December 20, 2006

Today Jesse and I (Jesse's dad) went into Boise to see his orthopedic surgeon. He is quite happy with how Jesse's right heel is healing. That is the surgery that Jesse had on November 6th when he was here in Idaho. The x-ray to the right was taken this morning. It sure seems like an amazing amount of metal, but his right foot sure looks better than it did before.

Jesse's left femur is healing well too. Because of his head/brain injury Jesse's body is making lots of new bone. Jesse can feel the lump in his leg where the new bone is. You can see the titanium rod that goes from the head of the femur nearly down to the knee with the screws that were put in to hold it in place. In the x-ray on the left you can see the site of the fracture with all the new bone around it!

Jesse's left elbow continues to be one of the prime orthopedic concerns. There is so much new bone created around the joint that the doctor is not sure how much range of motion Jesse'll get back. The doctor said that he will show the x-rays to other surgeons to get an idea if there might be someone who could (later on) go in and exise some of that new bone to try to get more range...we'll see how that idea goes. These two x-rays are just different angles of his left elbow.

We did talk to the surgeon about his therapy and he gave Jesse a new prescription to take to the outpatient rehab center. He should be getting passive and active range of motion and strengthing on his left knee (That is for the stiffness and instability from the damaged/destroyed PCL and joint capsule) left elbow and right ankle three days a week. Jesse will still have to wait another month before he can weight bear on his left elbow. That means that he can't start to use crutches till then. Oh well, he'll need to keep using only the wheel chair to get around until then.

We continue to give all the praise and glory to our most wonderful Lord for the blessing of Jesse's recovery. Thank you Jesus.

December 18, 2006

Last week Jesse worked with his speech therapist by reading an essay from his college English text. She then quizzed him on it, then she read one herself and again quizzed him. This week he is working on problems from his differential equations math text in preparation for his session with her. His cognitive recovery continues well. He may even have only a few more sessions. His orthopedic rehab continues, but the progress is slow. Jesse was able to go to two Christmas celebrations at MAF (where his dad works) and he didn't get too tired. That is a good sign. He seems to be gaining better endurance. Thank you Lord for letting Jesse be here with us.

December 10, 2006

Tomorrow Jesse will go to a different rehab center. We have been taking him back to Boise to the same Elks rehab where he was an inpatient. They told us that they would keep him there for his outpatient rehab until they felt confident enough in his rehab to transfer him to their rehab facility here in Nampa. Well, tomorrow is the day! It'll be much nicer for us not having to drive so far each time, but the best part is their confidence in Jesse's progress. Thank you Lord.

December 5, 2006

Today was the first day that I ( Jesse's dad) was able to pick him up after his outpatient therapy sessions. It was nice to see him right afterwards. He had just finished his time with his ocupational therapist and I had a chance to meet her. There was good news to report. She had received confirmation from Jesse's orthopedic surgeon that it was okay to start more aggresive therapy on his left elbow. His elbow was able to extend to within thirty degrees of straight and he was able to flex his elbow so that he could touch his nose with his left thumb! That means that he has approximately the same range that he had about a month ago when he was at Arrowhead. We had feared that he had lost some range lately since the recent x-rays had shown that he had created so much extra bone around the elbow joint. For a while there had also been a clicking between the radius and the ulna as he ranged his wrist, but that no longer happens either. Jesse, and we too, are encouraged about this. Thank you Lord!

brain activity

I just wanted to take a few minutes out of my dull, depressingly uneventful workday to tell all of Jesse's fans just how far I think he's come since his accident.

***

Okay, so this anecdote needs a bit of background. I am, by heritage and personality, a writer. And one thing a writer does (or at least this writer does) is make assumptions about people based on the known facts. (This is soooo different from judging someone, by the way.) Now since I know Jesse grew up on the mission field, worlds away from the techno-savy world us in the States live in, I had made the assumption that his personal computer skills would be on a par with, say, my mother's. (Sorry, Mom, but you know it's true). Not because I didn't think he was smart enough, but simply because he hadn't been exposed to much high-concept technology while growing up.

So imagine my surprise (and delight) when Roy, Jesse's roommate and proud papa of this blogging site, informed me that Jesse had just signed onto AIM Instant Messenger. (For those of you who have no idea what that is, it's basically a way to "chat" via the internet. Think of it as emailing, only with instant exchanges. It's really quite cool.)

Jesse? Chatting online? I was flabbergasted!

I instantly sent Jess a message: "Hi Jesse! This is your cousin Emily!"

The instant reply (see the theme here - it's "instant" messaging!) from him was perfect: "Oh, hi Em! How are you?"

The conversation went on from there for about 15 minutes. We talked about decorating for the holidays, who stole what at last year's family gift exchange (Jesse had a really cool fiber-optic tree stolen from him), and how weird it is to live in a place where it actually snows.

As we were "signing off" (AIM code for quitting the program), I told Jesse goodnight, that I love him, and told him to keep warm.

He fired back at me with "buenas noches."

Luckily for me, my 4 months spent living in Spain were not entirely wasted and I remembered that "buenas noches" means "goodnight" in Spanish. I replied with my own standard sign-off of "ciao," Italian for "goodbye."

