vega ~ El Nando Vega! ~ Marie Curie
Victor, Margarita and Cristina Vega ~ Luis Perez
Dawn-Super Nurse and her student Melanie
Jonas Salk ~

Our Common Purpose...

2009-06-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

We all do what we feel is proper for the common purpose of supporting Daniel, Cathy, their children, his family and friends, in these times of dealing with sadness, fear, hope, and the frustrations of medical unknowns and greedy insurance companies.

Whatever works for us as individuals to help cope with all these array of emotions, is what is “real” and “right” to us. As human beings on this planet we all have earned the right to choose the means by which we express our spirituality and there should be no judgment casted on anyone who differs from your own chosen method. Trust me; Daniel would not want it that way. Instead we should embrace and respect each other’s individuality and remind ourselves of our common goal; to provide our continual support and hope for Daniel’s recovery.

Daniel’s blog serves not only to keep us up to date with all the recent news of his condition, it also provides a therapeutic means for us to share our fond memories of Daniel, our bond with him, learning experiences with him, struggles we overcame together, his influence on our lives, or anything that ties us to him in some way. Whatever it may be, it is more than okay, because it comes from a place of love.

I highly encourage all of you to keep doing your vital part in this process, whether it is praying for Daniel to Allah, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Coatlicue (aka.. La Virgen de Guadalupe) etc… or reading scripture in the bible, Koran, or whatever it is you have chosen to believe in, please continue to keep Daniel in your thoughts and prayers. If you have contributed to Daniel’s blog, keep it coming, and if you have thought about it, but have yet to exercise your awesome blogging skills, don’t be hesitant, your words are just as important as the rest of ours. If you visit him daily, weekly, or monthly, just keep coming to see him whenever you can, everything we all do matters.

In solidarity,

Jesus “Chuy” Miranda

2009-06-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 9, 2009
Day 42

Daniel had a tranquil evening, Cathy spent the night
on the sofa bed. The nurse reports that they
have the ileus under control. No more vomiting and they
continue the 'trickle' feed of nutrients. He is still having the
heart rate fluctuations but not in the range of the
previous days, the highest this time has been around 130.
Daniel's blood pressure is very good and things seem to be
returning to the stable condition he had prior to this episode.

Will post an update later today.

Take care of one another.......

¡Presente!
(Monday and Tuesday)
Cathy, Victor, Margarita, and Cristina
Nando Vega ~ Victor Vega II ~ Adan Vega ~ Camilo Torres

2009-06-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

Monday June 8, 2009
Day 41

Addendum to first post for June 8

Sorry for the delay in updating this morning's post.

The cause of the nausea and vomiting that caused the
move back to the SICU was diagnosed as a mild ileus.
Ileus is a condition where the bowel (intestine) doesn't
work correctly, this means the bowel doesn't contract
normally to force fluids and food (liquid nutrients in
Daniel's case) down the gut canal. In Daniel's case it is
some inactivity of the bowel, not an obstruction. There
are several possible causes of ileus, it is suspected that
this was brought about from continued use of medications
following the surgery. The main treatment of this condition
is to rest the intestine until it becomes active again. This
is accomplished by keeping the stomach empty. This helps
treat the nausea and vomiting. They stopped the nutrient
feeding for most of the day, but have gradually started to
reintroduce small quantities of this. The vomiting has
stopped and he is breathing easier and resting. He is tired
from the whole episode as you'd expect.
Another blood culture will be checked to head off any
infections. Blood sugar levels are at textbook levels, no
insulin needed.
The labored breathing last night and early this morning
was related to the vomiting and now that has been cleared
up. He is breathing on his own and they are giving him an
assist with the ventilator.

The problem of controlling the amount of cerebro-spinal
fluid around the brain has been corrected. The neuro-
surgeon has been able to fine tune the existing shunt and
consequently will not need to replace it surgically.
It is a given that once the level of fluid is brought into line,
Daniel's brain will not be subjected to variations in pressure,
the ventricles will return to normal size. Daniel's
chances for regaining consciousnes will increase.

This is another challenge Daniel has endured and he appears
to have weathered this storm. For us, it is testing our
ability and strength to deal with the daily peaks and valleys.
But, it was said earlier, it is going to be a long journey and
we are up to the task at hand. With the super attentive care
he is receiving here and the promptness of treatment needed,
it is reassuring that Daniel is in the best possible environment.

One must marvel at the technological applications of chemistry,
physics, engineering, optics, imaging, electronics, micro-processors,
etc. to the field of medical sciences.

Take care of one another............

2009-06-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Monday June 8, 2009
Day 41

First and foremost, please don't be alarmed.
Daniel was moved from the Progressive Care Unit back to
the SICU early this morning, it may have been about
6:00 am.
I conferred with the evening nurse, the day nurse, and
Dr. Sacks in SICU to determine the reasons for the move.
Daniel was experiencing labored breathing and nausea.
The nausea lead to vomiting. An indicator related to his
pulmonary status showed a low oxygen saturation rate.

A CT scan of Daniel's lungs and head were performed this
morning. The results of the lung scan was negative in several
areas. There was no inflammation. There were no blood clots.
Any secretions that Daniel had been coughing up have not
entered the lungs.
The result of the head scan have been sent electronically to
Daniel's neurosurgeon. The doctor is due in sometime this
morning. At that time he will determine if he will do a shunt
revision (possible replacement).
A blood panel/culture came back negative.
By all evaluations done this morning, the ICV filter is doing
its job.
Daniel looks like he is handling all this with the will he has
demonstrated over the last 41 days. Again, when you
consider all that he has endured, this guy is one strong cat.
He is showing everyone here another dimension of the
human spirit! Like he is telling all the medical staff that
if they do their job he'll give them 110% of all his heart and
will power.
We've all seen a display of the highest applications of medical
science. The use of computers prompting nurses to make
entries in a hundred different areas related to the patients
health. Electronic monitoring of vital signs, body chemistry,
and oxygen parameters. Electronic and computer metering
devices controlling medications, fluids, and nutrients in
precise micro increments- with zero failure rates. Pressure
devices with computer monitoring to control the pressure
boots on Daniel's feet and ankles- this in turn being part of
the effort to keep blood pressure levels at optimum levels
combined with medications. Then there is the hospital bed
with electronic and hydraulic instruments to keep the
patient in the most comfort position to promote healing.
All this high technology blending with the human element
of highly trained doctors, nurses, and technicians. Still, you
see the use of a flashlight, a stethoscope, and the human
intervention of listening, looking, and touching to see that
everything is working and in sync.
Will update this post before 2:00 pm.

Take care of one another...........

Friends/Camaradas/Homies4Life...

2009-06-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

At Dr. John Escobedo's request, I am posting this for him.

I'm no poet,creative writer, or artist. But I play with words. Considering my current circumstance, this is the only venue I have to express myself from afar.

So please excuse my self-indulgence as I reminisce . . . .

My first encounter with Daniel was strange, but fitting considering the kingship our friendship is built upon. For some reason, which I can’t recall, Vega challenged Chuy Miranda, Jimmy Duarte, and myself to a wrestling match after our freshmen football practice by the high school plaza vending machines. Remember, we never met or talked to this undersized pretty boy—I guess our gladiator football armor did not impress him. In a matter a fact way, he proceeded to tell us how he could pin anyone of us in 15 seconds! Needless to say, Jimmy stepped up to the task and, yes, Daniel took out my good friend in under 15 seconds. We stood there contemplating whether we should “jump” this cocky kid, but Jimmy stood up and shook his hand. I must admit, Daniel would have been a hand full considering what he had just done, but his cousin Big Fern was also present—big dude for a Mexican back in the day. We figured these two cats would make better friends than enemies. And so this narrative began . . . .

