Thursday, October 2, 2025
Brennen was able to get some rest last night. The team noticed some unusual movement in his right eye, so they took him for another CT. Thankfully, there were no major concerns or new changes. This morning he spiked a fever of about 101.3, but the doctors aren’t overly worried — they say it’s not uncommon given everything his body has been through.
Today the focus was on gentle recovery and getting his body working again. They started medication to help move his backed-up colon (let’s just say he got some “encouragement” there) and began very small tube feedings to slowly wake up his digestive system — another small but important step forward. A few tubes that had come over from Mercy were swapped out, and the bowel “help” worked like a charm.
He’s still on the ventilator but now with very little support, working hard to breathe on his own. Neurological exams have been limited because waking him tends to turn into a wrestling match with the tube, which puts too much stress on him. The team is trying to let him rest as much as possible while keeping an eye on his progress.
Tomorrow is a big day: he’s scheduled for spinal surgery to fuse his vertebrae and place rods for stability — a permanent fix to help him heal and protect his spine long-term. An MRI is also ordered but hasn’t been squeezed into the schedule yet.
“Tonight we’re hoping for a calm and steady night without surprises. No curveballs, no wild pitches — we’re all rooting for a slow and easy game this time, buddy.”
Once again, we can’t thank you enough for the calls, prayers, messages, and every bit of support. Brennen may be the one in the hospital bed, but all of us are being lifted up and carried by the love this community has shown.
~ Dad