Well, three weeks have gone by since I last wrote. I feel a little badly about not sending an update, but the truth is, we've just been pretty tired. All of us.

First, the good news. And there's plenty of it.

Carson has been doing really well in so many ways. His spirits are largely good, he's getting stronger, working hard in PT, and is now putting weight on his left leg with braces supporting his ankle and knee.

And, wait for it...he's actually taking steps without a cane or crutches! He's even contemplating which gym to join so he can start getting back into shape. Think about that for a moment. Three months ago we were fighting to keep him alive. Today he's thinking about a gym membership.

A couple weeks ago, some of his friends came home for fall break, and he got some wonderful social time. The impact on his spirits was substantial. And perhaps the biggest milestone for his independence...he's driving! Getting into the car with his left leg mostly straight in two braces is a bit of a production, but he's figured it out. And he LOVES having some independence back.

So, lots to celebrate.

Now, the other side of the last three weeks.

About two and a half weeks ago, an infection showed up in his leg. Since then, we've seen four different doctors, gone through two rounds of antibiotics, and are starting two more today. Another trip to the ER, ultrasounds, CT scans, infectious disease specialists...and three holes have opened up along an incision that had completely healed nearly two months ago.

Yep. An incision that was healed is now open again because of infection.

And that creates a pretty substantial problem. We cannot even contemplate knee reconstruction until the infection is resolved. We're expecting more definitive answers Wednesday about the specific bacteria and how best to treat it. Until then, we don't really know what resolution looks like or how long it might take.

But wait, there's more.

Last Wednesday we learned that Carson's patellar tendon is still torn, or perhaps never healed properly following its initial repair. The person performing the ultrasound actually described it as a "nonviable tendon." Not exactly the words we were hoping to hear.

We don't yet know whether the original repair, performed within the first 36 hours of the accident, failed to hold, or whether additional damage occurred when his knee was dislocated during the MRI incident in September. Yes, we'll be investigating that. But first things first.

We had a long conversation Friday with his knee surgeon, who was candid enough to acknowledge that he's not entirely sure what the next step should be. And frankly, I understand why.

Carson needs to get his knee moving to prevent permanent stiffness and loss of mobility. But moving it risks further damage to a patellar tendon that is already severely compromised. The tendon needs to be addressed surgically, but surgery is on hold because of the infection. And none of that even begins to address the complete knee reconstruction still ahead, or the condition of his cartilage, meniscus and other soft tissues that we don't yet fully understand.

His surgeon doesn't want another MRI until the infection is resolved. Rock, meet hard place.

So, three weeks of ups and downs. Lots of hope, enthusiasm, progress and some truly remarkable milestones. And some significant setbacks, uncertainty and more questions than answers.

But as a family, we're well. Tired, yes. Concerned about some things, certainly. But we're together, we're finding plenty of reasons to laugh and celebrate, and we're doing the work in front of us. There are things we can influence, things we can control, and things we simply cannot. We're getting pretty good at recognizing the difference.

And perhaps the most remarkable part of all of this continues to be Carson himself.

We're more optimistic than ever about the prospects for his sciatic nerve regeneration and the possibility of regaining meaningful function in his lower leg. We're pursuing every reasonable avenue to create the best possible conditions for that outcome.

Yet, just yesterday, Carson was telling me about a video he'd watched of a guy surfing with an above-knee prosthetic.  "He looked like the Terminator, and it was really cool." 😉

Carson is working toward the very best possible recovery of his leg, while remaining genuinely curious and open to what life might look like if that recovery takes a different form. Not resignation. Not denial. Just a remarkable willingness to embrace all possibilities while putting in the work, every day, toward the future he wants to create.

There's something deeply inspiring about watching your child approach life this way. He's teaching us as much as we're trying to help him. And it seems to me that's a pretty damn good formula for life, for all of us.

Love to you all.

—The Entire Hudson Family