Where There is a Will is now online and full length. Thanks again to Kori Feener for working tirelessly on this.
Where There is a Will is now online and full length. Thanks again to Kori Feener for working tirelessly on this.
Hi Everyone,
I hate that we keep starting these updates with apologies for taking so long… but again, sorry to keep you guys waiting!
2012 has been quite an eventful year at the Killelea house! While Pat’s most recent participation in an Ambien study wasn’t as successful as we had hoped, every test, trial, or change in medication brings us closer to finding a breakthrough. Recent studies on the combination of sleep aids with other drugs have yielded mind blowing results. The difficult part is finding the right combination, which differs for everyone. My Aunt Mary Beth sent us an article from Time Magazine on the use of Ambien on patients with “locked in syndrome” (Pat’s current state). Patients who had not spoken for nearly 20 years were immediately speaking and in full sentences! It’s almost hard to believe. But, medical miracles do happen, and we truly believe one will happen for Pat too.
The difficulty in getting Pat into these studies is that he still has seizures (though usually pretty mild) on a regular basis. However, even his seizures remind us how alert and willing to fight he really is. When the symptoms of a seizure start coming on, we will simply hold Pat’s hand and tell him he needs to take some deep breaths and fight through it without letting it take over his entire body, and he does, every single time. We have not had to use any additional medications to stop the seizures in several months!
Though Pat still maintains his easy going and upbeat attitude, he shows obvious signs of sadness too. These moments of sadness, though difficult to watch, are exactly what he and the rest of us need to remind us why we continue this fight. Each day he continues to improve, and we know he isn’t slowing down any time soon. He continues his twice weekly visit to Journey Forward and hits the pool with Dad at least once a week. His body is in great shape!
Perhaps the most exciting thing to report on for this past year was Pat’s role of Best Man in Kevin’s wedding. He looked incredibly sharp in his suit, he didn’t lose the rings, and he was surrounded by beautiful women on the dance floor for a solid two hours. I’d say he enjoyed himself! He also gained Anne as a sister-in-law, and who wouldn’t be over the moon excited about that?
Pat spent many hours on the Chris Craft this summer (as well as the Dog On) and I can truly say it’s been one of the best summers yet! The Henry/Brady duo continue to supply constant laughs for the entire family. As always, we absolutely love visitors at the Killelea compound so please feel free to stop by. If you’re smart, you’ll time your visit for right around halftime during the Pats on any given Sunday and I promise you will not leave hungry!
Thank you all so much for your continued support, we truly could not do this without all of you. We hope to see you soon!
Love,
Megan and the Killeleas
