Msg 16 - A little more info...

Cameron received dialysis again today as well as physical therapy. On Saturdays physical therapy is conducted only once. Cameron uses a 4 point walker now and is helped by the occupational therapist to stay up. He is doing really well they say, and is definitely a good candidate for acute therapy. To be accepted by acute therapy you can not be doing too well and you can not be doing too poorly either, so there is a certain window of acceptability. St. Johns, in Oxnard, is the most likely choice. The dialysis systems they use at County Memorial actually come from St. Johns so dialysis will be very accessible for him. Cameron will be receiving a new feeding tube in addition to the line for his stomach. The new tube’s purpose is to bypass the stomach and go straight to the intestinal region. Since Cameron’s stomach is having trouble getting used to food they will make sure he still gets the nutrients he needs while still feeding him through the stomach line getting it used to food. This is a very normal procedure and the nurse says he won’t even have to leave his room. At this time his blood pressure is getting better but they still want to keep an eye on it. Cameron was able to sign his own consent form for the procedure and was also able to sign his checks for the monthly bills as well! Cameron had his hair cut yesterday and was definitely happy about that. Today Chantal and I helped him work out his left leg. I was happy to see that he needs some, but little, help to bring his knee to his chest and then cross it over his other leg. The main problem is that each time he does this the covers get wrapped around his leg and need to be untangled. Otherwise he would need no assistance in this workout. Step by step he is progressing every day.

I will be returning to 29 Palms tomorrow to report back in to my command. I will return to Ventura sometime between the 5th and the 10th. Curtis will be coming to visit as well in the time that his job allows. Call either of us if you have any questions.

Msg 15 - More news......

More news,

Austin, Amy, and the kids left this morning returning to Okinawa. As of now Curtis and myself are the last of the family in the area. You may contact either of us to answer any questions you may have.

I visited with Cameron this evening and everything is going well. Chantall and Omar stopped by as well. It's amazing what just 4 days can do when it comes to a person of Cameron's character and drive. Not to mention all the prayers and support of which there is definitely no lack of. Cameron has improved greatly since I last saw him on the 22nd. Today Cameron had dialysis, which is going every 3 days now as opposed to right after the heart surgery when it was every day. After dialysis he recieved physical therapy which is going quite well. The nurse said he is improving greatly each day. Cameron is able to move his left arm and leg to some extent and does exercises on his own time as well. His speech has improved immensely and when he is not tired from his daily therapy, is definitely up for conversation. Today he was able to go over all his bills with me and give me direction as to what he wanted done concerning other things as well. Tomorrow Jessica Wenig, a friend of Cam's, will visit and give his hair a trim as it is getting quite long. He is definitely looking forward to that.

I was able to speak with one of his nurses as well as Dr Ghandi to learn some more specifics. Cameron received x-rays of his heart 2 days ago which showed his heart doing great. Dr. Ghandi said he is really doing too well to even be in the CCU still. They were going to move him into his own room yesterday if it were not for his high blood pressure that they would like to keep an eye on a little longer. This is very good news. Cameron’s main concern as of this moment is regaining full motor skills in the left side of his body. This has been improving greatly each day but will improve at an even greater rate when he is in his own room on a different floor where physical therapy will be more aggressive. Cameron’s ability to swallow is getting better and has been eating mash potatoes and popsicles. The nurses are also adding thickening agents to his water to strengthen his muscles. Cameron says the water does not taste good and causes his stomach to be unsettled. This can also be attributed to the fact that his body is not used to eating normally. As for the kidney transplant, it is being played by ear. Dr. Ghandi advised that no estimate for a timeline would be possible at this time. His body has been through a lot and it would be hard to know at this time when he will be ready. It is good to see Cameron free of all the stuff he was hooked up to. He is currently only receiving an IV with vitamins and supplements as well as line for electrolytes.

All in all Cameron is doing great although he has a hard road ahead of him concerning rehabilitation. Tomorrow I will speak with his social worker Fred Odom so as to make an appointment with Cameron’s neurologist. From visiting with Cameron it seems there might be very little permanent damage but I am not a doctor and hope to hear the definite word from the neurologist himself. As soon as I receive more information I will get it out to you all. I will end with a story Omar shared with me today.
To get this you will have to know a game that I believe everyone knows. It's the game where you make a circle with your thumb and index finger and place it somewhere in view of someone. When they look at it you get to hit them twice in the arm.....read on.....

