June 30, 2008

Chris had to undergo another excruciating bandage change today that took nearly two hours. Also, he had to go to the “car wash”, which is essentially a stainless steel table he has to lie on so that all of his wounds can be rinsed off. He’ll have to continue this routine every day for a while, but it should get less painful each day.

Today the hospital arranged for a young man who was burned on over 50% of his body to come and talk to Chris. He assured Chris that he will be able to do anything he wants to, eventually. Chris and his parents also talked with a counselor, and will likely start attending group counseling with other burn victims this Wednesday. In addition to the counselor and the young man, Coach Branning and his family visited today.

Today the nurses also moved Chris’ IV from his leg to his arm so that he would have a better ability to move around and get up and down out of bed. If all goes well overnight, Chris will get a tube that is removing fluids from his stomach taken out in the morning. This will leave only the feeding tube, which is a huge improvement over the number of miscellaneous tubes he started with. Tomorrow morning he will also start physical therapy, first with just his legs. The physical therapy will move to his arms in a few days when the grafts have had more time to heal.

And now for the best news......Chris got out of bed and into a Cardio Chair tonight! A cardio chair is designed to lay flat next to the bed, allowing Chris to slide over into the chair. Then it can be raised into a sitting position like a regular chair. This is the first time that Chris has sat in a chair in two weeks, and despite the fact that the movement had to hurt, he did not complain at all. It seems he was too excited to get to do something different to complain about pain. He didn't leave his room in the chair, hopefully that milestone will be sometime tomorrow.

And for another piece of good news - Chris finally got some ice chips tonight, which is the first drink he has had in almost two weeks. From his reaction, it appeared that ice chips were the best things he had ever tasted!

June 29, 2008

Today was a very big and very brutal day for Chris. The hospital staff changed all of his bandages, which was extremely painful and took over 2 hours. Some of the bandages even had to be scraped off. Most of the staples holding the grafts down were removed as well. Chris handled the whole thing very well. In fact, as Earl puts it, he handled it like a champ. All of the grafts looked like they were taking very well. Luckily the nurses gave him some extra pain meds and he was able to get some rest after the ordeal was over. This grueling process was about all the hospital would let him go through in one day. Tomorrow, though, he’ll hopefully be able to sit up in bed and move around a little bit more than he has been able to. Everyone is still very hopeful that tomorrow or the next day Chris will be able to get into a wheel chair and leave the burn ward for the first time since he arrived.

It is so amazing what this young man has been through in 12 days. He has suffered through a horrible incident, been flown to Salt Lake, had a breathing tube inserted and then removed twice, contracted pneumonia, fought off pneumonia, suffered through numerous bandage changes, been through 5 ½ hours of surgery, been unable to effectively communicate, been unable to rest due to the nightmares and been unable to leave his bed. Through it all, he seems to still be the same old Chris we all know and love. Although the physical and emotional pain will last for some time, I think we’ll get Chris back and he’ll be as ornery as ever!

The top photo today is of Chris' bandage and staple removal procedure. You can see all of the areas that were grafted on his left arm and side. Earl is the one holding Chris' arm up, both he and Tiff helped through the procedure. The bottom photo is a close-up of Chris' face. It is amazing how much his face has healed in 12 days.

June 28, 2008

As Earl said, Chris got his breathing tube out today. This means that he can talk now, although he is very hoarse. He is breathing fine on his own, and once he sees the breathing specialist (probably on Monday) he’ll even be able to drink again. Hopefully he’ll be able to have a drink before the two week mark.

The hospital started to lower the level of Chris’ pain meds today so Chris is not feeling well and had a hard time accepting visitors. He had a lot today, though, so at least he was able to see how many people care. JD, Derrick, Melissa and Chance visited. Also, Danny, Margo and Devin and Wally, Desi, Cassie and Alyssa all visited.

