Better Day. . .and Crutches

Today was a better day.

The tubes that drain fluid out of Joey's amputated leg kept getting clogged. Joey's doctor came in and drained 350cc of fluid from the amputation with a syringe. This help relieved some of the pressure that had built up. Joey's doctor also said that he would have radiology look at implanting a nerve block in Joey's back. This will also help decrease some of the pain Joey is feeling from the amputation. Radiology will look at putting the nerve block in either tonight or in the morning.

Joey is still battling the infection, and has a small fever off and on. He is showing signs of improvement, and we are hopeful in a few days that he will have it beat.

Joey had physical therapy today. He graduated from the walker to crutches. Yeah!! He was able to go clear to the exit sign and back on crutches!!! Yeah!!! Good Job Joey!!! Joey is getting stronger and stronger everyday. He has a huge heart and a strong mind. He is determined to get better, and overcome all of these obstacles--and he will.

We love you so much Joey! Hang in there and keep fighting! You amaze us everyday with your determination, your strength, and your drive. Keep pressing forward, even when it's hard. It will all be worth it in the end. Then someday you will look back on where you've been, and be so proud of how far you've come, and know--that you can get through anything up ahead.

We love you!!!! XOXOXO!!!!

Post Time 11:30PM

Rough Night. . .But Fever Is Down

Joey had a little bit of a rough night last night. The doctors took the drain tubes out of his amputated leg yesterday, and his leg continued draining and soaking all of his bedding about every hour through the night, which made it difficult for Joey to get any rest. The doctor is looking at possibly putting the drain tubes back in today.

Joey's fever is down this morning which is great news. The antibiotics must be working! Yeah! Keep fighting Joey!

For now, Joey will be having four hours of dialysis every day. The doctors are trying to get Joey on a regular dialysis schedule. They have told us about a special machine that could do dialysis for Joey every night, and is portable. We are hopeful that this option would work for Joey, so that when Joey gets out of the hospital, he could do dialysis at nights when he is sleeping versus having to go into the hospital frequently for dialysis. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Joey is suffering from severe Phantom Pains on his amputation. We have been told that these pains could last for a short period of time or for a long period of time. We are trying to keep Joey as comfortable as possible and trying to find a remedy that could possibly help ease his pain. This is all so new for all of us. If any of you have ideas, suggestions, or experiences with amputations and phantom pains, please let us know.

We appreciate all your love and support! Please continue praying for Joey!

We love you Joey! Hang in there! Answers and healing will come!

Post Time 9:45AM

Infection Confirmed

The doctors have received the blood cultures back and have found the source of the fever. There is bacteria in Joey's blood which is causing the fever, and also confirms the infection. They are starting a new antibiotic now, which will help fight off the infection. In the meantime, Joey needs to continue to rest so that his body can fight off the infection.

Doctors have also confirmed through testing that Joey is anemic. They are hesitant to give him blood because it will raise his potassium levels, but it is sounding like they will have to give him at least one to two bags of blood to raise his levels to where they need to be.

We will continue to keep everyone updated. Please continue praying for Joey. Joey has such a support system. It is amazing! He has so many friends and family that care about him. I know it helps him to know how many people care and are supporting him. Thank you so much!

We love you Joey! Hang in there and keep fighting! You are so strong, and what an amazing person you are! We love you lots!!!

Post Time 11:20AM

Resting. . .and a Shave

Joey spent most of the day trying to get some rest. His fever has come down some this evening, which is good. He had four hours of dialysis today, which is physically exhausting and leaves Joey pretty tired. The doctors are trying to get Joey on a schedule for dialysis every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Doctors are waiting for the blood cultures to come back regarding the possible infection. The results should be back in the next day or two. In the meantime, doctors will continue monitoring Joey and giving him antibiotics.

Joey has started to experience "Phantom Pains" in his amputated leg, which is common for people that have amputations. These "Phantom Pains" feel very real and can be quite painful and uncomfortable. We are hopeful in time that these pains will ease.

Joey has also been put on a special food diet for now, by Dr. Rahim, Joey's Kidney doctor. He is on a diet that is comparable to a diabetic diet, where his carbs are limited and he is given a certain amount of carbs for each meal.

Joey did get a shave today from his dad, which pleased Joey and was enjoyable for us to watch. It was comical when Roger got shaving gel in Joey's mouth, although Joey wasn't thrilled with the taste of it. He looked like a little snowman covered in shaving gel. It was pretty adorable--adorable enough that I snapped a couple pictures in the moment and included them in the post. Don't be mad Joey!! :)

We love you Joey! Hang in there! You are going to get through all of this, and we will be right behind you the whole way! We love you!!! Lots and Lots!!!

