Drake is Famous on the West Coast!

September 26, 2008

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_10560111?nclick_check=1

Check this link for the newspaper article on Drake Taylor in the San Jose California Mercury Newspaper.

Thank you to Dr. Steinberg, Robert Dicks, Tood Kleinheinz, Reporter Linda Goldston and Photographer Karen Borchers for

"Drake's Moment of Fame in California"!

DR. GARY STEINBERG

SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

DR. STEINBERG & DRAKE TAYLOR

Wednesday, September 24, 20008

Wednesday morning brought a call from Robert Dicks asking us if Drake could return to the hospital for an interview with the San Jose, CA Mercury Newspaper "The Mercury News". We met with reporter Linda Goldston and photographer Karen Borchers to share Drake's story and to speak with Dr. Steinberg. Drake was interviewed for an article that will be out this weekend - Sept 26 or 27, 2008.

Lunch with "THE DUKE"!

We thought a little celebration was in order after the last clinic visit and the "OK" to head back east

to Illinois. We found a restaurant that advertised "The Best Texas Barbecue Around". Low and Behold Drake was able to eat with "The Duke". Drake was thrilled when we walked in and a picture of John Wayne was on the wall.

"Mom, I want to sit over there!"

The smile says it all!

Last of the paper work!

Drake turned in his final folder for this trip. Drake pointed to his shirt to inform the lady behind the desk he was going home to Illinois. Drake wore his cowboy boots and the Illinois shirt his Uncle Dave sent him last week to the clinic visit. Drake wanted everyone to know that the purpose of this trip was to be released from the medical care and head back home to Illinois!

Some of Drake's New Friends!

Drake took a picture with his new friends after the clinic visit. Todd Kleinheinz (left) and Robert Dicks (far right) are from the Media Relations Department of the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Teresa Bell-Stephens, RN (center) is a member of Dr. Steinberg's Team. The Hospital is doing a story on Drake, Dr. Steinberg and the Moya Moya diagnoses and surgeries. Drake was happy to be a part of the story and filming of the video.

Let Me See...

Drake and his family were able to see the results of the final MRI taken on Sunday 9/21/08 at the clinic visit on Tuesday 9/23/08. All looked good, just a little swelling on the right side of the brain which is normal at this stage of recovery.

The Final Round...

September 23, 2008

The final clinic visit at Dr. Steinberg's office. Teresa Bell-Stephens, the Nurse Coordinator for Dr. Steinberg's office, was testing Drake for strength and endurance. He passed with flying colors! Teresa then told Drake it was official...he could return home and start doing chores at the barn again! Drake just wanted to know when he could go back to school again and start doing homework!

One More Trip left...

Sunday, Sept 21, 2008

Down to the parking deck once again. Just a clinic visit left on the list for Tuesday, Sept.23!

Then...

Dunlap here we come!

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital

One More Medical Test...

Drake returned to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital for his last MRI on Sunday, September 21, 2008. Drake had written a note to give to the doctors. He wanted them to use small band aides so they would not stick so hard when he went to take them off! He suggested they use the small circle one from Curaid like the ones his mom uses when he gets hurt.

Home Again! Sept 19, 2009

Friday afternoon Drake was resting and enjoying his friend Betty at Carol's house. It felt great to be relaxing in a much quieter place!

Drake will return for a MRI and a clinic appointment with Dr. Steinberg this next week.

We are in the home stretch!

Best Wishes to New Friends...

Drake has met many new friends during his stay at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Tom MacCrae, ACU, was always near by filling in with a extra hand when needed. Tom has a picture of his little boy on the back of his name tag so Drake wanted to know a little about him. When you spend a lot of time in one area you come to know many personal stories of each others families. That is a wonderful touch and makes you feel at ease. The ICU was family focused. We always felt informed of Drake's care and part of the process. They helped you feel as comfortable as possible given the situation.

Job well done Tom and all the others who supported Drake in his stay at the Hospital!

Reading the Mail...

Friday Morning Sept 19, 2008

Drake has been blessed with many letters and cards sent by his family and friends back home. Drake looked forward to the mail everyday. Friday morning he opened a envelope from his classmates back in Dunlap, IL. All of the students in his Life Skills class wrote Drake a note and each letter had different pictures of Ironman. Ironman has become Drake's new nick name and favorite movie charactor. Doc Nathan and Nurse Nabila looked on as Drake was excited about the pictures and letters. Doc Nathan read all the letters to Drake. They all agreed that Lee had excellent handwriting. Good job Lee!

Thank you to Mrs. Carrier's Class for all the wonderful notes and letters to cheer Drake on! Thank you also to Doc Nathan and Nabila for making Drakes' going home morning a very bright day!

The Pretty California Nurses!