A couple of days ago Omar was in to visit Cameron. While he was there Omar asked Cameron how his vision was doing and if he could see his face clearly. Cameron nodded yes. Omar asked if he could see his face clearly with both eyes and Cameron again nodded yes. Then Omar asked if he could see THIS (making a circle just below his neck). This was so far out of left field to be playing this game that I would’ve probably fallen for it, but not Cameron. He simply gave Omar a “put it away” gesture with his hand stating he could see it in his peripheral but was not going to fall for it. So as you can see Cameron definitely has his wits about him. This gave me a good laugh and I hope it does the same for you.

Guy

** Fact Log has been updated for more summary view in timeline of events

Msg 14 - Short Update

Hi All,

A short update for now. Cameron is steadily progressing into recovery. He is less confined to the bed now and is spending more time in a chair, also showing improvement in body movement and motor skills. Today he will begin a regiment of more normal food intake. Moving from ice chips and popsicles into solids that are easier to digest, such as mashed potatoes. While he is conversing and becoming more aware of his surroundings, he is still weak and healing from the heart surgery as well as the brain surgery. We hope to gain a better idea in timing for the upcoming kidney transplant as well as more detailed analysis of the stroke's impact after meeting with the Neurologist and the Kidney Dr. on Tuesday.

Lee our oldest brother was here for the open heart surgery and returned home on Wednesday. Austin, Amy and family will be returning to Okinawa this coming Thursday. Mom and Guy will be the best points of contact after Austin leaves. Through the red cross we were able to make arrangements to have Guy retrieved from the ongoing war in Iraq. Guy was here for the surgery and now is in Twentynine Palms(outside Vegas) with his wife Eva and newly born son (Kyd Timothy Bonner)(Yes, his name is Kyd). Guy will return on Thursday and remain for another week. Mom (Mary) has been here for some time and will be returning home later this week. E.J. (youngest brother) is expected to arrive soon and Cameron's nephew Dustin (Lee's son) will also be taking a reprieve from his duty in Iraq for a short visit.

As Cameron recovers more he will be able to send a greeting and take a greater lead in the overall communication. For all of you that have sent your prayers and support I know I can speak for Cameron and say, thank-you. Austin has read the cards and notes to Cameron, so know that they are uplifting and a strong source of support.

Curtis

Msg 13 - Surgery Complete!

!!!PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Cameron is complete with his surgery and recovering well. They completed the operation at 1:30 p. m. and were 110% successful. The doctor found Cameron's heart to have a badly damaged aortic valve, but a mitral valve that was still in good condition. After replacing the aortic valve the mitral valve began working properly on its own. This greatly reduced the surgery time and further affirmed the power of God and his ability to create miracles out of the worst situations.

Cameron will be recovering for the next couple weeks, conducting physical therapy to improve his motor skills. His recovery will dictate the timeline for his kidney transplant, which has been put on hold. We look forward to Cameron getting out of the CCU and moving to his own room. We'll get him all the cards of support that have been sent in and make sure he gets his phone so he can call people himself. Once again thank you for all of your prayers and support.

Austin

Msg 12 - Surgery

There hasn’t been much to report on lately with Cameron getting into somewhat of a routine. He is recovering everyday, looking forward to the day that he can get up and move around without us telling him he can’t. He even remarked the other day that Guy and I were making him mad when we wouldn’t let him talk us into getting him out of bed. He said the nurses and doctors were ok with it :).

I update this blog now with the knowledge that Cameron will be going into heart surgery tomorrow morning the 20th of September at 6:00 a.m. (PST). I know this is short notice, but understand that we also have had to make this decision knowing that there is no perfect time. God’s timing is his and he will work a miracle even when we lack the understanding. Cameron has recovered thus far very well and as the days go by his brain is healing, but his heart only becomes weaker and more exhausted. If you see this blog update tonight, I would ask you not to assume that everybody checking the site knows. This update is late and I know many may not see it till the morning. So, take it upon yourself to call those you know that have responded and are praying and tell them to have Cameron in their prayers and minds throughout tonight and tomorrow morning.

We appreciate everyone who has helped and responded. A smile will always form on my face knowing that Cameron could touch anybody’s life that he came in contact with. It’s a power capable of causing a flower to bloom before its time. Thank you and keep praying!

