Grateful Everyday

All,
Here is my Merry Christmas post. Cara may counterpunch with a version of her own.
"Grateful Everyday" is the engraving on the back of the new watch that Cara gave me for Christmas. There simply can't be a better description than that. We had a wonderful time with the entire family over Christmas break. Presents were exchanged, food was shared and phone calls were made to those who were not with us.

What a treat it is to be able to make my own post on my birthday! today. I am happy and look forward to many more.

I hope you all enjoy a safe and Happy New Year!

J

More Tests / More Doctors

All,

Simply put - My visit with Dr. Arnold was disappointing, confusing and frustrating.

That is by no means directed at him and I will explain more for those who continue to read below.

I was no less than giddy yesterday morning. I was excited that December 17th was finally here and I would see Dr. Arnold about my left knee which I believe has kept me from making the final steps to walking without a walker. His office called and postponed the visit from 2:30 to 4:45 because he was needed for emergency surgery. I did not care and happily agreed. I was still going to see him that day and I know how busy and talented he is.

You see, I wanted an answer.
Obviously Dr. Stafford knew there were more complications since he ordered the MRI. The MRI was completed on November 13th over a month ago and I have been waiting for news on what to do. Dr. Stafford mentioned a few possibilities, but happily deferred them to Dr, Arnold.
Dr. Arnold was obviously busy and could not be seen until yesterday.

I am sure I was asking too much to want an answer last night. This is where my lack of patience really shows. But does anyone understand? My knee is swollen, it hurts a lot, my physical therapists have said they have done all they can do for now. It has been over a month since the MRI and I still don't have the answer I think I was wanting - "It will all be better once we do this..."

The honest answer is Trauma injuries are difficult. The trauma to my knee was/is very complicated. This ordeal is far from over.

I had more X-rays taken last night and Dr. Arnold immediately noticed that the patella was dis-located. He showed us that it is off to the side and not even close to the natural groove it is supposed to be in. He mentioned that what is left of the patella may not even have healed. Like Dr. Stafford, Dr. Arnold and his nurse believe that there could still be some foreign bodies floating around causing some of the pain. Finally, he said it was likely that he would need to operate on my knee, but not before getting some more answers.

The future:
1. Get the films from the MRI
2. Schedule me for an appointment with a Neurologist (I still do not know why, but it is
related to the drop foot and the extent of the nerve injuries)
3. Schedule me for a CT scan of the knee

Patience - I simply respect all those people who have it. I try, I ask for it. I am getting tired of this trip and want to move on.

I understand that I will never be the same as I was before the wreck. I still have not given up on walking, but I need to accept that there most likely will be permanent damage to my left leg.

J

"...watch for God's presence..."

All,

I am sure all of you know that I am a Christian. I am rarely evangelical and can hardly say that I am "religious". Trust me, I was, am and will always be a follower of Christ.

As we enter the Christmas season, like most churches, we read messages as we light our Advent candles. Our turn to read and light candles comes this Sunday, but yesterday's reading hit me especially hard.

"The second candle reminds us that Advent is also a time to watch. During Advent we eagerly watch for God's presence and work in our world."

The only phrasing I would modify is that not only during Advent, but at all times we should watch for God's presence.



Believe me, I feel his presence. I watch his presence - I wish all of you could have seen and heard our choir concert. I am sure beyond all doubt that he had a reason to keep me with you. He went inside all of you to reach out for me and to pray for me.

J

On the Home Front

All,

After a very nice but busy Thanksgiving weekend;

Another fun weekend with my family at the 96th APS at Little Rock Air Force Base -yes both my real family and my military family.

Joey, the comments you made Saturday night at the party touched me and as always I teared up. I say this often, but words cannot describe the gratitiude that I have.

I am looking forward to a weekend at home.

Yes, we have plans to get our Christmas shopping done, so I do not know how much I will be "home", but NW Arkansas will be close enough.

Sleeping in a bit on Saturday morning...etc.

As always, I think (know) I am still getting better every day. We are all anxiously awaiting the results from my visit with Dr. Arnold this Wednesday. I would assume this will be my next post.

Hopefully by then, I will have downloaded our most recent photos. Nothing special but decorating the tree and Sam as a mouse at school....

I know this picture is corny, but....

Talk to you soon,

J

Sam's Birthday

All,

I forgot to mention in the previous blog post that during the Thanksgiving weekend, Sam turned 11 on November 30th! His birthday always gets extended due to the date. He will be receiving gifts throughout the week and his official party will likely not be until December 13th.

J

Post Thanksgiving Blues

All,

When you have a Thanksgiving as wonderful as I do, you can't help but get some blues afterwards. It is such a blessing, thrill, honor and a treat to be able to host the entire family for an unbelievable feast that everyone contributed to making. Of course, I mostly sat in my chair or in a bag chair in the back yard. Cara fixed the house and stayed busy from morning to evening, not to mention days before.

I guess it was around 6 when the last guest left the house. It wasn't long after that when Cara and I retired to our bedroom. I am certain that I was asleep by 9:30 for the night. After sleeping in a little on Black Friday, Cara and the boys loaded the truck for a weekend at the lake.

During the ride to the lake, I thought it would make the boys happier if they had a guest from Springfield. With some luck, Lynne and Tim brought their boys Riley, Devon and Logan and they also brought Allen's best friend, Josh for a day trip on Saturday in our cabin. Cara made our traditional gumbo, while we visitied with good friends. The boys had a great time seeing friends they do not regularly see. This is simply another benefit of the cabin.

Yesterday became an exhausting day that required packing up and driving home from the lake in the "snow storm". Since I had done so much "work", I simply went right to the bedroom and took a much needed nap. I did not leave my bedroom again until this morning on the way to work.

If you are concerned about my recovery from the wreck, there will not be much to tell until I visit the doctor on December 17th. I will say that I think I am feeling more pain and stiffness in my left knee than I was, but I may also just be more sensitive. While I always carry a Hydrocodone in my pocket, I rarely take one these days.

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend like we did,

J

Thanksgiving

All,

Obviously I have a lot to be thankful for this year!

To be alive, to be walking, to be at home, to be at work, to be with my family...

To have such a supportive family...

To have so many wonderful friends pouring out their support for us while I recover....

This list could go on for a while this year.

One of those things I am thankful for is to have all of Cara's and my families up to Fayetteville for Thanksgiving.

This is a tradition we started back in 2000 after we moved from New Jersey to Missouri (I missed 2004 due to military activation, but the families were at our house anyway - they sent pictures) and are thrilled to continue.

I will try to post some current photos from our celebration this year.

Taking a Break:

Since I am not seeing Dr. Arnold until December 17th and it is unlikely that I will have corrective surgery on my knee until after the new year, I will be taking a break from physical therapy.

They simply can not push me forward until the knee is corrected. Obviously after the knee is worked on again, I will be right back at physical therapy and hopefully posting new improvements. This past Friday, I spoke to my therapist about the walker / cane / crutches and she said that she would prefer me to continue to use the walker to preserve the walking gait. Both the cane and the use of crutches have a tendency to create an unwanted limp that is hard to correct.

While I am desparate to walk without devices, it looks like I will be using the walker well into January and possibly February depending on what we do to the knee.

With this in mind, I may not be posting to the site as often.

Thank you for all of your support and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

J

The Wait Continues

I now have an appoinment with Dr. Arnold in Fayetteville on Decmeber 17. This is a little further out than I would have wanted, but it was the best they could do. It would have been in January if I had not been an existing patient. This is an office visit and not a procedure which means to me another month plus before I get some relief from the knee pain.
Sugar, I am still using the walker more than the cane. There are a couple reasons for this. The first is the distance from my car to the door to the office. It is long and I am still a bit un-stable with the cane. The second is lack of mental faith and fear of falling. The 4 points of support from the walker feel more secure than a rubber stopper on the end of the cane. I think I am going to declare Saturday cane day at the house and try not to use the walker at all. If that works out, I may try to go to church with the cane. I need the practice.

Thanks for continuing to read,

J

News from Dr. Stafford - regarding the MRI

I want to summarize this the best that I can right after the call:
What the MRI found:
As expected, no major damage to the ligaments.
The joint is stable overall.
Inflamed patellar tendon
Some form of bakers cist that has likely been there for a long time.
I think he said the tendon and the patella are not where they are supposed to be.
(This was moved back in 1987)

What he would do:
Arthroscope to physically see the cartilage, scar tissue and patella to make a determination
If feasible, he would remove scar tissue, re-shape the patella (again) remove the cist and possibly the old screw. If the cartilage is in bad shape and the patella is not worth re-shaping, he mentioned having surgery to remove the patella again. He almost leaned that direction, but made sure he wanted to see inside with a scope before making the determination. This would require a minimum of 2 more trips to Tulsa for operations.

What he is going to do:
His office is going to call Dr. Arnold's office in Springdale this morning to see if he would accept the referral. If he accepts, they will forward all the information and records.