Drake always is ready to entertain the pretty nurses! Friday morning Sept 19th Drake was feeling like his old, or should we say... like a new man again! Drake was awake and felling great. As you can tell from the big smile he was ready to go! Nurses Nabila and Christy were cheering Drake on as he found out he could go home this morning. Nabila started working on the paperwork to discharge Drake out of the ICU. Out came the last of the IV's and into street cloths. Weekend at home, here we come!

Meet Dr. Arash Sabati

Dr. Sabati, the Pediatric Resident, was always near by to answer questions and continued to check on Drake. Dr. Sabati was part of the great team caring for Drake in the ICU unit. The circle of care given to Drake was outstanding.

Nurse Alicia

Drake was recovering very well on Thursday and Nurse Alicia was his partner for the day. Drake continued to improve as the day went on. Thank you Alicia for your wonderful care!

Welcome Back!

Thursday (9/18/08) brought a visit from Drake's PT and OT Michelle and Karen. They had Drake up in no time again taking a tour around the ICU. The ladies always brightened up Drake's spirits with their words of encouragement and excitement! They make a great team and sure helped Drake to get moving again!

Thursday, Sept 19, 2008

September 18, 2008

The day after the blood transfusion and Drake was feeling better and stronger. Dad brought over The Three Stooges movies to the hospital and you could hear Drake laughing at the silly stunts! (It's a guy thing...!)
Drake was up and around again and took a few naps in between. Thursday was off to a great start!

New Stanford Buddy... Doc Nathan

Meet our fellow mid-westerner soon to be Doc!
Doc Nathan Morrell and Drake have found out they have a lot in common! They are both from the Midwest, Nathan from Wisconsin and Drake from Illinois but most of all they love red jeeps! Of course, let’s not forget the snow! Drake has always dreamed of driving a red jeep. He talks about it all the time. After Doc Nathan stopped by to get to know Drake he shared about the times he drove his red jeep in Wisconsin with the top off and could throw the best snowballs from it! Drake later learned Nathan went to Grandpa Taylor’s Alma Mater – Notre Dame! This further led to the discussion of lepercons…the mascot of Notre Dame! The stories could have gone on forever but Drake finally lost his steam and was ready for a snooze.
Congratulations on finishing your medical school days Doc Nathan. Best Wishes in acquiring the dream match for your residency!

Blood Transfusion…Top off the tank please!

Wednesday evening (9/17/08) at 8:45 pm Drake was given two units of blood to bring up his red blood cell count. We are ready for a peaceful night.

Wednesday Afternoon, Resting Peacefully...

Another Taylor taking a nap after dinner...

Is this Dinner???

September 17, 2008

After many of the IV lines were removed Drake was ready to eat. The closest thing on hand at the moment was Cheerios!

The real food followed...

AGNES DADO, Drake's Guardian Angel...

Things are looking better...well maybe...

Drake's had some ups and downs on Wednesday, Sept 17, 2008.

Drake was taking a little more time bouncing back from the second surgery. Drake's heart rate and blood pressure was not stabilizing and his red blood cell count was down. The doctors and nurses were keeping close watch over Drake as the day passed on. Agnes, Drake's day nurse, was a wonderful source of energy and comfort. She made Drake's day when she starting removing the IV lines and central line in his neck. As Drake felt his freedom he began to move around more and gained his desire to eat! It is Agnes Birthday Day September 18th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGNES!!

Sept 16, 2008 Day of 2nd Surgery

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

1:30 pm

Dr. Steinberg came up and talked with us and told us all went as planned. Dr. Steinberg was able to correct both areas with one larger insicion.

3:00pm

We were able to see Drake in the intensive care unit. Drake woke up several times this afternoon and wanted to sit up and look around. His blood pressure remains stable. He is on a nasel oxygen unit but otherwise doing great!

9:00 pm thru Evening - Night

A night of alarms, medication, doctors, and stress. Blood pressure and heart rate issues. Restless night of sleep for Drake.

DUNLAP MIDDLE SCHOOL

DUNLAP MIDDLE SCHOOL, Dunlap, IL

Drake has received much support and encouragement from many people over these last few months. The Dunlap Middle School is very close to his heart. The school's principle, staff, teachers and students have gone above and beyond to cheer Drake on by sending him notes and emails to brighten up his days at Stanford.

They have also blessed Drake and his family with financial support. The school began a campaign called "Change for Drake" The students donated coins to help support Drake on his trip to Stanford Medical Center to see Dr. Steinberg. Over $4,500 was raise to help offset the expenses in California.

What a wonderful and generous gift to give to a fellow student. Drake and his family are very touched by the support of Dunlap Middle School!

(sign in the back reads "DMS LOVES DRAKE")

Meet The Anathesiologists for the 2nd Surgery...

Drake was greeted this morning by his team of Doctors. Dr. Berta, part of Dr. Steinberg's team, checked up on Drake first. He was please with the healing of the first surgical area on the left side. We then met the Anathesiologists for the operation. Pictured on the left of Drake is Dr. Hsieh and to the right is Dr. Yamout. Both of the doctors were great and put Drake at ease. They admired Drake's drawing of the Ironman mask he had just finished. The two doctors answered a few questions and then rolled Drake off to the surgical area at 7:30 am. Drake is in good hands once again!