"Au revoir," was Jesse's response.

Dang! The kid knows how to say goodnight in 4 languages! Needless to say, I was impressed. I know so many people who have serious issues with speaking the English language (seriously, how is "wazzah, homies" any form of a greeting?), so it was so good to talk to Jesse and see that he's so far ahead of most people.

Thus, I am happy report that, in my humble opinion, Jesse is in fine form and ready to compete in Jeopardy, if only he could stand Alex Trebek long enough. :-)

December 3, 2006

Friday Jesse received in the mail three packages from AVID students at Redlands East Valley High School. Jesse worked as a tutor in the program, and one of Jesse's fellow tutors seems to have organized the gifts and sending them. Jesse was very pleased to get these thoughtful gifts. There was a really big card that the students made, there was a terrific panaramic photo of all the kids and they also gave him a nice box. It really cheered him up.

Yesterday (Saturday) Jesse and I (Jesse's dad)went to a men's breakfast meeting at church. Jesse had a really hearty breakfast, along with the rest of us, and then enjoyed the discussion at our table.

Jesse reports that his therapy is indeed showing improvement in his range of motion in both his left knee and his left elbow. He keeps working on his left wrist on his own. He is slowly able to better twist it with its own muscles. He is able to play his guitar some now, although he plays it vertically. As he is able to supinate (that's the term for the outward rolling of the wrist) he should be able to play in a more conventional fashion.

December 1, 2006

Jesse has been home for a little over a week now. It is really great to have him here with us. We are truly greatful to our Lord. Jesse has been to outpatient therapy twice now and he likes the result of the aggresive therapy on his left knee...his ability to extend and to flex the knee are already improving. The therapy prescription note from his orthopaedic surgeon was not real clear to his occupational therapist about whether it was okay to start aggressive therapy on his left elbow though. Elks rehab is trying to clarify that with the surgeon. In the mean time the elbow therapy continues with little range of motion improvement. Jesse hopes to be able to switch to aggressive therapy on the elbow soon.

Jesse is fairly independent in the house here. The carpet does slow him down, but he manages to get where he wants to go. I (Jesse's dad) help him with his shower, but I actually do little more than monitor him. He can get onto the tub seat, pull the curtain, and do all of his own cleaning pretty well now. I am there just in case he needs help.

Jesse has had some times of sadness and discouragement this past week. It is hard for him to listen to guitar music that just eight weeks ago he could play and now he can't. It seems as though the gravity of what has happened in his life weighs on him at times. We try to encourage him to realize that God has let him live for some special, particular reason. We pray that our Lord will reveal Himself and His plans to Jesse as the days go by.

November 23, 2006

Today we went as a family with Jesse over to some friends house for a very nice Thanksgiving dinner. This has to be the best Thanksgiving day ever for us.

Jesse won't go in to the rehab hospital until next week, but we do have some exercises to do with him here at home. They tire him out and his knee gets sore, but he is motivated to regain strength and range of motion so he is willing to work at it.

November 22, 2006

Jesse came home today! I (Jesse's dad) went in to Elks rehab to pick him up just before 9:30am. We had to take care of the discharge stuff, get his belongings, and then get over to the orthopaedic surgeons office by 10:30am. It had been two weeks since Jesse's heel surgery and it was time to take x-rays and remove the stitches.

Boy, Jesse has another railroad track of a scar. This one runs along his foot and then up the side of the heel. The x-rays show that the heel is heeling well and so is the his femur. (I'll comment here that the amount of titanium in Jesse is most impressive.) The difficulty may be in Jesse's elbow. Brain injury patients create lots of bone around injuries and that is happening in the elbow. This extra new bone seems to be limiting Jesse's range of motion in his arm. Only time will tell how the arm ends up.

Jesse's speech therapist tells us that he continues to make really good progress. She will continue to work with him and test him.

The goal of the inpatient rehab was to get Jesse well enough to come home. Now, the goal of his rehab is get him as funtional as possible...with the end goal of him returning to school.

We rejoice and give all praise and honor and glory to our Lord Jesus. He didn't have to let Jesse survive the accident, but he did. One prayer that Jesse is asking God is why, what plan or purpose does He have for him. God will answer that prayer.

November 19, 2006

Yesterday I (Jesse's dad) was able to take Jesse out for a drive. He had learned how to get into a car on his own using a sliding board from the wheel chair into the car. We had a nice time just driving around Boise while we talked. We are getting excited about Jesse coming home this Wednesday.

A friend of the family made a ramp from the entrance walkway up to our front door. That was a great blessing since I don't have wood working tools. Jesse continues to improve. He does get tired easily though. His brain is still working quite hard to remake connections that were lost in the accident and that energy takes its toll on Jesse. His therapist told him that he should expect to tire easily for quite some time. The time frame for most brain trauma patients to get their energy back is at least a year. Jesse's therapist thinks that because he is recovering more rapidly than most that time frame might be shortened somewhat. Tomorrow Jesse's mom and I go into the Idaho Elks Rehab for a few hours of training to prepare us for bringing him home.

