Day 3 — Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Last night was steady with no major complications, and Brennen was able to get some decent rest. He came out of sedation twice. The first time was slow, but when asked he moved his toes and fingers on both sides with purpose. The second time he woke up quickly and didn’t follow commands. It seems like when he wakes up gradually, he responds better.

He’s in a lot of pain, which makes it harder for him to follow directions. The nurse explained that when he wakes, he doesn’t remember what has happened, so each time feels new and frightening. The plan for the day was to let him rest and recover, with no surgeries scheduled unless something unexpected came up. We’re holding onto the little wins.

Every couple of hours the team took him off sedation for neurological checks. Sometimes he wiggled his toes, sometimes he held up two fingers, and sometimes he even managed a thumbs up. When he came out of sedation, his pain was more than we can imagine.

We stayed with him all day, holding on to each small step forward. At one point I told him if he flipped me off, they’d turn his meds back on. True to form, Brennen ignored me — and once again, chose violence. Thank you to everyone for the incredible amount of support, calls, and messages. We feel every prayer, every word of encouragement, and every bit of love you’ve sent our way. We are all family in this fight.