Call for Cards

Ryan has been progressing well now that he has re-entered rehab. He's very alert this week and back to smiling and saying a few words. We’ve been told that his setback did not cause any further brain injuries; it has just slowed the rehabilitation process a little.

On a separate note, Ryan has received a few cards recently and seems to really enjoy opening them and looking at them. We would really like to continue showering him with cards! Below is his address at the hospital if you'd like to send him one. These can also be useful with his rehabilitation by triggering memories. To help his parents and therapists in explaining the cards to Ryan, it'd be great if you could include a picture of yourself and/or a description of how you know each other (i.e. college, work, etc.). Another idea would be to write about a great story or memory you and Ryan share together. Thanks and have a good weekend.

Ryan’s Address:

Attn: Ryan Porcelli, Room M622

Touro Hospital

1401 Foucher St.

New Orleans, LA 70115

Back in rehab

Great news! Ryan was moved from the recovery floor back to his old room (M622) on the 6th floor yesterday to resume rehab. He has become more and more alert over the past few days and is doing so much better.

The visiting hours on the 6th floor are 4:30pm to 8:30pm on weekdays and noon to 8:30pm on weekends. Please take some time to stop by if you're in New Orleans or if you plan to visit soon. He has come such a long way.

Out of the ICU

Ryan was moved out of the ICU today. He's now on the 5th floor at Touro. He's not ready to re-enter rehab yet, as he needs more time to rest and regain his strength. It's still significant progress. He's proven to us once again that he's a champ!

The visiting hours on the 5th floor are all day, ending at 8:30pm. Thanks to everyone for being so supportive these past few weeks. All of your love and prayers mean so much to Ryan and his family.

Ryan is waking up again

Ryan is off Propofol and started waking up yesterday morning. According to his doctors, he is able to make simple responses to basic questions. He's also a little irritable, so the doctors wasted no time removing the feeding tube and taking him off the ventilator. The pneumonia appears to be getting better too.

Although he's still in the ICU, Ryan is doing drastically better than he was a week ago. If Ryan continues to improve, the doctors will move him back to the rehab/recovery floor later this week.

Friday Update

Ryan made a little progress today. He is still on propofol and asleep. However, the nurses did say that the fluid in his lungs (caused by pneumonia) is starting to clear. We are hopeful that he will continue to improve over the weekend.

Thursday Update

Ryan was put back into a medically-induced, propofol coma last night in an effort to stabilize his breathing and heart rate. As of this morning, his vitals are normal and his color has improved. He is now resting peacefully. It is our understanding that he will remain on propofol until the pneumonia has cleared up. We don’t have any indication as to how long this will take but will update the blog with any substantial changes. Please keep the Porcellis in your thoughts and prayers.

Setback this weekend

After several weeks of progress during therapy sessions, Ryan had a pretty major setback this weekend. On Friday or Saturday, Ryan was diagnosed with pneumonia and put back in the ICU. Doctors also think that complications associated with his treatment and pneumonia caused severe migraines and seizures late last week. Eventually, Ryan regressed to such a point that he could no longer stay on the recovery floor. Ryan is now resting in the ICU; however, he is having trouble oxygenating his blood and is back on the ventilator. When I saw Ryan today his breathing was labored and he was mostly unresponsive. Obviously, it’s very difficult for everyone to accept this setback after so much improvement. If we’ve learned one thing from this, it’s that Ryan is a fighter and we’re all hopeful that he can get out of the ICU again. Keep thinking about Ryan and his family.