November 15, 2006

Yesterday we learned that the Idaho Elks Rehab wants to plan to send Jesse home with us next Wednesday the 22nd. They have ordered a wheel chair that will fit him well. Debbie and I (Jesse's mom and dad) have to go in to the Idaho Elks Rehab for several hours of training to make sure that we will be able to care for him. This Thanksgiving home coming will be very special for us all. We truly give all the honor and glory to our most wonderful Lord Jesus for helping Jesse get better.

November 12, 2006

Yesterday I gave Jesse a haircut and helped him with a shower again. He continues to make progress, although it will still take a while before we can bring him home with us. I found our game of Abalone (It's a great strategy game that you play with marbles on a board...) and I played Jesse. I beat him. I will have to savor the win, because I fear that he will soon be back to beating me with ease. I took him outside for a short stroll too. That is when I took the picture of him in front of the Idaho Elks Rehab. I wanted to share some pictures too of the hospital where he was in California and of some of the people who came to visit him.

This is Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where Jesse was for 3 weeks...

This is the helocopter pad where he would have come in that Sunday morning...

These are Mr and Mrs Casey who came to visit...

This is Jesse in front of the Idaho Elks with his fresh haircut

Brooke and Roy visiting Jesse at Arrowhead

Josh and his friend visiting

The Dawson gals visiting

November 10, 2006

Last night I was able to help Jesse with a shower. It was the first real bath he has had since the accident. He really felt better afterwards to be actually clean, not like when he would have sponge baths earlier. From my perspective I flashed back to the very first time I helped Jesse with a shower. It was in La Ceiba Honduras. We had left the remote base of Ahuas where we lived to come out to the city for a weekend get-away and the hotel didn't have bath tubs...only showers. That was eighteen years ago. I never thought I'd be helping Jesse like this again, but I am so very grateful for the opportunity to do so.

Idaho Elks Jesse in the Rehab Hospital plane on

at night way up to
Boise

Jesse's mom and

sister Hannah
when he first

arrives at

Idaho Elks

Jesse's first

excursion

with us in a

wheel chair

November 8, 2006

Debbie and I (Jesse's dad) met yesterday with the rehabilitation team at Elks. I'll try to relate the highlights here. Basically, Jesse is doing quite well. There is a thing called the Rancho Scale. It comes from Rancho Los Amigos rehabilitation hospital in Downey. It is a cognitive scale and runs from 1-8. Jesse's speech therapist puts Jesse at a 7. He is tracking and his memory is improving daily. There is still work to go, but she is very encouraged. The rehab team hadn't realized why we had asked for an evaluation from a neuro-opthamologist, but when we told them that his vision had really come and gone when he was at Arrowhead they told us that they would watch for more symptoms. Since he can now put weight on his left leg the Physical therapist thought training him in getting into and out of a wheel chair and how to get around in it would go better. The neuro-psychologist thought that Jesse was doing well too. He asked what kind of student Jesse had been and then he mentioned that it might be a bit of a rush for Jesse to get back to UCR by the spring quarter, but that he thought it a very doable goal for Jesse to get back there by the fall. We asked about helping him with driving, and that is something that they do also.

Right now Jesse is feeling a fair amount of pain from the repair to his right heel. That should ease some over the next few days. He will see the orthopeadic surgeon in two weeks and then he'll remove the stiches from that wound.

We are so amazed about how good God is. We do indeed thank and praise Him. Thank you too to all who have been such a great support to us this past month. We love you all...

November 7, 2006

Yesterday Jesse had surgery on his right heel.

Idaho Elks Rehab asked us if we had an orthopeadic doctor here to look after Jesse. We told them no and so they found a good one for us. He basically told us that, after looking at Jesse's x-rays from Arrowhead and taking a new cat-scan of his foot, he didn't want Jesse to have to put up with a foot that could be repaired. Jesse was a good candidate and so he went in and put back the heel bone into the shape it was supposed to be. The operation lasted about 3 1/2 hours. I was very glad to hear Jesse's voice when he finally came up to his room. Jesse is at St. Alphonsus, which is about a 15 minute drive from Elks Rehab. Hopefully he'll go back to Elks this afternoon.

This doctor is more aggresive/proactive than the doctors in California. A couple of other things came up as he was examining Jesse and talking with me about his treatment at Arrowhead. One concerned Jesse's elbow. He wanted to take the brace off so that Jesse could move his elbow and wrist as much as possible. The other concerned Jesse's knee. The brace that Jesse had been wearing for lateral stability apparantly has done its job, because there was no lateral instability in Jesse's knee now. It does appear that Jesse has PCL damage to his knee though and the doctor is concerned about general damage to the joint (sorry that I can't remember exactly what it was he told me...). He ordered an MRI of Jesse's knee to that he could evaluate the soft tissue damage. The Doc told me that he looked at a film of Jesse's femur while in surgery and he thought it was looking good. He told me that brain injury patients often make bone quicker than otherwise. He is considering letting Jesse put some weight on his left leg. Not that he can walk yet, he is still non-weight bearing on his left arm and right foot, but so that it would be easier for him to transfer into and out of a wheel chair.

I'll write more as soon as I can. Debbie and I (Jesse's mom and dad) have an appointment today with the Rehab team. I think that this is where they'll talk to us about their evaluation of him and their treatment plan.

