Yesterday, Craig organized a trip to Cherry Creek State Park for Kevin and several other patients.

While we were all so excited to take Kevin somewhere beautiful, the trip meant encountering an array of firsts and challenges to navigate. Kevin’s willingness to take the leap for this trip makes us feel unbelievably proud.

To travel there, Kevin had to get on a bus without any of the family. On the way, every bump in the road can cause an intense muscle spasm.

Upon arriving, Kevin had to be navigated over a narrow wooden dock to get onto the pontoon boat. This took patience and courage in droves.  The weather was sunny and in the 90’s. Part of his injury means his body can’t regulate and respond to high or low temperatures as it would before, so it needs help with portable fans and cool towels.

Despite all these new challenges, Kevin had an amazing time on the boat ride. The picture Mom took shows a huge grin on his face. I think the whole experience was invaluable as it taught us – yes, we will have to navigate joyful experiences with different considerations and efforts. But with patience, kindness to one another, and perseverance those joyful experiences will be possible.

Today, Kevin’s longtime friend Jason Kotzin came to visit. Mom picked up breakfast for everyone and they spent time watching the Olympics. After he took a quick nap in the afternoon, we all went on a tour of the grounds and spent some time outside.

Kevin says that although the staff at Craig treats him with dignity and warmness, it is still always clear he is being cared for in these interactions. He says being around his friends make him feel so much more like himself and less like a patient.

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I have mentioned some of our visitors at Craig in these posts but Mom wanted to make sure I mentioned those who have visited! We are so grateful for these visits and I try to remember to include everyone in the posts but forgetfulness is a common symptom for us all at the moment!

Our dear friends Jonny Love and Alina Riensema came to see us outside the ICU weeks ago upon their arrival in Colorado and were the first visitors at Craig. They brought Kevin his favorite pizza all the way from Minturn! It reminded us of time spent with them last summer and was DELICIOUS.

Susan and Ron Boucher and Lisa and Brad West also took the time to stop by and see Mom and Dad while they were in town! Seeing their friends means the world to them and is a huge comfort.

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I know it has been said before but thank you to everyone who keeps up with us and Kevin’s progress. We know you all are navigating so much in your own lives so the time taken to think of us means more than can be said.

Much love,

Katie and the Cavanaughs

Kevin’s Donation Fund:

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/t4f

(*Be sure to select his name from the donation drop down menu)

Mom and Kevin asked that I provide a look into a typical weekday at Craig Hospital. Below, I have given a rough idea of what each day entails.

7:30am – Mom arrives at Craig, checks in and goes to the cafe to get Kevin’s breakfast

8am-8:30am – Mom feeds Kevin his breakfast, meals can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Kev also gets his first round of medications around this time.

8:30am – Kevin is transitioned from his bed to his chair. This involves putting on a neck brace and using an electric lift system. This same lift system will have to be installed at home when he leaves Craig.

9am – 12pm In this time period, Kevin has various therapies and classes.

The therapies include physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreation therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy and manual therapy.

The classes cover power chair operation, tech labs, transportation, air travel and other life skills.

12pm -1pm Mom gets lunch and feeds Kevin.

1pm-4pm More therapies and classes.

4pm – This is when I arrive after work to help (with the exception of Thursdays when I work from the Hospital). This is also when Kevin has his shower program which can be a challenge as we have to carefully manage his blood pressure and help regulate his temperature.

6pm-7pm – We pick up dinner and feed Kevin.

7pm-10pm – Kevin receives more breathing treatments, medications, oral care etc. and we get him ready for bed.

10pm – visiting hours end.

Between these things are breathing and stretching exercises, constant adjustments to help prevent autonomic dysreflexia, measurements, care/cleaning of his medical equipment and more.

I am endlessly impressed at the patience and strength of Kevin, Mom and the staff at Craig. We all know this time is precious to prepare Kevin for the best possible life when he returns home and they are keeping that in mind at every moment.

Thank you all for the continued support, friendship, cards, prayers and donations.

