Updates: (11/19/2025)

Eli had an extremely difficult night. My mom ended up staying at the hospital to help keep him calm. He became so agitated that the nurses had to put him in soft restraints. Unfortunately, the restraints only made him more uncomfortable, which caused even more distress.

His neck brace has also been bothering him, along with the oxygen mask he was using.

His biggest complaint overnight was how thirsty he was. The doctors won’t allow him to have water until he passes his swallow test, which will hopefully happen later this afternoon.

The medical team tried giving him additional fentanyl and anti-anxiety medication to help settle him, but despite all their efforts, he wasn’t able to get any rest.

When the new nurse came on shift this morning — the one my parents absolutely love and who has been with Eli almost every day — she was able to make him more comfortable. She removed the restraints, switched his oxygen to the smaller nasal cannula, and used a special gel to moisten the inside of his mouth, which helped him feel a bit better.

I arrived around 11 a.m., and he was sound asleep. My mom said he had finally managed to fall asleep earlier in the morning and had stayed asleep since. He wasn’t able to fully wake up when I first got there, but it meant so much to see him in person, talk to him, and tell him that we’re all here with him.

They took an X-ray of his shoulder since he had been complaining about pain last night. Thankfully, the injury appears to be non-surgical, which is good news.

This afternoon, an eye doctor came in to evaluate him, and unfortunately, the results weren’t great. Eli’s right eye and eyelid are drooping, and the eye isn’t tracking with the left one. The eye itself looks very injured — for lack of a better word. The doctor said he may experience double vision and could need an eye patch for a while as it hopefully heals. They’ll continue to monitor it.

A neuro doctor also came by to check his strength and reflexes. He was able to push against the doctor’s hands with his feet, which is encouraging. But when asked to raise his right arm and touch the doctor’s hand, he wasn’t able to. His hand twitched a little, but he couldn’t lift it. That’s definitely concerning and something the team will keep a close eye on.

They also did his swallow test today, and unfortunately, he didn’t pass. Tomorrow they’ll do a video swallow study to better understand what’s causing the issue. Until then, he still can’t have any liquids or food.

PT tried to work with him today by helping him sit up and dangle his legs over the side of the bed, but it was too painful, and he really struggled with it.

Overall, it’s been another rollercoaster of a day. It was jarring to see him like this. The color in his face looks better, but his right eye looks rough. And when he does speak, his speech is very slurred and muffled.

More updates coming tomorrow. ❤️