Thank You

Thank you to all of the well wishers, followers and comments on the blogs, and gifts.

1. Thanks to the Aaron Wildman family. Aaron is a much younger Boy Scout from Kevin's troop. Aaron made a chocolate cake for us and walked it over on Sunday night.
2. Thanks to Nick Dotter and family for making us a casserole. It is amazing how fast you run out of food when there is just no time to make it to the grocery store. Nick is Kevin's friend from birth.
3. Thanks to the Elephant Hut Thai restaurant where Kevin works. They sent flowers and later a nice card from the whole crew (Pi, Chris, D, Rachel, Nate, Tim, Max, Ana, Pick, and Alex) to Kevin while he was in the hospital. Pi, who is the owner and head chef, also called to the hospital. I will shamelessly put in a plug for them. Great restaurant. Recently opened. Try them out. On 30th next to Joe's Espresso shop. Thanks Pi,
   
4. Thanks to Kevin's friends Maya, Scott, Rose, Rosie, Osha, I know, others, for your homemade cards and gifts and for keeping your visits short.
   

wed morning

Just getting him home from the hosp drained him. He went straight out and sat in the sunshine on the patio while we finished his room. Then he went to bed - his shoulder hurts a lot because of a broken or cracked clavicle - we don't even know yet (too worried about his brain). Need to see an Orthopedic doc for that. His right ear is also really bugging him (where he smacked the curb going God knows how fast). Over the weekend it was ringing, but he says that it's gotten steadily better, but still can't hear 100% and says it feels or sounds like it's "clogged". Gotta go see an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor for that. And his head is the biggest concern. He has been and will be on seizure medicine until we see the Neurosurgeons next week. He will be going to out-patient rehab a few times a week for a time. However, he gets up and walks around, albeit very gingerly, and talks to you and seems like the same ole Kevin. And then when you really talk to him for a while you notice (and he's starting to notice) that things aren't quite right and sometimes his thinking and processing speeds aren't what they were last Thurs afternoon, so that's why he needs rehab therapy and lots of rest and over time his brain will heal from this.

All that said...
He had a very restful night in his own bed - so much more comfortable than a hosp bed, and his room is very dark and quiet. He woke and took only one pain pill right before 4am when I looked in on him - asked for the classical radio station turned on low (which he has always listened to - not odd behavior) and I put an icy washrag over his face. He's still asleep at 6 am.
Steve and I will alternate being home with him. Steve can work from home and I have flexibility with my job. More later.

He's Home!

Kevin is home in his own bed now.
This will be very short. I will add more later.

Kevin going home

Kevin has been cleared to be release from the hospital this evening - sometime around 7. Trying to get his room and bedding clean for him so I'll be short. A few more evaluations today - nothing too extensive and a visit from doctor in rehab center. They determined he didn't need in-patient rehab - he's stable enough. Will have OT and ST out-patient rehab.

When I arrived at 8 am he said he had just been through hell and back. I guess he woke at 6am with splitting headache and the bright lights of the room full of sunny windows doesn't help. I think he slept long enough that previous pain pill had really worn off, but a new pain med was kicking in as I arrived and he ate a little and slept 2 hours. Slept most of day with a few quick visitors and a walk down the hall with the PT. All for now.

Day 4

At the end of the day...Kevin isn't being released tonight. The physician's asst (PA) came later this afternoon, whom I waited for all day and happened to miss, and would like the outpatient rehab center (Mapleton) to do a more extensive evaluation tomorrow - don't know why yet. I think they just want to be really sure what sort of therapy he'll need afterward...

I was with Kevin all day - he was out of sorts when I showed up this morning, says he's very restless at night - isn't sleeping. It hurts in a lot of places - his head the major one! I think he's really feeling it today now that the shock has worn off of his body. He's acknowledging often that he really messed himself up. He's restless at night and then tired during the day after doing just a few simple things (like shower). Sleep is the best thing for him - I sat all day with him and kept quiet and a washrag over his eyes so he could rest. He walked the hallways several times this afternoon. He gets up by himself and walks around - loaded a VHS tape to watch - then heads back to bed. He feels like crap! He doesn't want to be there tonight, but knows he's feeling the worst that he ever has.