Post Time 11:30PM

Rest Needed

Doctors suspect that Joey has an infection. They are concerned because he has a high fever. They are giving him high powered antibiotics and are taking blood cultures. They won't have the results back for a few days. In the meantime, doctors have said that it is IMPERATIVE that Joey gets some rest for the next few days in order to fight off the infection. Doctors have asked that Joey have no visitors, until he is able to fight off this infection. Please no visitors for now.

As soon as we have more updates, and Joey can have visitors again, we will post it on the blog and on the Joey Anderson Support Group. We will make sure to keep the blog updated, so that you will all know how Joey is doing. Crysi (Joey's Aunt) also said that if you would like to text her, she is also willing to answer any questions you may have, or also provide updates. You can text Crysi at 709-3356.

Thank you all for your support, comments, and prayers! We will keep you updated.

Post Time 8:00AM

Kidney Transplant Needed

Joey went in for surgery at 1:00PM today for his arm and the dialysis port in his chest. Doctors are hopeful to be able to fully close the fasciotomy on his arm. He had two on his arm, and one is already closed. He is just getting out of surgery now.

Dr. Rahim, Joey's kidney doctor, was in today evaluating Joey. Joey's blood work has not shown any improvement. Dr. Rahim believes that Joey is going to need a kidney transplant, but would like to continue monitoring Joey further. He will be in later today or tomorrow to discuss options and the steps that will need to be taken to get Joey on a list. For now, Joey will continue having dialysis every other day.

We were told in the beginning there would be speed bumps, and ups and downs. We continue to press forward and take each day one step at a time. We love you Joey! We will find answers to all these questions, and solutions to the problems, one step at a time, and one day at a time. We will get through this! We love you Joey! Hang in there!

I will update the blog as we receive more information. Thank you for your prayers and support!

WE LOVE YOU JOEY!!! XOXOXO

Post Time 2:10PM

The Race Is On

Joey is doing good and making great progress. He did take a little spill this morning when he decided to get up himself, against nurses orders. Luckily he was not hurt. We do love Joey's determination though in wanting to do things for himself. This determination and independence is exactly what is going to help Joey accomplish everything he sets out to do.

Joey's friend Kelly and his wife Emma brought up biscuits & gravy with tobascco sauce, which totally made Joey's day! Thank you!

Joey did great with Physical Therapy and was able to balance himself and walk with the walker down the hall quite a few feet, while only having to rest in the wheelchair one time each way. He even challenged an elderly woman with a walker to a race (in a few days). We love our Joey!

Tim from wound care came in as well as Dr. West & Dr. Garner. The pump draining his amputated leg & arm kept getting clots in it during the night, and would get plugged. The doctors put a pressure suction pump in, and that seems to be working much better.

Dr. Garner came in and worked on Joey's arm. He cleaned it and pulled it together a little more. Dr. Garner is hopeful to get Joey's arm completely closed by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

The rest of the day was football, visitors, and more football. What a good day! Joey and his dad were a little disappointed when the Vikings lost the game, but Jared was pretty pleased with the outcome, since he was cheering for the Saints. I'm sure he didn't rub it in either :)

You are doing great Joey! We love you! You have come so far, and you continue to amaze us everyday with your progress, your positive outlook, and your determination to get better and overcome these challenges and obstacles. We love you so much!
Keep it up!

Out Of The ICU

Joey is doing great! He was able to move out of the ICU this evening and onto the fourth floor, which means he can have visitors now. Yeah!! In addition, he was able to get all of his IVs out, and some of his tubes, including the oxygen tube. He still has tubes in place for his arm and his amputated leg. On Tuesday, doctors will reposition the tubes coming out of Joey's neck, and station them near his chest. This will be much more comfortable for Joey.

Joey had four hours of dialysis today. He won't have to have dialysis again until Monday. Joey is improving more and more everyday. He has a physical therapist come in every day and help Joey get up and do exercises and help improve balance. He is doing great and getting stronger and stronger everyday.

We love you Joey! Keep up the good work! We are so proud of you!

More Improvements

Joey keeps improving more and more everyday. The fasciotomy on his arm is looking good. Doctors think that they will be able to get it closed early next week, which would mean they wouldn't have to do skin grafts. Yeah! Joey is on a small amount of oxygen that goes into his nose to help keep his levels up. The physical therapist came in today and helped Joey get up and do a couple exercises to help improve his balance and strength. Joey did awesome! I know it was difficult and painful for him to get up and stand on his leg, but he did it with all the strength and energy he could, while making jokes the entire time. He is so strong mentally and has such a desire to get better and be able to do tasks on his own. It really is amazing and inspirational to watch!