Austin

Msg 11 - Motherly Love

The Lord told me this year that everyone is in his place. After years of seeing you in the worst, after prayer, seeing you amazingly spring back to your self. It has been sorrow, tears and then comes the victory, joy in the Lord, and the waiting, as you get well. You are a work of art, God’s art, as we all are in God’s will.

Psalms 19:7: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
v.8: The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
v.9: The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
v.10: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter, also than and the honeycomb. You were the second of 4 boys, born about a year and a month apart.

Those years, I had a dream about four babies. I thought, am I going to have quadruplets? I did have the four babies; Curtis, Cameron, Austin, and Guy. Guy is coming in to see you today, Sunday the 17th of September, 2006.

One time, some of the boys, can’t remember which ones, got in the car and the car went across the street ending up in the neighbor’s fence. There was a lot of screaming, and it wasn’t me.

Update:
We had 2 terrible days where Cam was not getting any nourishment for going on the three days, I was getting a little worried. Then the next day, Saturday, we went in and he was looking good, and talking. Before that he was too drugged and his eyes didn’t look so good. They are still talking about when to conduct heart surgery, to repair his 2 damaged valves. A nurse (Diane) came on shift, Saturday evening, who had cared for Cameron much earlier in his hospital stay, after surgery on his brain to remove a blood clot. He is getting physical therapy now, getting him up into a wheelchair and conducting arm exercises. That was good. They also have placed a PEG into Cameron’s stomach to provide nutrients into his stomach. This is the best means for the body to receive nutrients.

Love,
Mom

Msg 10 - So my brother

So my brothers promise another update will be coming soon. Since I am 3,000 miles away in Florida I’ve been checking in with them through phone and e-mail and it sounds like a lot has happened in the past week as far as the strides Cam is taking to get better.

Guy flew in from Iraq this week and he tells me our oldest brother Lee is scheduled to fly into California sometime today. Cameron is undergoing physical therapy to retain his motor functions and Guy said he is constantly trying to pull himself up and get out of bed.

If you know Cameron at all, you probably know how difficult it is for him to sit still.

He still has a really long ways to go, but I can’t help but think how much faster his recovery will be with his brothers there for support. Anyways, this is just a short note until Austin and Guy post a longer, more indepth summary of what’s going on. They’re supposed to be meeting with Cam’s doctors soon so they’ll have the latest information about what's happening.

In the meantime, nearly 100 people from all over the world have posted notes for Cameron and I just wanted to thank you all for that and tell you how much it will mean to him when he’s able to read them all.

I was torn when creating this blog because we were posting a lot of personal information without Cameron's consent, but it has been so crucial for keeping everyone informed. I figure we'll worry about all the embarrassing stories and inside jokes later.

Jessie

Msg 08 - Great News!

Yesterday, Cameron was still on the respirator, placed back on Diprivan for his pain and hadn’t woke up like he did the night before when Jessie and I were rambling. Things weren’t looking the brightest with an upcoming decision on whether or not to have a tracheotomy conducted to make the respirator tubes more comfortable for Cameron and setup longtime care.

Well, today on the way to the airport (LAX) with Jessie, who is flying back to Florida, we received the best news yet. Cameron woke up and started breathing on his own! I know many of you are saying, “Praise the Lord” or “Hallelujah” right now and you have every reason to do so.

We went to the hospital later today and Cameron was occasionally opening his eyes, trying to talk and very much awake. It was hard to understand him with his swollen tongue, and sore throat, but it was easy to see that Cameron knew who he was talking to and was able to respond. Cameron is still on Dobutamine (increases cardiac output), but they have taken him off of the Diprivan (general anesthesia). Without the respirator tubes in his mouth and a couple days of healing we hope to hear Cameron’s cheery voice again.

This Friday, we will meet with “The Doctors” to hear what they have to say about Cameron’s future outlook and any observations from his recovery thus far.

On a side note I wanted to send out a few thank you comments to some individuals that have made this situation easier for everyone.