We continue to give glory to our God for the wonderful gift of Jesse to us. He is not ours to keep. We know that. He is really merely on loan to us from God. We do bless the Lord for what He is doing. God is so good...and He doesn't have to be you know. We don't deserve any of his blessings, but we are truly grateful. Praise the Lord.

Email from Jesse

Jesse sent an email out on Friday. I though it would be encouraging for you guys to see what he wrote. So I'm posting it here (with his permission):

Hello friends!

Thank you for being so caring for me, and talking to me and visiting. I really appreciate it. My mom actually helped me get a hold of your guys' addresses online today, which made me really happy.

I just wanted to give a special thanks to my roommate Roy Tinker for putting up a blog online for me that people can look up whenever they want to. I am really thankful for him and his thoughtfulness.

Well everybody, I am ok and am just in a hospital for a while, and I can't wait to see you all when I get back to California. Feel free to forward this to anyone you think I have missed, because my address book was rather barren.

Thank you so much everyone, and I can't wait to see you all later. Take care!

Jesse

Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. (from Psalm 118, NIV)

November 4, 2006

This is Jesse's dad speaking. Since Jesse is now up here in Idaho I am going to try to keep this blog current.

I will start my contributions by backing up somewhat in the story. Our current situation back here in Idaho owes many thanks to our Lord for little things that happened along the way.

My first knowledge of Jesse's accident came as we got home from church on October the 8th. There was a message on our phone from Arrowhead and also a message from Lee, one of Jesse's room mates. As Debbie and Hannah and I began to process the information a numb sort of reality began to set in. I called my younger sister in San Diego and asked if she might be able to meet me...for what I didn't really know. I was able to catch a flight that evening and got to Arrowhead by 10:0pm. Jesse was still in surgery...he went in at 6:00pm. We waited till 3:00am when we saw him being brought into ICU. The orthopeadic surgeon told us about his injuries and what they had done to repair them. But, I remember as I walked back to see my son that I really wondered if that was going to be the last I would see him. I do remember telling our Lord that if He wanted to call Jesse home that it was okay with me, but if He wanted him to still live then that would okay with me too. I found myself ever so thankful for the nineteen years God had given us together. I did, and still do, praise God for the gift Jesse has been.

Well, the next day (Monday) Roy's parents were talking with me and they mentioned that they had a friend who was a neuro-surgeon. I asked them if they would mind asking him if there might be something I might ask or do? As a layman in this situation for the very first time I knew that I didn't even know what questions to ask. Richard (Roy's dad) did call him and he talked with me and said he would drop by for a visit!

On Tuesday the 10th Dr Rouhe came into our lives. He listened as I told him how Jesse came into the hospital at a 3 on the Glascow Coma Scale, had improved to a 9 and then slipped to a 5. He asked the nurse a few questions and watched Jesse's reaction to a few things. Then he told me that it was not unusual for someone to get worse before they got better and that he thought Jesse would be fine! I was afraid to believe him. He later told us that very few people recover from this deep of a coma and that we were seeing a miracle. I am okay with miracles.

It was the next day the 11th that Jesse was able to give a "thumbs up" to a verbal command and shortly after I got a call from Arrowhead's neuro-surgeon telling me that she thought Jesse would recover fully!

Dr Rouhe came to see Jesse and us one last time shortly after he had been transferred to a regular hospital room. As we mentioned our desire to get back to Idaho soon if possible Dr Rouhe mentioned that he had a friend who was a neuro surgeon in Boise. I called him asking for his thoughts on Rehab possibilities in Idaho compared with Loma Linda. He told me that he thought rehab was good in Idaho and as he heard about Jesse's story and that we work with MAF he offered to help in any way he could.

It was because of the Lord's leading to contact Dr Rouhe for advice and his mention of a friend in Boise that we found out about Idaho Elks Rehab Hospital. They were able to admit him and there he is today.

I want to express our deep gratitude and appreciation to my manager at MAF Paul Bergen (and many others too) for all of his/thier work in coordinating an airplane ride so that Jesse could enter rehab in Idaho.

I will give a recap of our journey this past Monday from Arrowhead Regional Medical Center to Idaho. I signed Jesse's discharge papers about 8:15am Monday and the non-emergency stretcher-van transport picked him up just a few minutes later. I went with Jesse in the van to San Bernardino airport where we were expecting an air ambulance from Boise to take Jesse and me to Idaho. The airplane showed up and we were able to get Jesse into the plane and then load all of his personal belongings from his apartment in the plane as well.

One important consideration for Jesse right now is whether he needs surgery for his right heel fracture. He had a cat scan yesterday and they'll let us know tomorrow if he needs an operation. He continues to improve and we continue to give God the glory. He allowed Jesse to live when He didn't have to.

Friday, November 3, 2006

Today Jesse sent an email to several of his friends. I emailed him to ask if I could post part of it on here. Other than that, I haven't heard anything since Monday about how he's doing. He wrote that he's grateful for all the people that have visited him and talked with him, and he's looking forward to seeing everyone again when he comes back to California.

I found a short poem by John Piper about the grace of God:

Not grace to bar what is not bliss,
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain,
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.