Joey is eating regular foods now, and the doctors want him to take in as many calories as he can to get stronger. Joey will be doing dialysis every other day now, which is great news. Today was Joey's day off, which I'm sure was nice for him. The four hours of dialysis make Joey extremely tired, so having a day off was nice for him. The dialysis tubes come directly out of his neck, which can be pretty uncomfortable, but Joey never complains. All the doctors, nurses, and physical therapists love him with his adorable smile and contagious laugh. Joey will be moving from ICU B/C to ICU A today, so he will have some new roommates after the move.

We love you so much Joey!! You have come so far! Stay strong and keep fighting! It really is a little piece of heaven getting to walk back into your room everyday, seeing those bright blue eyes, hearing your sweet voice, and seeing your smile. It really is a tender mercy sent from heaven, and we are so grateful to have you here with us!! We love you so much!!!!

Post Time 4:30PM

Aspen in the waiting room (Joey's niece)


Grandpa Tom--finding a comfortable seat


Joey reading a card from a friend


Joey's dialysis tubes


We love you Joey!

Keep It Up Joey

Joey is doing great! He is improving a little more each day. The doctors said that Joey is doing so good, that they may move him out of the ICU by the end of the weekend! Yeah Joey!!

Joey has been in some pain today after all the surgeries and everything he has been through. He will need lots of rest to heal and get feeling better. His doctor put staples and a thread in his open fasciotomy on his arm, to start to get it closed. They are hoping they will be able to get it closed within the next few days, and be able to avoid skin grafts.

Joey is able to eat regular meals now that he has his feeding tube out. He is still having dialysis once a day, which lasts about four hours, and makes him extremely tired.

Keep up the good work Joey! You have come so far! We love you so much!!!

Post Time 6:00PM

Leaps and Bounds

Joey is doing awesome! He has been awake and talking with a few family and friends most of the day. He is still just as sweet as he was, and hasn't lost his sense of humor. We love him so much! He was able to get his feeding tube out today, and even enjoy a Pepsi. He is still very tired and needs a lot of rest to recover.

We will keep updating his blog, and let friends know when Joey feels like visitors.

Thank you so much for all your comments, support, and prayers!

Post Time 10:30PM

He's Back!!!

There are no words to express the emotions that we are all overcome with, right now. Joey is awake!!! He is breathing on his own and has been extubated!!! He has talked with a few family members and his best friends, Dan and Sergio.

We will continue to keep you updated on Joey's recovery, but wanted to post the good news immediately. Thank you for all your prayers and support. Please keep it coming!!!!

Almost There

Joey is doing good this morning. Doctors have taken Joey off all the seditives to get him awake. He is opening his eyes and moving around. It won't be long before the doctor comes in to extubate him. Yeah!! I will keep you posted. . .

Joey--we all love you so much! Please know that we are all here for you!! We are so proud of you!! You are a fighter, and have beat so many odds already, and will continue doing so. We know you will make leads and bounds, and we are here for you every step of the way!

We love you!!

Post Time 11:35AM

Big Day Tomorrow

Joey is doing much better. He was given a total of four liters of blood today. He is maintaining good vitals, and doctors have decreased his oxygen level way down, so that Joey is basically breathing for himself. Joey was awake a little bit today moving his arms and leg, but doctors ended up increasing his sedatives because he was getting frustrated with the respirator down his throat. Doctors are going to let Joey sleep comfortably tonight, and wake him up in the morning, and extubate him.

Please continue praying for Joey. Tomorrow will be a difficult day. Thank you everyone for your prayers, support, and comments on his behalf. Thank you to Jessi Coletti for bringing everyone pumpkin chocolate chip bread!

Keep fighting Joey! You are doing so good! We are so proud of you!! We love you!!! Sleep tight tonight, and we will be praying for you all day tomorrow!

Post Time 7:30PM

Minor Setback

Doctors are continuing to monitor Joey closely. Considering the emergency surgery Joey had early this morning and the amount of blood he's lost, doctors have decided not to extubate Joey today. We need him to be more stable.

Please EVERYONE, please continue praying for Joey!!!!!!

Joey, hang on!!! Keep fighting!!! We are here for you! Please stay strong!!!

Post time 11:15 am

Back to Surgery

Joey was rushed back to surgery at 3:00AM this morning. The end of his amputation was bleeding too much. He was given over two liters of blood, and is receiving one more now. The doctors went in and repaired the areas that were bleeding, and believe that they have stopped the bleeding.

Joey is out of surgery now. His potassium levels are elevated, but he will be going through a round of dialysis this morning, which should bring these levels back down. Doctors are monitoring him closely.

