The bottom wound is where the gate actually hit Taylor on the head and where his skull is fractured so badly. The top wound is where he fell and hit his head on the curb. We are lucky that that one is not a fracture also.
We just met with the neurosurgeon. One of the top men in the world. He has decided to do nothing. He feels that there is more risk of going in and rearranging the bones than in letting them heal themselves. Apparently the depressed fracture is very close to a delicate area that could cause much bigger problems if they went in. Apparently there are some major blood vessels in the area near the fracture and he could bleed to death. So - it is better to leave it alone and let it heal.
The neurologist is pleased with Taylor's motor skills, memory, and brain function, so that part is working well.
The brain did suffer significant trauma (bruising) and it is going to take some time to recover. He will be on anti-seizure medicine for a few months, and he will need to take it easy and be really careful for the rest of the year. A lot of rest. No sports, running, basketball, snowboarding, and most importantly, no going back to the DR to finish the mission. And that is the saddest part of all.
Taylor has only three months left, and wanted to finish strong. Not only will he not be able to do that, his departure was so abrupt that there were no good byes, and plenty of unfinished business. It is really sad for him.
Thankfully, the good news is that the doctor expects him to make a complete recovery. But Taylor will have to be patient, because it will take a while.
For now, it looks like he will be spending a few more days in ICU as they watch for complications that would require more drastic procedures. They also want to do a lot more testing. After that, it will be home to rest.
It seems that in a wide range of terrible outcomes, Taylor has managed to "thread the needle" and find the solitary option that will help him recover and return to normal the fastest and safest. We recognize how blessed he is, and recognize the Lord's hand throughout this process.
We love Taylor and feel for him. We are so proud of him and the wonderful mission that he served. We have no doubt in our minds that his offering is acceptable to the Lord. He still needs your prayers.
(Thursday, 10:30am)
