Growing and Growing

What is a CooperTrooper? Sounds like something we would come up with her at G&G … but it is not.

Coach came up with the name:

Monday Day 10 in ICU – As we have learned this is a long, long healing process and a long road to travel. BUT we have “Coopers Troopers” on our side. You have been awesome in praying for him, sharing his story, signing the guest book and many have told us you check the site daily for updates as you are concerned for his progress: Today Cooper is still having a hard time breathing. Last night they took him off the ventilator to get him to breathe on his own accord. For awhile he was doing well but he gets tired and needs help.

They have him on a MASK to assist but when they cut down the oxygen levels he struggles to maintain. The doctors are concerned about his ability for his brain to control his breathing due to the surgery. They are determing what options we will have next to get him breathing on his own with some help. We will know that answer tomorrow but we are told we will be here another 7 days in ICU.

If you have been following MiniCooper’s journey, make sure you leave a message for the family here. They appreciate your prayers and support.

And the bartender says, “Sorry. We don’t serve food here.” I have loved that joke ever since I was a little boy. Here at G&G, we have another First … it’s called, this sandwich walks into Dad’s mouth …

We know this may sound insignificant, but for the first time since the ViolentSilence, Dad ate a sandwich yesterday. Because bread is so dry, he quit eating it. He had been craving a Ham&Cheese Sammich for so long that Mom finally made one with lots of Mayo! And then he ate it in conjunction with lots of … we mean, tons of … chocolate milk. He had a few chips also. He had a good laugh. Dad said that he never thought eating a Sammich would be such a struggle … or such hard work … or that just eating one could be another success in the recovery process.

Dad is so cool and funny. [ ... mental picture ... think CookieMonster rifling through a cookie ... ] He is truly enjoying life in spite of his impediments.

You know the drill. Be patient. Hopefully soon. Still trying.

Hello World. Please disregard this message. I am just testing out some new posting templates. Love, Self.

UPDATE: Still testing.
UPDATE: Still testing.

Dad washed feet today … well, okay … he washed a foot today. Not someone else’s foot. But his own left foot. Since September 19, 2008, Dad has not been able to raise his own foot. And today, with great caution, he reached down with a sudsy handle of foam and cleaned away the bottom. It was quite a feat! (… get it, feat? …)

Everytime I get an update about our soccer pal MiniCooper, I hesitate to read the email. We have been at this place, this doubt, this uncertainty before, but it does not take away the fear. Coach asks us to keep praying:

Here is a picture of MiniCooper … my DillyBar’s soccer pal … who underwent major surgery to remove a tumor in the brain. MiniCooper’s dad was our soccer coach and we cannot imagine the stress … actually we can … that the family is enduring right now.

Please pray for: (1) strength in lungs; (2) NO TRACE OF THE TUMOR. For a real update, click here.

This is what happens when you are a grown man, and you give your wife full authority to run the finances in the home, and she tracks the bank account on an hourly basis, and you go out to a business lunch, and you do not have any cash on you, but she thinks you have cash on you, but you really don’t and you use your debit card:

No, truly, I love this. Don’t you?