Thank God for the grace he has shown to Jesse. God is so good!

Finally, I have pictures from last weekend. Here goes:


Jesse with cousin Melanie and her daughter Sydney


Jesse with cousins


Jesse with roommate Roy


Jesse with cousin Cameron

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done (from Psalm 118, NIV).

Monday, October 30, 2006

Quick update: the flight this morning went well, and Jesse is now enrolled at a rehab hospital in Boise. Thanks for praying!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Tomorrow morning, Jesse will be discharged from Arrowhead Regional and will fly home to be with his family in Idaho. Steve (his dad) arranged for a direct flight in a twin-engine medical plane, accompanied by a couple of MAF nurses. He says the flight will take about two and a half hours. Steve plans to enroll Jesse in a rehab program up in Boise. After this update, I'm handing the updates on Jesse's status to Steve and anyone else up North who would like to help. Send me an email if you're interested; the address is on the left.

Jesse is doing very well. Since Tuesday (my last update), his rate of daily progress hasn't been as startling as before, maybe because the milestones of recovery aren't as obvious after he is able to eat on his own, converse intelligently, and comprehend his situation. He still has phases of frustration and agitation, and he gets really tired after talking for an hour or so. But during my visit today, Jesse seemed to have a little more of a handle on reality than two days before... Steve says he comes in and out of it during the day, similar to the way his vision comes and goes.

I have a few reassuring anecdotes to share. On Friday, Jesse was talking about how he wanted to return to UCR and complete his math degree. I challenged him with a math problem: What is the derivative of f(x) = tan x ? He worked out the answer in his head. Using the derivative of a quotient formula (which he knew from memory) for tan x = sin x / cos x, he solved it and told me the answer: sec² x. Correct! The complexity of this problem is quite a bit below differential equations, but he solved the dang thing! Praise God!

The physical therapist brought in a squeeze-thing to help strengthen Jesse's left hand. He has to do thirty reps on it every hour or so. Jesse is good-natured about it, and he made some hilarious faces trying to squeeze that thing (pictures anyone?). Jesse also has a new brace on his right leg: it's a fixed-ankle shoe with a brace that goes all the way up his calf. Much better than the previous thing with cotton and an Ace bandage that kept falling off.

A few days ago, Steve asked Jesse what God was teaching him through all this. Jesse replied, "That life is really precious." He went on to talk about how he used to worry so much about getting to school on time, and now that doesn't seem important at all compared to life itself.

I'm going to miss Jesse. He'll probably be in Idaho for rehab for at least 6 months, and probably longer. After that, we don't know whether he'll return to UCR in California or enroll at Boise State University. From his stellar performance on solving that math problem, I don't think that part of his brain is doing too badly. We'll wait and see and continue to pray for complete healing and that God is glorified through the rest of Jesse's life.

Looking back over the last three weeks, I'm amazed at God's grace. He brought Jesse out of a terrible car accident, a really bad coma, and a lot of brain damage. Thank God for the miracle of Jesse - that he is alive and well and recovering steadily. Furthermore, God has surrounded Jesse and his family with loving, supportive people who are committed to praying for them.

On that note, please continue to pray - for a safe trip to Idaho, continued healing, and for perseverance for both Jesse and his family. May God's powerful love and grace enfold and embrace them; may they be rooted and established in love, having power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ; may they know His love that surpasses knowledge, so that they may be filled to the measure of the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. (from Ephesians 3)

Car pictures

Here they are. Kevin (Jesse's cousin-in-law), who is a firefighter, says the car probably looked a lot worse on the scene of the accident; it looks like the rescue workers expanded the car with a hydraulic device and cut up the left side with the jaws of life to get Jesse out.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The major news today is that Jesse's laptop computer and guitar have been recovered, and they are both in perfect condition. Some kind soul at the lot took the computer and guitar out of the car and put them in a safe place in the office. Unfortunately, they didn't let Ralph know about them when he drove out to retrieve Jesse's stuff about 10 days ago.

In related news, Jesse remembered and typed in his password at the computer's login screen!

Jesse is still continuing to recover. He seems to have a stage in the morning where he is a little confused and his memory is a bit foggy, but he has been mostly fine the rest of the day after his dad talks him through why he's there at the hospital and why he has braces on an arm and a leg.

To those of you who have visited or sent notes of kindness - thank you! Jesse and his family really appreciate it.

Thanks most of all for your prayers. Jesse is completely in God's hands, and we're praising God for Jesse's continuing recovery in answer to prayer. Please continue to pray:

• That God will glorify himself fully through the rest of Jesse's life
• For Jesse's recovery from all his injuries (brain injury, shattered elbow, broken femur, torn knee ligament, broken heel, and a laceration on his eyelid), as well as the rehab process
• For strength and faith for his family, and that all of their needs would be provided for

And as I promised yesterday, here are more pictures. I haven't been able to get a picture of the car yet, but I'll post it as soon as I do.



Jesse and his family (left to right: Jesse, Hannah, Debbie, and Steve), July 3, 2006


Jesse and his family again


With his dad and sister


Jesse and cousins (Jesse is in the yellow)


Thoughtful moment


Jesse in a coma, probably one or two days after the accident. Here you can see the ventilator that kept him breathing, a neck brace, and a ventricular probe, which monitors pressure inside the skull and helps relieve it if necessary.