Tuesday Morning Sept. 16, 2008 2nd Surgery

Drake arrived at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at 6:oo am Tuesday morning for his pre-surgery prep. As you can see from his smile he was calm, cool and collected. He brought along his Ironman notebook and pencil so he could draw some pictures while he waited for the doctors to arrive.
They drew an "R" on the right side of Drake head so the doctors knew were to start. We told Drake he had his official War Paint and was ready for action! Drake was roiled away to the surgical area at 7:30 am and was still drawing pictures as they wheeled him through the doors!

SECOND BRAIN SURGERY Sept. 16, 2008 7:30 am

SEPTEMBER 16, 2008

The second brain surgery is scheduled for September 16 at 7:30 am with Dr. Gary Steinberg at Stanford Medical Center. We are scheduled to arrive at 6:00 am for pre-surgery prep. This surgery is for the correction of the right side brain blood vessels. Drake will have two surgical areas on the right side. We are hopeful the recovery will be as smooth as the left side.

We ask for your prayers in the guidance of the doctors and surgical team as Drake goes through the second round of surgery. Please pray for strength, safety and comfort for Drake in the days ahead.

Sunday September 14, 2008

We enjoyed our visit to the Webb Ranch Sunday to watch the Horse Show. As you can see, we felt right at home. We watched the horses and viewed the grounds with the California mountains in the back ground. It is a beautiful area for a ranch. As you enter the ranch driving towards the horse stable area you pass large areas of organic gardens and composting. The ranch has very natural and peaceful surroundings and is tucked away in a valley of the Los Altos Hills.

MEET TRIGGER...Carol's Four Legged Buddy

Carol has a new love in her life...TRIGGER! Trigger is a beautiful Palomino Horse she stables at the Webb Ranch. Trigger was getting ready for his first horse show at the Webb Ranch and was spending time with his buddy Carol before his big ride. Drake loved to meet up with Trigger as he has ridden many horses with the therapeutic riding program CIRT in East Peoria, IL. Drake also owns his own mini horse by the name of Brownie. Brownie is being taken care of by our dear friend Janet back on her farm in Illinois.

I thought the picture with Drake was too cute, "I'm looking at you"...no, "I'm looking at you", replies Drake to Trigger.

WEBB RANCH HORSE SHOW, Sunday Sept 14, 2008

We were cheering for Trigger and Rider #44 to win a ribbon at the Webb Ranch Horse Show! Melody did a great job and was up against some tough competition! It was perfect weather for the outdoor horse show and a great way to round out the weekend.

Friday Night with Drake's buddy Betty!

Meet Betty!
Friday night was a night to chill and relax and hang out with Betty. Betty is Carol's dog who is now Drake's best buddy. They watch a show together, walk around the back yard and just pal around. I think Betty is waiting for Drake to drop a few crumbs her way! Betty is a wonderful dog who now has Drake working on Mom to get a dog for the barn when we return home. Always looking for the soft spot in Mom's heart! How can you resist after these pictures!

Let Me Read Your Fortune...

Surprise!

Friday night the UPS truck arrived and a box to Drake Taylor was handed over. Interesting..."Open it up Drake, I'm not sure who it is from!" Much to every one's surprise there was a big, no HUGE, fortune cookie! The coolest part of the fortune cookie was the picture of Drake's Dunlap Middle School Life Skills classmates holding up the "We Love Our Little Iron Man" signs and two pictures of the real Iron Man! What a great Friday night! We encouraged him to open it but he said it was "Too Cool!" and wanted to save it. Drake will have to open it soon to read his fortune!

Thank you to Mrs. Carrier, Mrs. Theobald, Mrs. Best and all our Buddies from the Dunlap Middle School Life Skills Class! Drake say, "I MISS YOU!".

The Paddle Boat Work Out!!

Drake spotted the paddle boats off the shore edge of the Shoreline Park Reserve Lake and thought we should go for a ride! We figured Dad would do all the work with Drake and I just laying back and enjoying the scenery! So we climb into the paddle boat with Dad in the front on one side and Drake in the front to steer. Mom climbed into the back behind Drake and we were ready to go! "Come on Dad...lets go!" Oh...one problem...Dad's feet could not fit into the peddle slots. You have got to be kidding! By now it was clear we were going no where! Either Mom had to buck up to the front and take control of the situation or the trip was over! OK...this could be scary. Mom had to move to the front, Dad to the back and Drake was clearly off the hook because he could not reach the peddles. So as you can see from the pictures Drake was relaxed, cool and calm, none of this phasing him one bit! We eventually moved things around (meaning Mom & Dad) and paddled the paddle boat around the lake. We did not wonder too far, since this was a one man...no, I mean woman show...I was afraid we might not make it back!!