In Ventura, Cameron has friends here that are amazing in every way possible. Chantal has assisted Cameron a lot with medical appointments and being there for him whenever help is needed. Omar has let us take over his and Cameron’s apartment by moving downstairs with another friend Josh. We appreciate it and thank all of Cameron’s friends so much for their help, love and support. Also, Jessie Bonner, who doesn’t take credit for much has with the help of Curtis Bonner created this blog site that will truly lift Cameron’s spirits once he views all the comments from family, friends and even people who Cameron has never met. When Jessie arrived here Cameron had noted a particular item Jessie was carrying. It was a case for her iPod and Cameron remarked that it looked Navajo. Jessie of course felt this was Cameron messing with her, but I feel it relates, because I have decided to refer to Jessie as “Sacagawea" (not Navajo, but close enough). Jessie was here to help Cameron through an extremely tough time and has guided many people with the help of this blog to come to know Cameron more and given them the ability to send their support. Good job Jess and Curtis! Here’s a photo of the case for you to decide.









Austin

Msg 07 - Baby steps...

So something me and Austin were talking about last night must have been really funny, or really annoying to hear, because Cameron woke up to the sound of our voices tonight.

It was the first time he has really opened his eyes and been able to respond since the surgery.

Frankly, it was a very big deal.

He’s no longer on any narcotics. Earlier today his doctors took him off the Diprivan, the drug that basically sedates him so he can sleep. It was good to see him off so much medication, but he is also coming around, which means he is starting to feel a massive amount of hurt from everything that’s happened.

He was able to squeeze the nurse’s hand and when she asked him if he was in any pain he was able to nod in a way that said “yes … and are you an idiot?”

Kidding.

Point is, even after all he’s been through it was so good to see a small glimpse of Cameron being, well, Cameron, even if it was only for a brief moment. He was grimacing pretty bad and could only keep his eyes open for a couple of seconds, so the nurse gave him some medication and he started to settle down.

In some ways, I am thankful because he will have an enormous amount to deal with when he comes to, but he is surrounded by people who love him and he is one of the luckiest people I’ve ever known.

Jessie

Msg 06 - Medications Cameron is on for now

Diprivan: a general anesthesia he has been on since being admitted to the ICU. It pretty much paralysizes his muscles and he moves very little when he is on it. Nurses are slowly tapering him off it.

Dobutamine: medication for patients who suffer from a reduced heart function.

Dilantin: is supposed to help stop the seizures. Cameron has had several small ones since his surgery.

Ancef: an drug that is part of a family of antibiotics used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections that occur in the body.

Solu-Medrol: a steroid that reduces swelling and decreases the body’s immune response.

Protronix: a treatment to reduce the amount of acid in the stomach.

Renagel: a drug used to control phosphorus levels for people suffering from renal failure.

Hydralazine: a drug used to control high blood pressure.

Amphogel: a drug used to treat peptic ulcers.

Contact-Information

Rehabilitation Foundation - Santa Barbara
2415 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara CA, 93105
General Office: 805-687-7444

• Polly: Handles addmittance - Cam is accepted 10-26-06
• Carol: Manages overall - Confirmation of Dialysis center for S.B. is pending

Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura
147 N. Brent Street, Ventura CA 93003
General Office: 805-652-5011

• Pamela Cohan, LVN - Social Service Communicator - 805-652-5010 - mobile - 805-910-9860
• Denise, : Social Services - Physical Rehabiliation - 805-910-9869

• Dr. Skillern: Vascular Surgeon - Install permanent Shunt prior to discharge for rehab
  
• Dr. Cary Alberstone: Neurosurgeon - Removed blood clot on September 6, 2006. He is continuing to monitor Cameron and oversee his brain activity. Phone: 805.983.1700
• 
  
• Dr. Saumil Gandhi: Nephrologist Cameron has been seeing since he moved to Ventura last year for his Lupus and kidneys. Phone: 805.525.3977
• 
  
• Dr. Mark Ginkel: Cardiologist - Highly regarded as an expert in open heart surgery Ginkel now wants to do open heart surgery to repair the valve.Phone - 805.653.0101
• Dr. Henry Oster: Lupus - Specializes in internal medicine and infectious diseases. He monitors the Lupus and its effect on Cameron's recovery.Phone - 805.656.6272
• Fred Odom: Social worker - contact for the family. He acts as a liason between doctors and family members and provides them with any information regarding decisions that have to be made in regards to Cameron's care if Cameron himself is unable to make them. office: 805.652.5017 cell: 805.652.5017

Cedar-Sinai Medical Center:

• Monica Lee - Program coordinator for Kidney Transplant - 310-423-2631 - Email: monica.lee@cshs.org -
• Kimberly Alva - Center for Diseases & Transplantation - 310-423-2641
• Ashley Vo - Director Immunotherapy Program - 310-423-4021
• Ellen Shukhman - Program coordinator for Kidney Transplant - 310-423-2641
• 
  

Short Stories

We never know how family may affect others lives. Cam has an insatiable desire for life, and the extent of his full influence is a novel in itself. On this posting you can share a moment or time where Cameron has positively influenced you or even just a short comment about a humorous incident or moment you remember.