Next stop: The Ranch. Way back when “The Ranch” was part of the Vega Trilogy Hill. Daniel, Pilon, and Fern’s parents owned the lower half of Startrek Lane. On Juanita’s property there was a nursery with plenty of ample space for us to roam and plot mischief. None of us owned a vehicle to get around at the time, so we christened the nursery “The Ranch” and our designated playground on weekends. Plenty of nights were filled with laughter, bonfires, and debauchery. Shoot, we have been known to assault discarded refrigerators and old broken down buses, pull classic “Stand by Me’s,” and faced the dear consequences of crudas: El Huevo!!! (ask the Boyz for definitions and explanations) Vows of camaraderie were taken on this natal ground and a sense of acceptance, loyalty, and identity was cultivated. Roll Dogz ever since—como mugre y uña as mom would say. Ironic, isn’t it, that our communal friendship has roots in a nursery.

Acceptance, loyalty, and a common cause/identity are attributes every young, first generation Chicano needs to somehow find in a country that has historically marginalized our culture, language, and history as a people. As young teenage rebels, we understood our subjugated existence within a school system intent on policing racial identities, limiting academic resources (assigned autoshop for math credit!), funneling brown bodies into Ivy (continuation school for at risk students), and exercising expulsion as the final remedy for “unruly” students. We understood this environment and retaliated the only way we knew how: questioned the established order at every turn. Teachers, counselors, principals, school boards—never had chance. Of course, some of us were funneled to Ivy, expelled, and bounced around to different school districts. But we managed. Survivors of a school system that produced one of the highest drop out rates in the county in 1993—second only to Oceanside High. Dark times to say the least, but no excuses. We never needed pity and never swam in a pool of apathy. Battle scars that’s all. These wounds, however, came with future accolades. This lowly circle of unruly, at risk youth has since produced 4 Bachelor degrees, four Master Degrees, one PhD, company administrative heads, and business contractors and owners. Not bad cabrones, not bad at all.

As you can see, we’re equipped to travel these hard roads, to take the long route to success. So Doc’s, please, don’t give me stats and percentages—don’t want to hear it. Just patch my Boy up and he will smooth out the edges and wrinkles. Vega does not accept failure and acquiesce is not in his nature, never has never will. We fight . . . he will rise, dust himself off, gives us his signature clap, and say “WHAT!”

So you take your time brother. Navigate these uncharted dark waters and find your way. Because, as a great Nuyorican poet once said, “The Sun Always Shines for the Cool.”

Walk Tall, Talk Big, and Live Strong.

Your Perro,

Escobedo

2009-06-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 7, 2009
Day 40

Patience and fortitude conquer all things
~ Emerson

Daniel's neurosurgeon has indicated that he
may need to replace the shunt valve unit as he has
not been able to achieve the fine tuning that he
wants. That was the word late Saturday, the surgeon
may come in today to speak with Cathy about this.
With Cathy's approval the surgeon may schedule
the surgery for tomorrow, Monday.
This will obviously affect the tentatively planned move
to Coronado Acute Center. As of this moment,
everything is on hold.

We've been playing James Brown greatest hits for
Daniel and some Nirvana. Daniel is hangin' in there,
he still opens his eyes and appears to nod off every
now and then. There is no physical therapy on the
weekends.

Will follow up this post with more info, later today.

UPDATE: 7:20 pm Sunday
It appears the plan to surgically replace the shunt
has been changed. They will try to schedule the pro-
cedure for Tuesday or Wednesday. This means that
Daniel will more than likely be allowed to stay here at
Sharp until Friday. This is all tentative of course and
may change tomorrow.

¡Presente!

Cathy ~ Dorothy Reina ~ Nancy Turner~
Irene Lopez ~ Nando, Sarah & Lola Vega
Alfredo & Diana, Alfredito, Diego Vega
Victor, Margarita & Cristina Vega ~ Nat Turner
Chuy Miranda ~ Andre (Surfs up- the Giant)
Hélder Câmara ~ Luis and Socorro Vega

2009-06-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 6, 2009
Day 39

The days and nights pass. Daniel's neurosurgeon
watches and looks for signs of any slight change in his
responsiveness. There are moments when he has the
appearance of trying to discern what is being said or
who it is that is looking into his eyes. Like being
trapped in a dream that he wants to end but can't seem
to break through. He has been off sedative and pain
medication for approximately two weeks. He still
responds to the pressure stimuli on his finger or foot,
he moves his arm or leg in each instance.

Daniel has not had to deal with the myriad of things
that can affect a sedentary existence. All organs are
functioning well. Except for the occasional fluctuating
heart rate, his blood pressure is good and his pulse
ranges from the low 70's up to the 90's. His color
remains good and he still has the ability to open his
eyes frequently. We're hoping that this period of
relative stability is providing the optimum conditions
for even the slightest response that will open the
door to eventual consciousness.
Daniel is still here at Sharp and should be here on
Monday. However, it looks like he will be transferred
to the Coronado Acute Care facility late Monday or
early Tuesday. Cathy and Margarita have visited
that center and several others that have been approved
by the insurance company. The Villa Pomerado option
is still on the table pending an opening. Daniel is on a
wait list there.

Chuy Miranda brought plenty of CD's with a variety of
music that will reach into the recesses of Daniel's
mind.

Take care of one another......

¡Presente!

Cathy ~ Danielito ~ Nayeli ~Nando, Sarah, and Lola Vega
John Reed ~Victor y Carmen ~ Adan ~ Ariana ~ Anahi Vega
Griselda y Rick Nelson ~ Frederick Douglas ~

2009-06-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Friday June 5, 2009
Day 38

Good morning. Daniel had another peaceful night.
His vital signs are holding right in normal ranges. This
morning several physical therapists came in to assess
limits of movement, ability to sit up on edge of bed, and
the need for greater frequency of PT. The plan for today
is to get him sitting in the special chair for an hour or more.
Another CT scan of the head is scheduled for this morning.
This is to determine or measure the pressure caused by
cerebro-spinal fluid, the result will indicate if the shunt is
correctly adjusted. Achieving the correct amount of pressure
will affect Daniel's responsiveness positively.

Daniel can still open his eyes and looks good under the
circumstances. 'Calm, dark, and handsome.'
He is absorbing the Marley vibes all day. Time for some
variety.....maybe Santana, War, Manu Chao, or RATM.
Whatever you want to bring, someone will make sure
it soothes his mind and body with healing rhythms.

Short comment on all the TLC that has filled Daniel's
cup to overflowing. We've been here to observe all the
love showered on Danielito's hero. I can only mention a
few anecdotes as any attempt to include the infinite acts
of love would be impossible. Friends and family
massaging his hands-arms-toes, cousins applying lip
gloss, friends damping the perspiration off his brow,
brothers adjusting the wrist & hand braces, uncles
giving him a shave, songs from a brother, a manicure,
nephews/nieces holding his hand with tears of love,
encouraging words from co-workers to fight on,
Tia keeping the nurses alert to linen, hoses, strange
beeping sounds..........
Cathy, Victor and Margarita can see and feel the depth
of love and support given by all that have the time to
make the trip down here. From afar, they are moved
by the the cards, hopes, prayers, emails, contributions,
and concern expressed for Daniell and his family.
Messages from Dublin, CA and as far south as Colombia.

The expected move to one of several acute nursing
facilities is still to be determined. Cathy & Margarita have
almost exhausted all options to keep Daniel here at
Sharp. They are dealing with one of the many injustices
of a profit driven health care system.

Coincidentally, health care corporations and lobbyists are
holding their annual convention this week here in San Diego.
Protesters are outside the convention center calling for
replacing the private insurance market with a single-payer
system similar to England, France, Canada, & other European
industrialized nations.

