Celebration of Life

We have all the details for Karson's Celebratiom of Life. On Wedsnesday, January 26th we will be joining for drinks and a toast to honor Karson at Dick and Dixie's on 300 South 500 East at 7:00 pm in Salt Lake City (bring your best Karson story). Thursday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm we will be having a viewing in Provo at the Edgemont Stake Center on 3700 North and 303 West. On Friday we will be having another viewing from 9:00 am until 10:45 am and the service will start at 11:00 am. Both of these will also be held at the Edgemont Stake Center in Provo. Karson will be buried in the Richfield City Cemetery in the Peterson family plot, which was the place he was born. The graveside service will start at 3:30 pm. Immediately after we will be gathering for a dinner at the Frontier Village in Richfield. Thanks again for all of your support, we love you.

Day 310

Today was the last day of Karson's battle. He passed away at 5:30 this morning. We will all miss him so much. Anybody who met Karson will never forget him. We will be holding a viewing on Thursday evening and a Celebration of Life will be Friday around noon. Once all of the plans have been set, we will let everyone know the details. In lieu of flowers, please donate money in Karson's name to your local homeless shelter or food bank.Thank you all for your continual love and support. These last ten months have been very trying and there is no way we could have gotten through it without any of you. Karson's motto explains it best, "Life's short, play it cool"Much love to you all!Karson we love you and this is only the beginning for you, you will be missed.Mike, Susan, Kass and Karissa

DAY 305

At Karson's last appointment, he got his baclofen increased to 300. It can go up to 1000, if we have to. It really seemed to ease up his muscles this last time. His infection is under control but his heart rate seems to stay high. This week he seems a lot more comfortable. My friend Allyson gives him massage once a week and my friend Jay, who is a chiropractor, works with him once a week. He loves both of these treatments. Our physical therapist has increased the time he spends with Karson to see if he get him ready for the U of U. We still don't have a definite time for him to go there yet. We are staying very positive that it will be soon. Karson had a lot of visitors last week. Thanks to all of you for supporting him. If Karson doesn't answer you when you ask questions, ask him to use his voice and that usually makes him say it louder so that you can hear him. He is great with yes and no questions and is starting to say a lot of other words. He loves his speech therapist, Ann Sumner, and works very well for her. His weight has stayed the same for a couple of weeks now so that he is not loosing weight anymore. He is at 140 lbs. My heart is so full of gratitude for all the people that have gotten Karson this far. We couldn't ask for a better family or friends. Thanks for all the support and love.

DAY 298

Karson seems to be coming down with an infection. I had the nurse call the doctor to see if we can put him on an antibotic. He has been having a fever on and off for the last day or two. He looks flushed and is not looking like himself. Karson has been doing so well. When he feels good, he really improves. It is just keeping him healthy that is the big problem. We take him up to Salt Lake again to the U of U for them to increase his baclofen tomorrow. I can tell that it is really helping in loosening him up. He still has a long way to go which will include surgeries to strip the joints. He is one tough cookie who can handle it. Karson all of us are impressed how you fight every day to make improvements. Thanks for all the continued support, love, and prayers. It gives us all strength.

DAY 289

Thank you so much for all the Christmas wishes and Happy New Year wishes that you sent Karson and our family. I know that a lot of you made a personal visit to Karson's room over the holidays which is much appreciated. Plus, all the great gifts that you gave Karson. We are putting them all to good use. Karson is doing well except for him biting his lip again. His speech therapy and physical therapy are coming along great. We are just waiting for the day when Dr. Elovic gives us the okay to move him up to the rehab at the U of U. Karson has to be able to move his muscles better which the baclofen pump assists in doing. We go up again next week to get his levels increased. Our family have high hopes for this coming year. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful family members and friends supporting us through this difficult journey. May 2011 bring much happiness into all your lives.

DAY 280 - Christmas Day

Christmas certainly has been different this year without Karson here. He got to come home for 3 1/2 hours yesterday but the van wasn't running today so we couldn't get him home. He loved being here on Christmas Eve but most of all, we enjoyed him here. Our house just isn't the same without our everloving, always joking, spontaneous, and sweet brother, son and uncle. Our little Reese, who just turned two, looked at me today in the mist of celebrating, and said "Where's Karson?" All of us were missing him badly and know that he will be here with us next year. He had an appointment with Dr. Elovic on Thursday and they moved his baclofen pump which is always a good sign because if he hasn't progressed or if he is in any pain, they won't increase it. In January, we have him signed up for 2 hours a day with a physical therapist that we know will aid in getting Karson where he has to be to get moved up to the U of U rehab. His speech therapist says that every time she works with Karson, he gets better. He is trying to talk to her so she is going to work on ways for him to tell us what he is trying to say. As soon as the speech therapist feels like he is ready, we will do a swallow test to see if he can start putting solids in his mouth. I can't wait to give him his first bite of real food. We wish all of you a very happy holiday season. Happy New Year to All.

