Nauseating day

Jeremy was still sick today and now Ayden is as well so this will be short. Jeremy was throwing up this morning and couldn't bring himself to eat much of anything most of the day. He was also having bowel troubles. I think his nurse today earned herself a medal of bravery:) He started feeling a little better in the evening so hopefully tomorrow he will be up to eating and therapy again. Thanks for your help and prayers.

Memories of ICU Back to Haunt

We're starting to wonder if Jeremy is allergic to the hospital. After returning from BYU he felt nauseated again and threw up a few times. They think he might have been dehydrated. He is frustrated to have missed his afternoon physical therapy. When they brought his dinner tray he dry heaved just from smelling the food. We are praying this problem goes away soon so that he can take full advantage of the physical therapy while he's still in the hospital.

Trip to BYU

Jeremy started off his morning with some raisin bran and meds...oops. His gag reflex is a bit strong right now so breakfast didn't stay down long. In physical therapy he started off on a machine that has two foot rests that you alternately push down. Last week we had to help him push each pedal down, but today he was pumping them up and down easily. He had to lie down after that and have some powerade and crackers. After he felt better he managed to walk forwards and backwards on the parallel bars.

At 11:00 we drove him to BYU to practice getting around campus in the wheelchair. Jeremy's advisor and his math-loving buddies ordered pizza(thanks, you are the best:) and we got to visit for a while. Everything went smoothly and I'm guessing Jeremy was ready for a nap by the time he got back to rehab.

Occupational Therapy Visit

I didn't get to be with Jeremy for therapy today, so I'm not sure what all went on. He said they put him in some new walking contraption, but I'll have to fill in the details after I see it tomorrow. They did shock therapy on his right leg again which isn't very comfortable to say the least. Jeremy's roommate wasn't making fun of him for screaming like a girl this time :) so either Jeremy is toughening up or Dario(physical therapist) is getting better at electrocuting his patients. Jeremy was up out of bed for bathroom trips, etc. quite a bit today so his stamina seems to be returning.

The occupational therapists came to visit our house this afternoon. They said we have enough room in the back for a ramp. It will be a bit steep, so someone(me) will probably have to help Jeremy up and down. We need to raise the kitchen table some so his legs will fit underneath. In the bathroom we're putting in a special shower chair and a new raised toilet seat with handles. We also need to install a grip bar on the wall opposite the toilet. The only real problem with the house is the doorway into the bathroom. For some reason it is just a little smaller than the rest and we're not sure if the wheelchair will fit through it, even with the door off...I guess we'll find out on Saturday when Jeremy comes home for his sleep-over.

Good news all around

Good things happening today:

-Jeremy used the toilet again this morning! Very good news.
-In physical therapy both his legs showed amazing improvement while he was doing the bicycle movement on the slippery board. He says his left leg feels completely normal except for a few spots on his foot.
-Also in physical therapy he was able to push his body on the total gym/leg sled. His right leg improved in knee control.
-For occupational therapy he broke his record wheeling himself up the ramp:) 23sec
-Even better... by the time morning therapy was over he didn't pass out on his bed! He is starting to feel better all around and not wear out so fast.

His appetite is still poor, but tomorrow I'm bringing him some curry and sticky rice so that should get him excited to eat again. I never thought I would have to worry about him getting enough to eat. hee hee. (Sorry Rome, I couldn't help myself)
Tomorrow the occupational therapist is driving him to our house to help us figure out what we need to change before Jeremy comes home. His release date so far is Tuesday, August 5.

First Field Trip

Jeremy made it off the hospital grounds this morning. I picked him up for church and the car transfers went very smoothly. Driving up State Street he started to get really nervous. At church he lasted until they finished passing the sacrament and then he decided we'd better go. He was feeling light-headed, tired, and in need of meds. He hasn't been able to sleep well since the accident so he tires quickly. Grandma West and Wilson were with us so they stayed with the girls through the rest of the meeting while I drove Jeremy back. Ayden, of course, took advantage of the situation and made a grand total of three bathroom trips in less than 40 minutes.

Back at the hospital, Jeremy slept for an hour before trying to eat lunch. His appetite wasn't the best today. The most exciting news of the day is that he took care of business on the toilet:) It might not sound so exciting, but we are thrilled.