I know for me, it is difficult when I am unable to correct a situation. So I can hope to be part of support for him when he wakes up. Instead of waking to remember the tremendous amount of pain he has gone through. He can wake to find support, words on his life and hear or read about how many are there for him.

Curtis

Msg 05 - The Pulmonary doctor

The pulmonary doctor was in this morning and said the family might have to decide in a couple days about putting a tracheotomy in because it doesn’t look like Cameron will wake up as soon as they had hoped. Diana (the nurse mentioned below) said it really will make him more comfortable instead of having all of the tubes coming out of his mouth.

They have tripled his antibiotics, and all these bags that are feeding into his body hold either medication to sedate him or help his autoimmune system. Even with everything else going the Lupus is still very much part of the picture and his body is not responding to the antibiotics as much as they would like it to.

He is still responding to them though, trying to move his arms and legs whenever they ask him to. It’s hard to feel good when he hasn't opened his eyes or breathed on his own, but on the other hand he is getting some much needed rest after so many months of being sick and not being able to sleep. They are still giving him dialysis three times a week.

I told him he has a Mohawk.

The surgeons were too busy to shave his entire head. He has 28 staples where they went in to remove the clot, it forms a U-shape, kind of like a horseshoe.

Jessie

Msg 04 - So Cameron has about

So Cameron has about eight different nurses and Diana is the best. I have a feeling she’d be his favorite too if he were conscious. She has short spiky blond hair and talks to Cameron constantly, whether she’s taking his blood or putting cold packs on his head.

She helped me decipher the results of his CAT scan this morning, which was the first look doctors have had inside Cameron’s head since the surgery. There’s no bleeding, but there is swelling, which may explain why he is having small seizures.

The neurosurgeon that performed the surgery on Wednesday night is Dr. Cary Alberstone is a tall guy with a mustache who talks real soft and matter-of-factly. He called me this morning to tell me that they’re pretty sure, after seeing the CAT scan, that Cameron had a stroke before they went into surgery to remove the blood clot. He is very weak on his left side, but Dr. Albertstone said he could see him responding with both legs today so that is a good sign.

He said his condition is the best that can be expected after what he went through.

Dr. Alberstone said Cameron should to be opening his eyes within the next week. They’re also going to try to get him breathing on his own, but if he can’t do without the respiratory, they may have to go in and do a tracheotomy. Diana (the good nurse) said patients aren’t usually kept on a respiratory more than a couple of days because it could lead to infection.

Diana works days, so tonight Jeanne is on.

She’s an older nurse who I'm sure at one point liked her job. I plan on being in California until Wednesday. Our mom is flying in Monday night, so she and Austin will be here through his next set of hurdles.

We’ll still try to keep everyone updated through the Web site, which seems to be working.

Jessie

New Users - Questions and Help

Hi All,

If you are new to the blogosphere do not feel overwhelmed. It does take a while to get used to.

I think all of us can agree that it is hard to get complete accurate information on Cameron sometimes. Simply because there are so many of us that need to be informed. This site can, and hopefully will serve as a central area for communication of Cameron's recovery and status. We can then enusure that everyone is able to receive complete comprehensive information on how he is doing.

If your personal site is in another application such as MySpace, Friendster etc. you do not need to become a user of blogger.com. Anonymous posting is allowed.

Jessie is the expert with blogger so i'm sure she'll be happy that I am volunteering her as a contact for help if you need it. =-)

Basically, their are three types of posts here. Jessie has been posting narratives that give a more human perspective of how things are going. We are also posting Fact Logs for each month on what is being done within the hospital. Finally there is a "NOTES TO CAMERON" posting. If you would like to send him a quick note then preview that posting and add a comment to it as needed.