What I am going to do:
Call Dr. Arnold's office this afternoon at about 3:00 to make an appointment.
I assume this will be an office visit before we schedule any procedures.
If Dr. Arnold's office has not heard anything about this, I am supposed to call Dr. Stafford's office.

The bottomline is that an office visit here is a lot easier oon alll of us than continuing trips to Tulsa. Dr. Arnold has operated on me before, so he knows most of my history, just not about the motorcycle wreck. Hopefully this will help me push forward.

J

November 17 - No Results Yet

All,
I was hoping to post some new news based on the MRI that was completed last Thursday.
At this time, we have not heard the results. During the visit with the doctor before the MRI, he mentioned a few options that could improve my left knee (all requiring some form of surgery). One option is the removal of scar tissue and maybe re-shaping what is left of the knee cap orthoscopically. Another option is the removal of the knee cap (which is not uncommon for people who have crushed their knees like I did). At no time did he mention a knee replacement. He was pleased with the progress of the nerve re-generation and reminded us that it will likely take at least a year. This nerve re-generation is also directly related to the loss of hamstring signals. With the progress that we have seen, it is likely that my hamstring will come back as well.

Not much other news. We had a relaxing weekend - especially Saturday.

As always, I appreciate your concerns. I look forward to reading comments and receiving e-mail.

I feel your prayers.

Thank you,
J

November 7 - Lake

All,

It seems that I keep doing more firsts:

Last weekend was my first return to the reserves and it was wonderful.

Last Wednesday was my first return to the ASCE engineering club lunch. They were very nice as they welcomed my return (Thank you Natalie!). Golden Corral even had a person carry my tray and get my food...

This weekend, I will return to the lake for the first time (just the cabin, not the boat). We were at the lake the weekend before the wreck with my sister's family and I really do not remember anything. I do have pictures on my digital frame to remind me.


My trip to Tulsa to evaluate my left knee has been moved to Thursday. I will meet with the doctor and have a MRI scheduled that afternoon. Hopefully we can get a solution and continue with the recovery. While I occassionally use only a cane, I am worried that I will be stuck with the walker until this knee gets better. We should also get an idea of what to expect with the left hamstring muscle that is not working.


For those of you who have not spoken to me in a while, you would be amazed at how strong my voice has become. It seems like just in this past week my voice has returned to almost normal!

PAIN:
This is a hard one to explain. I stay in nearly constant pain. It used to primarily be what I called "blood pain" from having my leg down for long periods of time. Now it is primarily the AFO (ankle brace) that keeps my drop foot from getting worse and stretches my calf. I tell you, by 1:30 to 2:00, the pain is unbearable. 99% of my pain starts at my left knee and makes it's way down to my toes.

Thank you all for your continued cares, prayers and support.
We discussed last weekend the importance of prayer and I am aware that there were(are) literally thousands of people praying for my recovery.
I will never forget this.

J

November 3 - Reserves

All,
I had been planning last weekend for weeks, but could not tell but a very few people. Scott picked me up last Friday and drove me down to Little Rock AFB. I participated in my first drill weekend since the wreck. It felt so good to be back and see so many friends. The planned event was kept a secret from most of the squadron to make the surprise entrance Saturday morning more memorable. While the weekend was exhausting, they were all very understanding. I look forward to returning to drill again in December.
Thank you to the members of the 96th APS for making me feel home again last weekend!

Healing continues, but I have had to schedule an earlier appointment with the knee doctor. I will be going back to Tulsa on Tuesday, November 11 to hopefully determine what is wrong with my left knee. We also discovered last week that one of my hamstring muscles in my left leg is not firing.

Cara and I are still looking forward to a weekend at the lake cabin this weekend. It should be a very restful time together.

Talk to you soon,

J

October 28 - Keep chugging along

All,

On the legal front there is not much I can say. It is a fact that the owner of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle both had individual insurance policies. However, their policies were the state minimum for personal injury. My motorcycle insurance policy had under-insured motorists coverage for my injuries. These three individual claims will cover maybe 1/3 of my total medical bills. There does not appear to be further assets to acquire for the rest of the bills. My personal health care plan has already paid a significant amount to the bills, but they want to be reimbursed if the injuries were the result of an accident with someone else at fault - they obviously are. At this time, it is the goal to make me "whole" which could take a significant time. There is a very real possibility that I will never be "whole" again. My attorney has transitioned from insurance policy claims to medical bill negotiations. The intention is to reduce the total amount of the bills as far as possible. As I understand it, it appears that we will not have to pay any medical bills, but at the same time, we will not be getting any pain and suffering money for the ordeal.

On the medical front, not much has changed since my last post. PT sent me home on Friday with a cane to use around the house. I tried a little over the weekend, but felt very unstable. I have no faith in my left leg so the limp is much more pronounced with the cane. I learned at PT yesterday that my left hamstring has become very weak. I think this is something I need to focus on. The left knee is still giving me a lot of trouble and my left ankle is tighter than ever when I wake up.

I have some very specific goals to achieve and one small one was accomplished this morning. I showered standing up! Up until now, I have been sitting on a plastic shower stool.
Now if I could just figure out the socks and shoes.....

Thank you all for your support!
J

October 23 - The Latest Results

All,
OK, after leaving a little early on Tuesday and being out all day yesterday - for obvious reasons, I had some catching up to do here at work this morning. I have responded to the immediate requests and can spend a few moments to summarize the Tulsa trip yesterday.

Thank you for all of your recent comments and it is wonderful to see that you are still checking up on me!

The bad news first:
As I expected, there are some unknown problems with my left knee. Dr. Norris, who I saw yesterday was not the surgeon. He had us schedule an appointment with Dr. Stafford on November 20th I think. Until then, I need to tough it out.

Now, the great news:

I am officially cleared to drive!!! - I know that some of you know that I had been cheating this a little, but it is official now. Look out, I am back on the road. I will honestly miss the routine Cara and I had in the morning as she drove me to work and picked me up from work.

I am cleared to put full weight on my left leg! Despite the problem in my knee, Physical Therapy will really be able to work on strengthening my left leg. I hope to be on it as fast as I was on my right leg. We turned in the wheel chair yesterday for good. Soon, I will retire the walker for the coveted cane. Allen had recently turned me onto the TV show House. I look forward to using a cane just like Dr. House!

Goals:
Things keep progressing very well with my recovery. This alows me to continue to make new goals as others are achieved.

I think my next goal to go along with weight on my left leg is to learn how to climb steps again. I have gone up single steps with the help of the walker, but stairs have been a deal breaker. As soon as I can safely manage stairs, I will be able to schedule a weekend at the lake with Cara!

Another goal - somewhat personnal - is to keep returning the devices that help me function at the house. The bedside commode that strattles our toilet. The shower stool that I sit on to shower. I look forward to returning these items and repairing our bathroom and removing the ramp. While it is nice to know that our house can become handicap accessible, it will also be nice to return it to normal as well.

Talk to you soon,

J.

October 14 - 17 Time Flies By!

All,
As you can see, I am posting fewer and fewer updates. The simple reason is that there are no major updates. I continue to improve on the walker, but it does take time and I am pushing my limits. I still have considerable pain in my lower left leg particularly in the evenings before bed. My hope is that this is the nerves coming back to life. My complete focus right now has to be October 22. This is when we go back to the doctors in Tulsa for what could be a final follow-up. I am hoping to get official clearance to drive! I am also hoping to get clearance to put full weight on my left leg. With this, PT will be able to get more aggressive and we will be saying goodbye to the walker and advancing to a cane. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Please stay in touch,
J

October 9 - 13 - Sorry for the delay...

All,
What has happenned with the time? - Oh yeah, it was Allen's birthday.

October 9 - My dad came up after work to look after me in preparation for Cara to go to the lake on Friday morning.

October 10 - Cara left for the lake after the kids went to school and my Dad took me to work. Dad picked me up at noon to go to lunch. After lunch we messed around at the house before going to PT. PT was a pool session and those are my favorite where I get to walk without any attachments. When we got home, my Mom was there. We watched some of the Fayetteville homecoming game.

October 11 - We went to Sam's football game and then to lunch at Oseguras in Springdale. This was a calculated lunch because I arranged for a guy from Bentonville to meet us there and show us his 280ZX. Allen liked it and I loved it. After lunch we went home to listen to both the Mississippi State game, my dad's alma matter, and the Razorback game. Go Hogs! - a win and more signs of improvement. Dad left shortly after the State game, but Mom stayed.

October 12 - Lazy Sunday morning reading the paper in bed while drinking coffee. Just before Mom left and Cara got home, Allen got a guy to bring his Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder to our house. I liked it and Allen loved it. There will be some serious discussions before we buy Allen's first car. I think I have too much emotion.

October 13 - I am at work and about to leave for the day. The major change for this entire post is that I left the wheel chair at home. I used the walker to get to my cube. We will see in my next post how exhausted I get today as I go to PT and Allen's football game.

Summary: It was another relaxing weekend. I still feel like I am improving dramatically with the exception of my left knee and foot/ankle. I am using the walker far more than the wheel chair. October 22 is the next follow up in Tulsa. I am hoping this follow up clears me for a lot more activity esspecially driving.

