My first post

Hey Everyone-- So this is my first post, sorry it's taken so long but I've been a little busy taking care of things and to be honest...have had several emotions to sort before I post them for all to see. Let me start with the most current news.....hate to top Melissa but this is the "latest and greatest" news, she would of posted but she is at the hospital as we speak. This morning while talking to Melissa to give her the early morning update her phone beeped in and it was the OHSU nurse, so Melissa called me back. Excited she told me Erik was getting his tube out at 9:30am today!!!!! She wanted to be there but they said to give her 30 minutes or so til she could see him. Jen Hunt got off work and drove Melissa up to the hospital around 10am. Jen Johnstun got Tanner ready and off to Sharis. I received a call from my Jen about 11am. They had to wait a bit cause the nurses weren't quite done. The nurse came out and told them that " everything went good but Eriks voice is a little coarse." Melissa and Jen said "his voice???"..excited and surprised. The nurse said that Erik was fully aware and responsive to who Melissa and Tanner were. Melissa originally was wanting Jen to go in with her but after the good news.....once they quit hugging and crying, they agreed that Melissa needed to go in alone. My first question to Jen was if his eyes were open? With the emotions and excitement the girls forgot to ask the nurse that question....so I'm not sure at this point. Melissa wanted me to let people know that she was planning on being with Erik all day, she wanted some time with him,obviously, and said if you wanted to come up today that she will be going to the waiting room from 3-5pm to see anyone there and at that time you could probably see Erik( depending of course on how he's feeling). She will take that time to visit and return calls, but wants to go back in the room from 5-6:30pm. Rian is getting back in town today and Rian and I are planning on being at the hospital at 8:30pm. I know we all are excited to see and "talk" to him, but get in line behind Rian and I-lol. All jokes aside, if you are planning on coming tonight after 8:30, I can ask if Rian and I be allowed maybe 30 minutes alone with him starting at 8:30pm. Rian has been out of town since Thursday morning and is dying to get back in town and see him and I have been busy with stuff and it seems like every time I get there they have just "increased his sedation". I swear if I get there today and thats the first thing the nurse says I'm going to scream-lol. The morning update is a little mood point now but the other positive is that his breaths per minute(bpm) were around 12-15..maybe 16 last night. Last night when Jen and I were up there the respitory nurse was changing tubes and I asked if his numbers of 12-14 yesterday were good and she said "we" do 12-20 bpm, his 12-14 was " good", so overnight his numbers jumped even more--and the nurse said he was taking "good deep breaths on his own".

After getting home from my tennis match last night Jen was talking to Julie and on speaker phone she told us all the good news with Erik and Melissa's communication. We got Jens dad to come sit while Emily slept and we headed up to the hospital. Anxiously, but safely driving up there, awaiting a chance to communicate with Erik we arrived at the hospital. As we entered his room we were told immediately..." I increased his sedation so we might want to be quite". Without strangling the nurse right then and there we took it as another time to see and be there for Erik. I "quietly" told Erik, Jen and I were there and we kinda just stood there about 10 minutes as the nurse did some charting his vitals. The nurse checked Eriks eyes then told him he had visitors and gave me the nod. I told him louder that Jen and I were there, let him know that everyone was thinking about him and that he had NOTHING to worry about that everything was getting taken care of and his only concern and thoughts should be on getting better. I told him that he had a picture Caleb(Johnstun) drew for him and that Tanners project from Sharis house was on the wall along with some pics Mel printed off. I told him how every night at bedtime, Emily and I fold our hands and sing "Jesus loves me" for him and when we are done Emily says outloud--"I love you Erik". I told him if he is lucky that when he opens his eyes the same nurse that was there during the day when I was up there will be there(cause she was hot)-lol. Jen leaned in to me and asked if I farted, I said no then nodded Eriks direction. I said " dude you farted, trapped it in your gown and now moving your legs to get it out, told him he was killin Jen.(I know his thought ran to pulling the covers over Mels head in the morning after he let a good one go, trapping her and forcing her to smell it---I know all you wives know what I'm talking about-lol). I asked him to give a thumbs up, I asked 3 times with no response, asked him to move his left arm, no response, asked him to move his feet and he moved them in a windshield wiper motion...We told him good job. He was obviously tired from his long productive day--he had a good yawn and moved on his side a little to get comfy. I told him we would let him get some sleep, he raised his right hand and waved twice at us. I grabbed his hand and told him that was Daves hand and he squeezed it..I told him I loved him and that one time I would let him hold my wives hand-lol, Jen grabbed his hand and said she loved him and he squeezed her hand real tight...that really meant alot to Jen to get that affirmation.
I really wanted to thank EVERYONE for their love and support. Like the comment from Jarred---we are all friends and its times like this we become family. The continued love and support and comments on here is therapeutic to us all--let's continue to share thoughts and feelings as well as the current updates. We have nothing but positive steps forward everyday and its from the prayers, positive thoughts/energy and support. Just for the record on an early blog from Rian where i "shocked" Erik and his shoulder moved...that was purely accident-lol. But I will continue to be strong for him but dont think for one second the little asshole gets off from me flipping him crap or teasing him or the sarcasm just cause hes in the hospital.....serious is good and has its time and place but as long as time is right....he gets the same Dave he has always had cause I know I'm gonna have the same Erik I've always had. For those of you who know me it comes to no suprise how long this message is-lol. Love to all of you, Thanks, David