There are a lot of big milestones coming up this week. Tomorrow the doctors will remove all of his bandages and the staples from his grafts. This will be the first opportunity to really gauge his progress and determine how well he is healing. Assuming that all is going well, he will be able to start eating and drinking. Also (and this is really great) if he is doing really well he’ll be able to get in a wheelchair and start to travel around other parts of the hospital, and maybe even go outside!!

Chris had his breathing tube removed at about 10:45 am, he is doing good and resting, also his tests results came back and No Infections, chest x-ray looked good last night and they will perform another this afternoon to confirm his pneumonia is also gone. I will send pictures this afternoon and have Melissa update the blog but I wanted to share some good news.

June 27, 2008

Last night the doctor’s started taking Chris off the sedative, so he was more awake than he has been. He did not want Tiff and Earl to leave his side and refused to go to sleep. Tiff and Earl suspect that this is because he is avoiding sleep so that he can avoid the nightmares. He finally went to sleep around 3 a.m., and this is when Tiff and Earl finally left for the night. In order to get enough rest to maintain their own health, Tiff and Earl are going to have to try visiting Chris in shifts, which will be much harder than it sounds.

There was some good news after the wound care this morning. All the grafts seem to be sticking down tight. Chris does still have some bleeding, but that just means that he has good tissue underneath all the burns. Because of the bleeding, though, they did have to give him some blood, which is pretty normal for a burn of this depth and size. Chris has a fever, which means that he has some kind of infection somewhere. The doctor suspects that it is still his lungs, but is performing tests and cultures to determine exactly the source of the infection. Chris handled the bandage change very well for being off the sedative, which shows just how strong he is.

Although the hospital was planning to remove the breathing tube today, they got busy with other patients and ran out of time to get it out with enough time to monitor him before nighttime. The breathing tube is really irritating Chris because it prevents him from talking. He is also unable to write, like he did the last time the tube was in, because his arms are splinted. The splints are there to minimize the moving and bending of his arms, especially the grafts around his elbows.

One of the high notes for Chris’ day was his parents reading him all of the great comments that are being left on this site. Tiff and Earl really appreciate it and say that it lifts his spirits. Another highlight was his visit with Kaleb, Sam, Diego and Andy.

Apparently, you can teach an old dog new tricks, because I was able to get a hit counter to work. I started it tonight at 125 hits, which is a pure guess. Even though we have this working now, please still leave comments for Chris!

June 26, 2008

Today was pretty uneventful since Chris spent most of it resting quietly. Even though Chris wasn’t supposed to have visitors while he is recovering from the surgery, Tiff and Earl made an exception because they know how much Chris wants to see Sam and Kaleb. So, today, Sam, Kaleb, Diego and Andy visited. During their visit, Chris was able to smile at them and even show a little bit of personality, despite not being able to talk.

The doctors will check his bandages tomorrow and do some wound care for the first time since his surgery. If everything looks good, Chris may get his breathing tube out tomorrow. Just like the first time he had the breathing tube, Chris really wants it out!

All of you reading this, please do me a favor: I really want Chris to know how many people are pulling for him. I wish that I could figure out how to see how many hits this website gets so that I could tell Chris the number of people that are reading. Since I can't figure that out, I would appreciate it if you guys could leave a comment, even if it is very brief, just so we can show Chris how many people care. Thanks!

June 25, 2008

Today was a mix of good and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news so that I can finish with the good stuff! This morning, when Tiffannie arrived, Chris was moving around and trying to talk, which is not good considering he is supposed to be immobilized. It turns out that due to Chris’ young age and good physical condition, the sedatives do not affect him as much as they affect the average person. After some frank discussions with the doctor and nurses, the dosage was increased so that Chris would be unable to move. As much as Tiff and Earl would like for him to be coherent and talkative, they don’t want him to have to go through another surgery, so they are dedicated to making sure this one is successful. The other bit of bad news is that Chris will have to stay at least 30 days in the ICU and on the Burn floor for at least 2 more weeks after that. This means that it will be longer than originally thought before the Hyatt family can return home. This also means that Chris will miss some of the beginning of his senior year of high school.