Love,

Katie and the Cavanaughs

Donations for Kevin, please select his name on the dropdown:

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/t4f

Craig had some visitors this weekend!

Kevin’s friends Burns and Nico flew out to spend time with him! On Saturday, Kevin was up in his chair and gave them a tour of the rec room and the outside campus at Craig. They also watched basketball and golf together. The picture above was taken today as Kevin spent more time in bed and all three friends watched more golf and caught up with each other. Burns’ Mom, Weeze, also came with the boys and visited with Mom. I am grateful for all three of them for traveling here to bring some friendship and strength to Kev and Mom!

In the week ahead, more focus will be put on eliminating the pain and stiffness in Kevin’s neck and shoulders. Hopefully, along with freeing him from discomfort, these efforts will allow him to spend more time in his chair and in physical therapy for his arms.

We are also working on managing his muscle spasms as they have increased and make it difficult for him to be in his chair and cause him discomfort in his bed. These muscle spasms are typical in patients with spinal cord injuries so it will just be a matter of trying to reduce them with medication and, if absolutely necessary, a surgically implanted device.

Thank you all who have and continue to show such kindness and generosity. Your support means more than we can say.

If you wish to make a donation to Kevin’s fund to assist with the cost of a powerchair, new apative vehicle, assistive home features, medications and other tools for his life ahead please select Kevin’s name on the drop down menu at the link below: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/t4f

Much love,

Katie and the Cavanaughs

I am so grateful that Craig Hospital provides guidance on navigating a world that requires different considerations, a world that looks unfamiliar in its new challenges. Not only is Kevin doing the hard and important work of physical rehab, he is also learning from experts on adaptive living.

This week, he attended an air travel class. They gave information on navigating airports, booking flights, checking in, boarding, onboard experiences and leaving the airport.

Kevin and Mom also met with a transportation expert. They taught them about side and back exit vans and different features available in adaptive vehicles. During this, Kevin was able to get into a specially equipped van in his power chair.

Kev is currently struggling with tightness and pain in his neck, shoulders and bicep muscles. They especially bother him when he is in his chair. Because one of his goals at Craig is to begin spending most days in his chair, this presents a problem. Luckily, he received his first round of dry needling yesterday. He said it was painful but that it provided some relief. I also brought in a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit from home. TENS units work by delivering small electrical impulses that provide pain relief. I was given the okay to use this with Kevin myself as Craig also has TENS units but Kevin can only use theirs when with a staff member.

Kevin also was given a new kind of powerchair to try out today. He finds it much easier to use than the last two he tried. He demonstrated as much by asking if I wanted to see him pull off some quick circles as soon as I got to the Hospital after work.

He is struggling with muscle spasms at the moment, but we are hoping we can at least see less of them with some medication adjustments.

While he is tired from all the lessons, physical therapy, spams and tight muscles he is still in good spirits and completing his programs well. As always, I am endlessly impressed with his strength.

Thank you all for checking in and following along. We will always remember the kindness we have seen in the last two months.

Much love,

Katie and the Cavanaughs

Kevin had a very full weekend!

On Friday, he had a fever from his COVID vaccine but it wore off overnight and he woke up feeling good the next day.

He felt so good on Saturday, in fact, that he spent TWELVE hours out of bed and in his power chair. This is by far the longest he has been out of bed and in the chair. One of his big goals while at Craig is to be able to spend all day in the chair so this was a great mark of progress.

On Saturday night, Kev got a visit from his friends Christian and Molly. It was the first time we could get his friends into Craig on the weekend and it greatly lifted his spirits. He said they all talked, had a great dinner and watched UFC together.

Kevin loves dogs and we have been talking about getting him a service dog in the future. I have been reaching out to various organizations to try to get a handle on how it works and who to connect with. If you know me, you won’t be surprised that this is something I’m excited to handle. If anyone has any information or advice in this realm we would greatly appreciate it!

Dad flew in and has been around this weekend. Him and Kevin have been watching plenty of tennis and soccer and are looking forward to the Suns game tonight.