So do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (from Isaiah 41).

Monday, October 23, 2006

Good news again. Every time I see Jesse he is doing better and better. Today was awesome... he was just like the old Jesse I knew before. His memory is all there, except for what happened a few days before the accident. He is aware of himself and his situation. He doesn't get as tired as before after talking and thinking for a while. His vision still comes and goes. But on the whole, Jesse has healed more than I ever expected within 2 weeks.

Praise God for pouring out his grace on Jesse and on Jesse's family and friends. Praise him for answering our prayers and continuing to restore Jesse so rapidly. His presence is there with Jesse in his hospital room. Thanks be to God!

Today Jesse officially has all his staples out. His dad was washing Jesse's hair and he found some staples in the back of his head -- apparently placed there by the ER staff when Jesse first came in; those were removed yesterday, I think. He also recently had all the staples removed from his arm and leg surgery wounds. He's got some really cool scars to show off later.

Jesse will be out of the hospital in a week: next Monday he's going to be flown up to Idaho in a medically equipped twin-turboprop plane. He'll live with his family there and enroll in a rehab program in Boise.

Finally, it's picture time! I apologize for not posting pictures before now. I'll post more tomorrow. I'm hoping to get a picture of the car also. I saw a printout of it today -- the whole left side is totally shredded. Anyway, here goes. These were all taken this last weekend -- about two weeks after the accident.


Jesse and the Dawson Ladies


Thumb-wrestling Uncle Guy


Scary Aunt Lauri


Jesse's girlfriend Bre gave him a book of memories. Very sweet.


Jesse macs down


Jesse and Steve — father and son.

...but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
(from 2 Corinthians 12)

Friday, October 20, 2006

It's late and I'm tired, but I've got good news to share. But first, a recap of Thursday. I didn't see Jesse on Thursday, but I heard he got his cervical collar off (the neck brace) after an MRI confirmed his neck was OK. I also heard he was kind of agitated and frustrated because he couldn't remember why he was at the hospital or why he had braces on his arm and leg.

Now on to the good news. As of today, Jesse is doing much better mentally - he acts more like how he used to be and he seems more "there". Today he did much better at the cognitive test. It contains several categories like fruits, vegetables, and transportation, and Jesse was able to remember items from most of these categories (unlike two days ago or even yesterday).

Jesse's spoken sentences made sense, and he seemed to understand more of what we were saying than before. Steve (his dad) showed me some words Jesse had written on paper: he hasn't lost his fine motor skills, which he'll need later for the guitar :-). Jesse also remembered for the first time why he had the arm brace and that he had been in an accident. He laughed at something funny, and he also had some good humor of his own. Steve (his dad) told him with a grin, "It's really good to see you laugh again, Jess." All the talking and thinking really tires him out, though, and his vision gets blurry sometimes. But I felt really encouraged after visiting him.

I heard today that Traumatic Brain Injury patients who are Christians tend to recover much more effectively than non-Christians. Overall, less than 10% of brain-dead TBI patients heal as quickly as Jesse has. A soul made alive and whole by the Holy Spirit really makes a difference as the brain heals.

I'm also convinced that all of your prayers have made a huge difference. Thank you so much for praying! God hears and answers -- glory to Him! Jesse's survival of the crash and subsequent coming out of the coma and regaining brain function has been nothing short of a miracle by the power of God. Please continue to pray for his recovery... he's got quite a road ahead of him. But no matter where it goes, we know it ends in an eternity of glorious joy.

...And if the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you (from Romans 8, NIV).

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

No major news updates today regarding Jesse. His mom and sister flew home this afternoon, and his dad is staying until he is discharged from the hospital (I don't know when that will be). I didn't get to talk much with Jesse's dad, and Jesse was sleeping for most of the time while I was there today. They've been playing a Phil Keaggy CD over and over for Jesse (Phil Keaggy is an awesome guitarist, and Jesse was learning to play several of his songs on the guitar). He seems more at rest when the music is playing.

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal (from Isaiah 26, NIV).

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Praise God, Jesse is continuing to improve. Today's major news is that he's able to eat solid food. In retrospect, maybe one reason he was so physically active and restless yesterday is because the "special meals" with very soft food were very slow in coming.

Jesse's mind also seems a little better than yesterday. I brought him his Curious George DVD that he bought about three weeks ago (awesome movie, by the way), and he said "Oh yeah, I bought this for me and my roommates to watch". His dad said he did pretty well on certain areas of a cognitive test -- he was able to repeat seven single-digit numbers in a row, but in other areas he didn't do as well ("What are three reasons you might call the police?"). No cause for discouragement, though: his rate of improvement so far has exceeded all expectations (Thank you Jesus).

For prayer requests, I refer you to yesterday's post, but with one addition: pray for endurance and encouragement for Jesse and his family as they walk through the rehab process, which may at times be difficult and discouraging.

