Moving on up!

We have moved out of CCU and finally made it to the 4th floor. Today marks exactly three weeks to the day Justin was injured. Moving out of CCU is great in terms of Justin's progress, but we will miss the one on one nurse patient ratio. Plus the ABSOLUTE  wonderful care we received and the friendships we have made with the doctors and nurses! The move upstairs was bitter sweet to say the least! 

On Justin's transfer outing to the 4th floor, we met his friend who was just flown in tonight from Germany. Thankfully he is stable and as far as we know  has a tibia and fibula fracture. He was lucky enough to bypass the ICU and is two doors down from Justin's room. Watch out 4th floor because there are four 1/12 Echo Battery Marines who are all friends. I know once these guys are feeling better in the words of Justin's friend Mike "4th floor Shenanigans will be occurring!" 

Justin was all settled in tonight in his new room. We didn't make it up there until this evening and he was pretty wiped out from surgery. Surgery today went well and he slept most of the day (Good thing because he wasn't able to sleep the last two days since being off the vent). We now need to learn the new routines for example: I need to call and order his room service breakfast. Didn't think about it because he hasn't eaten in 3 weeks. He isn't thrilled about pureed food, but is eating the jello and yogurt. He knows he has to eat because if not he doesn't get to remove the feeding tube. Mom and I were able to hunt down an electrical razor (he can't use a real razor because he is on blood thinners), thankfully the Red Cross came to the rescue so now he is all shaved up and looks handsome! 

Today was a good day and Justin's doctors and nurses are so impressed with his progress. His head trauma doctor and nurse said today, "wow look how far he has come." We were all scared to death because he was making a huge turn for the worse last week. He still has a huge of recovery ahead of him, but has excellent medical care, family, friends and God on his side to help him. He is learning to adapt to change and can't wait to get out of his bed and see a change of scenery. Yesterday when the doctor talked to him about moving to the 4th floor today he says, "that sounds like a good idea I need a change of scenery." I looked at him and said you have only been awake for two days and your bored. We have been here for two weeks in this room! Actually the CCU room had an amazing view and the new room just faces the opposite side of the hospital. That's okay more encouragement to start getting stronger so he can move around. 

Thats all from Bethesda Maryland today! I am going to sleep because I need to be there to help him with his breakfast in the morning and make sure he gets a "cold gatorade."