As always, thank you all for your support!

Love,

Katie and the Cavanaugh

I apologize for the delay, as things get busier here it can be hard to write as often as I’d like to but I hope you all still feel updated.

Today was our family and staff meeting at Craig. The heads of each department met with us to provide information and allow us to ask questions.

We have a general idea of where in the spine his injury occurred but it will take a year for the spinal swelling to stop at which point we will know with certainty. Knowing where the injury occurred will give the final picture of what we can expect to be recovered as far as movement and sensation.

However, we do have enough information to assume he will likely remain in a power chair. He has taken several courses on operating his chair, as has Mom. This has allowed them to be able to gain the campus pass so that we can explore outside whenever we’d like. He has been trying out several types of power chairs to find out what will work best for him. If you’ve never seen someone operating a power chair or driven one yourself, you wouldn’t believe how difficult they are to operate. However, both Kevin and Mom are doing an amazing job and battling the frustrations that come along with learning to operate such a complex and sensitive machine.

We were also told that his release date is expected to be in late September. At that point, based on progress, it will be decided if he will continue doing an outpatient program at Craig for a few more months or if he will return to Mom and Dad’s condo in Florida and work on his progress there.

Kev also got his second COVID vaccine today which is a huge relief to us all. It also means he will likely be able to attend the annual Craig group trip to a state park at the end of the month!

Together we have been enjoying watching the Suns play, eating delicious baked goods from the Lerner family and finding moments to laugh at all the absurdity we find ourselves in every now and then.

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent love his way, he says the support from friends and family is what motivates him at the start of each day.

Another huge thank you for all those who have donated to his donation fund. Your support helps relieve the burden of adaptive home remodels, a specialized vehicle, several types of power chairs, medication, flights, physical therapy and more tools needed to help him build a positive future.

Much love,

Katie and the Cavanaughs

Week two at Craig is nearing to a close!

Kevin is helping me write this blog post, so you’ll notice some “Kevin-isms” sprinkled in. I hope that everyone who is missing him gets a smile out of them.

This week was another of learning about his injury, which our family will discuss at an important meeting next week with everyone on his team. We’re all a bit nervous for this as it will set our expectations for what the future will look like. However, we’re also excited as it will give us goals that we can all work towards and try to topple.

During this week, Kevin worked with the doctors to understand his injury and began practicing various exercises. He has learned how to operate his power chair with a breathing apparatus. He’s also been spending more time out of bed and in the chair, each session being a bit longer. The goal with these sessions is to get his blood pressure to be steady throughout.

He wants people to understand just what a feat getting into the chair is. Each time, he needs people to “haul” him out of bed and into the chair. After that, he must move the chair at timed intervals through a straw-like device to insure he doesn’t get any pressure injuries or have his blood pressure drop too low.

Kev also has begun to get normal showers, something he was missing. Rest assured, his hair is (his words) “luscious” again.

Mom, Kevin and I have been working on educational courses we need to complete to get a full “campus pass”. Mom completed a suction course for his trach and performed the procedure several times now which means she’s certified in this area! Once we get this campus pass we can take Kevin unattended around the grounds for some fresh air.

In true proof that Kevin can do anything he sets his mind to – he has gotten me invested in the NBA playoffs. He is rooting for the Suns so we are all big Suns fans now. He asks you all root for them!

Speaking of the Suns, Jack Lerner and his family sent an AMAZING surprise today – a signed basketball by the 2007-2008 Suns team (which includes Shaq, Grant Hill, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire)! There aren’t sufficient words to describe the lightness that fills the room in a moment like that. We are so thankful.

Thank you all for caring about and loving Kevin as you do.  

Go Suns!

Katie and the Cavanaughs

Our community of friends and family has been truly incredible during this unimaginable time. We feel so fortunate for all you have done for us. Some of you have been asking about where you can send donations, which is beyond kind.

The 4Rivers Foundation run by 4Rivers (where my Mom worked for many years) has generously offered to use their platform to accept donations for our family.