Daniel has just returned from his CT scan. The results may
be available as early as this afternoon. Will keep you
posted.

UPDATE: 2:15 pm, Friday. The radiologist has read the
CT scan and has reported that there has been no change
from the last scan. The pressure reading will be given to
Daniel's neurosurgeon to decide if the shunt should be
adjusted, he is fine tuning it to give Daniel the optimum
conditions for regaining consciousness.

Take care of one another.....

¡Presente!

Victor and Alfredo Vega (late last night) ~ Cathy
Jackie Wilson ~ Oscar Vega aka Pilon ~ Victor Vega Sr.
Luis and Rosa Vega ~ Simón Bolívar ~ Pat Savas

2009-06-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday June 4, 2009
Day 37

Hope never abandons you, you abandon it. ~George Weinberg

Daniel had another restful and tranquil night. He has
his eyes wide open and looks good. 'Calm, dark, and
handsome'. Similar problems with fluctuating
heart rate, but the nurses give him a small dose of
medication to stabilize. This morning the two day
shift nurses, Ian and Donna, came in to rotate Daniels
position and evaluate his vital signs. We had Bob Marley's
Legend album playing, when they came in their reaction
was 'Hey cool, the only way to work'. Big Fern, Sarah,
and Fern Dawg brought a CD player with speakers
yesterday afternoon and of course the custom Marley CD.
I placed one speaker on the bed, so Daniel's audio/stimuli
this morning started with 'Don't Worry'! Thanks to Fern
and family, they responded to the request faster than
UPS! Also, thanks to other friends and family that
offered equipment. If anyone has other CD's, feel free to
bring 'em down. Remember, Daniel has the Legend album
now.
Daniel has been receiving a pulmonary treatment called
a 'Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure'. This keeps the lungs
pressurized at normal levels. Patients with traches tend to
have shallow breathing patterns. This treatment helps to
expand the lungs.
A colleague of Daniel at the Norco campus of Riverside
Community College visited Daniel most of the morning
and afternoon. David Payan offered that faculty and students
miss Daniel dearly. An Aztec dance troupe performing for
an event on campus dedicated and offered a special dance
to Daniel and a complete recovery so that he may return
to them.

¡Presente!

Victor, Margarita and Cristina Vega ~ Irene Lopez
Digna Ochoa ~ David Payan ~ Gregorio Cortez ~
Big Fern Vega ~ Jon Jon Gonzalez ~ Oliver Tambo
Oscar Vega aka Pilon

Update on Move

2009-06-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 3, 2009

Well, the word is Daniel's insurance company has insisted on transferring him to the El Cajon acute care facility. The transfer date may be tomorrow or Friday. Cathy tried her best to keep her man at Sharp, to no avail. There may be a chance that an opening will be available at Villa Pomerado earlier than two weeks. Daniel's name is number one on the 'wait list'. We'll do whatever we can to assist Cathy during this transition. Health insurance companies make mindless decisions based on 'cost analysis'. Profits over people!!

Audio for Daniel

2009-06-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 3, 2009
Day 36

Some see a hopeless end,
while others see an endless hope. ~Author Unknown

Help. Continuing the effort to provide audio stimuli,
it would be nice if someone had a spare portable
CD player, or one of those real small players that have
programmed music. We'd like to play some
music or voice recordings during those times when
visitors are at a minimum. I know he enjoys reggae,
Bob Marley, Big Mountain, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh,
Jimmy Cliff, etc.
Could you contact Victor Vega via email if you can help:
victorvega@cox.net
He can't use those head phones that go over the top of his
head, if you have the small light weight in-the-ear type, those
would work best. Thanks

2009-06-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 3, 2009
Day 36

Once again Daniel is hangin' in there. His eyes were wide
open and he actually appeared to look to the side slightly.
Both eyes seemed to track together which is something
we haven't seen. His doctor was in late yesterday and
tried audio stimuli by yelling "Daniel ! Stick out
your tongue"! Those of us in the room detected some head
movement in the direction of the doctor. Like he was
turning his head in the direction of the sound.

Daniel had a tranquil night and he was being prepped for
the IVC filter procedure, he should be back by 9:30.

There are medical theories on Coma Arousal Therapy
that are being researched with mixed results. The studies
are testing stimuli to the five senses: vision, hearing, touch,
taste, and smell. One study focused on the effects
of family and friends speaking to the patient often. The
study emphasized frequency, intensity and duration of the
stimuli. The results obviously are different with each patient.
Nevertheless, Daniel's support group is here, we have the
numbers, the patience, and the determination. Si se puede!
The family urges all of you to talk with him, read to him
(poetry-song lyrics-sporting stories-psalms-bible verses)
sing to him (Marley verses), reminisce about good times,
adventures and even misadventures. The Choir Boys know
what I am talking about.
Thank you for your efforts in this area. A true labor of love!

Will hear sometime today if Cathy's valiant efforts are
successful. As you know, Daniel's health insurance company
wants him transferred to Villa Pomerado ASAP, but a room
won't be available there for two weeks. Their solution is
two transfers, one to a facility in El Cajon for two weeks,
then, if a room is available, a transfer to Villa Pomerado.
You would think that in the best interest of Daniel's health
the rationale would be to just keep him here until he can be
transferred to Villa Pomerado. Last night, Victor Sr. and
I counted 10 empty rooms on the 4th floor, the Progressive
Care Unit. The night before it was 15 empty rooms.
What's wrong with this picture? Let's see, 10 rooms here,
no rooms over there......hmmm. Our patient needs acute care
and Sharp is an acute care facility..........lets just wait.
It comes down to the cost differential in the rooms and
the insurance company's drive to minimize expenses and
maximize profits for share holders. Again, profits over people.

¡Presente!

Victor Vega II (last night)
Cathy, Michelle ~ Robert and Olga Chavez ~ Rudy & Ruben
Aguilar ~ 'Nando Vega ~ Benigno Aquino ~ Chuy Miranda
Võ Nguyên Giáp ~ Big Fern Vega & Sarah~Fern Dawg~Julianna
Victor ~ Margarita ~ and Cristina Vega

2009-06-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 2, 2009
Day 35

Daniel's vital signs are stable and the heart rate fluctuations
are under control.

The doctor that ordered the sonogram of Daniel's legs
has recommended placing a small filter in a vein to stop
potential clots from traveling to the heart and lungs.
Due to the immobility of Daniels legs he is at risk of
developing a blood clot in those extremities. The filter
can be installed in 15 min. through a catheter inserted
near the groin. The vein is called the Inferior Vena Cava
and is located in the abdomen (stomach). This vein brings
blood from the lower parts of the body back to the heart.
The filter helps prevent the blood clots from blocking blood
vessels in your lungs and causing serious problems.
The procedure will be done tomorrow morning.

Daniel's health insurance company has decided that he
must be transferred to an acute nursing facility as soon
as possible. This could be as early as this Friday.
The current floor that he is on is an acute care level,
but he cannot stay here. The original plan was to transfer
him to Villa Pomerado Acute care facility next to Pomerando
Hospital in Poway. They have informed Cathy that there will
be no bed available for two weeks. There is the possibility
that he may have to go to an acute care facility in El Cajon
for two weeks. Cathy has been on the phone all day with case
managers, social workers, Greybill medical, and others
trying to keep Daniel here or find a temporary facility
closer to Fallbrook or Valley Center.

Health care in the U.S.! ......... Frustrating and irritating.
Profits before people. So many bureaucracies and levels
to deal with- insurance companies, HMO's, hospitals,
doctors, pharmaceutical companies, employee benefit plans,
funtionaries deciding who lives or dies...........
Dante would definitely have a circle in hades for all this
mindless inhumanity in his Divine Comedy!