Now for the good news. Chris’ breathing and heart rate are very good. Knowing how important sports are to Christopher, the hospital will be arranging a sports physical therapist for Chris so that he can come back to sports as soon as possible and as strong as possible. And the best news of all, the hospital staff think that Chris will be up and moving around by the 4th of July weekend!

June 24, 2008

It has now been one week since Chris’ accident. He had a good night last night. He was able to get some rest, which is a good thing since today was surgery day. Early this morning, Chris’ oxygen level started to drop, and the nurses had to administer oxygen using a bag. The mucus and fluid had built up in his respiratory system and caused it to be harder to get deep breaths. After the oxygen bag and some mucus extraction, he returned to breathing normally.

Chris’ surgery started in the late morning and lasted about 5 ½ hours. The surgeons removed all of the skin from both of his thighs, all the way to the knee, and some skin from the center of his back. This skin was grafted onto his chest, sides and arms. The surgery took a long time and was difficult for Tiffannie and Earl to wait through, but it will likely be the only major graft surgery they all have to endure. Because they were able to get so much done today, there will likely only be touch-up surgeries to follow.

Now the waiting begins. Chris has to lie flat on his back and be completely still for 5 days. They will not even change his bandages and bedding for the first 3 of those days. It is extremely important to the success of the grafts that he not move. Since he was put on a breathing tube again for the surgery, he and his parents made the decision to leave the tube in for these five days. With the tube, the doctor’s will be able to use a stronger sedative and pain medication. This will allow Chris to be sedated for all five days and therefore decrease his chances of moving too much and compromising the grafts. It is likely that Chris will not remember anything from between the time he went into surgery and the time they take him off the sedative in several days.

Melissa C and Jairah visited today. I am sure that spending some time with such a cute little girl brought some joy to Tiffannie and Earl while they waited for Chris to get out of surgery.

So many people from Carlin have expressed their concern for Chris, Tiff and Earl and I am truly impressed by what a close and caring community the Hyatt’s have to call home. Many of you are wondering what you can do to make sure the family knows that you are thinking of them. I suggest that you send a card, letter, artificial flowers, or other gift, but fresh flowers are not allowed in the Burn Center due to the risk of infection. The address is listed in yesterday’s posting.

Also, please note that the only account that has been set up to receive donations in Chris’ name has been set up at Nevada Bank and Trust in Carlin. Any money that has been given to the family so far has been put into a college savings account at that bank. I clarify this information about the account just to ensure no false donations are solicited in Chris’ name.

June 23, 2008

Billy and a few of his friends visited Chris today. Shawna and Kyle visited as well. After the visits, Chris saw a respiratory therapist this afternoon to start working on the deep breathing to help his lungs heal. The therapist looked at the x-rays and suggested that the lung may have never been collapsed, and that a shadow may have been mistaken for a collapsed lung. This is good news, one less complication. The respiratory therapist also said that his lungs are healing fine.

Unfortunately, Chris has begun suffering from anxiety attacks. It seems that he wakes up in the night, having had more nightmares, and is at least temporarily confused about where he is. Last night, he had one of these attacks and it took a few people to get him calmed down again.

Chris’ first skin graft surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Tiffannie and Earl talked with him about it today and he is as prepared as he can be. Chris continues to deal with this situation with an incredible strength. The surgery will last several hours. They will take skin from his legs and graft it to the areas that suffered the worst damage. After the surgery, Chris will be required to lie flat and be still for 5 days. This will help ensure the success of the grafting process. Because it is so important that Chris stays calm and still for the next five days, Tiff and Earl have asked that visitors wait until next week to come and see Chris. In lieu of visiting, cards can be sent to:
Chris Hyatt
University of Utah Burn Center
50 North Medical Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84132

June 22, 2008

It seems like the mornings tend to bring bad news. One of Chris’ lungs has collapsed. There is fluid in his lungs still, so it is important that he cough often to try to get some of it out. It is also important that his oxygen levels are monitored and that he has his oxygen mask on as much as possible. If he is able to keep his oxygen levels up and take deep breaths, his lung should re-inflate, preventing them from having to put the tube back in him.