Donations will be used to help relieve some of the burden of what insurance won’t cover, air travel, accommodations, physical therapy, medications, future home modifications and adaptive equipment which will all aid in Kevin’s journey to a full, happy life. 

We can’t thank you all enough who are supporting us in this way or otherwise.

To donate follow the steps below:

Go to the following web link: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/t4f

It will lead you to the page below.

After that, you will see a drop down menu. Please be sure not to have it set to 4Roots, click the arrow and select Kevin’s name.

Again, we can’t thank you enough for any and all of the ways you are helping our family.

Update:

Kevin’s busy week at Craig has begun! He is working hard to learn new skills and practice strength building. Yesterday his diet restrictions were lifted so he can finally eat whatever he would like (in small bites)!

A goal going ahead will be to get his trach out. This will happen when he goes two fulls days without needing tracheostomy suctioning (a tube which removes secretions building in his lungs). So far, he has gone two thirds of a day without needing suction, so we hope this will continue to decrease in frequency!

Kevin, Mom and I are watching educational course material and taking quizzes on required Craig material. Mom will go to a tracheostomy suctioning class tonight and once we have all passed the courses we hope to get a campus pass. This pass will allow us to take Kevin around the grounds of Craig without needing supervision from staff.

Tremendous love and thanks,

Katie and the Cavanaughs

Kevin had a great first weekend at Craig!

His X-rays came back and showed that he has some ligament damage so he is in a neck brace when he’s in his chair. Fortunately, they are not serve injuries and are expected to heal so it’s only temporary!

On Friday, his Uncle Kev traveled up from Costa Rica bringing colorful wildlife photos and no shortage of equally colorful stories. Kevin was so happy to be able to see him.

On Saturday, thanks to a special fundraising event happening at Craig, both Mom and Kevin got a special meal. Filet mignon!

On Sunday, Erickson and I visited with bags full of gifts from his incredibly thoughtful friends and family. We wrapped them and deemed the day “Kevin Christmas.” One of the gifts included a signed football from the Kansas City Chiefs, sent by his friend and their punter – Tommy Townsend. It was signed by Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce! The happiness it brought him is indescribable and we are all beyond grateful.

Kevin also requested some music so Erickson brought his guitar and played for all of us. He said it felt like hearing music for the first time and was a special moment for our family.

This next week, his schedule will ramp up and he will have more intensive therapy. Although it will be challenging, the rest and love Kevin received this weekend seem to have him feeling more than up to it.

Please send all your best thoughts and prayers to him as his begins this difficult time ahead.

All our love,

Katie and the Cavanaughs  

Kevin told me that when he had too much time in the ICU to think, when he still couldn’t speak, it was hard not to replay the day his injury happened. He said he imagined a million things that could’ve made that day play out differently but eventually he decided, “there is only one direction and that is forward.”

Everything about Kevin’s care at Craig Hospital embodies that frontward thinking. Not only does he receive care to help stabilize and improve his physical health, but they have countless readiness programs including everything from navigating cooking to driving a car for his life ahead.

The specialized care here has allowed Mom and I to breathe more easily. Upon arrival, he was immediately positioned in bed in a way that is best for his injuries. His trach was switched to a smaller one so that his voice is fully back. He’s been fit for and given a wheelchair, a tube for controlling the TV with his breath and a stand and voice control feature for use of his phone.

His schedule is packed with occupational and physical therapy, mental health counseling and wound care. This first week he is still undergoing testing and X-Rays to best understand the nature of his injury and see why there is bleeding in his spine. The doctor did tell us that with injuries of this sort we won’t have a clear idea of what will be permanent until about a year out. Until then, all we can do is try to understand the nature of his injury and help him do the hard work required of physical therapy.

Talking about the shape of the future is not always easy. However, after the hour to hour fear of the ICU, it is a gift to be able to talk openly about the future at all. I am sure, with the support of all that love him, it will be a future where Kevin can build a life of meaning, possibility and happiness.  

Much love,

The Cavanaugh Family