Take care of one another.......
¡Presente!
Cathy, Victor & Margarita and Cristina Vega
Adrian Gonzalez ~ Lito Jimenez ~ Mercedes Sosa
Raul & Yolanda Vega ~ Raul Vega III ~ Chuy Miranda
Leonard Peltier ~ Aida Barradas ~ Sylvia Abdala
Juanita Vega ~ Juanita's sister -Sylvia ~Jacobo Arbenz

Dear RCC-Norco and RCC District...

2009-06-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

(I am posting this at Cathy's request)

Dear RCC-Norco and Riverside Community College District,

There might be some misinformation about this, so I would like to clarify the following: The Riverside Community College District has not severed Daniel’s contract, on the contrary the RCCD family are contributing their sick time to Daniel. The sick time from RCCD faculty is being accrued by Human Resources and placed in for Daniel to use.

I am deeply grateful to all of the caring people at the RCC-Norco Campus and the Riverside Community College District who have assisted me with Daniel’s employment situation, and who have generously donated their sick time to Daniel.

I want you to know that Olivia, Danielito, Nayelli, and I, are deeply touched by all of your well wishes and donations. All of you, along with the many other people who have made donations to our family, are making it possible for us to continue to care for Daniel, rather than having to focus on our finances, during this difficult time for our family. I know Daniel would be absolutely amazed and ever so grateful by everything all of you, are doing for us.

Sincerely,

Cathy Vega

2009-06-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 2, 2009
Day 35

Hope is necessary in every condition.
The miseries of poverty, sickness and captivity would,
without this comfort, be insupportable.
~ Samuel Johnson

A little late with this morning's update.
Daniel continues to have fair to good evenings, last night
he experienced another episode of fluctuating heart rates. It
was stabilized with some medication called LoPressa. Again,
he looks good ~ 'calm, dark and handsome'. They took a
sonogram of his legs to make sure he had no blood clots. The
result was negative- no clots. His blood pressure is good-
115 over 63 (better than my bp). Body temp one degree
above normal. Nurses check blood sugar several times a day-
this morning it was excellent - no insulin needed.
A reminder of the Glasgow Coma Scale - Daniel is evaluated
at least four times a day to determine any progress or
regression. His evaluation yields a score of 8 one day and 9 the
next. We're relieved that it hasn't fallen below 8. Hoping for the
day it gets up to 12 or full consciousness which is 15.
Stay tuned, I will update this later this evening.

¡Presente!
Cathy, Victory& Magarita and Cristina, Chuy Miranda
Oscar Vega (Chula Vista) ~ Oscar Romero ~
Raul & Yolanda Vega ~ Raul Vega III ~

2009-06-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Monday June 1, 2009
Day 34

It is 9:00 am and although Daniel had a difficult day
yesterday with elevated heart rates and fever, it appears
his heart rate has returned to normal and the fever has
declined. His neurosurgeon was in yesterday to adjust the
shunt flow to stabilize the accumulation of cerebro-spinal
fluid near the brain. This does not require surgery. The
shunt is under the skin and can be adjusted by placing an
electronic remote near the device. High tech. Daniel's
nurse just reported that he had another episode of heart
rate fluctuations last night, but it is under control this
morning. Also, Daniel's neurosurgeon is coming in this
morning to make another small adjustment on the shunt.

Daniel looks normal in the sense that he looks like he is
taking a short nap. He is still unconscious. His eyes are wide
open this morning and appear normal. He blinks a lot, then
gives a pretty healthy yawn.

If I may speak for all that were here yesterday, we were
apprehensive about the high heart rate, the fever, and the
feeling that Daniel was not tranquil and was not having the
best of days since leaving the SICU. We are waiting for the
pulmonary specialist to come in this morning to ask him/her
about Daniel's symptoms of bronchitis. Very relieved this
morning that all his vital signs are back to normal.
Will post more info later. Well, June gloom is here. Heavy
marine layer, result of the cold ocean current.
Take care of one another......
¡Presente!
Victor, Margarita, and Cristina Vega ~ Cathy ~
Luis Vega Sr. ~ Luisito Vega ~ Chano Rodriguez

`

2009-05-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday May 31, 2009

Spoke with the supervising nurse about
Daniel's elevated heart rate. She stayed in the
room to observe the fluctuations and concurred
that it was a little outside previous elevations.
She was not alarmed about this and tried to assure
me that staff on this floor were aware of the situation.
They can follow this at each room and also at a remote
location called the telemetry room in the hospital.
The room has banks of monitors with staff members
observing several rooms at once.The telemetry room
is on the 3rd floor. We're waiting to hear from
the supervising nurse for this floor.
¡Presente!
Cathy, Olivia, Danielito, and Nayeli Vega
Victor y Carmen Vega and family ~ Armando Vega
Alfredo Vega ~ Oscar y Nacha Vega ~ Violeta Parra
Amelia y Leo Pulido ~ Mario Duran ~ Rudy & Ruben
Aguilar ~ Tȟašúŋke Witkó ~ Jess y Irene Lopez and family,
Big Fern y Sarah and family ~ David (Michelle's friend),
Alejandrina Vera ~ Cristina Alvarado ~ Consuelo Rodriguez

2009-05-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday May 31, 2009
Day 33

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible
and achieves the impossible. ~ Unknown

Daniels had another restful night. He is in
his new room (406), larger and with a better
view. The last room looked out on the
walls of the old hospital.
Daniel's temperature is normal. His heart rate
fluctuates from 90 up to 120, and occasionally
spiking at 140! I asked his nurse about this and
she attributed the variations as symptomatic
of brain trauma. She did say Daniel's doctor is
due to arrive and will be appraised of the situation.
This has occurred before and his heart rate returns
to normal after a short time. I don't know if they get
his heart rate back to normal with medications or not.

Daniel has his eyes wide open, looking normal, and as
I related to Victor (bro), Daniel looks 'Calm, dark, and
handsome'!!
Will report back in an hour or so.

New Room!!!

2009-05-30T09:59:00.001-07:00

4:30 pm
Saturday May 30, 2009

With 'Nando Vega at the helm, all able
hands were called on deck to weigh anchor
and move Daniel to another dock. Happy crew
on board: Oscar, Jessica, Yvonne, 'lil Oscar,
Tia Chita, 3 nurses and yours truly.
He is now in Room 406. Larger, better view, maybe
even an ocean view (marine layer still blocking
the horizon).
Yvonne and 'lil Oscar are busy putting up all
the photographs.
'lil Oscar reports that his team, Fallbrook Warriors,
lost to the "4-s Ranch" 13 to 6. Bummer! Wait'll
next year!

Also, Olivia is making her Confirmation tonight.
Parents, abuelos, tios, primos, amigos, maybe 25
family members all in attendance for this traditional
rite of receiving the holy spirit. Yea Olivia!
Dinner to follow at the 'Olivia Garden'.

Daniel is relaxing now in his new room over looking
Kearny Villa High school and Mesa Community
College. Lots of trees and sky! View of the horizon
rather than an old building.
Presente!!
Nestor Aguilar just walked in and Big Fernando is
here with Sarah, their kids, Bonnie, Grandpa
Fernando, and 4 other friends.
Good golly miss molly! Four Fernandos in one
room!!!
Big Fernando brought in Marley decals for
Daniel's helmet. Jammin!
'Keep on doing what you have always done,
You will keep on being what you have always been'
~Bob Marley

More to follow...........stay tuned.