To Heave or Not to Heave

Jeremy received top marks on his car transfer today. We are feeling pretty confident about the field trip tomorrow. For occupational therapy he got to sit on a real toilet for the first time since the accident. Very exciting. Unfortunately, nausea came back to haunt him today. He made a speedy exit from therapy in order to lay in bed with a pink tub by his side. He did dry heave a little later but he felt good enough to try physical therapy in the afternoon.

They got him up on the parallel bars again and had him try to walk across. Yesterday they had to brace both legs to keep them from buckling. Today, they only had to brace the right knee. His left leg was able to support his weight with only a little support from his arms.

Not only is he getting stronger, but Jeremy is getting brave. He gets to self-cath and he now gets to give himself a shot in the abdomen every day to prevent blood clots. I have to look away:)

Car transfers and a UTI

Jeremy got to practice car transfers today for physical therapy. I brought the car around to the entrance and he practiced getting from the wheelchair to the passenger seat and back. It would be easier if he was 5' 3", but we won't complain about that. All the therapists have commented on how lucky he is to have such AMAZING upper body strength. It is certainly coming in handy. I practiced folding up the wheelchair and positioning it next to the car for his exit. He did really well and the therapist said she feels he is worthy of an "off-campus pass." I'm planning to pick him up for church on Sunday. We are all excited (and a little nervous) about the excursion.

The other big news of the day is that they took out Jeremy's catheter!!! Yeah!! Unfortunately, Jeremy gets to self-cath now until his body cooperates. It's no walk in the park for him, but we're happy he's taking one more step towards getting out of rehab.

Even more exciting, we put a superman decal on the front of his body armor(turtle shell brace).

How He Fell On His Buttocks; the true story

The day was hot, the date July 9, 2008. Jeremy toiled up the steep, rocky path, packing forty pounds of paragliding equipment on his sweaty back. At the top of the “Y,” Jeremy baked under the July sun for a few hours, waiting for the air to calm. Before take-off he told his instructor that he was too tired to try thermaling. He planned to fly straight to the landing sight at Kiwanis Park in Provo, Utah. Little did he know that this, his sixtieth flight, would also be his last (or so we think at this point).

As Jeremy soared closer to the park he noticed a lot of turbulence in the air. After making many S-turns to manuever the landing, Jeremy realized the thermals were keeping him up to high. Hoping to land quickly before the next glider came in, he decided to make a long sweeping turn away from the park. Unfortunately, once he came around he realized he might be too low to clear the power lines and trees at the park. Jeremy chose to try an emergency landing on a residential street free of power lines.

(tarzan yell) WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!

The right wing of the glider hit a tree, spinning the left side around. The glider collapsed leaving 15-20 feet of air between Jeremy's backside and the asphalt. There wasn't time for him to get out of the reclining postion. He landed on his rear end with only an inch of padding in the harness to cushion the fall.

He immediately realized he couldn't move or feel his legs. A woman came up and asked him if she should call 911. "Yes, please," he answered. People rushed out from their houses. A paraglider/fireman argued with the police over what to do with Jeremy. Jeremy simply said, “Shut up.” Luckily, Jeremy crashed on a street where resides a camera man who works for a local TV station. Identified as ‘an unidentified man,’ Jeremy received his five minutes of fame on the news that evening. We haven’t actually seen the spot yet, but we have been informed it shows him being loaded onto the ambulance. While riding in the ambulance, Jeremy remembers the pain coming on strong. The morphine wasn't enough. He was taken to UVRMC in Provo and admitted to the ER.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…Jeremy’s beautiful wife Wendy was busily preparing two luscious pies for her grandfather’s birthday. She recalls praying that her lemon meringue pie would set. While hurrying the girls out the door, she received a suspicious phone call. Believing it to be a telemarketer she almost hung up. The words ‘husband’ and ‘hospital’ finally caught her attention. She dropped the girls off at grandma’s and, along with her lovely mom, drove to the hospital, prepared to laugh at her husband for landing himself in the ER and berate him for adding more expense to his expensive hobby. Needless to say, she decided not to laugh at or berate him…yet.