Sunday, November 23, 2008
Welcome Home Jake!
He's home!! They discharged Jake on Friday night. He is glad to be home and is doing well. Before he left the hospital, he had a successful nerve graft, however, it will be awhile before we know how much mobility he will have with his arm. Our office was converted into a little makeshift hospital room and it actually has worked pretty well so far. The bandages have to be changed once a day. His arm looks pretty beat up to put it lightly, but it looks so much better than it did the last time I saw it. We love you Jake and are happy to have you home safe and sound!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Update: November 16, 2008
Jake is still struggling with his right arm. The doctors are telling him he probably won't be able to use it very much. He is sad about this, but as a family we know that it will ultimately bring him where he needs to be. My dad brought up a couple of the puppies to see him today which lifted his spirits. We weren't sure how the nurses would react, but they all wanted one and had to come in and see them.
Jake and Reed
Reed and his wife came to see Jake in the hospital. Jake was so happy to see him and thank him for helping. Their picture is so cute, so we thought we'd share it.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Jake's Puppies
Well, for those of you that don't know, before all of this happened, Jake's dog Beans had 11 puppies. We still have a few that need good homes, so if you know anyone who is interested, please let us know. They are adorable! They are actually a mix of English Bulldog, Blue Heeler, and Border Collie. We have enjoyed having them so much! The girls have love playing with them, so they are very acclimated to children.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hallelujah!
Jake had another surgery today, of course the doctor had to prepare him and my parents for the worst. So, we were so excited when the doctor came out and gave us the news that both muscles looked amazingly well and that he took skin grafts from Jake's leg and sewed up his arm. In the next surgery, they will go in to hopefully fix the radial nerve. YEAH!
The greatest thing of all is that Jake has kept his hilarious sense of humor through all of this! He is still one of the funniest guys I know. The fire fighters on the scene of the accident were even saying that at first Jake was joking around with them and that is how they first knew that he was going to be okay. They moved in an elderly man next to Jake that sounds like he may have the black lung, heaven forbid that that is what he has, but Jake has kept everyone laughing about it instead of getting annoyed, well maybe he gets a little annoyed who are we kidding here?
We are once again so grateful to our Heavenly Father and everyone who has kept Jake in their prayers. We love you all! Thank you!
The greatest thing of all is that Jake has kept his hilarious sense of humor through all of this! He is still one of the funniest guys I know. The fire fighters on the scene of the accident were even saying that at first Jake was joking around with them and that is how they first knew that he was going to be okay. They moved in an elderly man next to Jake that sounds like he may have the black lung, heaven forbid that that is what he has, but Jake has kept everyone laughing about it instead of getting annoyed, well maybe he gets a little annoyed who are we kidding here?
We are once again so grateful to our Heavenly Father and everyone who has kept Jake in their prayers. We love you all! Thank you!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
"My son, peace be unto thy soul"
I wrote a post tonight and decided to change it at the last second. Jake had a hard day today. He has been in a lot of pain. We saw the doctor redress his arm. It was almost unbearable to see Jake in such pain and then to actually see his arm undressed was so sad. Jake is being so strong right now, but for a moment as I watched him and the extreme amount of pain he had as they moved his arm around, a bit of despair and sadness crept in I think for all of us. For a moment, I had to think, “Why?” The Physician’s Assistant told him he may loose some of the muscle in arm and the sick feeling I felt coming on all night settled to the bottom of my stomach where it stayed for awhile.
When we returned home I read something that calmed my heart and will hopefully bring peace to my brother’s as well. There is a passage in Doctrine and Covenants 121, it is when the Prophet Joseph petitioned Heavenly Father after he had been falsely accused and imprisoned in Liberty Jail for months:
“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”
Reassuringly The Lord answers:
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.”
I can tell you, if anyone is enduring it well, it is Jake. I know he is not perfect, none of us are, but he has more faith than anyone I know. And this faith will help him to overcome his fear, and his hope will overcome his despair.
He is so thankful for the many prayers in his behalf. We ask again that everyone will continue to pray for him. He has been through so much physically and emotionally. We love him so much and pray with everyone else that he will be comforted at this time and that the pain in his body will decrease and he will find comfort and relief.
When we returned home I read something that calmed my heart and will hopefully bring peace to my brother’s as well. There is a passage in Doctrine and Covenants 121, it is when the Prophet Joseph petitioned Heavenly Father after he had been falsely accused and imprisoned in Liberty Jail for months:
“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”
Reassuringly The Lord answers:
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.”
I can tell you, if anyone is enduring it well, it is Jake. I know he is not perfect, none of us are, but he has more faith than anyone I know. And this faith will help him to overcome his fear, and his hope will overcome his despair.