¡Presente!
'Nando Vega ~ Oscar Vega aka Pilon, Jessica, 'lil Oscar, Yvonne
Big Fern ~ Sarah ~ Alissa ~ Julianna ~ Fern Dog ~ Grandpa Fern
George Perez ~ Vero ~ Valeria ~ 'Gordo'~ Nestor ~ Bob Marley
Bonnie Vega ~ Armando Vega ~Paulo Freire ~ Andrew Santos
(Andrew is one of Daniel's students) ~ Rosa Santos (Andrew's mom)
3 members of the Fallbrook Warriors

2009-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 30, 2009
Day 32

Superman's not brave.
You can't be brave if you're indestructible.
It's every day people, like you and me,
that are brave knowing we could easily
be defeated but still continue forward.
~ unknown

Daniel had an uneventful night, tranquil in
his new room on the 4th floor. His vital signs
have been in the normal range. His blood
pressure is stable, some minor fluctuations
in his heart rate, and his breathing has become
easier- decrease in the coughing. He still coughs
to clear out the chest secretions.
Margarita was allowed to sleep on the sofa bed
in Daniel's room last night. She kept a vigilant
eye on him throughout the night. The nursing
staff in this unit are very attentive and caring.
They don't have to deal with the stress inherent
in the SICU. Here in the Progressive Care Unit
you can feel the difference, it is a different level
of care.
Although Daniel is still in critical condition, he is
more stable, now that he has recovered from
the trauma of surgery, the installation of the shunt,
bouts of pneumonia, high fevers, adjusting
to the trache, the decrease in the need for
suctioning.....irritating and annoying for Daniel.
I mentioned in a previous post that it is certain
that Daniel will be transferred to Villa Pomerado
Acute Care Facility, next to Pomerado Hospital in
Poway. When? No definitive word yet. No official
decision yet, but we surmised that it depends on
Daniel's condition. If no further complications arise,
the transfer may occur early next week.
Daniel and his family have received numerous cards
of support, prayers, and expressions of love. These
have been a part of the wave of concern for what
Daniel and family are enduring. Mil gracias!

¡Presente!

Cathy, Michelle, and Nayeli - Victor and Margarita Vega

Armando Vega - Bonnie Vega - Grandpa Vega

Elena Dunn - Esperanza and Jerry -'Nando Vega

Pablo Neruda - Chuy Miranda - Adrian Gonzalez -

Steven Biko - Roberto and Olga Chavez -

George & Vero Perez - 'Gordo' Perez -

Valerie Perez - Big Fern - 'lil Fern (Fern Dog)

Julianna Vega - 3 members of Warriors Team

Andrew Santos -student from RCC

Rosa Santos (Andrew's mom)

2009-05-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 30, 2009
Day 32 9:00 AM

Brief update: Daniel had a restful night, no
complications. Slight irritation with the trach,
common problem with patients that have
had this procedure.
Daniel was first moved to the MICU, room 310,
then last night he was moved again to the
Progressive Care Unit on the 4th floor. He is in
room 430. I want to post this info early in
the event you plan to visit today.
Stay tuned...............

2009-05-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Friday May 29, 2009
Day 31

True hope dwells on the possible, even when life
seems to be a plot written by someone who wants
to see how much adversity we can overcome.
True hope responds to the real world, to real life;
it is an active effort. ~ Walter Anderson

This morning Daniel appears rested and his nurse,
Tracy, reports that he had a restful night. He appears
relaxed and the fever is subsiding.
Daniel's vital signs are good. He did have a fever
yesterday afternoon and they have taken samples
of saliva and chest secretions to culture, in a
preventative effort to stop pneumonia or other
maladies. This will take 3 days to assess any
abnormalities. He is on specific antibodies this morning
for other minor issues. Blood was drawn for a blood
panel to look at vital parameters. His blood sugar is
monitored several times a day to determine insulin
levels. This morning he required a very small
amount of insulin.
Update: the blood panel proved negative and the
cultures are clear as of 5:00PM Friday.
At this moment, we don't know if the physical
therapists will work with him today. Physical therapy
has been postponed today.
The physical therapy, the fever, and the antibiotics
have slowed down Daniel's responses today. He has
had his eyes closed most of the morning. Today
the doctors have Daniel scheduled for another CT or
Cat scan. The result will probably be known tomorrow.
Update: Daniel is having the CT scan at this moment.

Yesterday, Daniel was transferred form the SICU to
the MICU- Medical Intensive Care Unit. After his
first surgery on May 1, he was allowed 30 days in the
SICU. Being in a more stable condition, the decision was
made to place him in the MICU. Tracy offered that when
a room is available in the Progressive Care Unit, he will
be moved to the 4th floor. It might be today.
The next move is to Villa Pomerado Acute Care Facility
next to the Pomerado Hospital in Poway. This would
probably occur as early as next week.

You might be asking yourself if these changes are the
result of rapid progress in Daniel's health. In my opinion,
the answer would be a negative. Cathy, Margarita, and
Victor feel Daniel would benefit from more time in the
MICU. As you all know, there are other forces at work.
Health benefit plans, specifically hospitalization benefits,
are determined by health insurance companies.
This blog is about Daniel's health and welfare. There are
other blogs that deal with the inequities and inadequacies
of the health care delivery system in the United States,
we will question and advocate on Daniel's behalf to insure
decisions contribute to his health, welfare, and recovery.

This is a long journey and we remain optimistic. The blog
is titled Hope for Daniel, we will not abandon hope.
Family, friends, acquaintances, even complete strangers
that have heard of Daniel, have all come together as a
support group, in unity, in solidarity with the one goal,
of seeing Daniel regain his health!
Family and friends have shared many anecdotes and
case studies of acquaintances or celebrities who have
emerged from weeks or months of being unconscious.
The case cited the most is that of Bob Woodruff, the ABC
news correspondent that suffered traumatic brain injuries
while on assignment in Iraq. He was comatose for five weeks.
Do a search on the Internet for a summary of his journey.

There is a tremendous amount of research being conducted
on the intricacies of the human brain and it's resiliance. The
duality of the brain and the mind has been studied for
centuries, there are new revelations everyday. Medical
science continues to be amazed by results that go counter
to the best prognosis of even the best neurosurgons,
neurologists, and brain injury specialists. The human spirit
is the intangible.

Take care of one another........

¡Presente!

Victor and Margaret Vega
Victor Jara
Victor Vega
Alfredo Vega
Priscilla Alvarado
Amanda Aguilar
Chuy Morga and Katie
Joe Hill
Adrian Gonzalez
Dolores Ibarruri
Irene Lopez
Lorenzo and Laura Torres
Augusto Sandino
Nina and Danny Alvarado

Some light humor courtesy of Daniel...

2009-05-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

Quien es Pancho Pantera?

With all the recent good vibes we are getting from Daniel’s road to recovery, I thought I would lighten the mood with some Daniel humor.

A couple of days ago, I was driving to Fredo’s shop from my pad in SD, and I began to think what I would say to Daniel to make him laugh, when, not if, but when he regains consciousness. What came to mind as soon as I posed myself that question was; Quien es Pancho Pantera? (Who is Pancho Pantera?)

Some of you, (Fernandito,Lito, John Esco, & Adrian G for sure) know exactly what I’m talking about. Many moons ago, Daniel and I were in the process of receiving our Mexican citizenship and becoming dual citizens, when he gave me his “Pancho Pantera” quiz. The idea is that any respectable Mexicano would know who Pancho Pantera is, right? He has been around since the 50’s, so you have to know who he is…that would be like a U.S. citizen not knowing who Ronald McDonald is. Daniel though the Consulado Mexicano should ask any person wishing to become a Mexican Citizen the Pancho Pantera question. It would be the question right after the applicant had to recite the Mexican National Anthem.

