The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the 21st Century

Some updates on Andrew McCallum, taken from his brother David’s notes in Facebook (for more on Andrew, see here and here):

Thursday, April 10, afternoon — Coasting

No change to speak of, today. Andrew’s nurses and doctors are trying to deal with a fever and keep his temperature at a safe level.

It occurred to me that I may have been a little overzealous with the “thumbs up” news. Andrew is by no means in the clear yet, and I was told that the thumbs up was really just him raising a thumb on command while still being out. This is great news, but he still has a long way to go. Please keep the prayers coming.

I got the CDs playing to him today, and will print out more of your wonderful comments for him. I’m having trouble keeping up with all of you!

Thursday, April 10, late afternoon — Infection

Andrew’s developed an infection in one of his lungs and is now being dosed with antibiotics. You smokers out there, take note: the nurses tell me that smokers are more likely to develop infections in their lungs in critical care, and infections are serious problems in this state.

So, why don’t some of you target your prayers to his lungs, and the rest of you keep focussing on his head? Let’s make sure all of him’s covered.

We seem to have amassed a large group of people who are all directing positive energy towards Andrew, and it’s a very lovely thing. I also realise that there are many others out there also in need of positive energy, and I think Andrew would love to be able to make use of this situation to help others. I can’t ask him, of course, but he’s an upstanding chap and I’ll just assume on his behalf.

If anyone out there has someone in need of prayers and good energy, please post about them on the discussion thread that I’ve started so we can all send some good vibes their way. All of you sending positive energy out, please add these people to your prayers.

Friday, April 11, noon — Stabilizing

This morning, Andrew gave another raised thumb to the nurse, but it apparently wasn’t repeated. She suggested that this may be because he is simply exhausted. Still, we’re taking comfort in this gesture.

He also has a fever that they’re treating, and this too is apparently improving. Little steps for Andrew.

I updated the group description because it was a few days out of date.

A photo collage is being organised for Andrew. If you’d like to contribute, please see the discussion thread about it (which will be created, if it hasn’t already been).

Please keep your prayers coming, and tell your loved ones that you love them.

I’ve done my share of sitting in a hospital, hoping that a family member will recover, so my heart goes out to the McCallum family. Stay strong, folks.

In an earlier post, I wrote about Andrew McCallum’s accident and being in the hospital in serious condition. There were some good signs yesterday afternoon, as reported by his brother David:

Holy crap. According to the nurses, this morning, Andrew gave a squeeze and a thumbs up on command. Holy crap!

Andrew is apparently no longer in a regular coma (whatever “regular” is), but during this brief bout of consciousness he was struggling against the respirator and working himself up into a tizzy, and tizzies are bad for him at this stage. The staff sedated him and he’s now in an induced coma to allow him to rest and heal. I think he is in a lot of pain. I can only imagine what it must feel like to be inside his head right now.

Thank you very much to those who dropped CDs off. It turns out that he now needs low stimulation, but you can bet I’ll be playing those CDs when he’s ready for it.

Thumbs up!

Here’s a message from Andrew’s father:

Saturday, Andrew was in the deepest coma. Today he is not. He has been put into a drug-induced coma to give him rest, because when he isn’t resting he is fighting all the tubes in him. This is a good sign, like the thumbs up he gave the nurse on command this morning.

He is not out of the woods by any means. He needs you to continue whatever it is that you are doing that is washing him in healing light and energy.

Andrew’s friends are beyond amazing. We read your messages to him and they sustain us all. The nursing staff in ICU stop by to listen to your poems, your prayers, your mantras, your chants, news of your prayer circles. One said yesterday, “Andrew must be truly wonderful to have so many people love him so passionately.” The medical staff have been excellent and are to all patients, but I think that hearing your messages makes them go that extra yard for Andrew.

One call I received today told us about a dream this person had of Andrew touching his nose, toes and ears on command and of a floating, glowing golden balloon.

Keep it up. The love of Andrew’s community is powerful and growing and demonstrates a love for each other, a caring supportive community in a world about which we are tempted to be jaded. You prove the power of love.

A very old and dear Iraqi friend of mine called me from England saying that he and his daughter had just arrived back from Dubai in the past couple of days. On the flight back from Dubai, unaware that we were going through this ordeal, his daughter asked him, when were they going to visit the McCallums in Canada. She had met David and Jonathan but never Andrew. His observation about her premonition: “the heart knows, before the mind.”

What your hearts know about Andrew seems to be coming to pass. Make it so.

Get well soon, Andrew.

Here’s an anti-drinking-and-driving poster from Mumbai — you should view it at full size to get the full effect:

Click the photo to see it at full size.
Photo courtesy of Miss Fipi Lele.