Message from Jenni:

Dear all
Am writing this in the afternoon having seen Russ this morning. Russ was very wide awake today and was trying to talk. I felt very sad that we couldn't understand what he was saying but we tried to reassure him that there is no rush and that in time he will be able to talk to us. I felt he was a little frustrated. However, saying that, he was very smiley and it was so lovely to see his face light up and his eyes look sparkly.The nurses were saying that he is more tired in the morning than the evening and I have to agree that that seems to be the case.
I noticed whilst I was holding his hand that both his hands seem to have lost their puffiness and are back to their slender selves.
It did seem like another tiny step in the right direction and we are hoping that eventually with these tiny steps he will complete his marathon.
With love as always
Jenni x 

and a little bit more:

Dear all
Here we go. Russ had a quiet day and appeared tired although we did have some smiles and attempts at talking. Dani went in to say goodnight and met up with Daniel, the nurse who has been looking after Russ a great deal. He was very informative and able to answer many questions posed by Danielle.
It appears he still has a lung infection and they are introducing a new antibiotic. It will take a few days to kick in and then he should become less reliant on the ventilator. When he comes off the ventilator he will then be given pure oxygen and when that happens they can remove some components of the tracheotomy which will enable him to be able to talk in time.
Apparently the Doctor did an electrical activity test. It showed that when Russ was conscious he had full cognitive function but he lapses into unconsciousness. Dani was told that this could be the way that Russ' energy was channelled to mend his injuries OR, sometimes the effect of receiving muscle blocks. If the latter, one can test for this and reverse the condition.
So another tiny step again today. Along with the smiles and attempt to communicate it has been a rewarding day.
Goodnight to you all and love
Jenni x


And a little bit more from Melissa;


Russ's hemoglobin levels are very low which probably explains most of the above lapsing into unconsciousness.  The difficulty in talking is caused by the 'relearning' of how to speak whilst the trachotomy is in place.  As we talk we use the air we are breathing in and out to make sounds as it passes over our vocal chords.  With the tracheotmoy the air is not passing over the vocal chords but soon Russ will find a way to change how he directs his air and he will learn to speak with the tracheotomy.  This is obviously only a temporary step.


xxxx