He is so thankful for the many prayers in his behalf. We ask again that everyone will continue to pray for him. He has been through so much physically and emotionally. We love him so much and pray with everyone else that he will be comforted at this time and that the pain in his body will decrease and he will find comfort and relief.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Update: November 6, 2008
It was another good day for Jake. He had another treatment in the hyperbaric chamber and is starting to move at least a little bit now. We got some pictures of his broken femur today, sorry they are not the best copies, but you can definitely see a broken bone. Ouch!! He is still in pain, but everything looks like it is heading in the right direction and for that we are all very grateful!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Update: November 5, 2008, 6:30 pm
Jake got out of surgery and we received some very good news. Jake's forearm is showing signs of life!!! They even moved him out of ICU. They will do the same type of surgeries over the next couple weeks to continue to help the muscle come back to life. The doctors were very encouraged with what they saw. They are still going to try to repair the radial nerve in his arm that controls the movement of his wrist and thumb and will need to do skin grafts to close the long incision down his arm. We are all so excited and grateful for the great news! Again, thank you for your support and prayers!
Update: November 5, 2008, 10:30am
Jake is scheduled for surgery today at 3:00 pm. They will be going in and removing any dead tissue from the arm and cleaning it up. They will also see if the forearm has regained any signs of life. Jacob will also go into the hyperbaric chamber again hopefully before surgery. He is a little nervous, but is doing well.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Update: November 4, 2008
Today was a pretty good day for Jake. He was able to go into a hyperbaric chamber. According to hyperbaricwoundcare.com, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, sometimes referred to as HBOT, is the administration of 100% oxygen while the patient is in a pressurized environment. In the early 1960's Dutch investigators showed the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of gas gangrene. Subsequent studies have shown the importance of oxygen in the treatment of wounds, enhancement of white cell killing ability, preservation of compromised tissue, and angiogenesis.
We will find out what effect this had on his arm as soon as he goes into surgery again which should be in the next day or two. He was very blessed that the hospital he is in has this therapy and for Don who knew about it and suggested it to him. Thank you Don!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Angels, They Were There!
As we have sat as a family and contemplated over Jake's terrifying experience, we decided that angels were all around Jake through it all. They had to have guided Jake's body through the trees and brush so as to miss anything that would have pierced his body and caused him to bleed to death during the night. It was amazing to see Jake's bike as they hauled it up the hill. A branch of a tree had gone all the way through the gas tank, but nothing pierced Jake. We are sure that through the night as Jake prayed, angels administered to him and comforted him.
Then as morning broke and the darkness of night dispelled a mortal angel rode his bike up the twisting, winding roads of Bush highway to hear the cries of a boy who had been praying for him to come all night. He heard the prompting of the spirit and was led straight to Jake, and then was worthy and able to give Jake a Priesthood blessing. Thanks Reed!
Another mortal angel decided to take a morning drive down by the lake and found himself at the right place, and time. A place where Heavenly Father and Jake needed him. He was so concerned about Jake and so kind to us as we arrived, trying to comfort a mother in tears in her time of need. He had scrapes all over his arms from climbing down to comfort Jake and place a pillow he had in his car beneath his head. Thanks Jerry!
The thought of Heavenly Father and all these angels taking care of Jake in his time of need reminds us of Elder Holland's talk in this last General Conference,
“I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind.
I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.”
The Ministry of Angels, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, October General Conference, http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-10,00.html .
May we remember that our Heavenly Father loves us all and sends angels in many different forms to administer to us in our dark times, times when we feel alone, scared, or sad. He loves us and no matter what, He will give us aid in our times of need.
Then as morning broke and the darkness of night dispelled a mortal angel rode his bike up the twisting, winding roads of Bush highway to hear the cries of a boy who had been praying for him to come all night. He heard the prompting of the spirit and was led straight to Jake, and then was worthy and able to give Jake a Priesthood blessing. Thanks Reed!
Another mortal angel decided to take a morning drive down by the lake and found himself at the right place, and time. A place where Heavenly Father and Jake needed him. He was so concerned about Jake and so kind to us as we arrived, trying to comfort a mother in tears in her time of need. He had scrapes all over his arms from climbing down to comfort Jake and place a pillow he had in his car beneath his head. Thanks Jerry!
The thought of Heavenly Father and all these angels taking care of Jake in his time of need reminds us of Elder Holland's talk in this last General Conference,
“I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind.
I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.”
The Ministry of Angels, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, October General Conference, http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-10,00.html .