Also, it seems that the stuff in the feeding tube, combined with the fluids in the IV have caused his blood sugar to spike. For this reason, they stop pushing the IV fluids, and are therefore unable to administer his pain medications through a constant drip. Instead, they are injected periodically. It seems like this method is less effective for controlling pain, and Chris is much less comfortable. He has begun to express regret for having taken the job and has started questioning why this had to happen to him. This emotional pain is hard on Chris and his visitors, and is especially hard on his parents.

The doctors finally feel that the risk of having to replace the breathing tube is low enough that Chris can try to drink some water. Unfortunately, the swelling and stiffness in his face prevent Chris from being able to close his lips around the straw and suck in any fluids. Ice chips are out of the question because they could cause him to choke. This inability to drink after waiting for so long frustrates Chris.

Most of Chris’ visitors have to leave today to return home. It is hard to leave on a day like today when everyone is having a hard time. The good news is that Chris, Tiffannie and Earl won’t be alone for long, as Chris’ calendar already shows several visitors for this next week. Despite today’s set-backs, Chris tells everyone goodbye and lets each of them know that he loves them and appreciates their visit. Chris is showing amazing strength and courage, we are all very proud of him!

June 21, 2008

We found out this morning that Chris has a mild case of pneumonia. The fluid in his lungs causes him to cough pretty often. The pneumonia has caused a fever and Chris is complaining of being very hot. Despite all of this, the doctor’s say that if he can keep his blood pressure and heart rate down they will remove the tube this afternoon!

Most of today was spent taking turns visiting Chris two at a time and spending the remaining hours in the waiting room. Danny, Cassie and Alyssa came to see him for the day. Also, Ellen and Mariah visited. Occasionally we were all kicked out so that Chris could get some undisturbed rest. This meant that the waiting room was full, but it was nice to visit with everyone and be distracted for a little while.

Chris’ room is not very private, nor very big, so we are all hopeful that they will soon be able to move him across the ward to a private room. Until then, everyone does the best they can by adding a lot of cards, drawings and pictures to his wall. Chris’ friends do their best to entertain Chris with stories, jokes and pictures. Chris wants to know who is coming to visit and when, so his mom makes him a calendar listing who has visited and who will be coming in the next weeks.

At about 4:15 pm, the nurses kicked us all out of his room so that the doctors could evaluate whether the tube could come out and, if so, remove it. We all waited rather impatiently in the waiting room, praying that they would remove it and knowing how much the tube had been bothering Chris. About an hour after kicking us all out, the nurses came to get Tiffannie and Earl. It turns out that they had removed his tube, but that Chris was taking more breaths in a minute than he should, meaning that his breathing was shallow. For this reason, they monitored him for a while after removing the tube just to make sure they weren’t going to have to put it back in. Luckily, his oxygen levels were fine. After a brief visit, the staff suggested that we leave him alone for a few hours to allow him to remain calm and work at getting his breathing under control.

Relieved that his tube was out, but worried about whether they might have to put it back in, we all went out to dinner for a little distraction time. After dinner, Tiff called the hospital and was told that he had managed to get his breathing under control. This was great news! We all visited him one more time before turning in for the night.

June 20, 2008

Today brought many more visitors to Chris’ side. Rachel and Susie came in the afternoon. Tonya and Okie came in the evening and brought a huge banner that read “We Love You, Chris” and was signed by many of the people from Carlin. They also brought pictures of Chris and friends to hang on the walls of his room. Coach Harmon and I came as well and brought with us some of Chris’ good friends: Mathew, Anthony and Nathan. It seems that the visitors have helped Chris’ spirits as he was able to write quite a bit. Even though the hospital only allows two visitors at a time, they made a small exception long enough for all of us to gather around his bed for a group photo. Seeing the number of people that had come to see him seemed to make Chris feel good.