J

October 6 - 8: Allen turns 16 today!

All,
Am I really old enough to have a 16 year old son? Life could get a lot trickier for us now. Cars, jobs, girls etc...

October 6:
OT/PT went real well with improvements on walking and simply standing. Did you know it takes more energy to stand than it does to walk? Allen's football game in Fort Smith was rained out, so we did not make the trip.

October 7:
After work, we went to Hanger Orthodics to get a cast made of my left lower leg. From the cast, they will make a custom brace to help eliminate the drop foot. This is encouraging, but at the same time, I do not want to have a brace for the rest of my life. The fact that I am able to raise my foot a little is a positive sign that it will come back to normal.
As far as home goes, we left the wheelchair in the car! I am going to spend the rest of my time at home without the chair. Hopefully, I will go to work with the walker soon instead of the chair.

October 8:
Yes, today is Allen's birthday. I am still glad I have boys and do not need to worry about a big Sweet 16 party.
I am at work now and have PT and my last session of OT this afternoon. We will likely go out to dinner.

Talk to you soon,

J

October 3 - 5 - Not much new

All,
There has not been a lot of change from my last post to this post. Pretty much a relaxing weekend.

Friday, October 3:
PT/OT went very well. I think I only have 2 more OT appointments, but I will continue the PT for quite a while. I spent most of the PT time walking with the walker around Health South. As always, I was pretty tired when I finished and I need to thank Gene for the ride and I think he enjoyed seeing old faces at Health South.

Saturday, October 4:
Really a pretty slow day. Eleanor came up for a quick visit and a trip to the Tyson store in Lowell. The boys went to the Razorback game while Cara and I watched it on TV. I did walk with my walker from the recliner down to the bottom of my driveway, climbed into my truck and parked it next to the house. Another sign that I am almost ready to be released on the street. I can't wait for the trip to Tulsa on October 22!

Sunday, October 5:
Here is another small sign of improvement. I was able to climb onto the riding lawn mower. That is right, I mowed the lawn while Cara edged and trimmed! It felt great to both be outside and help with the yard work.
Sam's game ended in a tie after neither team could score in overtime. Sam caught a pass, ran a reverse and made a tackle. I think he had a great game.

I hope everyone else had a nice weekend and as always I look forward to your comments,

J

September 29 - October 2 - Wait til you hear this!

All,
I hope the crew's spirits increase again after this post.

Monday, September 29:
PT/OT was in the morning and I need to thank Susan for the ride. PT went well with an R-jo walk exceeding 400 feet! I got home at lunch fixed my own sandwich and waited for Cara and Sam to come home. Shortly after Sam came home, we took off for Allen's football game in Fort Smith. Overall a good, but tiring day.

Tuesday, September 30:
Back to work, now it is official that I am not supposed to be here. There is a form that needs to be filled out and returned to HR. Is this red tape? So I call to get an appointment and got it for 2:00 (this would not work with Cara's schedule). I call back and get one on the 1st at 3:00 (I forgot about OT/PT). Cara calls and gets a new one for today at 1:30.
This was my longest and most productive time at work to date. Went home tired.

Wednesday, October 1:
Work again in the morning. Lunch at Viejo. AT&T store to replace the phone that was lost during the wreck - yes, I kept the same number.
OT/PT in the afternoon. This is where it gets good. OT started out with the usual arm exercises. Julie suggested that we go to the kitchen and work on standing and reaching for items. I mentioned how I was tired of the chair and wanted to use the walker. Long story short, I did use the walker and can say I am walking. Now, I can't walk very far this is still new stuff to my legs and my left leg is still limited. PT was a very enjoyable session in the pool (Debbie did make sure I would feel it later - just because I am in the pool does not mean I do not work out). I was also able to borrow a walker and did some limited walking around the house. You would not understand how many doors this opens for me! I was exhausted by the time we all got home.

Thursday, October 2:
Yes, I am still at work against the rules. I will leave in less than an hour to visit my doctor and hopefully satisfy the HR requirements for being here.

Yes, yesterday was one of the best days that I have had since the accident. Being able to walk down the hall in my own house....I assume there will be another acceleration in my rehab!

Thank you,
J

September 26 - 28 - Simply Thank You!

All,
Your e-mails and blog comments mean a tremendous amount to me during the valleys.
I would say I am climbing the hill now and I will explain that later.
Should I expose the "captain's log"? That certainly put a smile on my face as well as others who continue to read. Jim, thank you! Most of you should know our love of the lake. A few of you have shared some unforgettable times with us on the lake. Nicknames, beverages of choice, games and conversations will be cherished forever. I, we, can't wait to get back out there next summer to continue the memories and stories! I may not be skiing, but I will still be the captain - even "Captain Crunch" on occasion.

Friday, September 26:
You could tell from my post on Thursday afternoon that things were not perfect. I did not and still do not sleep well, much less through the night. Friday morning came and I could tell I was in no shape to go to work. That was for the best since I had 2 appointments shortly after lunch. The first was my post-op followup from the pin removal in my left hand. That went well with no more followups required (another doctor down). From there we had to kill about an hour before PT/OT. That went well. In PT, I walked further than ever before and they are not following me with my wheelchair. I am putting more weight through my right leg and felt the rod against my femur. We are seeing more progress in my left foot. I am moving it higher and separating my toes more. These are good signs that the nerves are coming back.

Saturday, September 27:
I was excited to have my longtime friend, John, come visit from Conway. Other than the results from the Arkansas game, the visit was wonderful. Not much else, just good conversation and food.

Sunday, September 28:
Here is a minor milestone. I returned to church for the first time this morning. For those of you who know me well may not think this was such a big deal. However, the reception as I wheeled in and the comments from the minister melted me. I have so much appreciation for them. I feel like my own personal faith is growing. I will never be able to fully understand the magnitude of the prayers for healing that have been made on my behalf. I remain extremely humble as I begin to realize that am here through the grace of God.
I look forward to seeing my Mom soon as I relax for the rest of the day.

As always, Thank You!

J

September 23 - 25 - It is not a walk in the park

All,

Your continued comments still mean the world to me.
Since taking over the blog from Cara and making the posts on my own, I have tried to paint a perfect picture of healing and progress. I have to admit that this is not a walk in the park. Like all things there are hills and valleys. I am currently in a bit of a valley as I am simply tired of being in a wheelchair, tired of the pain - that is continuous, tired of depending on others to do the most basic things.
I am thrilled about being back to work on even a part time basis. It gives me purpose and I feel like I am contributing. The downside is that my lower left leg is throbbing by the time I leave after only four hours. The throbbing is due to vein damage and blood struggles to get back to the heart - typical with orthopedic trauma surgery. I am sitting in my office chair OK and co-workers have helped to form a foot rest to elevate my foot. It just is not the same as my recliner.

Hills:
Wednesday, September 24
My PT session this morning was conducted in the swimming pool. First, I will tell you that the temperature is consistently 96 degrees. They lowered me into the pool and I was able to walk and perform other leg exercises. It felt wonderful except for my left foot preventing a normal gate. I will probably not do more than 1 pool session a week, but it sure felt great to be immersed in water.
From there, we went home briefly for lunch prior to my follow up with the heart surgeon.
This was my last follow-up with him and my prognosis is clear. That is expected, but still fantastic news. It was again confirmed just how close I was to the end. They were thrilled to see and talk to me.

Thursday, September 25
we, Cara and I, had a fairly relaxing morning before returning to work after lunch. It is still a treat for co-workers to come by my cube and say hello and welcome back. The new ness of my return is slowing down, but there are several here checking in on me. Speaking of work, I should get back to it.

Thanks again for your continued comments, thoughts and prayers.
I will add more comments soon,

J

September 20 - 22 - Can I Go To Work?

All,
Saturday brought a lot of fun with the visit from Tim, Gus and Paul. Even if Arkansas looked bad against Alabama, I was on the back porch with great friends eating rib eye and drinking cold beer. You know the conversations were memorable.

Sunday was a restful day as it should be. Cara and I went to Sam's football game. They finally won their first game and it took an overtime to do it. Sam carried the ball on a reverse, but he was dropped behind the line. On another play, the ball was thrown to him, but one of the two defenders tackled him before the ball got there. Blatant interference, but no call.
I forced myself to try to go to bed early for my big day on Monday.

Today, Monday September 22:
Right on time at 7:30 Mike arrived to take me to work for the first time in over two months. I know some people would savor a few more days of healing, but I have been itching to get back to work. Well, Mike's 4x4 F150 proved to be too much for me to transfer up to. No worries, Cara took me to work. I knew it would be more social than productive, but you have to start sometime. It felt so right to be back at my desk and it was wonderful to have all of my co-workers come to visit and welcome me back even some that I did not know very well. That shows you that I work in a very special place where we treat each other like family. I look forward to that same experience when I get down to Little Rock AFB.
Not to kid anybody, I am not ready for full time yet and left shortly after noon to rest before PT/OT. As a matter of fact, I can't offer more than 1/2 a day for several weeks due to various appointments. I do intend to offer as much as I can.
PT/OT went well again as I walked about 60 feet with that fancy walker (maybe I can remember the name of it next time). I did ask for some time frame on losing the wheelchair and the answer basically was when I could walk better and when I was cleared by the doctor. Since the follow up is October 22, I should expect another month on wheels. This seems like a long time, but she reminded me that the trip from the parking lot to my desk is a lot further away than it used to be and that is referring to muscle tissue and trauma, not miles or feet.
Currently, I am sitting in my recliner watching MNF while the rest of the family is at FHS watching Allen's football game. I was just too spent from the day to make it out there tonight.