May we remember that our Heavenly Father loves us all and sends angels in many different forms to administer to us in our dark times, times when we feel alone, scared, or sad. He loves us and no matter what, He will give us aid in our times of need.
The Story
As many of you know, Jacob was in a serious accident on Halloween night. He was riding his motorcycle on Bush Highway at 10:00 pm. Anyone who knows Jake, knows he is a bit of a dare devil and probably was going a little faster than he should. He came around a corner, couldn't slow down fast enough and launched off into a ravine.
After the shock wore off, he tried to get up and found that his leg and his arm were severely broken and he was unable to move. He thought he better elevate his arm so he propped it up on a branch from one of the trees. His bike was being held up by a branch above him and he feared that at any moment it may tumble down on top of him. But, the little branch held strong. Every time he saw the lights of a vehicle shining, he would scream for help. No one could hear him. During the night Jake said he heard an animal walking around him and prayed for help. He prayed all night and thought of his girlfriend Savannah to get him through.
Then, around 8:00 am a bicyclist was on his Saturday morning ride. Jake could see out of the corner of his eye an orange object moving towards him, so he began yelling for help. The man, wearing an orange jersey heard him and saw Jake at the bottom of the ravine. Reed, the bicyclist climbed down to where Jake was. Jake asked him for some water and then asked if he was LDS. Reed was and Jake asked him for a blessing. Jacob said it was one of the most spiritual experiences he's ever had and that he will never forget him. Reed flagged a car down and another man, Jerry stopped and called 911. Jake's two angels took care of him until help arrived. They made him as comfortable as they could. Jerry even gave him a pillow from his car and cell phone to call loved ones.
The fire department arrived and pulled Jake up the cliff with ropes and about 10 men. He was so relieved to be out and alive. He was then air evacuated to the hospital. Jake had no pulse in his right arm due to a severed artery and lying in the ravine for so long with no circulation. His arm was in bad shape. He also broke his right femur and had a few bumps, bruises and scratches.
Once at the hospital, the doctor's focused on Jake's arm. They cut it open from his arm pit to his wrist to let everything drain and to try to stimulate the muscles. We were first told that he may lose his arm at the shoulder. To make a long story short, the upper muscle is now functioning properly; we still have hope for the forearm. He also has regained some sensation in his fingers.
Jake will be in ICU for the next couple weeks while doctors work on his arm. We are so thankful that he is alive. We have received a lot of calls and many people have fasted in his behalf. Thank you!! Please continue to pray for him as he is still in the early stages of recovery. Again, we love you and thank you for your support and prayers.
After the shock wore off, he tried to get up and found that his leg and his arm were severely broken and he was unable to move. He thought he better elevate his arm so he propped it up on a branch from one of the trees. His bike was being held up by a branch above him and he feared that at any moment it may tumble down on top of him. But, the little branch held strong. Every time he saw the lights of a vehicle shining, he would scream for help. No one could hear him. During the night Jake said he heard an animal walking around him and prayed for help. He prayed all night and thought of his girlfriend Savannah to get him through.
Then, around 8:00 am a bicyclist was on his Saturday morning ride. Jake could see out of the corner of his eye an orange object moving towards him, so he began yelling for help. The man, wearing an orange jersey heard him and saw Jake at the bottom of the ravine. Reed, the bicyclist climbed down to where Jake was. Jake asked him for some water and then asked if he was LDS. Reed was and Jake asked him for a blessing. Jacob said it was one of the most spiritual experiences he's ever had and that he will never forget him. Reed flagged a car down and another man, Jerry stopped and called 911. Jake's two angels took care of him until help arrived. They made him as comfortable as they could. Jerry even gave him a pillow from his car and cell phone to call loved ones.
The fire department arrived and pulled Jake up the cliff with ropes and about 10 men. He was so relieved to be out and alive. He was then air evacuated to the hospital. Jake had no pulse in his right arm due to a severed artery and lying in the ravine for so long with no circulation. His arm was in bad shape. He also broke his right femur and had a few bumps, bruises and scratches.
Once at the hospital, the doctor's focused on Jake's arm. They cut it open from his arm pit to his wrist to let everything drain and to try to stimulate the muscles. We were first told that he may lose his arm at the shoulder. To make a long story short, the upper muscle is now functioning properly; we still have hope for the forearm. He also has regained some sensation in his fingers.
Jake will be in ICU for the next couple weeks while doctors work on his arm. We are so thankful that he is alive. We have received a lot of calls and many people have fasted in his behalf. Thank you!! Please continue to pray for him as he is still in the early stages of recovery. Again, we love you and thank you for your support and prayers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