Of course, he again wrote about desperately wanting a drink, which broke all of our hearts. His nurses say that they might try removing his breathing tube in the next few days, but that they need to make sure that he can keep is blood pressure and heart rate under control before they can do that. For that reason, we all agree to try to keep his visits brief and try to stick with yes and no questions so that he doesn’t get frustrated trying to communicate more complicated messages.

Tiffannie and Earl seem glad for the company as well. They have been at the hospital nearly non-stop since Tuesday night and are not sleeping well. The good news is that there seems to be no shortage of people willing to watch their house and do small favors for them, which allows them to concentrate on being there for Chris.

June 19, 2008

Thursday was a little bit harder for Chris and his family. Because of the breathing tubes, Chris is unable to drink any fluids. This rule prevents fluids from traveling down the tube and into his lungs, causing pneumonia. Two days without a drink is tough on Chris and he wants very badly to be able to drink something. He asks constantly for water or something else to drink. Chris has “wings” attached to his bed that are designed for him to keep his arms straight out to the side. This is supposed to ensure that once totally healed, Chris will maintain a good range of motion in his arms. As with everything else, this gets really uncomfortable and Chris struggles with wanting to keep them down at his side.

Using his notepad, Chris draws and writes what happened to him to each of his visitors. Despite the level of pain medications, his story is exactly the same every single time. He remembers in great detail everything that happened. He has also started reliving it in nightmares, which disrupts his sleep and depresses his spirits.

June 18, 2008

Once the doctors were able to see Chris, we were able to learn that Chris has third degree burns on 33% of his body. From the waste down he is fine. From his waste to his neck, he has third degree burns, which make this entire area of his body look as white as a sheet. It appears that he put his arms up during the incident to protect is face, because the underside of his arms are also burned while only parts of the tops of his arms were affected. His hands and fingers are unharmed. His face is burned as well, but it appears that it is only first and second degree burns. This is our first good news as it seems that Chris’ face will heal well and he’ll be back to his old handsome self in time.

Chris is being fed through a tube, is receiving fluids and medication through an IV and is on a respirator. Because of all of this, he is unable to talk. His parents got him a notepad and a pencil and he is able to communicate that way. It is a struggle for both Chris and his visitors to determine what he is saying, as his bandages and burns interfere with his range of motion, and he has a hard time seeing the paper he is writing on. Occasionally, he gets frustrated when he is trying to communicate and no one can read what he has written. At these times, his heart rate and blood pressure increase, which gets him and his visitors stern warnings from the nurses.

Chris’ first visitors arrived today. His friend Kaleb, Kaleb’s mom Lisa, and his girlfriend Sam made it over on Wednesday. They were able to visit with Chris that night, and he seemed to be doing very well. He joked a lot like he normally does. When Sam told him that his face looked good, he responded jokingly with “better than yours” on his notepad. When a cute nurse was attending to him, Chris asked her for her number and offered her his phone number on his notepad. These good spirits showed everyone that Chris was still with us.

June 17, 2008

Today was the first day at a new summer job for Chris Hyatt, and today is the day he was injured. For many reasons, I won’t go into exactly what happened to Christopher. This blog is not intended to be about what happened to Chris, but rather about Chris’ fight to recover and rejoin his family and friends at home.

Immediately after the incident, Chris was transported to Elko General Hospital and then flown to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City. His parents, Earl and Tiffannie Hyatt were not able to accompany him in the plane, so they had to hastily pack what they could and drive over to Salt Lake City that night.

About Chris Hyatt

Chris Hyatt is a normal 16 year old boy from a small town. He plays three sports, has a girlfriend and enjoys hanging out with his friends. Chris has a great sense of humor and is usually the one to crack all the jokes. This story of Chris begins on June 17, 2008 and tracks his road to recovery after he was injured in an industrial accident.