Good morning, friends and family! And a very happy birthday to TYSON!! I can’t think of a better birthday gift than to be reunited finally with his wife and son 🙂 Tyson is currently on his way home after an arduous 8 weeks in India. His flight landed about an hour ago and I’m told that he did very well for the 14 hour journey! Quite the contrast from his flight to India in March which landed him in ICU for 2 wks and in critical condition.

So to recap for the past two weeks…

Shortly after arriving home, I packed my things and traveled to my mom’s where I was greeted by Calvin the moment I pulled into the driveway. We were both so excited and just hugged each other and gave each other kisses 🙂 We spent the rest of the week cuddling, having delicious meals (thanks, mom!) and I caught up on some much needed rest. Last week, I resumed my normal work schedule. It was so great to be reunited with my RL team. They are all so supportive and make me laugh constantly!

Now, onto the birthday boy…Tyson has continued to improve while at Nu-Tech. Stem cells are truly incredible and to witness their healing miracles is such a unique experience! Over the past two weeks, he has been able to sit in his wheelchair for longer periods of time which meant he needed the mask less and less (his breathing becomes an easier task while he’s seated upright). He received loads of stem cells through various procedures, many of which focused on his hands. While spending the 4 wks at Apollo, his hands almost completely lost all function. He is unable to use the joystick on his wheelchair which is incredibly frustrating for him. That’s his independence and having it taken away is upsetting. However, he was also unable to use his iPad because of the situation with his hands but after a few wks of stem cells and active OT, he’s now able to! Again, that’s important to him bc that’s his connection to the world, the other part of his independence. So, if he’s been able to regain that function, I believe he will soon be able to drive his own wheelchair again. Patience. Hard work. It’ll come.

Tyson still hadn’t eaten anything by the time I left. He told me he was craving split pea soup so once I got home, I sent him two little microwaveable bowls of the soup that I found at Whole Foods. I was SO happy to hear that Tyson was excited and willing to try a bite! He had no trouble swallowing, although he is still terrified that he’ll choke. He commented that it seems easier for him to swallow now than when he was home two months ago. To me, that’s a huge accomplishment; Tyson experienced the most monumental setback in March which nearly took his life and not only has he summoned the strength to overcome all of that , he’s even made improvements beyond recovery. I know it’s small, but I think every positive should be celebrated!

So all in all, Dr. Shroff is very happy with Tyson’s current state and says he looks great! She says that Tyson was very lucky to have survived his battle with the excess Co2’s and continues to comment on his unrelenting strength. It is vital that we stick to a strict schedule of the stem cell therapy in order to give Tyson a chance at recovery. We made the mistake of keeping him home nearly 4 months over the holidays/winter, mostly was because we were waiting to get into a special PT program at Burke that ultimately fell through. Regardless, we learned our lesson and thankfully we’re still in one piece. 🙂

I’ve been writing this entry over the course of the day. Tyson is home now and in bed. When he and his parents arrived, around 6:30 am, Cal and I ran outside to greet them. I immediately threw Cal up onto Tyson’s lap as he sat in the front seat while his dad assembled his wheelchair. I’ve never seen anything so sweet as their reunion. Cal hugged and kissed him and wished him a happy birthday and let him know he’s 37 today 🙂 Tyson was in awe at how big Calvin had gotten. So very sweet. We sat and visited for a couple of hours and at 9:30, his parents headed off to the train station to catch the 11:15 train upstate. Tyson was ready for a nap and to be quite honest, Calvin and I were, too. I hadn’t slept at all because I was constantly thinking about how he was managing on the flight and so forth. The three of us napped in our bed for 2 hours. After lunch, we went to the park across the street to play some baseball.

It’s so wonderful to have him home and now we are finally all together as a family, as Cal puts it. I am feeling very overwhelmed and exhausted but I am sure things will look better in the morning. Tyson is very weak and cannot be left alone. Having said that, we recognize that we have so much to be grateful for and as I’ve said, although conditions are not ideal and this will continue to be a struggle for us, we cannot ignore how much progress has been made. I feel stronger when I’m with him and I’m certain the feeling is mutual. We will get through this.

I will continue to update as much as possible. On another note, I am 35 wks pregnant and the baby is doing very well and growing just the way he should be!

Also- a very Happy Birthday to my brother, Rob. I love that my hubby and my big brother share a birthday 🙂 Two great guys!!

Thanks for your prayers!

Love to you all,

Ann & Tyson