DAY 273

We took Karson up for his weekly appointment to Dr. Elovic. He changed some of his medications and gave me some recommendations to make Karson more comfortable. Being in that bed 24/7 reeks havoc on a body......He didn't get his baclofen increased at the appointment because he has a bad sore on his little toe from curling his feet so tight and he has hemorroids from always having his body in a fight mode. Increasing the baclofen while he is getting through pain is not a good idea. All I can say is that Karson is one tough person. I have seen him go through so much these past 9 months and he still is fighting. He is doing great with is speech therapist. His swallow is getting so much better. I can't wait to be able to feed him real food. He continues to have a lot of visitors. Thanks so much for all the support. This has been a tough time for Karson and our family. We couldn't have done it without all the love and support that you all have given us. We wish all of you a very Happy Holiday season with your families and friends.

DAY 262

We took Karson up to the U of U again to up his baclofen pump. He is handling this increase in baclofen better than he has any other dose. I believe that he is because he is finally over all his infections. The doctor looked over his medications and then put him on another one to see if it would assist with him being so tight all the time. He is getting used to traveling up to Salt Lake. Karson has a really hard time with any changes in routine. He is getting better. He had the best day with his speech therapist yesterday. He is doing more and more because he is familiar with her now. Dr. Elovic wanted Karson rolled on his belly at everyday so we did it the first time yesterday. While he was rolled over, my sweet friend Allyson, gave him a massage. He loved it. He only could handle about 15 minutes on his stomach before he wanted to be turned back over. Baby steps with Karson and slow progress....but he is improving small amounts every week. All my family wrote him Christmas letters. I read them to him which delighted him so much. Thanks for all the love and comfort you gave to him through your letters. He loved all the sweet memories that you had of him. We continue to have so much support. Our family and Karson are so grateful for all of you.

DAY 255 - 25th BIRTHDAY

We had a lovely day with Karson on his birthday today. He got to come home for 3 hours and was a excited at first but then got a little uneasy about things. We took him out of his wheelchair and put him in his lazy boy chair that he used to love and he seemed to do a little better. We had many friends and family come and visit with him today. Thanks for all the birthday wishes in person and on facebook. I printed all your comments on facebook and read them to Karson. He loved them. His good days seem to be outweighing the bad. His new speech therapist really seems to be getting through to Karson. He goes up Friday to increase his levels of baclofen. He is still very stiff in his legs and arms. It really hurts him at times. We have got to keep him healthy so that he can progress further. He had a flu shot and I would appreciate it if you would not visit if you are sick. My neice has been sick and she visits in a mask so that works also. Love to all of you and have a safe and happy holiday season.

DAY 250-THANKSGIVING

We brought Karson home for a couple of hours today. He was so excited when I walked in the room this morning to bring him home. The first hour he was here was fine and he was comfortable but then his back starts hurting him while in his wheel chair so the next hour was uncomfortable for him. He got very tired and wanted to get back in his air bed at the Provo Rehab. We were so grateful that we got to bring him home for that short of time and I know that he really enjoyed being home. His birthday is this Tuesday and we are going to have him home from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. if he can be here that long without hurting too bad. I will have cupcakes and would love to have you come and spend a few minutes with Karson if you would like. You are always welcome to visit him at the Provo Rehad also. He is a little more comfortable there in his air bed. Karson didn't have an appointment this week because of Thanksgiving but we are going up next Friday to increase his baclofen pump. I am looking forward to working with the speech therapist which gets back on Monday. I feel that she can get him where he needs to be to get up to the U of U. I am grateful for all of your love, care and concern that you have given Karson and our family. Thank you ALL so very much.

DAY 245 - 8 MONTHS

Karson had a very good week this week. The best week so far in following commands and talking. I hired a speech therapist to work with Karson twice a week and then she taught me to do things when she wasn't there. We are working to get him to be able to eat again through his mouth and then she is going to get him to talk better. He says words sometimes that we can't understand so she is going to teach him to make his words clearer. Karson has a urine infection so he is on an antibotic to clear that up. Karson also went up to the U of U to get his baclofen pump increased. He is up to 220 which is still a very low dosage but he is getting some relief from the baclofen so we know that it is assisting him in being able to move his body without being so painful. Dr. Elovic said that Karson has been awake for a long time. He just hasn't been able to make the connections in his brain to communicate and follow commands. We have him on the right medications now that are working for him and also his brain is healing itself day by day to make those connections. He is finally gaining weight which is an excellent sign. He still can't wait to be able to taste his first creamy. Karson turns 25 on the 30th of November. I am going to bring him home on his birthday for a few hours. If any of you would like to come and see him, call me 801-427-3869 and I will tell you the arrangements that we have made. He can't be away very long from the rehab because of his medication schedule and his tube feedings but we will have him here for a little while. I am grateful for all you this Thanksgiving season for your support, prayers and love. Our family has been truly blessed by YOU.