At the time it made perfect sense to me, and come to think of it, it still does! So pay attention Consulado Mexicano!!!

Okay...back to the story...So a couple of us were hanging out one day, and once Daniel had me alone, he went ahead and said… “Dude, let’s see que tan Mexicano eres, quien es Pancho Pantera? If you don’t know this, then your Mexican citizenship should be revoked!” He jokingly said.

Me: (After some time to think, he cought me completely off guard) “Es el pinche chokomeel!”

Daniel: “Ahhh dude, it took you a while to answer, I really didn’t think you would get it!” As he laughed at me.

He then turned to me and said “Dude, don’t say anything!” and then he proceeded to ask two more of our homies the same question; “ Haber guey, quien es Pancho Pantera?”

Fella's, I won’t put you on blast. Obviously, they did not know who Pancho Pantera was, and so Daniel and I, were free to poke fun at them for not knowing who he was.

Daniel added: "Ahh, dude you don't know whatz up, with Pancho Pantera"

I am positive Daniel went on to ask many of you, the same question; Quien es Pancho Pantera?

For those of you who are still wondering who Pancho Pantera is, here is your brief history lesson for today:

“In 1928 the Proctor & Gamble Company (of Mexico) developed the first milk modifier to add supplemental vitamins and minerals to milk for Mexican children. The supplement came in the form of chocolate powder and the result was the product was called “Choco-Milk”. However, the Mexican people find it awkward to pronounce the letter “k” in the word “milk” and so they just don’t bother. “Choco-Milk” is pronounced “choko-MEEL” and is written everywhere except on the Choco-Milk package as “chocomíl”. An animated character named Pancho Pantera was created in the 1950's to promote nutritional needs and awareness and to advertise Choco Milk. Over the years Pancho Pantera has evolved from a simple country boy in a straw hat to a sporty modern youth. The word "pantera" means "panther" and you can see the emblem of a black panther on Pancho Pantera's chest.”

My request is this: whoever is with him when he regains consciousness please ask Daniel the following: “Oye Daniel, Chuy quiere que te pregunte quien es Pancho Pantera?”

I hope this brought a smile to you, as it does to me, every time I remember Daniel asking me "Quien es Pancho Pantera?"

Peace,

Chuy

2009-05-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Friday May 29, 2009
Day 31

Keep hope alive, keep hope alive, keep hope alive.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, 1988

Just checking in with a brief note that I just arrived
at the hospital. A lot occured yesterday and I haven't
had time to post. It is 8:30, Daniel is stable. With your
permission I will come back in an hour and give you
a more in depth account of Daniel's health. Thank you.

2009-05-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

2009-05-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

2009-05-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 28, 2009
Day 30

Your hopes, dreams and aspirations
are legitimate. They are trying to take you
airborne, above the clouds, above the storms,
if you only let them. ~William James

The evening shift nurse, Maureen, reports that
Daniel had a restful night and another small but
important step has occured. ICU nurses
have had to frequently clear the trach tubes of
chest secretions, through suction. Daniel's
coughing is independent of conscious control,
nevertheless, the coughing action clears the
secretions. Since Wednesday the frequency
of their intervention is less and less.
When he is able to clear the secretions completely
on his own, he will not need to be in ICU and
will be transferred to a regular room of the hospital.

Dr. Sacks reports that the pneumonia has been
resolved, however, patients with a trach tube
are suscepable to occasional bouts of pneumonia.
He added that having a trach tube is somewhat
irritating to all patients.

The tracheostomy tube will remain in place until
Daniel's level of consciousness increases to the
point that he is awake and able to swallow. Until
then, the tube will remain and he will continue to
be fed with the feeding tube in his lower intestine.

Cathy, Victor and Margarita, wish to express their
sincere gratitude and appreciation to Danny and
Carolyn Ashcraft for their generous donation to the
Daniel Vega FamilyFund.

This morning is Daniel's third session of sitting up
and physical therapy- keeping the muscles, joints,
and tone active. The need for flexibility is also
important. It is a rigorous 'workout' and Daniel is
not taking it too lightly, but he'll be thankful for this
'torture' later. Besides the two female therapists,
Cathy, Margarita, and Maria are there flexing
Daniel's legs and arms, mercy, mercy, mercy!

Take care of one another...........

¡Presente!

Cathy
Victor, Margarita,
and Cristina
Lalo Vega
Chuy Miranda
Juan Escutia
Vicente Suarez
Agustin Melgar
Francisco Marquez
Juan de la Barrera
Fernando Montes de Oca

2009-05-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday May 27, 2009
Day 29

Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.
~ Bernadette Devlin

Once again, Daniel had a good, restful night. He went
through the night without assistance from the ventilator.
Cardiovascular conditioning prior to April 29 has
contributed greatly to his ability to now breath on his
own!
At 10:45 AM this morning the nursing staff will see
how Daniel does with a new challenge....sitting up.
His helmet is here and he is ready. Will give you an
update later.
Daniel is in physical therapy at this moment.

Update:
Daniel sat up this morning for one hour. He was wearing
the protective helmet. The physical therapists will
put him in the sitting position for one hour, twice a day.

Daniel's doctor saw him this morning and remarked that he
is making progress, albeit very slowly. He reassessed
Daniel's score on the Glasgow Coma Scale, at this particular
time it appeared that Daniel is an 8 on the scale. Not yet
at the moderate level.
Cathy stated that Daniel's movements may be spontaneous,
but not consistant.
Daniel still has a very persistant cough and perhaps a touch of
pneumonia. The pulmonary doctor is closely monitoring this
and categorizes pulmonary as critical. He is still receiving
antibiotics.
The doctor has ordered that the insulin drip be discontinued.
Daniel will receive insulin only if he needs it.

Chuy Miranda was here at 8:00, visited and talked to
Daniel about the big futbol game today in Estadio Olimpico,
Rome, Italy. It is the final of the UEFA Champions League,
between Barcelona and Manchester United. I shared with
Chuy that Daniel and Danielito were talking about the
match-up between Messi and Ronaldo with me during
spring break when they visited us in San Felipe.
We all hoped Barcelona would prevail....................
Well, the game started this morning at 11:45, just as
Daniel was seated and facing the tv.
Barcelona was victorious! 2 - 0 Messi and E'to scoring.

Take care of one another.............

¡Presente!
Cathy and Michelle
Margarita Vega
Christina Vega
Chuy Miranda
Karla Vega
Oscar and Jessica Vega
Harry Bridges
Adrian Gonzalez
Raul y Chela Vega
and Cheli
Armida Pimentel
Eric Pimentel
Ruby Vega

2009-05-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

Danielito"s Trophy!

Hawks Trophy with Prayer Quilt in the Background

2009-05-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 26, 2009
Day 28

If you lose hope, somehow you lose
the vitality that keeps life moving,
you lose that courage to be, that quality
that helps you go on in spite of it all.
And so today I still have a dream.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

***Please check this post several times
today, as it will be updated.***********

9:00 AM - Daniel had another restful night, no
complications. His breathing has improved
to the point that he won't need the ventilator,
except in case of an emergency!!
Does this kid have heart or what?!! We are
witnessing a courageous display of the
'human spirit' , tenacity, an inspiring
'will to survive'!

