Feb. 24, 2014 Update, Evening

Not much to report today, as will probably be the case for the next few days. As I said this morning, the doctors want Paul to rest as much as possible, with as little stimulation as possible. But that definitely doesn't mean you can't visit! Nia, Nick, Taylor, and the rest of Paul's family would love the company. So feel free to come say Hi. 

Since that wasn't much of an update, how about an entertaining Paul story? 

We were on an editorial shoot in The Middle of Nowhere, Georgia, on this dirt road, away from all civilization. We had finished our shoot, and we were walking back to the car, when Paul spotted a snake near the driver's side of his car. Paul was convinced that this was a snake that he needed to "handle". I, being terrified of snakes, immediately advised him against it. However, he continued to pursue the snake and insisted that I come closer than my minimum 10-ft safe-distance and "check it out!". Before I had even made it close to the snake, I realized that what we were looking at was a rattlesnake that had no rattler (sometimes when rattlesnakes shed their skin, their rattles become brittle and break off). Paul, of course, refused to believe me as I was running away, and continued to pursue the rattle-less-rattlesnake.

In an attempt to achieve what I thought would be ultimate safety, I ran to the passenger side of the vehicle and begged Paul to open the doors so I could lock myself inside. Little did I know that the snake had moved in between Paul and the driver's side door, and when Paul advanced to unlock the door, the snake bolted underneath the vehicle, heading toward the passenger side of the car, where I was standing. What happened next is kind of a blur, but I'm pretty sure Paul yelled something along the lines of, "IT'S COMING FOR YOU!!!" and I took off running again. The snake ended up staying under the car, taunting me from a distance. After failing to convince me to come back, Paul ended up having to jump in the car and drive to pick me up, a half-mile down the road. 

Once we were back in Jacksonville, I hit the Google search and found out that 1) I was right. It WAS a rattlesnake, and 2) Rattlesnakes CAN lose their rattles. And we learned some valuable lessons that day:

I am always right. And, if need be, I can move pretty fast  :)

If you have an entertaining story about Paul, please email it to me at amy@paulfigura.com. Maybe over the next few days, while Paul is resting, we can post them here and have a good laugh. 

Thanks again so much for everything, everyone.  

-Amy

Feb. 24, 2014 Update, Morning

Just a quick update today to say thank you to everyone that has been bringing meals, donating to Paul's expense fund, and coming by to visit him. The doctors have asked that we slow the visiting down a bit, to give him time to heal over the next few days. He's so popular! You can certainly still come visit Nia, Nick, Taylor and the rest of his family, and keep them company over the next few days. I know from experience that it has been nice to have the company and to share memories of Paul with those closest to him, so please don't feel like you have to stay away completely. We will just have to admire him from afar. 

I am in the office today working to keep the business up and running while Paul takes a much needed nap, but please check back to the website later this evening, and I will be sure to post the progress he is showing in his exams. 

Please keep praying for Paul and sending the love his way. 

-Amy

Feb. 23, 2014 Update

After resting all day, Paul had another exam this evening with his neurologist. Prior to his exam, with his sleep meds turned off, Nia and the kids were able to interact with Paul a bit. He was able to keep his eyes open for even longer periods of time; when asked, he moved his eyes from left to right; he acknowledged that he can hear out of both ears; and when asked, he blinked to confirm that he saw his son, Nick. It was another positive and special moment for the Figura family on this road to recovery. Again, Nia, Nick, Taylor and the rest of Paul's family want to convey to everyone how grateful they are for the outpouring of love and support during these past few days. It has truly been amazing. Please continue to send your prayers and positive thoughts Paul's way as he continues to fight his way back. Thank you all so much.

-Amy

Feb. 22, 2014 Update, Evening

Today was fairly quiet. Doctor's orders are for Paul to get lots of rest over the next few days to let his body heal. He had another exam this morning with his neurologist. The doctor has reduced the frequency of these exams to allow Paul more time to rest, heal, and hopefully make progress. During today's exam, he was able to open his eyes, and with the aid of his glasses, he was able to see his daughter Taylor and confirm that he recognized her by blinking his eyes. It was pretty awesome to see. Again - Thank you all so much for checking in on Paul and for all your prayers, kind words, and positive thoughts. And thank you so much to everyone that has signed up to take a meal to Paul's family. They (and I) continue to be amazed at the huge number of people coming forward to show their love and support. 

-Amy

PS: Friends of Jacksonville Animals is holding a fundraiser for Paul on March 6th at Havana Jax. Please help them spread the word about this event, and if you have something you'd like to donate for the raffle, contact Jill Mero (jill@friendsofjaxanimals.com). A huge thank you to FOJA for putting this event together!

Feb. 21st, 2014 Update

More good news today. Paul had another CT scan, and the results showed that his brain is stable. And for those of you that know Paul, you know this is huge! Paul hasn't been stable for years!! Womp womp. No, but seriously, this is a good thing. Keep the prayers and good vibes coming. Paul feels them, and they're definitely working. Thank you so much everyone.

— Amy

Feb. 19, 2014 Update, Morning

Paul had a really good exam this morning with his neurologist. They took him off the Propophyll (sleep drug) and he "woke up" a little bit and was responsive. He squeezed his hands when asked. And tried to open his eyes when asked. He's definitely not out of the woods yet by any stretch but she was really pleased with his exam. She's gonna do exams every 6 hours. In the mean time she wants him to rest with minimal stimulation. At any rate, a bit of good news this morning. 

Although, the doctors want Paul to rest and remain minimally stimulated, visitors are still welcome. We would ask that you please announce your visit first by either texting or calling me on my cell phone (904-635-0866). We just don't want too many people visiting him at one time. Please keep praying for him. Thank you.

— Amy