Joey was sedated during surgery, and will be during dialysis, so it will take longer today for the sedatives to wear off. More than likely, Joey won't be waking, until sometime tonight.

Keep fighting Joey!! We love you so much!! You are so strong!!! Keep fighting!!

Post Time 7:30AM

Successful Surgery

Joey is out of surgery. Everything went great! Because Joey's blood count was down, the doctors gave Joey platelets prior to his surgery and had extra blood available in case Joey needed it during surgery. They inserted a catheter for Joey's dialysis. He will continue having dialysis once a day for now.

The doctors closed one side of his fasciotomy on his arm and left one open. In four to five days, they will close the other fasciotomy on his arm with a skin graft. They did some minor repairs on his amputated leg as well.

Joey will be sedated through the night, and in the morning, the doctors will decrease the sedatives, and try to get Joey awake. Tomorrow will be the big day to get Joey fully awake, so that the doctors can extubate Joey. This will be an extremely difficult day for Joey, so please pray for him.

We appreciate all the friends and family, and the outpouring of love and support that has been shown in Joey's behalf. We want to thank Chris and Sommer Holst for bringing a goody basket for everyone, and also to Tyson and Christi Smith for the cookies yesterday. Thank you so much everyone!!

We have grown to love all of Joey's doctors and nurses, and especially two in particular that have been extraordinary and key to Joey's success. We want to thank Dr. Kim from New Jersey and RN Boone from Idaho Falls. Because of their quick thinking and decisions made in Joey's behalf last week, his life was saved. They are our heroes!!! Thank you so much!!! We can't thank you enough! What a precious gift you have given us!!!
***Their picture is at the top of this post***

Keep up the good work Joey!! Tomorrow is going to be a tough day, but please know that we all love you, and we are here for you, and are going to help you get through this! We love you so much!!!

Post Time 10:30PM

Surgery Tonight

Joey will be having surgery tonight at 6:00 PM on his arm and leg. At that time doctors will also insert a permanent tube for dialysis. Because of the two complete blood transfusions Joey has had, his blood platelet count is down a little, but is being monitored closely by the doctors.

Joey still has the respirator, but doctors have decreased the oxygen enough that Joey is almost breathing on his own, which is great news!

Doctors are still decreasing the sedatives they are giving Joey, to see if they can get him more awake throughout the day.

Hang in there Joey!!! You are are doing great!! Keep fighting!! We love you!!!

Also--thank you to Jimmy's mom for bringing in the delicious fruit basket, and also to Tyler & Lacey Moedll for bringing in soup for everyone!! Thank you!!

Post time 1:00 PM

Sleeping Beauty

The doctors have called it off for the night. They were able to get Joey to open his eyes for a little bit, but not fully wake him up. With the amount of sedatives that he has received over the last few days, and with his kidneys not functioning and filtering out the medications, it will take time to get him awake.

More than likely, Joey will be having a small surgery on his arm and leg tomorrow, and where he will be sedated, doctors will not attempt to wake him again until Tuesday.

Joey is down to dialysis once a day, which usually occurs in the morning. Joey is sedated during this procedure to ensure things go smoothly.

Keep fighting Joey! We love you so much!!!

Post Time 11:00 PM

Wake Up Joey

Doctors have decided to try to extubate, or take Joey off the respirator tonight. In order to do that, he has to be awake. The doctors have taken him off the pain medications, and family and friends have been trying to get Joey to respond. We have his entire room full of people yelling for Joey to "wake up!" We need Joey up in an hour, or doctors won't extubate him tonight.

C'mon Joey!!! Wake up!!!! We love you!!!!

Post time 5:51 PM

****Just a quick update although it has been several hours, everyone is still trying to get Joey to wake up. He has opened his eyes several times and turned his head, but still hasn't woke up. I will keep you posted****
Post time 9:30 PM

One Step At A Time

Joey is improving. His fever is coming down, and was only slightly elevated this morning. His vitals are looking great, and doctors are slowly decreasing his sedatives, so Joey will be more awake in the next couple days. They are still sedating him more during the dialysis because he is fighting it a little bit. Doctors will be replacing Joey's dialysis lines in surgery tomorrow. They suspect that these lines may be causing a little infection. They will replace these lines with something more permanent, because Joey will be on dialysis for the next couple months.

The doctos have taken Joey off the seizure medication, and he has not had any more seizurs. In addition, they have stopped giving him Insulin, and he has manintained good levels. Way to go Joey!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Joey will have a small surgery for his arm and leg either Monday or Tuesday. Once the surgery is complete, doctors will take Joey off the respirator, and wake Joey up. Doctors have informed us that this will be a difficult time for Joey, so please continue praying for him.

