Ryan's Superdome Roof Repair

Ryan has been recovering from his surgery for the past couple of days and, while he is somewhat swollen, his doctors were happy with how little swelling there was. The pieces of skull that were taken out months ago went back in nicely and his 'roof repair' is a very positive step towards recovery. He will continue his recovery at University Hospital here in New Orleans for a couple more days and then will make his way back to rehab in Slidell. One thing to take note of is that his doctors felt he has made enough progress so that this surgery was possible to do safely, so not only is the procedure itself a good step, but a sign that things are going well in general. Ryan was definitely experiencing pain and discomfort related to his surgery but after that subsides he should continue to make progress. For the time being, he will be medicated often for the next two days so while you should definitely go visit, it is possible he may be asleep when you do.

On a side note...please someone contact me if you want to go to the Saints game on Sunday in exchange for donating to Ryan's recovery. Have received no interest...and I know that between y'alls love for Ryan and the Saints I just dont see how that is possible. Jim@pnola.org if you want to go! We are raising money for Ryan's house. Ryan just has his roof repaired and we want you to help do the same to his house!.

Cranioplasty Scheduled

We received an update from Ryan's parents today that his cranioplasty (replacement of the removed portions of his skull) is scheduled for this Wednesday, September 21st at 5:30am. His surgery will take place at LSU University Interim Hospital - 2021 Perdido Street - where he started out in the ICU in April. The surgery will be followed by a few days stay at the hospital, either in the ICU or on an upper floor. If it is in the ICU, the visiting hours are limited to 4 thirty minute sessions at 10am, 1pm, 5pm and 8pm. If all goes well, he will return to Trinity after he recovers.

We will update you after his surgery on Wednesday. When we have a better idea of how long he's expected to stay at LSU University, we'll update as well.

Visit last Sunday

Here is a picture of Ryan from our visit on Sunday. He was in good spirits and was looking forward to football that afternoon. We stayed outside for most of the visit to enjoy the unusually cool weather that Louisiana is experiencing now. The sombreros were mostly to keep the sun out of our eyes since Ryan’s Boston ball-caps didn’t make the trip to Slidell.

We shared many good laughs during the visit. Besides the rehab, I think the daily interaction he has with other patients is helping him to communicate better. As we roam the halls with Ryan, he says hey to friends that we pass. He also talks more clearly with us during visits. It is still difficult for him to string together full thoughts, but he has made noticeable improvements in communicating since leaving Touro.

If you have time to visit him at the new facility, definitely make the trip. We’re planning a trip up to watch a Saints game soon, so let me know if you’re interested in joining.

Settling in, in Slidell

A handful of friends visited Ryan today at his new place in Slidell to drop off some parkway and watch the Simpsons. Ryan was happy to see some new faces (friends of his who were just back in town visiting) and, even though he had just eaten dinner, was obviously excited about his Reuben(favorite sandwich at parkway) and the prospect of eating it later. After a long day of rehab and visitors, Ryan was also very tired so we cut our visit short to let him sleep.

The nursing staff at the new location are working hard to help Ryan along and, apart from the occasional hay-maker he throws their way, are very happy he is there and they are able to work with him to help him get better.

All of his stuff that he has collected made it safely from his old room at Touro and it looks great. Keep sending more cards and other signs of encouragement!

Ryan is excited to watch the Saints shred some cheese tomorrow night!

Go to a Saints Game and Help Ryan....Duh!

Hey All,

Please email me if you're interested in going to a Saints home game this year. In exchange for a donation to Ryan's recovery, you will receive a ticket for a date of your choice. The donation will be made through PNOLA so you will be eligible for a tax deduction and, more importantly, your generosity will help cover some of Ryan's bills that are accumulating. Plus, you get to sit next to me Joel and Outlaw...totally worth it!

jim@pnola.org if you're interested. 1 ticket available for each home game.

Trinity Update

As we mentioned in our previous post, Ryan has been moved to Trinity Neurologic Rehabilitation Center in Slidell, LA. He is undergoing the same treatment as he was receiving at Touro, including three different types of therapy - physical, occupational and speech. He is in therapy 5 days a week from 9am to 2 or 3pm. The visiting hours are pretty much any time that he's not in therapy. He usually eats dinner around 5:15 and goes to bed around 9pm. His address and driving directions from New Orleans are listed at the bottom of this post.

While Trinity is about 30 - 45 minutes outside of New Orleans, it's still really important that we continue to visit Ryan every opportunity we have. Interacting with his friends is a very essential kind of therapy for him. Frank and Carol have expressed to us how much they appreciate every visit that his friends make, and they can really tell that it's making a big difference in Ryan's recovery. The cards and pictures are also very helpful if you'd like to keep sending them to Trinity!

Jenny and Jessica went to see him recently and had a great visit. He now has an unrestricted diet and can eat anything. Whenever we ask him what he'd like to eat, he usually says Po'boys or pizza. So Jenny and Jessica brought him a roast beef Po'boy and sweet potato fries from Parkway. He LOVED it and asked for two Po'boys next time! If you are planning to visit him, try to think of one of his favorite meals and take it with you. While I don't think he can eat a full meal in one sitting, the nurses will package it up and keep any leftovers in the frig for him.

Even though Ryan has come a very long way, he still has a long road of recovery ahead of him. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers and we'll continue to post stories of our visits.

New address:

Trinity Neurologic Rehabilitation Center

Attn: Ryan Porcelli, Room 131B

1400 Lindberg Drive

Slidell, LA 70458

Tel: (985) 641-4985

Driving directions from New Orleans (provided by Ryan's Dad):

Take Interstate 10 East from NOLA, go about 29 miles, including over the lake, and get off at Exit 266 (sign says Slidell-Gause Boulevard). As exit, stay left and make a left turn at the first light onto Gause Boulevard. Proceed under the overpass (Interstate 10), and go through 2 or 3 lights until you get to Kensington Boulevard. Make a left (there is a Radio Shack and a gas station at this intersection), and drive about a ½ mile. You will see Trinity in front of you as the road bends to the left. Enter the parking lot. You will need to sign in at the reception desk, which fronts the parking lot.

Carey's Update

Re-purposed from Carey's email:

"Frank emailed Whit this morning that Ryan is being transferred at 11am this morning to Trinity Neurological Rehabilitation Center in Slidell. He's been admitted to a 6 month program there. We'll let you know when we have more details.

He's been doing really well the past few days. Jenny and I spent some time with him on Tuesday and he was fully engaged in our conversation... listening to everything, laughing and responding correctly to a lot of our questions. His leg spasms also seemed to be getting better. Good news all around!"

So if you plan to send cards, hold off a bit til we update the new mailing address. I'll work on getting that.