Dave Olsen, a former MAF pilot who was my mentor for a year, shared the following text with me; it really encouraged me when I was in a difficult period of college life. Now I share it with you. If you know Jesus, these promises are for you, because you have been grafted into the root of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see Romans 11).

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
(from Isaiah 43, NIV)

... and the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen (from 1 Peter 5, NIV).

Monday, October 17, 2006

I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with Jesse today. He remembered who I was! ("Jesse, who's that?" "That's my roommate Roy") Other than that, it was still difficult to see his memory lapses and disorientation. His mom went to get some batteries for the CD player at one point, and he said he has some at home in Venezuela (it has been several years since he lived there).

Jesse was a lot more physically active today. He kept on fiddling with his leg brace, asking repeatedly to have it taken off. At one point his mom had to restrain him because he almost got out of bed. His dad kept telling him that he had been in a car accident that hadn't been his fault, and that he had a lot of broken bones and would have to be patient. Although he is outwardly disoriented, there is obviously peace in his heart. Jesus' presence is with him.

Praise God for his constantly flowing, never-ending grace; for keeping Jesse and giving him peace; for how he is glorifying himself through Jesse. God is good!

Please pray:

• for healing in Jesse's brain and body
• that Jesse doesn't disassemble any braces or get out of bed when the nurse isn't looking
• that Jesse's spiritual needs are met
• for Jesse's family, that God continues to strengthen them and provide for their needs; that he gives them great joy in the midst of suffering and the peace that transcends understanding
• for rehab plans over the next year, that God would arrange it and provide it in his way

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Emily, you cartoon, you cracked me up with the R-dog nickname. I suppose I shall have to return the favor, but my nicknaming creativity is escaping me for the moment. So I digress.

Today Jesse (J-dog?) was moved out of the ICU. Bre (his girlfriend) and her sister came at 8:00 AM and found that he had already been moved, so it must have happened sometime during the night.

It was quite evident that Jesse was a little more "there" in his mind. His sentences made more sense and he was saying a lot more than yesterday. He also read a sign on the wall out loud. I listened as his dad quizzed him on how many hours in a day, how many days in a week, and it was hard for me to hear him give the wrong answers. I know he's improving quickly and this phase will pass as his brain repairs itself, but it still shook me up. I wonder, will he have any trouble returning to differential equations in college?

But behind the memory lapses and obvious disorientation, Jesse's sweet spirit still shines through. He's polite and he thanks everyone for everything and doesn't complain, except for the occasional "aw man!" when he hears he can't do something because he's injured. He really does appreciate everything people are doing for him.

It's also good to know that Jesse remembers who Jesus is. But most importantly, Jesus knows who Jesse is.

I have a maker, He formed my heart
Before even time began, my life was in His hands
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call

I have a Father, he calls me his own
He'll never leave me, no matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call

(He Knows My Name by Tommy Walker, © 1996 Doulos Publishing, admin. by Maranatha! Music)

May each of you be comforted by the tender love of Jesus.

For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows... (from 2 Corinthians 1).

Saturday, October 14, 2006

When we visited him on Saturday, Jesse's condition had improved further over Friday. As Emily mentioned, he was able to speak in coherent sentences, but he didn't have quite a handle on reality. He asked for the first time, "What's this thing on my arm?" His mom answered, "Your arm is broken. You can't take that off now... sorry." and she was quite amused by his response: "aw man!," spoken with standard Jesse intonation. I'm not sure he recognized everyone who came to visit, but we were all quite pleased to see him alert and communicating. Praise God for his grace.

ICU? What ICU?

So yeah, Jesse's been moved out of ICU. And so has my mom's Jordanian friend Raji.

That's the latest from my end of things.

If you have any specific questions, email me or R-dog (my new name for Roy) and we'll try and get you a specific answer. R-dog's email is on the left (it's broken up in sections so he doesn't get spam) and mine is jazzybel21 at gmail dot com.

Peace out, homies, and keep praying!

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.
- Emily Dickinson

Coming To Reality

I debated for a few minutes whether or not to post this picture of Jesse and I. I sincerely apologise if it shocks anyone. But please hear me out before you stop reading this post.

I'm a gifted writer (I am being humble, Mom!) and with that gift comes an overactive imagination.

When I first heard about Jesse's accident, images from CSI, Rescue 911, Discovery Health shows, and numerous movies flashed into my mind. But what haunted me most in my mind's eye was an image of Jesse looking like not Jesse.

I'm not especially close to Jesse, but he's my cousin and I love him. I love his gentle manner, his easy laugh, the polite look he gives you that so clearly says "You're crazy." From Sunday until Friday, I was so afraid that when I went to see him he'd be someone else. Someone one I wouldn't know not only in body, but in spirit.

Well, I went to visit him on Saturday and I can tell you this: he is on his way to being America's Next Top Model. With only 1/4th of his head is shaved (from where he had a probe in his skull to relieve brain pressure), a shaved chest (for the heart monitor thingys), both feet in casts, an itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie hospital gown, and a scruffy beard growing in, this kid's setting new standards for sexy. I even told him he looked sexy with the scruffy beard and 1/4th shaved head and he just gave me the classic "You're crazy" look and smiled.