The address to this site is: http://cameronbonner.blogspot.com/

If there are any suggestions, please let Jessie or myself know and we can work it into the site. Thanks

Curtis

Msg 03 - the latest...

Below is a fact log Curtis is working on and we plan on adding to it frequently. At some point we'll probably try to give you all an idea of the medications he is on.

On a family note, Austin and Amy flew in from Japan last night and they plan on being here for at least a couple weeks.

His nurses are keeping him pretty heavily sedated with Diprivan, a medication that pretty much paralysis his muscles and lets him rest. He has small "twitches" when they try to take him off of it and his nurse said these are small seizures. They took him in for a cat scan last night to see if there was any swelling near his brain, which might explain why he is having the seizures.

His cardiologist (a man who describes himself as the tall red head) is Dr. Ginkel. He has been great and said he would like to go in and repair Cameron's heart valve in two to three weeks, but they need to wait until his body has recovered from the brain surgery first and he can take blood thinners.

I will post the results of the cat scan later this evening after I talk to one of his doctors.

He is not "by any means out of the woods," according to Dr. Ginkel, but he is young and age is pretty much the only thing on his side. If Cameron were 80 years old, they most likely wouldn't bother, Ginkel said, but because he is only 30 "it's a completely different ballgame."

Jessie

Notes For Cameron

Hello,

The goal of this posting is to serve as a central area for friends and family to send "not so personal" greetings to Cameron.

Cam has a large social network and of course a large family also. =-) This should help him as he recovers to easily reply and keep in touch with loved ones on a more global platform while allowing him to rest and recover.

Please send him notes by posting comments to only this blog. Of course, more personal correspondance can be done through other means. This is more of like a large Get Well Card. Thank-you

Msg 02 - Fact Log: 2006 Sep

Summary Prior: Heart Valve infection delays Kidney transplant process
** Disclaimer: Accuracy is limited to communication received and the manner in which it is received. Some facts may vary by a day or be limited to the level of understanding at the time it is received.

09/06/2006 AM:

• Enter ER after complaints of head pain and incoherency
• Severe pain speeds up admittance after a lengthy wait
• Cat scan reveals a blood clot on the brain

09/06/2006 PM:

• Brief consciousness after brain surgery (eye's and toe)
• Enters coma for a period and then recovers

09/07/2006 AM

• Breathing stops and respirator put in place
• Condition stabilizes - No consciousness
• Outlook is positive for recovery - Remains in CCU / ICU

09/08/2006 PM:

• Stint put in place for dialysis
• Small seizures occur on a consistent basis
• Doctor's decide on initial plan for recovery
• Expected three week recover from brain sugery
• Heart surgery to follow
  

09/09/2006 PM:

• Cat scan reveals there is no bleeding
• There is swelling in the brain and could be the cause of seizures
• Dr. concludes Cam may have had a stroke prior to the surgery
• Remains unconscious

09/10/2006 12pm:

• Improvement is not enough to remove respirator
  
• Visible movement to fight pain as breathing tubes are periodically removed and cleaned
  
• Throat method should not be used more than a few days
  
• Tracheotomy reccomended until he can breathe independantly and for more comfort
  
• Dr. triples amount of antibodics administered
  
• Responds to nurses requests to move arms and move legs
• Eyes remain closed
  
• Dialysis will continue at three times a week for 4 hours each time

09/11/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron opens his eyes and is responsive, the first since his admittance
  
• Shows visible signs of pain as diprivan and other narcotics are discontinued as a sedative for pain
• Concern is voiced over the lenght of time he is using the respirator. At some point a tracheotemy would be conducted to allow comfort and more long term breathing assistance
  

09/13/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron begins breathing over the respirator, is fighting it a little bit as that period is uncomfortable but nurses are assuring him to work with it until it can be removed
  
• Later the respirator is turned off, cam begins breathing on his own.
  