Thank you for reading and maybe I will see a few of you tomorrow!

J

September 18 / 19 - Can I Walk?

All,
Yesterday, September 18, was a much needed off day so there is not much to report. Ashley brought more food. Steve, Julie and Bella brought dinner and stayed for a while and that was a lot of fun. It is always fun to visit with friends.

Today, September 19, started fairly slow, but ended big. Of course it is just 5:00 and we are having a dinner party tonight. During physical therapy this afternoon, I stood up and yes, I WALKED a few steps! It was with the assistance of a machine and therapist were on the ready if I wobbled. It will still be a while before I am on crutches, but this is the beginning of the end. I even stood un-assisted for a few seconds with all of my weight on the right leg. It is still very weak.

Yes, this is great stuff. Before you know it, you will forget about this blog and the accident. I will be back to normal and Cara and the boys can relax a little.

Talk to you soon,
J

September 16-17 - has it been 2 days?

All,

Tuesday September 16:
The minor hand surgery yesterday morning was not as minor as I hoped, but the pins are out!
I am free to put as much weight through my left arm as I can tolerate. I got back home at about lunch time and was worn out and took a nice afternoon nap.
We went to Sam's football game that evening and then went to Fayetteville High School to pick up Allen from practice.

Wednesday September 17:
We got up and went straight to Health South for PT/OT. From there, Cara and I headed to Tulsa for my first follow up with the orthopedic surgens. All news in good!
First, the bones are healing well and right now it looks like the left hip is going to survive.
I have been cleared to put full weight on my right leg - I had been expecting to be able to put some load on it just on how well it has been doing. I have also been cleared to put 25 to 50 pounds of load on my left leg. Physical therapy is to continue with the new orders and I am anxious to see when I will be using crutches. I always try to push hard and expect a lot, so I am hoping to be on crutches in a week or two. Getting out of this wheel chair will be a major improvement. So many thing will change!
The only downside is that I have to wait until the follow up visit on October 22 to be cleared to drive.

Things really could not be going any better with all things considered.
Allison, if you intend to see me before I am walking around, you better get into your car and head north.....

Thank you all for your support!

J

September 15 - go go go

All,
Saturday evening and all day Sunday were very relaxing and to the point of boring. I started feeling a bit restless with some cabin fever.

That cabin fever was taken care of today.
8:45 this morning I went to see the hand doctor. This included new x-rays of my left hand. The doctor came in and told me that the bones had healed and I can begin using my arm as usual again. With those comments, he got a pair of pliers and pulled out a stainless pin that has been sticking about 1 1/2 inches out of my hand. This is great news however, the second pin is still embedded under the skin. I am scheduled for a minor out patient surgical procedure tomorrow morning to remove the second pin.

11:30 lunch was delivered by Katrenia and Ruben shortly followed by visits from Antonio, Jared and Tony. This was a greatly appreciated visit and it makes me so thankful for where I work. I can't wait to get back! maybe in pieces next week?

2:30 Back to Health South for OT/PT. This is one of those things you dread to do, but are thankful for doing afterwards. They work me hard, but this keeps me ahead of schedule on my recovery.

5:30 As soon as I sign off, we will wisk away to Fayetteville High School stadium for Allen's 2 football games.

As always these days, things keep getting better.

Talk to you soon,
J

September 13 Saturday - Slow day?

All,
I did not leave a post yesterday obviously. Not much really happened. I stayed in bed most of the day using the CPM as much as possible. A couple of friends stopped by and I was grateful for their visits. Cameron dropped off some movies. Paul came by to see me on his way home from Afghanistan (that is right, he stopped to see me before his wife and kids). After Paul left, Cara took me to OT/PT. Cara grilled some steaks last night (my first since the accident) and they were delicious. It was a good day overall.

Today looks to be another nice day except for the postponed Razorback game. I doubt us Hog fans would enjoy the Texas game anyway.....
I went to Sam's first football game today. They lost, but Sam got a couple un-assisted tackles including a forced fumble.
My parents are up here hoping to give Cara a little break. Mom is cooking dinner.
Not much else to report - I may take a nap.

Hope to hear from you soon,

J

September 11 - Time to remember

All,
September 11 will always bring several different thoughts to several different people.
I encourage everyone to take a moment and think about those affected.

We met with and retained our lawyer today and feel very optimistic about the long term results.
That was the good news of the day.

This afternoon's doctor appointment was a nerve evaluation of my left (most severely damaged) leg. The diagnosis confirmed what many others have said and it is not my best news. There is significant nerve damage. He could not completely determine the exact location of the damage, but it is somewhere in my back. (I previously thought it was in my left shin) The fact that there were minor signals and that I am able to slightly raise my left foot indicates that the nerve is not severed. This means that it will likely heal, but at it's own pace. Most of the medical people we have talked to say to expect at least 1 year. Fortunately, my right leg is healing rapidly. I will go to Tulsa next week for an evaluation of all of the orthopaedic surgeries. I would be thrilled if they allow me to start bearing weight on my right leg ahead of schedule.

It took some time, but I got logged onto the Tyson network and e-mail this afternoon. For those of you getting used to my Yahoo account, I will be checking it less frequently. I will be staying logged on to the Tyson account more regularly (maybe even working a little). That e-mail is jerry.hartfieldiii@tyson.com.

I still enjoy all of the calls, blog comments, e-mails and visits - keep them coming.
Talk to you tomorrow,
J

September 10 - Out patient PT begins

All,
Thank you for your comments and continued support and prayers.
Today was not that eventful. I was very pleased that Joe and Dean brought me lunch and my work computer and stayed to visit for a while. I am feeling like I am ready to contribute to work soon.
I went to my first out patient physical therapy appointment this afternoon which was not much more than an initial get to know you evaluation. From there, Cara took me to get a hair cut. Yes, that is right I got my first much needed hair cut in over 2 months. I am ready to go to the Air Force base this weekend.....
That is about it for now. More appointments tomorrow.
As always, stay in touch.
J

September 9 - Hello from J!

All,
Hasn't Cara done a remarkable job on this blog? I simply can't put into words how grateful and blessed I am to have so many caring friends and family. You ALL are the reason why I am here at home typing this right now. I feel like my recovery is ahead of schedule with the exception of my left leg. Transitions are easier, sleeping is better and I am increasing my appetite. I was thrilled to be able to be released from the hospital and even attend most of Allen's first JV Fayetteville football game. I think being home will be even more therapeutic than ever.

I have told several people lately - "imagine eating lunch one day and then waking up 3 weeks later not knowing where you are or why you are there" Seriously and gratefully, I do not remember a single second from the wreck. I do not remember anything about heart surgery or traction or orthopedic surgery. The only thing I remember is waking up with tubes coming out of just about every part of my body. Shortly after that realization, the tubes started decreasing rapidly. Cara and my mom started filling in the blanks and told me what had happened. Cara showed me the x-rays. Then it seamed like several doctors, nurses and EMT people from Tulsa to Fayetteville have told me that it is amazing that I am still here. I have been told I must still have a purpose in this life. I am not certain what the purpose is yet, but I do think a lot of credit should go to all of the thoughts and prayers that I have received from all of you. The hospital visits meant the world to me and I would still enjoy home visits probably even more. My schedule with different follow up visits and out patient physical therapy will keep me very busy so please call first so I won't miss you.

Did you know that Cara never went home while I was in Tulsa? She was with me very day and most nights. Cara's parents took turns staying at our house taking care of the boys. When she needed a break, my mom, dad or aunt Mary were there to be with me. Eleanor and her family also made some special trips. I can't thank everyone individually for coming to see me. I am also upset that some of the visits like Mark Waddell, from Bethlehem, PA, were forgotten due to serious sedation shortly after the wreck.
I feel like I am on the downhill slope now and the recovery will be faster than ever.
Please stay in touch. My dad says I need patience and he is right. This is still going to be a long road before things are normal again. Approximately 2 more months without putting any weight on my legs then I get to start learning to walk again.
Obviously, this is my first post and should be my longest post.
Thank you for being a part of my life,
JH3 "J" Jerry Hartfield III
479-445-6377

Monday, September 8

Hurray, J is home! He was released form Health South this morning. He spent a relaxing day in his recliner and went to Allen's first football game tonight. He is in bed now doing his CPM. So far so good! He has several doctor's appointments for the next few weeks. This may just be what we have to get used to this fall. It is so nice to have him home. Now all my most favorite people are back under the same roof!

