RAY SMITH IS HOME

Hello Everyone, my dad got home yesturday morning, thursday Dec 23rd, just in time for his birthday. All is well and he is very excited to be home!! Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

RAY IS HEADING HOME

If all goes well Ray will be home for his birthday. The scheduled date for him to arrive now is Thursday Dec 23rd. He came home for several hours last weekend when his son Douglas and his family were in town. As long as things keep progressing he will have the best birthday present ever - TO GO HOME.

Thanks everyone for all your love, prayers, and support.

Dec 14

Sorry for not updating everyone in awhile. Ray is at the Marridian rehabilitation center in Wall township. He is eating regular food but still must use the feed tube for liquids. Right now they are saying that he should be home for Christmas.

Rays been moved to rehab

Good news!! On Thanksgiving day Ray was moved out of the hospital to a rehabilitatioin center closer to his home. He has already begun speech therapy and walking. We hope he will be home by christmas. Thanks for all your prayers. They have really helped.

Nov 24, 2010

Ray is still in the hospital at the Robert Woods Johnson Institute. He is in between a regular room and intensive care. Things are improving but it is slow. Due to the tubs being put down his throat his muscles lost the ability to close an important flap to control how food goes down. Ray was put on a feeding tub and started therapy. Yesturday a procedure was done to put in a temporary feeding tub so he can recover and get more intesive therapy. The procedure went well and we are hoping that he will be moved to a rehab center by the end of the week.

Thanks for all the love a support you are giving him.

Thursday Nov 18th

Ray has been moved to a transition room between the ICU and a regular room. It is a little more monitored than a regular hospital room. Today he is going to get a procedure done to remove some fluid from the bottom of his lung. The doctor said we should see a big improvement after this. He is still on a feeding tube because they are being very cautious about making sure things are working right. So, today they are going to put a wire down to make sure he is swallowing correctly. Also Ray will be taking his first steps since this all began. Things are improving but they are moving slowly. Thanks again for all the prayers and love and support.

Day 11

Ray has had a GREAT DAY!!! He was moved out of ICU and into a regular room. Ray remains on the feeding tube but they are giving him puddings and jellos to eat as well. He has been moved off the oxygen mask and onto his regular nose oxygen that he takes at home. He will be starting rehab tomorrow. Things are heading in the right directions. I will update this blog now when things have changed!! Thanks to everyone for all your prayers, love and support!!