Dawn informs us this morning that Daniel
moved his left arm, from a position at his side,
up and over, so that it rested on his chest!!
He did this on his own! There was no pressure
stimuli applied to provoke this movement.
Daniel is fighting, he is showing a desire to
overcome, to come back, to shake off all the
effects of the trauma, surgery, and sedation.
This is new and encouraging, as it changes the
early assessment made of his level of
consciousness. Approximately 25 days ago, the
estimate for Daniel was very low, given a number
just above 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale. This is a
standarized system that has a range of zero to 15.
The score of 15 indicates no impairment.
The degree of consciousness is assessed numerically
by the best response using three factors:
amount of eye opening, verbal responsiveness,
and motor responsiveness.
The results may be plotted on a graph to provide
a visual representation of the improvement, stability,
or deterioration of a patient's level of consciousness,
which is crucial to predicting the eventual outcome.
Daniels new assessment is 9 !!!
Go Daniel! Go Daniel! Go Daniel!
The progress is ever so slow. Very slow progress
each day with no signs of regression.

11:30 AM Dawn reports that Daniel will be
fitted for a protective helmet today as the
plan is to get him seated in a chair for an hour
at a time. This will probably be tomorrow.
Daniel is also scheduled for physical therapy,
time to get his muscle tone and flexibility back.
This will start tomorrow! Another positive
step that energizes our hopes.

*********************************************

The following letter is from Margarita Vega to the Vega Family
Tuesday, May 26, 2009

From: Tia Mago
To: Family

Thank you for your support and prayers through this
difficult time.
We have been dealing with some stressful issues and your
consideration and assistance has enabled us to carry on
with dignity.
I know Alfredito, Ariana, Adan, lil' Fern, Julianna, Yvonne
and other nephews/nieces love their Tio Daniel very much
and want to see him. Until it is possible, I ask you to pray
at night for God to send his angels in the form of his
nurses and doctors and others who take care of him and
in the morning give thanks to God for another day full of

blessings.

We have to contend with a hospital visiting regulation that

prohibits visitors under16 yrs. An exception has
been made for Daniel's children.
Fern's daughter Alissa was also allowed to visit because
she is part of a youth prayer group in oceanside that has
been praying for Daniel. Thank you Alissa for keeping them
informed. Please thank everyone on my behalf.

All I ask of you is that you love each other, and be
not just cousins, but best friends like your parents
are to Tio Daniel.

Love you

Tia Mago

¡Presente!

Oscar and Jessica Vega
Oscar Vega (Chula Vista)
Bonnie Vega
Big Fern Vega
Ricardo Flores Magon
Enrique Flores Magon
Victor Velasquez
Chuy Miranda

2009-05-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 25, 2009 Memorial Day
Day 27

There is no hope unmingled with fear,
and no fear unmingled with hope. ~Spinoza

Daniel had another restful night. According to Matt,
his 'numbers' (vital signs) are good and the medication
levels are still within norms. He is receiving antibiotics
to head off any risk of infections and they monitor his
respiration to keep him free from pneumonia.

Daniel is opening his eyes more often.
His responsiveness to pressure stimuli continues
to be good. At times it appears that he is about to wake
up. This will take time. We will be patient.
This seems like an appropriate time to repeat a quote
used in this blog a week ago or so:
"All human wisdom is summed up in two words:
wait and hope" Alexander Dumas

Regarding the 24/7 medical care Daniel has received-
Daniel has had two outstanding ICU nurses assigned
to his care in the last 4 days, they are Dawn and Matt.
Can't say enough about their attentiveness, empathy,
professionalism, and rapport with visitors.

Yesterday, Sunday, Daniel cleared a challenging hurdle
when the respiratory therapist allowed him to breath
on his own, unassisted. First, for two hours. Then another
hour, ...then another. Concerned that he might tire,
the therapist and Dawn were impressed that
he was strong enough to go for 9 hours!! ¡Andale Daniel!

Once again, attribute this to his physical condition prior
to April 29. Small steps in the right direction.
To allow recovery time from the 'work out', he was
placed back on the ventilator for the evening.

He will remain in ICU until he can breath on his own
unassisted. Once patients are free of 'ventilator'
assistance, they are moved out of ICU.

Reminder: visiting hours are from
8:30 AM to 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM to 7:00 AM
Daniel is in room 220.

Thanks for the many compliments regarding
this blog. Understandably, many of you have
demanding work and family schedules and your
only contact with Daniel has been through this
blog. The family appreciates your comments
and support. Gracias

More 'Breaking News' *******
Sunday, Danielito's futbol team, Temecula Hawks,
advanced to the Championship game with the
FC Heat from Escondido.
The tournament was the Poway Country Shootout,
Boys Under 11 Division. Game summary:
Regulation time score was: 0 -0
First extra time score: 0 - 0 .
Second extra time score: 0 - 0.....
So, it was on to penalty kicks. Is this exciting, or what?
Danielito and the Hawks win the game 3 -0 !!!!!!
Green Gold Champions for 2009!!
Danielito's team mates allowed him to bring the
Championship Trophy to show his dad. The trophy
will be in Daniel's room for the next few days.
Can you imagine Daniel's pride when he sees this!
Congratulations Danielito! We're so proud of you!

¡Presente!

Susanna and Samantha Galvez
John John Gonzalez
Victor Donez
Lucio Cabañas
Luis and Socorro Vega
Enrique Flores Sr.
Enrique Flores
Fernando and Sarah Vega
Alissa, Lil' Fern, and Julianna Vega
Jose Maria Morelos
Ron & Sandra Van Damme
Olivia, Reyna, and Natalia Van Damme*
*Olivia & Olivia Vega best friends since
3rd grade at UC Riverside elementary
Bonnie Vega
Chico Mendez
Fernando Vega (Grandpa Fern)
Roberto and Olga Chavez

2009-05-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday May 24, 2009
Day 26

Believe in the magic of tomorrow
and your spirits will be lifted
on wings of hope. ~Kobi Yamada

Another restful night for Daniel. I think he needed
more rest what with all the visitors on Saturday.

The sedative level was decreased from 4 to 3 on
Saturday afternoon. This morning, Sunday, at 8:30
it was lowered from 3 to 2. Then at 10:15 it was
decreased again to one! Daniel has handled the
decrease with no signs of withdrawal or pain.
Dawn, Daniel's nurse, corrected my use of
terms related to Daniel's medications.
First, the pain medication (Fentanyl) is at level 2,
the actual sedative (Ativan) is now at level one!
My apologies for any confusion in previous posts.

Another change: the Ativan is now at 0.5 !!!!
and the Fentanyl is at one!!!
Another change: It is Sunday 12:30 PM
Both the Ativan and the Fentanyl have been
turned down to 'zero'. Daniel is no longer
on sedatives or pain medication!!

Dawn and Maria are watching him closely and
talking to him to see if the reductions will move
him closer to the threshold of consciousness.
This will take some time. He is being
hydrated and this will rid his body of traces of
those meds. From Dawn's experience, she has
offered that it will take a couple of days to get
his body free of Ativan & Fentanyl.
If it appears that Daniel is experiencing
discomfort or pain, Dawn will use Tylenol.
It is a given that Daniel's good
physical condition prior to the April 29 has
enabled him to withstand the various treatments.

Daniel is breathing more on his own today! They
take him off the ventilator for an hour at a time and
he seems to be showing he can do it on his own!
He has been off the ventilator for two hours!
Go Daniel - Go Daniel - Go Daniel!!!!

Breaking News: Saturday, Danielito scored a 'gol'
to help his team, the Temecula Hawks, as they
crushed the hapless Poway Vaqueros... 5 to 0 !!!!
Go Danielito!!! Daniel is proud of you!

Saturday and this morning he has opened his eyes
for greater lengths of time. He is still not 'tracking', or
looking from side to side. Cathy reports that Daniel's
neurosurgeon was here last night and conducted a
test for responsiveness and was surprised at Daniel's
reaction. Something positive that the doctor wasn't
ready for. One step at a time.

Hope is independent of the apparatus of logic. ~Norman Cousins

Take care of one another.......