Love,

Cara

Sunday, September 7

Hello All. Sorry there have been so many days since my last post. Life is gradually becoming more normal and that leaves less time for posting. I know everyone would like to hear from J. I will make sure he makes the next post...from home!

We expect him to be released from the hospital early this week, perhaps as early as tomorrow. We have made a few changes to the house. Thanks to Halcyon Homes, we have a ramp to get into the house, our bedroom and bathroom doors are slightly wider, and we no longer have a shower door. Health South has ordered all of our necessary equipment, so we should be ready.

If J is released tomorrow, he will get to see Allen's first football game. I don't expect him to tolerate 3 hours in his wheelchair, but he will at least get to see some of the game.

We will let you know how tomorrow goes!

Love,

Cara

Thursday, September 4

J had a busy day today. He had OT and PT as usual, and he went to see the ear, nose and throat doc. His trach looks good, but there is a problem with his vocal cord. One of J's vocal cords is paralyzed. The paralysis may be from the accident itself or from the aorta repair. The ENT doesn't think it will get better. If it does get better, it will happen within the first year after the accident. There is a procedure that may help J have more volume that involves connecting his paralyzed cord to his working vocal cord. It is likely that J's voice will remain hoarse. While this is certainly not the news we wanted, J seems to be OK with it. This is just one small change, and in fact, his new laugh is very infectious.

As J and I have talked about this whole experience, his primary reaction is one of gratitude. There will of course be days when gratitude is hard to come by, but I am so impressed with the way he is handling this!

Love to you all,

Cara

Wednesday, September 3rd

Good Morning! I start back to work today. It should feel very different to spend my day behind a desk instead of in a hospital room!

Yesterday there were some new theories about the pain in J's left leg. Th most encouraging is that the pain is due to nerve damage that is healing. The other, almost as encouraging theory is that J is having some periformis pain. His sciatic nerve is being pinched by muscles in his buttocks. His doctor has ordered a test for nerve damage, so we should know fairly soon what we are dealing with. In the meantime, they will continue therapy and treat the periformis pain with ultra sound.

Thank you for the continued support!

Love,

Cara

Monday, Labor Day

Today was a good day. J got back to therapy and continues to work hard. After my post about pain yesterday, J has had some pain free moments. He is able to rest comfortably when he is in bed and does well for short times when he is sitting up in the wheelchair. We hope that as his left femur and knee continue to heal, the pain will decrease. We will of course continue to keep you all posted.

Love,

Cara

Sunday, August 31

Good Morning. Sorry, I have not posted for a few days. J continues to do well. Our family training went well too. We did have some anxious moments regarding the bedside commode, but it worked out OK in the end. Without going into too much explanation, the problem with the commode is that the seat is hard and it really hurts J's left leg to sit there. We are going to try to get a cushioned seat for home.

My biggest challenge is going to be to remain calm when J's pain level is high, because there are definitely going to be times when the pain seems unbearable. I hope that these will decrease as his legs heal, but the healing process may be a long one.

We look for today to be quiet, but there will be no Labor Day break. He gets right back to therapy tomorrow.

Love,

Cara

Friday August 29, in the Morning Again

Hello all. J's independence grows. Yesterday he surprised and scared me just a little bit when he wanted to transfer to the wheelchair without the help of a nurse or therapist. Those of you who know me well, know that I would have preferred there be permission and a room full of people available to assist if needed. But you know how determined J is when he wants to do something. The physical therapist came in before he could transfer, but let him do it all himself. They are all great about pushing J as far as he wants to go. He is gaining range of motion each day and is tolerating letting his knees bend on their own more and more.

As J gets better each day and I realize just how serious the accident was, I am more and more grateful to have him here with us. I am so blessed!

Love you all,

Cara

Thursday, August 28, in the Morning

In a strange way, things must be feeling more normal. I went to bed last night and did not even think about updating the blog. That may be because there is little to report. J continued to work hard yesterday. His range of motion increased even more. His transfers to the wheelchair are becoming smoother as well.

The treatment team anticipates that his stay at HealthSouth will be about 2 weeks. That means that he could be home as early as next Sunday. There will be a family training tomorrow to teach us how we can help J without hurting him. We will learn how to help him get into the car, into bed, etc. Thankfully there will be few accommodations we will have to make to the house. Halcyon Homes has graciously offered to build a wheelchair ramp in the garage so that J can get into the house. The only other accommodation will be to rent a trapeze so that J can pull himself up to a sitting position in bed. There may be more I have not thought of, but I am sure we will learn very quickly what we need.

Thanks and love to you all,

Cara

Tuesday, August 26

Hello All. J spent the day working hard. I have decided that rehab hospital is like camp. J gets a daily schedule that keeps him moving from activity to activity every 45 minutes or so. He spent the morning in occupational therapy and using the electric stimulation on his quadriceps muscles. After lunch was physical therapy and the CPM machines. After dinner and visiting hours, he was back on the CPM machines to end his day. I was amazed to see that he has gained range of motion in both knees, particularly his right knee. Today he also got his wheelchair. This chair can be moved using just his right hand. This will allow him to be much more independent.

The days ahead will be very challenging, but the progress is coming very fast. I am so proud of what J has already accomplished!

Love,

Cara

Monday in Fayetteville

Yes, we have made it home. J is now at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital. He is in a semi private room and will be doing three hours of therapy a day. They wasted no time and did some physical therapy this afternoon. J has already done more transfers from the bed to chair and chair to bed than he did in Tulsa. He should be comfortable in his wheelchair before we know it!

J is looking forward to visitors, but this hospital is a little more strict about visiting hours. You can come see J in room 103 Monday through Friday 4:30 to 8:30 and on Saturday and Sunday 12:30 to 8:30.

Thanks again for all of you support and prayers.

Love,

Cara

Sunday, August 24

As I was preparing this post, J suggested that I just copy yesterday's and call it good. Today was a quiet day. J did CPM twice and sat in the recliner with the help of the sling. Physical and occupational therapy did not come today, so there was no practice on transferring from the bed to the wheelchair.

It is so wonderful to mantain the steady improvement that J has accomplished this week. We look forward to what next week will bring!

Love,

Cara

Saturday, August 23

Well it is Saturday evening and things are beginning to feel closer to normal. J and I have spent the evening watching preseason NFL and the Bristol race. Today was pretty quiet. There are probably two reasons for this. Things really slow down here on the weekend and J is in need of less and less medical attention.

From here the focus will shift to physical and occupational therapy. J continued to work on transferring from the bed to the wheelchair today. Each time he does this, it goes more smoothly. It is painful, hard work for him to first sit up, and then move himself with one hand across the transfer board and over to the wheelchair. J is however, determined to be more independent and is working hard to get there.

We are still looking forward to Monday being the day we return to Fayetteville. It will feel good to finally be home!

Love to you all,

Cara

Friday, August 22

Hello. J's day was not as busy. He continued working with physical therapy on transferring from the bed to the wheelchair. Several of his stitches and staples were removed. And respiratory therapy came by to remove the trach. J is all ready to go. It looks like we will be going to HealthSouth on Monday at the earliest.

J would probably say that the highlight of his day was taking the wheelchair down to the lobby of the hospital and going outside for a short time. We have had beautiful weather here, but today it was quite warm by the time J was able to go outside. His doctor has written an order allowing the family to take him outside . That might be a nice way to pass the time this weekend.

Again, we thank you all for your love and support.

Love,

Cara

Thursday, August 21

Hello. We had another busy day. They came to get J for a CT scan at 7:30, but as it turned out, he did not have the scan. The cardiovascular surgeons looked at the X-rays and CT scans and decided to watch to see if the fluid problem will resolve itself.

It has been a day of losing tubes. J is no longer on the IV nutrition and he is taking all medications orally. They also placed a stopper valve in his trach. He is now breathing around it. Tomorrow the trach should be history. The last tube to come out today was the catheter. J is now a free man. They have contacted Healthsouth and are beginning the transfer process. We may not go anywhere until Monday, however. Weekends are not necessarily good days to be admitted to a rehab hospital. Hopefully we will have a more definite plan tomorrow. I'll talk to you then.

Love,

Cara

Wednesday, August 20

Good Evening. J is sleeping peacefully after another long day. The highlight of the day was J's transfer from the bed to a wheel chair. He did this with the help of an occupational therapist, a physical therapist and a transfer board. I was amazed that these two young women (who are tiny) were able to securely support J across the thin, but strong, plastic transfer board. After the transfer, he took a tour around the 8th floor. He said he enjoyed the change of scenery.

We were a little disappointed to learn that the attempt to clear his chest wall of fluid was not as successful as we hoped it would be. A CT scan reveled that there are other lockulated pockets of fluid and air. I believe that "lockulated" refers to the way the body walls off fluid or air that is where it should not be. We spoke to the general surgeon tonight and he would like to have a cardiovascular surgeon come in for a consult. J and I see this as a way to cover all the bases and we are pleased that he is approaching this carefully. We should know more about the plan for getting rid of the fluid and air after we see the CV doc.