Keep up the good work Joey! Keep fighting! We are so proud of you! We love you!!

Post Time 11:34 AM

Baby Steps

Joey's vitals are looking good, and we are moving forward. Doctors decreased some of the seditives later this afternoon, and Joey woke up for a few minutes, moved his arms and his leg a little,and opened his eyes for a couple of the family members and Dan. Yeah!!! We were all so excited to hear the news! Go Joey!!!

Joey will continue having dialysis until doctors can get his kidneys jump started, which could be months. Only time will tell how the kidneys are going to funtion long term. It is sounding like the next surgery for Joey's arm and leg will be either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

It is truly a miracle to watch Joey, and to see how far he has come. I know he is fighting with everything he has. I can't help but smile when I get to walk back to see him, and feel the warmth in his room, see his beautiful pink color returning in his sweet cherubic face, and kiss his warm forehead. What a beautiful sight! I love you Joey!

Keep fighting Joey! You are an inspiration to many, and I know your story will change lives. We all love you so much!!!

Post Time 10:30PM

A Little At A Time

Joey is improving. His blood pressure is back up, and his fever is down, which is great news! The doctors believe that the temperature was caused by the seizure. They still aren't sure what caused the seizure, but the doctors were able to stop the seizures with medication. They won't know more until they wake Joey, but so far, everything looks good.

Joey will have a small surgery tomorrow for his arm and leg. Doctors plan to fully wake Joey on Monday. Frequently they will decrease his seditives, to wake him a little. They said Joey is doing great!

Good job Joey!!!! We love you!!! Keep up the good work!!!

Post Time 4:30 PM

Speed Bumps

The doctors said that there are going to be speed bumps--expect speed bumps. Joey improved in some areas, while we hit a few speed bumps on the way. Joey was taken off the hemo-dialysis machine last night. Doctors wanted to see if he could maintain his potassium levels. His potassium levels were at a 3, and slightly elevated to a 4.5 as time progressed without the dialysis. Joey will be on the regular dialysis machine every couple to four hours, versus the twenty four hour hemo-dialysis machine, which is good news.

During the night, Joey's blood pressure dropped some, and doctors suspected that Joey was having a seizure. They also found that Joey had a fever. They brought the EEG machine up to his room this morning. The tests revealed that Joey did have a seizure. The next step is for doctors to find out what caused the seizure, what is causing the fever, and what needs to be done to counter-act these speed bumps.

The doctors are working on finding answers, and are working around the clock for our precious Joey,to get him stabalized. Doctors will be running a series of tests throughout the day, and will update us as they know more. Doctors said that we are headed in the right direction, we just need to get through these minor set backs.

We ask that everyone please pray for Joey every chance you get. We love him so much, and want to give him the strength to keep fighting this daily battle.

We love you so much Joey! You are doing so good! Keep fighting! You can do this!! We are all here behind you!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

**My computer does not have the right time and won't hold the correct time, so I will put the time of my post at the bottom of each post from now on**

Time Of Post 11:50AM

Joey's Blue Book

Joey is doing good and hanging in there. Potassium levels are staying down, and his blood pressure looks great. Yeah Joey!!!The doctors said that Joey's lungs look strong and healthy, which is great news, and will be a big benefit when they take him off the respirator. They decided not to fully attempt to wake him tonight because he is still on the hemo-dialysis machine. We will wait and see what the doctors think tomorrow.

Doctors are estimating that if all goes well, Joey will remain in the ICU for about two to three weeks. Joey has many surgeries still ahead of him, so please continue praying for Joey.

We appreciate all the support from friends and family. The family is having a big blue book made for Joey. It is filled with blank pages. When you come to visit Joey in the hospital, or even everytime you come to visit Joey in the hospital, please take a few minutes to write something down for Joey, whether it is a note to Joey, your feelings, memories, a poem, a picture etc. If you can't find the book, please ask a family member, and we will make sure that you get it. Joey has so many people that love him and have been such a support, and we want to be able to give him this book, so that he can know how many people care about him. We are continually amazed everyday at the outpouring of love and support from you all. Thank you so much!

The family is so grateful for all the doctors, nurses, and the entire ICU team that has made it possible for Joey to fight this battle. Yesterday throughout the two surgeries, Joey was given over six liters of blood. Because of a blood donation that someone made, Joey's life was saved. We would like to give that gift back. If any of you would like to make a blood donation, please go to the Red Cross, and you can request that your donation be dedicated to Joey Anderson.

Joey--you have come so far! We are so proud of you!! You are a fighter!! Keep up the good work!!! We love you so much!!!