DAY 241

Karson has finished his antibotic which really seemed to helped with making him feel so much better. He received botox in his cheeks to help ease the grinding of his teeth. Dr. Elovic also put some botox on the right side of his neck because Karson has a tendency to turn his head to the left and the right side of his neck gets really tight. Dr. Elovic moved his baclofen pump up to 180 which is still in the low range. I asked the doctor to give us an estimate on how long before he thinks that Karson will be able to handle physical therapy at the U of U and he said in about two months so that is what we are shooting for. He continues to be more and more alert everyday and is saying a lot more words. I can see a lot more movement due to the baclofen and the brain healing. Karson is such a strong person who is up for this fight. I am so impressed that he continues to be such a fighter. Thanks for all the support and love that you always send our family. Everyone always tells me that they put Karson on the prayer roll when they go to the temple. I can't believe how truly blessed we are to have such a wonderful family and friends as you all are.

DAY 229

Karson has had an infection and has been taken an antibotic which is starting to make him feel a lot better. He was really miserable for a few days so I am glad to see him finally sleeping and being a much happier person. He is very alert now so I know that increasing the dosages on his meds are working. He is not having his sweating fits as much since we put him on a medication for that so he is more comfortable. His muscles are easing up from the baclofen pump. All in all, things are going pretty good. He doesn't go to the U of U this week because his doctor has conferences so we will take him up to raise his levels of baclofen next friday. The doctor is also going to give him botox in his neck and cheeks to relieve some of his tension in those places. He is answering most of the nurses and aids now when they ask him questions so they are even seeing him progress. He used to only answer certain people. His brain is slowly healing which we are all so grateful for. With this a month of reflecting gratitude, we have so much to grateful for. Thanks for following this blog and for your continued support. It assists Karson so much in healing to know that people love and care for him.

DAY 221

Karson seems to be getting back to his himself after healing from the baclofen pump surgery. We go up weekly to the U of U to elevate his levels and he is tolerating the level changes well. He is not as stiff as he once was but he still has a long way to go. He had two appointments this week one with the neurosurgeon and one with the neurologist and they both said that he is doing well. In fact, he doesn't have another appointment with the neurologist until February. I admire Karsons strength everyday. I can't believe what he has gone through and he still has the fight in him. I can tell he gets discouraged at times but then he gets that fire in his eyes and I know that more than anything else he wants to win this battle. It is going to be years and I know he will win. Thanks for ALL the continued support. It means so very much to all of us. Your notes of encouragement seem to come at just the right time. Karson knows of all the support he has gotten and I know that is one of the reasons he is willing to win this battle.

DAY 211

Karson will be able to go to the U of U rehab as soon as the doctors feel that they can do the most good for him. Karson's insurance only pays for a one time stay at the U of U and they have to give reports on how he is improving each day or he can't stay there. What we are doing is all the procedures that we can do before he goes there so that when he does get there, he will have the best chances to improve and therefore stay longer and get the assistance to get him back where he deserves to be. That is why we have placed the baclofen pump and are raising the levels each week so that his muscles will be ready to handle the 4 to 6 hours of physical therapy. His muscles are not so tight but still we have to get them to loosen up a little more. We have another appointment with the Doctor this Thursday to elevate his levels once again. They have to do it slowly so it doesn't effect his stats. He had his levels moved up on Friday and we had to put him on a low does of oxygen yesterday because his stats were dropping and that is what we had to do after his dosage was elevated last week. His oxygen levels come up after a few days so we can give him more baclofen. The Doctor also ordered the continuous EEG to see about seizures that Karson passed with no seizure activity. We went to dinner with some friends last night and they didn't get from the blog if he was even going to get to go to the U of U and yes, he is. The minute the doctors think that they can do the most good for him, he will be up there. I don't explain the situation very well on the blog so if you have questions about Karson, please feel free to call. Then I can explain things better on the blog. Love to you all.