The other big event of the day was a barium swallow test. The speech pathologist wanted to see if J was swallowing all of his food, or if some was leaking into his wind pipe. J went down to X-ray where he was filmed swallowing various foods that were spiked with barium. They let me stay in the room to watch the test. It was very interesting to see the epiglottis cover the windpipe and direct the food down to J's stomach. He passed the test and is cleared to eat pretty much anything he would like to eat. I thought this would be a big steak, turns out he is craving fresh fruit.

The social worker who plans discharge came into talk to us today. She teased us with the possibility of moving to a rehab hospital in Fayetteville. A few things are holding this up. One is, as I predicted yesterday, the fluid pockets, the other is the IV. They can't transfer J when he is on IV pain meds. He switched today to oral medications, but needed some morphine to ease the pain that occurs when he is transferred from his bed. So, still no definite day we are leaving Tulsa.

Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Love you all,

Cara

Tuesday Evening

Well, today was as busy as yesterday. They injected the Retavase first thing this morning. They let it work for 8 hours and began suction this afternoon. There was not as much fluid as we thought we would see. The PA who administered this medication will be in tomorrow. We are curious to see what the plan is from here.

J was up sitting up in a chair for most of the day. He had his lunch and dinner sitting up. His meals are now regular food. His appetite is much less than normal, but we are thrilled that he is tolerating solid food. J is also doing well speaking. Today his trach was down-sized to one with a smaller tube. This is one step closer to getting rid of the trach.

There has not been much talk of discharge to Fayetteville. We think that the fluid pockets on his lung are very likely the thing that is keeping us in Tulsa. We will let you know more tomorrow after we talk to the PA.

Love,

Cara

Monday Evening

Whew! What a full day. J's room was very busy. He had already seen two doctors and had a chest X-ray before I got here at 9:20. His trach was then changed to one without a cuff. The cuff is like a little balloon that can be inflated around the tube that goes into the patient's wind pipe. A trach without a cuff is much easier to breath and talk around. It is the first step to getting rid of the trach all together. With this new one, J is able to talk some, but he has more strength and volume to his voice with the speaking valve. He received this after lunch today. How wonderful to hear him talk again!

After the trach was changed, we had a visit from the occupational and physical therapists. They helped J sit up on the edge of the bed. They were very impressed by his progress and the strength he has gained in the past few days. The PT provided us with some exercises he could do on his own. J has started these already. He is determined to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. Is anyone surprised?

J also got to actually eat today. He had a liquid lunch and dinner. There were no problems with nausea. We are hopeful that this is a step towards getting rid of the NG tube. Things are moving along in all sorts of ways!

J went down to get a CT scan to check his lungs for remaining fluid. The CT scan revealed several other pockets of fluid on his left lung. As I understand it, the fluid pockets are self contained. The radiologist and the pulmonologist would like to break down the "walls" of the fluid pockets with a medication that works like an anticoagulant (sp?) There is a risk of bleeding that is increased because J is already on an anticoagulant. So, the plan is to hold his current blood clot medication for 3 doses and give him the new medication tomorrow. They will turn off the pump for his chest tube for 24 hours and then try to drain the fluid once the walls have been broken down. This will very likely postpone coming home to Fayetteville for a few more days.

On another note, one of our friends from the waiting room received some very sad news today. After being in the NTSICU for 29 days, they have decided to turn off the vent of Mr. M's wife. Please include this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks and Love,

Cara

Sunday Evening

Hello All. Two exciting things happened today. The first thing is that J sat up in a recliner. They moved him to the chair using a really neat lift. While J was in the bed the put a sling beneath him. Then they pulled the corners together and attached them to the lift. The lift raised him up and placed him in the chair. J sat up for about an hour. He looked very at home there (in part because he was watching a NASCAR race on TV!)

The second exciting thing was a visit from the boys. Allen saw his dad last Sunday, but J was very sedated. This was Sam's first time to see J since we came to Tulsa. The boys really seem to be doing well. They are all ready to start school tomorrow. It was wonderful to see them, and for them to see J looking so good.

Today was an uneventful day medically. Sundays in a regular room are pretty slow. J is still taking IV nutrition, but we hope to start clear liquids soon. No word about when we will be coming to home to Fayetteville. I will let you all know as soon as I hear something.

Goodnight and love to you all!

Cara

Saturday NIght in 844

There is more progress to report. J is now in a regular room. He moved in today after lunch. We are thrilled that he is now healthy enough to be out of ICU. Jane and I do have some jitters about not having the intensity of nursing care. In ICU there was always a nurse within arms reach. Now we are staying with him 24/7 in case he needs something quickly. I have taken the first overnight shift. He is in a private room, so it's almost like home. It just doesn't smell as good and my bed isn't quite as comfortable.

J's pain has been very manageable today. He had to be taken off the the fentanyl (sp?) drip before he was moved. He has not had any PRN pain meds since we got here (about 8 hours ago.) I try to encourage him to use the pain meds when he needs them, but he says he is OK. We are still using sign language, but we are getting better at non-verbal communication all the time.

We ask you to continue to pray for healing. Thank you all!

Love,

Cara

Friday Night

Hi everyone. J's day was a good one. He was more relaxed today and although he still thinks the CPM machines are evil, he was able to tolerate them better. The fluid was successfully drained from his left lung. I'm not sure if he notices any difference in his breathing, but it was a good thing to get rid of that fluid.

The speech therapist came by again today. J is swallowing very well and today he got to have ice chips and water. He is still having problems with swelling in his throat, so no speaking valve yet. He is learning that he can make some sounds with less air. He can make a hard K sound and a CH sound too. I think he feels kind of silly doing this, but it helps me to understand what he is asking for.

Thanks to you all for your continued prayers for patience and perseverance.

Love,

Cara

From J's Room on Thursday

Hello from room 716. We are watching some Olympic swimming after a long day. J has had an up and down day. He is doing well, but the frustration with communication and the pain have been high. He had a CT scan today that revealed some fluid in his left lung. He will have that drained tomorrow. The doctor said that it may just be absorbed by his body, but J will be able to breathe with all of his lung if it is drained.

J absolutely hates the CPM machine. He now has to be on them 6 hours a day. The machines bend his knees and raise his legs 45 degrees. He did see the physical and occupational therapists today. They helped him to sit on the side of the bed. He also saw the speech therapist. She gave him a swallow test which he passed with flying colors. He may be able to start on liquid foods tomorrow. She assessed his readiness for a speaking valve, but his throat is still too swollen. We will probably get one early next week.

We have not heard anything today about when we will be moving. I am prepared to be here through the weekend.

Love you all,

Cara

Wednesday Night

Hello All. Another positive day. J continues to be himself. When we walked in this morning the vent was on "Standby" and J was hooked up to "Air flow off the wall." The way I understand this is that it is moisturized air that has adjustable O2. Rather than breathing like the vent, it is just a steady flow of air. J is doing the breathing. When we came in it was 60% O2 and when we left tonight it was down to 30%. Normal room air is 23%, I think. The respiratory therapist seemed to think that he might get a speaking valve as early as tomorrow. I will of course keep you posted!

We have other big news...J will soon be discharged to a rehab hospital in Fayetteville. We do not know the exact day yet, but the discharge nurse came in today to talk about the plan. It looks like he will go from the NTSICU straight to the rehab place. His nurse today said that positive steps would begin to snow ball. Sounds like he was right!

I was amazed at the number of comments from yesterday's post! Thanks so much for comforting us in our sorrow and sharing in our joy!

Love you all,

Cara

Tuesday Night

What a difference a day makes! J is back! He slept through most of the morning and afternoon. When his Aunt Mary and I returned from dinner, he was very alert and doing his best to communicate with us, mostly through nods, shakes, and pointing. He even gave me a kiss! When we left tonight, he was sitting up in bed.

The general surgeon came in tonight to check on him. He said that it looked like J had turned the corner (for the better.) From here we will begin to ween off the vent and get him moving around more. They would like to get him in a chair tomorrow! He won't be able to talk until he gets a talking valve. That probably won't happen in the next few days. Until then, we will perfect our sign language skills!

Thanks so much for all of your prayers and words of encouragement! They help so much!

Love,

Cara

The Trach Is In

Well, we now have a trachiostomy. J went down to surgery around 8:30 tonight. It did not take long and he was back in his room in a little over an hour. The surgery went well, but he has what the nurse described as something similar to a post nasal drip. This is making him cough and preventing some of the area around the trach from clotting. They have sedated him and given him a paralytic to keep him from coughing through the night. The area should clot and we will soon be back on track. It is however frustrating to have yet another complication.

Jane and I went in to see him, he is resting and he is in good hands. I'll let you know more through the day tomorrow. Goodnight for now.

Love,

Cara

Monday In J's Room

Hello All. Yesterday was an emotionally rough day. As you know, J was off the vent and then back on again. Things just seem to be taking a lot longer than we want them to take. Our patience is definitely being tested.