Oh yes, he's still Jesse. First thing the kid says to me (after my mom ascertained that he knows who I am) was, "Hey, how are you?" I couldn't help but laugh. Jesse, dearest Jesse, was asking how I was doing.

Here's a sample of one of our conversations:

Me: So, are they being nice to you here?
Jesse: Yeah. I went home yesterday, but then they brought me back and they told me I had to stay here.
Me: Oh. Well are they at least letting you watch tv?
Jesse: Oh yeah, they let me watch whenever I want. I just tell them and they put on whatever I want to watch.
Me: What have you watched?
Jesse: Mostly sports.

It was hard to hear him say he'd gone home, because I knew he hadn't. But as the day went on, it got easier. And then, as my brother Cameron and I were telling Jesse that we were leaving to drive home, Jesse said something so sweet to us. He said, "Thanks for coming to see me. And call when you're leaving."

We assured him we would.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Wow, what a day! They took Jesse off the ventilator this morning. Later, he woke up and talked with us a little bit. He pronounced his full name to the nurse and recognized several family members and his girlfriend. He talked with a few of us briefly. He's still really groggy, but what an improvement. The nurse said he's up to GCS 15, which means the coma is completely over.

We heard today how amazing this recovery is — when Jesse was admitted, his brain image was indistinguishable from that of a dead person. The type of injury he had (can't remember the name) is usually lethal. The neurosurgeon called it a miracle. I concur!

Praise God, Jesse is visibly better.

Please pray that Jesse continues to heal, and that he heals completely. There are still several hurdles ahead, including a risk of infection.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Last night, Jesse crawled out of bed. No, seriously! The alarms went off and the nurse rushed in to find him on the floor. Thankfully, no important tubes were disconnected. We also heard from the nurse that on Tuesday night she found him sitting up. His dad said he's always been a night person...

Today Jesse again gave a thumbs-up to the nurse when asked to do so. He's still on sedation and a ventilator, so he hasn't woken up yet for anyone but the nurse.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Today the most encouraging news came. The hospital neurosurgeon said that Jesse should be back to 100% within a year! Also, he gave a thumbs-up to the nurse this morning when asked to do so, which puts him up a bit higher on the GCS scale (I think it was a 10).

But for all of us who are visiting Jesse periodically throughout the day, he hasn't woken up at all. Oh well, he needs the rest.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Today, things were still looking bleak until a neurosurgeon who is a friend of my family came and visited. He said that Jesse was recovering remarkably, and that he should begin to respond tomorrow and be out of the hospital in 2 weeks! Praise God!

Monday, October 9, 2006

Jesse is still in a coma. The nurse said he was at GCS 5 or 6, which is a slight improvement over yesterday. Things still look pretty bleak. We're continuing to pray.

Sunday, October 8, 2006

Here's how it all started.

This last weekend, Jesse drove to Reno to visit his girlfriend. He drove up on Friday night (all night), visited all day Saturday, and drove back on Saturday night (all night). The details of the accident are a bit shaky, but we know Jesse fell asleep near mile 58 on Highway 395, drifted into oncoming traffic (it might have been at an intersection), and was hit by a semi. The point of impact was the front-left corner of his Nissan Maxima. He was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional medical center and was admitted at 6:50 AM.

The first person to hear about the accident was my other roommate Lee (Jesse lives with us). A police officer woke him up at about 9:30 and told him that Jesse was at Arrowhead Regional and that he should call right away. All they told him was that Jesse had been in a car accident and was in a coma. Later, we found out that Jesse's injuries included a compound-fractured left femur, a shattered left elbow, a broken right heel, and a massive brain injury. In fact, when he was admitted he was at a 3 on the Glasgow coma scale, which means he was in a deep coma, pretty much brain dead. A brain scan they took was indistinguishable from that of a dead person.

I heard about Jesse's accident right after playing the keyboard for the worship venue at Trinity. Bill told me about it and asked if I could play the piano in Jesse's place for the Hispanic worship service. It was really hard; I was weeping for a large portion of the service (when I wasn't playing the keyboard). I do remember Frank (the pastor) standing up front and praying in Spanish that the Lord would break Jesse's coma and heal him completely. That was really comforting. Lyddia (Frank's wife) gave me a tender hug and a smile, reminding me that Jesus loves me and is caring for me and for Jesse.

Lee and I visited Jesse that afternoon and talked to the nurse. Thankfully, Jesse had no injuries or problems in his thorax or abdominal cavity. By 4:00 PM, he was stable enough that they sent him off to the OR for orthopedic surgery on his femur and elbow.

By that time, several people had arrived, including two pastors from church, Jesse's aunt and uncle (Guy and Kitty), his cousin Melanie, and my parents. We gathered in the hospital chapel and prayed that God would heal Jesse and glorify himself through the rest of his life.

The Jesse blog

Since so many people have been asking me how Jesse is doing, I thought it might be appropriate to create a blog that gives the latest details. As it is, we can already see how Jesse's recovery is a miracle, and that God answered all of our prayers. He is "faithful to his promises and loving toward all he has made." Anyway, I have to go to work now, but tonight I'll post all the news updates we got this week in sequential order so everyone can see the "story" of what God has done.

Hasta luego,
Roy