Update and Keep the Prayers Coming...

I know a lot of you are praying for my nephew (thank you SO much) and I just wanted to post an update from my brother in law. Keep the prayers coming! Thanks!

Another couple of days have gone by and Billy continues to amaze us. He's showing a lot of strength right now. He's up and mobile, moving around the house a few times a day. Mostly restroom breaks and dinner.He's eating better, but not as well as we would like. Unfortunately, the extra layers of skin are tight and have adhered to his skin, causing pulling and some pain when trying to open his mouth. He can't eat anything much larger than a dime because he can't get his mouth open wide enough. Drinking through a straw and cutting things really small seem to be the answer. Unfortunately, it even hurts to laugh and smile. The good news is, this will get better over time. One of my daily duties is to cut away the skin as it dries and releases itself from his skin. Not a fun task at all. I've been so nervous cutting around his mouth, nose, and eyes. I've also been keeping the netting trimmed; I even cut out a spaghetti stain the other day.

Michelle and I are working hard every day to continue to focus on the mental healing with Billy. You all are helping wonderfully with your voice mails and emails. We think there are two ways to stay on top of the mental healing, visitors from friends his age and adults. While we have to limit it, we want to try and start scheduling some limited visitors each night to stop by and spend some time with Billy. Call us if you would like to come see him. He just wants to talk, watch TV, play games, and get his mind off of his bandages.

Important: Please don't plan time with Billy if you are not feeling well or if you have been exposed to anyone sick. We simply can't take the risk. You'll also need to go through Michelle's Sanitizing Ritual (MSR) before you can go into his bedroom. Infection is still our largest enemy.

Billy has a doctor’s visit on Thursday. The Burn Center from Augusta has an extension at Cobb General and Billy's surgeon comes here on Thursday. They also have centers in FL, SC, MS, and AL that they visit once each week. That keeps us from having to make the trip back to Augusta and allows Billy to see the same individual that started his care. Our hopes are that the bandages will come off and give us our first look at the healing. This visit will determine if additional surgeries will be necessary, such as repairing skin graphs.

Sammy finally made it home after fighting off the flu and staying at my parent’s house. He had his first glance of Billy since the accident. Young kids are awesome; he jumped in and played games with Billy like nothing was different. Yesterday was Sammy's 6th birthday, so we had a mini-birthday party with him at the house. He loved it!

Michelle and I want to thank everyone again for your help. We knew we had it special here and are now confident in the over-sized heart you all have. The dinners have been great, although we are feeling a little plump from all the great eating. I need to get out and start running again; I still haven't seen the neighborhood damage from all the flooding.

Thanks Again!Bill and Michelle Rose