Some time this afternoon, he will be going to the OR to get a trachiostomy. This will insure an airway and will let the swelling in his vocal cords go down. This is a temporary thing. Weening from the vent should be easier and he will soon be able to talk and eat with it in. He will be able to sit up and get on with his rehab. If there is ever a problem with breathing, they can just hook the trach tube to the O2. We, of course, were disturbed when we first heard that this would be our best option, but we have adjusted to the idea and we hope that J will be much more comfortable without the vent tube down his throat.

Thank you for the prayers for strength and perseverance, they are definitely needed!

Love you all,

Cara

Sunday, August 10

J is still on the ventilator. He is nodding yes or no to questions and looking around the room.

The pulmonologist told mom and Cara that he's convinced that J's lungs are okay. The issue is swelling in the upper respiratory/throat area which is due to irritation probably from the tube.

It has been an up-and-down day. It was nice to have him speak, obviously know people and ask questions. It was scary to see him fight for a breath and frustrating to have the tube put back in place.

Mom mentioned how little pain medication he needed this morning. She was amazed, and the nurses were asking and offering to be sure that he was comfortable.

I guess at this point it's baby steps to recover from the major surgeries so that he can start rehabbing the legs.

Eleanor

Sunday morning

Okay, J spoke to his mom and to Cara, but he started having trouble breathing, so he's back on the ventilator. Keep praying and sending strength.

Eleanor

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Just a quick note to share that J is off the ventilator this morning! It hasn't been very long, but we knew everyone would want to know. I'm sure Cara will post more details later.

Eleanor

Saturday in J's Room

Well, we are still on the vent. We thought everything was going very smoothly this morning, but when the doctor came in, he thought J was too sedated to come off the vent today. We are, of course, disappointed. But we also want to do the thing that is best for J. So we will wait for tomorrow.

J is otherwise doing very well. We will update again tomorrow. Hopefully by then the vent will be history.

Love,

Cara

Friday Afternoon in J's Room

While we are happy to report that J is doing well, we are a little disappointed because the vent is not coming out today. There are a few reasons for this. One is that his breathing rate was not what the respiratory therapist wanted to see. The other is that it is too late in the day to take out the tube. They want a full staff ready should they have to reinsert the vent. He is a particularly difficult one to intubate. We will let him rest tonight and try again in the morning. We, of course, want this to be the last time we take out the vent, so I appreciate the caution and care the treatment team is taking.

The nurse will try nutrition through the NG tube tonight. The "NG tube" is a tube that is threaded through J's nose down to his stomach. So far, all nutrition has been intravenously. This is a big step because it could really help to get his digestive system moving more regularly.

I want to make sure to tell everyone how much we appreciate your support. There are so many ways to show support and we have received them all I think. We have a place to rest our heads, visits, baskets of food, phone calls, magazines, books, cards, e mails, balloons, photographs, full meals, kind words, over 2000 visits to this blog , and not to say the least, your prayers! The pager is still going off every few seconds! Jerry, Jane and I will never be able to fully express the gratitude we feel. We are overwhelmed by the love you have given to us! Thank You!

Love,

Cara

Friday in the Waiting Room

Good Morning. J had a good night. We have already talked to the general surgery resident and the pulmonologist. J's lungs are looking better and they have him on the protocol to remove the vent. Part of the protocol is to reduce his sedation. This is a double edged sword. J will be more alert and "with us", but he will be in more pain. His chest tubes were also taken out this morning. We love that we are taking away tubes rather than adding them!

Today will be a full day. We are trying not to get our hopes up, but J may be off the vent by this evening.

We will post more as we get it.

Love and thanks to you all,

Cara

The End of a Good, Long Day

Hello All. We are happy to report that we just left J sleeping peacefully. The surgeries went well. The bones in his hip were set and are now in place. The surgeon said that they may heal and they may not. We just won't know for 2-3 months. His hand is set and is now in a cast.

The plan for tomorrow is to begin working on getting his lungs clear. They are going to do percussion therapy to break things up and get them out of his chest. This is actually done with the bed. I'm not quite sure how it works, so I am looking forward to seeing it. I would love to think that he is going to be off the vent by this time tomorrow, but if I have learned anything from this experience, it is to be patient. Things will happen when they need to. So on that note, I will say "Good night" and rest up for whatever tomorrow brings.

Love,

Cara

From the Surgery Waiting Room

The orthopedic surgeon just called. He was able to repair the femur without replacing the hip. He said it looks good, but we will have to wait to see if it will heal. With this type of break, there is a chance that the bone will not heal or the femoral neck will die. We will not know about this for a few months. The hand surgeon is working on his hand and then he should be out of surgery. We will let you know more when we get it.

The surgery nurse just called. They are closing up on the leg. He is doing well. They have decided to repair his hand today too. This is great news. This may mean no more surgeries for a while! I'll update again as soon as we know more!

We just got a report. He is still in surgery and is doing well. They said it would time more time. Maybe 2 more hours????

We just got a call from the surgery nurse. They have started surgery. J is doing fine. They don't know how long surgery will last, but will call every hour with updates. We will pass on news as we get it.

Love,

Cara

Good News!

I know you have all been waiting for news today. We finally have it. J's digestive system is on the move (with a little help from several meds) and surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. We expect him to go down to surgery at 7:30. The orthopedic surgeon told J's nurse that the surgery would start around 8:00.

We are so excited and encouraged! We will keep you posted as we get reports tomorrow.

Thanks for the positive thoughts and prayers!

Love,

Cara

Wednesday in the Waiting Room

Good Morning. We don't know much more today than we did yesterday. J's digestive system is still being stubborn. They are going to try the same things they did yesterday to see if things will start moving a little better. I'm sure there is a plan in case this does not work, but the doctor has not been by yet this morning and the nurse does not have any new orders. On a good note, his fever seems to be down. There is no news on the cause for the fever yet.

Keep us in your prayers.

Love,

Cara

Tuesday Afternoon in the Waiting Room

Hello All. I wish we had more to post... The important thing is that J remains stable. We are waiting for the meds to work so that his belly is less distended. They have tried several things, but there has been little response. As I understand it, sometimes you just have to wait for things to start moving. The doctors are on top of it and have several things to try.

Over the night , J developed a fever. The most likely diagnosis is pneumonia, but we will have to wait 3-5 days to find out for sure. They have taken blood, sputum, naso- gastric fluid and urine. They are running cultures on all of these. In the mean time, they have started an antibiotic and Tylenol to bring the fever down. This should not be a reason to postpone surgery, according to our nurse.

We are hanging in there. The support we feel is amazing. We are so grateful!

Love,

Cara

Tuesday, August 5

Not much news to report so far today. No results from this morning's tests just yet. They have started a new IV site with the capacity for IV nutrition. We still hope to be cleared for surgery tomorrow, but do not know when we will hear anything on that.

In the meantime, we do appreciate Tyson's chaplain program. One of their chaplains has traveled to Tulsa to visit and support Cara in this stressful time.

Monday evening in Tulsa

It's been a long, frustrating day. We still have more questions than answers . . . . . lots more questions than answers. Tomorrow we start again, looking and working towards the next surgery date.

Surgery postponed!

We don’t have the full details, but as of 1:30 the surgery has been postponed, possibly for two days. J has some tenderness and swelling in the abdomen area. An x-ray was taken this morning to evaluate the abdomen. While they went ahead and took him to surgery at noon, they cancelled the surgery when they got down there. Cara and everyone else are very disappointed. Two more days of traction. Two more days of waiting. Maybe two more days of the ventilation tube. Tons of more questions. We don’t even know what the complication with the abdomen is. When the doctors come out and provide some answers, we’ll update the blog.

Surgery Update

It is 12:00 and they just came to take J down for surgery. The delay was in surgery, not with J. He is doing fine and ready for surgery. We will post updates as we get them.

Love,

Cara

Monday Morning in the Waiting Room

Hello All. J had a good night. When I saw him this morning he was resting peacefully. He had a bath and a shave (the nurse said he didn't like the shave much) and he looked good. Today is surgery at 11:00. This is a pretty complicated break and we expect it to take around 4 hours total. They will likely call and give us updates through the surgery. We will pass them on as we get them.

So many people want to know how the boys are doing. They, of course are worried about their dad, but they are doing well. Mom and Dad are keeping them in Fayetteville. We are doing our best to maintain a normal schedule. Allen starts football practice today and Sam goes to camp on Wednesday. This will be a busy week as Allen also has High School orientation on Wednesday. J's sister Eleanor will be going to Allen's high school transition meeting with him on Wednesday as well.

I won't ever be able to express how thankful we are that we have such wonderful friends and family. What a blessing!

Love,

Cara

Sunday evening in Tulsa

It was another long day of waiting and healing and preparing for surgery as expected. Everything is still scheduled for Monday. We don’t know the actual time for surgery. Hopefully Cara will be able to make posts to the blog from the waiting area as she hears from the circulating nurse.

One of the developments for Sunday was the introduction of the Continuous Passive Movement (CPM) therapy for J’s right leg. It flexes his knee and hip and for two hours at a time. They applied this therapy twice on Sunday. While this therapy helps with circulation and general movement of the joints following Friday’s surgery, it was obvious that J didn’t like this therapy.