I just read Corey's post and am in tears. She says all the things that this other aunt would like to have said and says them so well! Please read and take her post to heart, Kevin. We all love you too much! I, like Corey, am so glad that you were not one of those other head trauma victims that your Mom said the ICU staff described. I am so glad that you continue to improve daily. Even this old lady learned something from this accident. I'm getting a helmet before I ever get on my bike again. Even at this age, we can bow to peer pressure. The couple we ride with laughed when I mentioned needing to get a helmet, since we are never on anything but paths. Accidents can happen anywhere--even to old lady bike riders on bike paths.
Like Corey said, we're not trying to take your fun away--just enhance the experience by hoping you will do it safely. I would really prefer to keep you in a bubble, but knowing that isn't realistic, can only hope that the lesson was learned and you will act to protect yourself with safety gear. As the big sister, I couldn't bear to hear the tremble in your Dad's voice! Instead of driving down to Laredo for Poppa's birthday, I wanted to get on the next flight to Boulder. We all love you very much and are SO HAPPY to know that you aren't just some statistic!

Not a Rock Star

Obviously, when a loved one calls with news of an accident the first thing you have to do is to remember to breathe. It seems that they can't talk fast enough for you to get the whole story. I'm so grateful that Kevin is going to be okay but what's really bothering me at this point is the comments that are being made on the news article of Kevin's accident. I have not read them personally but my sister has told me that along with all the well wishers are "kids" posting things like "skateboarders rule" and things like that. Essentially making Kevin a rock star. He's not. He is one EXTREMELY lucky young man. This could sooooo easily have gone the other way - call it karma or whatever you want but it just wasn't his time. How do we get through to these kids that they are not invincible? We don't want to take your bikes and your skateboards and your motorcycles away but what we want is for you to play smart. There is a reason that safety equipment is made and improved upon year after year. I'm not so naive to think that it is foolproof in the event of an accident but it damn sure strenghtens the odds in your favor. THIS is what I want people to learn from my nephew's accident; life is precious and there are no guarantees. Be smart. If not for yourself then for your loved ones. This is hard. Hard from the outside looking in...hard from 17 hours away...hard to listen to your sister cry and know that there isn't anything you can do but say you are sorry. Kevin has a long road ahead of him but he's lucky. WE'RE lucky. Kevin...please, please, PLEASE learn from this and know how quickly it could all be gone. Count your blessings - daily. If you love someone - tell them. This is all too important.

Kevin's recovery

I can't think of a better mother's day yesterday to walk in at 7am and hear Kevin tell the nurse during his hourly neuro screening that the date is Sunday May 10 and also that it's mother's day. He could not answer that question on Thurs evening - sometimes thought it was November 25, sometimes thought it was 2007 - but always knew Obama was president! He has steadily gotten better and faster at his responses. Several nurses in the Neuro ICU told me that they have never seen anyone come in who has sustained an injury of that force and recover so quickly. Curtis told me yesterday that patients with epidural or subdural bleeding (and Kevin has one of each) usally get worse by day 3 and then better and Kevin just steadily increased. Many of these patients lay in ICU for 2 or 3 months, or are impaired in minor or major ways for life, if they don't lose their life!! The Neuro ICU staff have seen it first hand, on a daily basis.

KEVIN IS ONE BLESSED PERSON - Thanks for so many thoughts and prayers

HOWEVER - we can't forget he has sustained a very serious head injury. His skull is cracked and his brain is badly bruised and it needs lots of sleep and low doses of stimulation right now. Steve and I heard that over and over from the staff. We'll be trying to help him help himself (okay - we'll be nagging him) to stay near home and keep visits by friends low-key for a while. Apparently there can be side effects from this for up to a year. Brain injuries are serious things and we'll be educating ourselves about them so that we can help Kevin in the best possible way.

Picture Time
For Neal. Here ya go Papaw. The kid is still pretty handsome.

First Visitor
Kevin was allowed his first non-family visitor today - Maya. Maya arrived just as he was moving into his new room. She brought a flower and some books. Sitting here typing in the waiting area. Just saw Kevin, Maya, and a physical therapist out for a walk down the hallway. Must admit it startled me.

Out of ICU!
Got word that a room was available upstairs. Kevin is no longer in ICU. It is Room 234, a large, spacious (huge) room with lots of windows - east facing.

Sunday afternoon
Kevin has been visited by several therapists -- physical, occupational, and speech.

OT evaluates the jumpy vision problems that he is having. He is having trouble with vision convergence. The jumpy stuff is due to problems with his inner ear. (His skull fracture runs along that path.) The OT would like for us to get Kevin's glasses repaired. Need to be full frames to give his eyes a good frame of reference.

The speech therapist analyzes his cognitive state. Her name is Janelle. She gave him a screening test. He scored about 50% -- half pass, half failed. Stuff like recalling number sequences, paragraph comprehension, series of words, naming as many animals as you can in a fixed time, other things. All of this can be overcame with therapy which will continue after he leaves the hospital. We are told that the Mapleton center hospital is great with this sort of therapy. Janelle says that Kevin is really in a good disposition to receive therapy.