09/14/2006 am/pm:

• A focal seizur occurs followed by smaller abating seizures

09/15/2006 am/pm:

• Seizures persist on a periodic basis and are less frequent
• concern is voiced over when heart surgery should occur, to early or too late are both an issue
• he needs to recover enough from the brain surgery before undergoing heart surgery
• family desires cameron to be safe and possibly more coherent before it is done
• Dr's later agree that extending time is desireed but there is concern over a weakening and infected heart valve

09/17/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron is taking a dip in recovery and may need to be placed back on a respirator
• He has been on intravenous fedding for a while and the lack of nourishment is beginning to have an affect

09/18/2006 AM

• Receiving physical therapy
• small seizures have ceased and are considered normal as elevated neuron activity from the brain sugery subsides
• left arm is swollen and it apperas he has no motor capability on the left side of the body
• dr's state that motor capability will most likely recover as it is normal with his condition
• Cameron shows strong spirit and energy in physical therapy
• Nurses are getting him out of bed and placing him in a chair as part of therapy
• Feeding tube placed in stomach to allow better delivery of nutrients and is in return the cause of cameron feeling much better and healthier

09/19/2006 am/pm:

• After some discussion and concer over the heart valves the dr's decide to begin open heart surgery on the morning of the 20th
• one valve had begun to deteriorate by a centimeter, which is more aggressive than expected, as well as the main heart dr is considered an expert in this type of surgery and would be out of town, family ok's surgery

09/20/2006 am/pm:

• Surgery is from 5:30am to 1:30pm - Surgery is successful and only one valve is replaced as the other valve was determined to be ok since the infected valve distorted its functioning capability
• he is sleeping for the day with warming blankets etc. and expected to be coherent after a day of sleeping and rest
• undergoing dialysis daily
  

09/24/2006 am/pm:

• Cameron is less confined to his bed and taking on physical therapy
• much improvement in motor skills and conversing as normal
• arm movement greatly improving on his left side and ability to move lips while speaking is close to normal

09/28/2006 AM

• Dialysis is now set at every three days verses every day
• heart is doing great and steadily improving
• Cam will be taken out of ccu after blood pressure subsides - currently the only factor that dr's are concerned about for leaving intensive care
• food intake is graduating to popsicles and mashed potatoes, although food is modified to be acid free and not all that pleasant to eat, thickening water is received intraveneously for muscle strengthening, however it does cause nausea and occasional vomiting during dialysis
• strong drive persists from cameron and he is conversing daily with family and friends
• Dr's expect at the least his heart recovery will be 8 weeks before a kidney transplant will occur
• neurologist testing results have not returned - it is expected that the stroke had a minimal impact with few long term damages
• stroke was in the temperal lobe that affects body movement and functionality - memory will not be affect and all body movement is expected to normal, with strokes in this part of the brain full recovery is expected, we will know more after hearing restults from the neurology tests
  

Summary End: Recovery from heart surgery expected for eight weeks then Cam will undergo a kidney tranplant and after recovery from that enter a conclusion of his critical condition.

Msg 01 - The rundown...

A brief history so you can all understand how Cameron got to this place.

Our brother is 30 years old.

He was diagnosed with Lupus when he was 18 and just starting college. It is a disease that attacks the kidneys and so basically he has been on dialyisis for most of the past decade. The lupus, a disease usually found in middle-aged woman, made him a special case from the start.

Over the years he has contracted diseases and illnesses that made most of his doctors scratch their heads, but he's come through most of them. He has traveled the world with Continental Ministries, performing in various countries, including Cambodia, Columbia and New Zealand. Three years ago our older brother Marty donated his kidney to Cameron, which meant he would no longer need dialysis, which is very painful and takes about 3 to 4 hours three times a week.

We thought that he would be able to live a relatively normal life.

The transplanted kidney began to fail about a year ago and he started to prepare himself for another kidney transplant, which was, ironically, supposed to take place this week.

This time Cameron recieving a kidney from our other brother Austin (if you're reading this, you most likely are aware we have a freakishly large family) The second transplant was rescheduled About a month ago, doctors found a heart murmur so they pushed the surgery back and it was supposed to take place later this year as Cameron went on medication to clear up an infection that was causing his heart problems.

Most recently, within the past two weeks, Cameron started getting intense headaches and became short of breath in the morning.

I am Cameron's youngest sister. I flew in from Florida to visit him about a week ago. His breathing eventually got so bad on Wednesday that he scheduled an appointment with his heart doctor, who sent him to the ER where Cam had a seizure and went into respiratory failure. Doctors found a large blood clot on the right side of his head and went in to remove it.

It has almost been three days and Cameron has yet to regain consciousness, but we are with him, talking to him, and telling him what has happened...