Presente!
Cathy
Alfredo Vega
Chuy Miranda
Fernando & Sarah Vega
Fernandito & Sarah Vega
Juliana Vega
Lucio Cabañas
Nestor and Sara Aguilar
Mario Duran
Camilo Cienfuegos
Irene Lopez
Susana & Samantha Galvez
Bonnie Vega
Tairou and Marisha
Salvador Allende
Rudy & Ruben Aguilar

2009-05-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 23, 2009
Day 25

We must accept finite disappointment,
but we must never lose infinite hope.
~Martin Luther King Jr.

Daniel had another restful night. His condition
is still critical and he has remained stable. His vital
signs are normal and there has been no regression
in many of his other functions.

As reported yesterday, the sedation decrease
from 5 to 4 is a 10% drop. In the last week this
represents a 70% decrease in the sedative.
Obviously, he is not as heavily sedated. Perhaps
in the next few days the level might be decreased
again. Hopes are running high that once Daniel is
completelly off sedation he will be on the threshold of
regaining consciousness.

Daniel's ability to breath on his own has been
checked daily with mixed results. The pulmonary
specialist and the ICU nurse monitor this activity
very closely.

Cathy, the kids, Cathy's sisters, and Elena and Bob,
are deeply grateful and appreciative for the generosity
of family and friends. Cathy, Olivia, Danielito, and
Nayeli have received many gift cards for gasoline, food,
and other necessities. Mil Gracias!

When we consider all that Daniel has endured, it causes
us to reflect on the intangible- the will to live, something
embedded in the heart and the conscious and even the
unconscious mind that says 'keep fighting', don't surrender.
It is the human spirit, of which many stories of survival
have found their way into books and film. Daniel is writing
another chapter to those existing acts that have served
to lift our spirits.

"The human spirit is your specifically human dimension
and contains abilities other creatures do not have.
Every human is spiritual; in fact, spirit is the essence
of being human. You have a body that may become ill;
you have a psyche that may become disturbed.
But the spirit is what you are. It is your healthy core.
~Joseph Fabry

"Aqui, no se rinde nadie!"
A call exhorting insurgents to dig in and to incite or
even warn the opposing military of the dictator.
Sandinista Revolution 1979

Presente!

Alfredo and Diana Vega
Diana's mother
Oscar (Pilon) and Jessica Vega
Cathy and Michelle
Olivia, Danielito, & Nayeli
Chuy Morga
Zumbi dos Palmares
Armida Pimentel
Fernando Vega
Cuauhtémoc
Tairou & Marisha (Daniel's CBB colleagues)
Chuy Miranda
Armida Pimentel

Hope for Daniel

2009-05-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Friday May 22, 2009
Day 24

Never let go of hope.
One day you will see that it has finally come together,
what you have wished for has finally come to be.
You will look back and laugh at what has passed,
and you will ask yourself...
"How did I get through all of that?" ~anonymous

Daniel had another calm night. You're on a roll Daniel!
Si se puede!! No new medical challenges.
Daniel is experiencing greater stability as each day passes.
The sedation level, which originally was at 10, was reduced
by 50% to number 5 on the metering device, today it was
reduced again to the number 4!
Daniels physiological condition and other factors influence
the decision to slowly bring him out of sedation.

Three weeks ago Daniel had a craniotomy. A craniotomy is
a surgical operation in which part of the skull, called a
bone flap, is removed in order to access the brain.
Craniotomies are often a critical operation performed
on patients suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI),
like a cerebral aneurysm. Having access to the aneurysm
allowed Daniel's surgeon to attach a clip to stop the
hemorrhaging. The bone flap has not been replaced yet.
The shunt continues to perform well. It has drained a
significant amount of cerebro spinal fluid , reducing pressure
and swelling on the brain. With the reduced fluid, a depressed
area forms on that side of the head.
This is common with all patients that have had a craniotomy.

Healing is occuring each second, each minute, hour and day.
Daniel's physical condition and his innate, tenacious
determination give him the endurance to persevere.
This is going to be a very long and arduous journey.
More surgery is a given. And certainly months of
rehabilitative therapy.

“All human wisdom is summed up in two words -
wait and hope" ~ Alexandre Dumas

Presente!
Fernando & Sara Vega
Fernandito Vega
Elena and Bob
Oscar Vega aka Pilon
Oscar Vega Sr. and Nacha
Oscar Vega (Chula Vista)
Emiliano Zapata
Adrian Gonzalez and squeeze
Chuy and Angela Miranda
Alex Cabrera
Michelle and Jennifer
Joaquin Murrieta
Jerry and Esperanza
Irene Lopez

Comments

2009-05-21T22:53:00.001-07:00

I have changed the comment settings so that you no longer have to be a registered follower of this blog to publish a comment. I have also eliminated the word verification requirement to make it easier to publish a comment. When selecting a profile for commenting choose "anonymous" but remember to sign your name if you wish to be recognized. My understanding is that if you are registered as a follower of this blog you can sign in and comment without a problem. If you have published successfully in the past please feel free to share what works best for you. I appreciate your input.

Most certainly your life has been enriched by knowing Daniel, so if you have a short story or anecdote to share please comment and let us hear it. We know how crazy Daniel is about life and we all miss those moments of love and laughter...choose something from the posts that resonates with you and go with it.

Many have donated generously to The Daniel Vega Family Fund. On behalf of Cathy and all of the Vega Family I would like to express our deepest gratitude. Thank you.

2009-05-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 21, 2009
Day 23

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~Author Unknown

As we stand watch, we see small signs that our course is true
and the storm will pass, landfall is out there over the horizon.

Daniel had a good night. There are no orders for an angiogram
today. The shunt is still performing as expected, if this continues
the first temporary catheter will be removed.

This morning, Dawn, Daniel's ICU nurse, indicated that the last
Doppler test showed that the vasospasms had decreased. This may
only be temporary, but it is a step toward eliminating the spasms. It
appears the medication is taking effect. This test is conducted daily.

Another sign. Daniel is given a pressure test to each hand and foot to
assess reflexive responses. His arm and leg responses have been positive.
That is, he tends to 'pull' or react to the stimulus.

Margarita and Victor want to express their appreciation to the many
business clients that have voiced, or through cards, their heartfelt concern and
support for Daniel and his family. Daniel is now in their prayers.

Victor has been trying to iron out the glitches that people have experienced in
trying to 'post' a comment.

Breaking News:
Fernando Vega (Lola's dad) received his Social Science Teaching Credential
today!!! Felicidades Nando! Daniel will certainly be very proud
of Nando's achievement.

Many have shared their belief that Daniel's heart is the source of his
strength and courage. Solid faith that these characteristics will prevail.
Experiencing his zest for life and infectious enthusiasm has left us
living vicariously through his adventures. We look forward
to the next opportunity to 'hang out' with him, Cathy, and his kids.
I'll close today's post with a quote from Eduardo Galeano that describes
persons that 'blaze with life'........persons like Daniel.

"Each person shines with his or her own light. No two flames are alike.
There are big flames and little flames, flames of every color.
Some people’s flames are so still they don’t even flicker in the wind,
while others have wild flames that fill the air with sparks.
Some foolish flames neither burn nor shed light,
but others blaze with life so fiercely that you can’t look at them without blinking,
and if you approach you shine in the fire." Eduardo Galeano

Keep the prayers comin'
Take care of one another

Presente!

Alfredo Vega
Fernando Vega
Victor Vega
Felipe Angeles
Armando Vega
Fernandito Vega
Armida Pimentel
Ruby Vega
Eric Pimentel
Doroteo Arango
Irene and Jesse Lopez
Rudy Aguilar
Esperanza and Jerry
Roberto and Olga Chavez
Oscar Vega (Chula Vista)