DAY 209

Karson went up to the U of U again today for another appointment with Dr. Elovic who then increased the baclofen in his pump. He also gave increased some of his medication that makes him more alert. We are doing everything we can to get him up there for physical therapy. Karson has to be able to do physical therapy for 4 to 6 hours a day so we are working for that goal. His muscles are not so tight in his arms, legs and shoulders but they really have to be more flexible to do aggressive therapy. The baclofen is like a muscle relaxer surging through his spinal colomn to make everything not so tight. He has another appointment next thursday to get his levels increased again. They have to do it slowly so it doesn't effect his breathing stats. His 72 hour EEG results came back and he does not have any seizure activity at all so that was great news. Thanks for all your continued support and love. Karson appreciates all of you. Thanks Aunt Val for the pumpkins....your family continues to give him tons of support and they look very festive in his room. A special thanks to Megan Farmer, his cousin, she makes sure that Karson is clean and comfortable when I am not there and makes sure that the nurses and aides do their job. You are an angel. LOVE TO YOU ALL......

DAY 205

Karson had a week of ups and downs last week trying to get over the baclofen pump operation. He was on oxygen off and on all week because his stats kept on dropping. He was very irritable and restless. Part of him being uncomfortable was that he had an EEG attached to his head for three day and three nights. We are checking for seizure activity. The results should be in today or tomorrow from our neurologist. Jordan, his girlfriend, was here so that eased the pain a bit. He loves having her around. His best friend got married and I know that was very hard for him not to see that. Wyatt and Lindsay congratulations........You are the most perfect couple for each other. Karson continues to lose weight. He has dropped another 20 pounds in the last two weeks. He is wasting away. Karson had an appointment up in Salt Lake with Dr. Elovic to get his baclofen levels elevated on Friday. He had a small reaction to that on Saturday but seemed to be feeling better on Sunday. We will continue to stay on top of everything and make Karson as comfortable as possible so that he will continue to heal. Please keep praying for his recovery and thank you so much for your continued support.

DAY 199

Karson is back to the Provo Rehab after having the permanent baclofen pump placed in his back. He seems not be as tight in his shoulders and his arms. We are going up to Salt Lake this Friday to see his doctor at the U of U, so that he can fine tune the dosage that will work for Karson. He seems a little uncomfortable now because he went through surgery to get the pump placed but I know it is only temporary. He starts a three day EEG this afternoon to see if he is still having seizure activity. He has been on seizure medication since the accident happened just in case of seizures. We haven't seen any sign of seizures but to really see if they are going on, we felt like he had to do this continuous EEG. He is responding more and more to everybody when they talk to him. He answers yes and no questions which has really been helpful in making him comfortable. Jordan Imani, Karson's girlfriend, came last week and she visited him. He absolutely loved her here. Thanks Jordan for all the time you spent with him. He misses you now and can't wait for you to come back out. Thanks for all your continued support. We all feel comforted by your love and prayers. This has been such a long drawn out ordeal and I can't believe all the people that still write, call and stay in touch. Our hearts are full of gratitude from all the support.

DAY 196

We did the baclofen pump trial and we could see some change especially in the arms. We decided to go ahead with the permanent baclofen pump so that it would ease up his muscles to do physical therapy. As time goes on and the brain heals a little more, hopefully we will see more of a change. Karson seems so much more comfortable now that the baclofen is surging through his spinal cord. He has been taking baclofen for his spastic arms and legs orally but it just was not doing the trick so we weined him off from that and installed the pump. Dr. Elovic from the U of U says that the pump is much more effective which is the consensus of about every other specialist that I have talked to. Karson will be at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo for the weekend to regulate the dosage of the pump and then he will be back to the rehab in Provo. He has a continuous EEG scheduled at the rehab for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. Both the pump and the EEG were on the list of things to do before we see Dr. Elovic in three weeks at the U of U rehab. We are getting things done slowly but surely. Our whole family feels your love, support and prayers continually. Thanks for seeing us through this long and tedious process. Your support is truly giving us all comfort and hope. Love you all.

DAY 192

Karson had an appointment with Dr. Gardener who is a neurosurgeon today about getting a baclofen pump. Dr. Gardener is doing the trial on the baclofen pump in the morning at 8:00 a.m. He could see that this could really assist Karson in not being in so much pain and I am putting it out there that this works. Karson arms and legs are in so much pain when you touch them. They do the trial for two days to see if it works and if it does then then implant it so that he has medicine going in at all times. Baclofen orally doesn't seem to do the trick but the pump, in most cases, works well. If not, we will go to the next route which is surgically stripping the joint and then working it through physical therapy so that he can get movement back into his joints. All I can say is that Karson is one tough person....I don't know if I could have been through what he has. He does get frustated at times but then he pulls himself up and puts his game face on. Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. We really do take them all into consideration. Thanks to Uncle Brad, Aunt Julia and Kass for taking care of Karson in the emergency room last weekend when I went to be with Mike in Seattle. Karson was in good hands with the company that he had. LOVE YOU ALL............