After Monday’s surgery, J’s next goal should be to come off the ventilation tube again. Maybe the ability to speak, eat and drink will make it easier to bear all the other treatments he has to face.

Surgery for the hand still hasn’t been discussed as far as schedule. J’s mom did talk to the anesthesiologist about the possibility of an anesthetic block for the hand. The block seemed to be a viable option.

Cara and J’s mom stressed J’s ability to communicate, even with the ventilation tube, by nodding yes or no. He is able to indicate when he needs to rest and when he wants them to remain in the room. Even this limited communication is very reassuring after those moments of confusion on Friday.

Even in Tulsa, the doctors are commenting on how lucky J is to be alive. They have stated that most people with the aorta injury don’t make it to the hospital.

Continued thanks for your prayers and support. After Friday’s surgery lasting four hours, Cara and J’s mom were expecting that again on Monday. They’ve been told it might only be two hours on Monday. We’ll all be waiting and praying together.

Sunday Morning in the Waiting Room

Good Morning. We are happy and thankful to report that J had a good night. We were able to spend 2 hours with him last night. He slept well and only needed additional pain medication twice. He had a bath and he looks pretty good, considering what he has been through. As we sit here, the prayer pager is beginning to vibrate across the table. It keeps us centered and focused on what is important. For those of you who don't know about our prayer pager, Jane and Jerry's church, First Methodist in Ft. Smith, has given us a pager. The pager goes off each time someone says a prayer for us. The person calls a number and enters their zip code when they want us to know they are praying for us. It is amazing and encouraging to think that the pager represents only a fraction of the prayers that are offered up. Thank you all!

We expect today to be another day of rest and healing before surgery tomorrow.

Love,

Cara

Day 3 at St. John's

A late afternoon call from the hospital reports that it has been a peaceful day of waiting and all positive reports for J. The ICU staff repositioned him for a while, but they were going to return him to his back.

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First report of the day is that J had a good night. Cara and J’s parents visited with the doctors this morning. His lungs are okay, his labs are okay and his stats are okay. He is still on-go for the next surgery on Monday as long as things continue to go this well.

While Cara and his parents were in the ICU room, J woke up and looked around. He can't talk because he still has the ventilator, but he does seem calmer and less panicked. He was able to nod to answer yes or no questions. He is moving his feet a little. He moves the foot on the leg that had surgery yesterday even more since it doesn't have traction now.

One of the doctors stated that he looks good for what he's been through.

It will be another day of waiting.

Cara said that today and Sunday we pray for no changes and for his lungs to remain clear so that we can look forward to Monday and the next surgery.

9 PM in the Waiting Room

Hello all. We are feeling better tonight. The chaos seems to be gone, although we know that there is very likely more ahead. We just left J and he is very peaceful. He 's sleeping quietly and every once in a while he will move his feet around. Sheila, his nurse, said that he shook his head "no" when she asked if he was in pain. We hope a couple of days rest on the vent will help him to be stronger and help the next surgery to go smoothly.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

Love,

Cara, Jane and Jerry

Day 2 at St. John’s

Mom, Dad and Cara were able to go back and see him around 5 p.m. He no longer has traction on the leg that just had surgery.
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A little after 3 p.m., the doctor came out and visited with Cara and J’s parents about the surgeries. The injury report has been updated to match his report.

For the knee, they removed approximately 60% that was crushed or too small to be repaired. He attached the tendon to the base of the kneecap and attached the muscle to the top of the knee. He explained that while it won’t be as strong, it will be a working knee.

Now for the femur, this was NOT the femur with the broken ball. The doctor shared x-rays and drew pictures to illustrate what had been done. A long plate was placed along the femur. Many screws were placed into the femur and some went up into the ball.

The surgeon seemed pleased overall with the two surgeries. He said that J is now scheduled for the next surgery on Monday for the second, much more complicated femur. However, the orthopedic also compared scheduling J for surgery is a lot like scheduling the shuttle for a launch. You may place the shuttle on the launch pad but there are many variables that may cause a delay.

At this time, they plan to leave J on the ventilator until after the next surgery.

The biggest concern for the next 24-48 hours will for his heart and lungs. Even with the filters in place, there is still the threat of clots breaking loose. This concern about the strength and stability of his heart and lungs is tied to the trauma of the crash and aorta repair and not related to the orthopedic surgery.
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At 1:30 p.m., there is a call from the operating room. They have completed the repair to the right femur and are moving to the left knee. Surgery actually started at 10:55 a.m. Everything has gone well. While several approaches to repair the femur were discussed before the surgery, we won’t know how they actually made the repair until later when both surgeries are complete.

On another note, it probably be Monday before they schedule another surgery.
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Already good news again! After that scary moment yesterday, J’s stats remain strong and his surgery has been moved up to earlier than originally scheduled at 11. He may be in surgery as early as 9:30.

From the NTSICU Waiting Room

Good Morning everyone. First, I want to say how much it means to us that you are keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. It helps so much to know how many people love J.

He had a good night in that his stats look good and they are planning on surgery this morning at around 11. He is, however, anxious and continues to fight the restraints. They are keeping him very sedated. This is a good thing at this point, although I'm beginning to miss him and can't wait to be able to talk to him again. Hopefully this will be soon.

Today's surgeries are the first in a series to repair the fractures to his femurs and patella. I believe that they will work on the patella and the right leg today. I have not spoken to the surgeon, so I'm not sure about what they will do specifically. We will update again after the surgery.

Keep those positive thoughts and those prayers coming. We can feel the love.

Love,

Cara

Day 1 at St. John’s

J’s traction was adjusted at Washington Regional before he was placed on St. John’s helicopter. Upon arrival at St. John’s, he started their assessment process of x-rays, blood work, family history, etc. Cara and J’s parents met nurses, the orthopedic surgeon and the chief of the trauma unit. While the family found the St. John’s ICU much busier than that of Washington Regional, they still described it as family-friendly.

Around 4 in the afternoon, J started experiencing some difficulty breathing and some disorientation. He seemed to have some lung congestion. While he was wearing an oxygen cannula, his oxygen levels were dropping. Plus, J was trying to remove the cannula.

The disorientation and confusion could have been attributed to several things including the pain medications, the recent surgery, the helicopter flight, the trauma of the accident, the difficulty breathing, the combination of all this or something else entirely.

During the confusion, J argued about ever owning a motorcycle, much less having an accident. He didn’t believe that he was in Tulsa. He wanted to leave St. John’s, and he certainly didn’t believe that he had broken legs. The entire scene scared Cara and his mom.

The ICU staff and doctors decided to place a ventilation tube to stabilize his oxygen levels. Once the oxygen levels are stabilized, they will be better able to fine tune his pain medications.

His parents and Cara were talking to the nurse about how well J had been doing up to now and how this really surprised them. One of the factors could have been the pain and a delay in the pain medication. When he first arrived at St. John’s, he didn’t receive any medication, because he didn’t have any doctor’s orders for it.

The transfer between hospitals was very difficult, and the wait for a treatment plan was very difficult. BUT, since he’s been placed on the ventilation tube, he’s resting peacefully. The anesthesiologist used a scope for placing the tube. Since J had just had a tube so recently, using the scope made it easier to place the tube. One of the doctors also told Cara that placing him on the ventilator now would make it easier to take him off later. Hopefully, we’ll have some more information on that soon.

Treatments at Washington Regional

TUESDAY, 7/29
The first and most pressing injury was a tear to the aorta. The heart surgeon was able to repair the tear without placing J on bypass and without having to crack the chest. Following the heart surgery, J had a ventilation tube overnight.

Once in ICU, pins were placed in the lower legs for traction to stabilize his upper legs and to prevent further damage to legs and possibly pelvic/hip region. Also, once stabilized, it was time for the x-rays.

WEDNESDAY, 7/30
The cardiologist decided to place filters to catch/prevent blood clots from traveling to the heart/lungs. The first attempt was made in ICU, but was not satisfactory for the cardiologist. He decided he would rather take J back to the surgery suite and use a scope to verify the placement of the filters. This second attempt went much better. When the cardiologist made a report the family, he actually smiled when talking about J and his progress. The doctor requested that Cara make reports to his office because he doubted that J would need his services in the future — what a wonderful report to receive from a heart surgeon!

Mid-to-late afternoon, the ICU staff started weaning J off the ventilator tube and talking about preparing him for the trip to Tulsa. With his successful response to the aorta repair, the treatment timelines were starting to accelerate. Around 4:30 p.m., J came off the ventilation tube completely and talked to family members including his sons. At 8:30 p.m., J asked for Gatorade, Coke or tea to drink. He was very thirsty and would have probably settled for lots of ice water as long as someone brought as much as he wanted. The ICU nurses told family and friends they could bring him something with flavor; they just didn’t have it on the unit.

THURSDAY, 7/31
Most activities at Washington Regional on Thursday were to prepare J for his helicopter flight to St. John’s in Tulsa. St. John’s sent their helicopter to pick him up for his next step in the treatment process.